A/N: I kind of left the story on a cliffhanger, and I kept thinking about it...I don't want to spoil the story, but Isabella is going back to Wilmington, but do not fret, my readers! This story will have a happy ending, I will make sure of it!

Ohhh ohoh, chain reaction
Spin me around, all around
Oh feels like a lifetime
(I've been waiting)
One domino goes down
Then they all hit the ground
(And not deliberating)
It all happens for a reason right?
Guess there's no need to fight it right?
Cause one thing leads to another,
Leads to another, leads to another

Ke$ha — Chain Reaction

Isabella was rushing to get ready, she had gotten a late start. At 6:50, there was a knock on the door. She let out a groan and ran to answer it, thankful for the concrete floors. She flung the door open and saw an amused Don.

"Oh! You're early", she squeaked. He had an amused look on his handsome face and his eyes appraised her outfit. She was wearing a pair of black short shorts and a tank top.

"You need a minute?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Gimme five minutes and I will look a lot better, I promise", she replied, holding up one finger and closed the door. She tore off her shorts and top and pulled on her dark blue straight-leg jeans and buttoned them. Time for her shirt. She pulled the silver and white oversize T-shirt over her head and fixed it so her bra didn't show. She shoved her feet into her boots and zipped them up, grabbed her bag, and flung open the door again. She liked wearing her boots, they gave her a good three inches of height and were sturdy and comfortable.

"I'm presentable now", she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. He held out his arm and she slipped her arm into his to walk down the hall with him.

"You look good though", he replied as they walked. She glanced at his casual jeans and a blue button-down and felt her face warm. He looked good too.

"You're not so bad yourself", she commented as they reached the elevator.

When they had sat down at a sports bar in Midtown, they had gotten to start talking about their careers.

"So what made you decide to become a cop?" Don asked, giving her an attentive look. Isabella laughed, remembering her decision. She had graduated high school at the tender age of fifteen, with honors. The Pacino twins were extremely smart, former child prodigies.

"Well, I was a struggling musician, living with my boyfriend and the guy turned out to be a total deadbeat. I wound up supporting us both and I decided I'd had enough. I talked to my uncle and my mom and my brother for about four hours before my mom asked me 'Izzy-éan, what is it you want to do more than anything in the world?' and I said 'To help people', so it took a while before my uncle brought up the police academy", she replied. It was a hard life.

"So you became a cop to help people?" he asked. She nodded.

"That might seem hard to believe, but yeah. After the academy, I took courses in criminal justice, chemistry, and technology, all while being a full-time uniform", she replied, fiddling with the top of her beer.

"That's pretty impressive", he said. She smiled and looked down.

"Yeah, and I wasn't very well liked either. Adams was my training officer at the time and that got me a lot of respect. When the case came with the wrestler and I took him down, I earned the respect I wanted, not just respect for being a trainee. I eventually worked my way to detective, then CSI", she replied. She looked up at him, locking eyes with him.

"What about you?" she asked. She never really liked talking about herself. He cleared his throat and chuckled.

"Family tradition. I made it farther than my old man, though. Some of the guys who knew my dad back then still call me Junior", he responded with a smile.

"That's cool", she said. She heard a guy sit down next to her. Isabella bristled in horror when she felt a lock of her hair move away from her face and she turned to look at the stranger.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he slurred. He had long, greasy blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and brown eyes.

"No thank you", she replied, taking the lock of her hair from between his fingers. The guy frowned.

"C'mon, I've got to be better looking than the mook on your other side", he said, leaning forward. Isabella tried not to wrinkle her nose at the alcohol on his breath.

"No thank you", she repeated, trying to be polite. This guy just wasn't getting the message.

"Look, buddy, the lady said no. No is her answer", Don said, giving the guy a glare.

"You wanna go, toots?" the guy demanded, standing up.

"You're drunk, dude. Go on out of here before one of these guys locks you up for harassment", the bartender said, obviously having seen the two detectives' badges. The guy let out a hysterical laugh, falling over and landing on top of Isabella. Her temper flared and she shoved him off, her striking aqua eyes flashing with fury. He let out another laugh and she wondered briefly if he was on drugs.

"Can we go?" she asked Don. He nodded. She slipped a five out of her pocket to pay for her beer and walked with him out.

"Usually drunks don't hang over women like that. I think he liked you", Don teased. She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, ain't I just the luckiest girl ever?" she replied dryly. He chuckled, slinging his arm over her shoulders in a playful fashion. She enjoyed his company, they shared the same sense of humor.

"So you into sports?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, I like sports. Hockey and horse racing are my favorites", she replied. He snorted.

"Horse racing is not a sport", he chided.

"Oh really? Does a football, soccer ball, baseball, or hockey stick have a mind of its own?" she said, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head when he didn't answer.

"Didn't think so". He let out another chuckle.

"Lemme guess, Hurricanes fan?" he asked. She nodded, smiling proudly.

"Yep. Hurricanes rock. The Panthers have been sucking recently, so I'm more of a Giants fan", she replied honestly.

"Ooh, a woman after my own heart", he said. She laughed and looked up at the sky.

"Man, New York really is pretty at night", she mused with a blink. She couldn't live without seeing the stars though, she was an avid stargazer.

"Yeah, but I'll bet it's no Wilmington", he replied. She smiled to herself. She was going to miss everyone at the lab in New York, she'd grown fond of them. They were good people, they didn't pretend to like others. They just did.

"Yeah, I'm gonna kinda miss everyone here. Y'all are cool", she said. He smiled.

"Yeah, they're a good bunch", he agreed.

"My brother's coming to New York to work at Trinity the week after I leave. If you meet him, be nice", she said.

"Well, if he's anything like you, I think we'll get along just fine", he replied. Her face flushed slightly.

"We're pretty similar", she said, thinking of her brother, Ian. Girls had thrown themselves at his feet.

"What's his name?" Don asked.

"Ian. We look pretty alike too, but he's got brown eyes. I got my mama's eyes", Isabella replied. He glanced, looking into her eyes.

"They're pretty eyes", he said. She laughed.

"Was that a line?" she asked.

"What? No! Pacino, you're nuts!" he replied, holding his hands up. She wrinkled her nose, letting out a giggle.

"That so was!" she accused. She planted her hands on her hips, giving him one of her best smiles. The smile she usually saved for special occasions, it let her get away with anything.

"Okay, so it was", he admitted. She beamed up at him.

"You gotta keep in contact with me when I go, kay?" she said. He chuckled, slinging his arms over her shoulders again.

"Sure thing, Rocky", he replied. Isabella was glad he had agreed to accompany her back to her hotel room. Before she slid her key card into the door, she felt her back press against the door. Don's hands slid under her jaw, tilting her chin up and pressing his mouth to hers in a soft, gentle kiss. Nothing funny, just a simple kiss. She kissed him back, resting her hand against his neck.

"See ya later", he said. Isabella's heart was racing, her pulse roaring in her ears. Her breath was ragged as she groped for the lock on her hotel room door. Oh, how she wanted to flop on her bed and call her mom. Her mother, of course, would disapprove. Isabella wasn't there for romance, she was there to work, but she fell asleep that night with a smile on her face.