Coda

-CSI:NY-

Don groans as a cell phone's ring wakes him. He did not have a good night last night. Flack forces himself out of the bed, glancing at the clock. It's just after ten in the morning. He has the day off-arranged last night after he discovered his sister has started AA meetings.

The phone starts ringing again, so he pulls his tall frame from the warm bed and lifts it off his nightstand. "'Lo," his voice is rough from sleep.

"Hi, Don," Jess greets. "Did I actually wake you up?"

"What time did I get back again?" he demands.

He imagines Jess shrugging her shoulders. She can probably tell him the exact time, down to the last second. She won't. "Sometime. I know you've worked on less sleep."

"Doesn't mean I don't want it." He moves on to another subject, "Why are you calling? Just to annoy me?"

She laughs, "Well, it is always nice to pick on you…I wanted to see if you want to get lunch. I'm finishing paperwork and a report for the DA. I can meet you at twelve?"

"Yeah." Don doesn't have to ask where she wants to meet him. They have a place they usually get lunch away from prying cop eyes and possible interruptions from her brothers. "Twelve's good."

He makes it to the diner a little early and finds a table at the back. He'll have to slide over when she gets here, because neither of them will put their back to the door, but for now, he sits in the middle of the bench. The waitress who always flirts with him is working today. She makes her toward his table.

He avoids eye contact with her and prays for Jess to get here soon. Shelly asks, "So, where's your girlfriend. You two break up." There's a tad too much hopefulness in her tone.

"No," Don looks up to meet Jess's gaze, "Don and I are still dating. Don't worry; I'll let you know should we decide to end things."

Shelly rolls her eyes, moving off to her assigned area. Jess manages to hold her laughter in until the girl is out of earshot. "It's not funny," Don says.

"Uhhuh," agrees his girlfriend. "It's not at all funny. How was your day?"

His grin is pure heat, "I was having this great dream until you woke me. You wanna hear about it?"

She ignores his comment and with a glare demands the truth.

"It's weird, you know? I never thought this would happen to her," he admits. "I don't know what to do."

"She's a big girl; she made her own choices," she reminds him. "She may be your baby sister, but she's not a baby. …Have you talked to her yet?"

"After you called, I went over. We talked, yeah." Jess's hand slips under the table to grip his. She asks a silent question. Don replies, "I'm going with her tonight to talk to Mom and Dad. She really doesn't want them to know."

"They kind of have to…" Jess wonders.

Again, Don knows what she wants to ask and answers, "Yeah. Apparently that's what all the counselors tell her at the meetings."

The waitress sets their normal order on the table and quickly leaves. It takes Don a few seconds before he realizes she never came to take their orders. "Do we really come here that often?"

"Apparently," Jess doesn't seem to mind as she digs into her meal. Don follows her lead and they eat quickly in silence.

Don gets the check and Jess gathers their coats when they've finished their lunch. His hand finds the small of her back, but she leads them. Towards home. He glances down at her. She pulls herself closer, "I finished everything I needed to. I'm on call, but I don't think anything will happen."

"So then…where to?"

"Home," she responds. "Maybe you can explain that dream you were having when I woke you up."

He is nearly asleep when she taps his shoulder. "Yeah," he rolls onto his back.

"Are you really okay?"

He grins, gently pushes her hair out of her eyes, and answers, "I'm fine, Jess. I'm worried about Sam, but there's nothing I can really do."

She nods, "Just so you know…" she slides down in their bed and rests her head on his chest, "…I'm here is you need me."

-CSI:NY-

A/N: I feel better about the story now.

Edited: 28 December 2008…ladybug1115