Title: Sisters
Author: LiLAqUaMaRiE
Fandom: CSI: Miami
Pairings/Characters: Mainly Natalia Boa Vista, but Horatio Caine, Eric Delko and Alexx Woods show up.
Rating: PG-13/T
Genre: Drama, angst
Spoilers: Darkroom 5x08
Word Count: 5,876
Challenge Fic: #7
Challenge Word: #20 – Close but Far
Summary: Alternate ending to Darkroom. Anya was found but not alive.
Disclaimer: I don't own "CSI: Miami" or anything related to it. So don't sue me please!!!! I'm already poor as it is. Don't need a lawsuit to put me out on the street.
Note: This is a fic for the MiamiFicTalk Community prompt challenge.
Note #2: Flashbacks are in italics.
Note #3: Just in case if you're wondering, Natalia in this fic is supposed to be 29 years old while Anya 21, which would make Christine 26. In other words, Natalia and Christine are 3 years apart, while Natalia and Anya are 8 years apart making Christine and Anya are 5 years apart. Hope it's not too confusing but you really don't need to understand this. It's for those who are curious about their ages within this story.

SISTERS

I remember how we'd fight; we made up and laughed all night.
Wish we were kids again, my sister my friend.
 - 'My Sister' by Reba Mcentire

It was the usual bright, sunny day in Miami-Dade County; all seemed peaceful except for a certain place that was busy with action – a photo shoot studio. Normally, such a place as that would always be busy with action as it would be filled with photographers taking pictures of young models who are aiming to be the next big stars. However, today, that area was lively but for another reason altogether.

Horatio Caine stood outside the photo shoot studio; police officials and paramedics surrounded the area - it was crowded to say the least. Although noises could be heard all around him, the area around him seemed to be in complete silence as he watched his surroundings in a detached manner. The silence was deafening. He stood with his hands on hips, his sunglasses on – he was in a pensive mood. He was trying to digest the latest events and on some level he was blaming himself for his involvement.

He was late. He was too late.

Unable to stand the sight that surrounded him, he turned around and pulled out his cell phone. He speed-dialed a familiar number as he breathed in a deep sigh.

"Eric, Anya has been found…"

Natalia Boa Vista got out the police car that drove her to the current crime scene as quickly as possible; she was not alone however, as her fellow CSI teammate Eric Delko, came along with her to offer his support. She was grateful to him for coming with her and being at her side and even grateful to the rest of her teammates who had all been supportive and caring in her time of need. Nonetheless, all she could think of at the moment was to be at her sister's side.

To say that she was overwhelmed with her emotions would have been an understatement. She had feared the worst ever since her baby sister's disappearance; during all that time, she tried her best with all her inner strength to not break down. Her sister had to be alright, there was no other exception to that. She had to believe that she was fine or else she would have gone mad with worry, but she finally was safe – Horatio had found her. Her little sister was finally safe and sound.

All Natalia needed to do now was just to get to her as soon as possible.

As Natalia got out the car she noticed Caine standing to the side alone, amidst all the distraction that surrounded him. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, running towards him with Eric following quietly behind her.

"Horatio!" she yelled out to him with glee as she reached him. Her face held a grin that reached each side of her face; it was a smile that made her glow with joy. She had nothing to fear, she kept telling herself as she rode the police car. Yet, as she stood there in front of Caine with a smile on her face, she glanced around him and noticed the lack of absence of someone she was expecting. She also took in the fact that Eric was terribly quiet, especially since leaving the Miami-Dade Crime Lab. Throughout the ride she had with him in the car, she couldn't help but have a nagging feeling deep within her that he knew something she didn't. But she ignored that feeling – now she was starting to wonder if that was a correct choice of action. She turned her attention back to the man before her as she stared at him in confusion. "Horatio, where's Anya?" she questioned.

Delko stood silently to the side apart from the two as he watched them, watched the scene that he was expecting to take place. He closed his eyes briefly as he shook his head. For the second time in his life, Eric could not help but feel anger toward God for what had taken place.

Horatio took off his sunglasses as he lifted his face slowly to stare at Natalia; his eyes were sad, but he held out a strong front in front of the young woman before him. "Miss Boa Vista…" he paused as if he were at a loss for words. Quietly, for a moment, he studied her face. He noticed how the huge watt-smile she had upon her lips slowly started to fade away into a confused frown. Caine sighed as his heart was heavy – one of his was going to suffer and suffer deeply and it was something he could not stop nor protect her from. She, like the rest of the team, was like child to him most of the time – his children, his family – his team. Anyone of them suffering meant he was going to suffer right along with them. He sighed once more before speaking gently to her, "You have to be strong."

Boa Vista shook her head, she was terribly confused. The nagging feeling that everyone around her knew something she didn't, had grown bigger and bigger within her. "Lieutenant, what are you talking about?" She crossed her arms across her chest in a defensive gesture, as if attempting to protect herself from an invisible foe. "Where's Anya?"

Silence fell upon them for a few minutes.

Natalia narrowed her eyes, "You called in saying you found her, Horatio…Eric took the call, so where is she?" She asked starting to get agitated. Then she blinked as a possible explanation came to mind, "She's not hurt is she? That bastard didn't hurt her, he did, didn't he? Where is she?" She couldn't help but ramble out so many questions at once but her concern for her sister was foremost in her mind at the moment.

Caine tilted his head to the side as he glanced at the ground below for a moment in silence before he lifted a hand to touch Natalia's elbow. "I'm sorry Natalia." The touch and the sudden comment made her stare at him with wide eyes. She noticed the remorseful look that shined within his eyes – a deep fear started to form roots within her soul at hearing his next choice of words. "I was too late."

Natalia blinked; she was taken aback with his abrupt comment. "What are you talk-" She slowly trailed off her speech as she noticed that he turned his face to stare at something afar. Her eyes followed his and it finally locked onto what Caine was looking at. What she saw made her freeze on the spot. Placed upon a gurney was a body enclosed in a body bag.

"No." Natalia whispered out as she shook her head. "No. That – that can't…no!"

The door to the hospital room opened slowly and the sound of children's footsteps could be heard coming closer as two little girls ran into the room where their mother was resting; their father was right behind them.

"Natalia, Christine!" Their mother called out them with a wide smile, "Come meet your new baby sister – Anya!"

Both little girls jumped up and down in glee at the news; with the help of their father, the girls climbed onto their mother's hospital bed in an attempt to get a closer look at the new baby that was in her arms.

Christine Marie, who was five, giggled softly as she gazed her baby sister with wonder. To her, the new baby resembled a big baby doll. She glanced at her father, "Daddy did Mommy buy a doll?" she asked with a giggle.

Her parents just laughed and went about to explain what was going on, while the oldest child – Natalia Amanda, who was eight, stared down at the baby girl her mother was holding. 'I'm a big sister again.' She thought, remembering what her Daddy told her when Christine was born.

"You're a big girl now Natalia. You have a baby sister to look after now."

She smiled slowly as she tentatively lifted her hand, moving it towards the sleeping baby. 'I'm a big sister again…' she thought once more.

The Lieutenant took a step closer to the woman before him, in an attempt to offer any sort of support but he was pushed away as Natalia unconsciously took slow steps towards the body bag. To Natalia, her legs felt like they were full of lead and all they wanted was to fall to the floor from all the sudden weight. In any other circumstance, Natalia would have stopped but she needed to reach the body bag.

What seemed like an eternity was now an end, Boa Vista finally reached the body bag; quietly she lifted a hand towards the zipper – her hand trembling as it hovered over it. All the same, she did not realize that both Eric and Horatio had followed her every move until she felt a hand on her arm which stopped her from her sudden action.

"Natalia…"

She glanced up and around herself – taking notice of both Caine and Delko at each side of her. Both of them stared down at her, their eyes shined with concern for her. Eric's voice penetrated her mind, "Maybe it's for the best that you don't see anything." He had attempted to reason with her, she noticed that but she did not want to listen. She wouldn't listen. She pulled her hand away from his grasp, ignoring him.

His words were not important, nothing was important – nothing but that body bag. She just had to know. She had to see for herself. Numbly, she unzipped the bag, as the insides of the bag started to become viewable, she closed her eyes immediately in retaliation. It was then, that she felt burning acidic bile rise into her throat.

There Anya Boa Vista lay dead.

Tears ran freely from her eyes and Natalia barely registered anything around her anymore as she continued to stare down at the dead face of her baby sister. She did not even realize that she was shaking as the reality of what had happened slowly started to hit her.

Natalia walked until she reached her destination, she fell to her knees as a sob broke through. Before her laid two graves – two graves that belonged to her parents. She was ten years old and she was parentless. A year ago, today, her parents had died in a car crash; they were on their way to pick up their three daughters who were at their grandparents' house for the weekend. They never made it.

Natalia could still feel the loss as if it was just yesterday, she missed her parents desperately. For moments like now, she knew she could be weak, knew she could cry her heart out. These moments were rare; even though she and her sisters had their grandparents to look after them – she had two sisters to look after herself, to take care of.

Nevertheless, the lone idea of that had put a tremendous weight upon her young shoulders; she was just a child. A child that had to put the brave front in front of her sisters – be the sister, the friend, the guardian – and the mother to them.

She sobbed in front of her parents' grave, wishing they were there to hold her and tell her she only had a nightmare. Part of her world had shattered at the loss of her parents. She no longer had anyone to guide her in the right direction, no one to hold her if she cried –she no longer had someone she could run to if she was scared. She has to lose her childhood – she has to grow up fast.

Christine and Anya needed her.

Even if a year has passed, her seven year old sister, Christine, was still upset and unable to understand why their Daddy or Mommy could not come home. She was six when they had died and she still missed them terribly. Natalia needed to be the strong big sister for her, the one that would make everything better – the one that she could run to.

Her baby sister, Anya, was only one at the time when the tragic accident happened – she was now two. Natalia's heart ached for her youngest sister; she was still too young to comprehend what she had lost; too young to even remember anything of what she once had.

Natalia wiped her face with the sleeve of her shirt, as she tried to calm her emotions. At least Christine and she had memories of their parents – maybe one more than the other – but still memories. Anya, yet, would not have even one. She was only two now and she has started to call her 'Mommy' instead. It made Natalia want to cry every time she did that.

Slowly, Natalia stood to leave as she took a deep sigh. She said a soft prayer for her parents and swore before their graves to protect her sisters with everything she had. She would love her sisters for them.

After all, she was and would always be their big sister.

Soundlessly, Natalia lifted her hand to touch her younger sister's face in a gentle manner. Her fingertips brushed across the cold dead skin that lay before her, her fingers caressed the cheekbones until it fell dully to her side.

In silence, she gazed at her sister's body; she took notice of the dried blood that had covered the middle of her chest. Anya was shot in the heart; a single clean blow finished her off. She peered at the hole in her chest, before she began to cry hysterically as she attempted to wake her dead sister.

Her hands were on her sister's body as she shook it. "Come on Anya, wake up." Her lips trembled with each word, "Come on, please. Wake up." Natalia whimpered. She lifted her face upward to stare at Horatio with tears streaming down her face, "Horatio!" she called out to him in hopes that he could make everything better as he usually does, "Please…do something. Tell her to wake up…why won't she wake up?!"

Delko closed his eyes once more; both Horatio and he understood the depth of despair that Natalia was currently experiencing. The loss of a family member – let alone a sibling – was one of the most profound tragedies in the world. They both been in that same dark place she was now in but they had the benefit of having each other at the time. He could see that Natalia would feel as if she was all alone.

Horatio's heart went out to her; he always had a soft spot for Natalia out of the rest of his team. The others he cared about deeply in the same manner but he knew they were able to take care of themselves and were strong. Natalia, however, she was a person that was slowly starting to learn the meaning of being strong and as she learned he felt a parental urge to guide her – protect her on her way.

"Horatio…" Natalia still called out to him in small whimpers, somewhere deep within the recess of her mind she understood that neither he nor anyone else could possibly change the outcome but she wanted to hope.

Caine closed his eyes briefly before opening them up to gaze at her, his eyes brimmed with tears. He shook his head softly as he whispered out to her, "I can't. I'm sorry."

The words made Natalia break down further, as her emotions swirled inside of her. Her tears cascaded down her face as two waterfalls that ran without abandon. She glanced at Eric, as if he were her last life line.

Eric had a single tear fall down his face as she stared at him desperately. The scene was heart breaking and he began to berate himself silently for not being able to find evidence sooner, so that Anya could have had the chance to still be alive. Watching Natalia, brought memories of his own sister, his own loss and his eyes started to sting with more unshed tears that developed but he did not have the heart to break down himself in front of Natalia.

Natalia swallowed hard; her chest was heavy - she was losing hope at a terrible speed. She scrambled to her sister's side, as she grabbed Anya's hand within one of hers as the other stroked her hair. She tried desperately to ignore the lack of warmth she felt from the hand she held, tried desperately to believe she was living in a nightmare that soon she would wake up from. "Anya. Sweetie, wake up now." She called out to her baby sister as she squeezed her hand in a weak attempt to wake her. Nothing she did seemed to work, it seemed as if her baby sister was gone for good. She stared at their locked hands for a moment before she let go of her sister's hand to grasp the dead body at the shoulders as she shook her. "Baby girl you open your eyes right now, damn it!" she shouted suddenly as she breathed in heavily.

The sound of a door being opened a bit too loudly to be pleasing woke the fourteen year old teenager who had been currently sleeping within the room.

Natalia fluttered her eyes open, 'Someone better be dying…' she thought grumpily as she attempted to focus her eyes within the darkness of the room. She tried to figure out what had woken her and her eyes fell upon a small figure that stood within the doorway of her bedroom.

Anya.

The six year old had one hand around a teddy bear and the other was rubbing her eyes sleepily. The sight made Natalia soften her look, forgetting her earlier annoyance. With a smile upon her lips, she questioned the little girl. "Hey kiddo." She greeted gently, "what's up?"

Anya closed the door of the room as she entered it, walking towards her big sister to stand at the foot of her bed. She held her teddy closer to her, "Nightmare…" she said quietly.

Natalia sighed. It was a usual routine, she or Christine would wake up from time to time and climb into her bed and cling to her throughout the rest of the night. She lifted the covers of her sheets and patted the empty space next to her, "Want to sleep with me tonight?" Anya just nodded sleepily as she continued to cling onto her teddy.

Natalia smiled as she shook her head. The scene was just too cute. "Come on baby girl."

Anya climbed onto the bed and Natalia helped her get settled beside her, covering her up with the bed covers. "Night Nat." She whispered as she closed her eyes.

Natalia watched her little sister cuddle closer to her as she fell asleep. She resembled a small angel when she slept. Natalia couldn't help but smile at the scene; slowly she fell back down onto the bed alongside her baby sister.

"Goodnight Anya." She whispered to the child next to her.

Eric attempted to pull Natalia into a hug and at the same time attempted to stop her actions as he tried to pull her away from Anya. "Talia, it's no use. She's gone." However, he was pushed away for his actions. "No! She's not gone!" She shouted angrily as she turned on him, "You hear me, she's not gone. She's not." Natalia sobbed harder, "Why won't she wake up?" she pleaded to him.

Natalia felt another pair of arms go around her, she did not bother to turn around, knowing full well who it was. "Horatio…" she whispered to him as she stared at Eric, his eyes reflected her own. "What's the point of doing what we do to save innocents when we couldn't save my baby sister?"

The arms around her tightened and a new pair of hands grabbed her own hands. "Sweetheart…" Caine's voice spoke out to her, "You have every right to be angry, but nothing can change the facts." She understood his words, she knew he was telling her the truth but the truth can hurt sometimes; she felt Eric give her hands a squeeze.

"Natalia we must go now, they need to move the body."

Natalia tried to move away, only to scramble back to Anya's side. "No, I can't leave her. She'll be alone and-" She was cut off as she was pulled into a three-way hug by both men. Their concern for her was so overwhelming that she clung to them as if they were her only life-line in this whole mess.

Eric's soft voice penetrated her mind, "She won't be alone." Along with Horatio's gentle words as he finished for Eric. "And you won't be alone." Their words made her sob harder as she continued to cling to them.

Fifteen year old Anya Maria Boa Vista glanced at her own reflection in the mirror. She was getting ready for her first date with her long time crush Daniel Thomson. Her two sisters were helping her get ready for her special night. Her oldest sister, Natalia who was twenty-three, was combing her hair while the middle child of the trio, Christine who was twenty, painted her nails.

"You guys think I'm ready for this?" she asked them out loud as she continued to stare at her reflection. She was so nervous – it was her first date, she was starting to have second thoughts about it. "What if I make a fool out of myself?"

Christine rolled her eyes, "Anya, you won't look like a fool. Snap out of it, okay? You're going to be great!" She refocused her attention to the nails she was currently working on.

Natalia who was working on making curls in her youngest sisters hair, nodded in agreement. "Yeah sis, no worries; you'll knock him dead with just your look alone."

Anya brightened up at their support, "Really." Christine just rolled her eyes in response to her sister's comment. "No, really." Her sister replied back sarcastically.

Natalia stared at her baby sister through the mirror before them, "Have I ever lied to either of you two?"

Anya shook her head and Natalia smiled, "So no more complaints."

All three sisters shared a smile with one another.

Inside the Miami-Dade Crime Lab autopsy room, the Medical Examiner – Dr. Alexx Woods – stood gazing down at the dead victim before her. The female body was laid down upon the autopsy table, a waist-high stainless steel table; her eyes were closed shut.

To Woods, the body seemed so young looking – so terribly young. The female was just a young girl – a child who had just lost her chance to really start living life. Alexx breathed in a deep hollow sigh. It was always a terrible shame how easily a life could be lost.

In silence, she studied the victim for a brief moment, taking in her features, her still frame. It was a depressing sight. Dr. Woods could not help but feel depressed. The unfortunate dead female beside her was not just an innocent victim, on the contrary she was more than that – she was someone who held quite a resemblance to someone she held dear; Natalia.

Quietly, Alexx glanced upward to peer at the examining booth that was within the autopsy room. It was almost bare with the exception of two people - a saddened Horatio and a comatose Natalia.

The good doctor had to tear her gaze away once her eyes had fallen upon the pair. From what she could tell, Boa Vista stood as still as possible as she gawked down to where her dead sister was at. Her eyes were wide and blank.

Natalia cried silently as she was lying upon a hospital bed. Her left arm was in a cast and her body was covered in bruises and marks. It had hurt her to move; all she just wanted was to close her eyes and will the sight and memories away from her mind. She wanted to forget but they continued to play within her mind like a broken record – never ending. She still couldn't believe how quickly his mood had changed – from a loving person to an enraged monster. It still seemed unreal to her.

The door to her hospital room creaked open and at the sound, Natalia started to curl into herself, her back was to the door. She wanted to be alone; she did not want anyone to see her like she was. It was pitiful – she was pitiful. Maybe her husband Nick was right – maybe she did deserve what had happened to her.

The sounds of a pair of footsteps padding their way closer to her broke her from her myriad of thoughts. She felt a hand touch the back of her right shoulder making her jump slightly. Her nerves had yet to calm down, but the words that followed eased her mind slowly, "Nat, sweetie. We're here. You're safe now." Natalia unconsciously closed her eyes as the voice sounded familiar; it was Christine's voice – one of her sisters. They were there. She couldn't help but feel better at the knowledge.

Her youngest sister crawled upon the foot of hospital bed as the middle child sat on the space that was behind Natalia back. Both of them hugged her from where they were, each of them trying to reassure themselves, with their own hands, that their big sister was alive and breathing. They almost lost her, thanks to their so called brother-in-law.

A smile crept upon Natalia's bruised face as she felt her sisters' arms around her exhausted frame. She felt safe with them, it was odd though. She was usually the strong one when she was with them but now the tables had been turned and she was the one that now needed protection.

And her sisters knew that.

To Christine and Anya – Natalia was everything; their sister, their best friend, their confident, their mother. She was there when they needed her and they swore to themselves to be there for her – to protect her like she did to them.

Anya's young voice penetrated her mind, "Everything will be fine now. He won't hurt you anymore, I promise." Her voice was firm and serious and the eldest sister continued to smile at the youngest words.

Christine nodded behind her, "We both promise Natalia. Nick has to go through us before we allow him to hurt another hair on your head." She spat out the name Nick as she spoke. Nevertheless, the mere mention of the man who had harmed her to the point of sending her to the hospital brought Natalia once again to tears.

She did not have energy to wipe them away nor to pretend that she was fine. The man she thought she loved and loved her, whom she married, was a monster – an abusive monster. She finally realized that fact no matter how much it had hurt her. Silent tears continued to fall from her eyes as she closed her eyes.

Christine's arms around her tightened further; the middle child could not ignore her own tears that had rolled down her cheeks as her heart went out to her big sister. "Hey…shh. It's okay." She whispered softly. However, the tears did not stop for either of them and the youngest of the three sisters started to cry as well. Anya's heart had ached at the sight of her tearful sisters. "Please don't cry." She barely whispered out.

Though, none of them could stop the tears that had broken through; it was a sad moment for the three of them and they needed each other more than ever.

In silence, they wept.

In silence, they stayed together.

In silence, they comforted one another.

Alexx had to close her eyes briefly; she was unable to stand the poor sight of her distraught friend. She had learned to care about the young woman, just the same as she cared about the rest of the team. They all were like an addition to her family. Her heart ached for Natalia's loss, her dead sister and above all, for the pain that Natalia was going through.

Silent tears swept down her face unconsciously as she gazed upon Natalia's fallen sister. With a gentle hand, she touched the girls face, caressing the cold skin. A death of an innocent was always so tragic and she could not phantom the anguish Anya had felt during her last few moments. Alexx shook her head sadly as she began to work on the body.

Within the examining booth, Caine turned his head to watch his youngest CSI. He had a grim look upon his face; Eric had left earlier, gone to inform the rest of the team of the situation at hand. He had stayed behind; stayed to watch over his broken CSI – his broken girl. Horatio did not want to leave her alone – could not leave her alone. He would stay by her side whether she wanted it or not, whether she noticed or not. He may have not been able to protect Anya, but he sure as hell was going to protect Natalia; at least one sister was going to survive.

Boa Vista did not move a muscle as she stared down; watching numbly what Alexx did to her baby girl with a cold detachment. Her eyes were red and wide. She would not leave the room, she would go wherever Anya went – she would not leave her sister's side.

The CSI Medical Examiner, allowed the tears that fell from her eyes as she began to undress the body - removing slowly and gently the bloody and dirty clothing. From the booth, Natalia's eyes were glued onto the dead body and Horatio's apprehensive eyes never left her.

There were brief moments within her life in which Alexx disliked her profession with a passion – this was one of those moments. In silence, she began to wash the body, using warm water as if with the warmth it held she could do a miracle and bring back her dear friend's lost treasure. It was pointless but she could wish silently in her heart. She washed all the grime, blood and suffering off from the victim's body.

"I can't believe this is happening!"

"Want me to pinch you?"

Twenty-five year old Natalia gave her seventeen year old sister a glare before continuing, "It's just so unreal." They both watched the middle child try on the wedding gown she had purchased earlier. She was swirling around the mirror with an unhidden joy.

Anya laughed softly, "Well, it's not everyday one of your sister is going to get married." She paused briefly as if contemplating her next choice of words, "But yeah, I get what you're saying sis" she said as she nodded. "Christine's going to get married – married!

Natalia sighed as she rubbed her forehead with one of her hands, "I hope she has better luck at it than I did." She crossed her arms, "He better treat her right."

Anya sighed, "Adam's a nice guy Nat. He adores Christy, you know, he would do all he could to make her happy. He's not like Nick." She gave her sister a small lopsided smile, "Not all men are like Nick, ya know."

Natalia sighed. "I guess." She bit her lip, "I just had the bad luck to marry a guy like him." She said softly but her sister heard her words.

Anya nudged her big sister, "Look at the bright side sis, he's behind bars now. He can no longer hurt you." Her face turned serious for a moment, "I won't let him hurt you again."

Natalia smiled in response as she replied mockingly, "My hero."

Anya gave her a mock glare before correcting her, "Heroine…heroine."

Natalia stuck her tongue out playfully as her sister continued to glare at her. She glanced back up to notice Christine lifting her hair up and down in an attempt to decide what type of hair style she should have to match the wedding gown. "I just can't believe it yet. Christine – married! My baby girl is all grown up and leaving me." She sighed sadly to herself.

Anya pouted, "Hey, I'm still here ya know." She crossed her arms, "Besides, you're not losing her Nat, think of it this way – you're gaining a new family member, a brother-in-law."

Natalia shook her head with a snort, "Nothing gets past you does it Captain Obvious?" she responded playfully. Anya pouted, "Hey! No picking on me."

Natalia just laughed in return, "But it's so much fun…"

Anya crossed her arms across her chest in annoyance which made Natalia laugh harder.

Anya continued to pout, "Fine, be like that. Pick on the little one, see if I care…" Then something popped into her mind and she grinned to herself before speaking – she wiggled her eyebrows as she spoke for more emphasis. "But just remember Nat, when Chris is all gone and married up. You'll have only little ol' me to keep you company. Won't that be fun?"

Natalia blinked at the realization and her only answer was just a groan. "Great."

A chuckle could be heard, "Just great."

"You know you love me. Face it."

Natalia rolled her eyes, "Four words Anya –no more credit cards."

Her younger sister just blinked in response. Anya watched her sister move away as she headed closer to Christine – she stared at her sister's back for a few more moments before scrambling to her side begging forgiveness as she went.

A silent tear escaped Boa Vista's blank stare. She had watched Alexx clean her baby sister's dead body. Her heart would never be the same again. She was supposed to protect her sisters – she was the oldest. And yet, she failed her youngest. All that she wanted to do now was curl up somewhere and die right along with her. Natalia could not stand the ache that was in her heart any longer and in one quick moment, she did something unexpected.

She had turned around, breaking her gaze for the first time to jump on the lieutenant beside her. She wrapped her arms around Horatio's neck, pulling the older man closer to her body as she buried her face within the shelter of his neck. She was broken and needed someone to help her put back the pieces together; she needed someone to hold her. She did not want to feel alone anymore. She just needed someone.

Horatio stilled in reaction to Natalia's sudden embrace. He was not accustomed to being so touchy with his team even though he cared for each deeply. But deep inside, he understood that Natalia needed this, understood that this broken woman – girl – in front of him needed to feel loved, and needed to feel some sort of love within her anguished state. He couldn't bring back her sister but he would be there for her – he would give her this. His arms closed tightly around Natalia's quivering body. "It's okay sweetheart. I'm here." He whispered gently to her in a soothing tone.

Below in the autopsy room, Alexx quietly covered the body with a white sheet.

FIN.