A/N: I'm glad people are getting into this story! I really hope this story catches on

Disclaimer: We've gone through this numerous times...I do not own anything recognizable from the series. I do, however, own whatever is unrecognizable.

I've created the sound of madness

Wrote the book on pain

Somehow I'm still here

To explain

That the darkest hour

Never comes in the night

You can sleep with a gun

When you gonna wake up

And fight for yourself?

Shinedown — Sound of Madness

Isabella shot up, thinking she was in the bed at the hotel. She took in the surroundings around her and saw she was in the lab in the break room on the couch. She rubbed her eyes and stretched.

"Good morning, sunshine", a very amused voice said. Isabella looked up and saw Jo, the second-in-command.

"G'mornin', Jo", she replied with an embarrassed smile. She stood up and folded the blanket.

"Ready to work? I got some coffee for you", Jo offered. Isabella took it with a soft 'thank you' and took a sip. The scalding, bitter taste slid down her throat and she tried not to make a face. She hated coffee, but around the New York Crime Lab, it was a necessity.

"Okay, so Mac just got off the phone with the FBI. They're on their way here to see you. I just wanted to warn you, because the Wicked Witch of the East Coast is coming with them", Jo said in a low voice. Isabella appraised her wrinkled top and groaned.

"Oh man, I hate the FBI", she sighed. She snapped to attention when she realized what she'd said.

"Well, not you. You're too cool, Jo", she rephrased quickly with a blush.

"Yeah, I know what you meant. Agent Sheila Archer is coming and watch out, she's a real witch", Jo replied, nudging her. Isabella felt her blood boil. She knew Sheila Archer back when she was a field CSI with the WPD. The two women hated each other with a fiery passion.

"Yeah, I know Archer. She used to be a CSI back in Wilmington. She's not the Wicked Witch of the East Coast, she's the Wicked Bitch of the East Coast", she said, crossing her arms. That caused the Virginian native to laugh heartily.

"I heard about that", she replied, nodding.

"I'm gonna warn you, Jo; tempers will rise when I see Sheila and I'm not giving up this case. The feds will have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers", Isabella said. She was stubborn about the Angel of Death case; this was her case and she wasn't going to give it up. FBI had taken many, many cases from her before and she wasn't about to let them finish what she'd started. They walked from the break room and she went straight to the Trace lab to get her lab coat. She was examining a piece of paper when she felt someone behind her.

"Detective Isabella Pacino", a familiar female voice said from the doorway. Isabella hesitated before answering.

"Yes, Satan?" she replied, before turning around. The smug look vanished from Sheila Archer's face.

"Whoops, my bad, Sheba! I thought you were someone else", Isabella faux-apologized. She knew her former co-worker hated being called 'Sheba'.

"Looks like you ain't changed a bit, blue collar", Sheila sneered.

"I do what I can", Isabella replied modestly with a fake smile. She turned when someone cleared their throat. She looked up and saw Flack.

"Hey, we got another body. You ready to roll?" he asked. She walked over to him and gave him her famous half-moon smile.

"Lead the way", she replied. Her eyes flicked over to Sheila, who had widened her eyes at the sight of Detective Flack. She clearly thought the homicide detective was attractive, which sent a flash of annoyance through her veins.

"Oh, bless your heart, we'll just have to catch up later, won't we?" Isabella said, widening her eyes. Sheila glared at her. A look passed between the two women that could only mean one thing.

'Game on, bitch'.

"So how do you know Agent Archer?" Flack asked once they were in the car. Isabella laughed.

"We used to work together. Archer used to be a CSI with the crime lab back home", she replied.

"You two get along?" he asked. She shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Never did. We would pull such pranks on each other", she replied.

"You prank?" Flack asked, clearly surprised.

"You kidding? I'm the undisputed queen of pranks", Isabella informed him with the left corner of her mouth twitching.

"That's dangerous territory, Rocky. One might threaten that title", he replied as they pulled up to the scene. She got out and examined the body, frowning. They were in a park.

"Wait a minute. Who called this in?" she asked, looking up at Flack.

"Uh, some jogger", he replied, examining his book.

"This isn't an AOD victim", she said, bending down. The victim had the same lips-sewn-shut-and-eyes-sewn-open as the others, but the COD was different. The girl had been strangled, not stabbed. The MO was way off. Angel of Death victims were between the ages of 20-28. The victim before her had to be about seventeen. Jay Maxwell was always consistent, unless he had decided to change his MO slowly.

"Copycats are even more dangerous than the originals", Flack said, looking down at the girl. Isabella rolled the girl's body over, and looked for any sort of bloody writing. None.

"I agree. There's not even any writing like before", she replied, before laying her down again. She heard cars approaching and she looked up and saw the Avalanche pull up.

"Isabella, you got a call from the lab back home, Mac needs to talk to you", she heard Danny Messer call. She stood up with a nod and walked over to the truck, slightly bewildered. What could possibly be going on?

"Did you get the news this morning?" Mac asked her. Isabella tilted her head.

"No, I fell asleep. What happened?" she asked. She studied him carefully, trying to read his news. They weren't good news, she could tell.

"Detectives Adams and Bradley were arrested on drug charges yesterday. Apparently, a huge chunk of the lab was involved and they're shutting down the lab. They're investigating everyone, including you", he replied. She stiffened in shock.

"They think I'm involved? Mac, I put dealers and makers away for a living, why would I risk it all? I was a wild card to begin with!" she gasped. Oh man, this could ruin her career.

"About thirty lab techs and two members of your team were arrested for involvement", Mac said solemnly. She could tell he really hated to tell her this.

"Was Aria De Luca involved? Mac, I gotta know", Isabella pleaded.

"I'll take you back to the lab so we can talk properly about this", he replied, leading her into the truck.

"Lemme tell Flack that I'll be back later really quick, then I'm all yours", she said, gesturing to Mac to stay there.

"Sure thing, Isabella", he agreed. Isabella ran over to Flack, out of breath from how fast her heart was racing.

"Something came up. Can you and Danny handle this for a bit?" she asked, her eyes pleading for him not to argue.

"Sure, Rocky", he replied. His eyes were clouded with unspoken sympathy. He knew, she realized. Isabella turned on her heel and ran for the truck. This couldn't be happening...