Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: NY.
Series: None.
Spoilers: Manhattan Manhunt ... if that.

I've now passed the 100-reviews mark! This is a big thing for me and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who's reviewed so far.

Chapter Nine – Manhattan Manhunt II

With nothing else she could do, Jess screamed, but, suddenly, there was a jolt and she stopped falling, a hand tight around her uninjured wrist.

The man she'd originally assumed was Darius had managed to catch hold of her, but she could see the strain in his face and there was nothing she could use as a foothold to help him.

A gunshot rang through the air and Jess closed her eyes, sure that the bullet had been for her rescuer, but his grip didn't change and, in the next moment, Aiden's face appeared next to his.

Together, they were able to haul Jess back up to the rooftop and she collapsed next to them, wincing at the pain in her side.

"She's been stabbed." Aiden murmured. "Here, press down hard." She directed their companion's hands to the wound in Jess's left side and grabbed her gun again, sprinting back to cover Darius, who lay on the ground about twenty feet away, pulling out her radio as she did. "Flack, we need you on the roof."

"You alright, Detective?"

Jess attempted a smile, but it felt more like a grimace. "Been better. Sorry about earlier."

He shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I think that was kinda his plan. I'm Sam, by the way."

The door to the roof flew open again before she could respond. "Jess!"

"Uh oh." Jess muttered as noise filled the area. "That's my partner. He's not gonna be happy."

"Jess!" In a second, Don was at her side, pulling Sam's hand away to examine the wound. "It looks like a flesh wound. What in God's name were you thinking? No, don't answer that – you obviously weren't …"

As much as Jess hated it when Don was mad at her – and she did hate it – she couldn't stay awake long enough for him to lecture her about her recklessness.

Clearly, Don noticed, because he covered her injury again and grasped her hand in his, squeezing tightly. "Don't you pass out on me, Detective."

"'M fine." Jess murmured. "Later you can … yell at me all you want … promise …"

As her eyes closed, she heard him sigh and his hand tightened around hers. "I will. Don't worry."

Given the day's events, Jess wasn't surprised when Don insisted on picking her up from the hospital, but she wasn't expecting him to drive straight back to his apartment. She didn't argue, though, knowing that they needed to work through what happened before it affected their work.

Without a word, Don locked the car and led her up to his apartment. She sat down on his couch, and watched as he stalked into his kitchen, rooting through a cupboard. "What are you looking for?" She asked eventually.

Don slammed the door shut. "I don't even know. What the hell were you thinking?"

Jess couldn't help flinching and he must have seen it, because he sighed.

"Don't make me feel guilty, Jessica; you scared the hell outta me today. What did the doctors say?"

"Knife didn't go in that deep and missed anything vital." Jess said quietly, her gazed fixed on her lap. "And my left wrist is sprained … Lucky, really; I thought it was broken."

Don approached her, but she didn't look up, until he knelt in front of her. "Jess … You get why I'm upset, right?"

Jess couldn't help chuckling. "Yeah. I just hate it when you're mad at me. Always have."

"Why?" Don asked.

Jess shrugged. "Didn't happen very often, I guess. It was normally because I'd done something that scared you and I didn't like doing that; it was disappointment more than anger and I could deal with you when you were pissed at me; I could deal with you yelling at me, but I never could deal with the disappointment in your eyes."

"Not disappointment." Don cupped her face and tilted it upwards, forcing her to meet his eyes.

Jess wanted to look away. The look in his eyes was fear, mixed in with pain, and she couldn't fight the thought that this was what he must have looked like in the hospital after she was shot, only 100 times worse, and she couldn't fight the tears that welled up in her eyes. "Don …"

"No." Don's other hand moved to the other side of her face, preventing her from averting her gaze. "No. Look at me, Jess."

"I can't." Jess whispered.

"I need you to understand me." Don told her quietly. "I'm not disappointed and the only person I'm mad at is myself; I should have followed you. I just assumed that you and Aiden had it covered. Then you screamed and … I didn't know if it was you or Aiden; just that someone was hurt. And my heart stopped, Jess; it really did. Whoever it was."

Jess smiled weakly, a tear escaping her eyes. "I know. I need a friend right now. Today scared the hell outta me too."

Don kissed her forehead and pulled her into a hug. "I'm not surprised." He sighed softly, resting his chin on her forehead. "I thought I'd lost you for a minute out there."

Jess felt her heart skip a beat and forced herself to calm down, but something must've changed in her body language, because he sighed again.

"Jess …"

"It's okay." She whispered. "Once, we got a 'shots fired' call to a suspect's apartment, possible officer involved. I was closest, pulled up outside and realised it was your case. I swear my heart dropped into my stomach."

"How long had we been together?" Don asked quietly.

Jess tilted her head back to smile weakly up at him. "We weren't. It was about two months after I got to New York."

Don chuckled. "Is this your way of saying 'don't worry about being sentimental; it's the adrenaline'?"

"Something like that." Jess agreed. "I know you'll tell me yourself when it's time; you don't have to worry about me jumping to conclusions."

"Good." Don murmured, pulling her back into his arms. "In that case, I'll just sit here for a little bit longer."

Jess buried her face in his chest. "Works for me." She muttered, finally losing her battle with tears and falling into silent sobs.

Don didn't say anything, tightening his arms around her, his shirt soaking up her tears, and they stayed there in silence.

Several hours later, Aiden turned up at Don's apartment door, wondering why Don hadn't returned to work.

When her knocks received no answer, Aiden carefully slid the spare key from the top of the frame and quietly unlocked the door, swinging it open.

The apartment was dark, lit only by the lights of the city streaming through the window, and, for a moment, she wondered whether Don had been home at all.

But then she caught sight of the scene that met her and a smile appeared on her face, a smile that swiftly turned into a smirk as she pulled her phone out.

She focused carefully and snapped a few pictures: Don and Jess had fallen asleep on his couch.

Now, Aiden was no stranger to situations like that. She'd lost count of the number of times a bad case had led to a comforting hug from Flack or Danny, which, in turn, had led to drifting off on the couch.

But that was different. She usually woke with one of their arms around her shoulder, the other trailing on the floor, and wondering how she'd slept through the God-awful racket of their snoring.

In contrast, Don's arms were wrapped so tightly around his partner it was almost impossible to tell where one started and the other finished, his body turned slightly, cradling her protectively between him and the sofa's back.

Saving the pictures on her phone for later mileage, she found a blanket in Don's closet and threw it over them, before pulling the blinds closed and leaving a quick note telling him she'd been by.

She didn't have the heart to wake them up.

AN: I know I said the bone fractured in the last chapter - but that was from Jess's POV; she thought it broke, but it didn't, because that's more convenient for me lol. Just because I've passed 100 reviews doesn't mean I don't want more :) So please tell me what you think!