A/N: I wanted to do this song for a while now...I hear it, and it's so Isabella! Enjoy and don't forget to review! How am I supposed to perfect my story if I don't get any input? Lol either PM me your review, or leave it in that nifty little review box C: I know in earlier chapters, it says Wrangler's a Lab, but I'm gonna say he's a German Shepherd/Lab mix XDD

This is also the last chapter of this, but don't you fret, my dearies! I am now working on the sequel...stay posted ;D

I'm gonna miss that smile

I'm gonna miss you, my friend

Even though it hurts the way it ended up

I'd do it all again

So, play it sweet in heaven

'Cause that's right where you wanna be

I'm not crying 'cause I feel so sorry for you

I'm crying for me

Toby Keith — Cryin' For Me (Wayman's Song)

Isabella rubbed Wrangler's side, feeling his fur between her fingers. The black and brown dog waggled his entire body, his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth under her ministrations. She chuckled as he jumped onto the bed. It was time to go to sleep now, she was exhausted from the day's events. They had gotten nowhere on Buddy Jones' whereabouts, the cell had gotten them nowhere, as expected. Her lunch had been eaten again. It had been a week since Aria's death and Isabella felt as though she were being watched. Luckily, she still had guns besides her Glock. She had been hunting recently, and still had her hunting rifles. If the killer tried to get into the window, Wrangler would get a jump at him. She highly doubted the Killer Cop would try to get at her while she had Don on one side of the wall, Mac on the other side of the other wall, but unfortunately, nothing was impossible. The crack at the window caused her to jolt upwards and turn her attention to the window. She slipped her gun case from under her bed and opened it. Pulling out her gray camouflaged 30-06 hunting rifle, she went to the window. It was just a branch slapping against the glass. The wind was picking up and she could hear a low rumble of thunder in the distance. There was a storm due tonight. Wrangler whimpered and snuggled closer to her.

"Shush, boy. It's okay", she soothed, keeping the gun close to her bed. Ever since she was little, she was afraid of storms. She pulled the blankets closer to her chin and squeezed her eyes shut. About an hour later, her eyes flew open and to the window. The paranoia flooded her and she sat up.

"It's just the storm, Isabella. You're just being paranoid", she muttered. She laid back down and tried to close her eyes to sleep again. She was about to fall asleep when she heard Wrangler jump off the bed and growl at the window. She opened her eyes groggily and saw him growling at the storm. She rolled over and fell back asleep. She was once again almost asleep when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes flew open and she grabbed the gun, pointing it at whoever had the hand. She took the safety off.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded. At that moment, lightning flashed and the man's face was illuminated. Logan.

"Logan", she gasped. In one hand, he held a knife. He was the Killer Cop. A slow smile flickered across his face. How could he? She stood up, holding up the rifle.

"I'm giving you to the count of three to get back onto the ladder and get the hell out of here. I will then dismiss this as a dream", she snarled. The smile turned wicked and he lunged for her, knocking the gun out of her hands. She writhed against him and landed a solid kick to his gut. The knife came down and she caught his wrist, holding it up. Her hand went to his face and she shoved him off, scrambling to her feet. She went for her gun, but she felt something against her leg. Wrangler was snarling and getting ready to attack. It suddenly occurred to Isabella. Smack the wall. She grabbed Logan's shirt and threw him against the wall, trying to wake up anyone. She tackled him down and pinned him down. She had the advantage as long as she was on top. She finally disarmed him of the knife and she tossed it, hearing it smack against the armoire. Weight crushed down on her, hands going around her neck. She fought him, throwing him down and bringing up her foot to kick him in the jaw. Her MMA training had kicked in. Wrangler lunged and sank his teeth into Logan's arm. The door kicked open. It was her cavalry, Mac, Danny, and Don.

"Wrangler, stand down!" Isabella commanded. The German Shepherd mix got off, snarling. He was bristling with fury, snapping his jaws. She grabbed her cuffs and had someone shove Logan to his feet. The sting of utter betrayal flashed through her, cold and bitter.

"Logan Ross, you're under arrest for the murders of Vivienne Marx, Lila Fitch, Janet King, and Aria De Luca. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you do not have an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?" she said, slapping the cuffs on his wrists.

"Yeah, I got 'em", Logan replied, his voice a low guttural snarl. This man was an animal. She shoved him down the stairs, adrenaline wearing off. Now she felt the sharp pain in her thigh.

"Izzy, you're bleeding", Danny said. She looked down at her leg and saw her pale pink pajama pants stained scarlet with blood. Sonofabitch, she was. He'd stabbed her.

"I have Ross, you go get Hawkes. He's downstairs", Mac said. She nodded and limped toward the stairs. The pain was excruciating, like someone lit her leg on fire. It felt like she had been shot.

"Lemme help", she heard someone murmur into her ear. It was Don. He wrapped one of her arms around his neck and lifted her up into his arms, bridal-style. She felt her face warm.

"Thanks", she murmured.

"Don't worry about it", he replied. He carried her to the stairs and had her lean over and open the doors for him until they reached the bottom floor. Marnie had already been up.

"Izzy-éan! What happened?" she gasped, running to her daughter. Her black hair was mussed from sleep and her eyes were wide. Don set her down on a kitchen chair and disappeared.

"I got stabbed, Mama. Remember the killer I was telling you about?" Isabella said. Her mother nodded.

"It was Logan. Logan went after me about ten minutes ago, dear God, if it weren't for Wrangler..." Isabella's voice trailed off, shuddering. Hawkes came into the kitchen with a kit.

"I thought Logan had an alibi?" he said.

"He did, someone must have had the timeline screwed up", she replied. He tore her pant leg above the cut and put it into a bag for evidence, and to examine the wound.

"Where's the knife, Izzy?" Don asked. She scrunched her face.

"It's in my room somewhere. Near my armoire, I believe", she replied. He grabbed a napkin and disappeared in search of the knife.

"You're a very lucky woman, Miss Isabella", Hawkes said, cleaning the wound with peroxide. She clamped her mouth shut, her thigh stinging from the pain.

"How so, Doc?" she asked, trying not to look.

"Well, you dodged a serial killer and only escaped with one cut", he replied. She gave Wrangler a fond look.

"That's because I had such a good boy with me, didn't I?" she crooned. The dog's tail thwapped against the floor, his rear wiggling.

"Let me take pictures of your wound and hands and then you can give the pooch his attention", Hawkes said. When that was finished and Isabella was taped up, she patted her leg to let Wrangler wriggle on his belly over to her. He knew a 'very good boy' was in order. She rubbed his belly, taking special note of his sweet spot on the bottom of his ribs.

"He's such a good boy!" she cooed, scratching his ribs. His hind paw started kicking and he groaned in happiness. Marnie kissed Isabella's head, murmuring to her in Gaelic.

"Mama, I'm okay", Isabella told her mother, uncomfortable with all of the attention.

"My baby almost killed tonight, I have right fuss", Marnie replied sternly. Isabella rolled her eyes and let her mother fuss over her. She stood up.

"Go ahead and go exercise that leg, but not too much. Try not to pop a stitch, otherwise you may have to go to the hospital", Hawkes said. She nodded and walked, well, limped in search of Don. He had the knife in a Ziploc bag and he looked at her.

"You could have been the next victim", he said. His blue eyes were haunted as he looked at her. She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. She limped over to him and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you", she whispered. He wound his arms around her waist to embrace her back.

"Any time, Rocky", he replied. She looked up at him and smiled gently. Her next move, she couldn't help, nor could she stop. She stretched onto her toes and pressed her lips to his. His fingers wound into her hair and kissed her back.

"Hell of a way to say thanks", he said, once they pulled away. Her face was flushed, she could feel it.

"Sorry 'bout that", she said with a chuckle. Doing something like that was incredibly out of character for her. But damn, did it feel good.

"Don't worry about it", he replied. He tilted her chin up and kissed her. The sound of someone clearing their throat caused her to jump. It was Danny.

"As happy as I am for you two, I'm gonna need that knife", he said, clearly embarrassed to catch them. Don tossed him the bag and he caught it, walking out. Isabella's nerves were frazzled and she ran a hand through her dark, curly hair.

"I'm gonna miss you", Don said. She looked up at him and a half-smile curved across her lips.

"I'll miss you, too", she replied.

"Good, 'cause you don't just kiss a guy then forget about him", he said, poking her ribs. She gave him a playful frown.

"It's a two-way street, Flack", she replied, planting a hand on her hip and leaning off of her bad leg. He gave her a grin.

"Like a guy could forget about a girl like you", he said. She raised her eyebrow.

"You mean a biracial midget who opened up a can of whoop-ass on three people so far?" she asked. He nodded.

"Well, you're not a midget. I'd call you 'petite', but not a midget", he replied. He ruffled her hair.

"Shorty", he teased. She swatted his hand away, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Hey, Romeo, Juliet, c'mon, we gotta lot to do", Danny called as he walked down the hall.

"You okay to walk?" Don asked, turning to her. She gave him a thumbs-up sign and turned to limp out of her room. She flicked the light off as she left. Damn, this leg was keeping her down. What was going to happen to Nevaeh? Her dad was going to be in prison, her mother was dead. Isabella's hand flew to her mouth as she was taken back to November 13, 2006.

"It's a girl; Nevaeh Rae De Luca-Ross", Aria said, holding a tiny, dark-haired, fair-skinned bundle in her arms.

"She's gorgeous, Ree-Ree", Isabella murmured, staring down at the baby. Nevaeh let out a yawn and opened her eyes a bit. She had gorgeous dark chocolate brown eyes, just like her mother.

"Izzy, I want you to be her godmother. I know you'll take good care of her if anything happens to me or Logan", Aria said, looking up at her. She held up the baby, as if to goad Isabella into the decision. As if she needed to. Her heart already swelled with love and affection for the baby as she took her from her mother's arms and cradled her.

"Of course I will. How could I say no to this beautiful little girl?" she cooed, bouncing the baby a little in her arms. She gently kissed the baby's forehead.

"You're the Godmother", Aria giggled. Isabella rolled her eyes. She had been constantly picked on for her last name being that of the Godfather's, or Scarface's. She was very, very distantly related to the great Al Pacino, but she wasn't Mafia. She left that to her estranged father.

"She'll be in good hands", she told her best friend.

Legally, Nevaeh went to her. Isabella was the godmother.

"Oh my God", she said, stopping in the hall.

"What?" Don asked. She looked up at him.

"Where's Nevaeh?" she asked, limping back into her room and grabbing her cell. She flipped it open and called the De Lucas.

"Isabella, it's two in the morning. Is there an emergency?" Alonzo asked.

"Do you have Nevaeh?" she asked.

"Yes, she's asleep. What's wrong?" he said.

"Logan killed Aria. I'm coming to get Nevaeh in the morning", she replied.

"Alright, we'll talk then", he said, hanging up the phone. Dear God, Aria was really dead. It finally set in. She leaned against the wall and slid down, tears streaming down her face again.

"Tell me what's going on", Don said, bending down next to her.

"She's really gone, Don", Isabella whispered. Her two best friends were gone, she'd been stabbed, and now she had a daughter. She pressed her forehead to her knees as he pulled her against his chest and she allowed herself to cry.

The funerals

Isabella, Daniel, Kingston, and James Harding were carrying the coffin where Aria De Luca lain down the aisle in their dress blues. Mourners dressed in black in the police cemetery watched as a band played soft music. Isabella knew she had to stay strong as she carried her beloved friend through. It was symbolic, really. They had carried each other through their lives, helping each other up when they fell and carrying them when needed. Now, she owed it to Aria to carry her one last time to be put to rest. As the guns rang shots, she stood at the podium in the tent to give the speech.

"Aria Marie De Luca was more than just an officer. She was a daughter, a sister, a mother, and a best friend. There was no one more dedicated to the job of law enforcement than she, every case had her undivided attention and her absolute best. In the academy, they teach you how to shut up, do paperwork, and take orders, but Aria taught me what it meant to be a cop. I had known her for twenty-two years when she was so quickly stolen from us and taken from this world. Though she physically may not be here, she lives among us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. For those of you who had the privilege of knowing such a fantastic woman, such a devoted friend and mother. A week ago, Wilmington, North Carolina and its residents not only lost an officer. They lost a protector, they lost an angel, and they lost a friend. She was a beautiful woman, inside and out", she said, looking among the crowd. She looked down and up at the screen.

"We have a slideshow that was created by the Wilmington Crime Lab in remembrance of the fallen officers that were taken by the Killer Cop, Logan Ross", she said, nodding to the tech. She stepped down and sat down next to the De Luca family as pictures and music started playing. 'Crying For Me' by Toby Keith. Pictures of Aria and various people were up on the screen. Soon, there wasn't a dry eye in the room as pictures of the women were on the screen. When her favorite picture of her and Aria came on the screen, Isabella couldn't hold in her sobs anymore. It was a picture of them in a candid shot, singing to each other in a very dramatic fashion, taken a day before she died. They had been singing 'Lady Marmalade' in the Trace Analysis lab while waiting for results, so they thought they may as well goof off. Everyone had been in at least three pictures. The final picture was a picture of Isabella and Aria with their arms around each other, grinning their best smiles up at the camera and sitting down. Isabella had been parked on Aria's lap. They had gotten a warrant and searched Logan's apartment for evidence. They found the teeth in his drawer and the fingers in his freezer, wrapped in aluminum foil. He was being put in prison, serving four life sentences and a possible death sentence. Mac approached Isabella after the funeral and rested a hand on her arm.

"I'm very sorry for your loss", he said. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"Thanks, Mac", she replied. Nevaeh stayed close to Isabella and she picked her up.

"Go see Nonna, 'kay, sweetie? I'll be there in a minute", Isabella said to her goddaughter.

"This may be an inappropriate time, but I have an offer for you", Mac said. She gave him a wary look.

"Go ahead", she urged him.

"This was Danny's last case with the lab, he's been promoted to Sergeant", he started to say. Excitement flashed through Isabella's veins. Danny hadn't told her about the promotion, she'd have to congratulate him later.

"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. She was truly happy for him.

"This leaves us with a slot for a CSI First Grade", Mac said. She widened her eyes.

"Mac, are you asking me to work at the lab in New York?" she asked.

"If you wanted to. I know you're Second Grade Promotable, so this comes with a promotion. I talked it over with everyone at the lab before I left, and everyone agrees you'd be the best one for the job. You know everyone there, you get along with them, and they like you. You don't have to answer right now, because of all that's happened, but I'd like it if you did come and work for me", he replied. She smiled widely.

"I'll definitely think about it. I mean, I have a daughter to think about now. There's basically nothing left for me at the lab now, I've been hurt there too much. If it's good for Nevaeh, I'll definitely give you a call", she said. Mac smiled.

"I wouldn't have it any other way", he replied. He patted her on the shoulder and she felt stunned by the offer. The New York Crime Lab was one of the biggest labs in the country; working there would be amazing for her career. She stood on her toes and looked for Danny. She saw him talking on the phone and waited till he got off to hug him.

"What's that for, Pacino?" he asked. She grinned.

"Congratulations on your promotion, that's what! Good work, Messer!" she replied. He ducked his head.

"So Mac told you, huh?" he said. She nodded.

"Did he also tell you I got to choose my replacement?" he asked. She tilted her head.

"He said he'd discussed it with the lab", she said.

"No, I got to choose my replacement and I chose you. You get a letter of recommendation from Adams and Montgomery and you're golden", he replied. She smiled.

"Gimme some time to work out everything, and I'll give y'all a straight answer", she told him. It was going to be a hard road, but she knew she wanted a new beginning.