In the week that followed Linda's return, things slowly went back to normal for Noelle and the Reagans- or whatever was normal for them before that tragic event.

Linda was dealing the best she could after being abducted. After a friend recommend someone to talk to, she went a couple of times- those moments were still fresh in her mind, but she had recently slept a full night without nightmares, which she considered a victory.

After testifying against Raymundo Salazar and watching him be led away by handcuffs, Danny had taken a few days off and stuck to Linda like glue- slowly driving her crazy and demanding he return to work.

Another couple who stuck together were Jamie and Noelle.

When the two weren't working, they were at his apartment ordering takeout and spending time on the couch in front of the television. He didn't say, but she knew after what happened to Linda, the drama with Jimmie was front and center in his mind. He wanted to keep his eyes on her at all times, which was fine with her- she had always loved spending time with him and being with him always made her feel safe.

When she was with Jamie she didn't have to worry about looking over her shoulders or jumping at shadows. She could stay in and not feel a pit in her stomach anytime a crowd of people came around her. She didn't have to hold her breath to listen out for footsteps following her anytime she walked down a hallway or sidewalk.

She knew her behavior was turning toward unhealthy- always wanting to be locked inside, but she didn't care. Being with Jamie was the only time she could relax and let her guard down- it was the only time she felt comfortable.

Her plan that night was going to be the same as the last previous nights, but then Linda called and had another idea. Her niece was going to be in a fashion show and she thought it would be fun if they, along with Erin and Nicky, went together and had a girls night out.

Noelle tried to politely decline, but Linda was stubborn and wouldn't take no for an answer. She, more than anyone, knew how important it was to not let a traumatic moment cause you to stop your life. She knew how important it was for herself to get back out into the world, and she knew it was just as important for Noelle as well- which was why she was now in the bathroom applying makeup and trying to pin back her uncooperative hair, while Jamie sat on the couch snacking and making her wish she was beside him.

Jamie had just turned the television from a silly sitcom he had seen a million times, to a sports channel, when he heard his cell phone beep with a new message.

Shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth, he traded out the remote for his phone and read the text message from his sister. He sat the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table in front of him, then stood up from the couch before making his way toward the bathroom.

With a light tap on the door, he called out, "Hey, Nol? Are you done? Erin text that she's on the way."

"Yeah." She sighed.

Looking at herself in the mirror one more time, she tried to pin a lone strip of hair back into the clip, then groaned when it fell out again and swung around the front to land in front of her left eye.

"Everything okay in there?" Jamie asked after hearing the noise she made.

"Yeah, just my hair being difficult."

"That one piece in the front that never wants to stay back?" he questioned, having grown up with her complaining about that piece of hair.

She was convinced the piece never grew back right after he cut her bangs too short- which he would always remind her she was the one that begged him to cut 'em, and she was also the one who moved her head right when he went to make the cut.

"That would be the one." She sighed in frustration when she tried to pin it back again. "You know the one that you cut too short."

"I told you that wasn't my fault, Nol," he stated. "You're the one who turned your head-"

"Because Joe opened the door!" she argued.

"We're not arguing about this again." He laughed and rested his forehead against the closed door. "Just wear it down. Your hair looks great down."

"I guess I'm gonna have to." She pulled the clip out of her hair and watched it fall down her back and over her shoulders. She ran a hair through her hair to try to fluff it up some. "Hey, honey, can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you find my black heels? The ones I wore to work the other day?" she questioned. "I think I kicked them off by the door, but they could also be by the bed."

Usually when she came in from work, losing her shoes was the first thing she did, but there were those hard days where she came in so tired she went right for the bed and fell face first. On those days, Jamie would find her passed out fully dressed when he came home. Instead of waking her, he would slip off her shoes and try his best to change her clothes without waking her up and let her rest.

"Okay, I'll find 'em and meet you in the living room." He backed away from the door. "Don't forget Erin will be here soon."

"I know. I'll be out in a few."

Checking by the door first, but not seeing the shoes, Jamie made his way toward the bed and saw one by the end of the bed. He grabbed it, then glanced under the bed and spied the other one.

With both shoes in his hand, he went to the couch and sat the shoes down carefully on the coffee table, then grabbed the bowl of popcorn and plopped back down on the couch. With his eyes on the television screen, he had just grabbed a handful of popcorn when he heard the bathroom door open, followed by her soft footsteps coming into the room.

Out of habit, he turned his head to look at her for a moment, then turned back toward the television, until he realized what she was wearing, then he snapped his head back to look at her with his mouth opened in surprise.

"I look ridiculous, right?" She ran her hands over the red straight-leg pants of the jumpsuit she had on.

The material clinged to her in all the right places like a second skin and the straps sat on her shoulders without digging into her skin or slipping off. The top was a little more low cut than she would usually wear with a small cut out under the bust to show a little skin, but she had to admit it was comfortable. She normally wouldn't wear something like it, but after Linda picked it out for her during their last shopping trip and she tried it on she liked it.

Linda swore it had to have been made just for her and even talked her into buying a fiery red tube of lipstick to match- which she was also wearing at the moment. Even if she liked the way everything fit and looked, she still felt a little weird wearing it since it wasn't her normal style of clothing.

"No, no, not at all." He shook his head. "You look...hot. Like- put my popcorn down and come kiss you- hot."

At his words, she let out a short chuckle, which grew louder as he sat the popcorn down just like he said and began to walk toward her.

"Keep your butter popcorn stained fingers away from me," she playfully warned as she pointed at him. "Plus, I'm a little mad you're eating popcorn without me anyway. You know how much I love popcorn."

"We'll pop another bag when you get home and resume our time together on the couch watching movies." He wiped the butter from his hands on to his blue jeans, then wrapped his arms around her waist, locking his fingers behind her back to hold her in place.

"That was the last bag," she pouted.

"I'll buy more while you're gone, Nol." He laughed before leaning forward to capture her lips to stop any further whining.

It didn't take long into the kiss when he realized something was bothering her- something more than missing out on a night of popcorn and movies. He tried to pull her closer to him, but her body still felt tense and her bottom lip trembled under his lips.

Resting his forehead against hers, he slowly swayed them side to side, his tone soft as he asked, "What's wrong?"

"How do you know something's wrong?"

"Because I know you, Nol." He pulled back to look at her and placed his hands on either side of her face, forcing her to look at him and saw a quick glimpse of fear in her eyes- a familiar look that appeared whenever a certain stalker crossed her mind.

"I just...I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't go."

"Nol-"

"I mean, it's your first weekend off in a while when I'm off too."

"Nol-"

"So maybe we should do something," she said, interrupting him again. "We could rent that action movie that just came out on DVD. You really wanted to see it, remember? But our days off never lined up so we could see it in the theater."

"Noelle-"

She ignored his tone and the fact that he used her name, instead of a nickname, and continued to ramble, "We could grab takeout from Cathalina's. It's been a while since we ate from there-"

"Hey... Look at me," he said, stopping her from talking. When her eyes met his, his tone softened as he spoke to her, "You don't have to be scared, baby."

"I'm not. I-I-"

"You are." He shot her a concerned look. "And I get it, I do. You have every reason to be, but you know none of us are gonna let anything happen to you. Erin and Linda will be by your side the whole night, you won't be alone."

"I know, I just..." Blowing out a breath, she softly continued, "He out there and I just...I keep imagining all of these scenarios in my head of him just popping up out of the blue and I..."

"I know." He nodded when her voice trailed off.

He knew what it was like when those thoughts crossed her mind because they crossed his as well. He was confident they would catch Jimmie, but like anyone else, he did have his doubts at times; like any time it took her a while to text him back or when she didn't answer him when he called, his mind would go into a panic that something was wrong.

At first, he would try to remain calm and tell himself that she's busy at work, sleeping or running an errand, but then the fears kick in and he worried if something happened- maybe Jimmie has gotten to her again and he wasn't there to save her.

And that's not counting the nightmares he still had on and off, but he didn't want to worry her with that- she was already paranoid enough and he didn't want to add his own. He needed to be her rock and stay strong. She needed his reassures that everything was going to be okay- she needed his optimism just like she has since they were kids.

Running a shaky hand through her hair, she let out a bitter chuckle. "You know, as crazy as it sounds, I can almost handle it better when he is leaving messages, because at least then we know where he has been...but he's been so quiet lately and that almost scares me more."

"I think he knows he can't get close to you."

"Which means he's probably out there coming up with another plan," she said, her voice growing more hysteric the more she spoke.

"Hey, shh...it's okay," he said, comforting her as he pulled her toward him and wrapped his arms around her. "He can come up with all the plans he wants, but he's not going to hurt you again."

"But what about you?" She pulled back to look at him, the fear in her eyes intensifying as she remembered the times he had been in danger. "Jamie, you're gonna be here alone-"

"I'm not gonna be alone."

"What are you doing tonight?"

"I'm meeting Danny for a beer."

"Oh, that's good," she said, feeling slightly better.

"Mm-hm," he hummed. "Me, Danny and Spencer."

"Spencer? My Spencer?" she questioned in surprise.

"Your Spencer?" he repeated with raised eyebrows.

With an eye roll, she added, "No, I don't mean like that- I just mean, my friend Spencer... You're having a beer with him?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Danny wanted to thank him for his help and since you girls are gonna be out having your girls night, we figured we would have a guys night."

"That sounds like fun." She smiled. Between being a cop himself and being with two detectives, she felt like it would be pretty impossible for Jimmie to get close to her boyfriend.

"Yeah, so, see, you don't have to worry about me, and you don't have to worry about yourself either." He ran a calming hand up and down her back. "I want you to have fun tonight, okay? Put everything out of your mind; all the stress and the worrying for the night and just have a drama-free, fun night."

"I'll try," she softly said before leaning forward to kiss him, but before her lips could touch his, he pulled back.

"I'm gonna need a little more reassurance than that."

"I'm gonna try to have a drama-free, fun night." She tried to kiss him, then chuckled when he pulled back again.

"Try a little harder, Nol."

"I'm gonna try really, really hard-"

"Nope," he cut her off with a head shake.

Throwing her head back with a dramatic groan, she lowered it to look at him and tried to hold back a smile.

"Fine! I'll have a fun night and-"

Before she could finish her sentence his lips were on hers for a heated kiss. He ran a hand through her hair and smiled against her lips when he heard her let out a soft moan and felt all the tension from before leave her body.

He wasn't sure how long they stood in the middle of his living room wrapped in each other's arms- it wasn't long enough in his opinion- when they heard a buzz from the intercom system by the door, signaling that someone was outside the main door wanting in.

"That's Erin and Nicky," Noelle said against his lips. She gave him a soft kiss, then pulled back. "I gotta go."

"You know, on second thought, maybe you should stay," he teased as he tightened his hold on her and began to kiss her again.

With a laugh, she pulled back and shook her head at him. "And they say women can't make up their minds."

Laughing at her joke, he kissed the tip of her nose. "Remember, drama-free fun tonight."

"I remember." She chuckled, then turned to grab her shoes to slip on at the door as she spoke to Erin through the intercom system, letting her know she would be down soon.

Grabbing her purse, she blew out a breath, then turned toward Jamie and fought the urge to run back over to him- knowing he would keep her safe.

Giving her a soft smile, he said the words he knew she needed to hear, "It's gonna be okay, Nol."

She returned his smile and gave him a small nod, then turned to open the door and walk out.

The plan was simple- put Jimmie out of her mind and enjoy the night, but that was easier said than done as she made her way downstairs while looking over her shoulder and clenching a can of mace in her purse.

•••

After watching Noelle walk out the door, Jamie had to stop himself from running after her. He had no doubt Erin and Linda would watch out for her, but after being stuck to Noelle like glue the last week- or technically since he learned about Jimmie- it was difficult watching her leave without him by her side.

He knew he had to let her go, he knew it wasn't healthy for him or her to be that dependent on each other. He would always be there for her, he would always protect her, but he knew there was a thin line between protective and obsessive- a line he was getting dangerously close to as he desperately tried to keep her safe.

After telling himself over and over that everything was going to be okay, he finally blew out a calming breath, then slipped on a pair of shoes and grabbed his jacket by the door to leave and meet up with his brother and Spencer.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Jamie walked into the building and spied his brother sitting on a stool at the bar.

"It's okay. I just got here myself." Danny gave his brother's shoulder a quick pat as he walked past him.

"Where's Spencer?" Jamie glanced around and slipped off his jacket, then laid it on the barstool beside him.

"Guess he's running late too." Danny shrugged as he flagged down the bartender to order a beer for his brother.

Jamie nodded his head in thanks as the bottle was sat down in front of him. Ignoring the bottle for a moment, he slipped out his cell phone from his pants pocket. He glanced at it and saw there were no new messages or calls, then set it down on top of the bar before sitting down on the barstool.

Danny watched his little brother from the corner of his eye and saw him take a sip a beer, then grab the phone again to check it.

Hearing him let out a small sigh before sitting it back down, he raised his eyebrows. "Am I boring you already, kid?"

"No, no, it's... Nol was nervous about leaving and I-"

"Was nervous about watching her leave," Danny finished for him.

"Yeah," he breathed out and ran a hand through his hair

"She'll be fine. She's with Linda and Erin, you know they'll look after her- even Nicky too," Danny said, knowing what was on his mind.

"No, I know, I told her the same thing before she left, but I still-"

"I know," Danny interrupted, his tone low and a look of understanding on his face. "But she's gonna be just fine, kid. That show is only for a few hours- it's brightly lite, a very public place with a lot of people around. I also know a couple of the guys who're working security and I know for a fact it's invite only. No one off the street can just walk in there...she's safe."

He knew all about that terrifying feeling when the love of your life was in danger- even more so now after what happened with Linda- he could understand the way his brother was feeling, but he also knew it wasn't good for any of them to live their lives in fear.

"I know." Jamie sighed and rested an arm on the wooden countertop, his hand near his phone just in case. "Deep down I know that and I've been telling myself that ever since she walked out of the door...I tell myself that every time she walks out the door- for work or whatever- but then I remember he has gotten to her before. She even told me that she never saw him coming. She did everything she could to keep herself safe, but he still took her by surprise."

In his mind, he could still hear the tone of her voice when she tearfully questioned what would happen if Jimmie surprised her again and took her. He could also see the look of relief on her face when he promised her he would never stop looking for her. Her fear was being taken again from her loved ones, never to return because no one looked for her anymore.

With his eyes gazing at his phone, he continued, "He's been a little too close for comfort lately, and I'm trying so hard to be strong for her- I know the moment I slip up and she sees how worried I am, then it'll cause her stress to skyrocket, but I am worried and the longer he's out there, the more I worry."

"I know." Danny nodded in understanding- truthfully, they were all worried about Noelle and Jamie's safety, but just like Jamie didn't want to show his fear to Noelle, none of them wanted to show their fear to him- call it a Reagan family trait.

"But he can't stay hidden forever," he added after taking a sip of his beer. "At some point, he will make a move and that's when we'll grab him."

Dragging his eyes from the cell phone, Jamie released a bitter chuckle. "You know, she's actually more scared now that he hasn't done anything than when he was. She's terrified he's just gonna pop up out of the blue and honestly, I am too."

"Let him." Danny shrugged with a look of determination on his face. "It'll be the last mistake he makes...the first was going after her to begin with."

"Yeah," Jamie mumbled and picked at the label on the bottle in his hands, his heart hurting as he thought about all she went through in Florida and how he wasn't there to protect her from the beginning.

The brothers were quiet for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts, until they heard the door open, followed by someone walking toward them. They turned their heads and saw Spencer, who shot them a quick apologetic look before slipping off his jacket and sitting on the stool beside Danny.

With a sigh, he flagged down the bartender to order a beer, then lifted the bottle with a sarcastic cheers before drinking half of it in one swallow.

"Bad day?" Danny questioned with raised eyebrows.

"You could say that." Spencer scoffed before taking another swallow.

"That sneaky son of a bitch..." he began to say, not having to elaborate on who he was talking about- they knew exactly who he meant.

"The past few days, I've been searching every abandoned building or house in Elle's neighborhood with no luck. I keep thinking he's got to be nearby- I mean, he did that in Florida. Afterward, we discovered he had taken over this rundown house a couple of streets over from her apartment building so he could keep an eye on her easier, but so far, I can't find where he's hiding out here."

"Maybe you need to broaden the search," Danny suggested.

"Or maybe you're looking in the wrong places," Jamie said with his head lowered and eyes on his phone. Feeling the other two looking at him, he raised his head. "Maybe he's going about things differently this time."

"His MO is the same. The way he's stalking her and leaving things," Spencer pointed out.

"But he's not stupid. He knows we're looking for him," Jamie said. "In his mind, we're keeping them apart, I mean, that's why he came after me, right? I'm a threat and in the way, so he might change a thing or two to stay one step ahead of us."

"He's right." Danny nodded. "Which also might explain why he brought in a partner this time around."

"True," Spencer said, realizing they might be right. Ordering another beer, he cleared his throat and felt his mouth go dry as he admitted, "I had an idea about the partner, but I hope to hell I'm wrong."

Seeing both of the brothers looking at him, he blew out a breath. "What if it's her brother?"

"Baylor?" Jamie asked with wide eyes.

"Shit," Danny quietly swore and ran a hand over his face. "I hate to admit it, but the thought has crossed my mind."

"So you think it's possible? I mean, he would do something like that?" Spencer questioned.

"If he's high or in desperate need for a fix...anything is possible," Danny said. "Recently he got involved with a kidnapping case of mine. The kidnappers promised him money if he showed up at the drop."

"And that wasn't long after he was released from the hospital for a drug overdose," Jamie added. "Nol had hoped that would push him to get help and get better, but as soon as he was released he disappeared. She was devastated and that wasn't the first time he has broken her heart."

"Damn." Spencer shook his head. "Sounds like he has really put her through the wringer. I never knew any of this- hell I didn't even know she had a brother until recently. She never mentioned him."

"She doesn't talk about him much in general. I think it hurts her too much," Jamie pointed out, he knew it was a sore subject for her.

She had talked to him some about her brother on and off through the years when it became too much for her, but usually, she just kept it to herself. He hated seeing her suffer in silence but knew if he pushed her it would just make it worse. All he could do was be there for her when she did want to talk- which he always was.

"I get that," Spencer quietly said, thinking of certain things from his own past. Everyone had certain chapters of their lives they didn't want to speak out loud about.

From the things that happened to him growing up, to losing his mother and watching her case go unsolved, to having to live with strict grandparents he never met because his mother had tried so hard to keep him away from them for good reason. Then there were the things he had witnessed on the job or things he had done to solve a case; needless to say, he had a whole library full of stories he didn't speak out loud about.

"If Baylor is involved, then things are worse than we thought." Danny sighed before taking a sip of his beer and suddenly wishing he had ordered something stronger.

"Yeah, it's going to destroy Nol." Jamie reached out for his cell phone and unlocked the screen. He felt his heart break when he saw the screensaver- a picture of Noelle he took recently at his apartment.

The two had been watching a movie and for a brief moment her defenses were down and she didn't look terrified or looking over her shoulders- for that brief moment, she had a smile on her face and looked a lot like the Noelle he remembered.

Now there was a chance that someone she loved and trusted had teamed up with her worst nightmare. That was something he wasn't sure she would ever be able to come back from.

"Yeah, but also it means that Jimmie isn't just harassing her or going after you." Danny looked over at his brother, then turned his attention toward Spencer as well. "He's doing his research and learning things about everyone she cares about. It's like we're all pawns in his game and once we're all in position-"

"That's when he'll make his move," Spencer finished for him and realized he was right; things had definitely taken a turn for the worst.

Jimmie's plan in Florida was simple- stalk Noelle until he could get her alone to grab her, but this time he was going about things a different way and they needed to stay a step ahead of him, they needed to figure out what his next move was, or this was a game they would lose and the winner would take all- which in this case happened to be Noelle.

•••

Arriving at the fashion show, Nicky was instantly taken in by all the glamorous outfits and the flashing lights while Noelle tried to relax and not reach into her purse to grab the can of mace every time someone got too close.

When a camera man rushed past them to snap pictures of the group of more important people arriving behind them, Noelle couldn't stop herself for jumping back a step and pulling in a deep breath when she felt her heart rate speed up.

Feeling someone take her hand, she turned her head and saw Erin give her a look, as if asking if she was okay. Forcing a smile, Noelle nodded her head to let her know she was fine.

"Look at that lady's shoes!" Nicky gasped, getting the other two's attention when she pointed to a pair of expensive gold high heels.

A genuine smile appeared on Noelle's face at seeing how excited the younger girl was. She remembered what it was like at that age to get excited about something simple; like the time her father took her to a football game or the time she and Jamie were finally able to see a certain movie they had counted down for months to see. She hoped Nicky would never lose that excitement and innocence, maybe they all could do a better job at protecting her from how cruel the world could really be and keep her younger for longer.

While Nicky talked with her mother, thanking her for letting her come to the show, Noelle slipped her cell phone out of her purse and unlocked it to see the picture of Jamie she had set for the background on her phone.

It was a recent picture, taken in the last week or so while the two were having lunch during a break in his tour. He still had his uniform on and looking handsome as ever when a couple with two small kids approached them looking for directions. The smile on his face while he pointed them in the area they needed to go while answering the kids' questions about being a cop, was one she just had to document for safe keeping.

With a sigh, she slipped the phone back into her purse to stop herself from texting him. She had a feeling doing so would be the opposite of what he wanted her to do. It would be hard to have a relaxing and fun night if she spent it texting him to make sure he was okay.

"Where's Aunt Linda?" Nicky asked.

"I don't know." Erin glanced around the crowded area to look for her sister-in-law.

"Probably traffic or parking," Noelle stated, jumping into the conversation. "Both are pretty crazy right now. Feels like half of New York is here."

"No kidding," Erin said with a soft chuckle.

"Can't we go inside?" Nicky asked her mom. "I'm dying to see Cousin Sofie. I can't believe she's opening fashion week."

Erin opened her mouth to answer until she spotted Linda coming toward them and waved her over.

"God, the traffic," Linda complained as she came to a stop in front of the trio. "And the parking rates are outrageous. You know they hiked them up for all this."

"Well, look who's bringing sexy back," Erin teased as she reached out to tap Linda's arm.

"Oh, stop it," Linda said before placing her hands on her hips and jokingly striking a small pose.

"I told you red is your color too." Noelle smiled. The day they went shopping, after Linda picked out a red jumpsuit for her, she convinced Linda to find an equally beautiful red dress to try on.

"They're not kidding. You look fierce," Nicky spoke up in agreement.

"Ah, so do you." Linda began to walk past them. "Let's go."

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, wait. There's a tag," Erin pointed out after spying the small white tag poking out the back of the dress.

"Oh, no, no. Don't touch it." Linda quickly turned around to stop Erin. Lowering the tone of her voice, she added, "I'm returning it tomorrow."

"Oh, my god! You weren't kidding." Noelle chuckled, remembering Linda mentioning that she was keeping the tags on the dress to return later. She had laughed then too thinking she was joking, only now realizing she was dead serious.

"Linda Reagan." Erin gasped.

"I know. I know. I'm a horrible person." After crossing herself, Linda added, "I already said a preemptive novena."

"This smells like a Wendy thing," Erin said, referring to Linda's sister.

"You know me and my sister," Linda said, having a hard time keeping the bitterness from her tone.

"You graduated at the top of your class. You spent ten years on the floor at Kings General, and you are a world-class mom," Erin pointed out.

"She's right, Linda," Noelle added. "Your paths might have taken you two to different places, but you made a pretty great life for yourself. You have nothing to prove."

"You're sweet. Both of you." Linda flashed them a smile before they began to walk toward the entrance. "All she sees is that I still bear the Scarlet Letter of New York City- the dreaded 718 Staten Island area code."

"Speaking of which..." Erin quietly said as the woman they were talking about began to approach them.

While Nicky had a genuine smile on her face, the other three women plastered on a smile as they greeted Wendy. After Linda hugged her sister, she quickly commented on the dress she was wearing- asking her who the designer was and commenting that it must have cost Danny a lot of money.

Noelle turned her head to the side to look at Erin, both slightly rolling their eyes. It was comments like that that made Linda feel like she had to show she was more than a wife of a detective and mother to two adorable boys.

But in Noelle's mind, Linda was living the dream life- as much as she loved her job, she couldn't wait for the day she got to marry the love of her life and raise a family together. It was the life she imagined since she was a little girl.

While lost in her own thoughts, Noelle missed most of the conversation when Wendy commented on Erin's cheekbones and spoke about how much Nicky had blossomed. She was only pulled out of her thoughts when she heard her own name being said.

"You remember Noelle Kelley, right?" Linda asked her sister, then placed an arm around Noelle. "She lived next street over from the Reagans'."

"Always around your younger brother, right? Jamie?" Wendy said, her questioned aimed toward Erin.

"Yep. Those two were inseparable," Erin answered.

"Still are," Nicky added with a huge smile. "They're actually dating now."

"Really? I thought he was engaged to that lawyer," Wendy questioned with wide eyes. "Very scandalous."

"No. No, no, no scandal," Noelle corrected her, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. "The engagement was called off and he was single before anything happened."

"Oh, no, honey, I wasn't judging." Wendy laughed as she grabbed one of Noelle's hands and squeezed it. "Good for you two, he's a catch. It's a shame about the career change though, but you're a medical examiner, right? So you two should be okay."

Noelle opened her mouth to argue that she didn't care about the money- all that mattered to her was that Jamie had a career he loved the way she loved hers, but before she could say a word, Wendy turned her attention to everyone and continued to talk.

"I am so excited you guys are here. This is the day we've been working for since Sofie started modeling. Backstage is a madhouse. We can't all go." Speaking to Noelle, Erin, and Nicky, she added, "You guys find your seats." She reached out for Linda's hand. "You are coming with me."

After the sisters left, Noelle turned to Erin with wide eyes and her mouth opened in shock. With a small shake of the head, she quietly asked the older woman, "Did that really just happened?"

"Mmhm," Erin hummed.

"She's worse than I remember," Noelle commented. In the three years since she had seen Wendy, she had kinda forgotten how snobby and pretentious she could be- she had started to think maybe she had imagined how bad she was. You would think someone kin to Linda wouldn't be that stuck up.

"You're telling me," Erin mumbled as she laid her hands on her daughter's shoulders and turned her toward the area they needed to go toward to find their seats.

Noelle began to walk along beside Erin, then leaned toward her to whisper, "Good thing it's not raining or she might drown from having her nose so far in the air."

"Shh," Erin whispered back with a chuckle. Shooting the brunette a look, she playfully scolded, "Be nice, Noelle."

"What are you two talking about?" Nicky turned her head to look at the two older women walking behind her.

"Nothing." Erin turned her back toward the front.

"Fine." Noelle snickered, referring to Erin's earlier comment to her. "But, you know you were thinking the same thing."

"I plead the fifth."

Noelle couldn't stop a loud laugh for escaping her lips at Erin's comment. "You know your brother has tried to use that on me too. Doesn't work for him either."

"Can't blame a Reagan for trying," Erin joked as they reached their seats up front and sat down.

The two women changed the subject and began to glance around with Nicky as she pointed out different outfits that she loved, then they all had a good laugh when Noelle commented that she wished she had popcorn or a box of Cracker Jack for the show.

Minutes later, the overhead lights began to dim and other lights began to flash to signal the start of the show. Linda and Wendy made their way over to their seats as music began to play and the first model stepped out to walk down the catwalk.

It took Noelle some time to get used to all the flashing lights of the cameras, but after a while, she had to admit the show was fun and she was finally starting to relax like Jamie wanted her to. With a smile on her face, she laughed and talked with the others as they commented on each models outfit.

When Sofie stepped out they all couldn't stop gushing about how stunning she looked and Noelle couldn't help but be impressed by how well she was walking in high heels with so many camera flashes in her face. She knew if it was her she would have already fallen flat on her face.

As if she could read her thoughts, Noelle saw Sofie stumble and come to a stop before she collapsed on the stage. She softly gasped and placed a hand over her mouth, thinking she had tripped until she realized she wasn't getting up.

Getting out of her seat, she hopped onto the stage with Linda and Wendy, kneeling beside Sofie as she and Linda quickly checked over her.

"I have a pulse." Linda held her niece's wrist between her fingers.

"She's unresponsive." Noelle leaned down closer to Sofie's face to see if she was breathing. Leaning up, she looked at Linda. "Her breathing is too slow. Give her one breath every five seconds. No chest compressions, just breaths."

"Why no compressions? What's going on?" Wendy asked hysterically.

"Because she has a pulse," Noelle explained. "Which means blood is flowing, her heart is pumping, but she's not breathing like she should and she's not responding."

As Linda tilted her niece's head back, they heard a scream on the other side of the room when another person collapsed, getting Noelle's attention.

"Keep going, I'll be back," Noelle said to Linda as she stood up and made her way down the stairs and over to the other woman laying on the floor.

After kneeling down beside her, she tapped the woman's shoulder and asked if she was okay. When she didn't get a response, she leaned down to place her ear closer to the woman's mouth and lowered her eyebrows in concern when she didn't hear her breathing. Placing a finger against her neck had her even more concern when she couldn't find a pulse.

Sitting back on her heels, she looked up at the few concerned people surrounded the woman and shot them an apologetic look. Unlike Sofie, there was nothing that could be done about this woman; no amount of rescue breaths or chest compressions were gonna help- the poor woman was already dead.

•••

A/N; Not gonna lie, I enjoyed writing the boys hanging out. I feel like those three could get some stuff figured out and kick some ass together! 

This is all I have written so far. As soon as I get the next chapter finished I'll post it. Thank you to everyone reading, adding the story to your list and for votes. I look forward to more votes and comments!

If you're not already, you can follow me on tumblr (missecharlotte) or I have a side blog for this series (blue-books-series) you'll find edits, videos and so on to go along with this story. 

Happy reading!
xx