December 7
Miami-Dade Police Department – Miami, Florida
Eric raised an eyebrow as he got out of his car and saw a suited-up Bobby step off a bus with a large garbage bag over one shoulder and a little boy at his side. As the bus pulled away, Bobby and the boy came up the steps and stopped in front of the door as if they were looking for something specific.
Curious as to what was going on, Eric followed Bobby and the boy at a distance into the building and saw them stop at a bin in the foyer that was labelled 'Toy Drive' where Natalia was standing, talking animatedly with Calleigh, "Detective Caine, how are you?" Calleigh asked pleasantly, smiling at him.
"I'm fine, but I couldn't find a sitter for Adam today, so I brought him," Bobby explained, smiling at Adam, who was looking at Natalia and Calliegh with big eyes. "Adam, say hi to Natalia and Calleigh."
Adam smiled and waved at Natalia and Calliegh, but didn't say anything, "Adam's really shy around people he doesn't know," Bobby explained gently as he set the bag on the floor. "Anyway, I have a donation for the MDPD Toy Drive and I thought I'd drop it off before I took Adam upstairs with me."
Natalia and Calleigh opened the bag and began to remove the unwrapped toys, "They're all gently used, but I don't have any reason to keep them anymore," Bobby explained softly, suddenly feeling a lump in his throat as tears pricked his eyes. "Adam, could you stay with Natalia and Calleigh for a moment?"
Before Adam could reply, Bobby slipped off into the men's restroom for an opportunity to compose himself before going on duty, "These are some really nice toys," Calleigh commented in a surprised voice as they set the toys in the bin. "I wonder where Detective Caine got such lovely stuff from."
"Those were Maggie's toys," Adam replied softly, his eyes drifting to the toys in Natalia's hands. "My daddy said that Maggie would be happy that her toys were going to kids who didn't have any."
Suddenly realizing that it was the LaRusso-Caine family's first Christmas without two of their family members, Natalia and Calleigh exchanged a look, "I think your sister would be proud, Adam," Calleigh replied softly, sighing as Adam looked at the floor and stuck his lower lip out. "It's a good idea."
Natalia, however, walked over to Adam and gave him a gentle hug. They and Calleigh didn't notice an irritated looking John Hagen come in and head straight for the elevator, but he noticed them all.
Irritation welled up in Hagen's soul as he recognized Bobby's youngest son hanging out with Calleigh and Natalia; he had been put on desk duty instead of being allowed to finish training Bobby and now, he was facing leave with pay because of Horatio's claim that he needed more time to receive counseling. How was it fair that Bobby got to enjoy things when he had to endure more than he did at Ray's death?
As the elevator opened and Hagen stepped inside, he made a mental note to confront Bobby later on.
New York City, New York
"Walsh is such a jerk," Carlos hissed as he drove down the street from the Camelot Firehouse where Walsh and Danielle had met and discussed Danielle's supposed lack of commitment to her job versus her children and new husband. "I don't care what he says; you work your kiester off as a paramedic."
Danielle sighed as she tucked her hair behind her ears, "I'm just glad I have the rest of the day off," she replied in a distressed voice. "I invited Kim and Jimmy and their kids over to the apartment for dinner tonight along with my father and John's there, but I want him to be able to focus on schoolwork."
"Nothing's getting better with his school, huh?" Carlos asked sympathetically as he stopped at a red light and looked at Danielle as they waited for the light to change. "I thought you and Bosco had a meeting…"
Danielle scoffed as the light changed, "The school's thoughts are that John might be better in a homeschooling program," she replied in a distressed voice. "We can't afford that, though, since Maurice and I are already alternating the days we work so that one of us can be home in case of an emergency."
"Is that why I heard you shouting at Walsh?" Carlos asked softly. "You want less hours?"
Danielle nodded, "That, and I need time off in January so we can go to Miami," she replied in a concerned voice. "I love this job, Carlos, but I love my kids and Maurice a lot more, so…"
"Do what feels right," Carlos cut in reassuringly. "I'll drive you to the apartment, all right?"
Victims' Assistance Headquarters – Miami, Florida
"Ryan?"
Ryan looked up and saw Warrick standing in front of him wearing dress pants, a cardigan, and a jacket with a badge hanging around his neck while an LVPD badge was on his belt, "I'm Warrick , remember?" Warrick asked in a concerned voice as he sat down next to Ryan. "I understand you've had trouble?"
"Yeah, I have," Ryan replied, grateful when Warrick closed the door to the office that they were in. "I don't know if you'll think I'm crazy, but I think I'm being stalked by Raymond Caine and he's…"
Warrick sighed, "I've heard rumors about Ray, but you're the first to come forward," he replied in a concerned voice as he sat down in a chair across from Ryan. "I take it this has something to do with that stupid news report that Erica Sykes did about you that included some interview with Dan Cooper?"
"Ray must have watched it and he's been leaving me threatening voicemails and sending me threatening text messages," Ryan replied, offering his phone to Warrick. "They're all on here."
Warrick nodded, but didn't take the phone, "And you haven't reported this to police?" he asked softly.
"Ray's underground and most think he's dead," Ryan asked in a quiet voice. "Who would believe me?"
Warrick sighed, "What about your boss or someone at the Crime Lab?" he asked in a worried voice.
"I can't exactly trust anyone there," Ryan replied softly, hints of shame apparent in his eyes.
Instead of being judgmental, however, Warrick nodded patiently, "Tell you what, I'll personally keep an eye on Ray Caine and see if I can't get him to stop bothering you," he promised, knowing full well where Ray spent a lot of his time. "You look nervous about something else, though; what else is wrong?"
"The holidays are stressful because I haven't been cleared to work in the crime lab as of yet and Christmas is in a few weeks," Ryan replied nervously. "My sister's being treated for breast cancer."
Warrick nodded, his expression solemn, "I'm thinking of taking advantage of the MDPD toy drive just so James and Julliet can have something for Christmas," Ryan commented anxiously. "I mean, gently used toys are better than no toys at all and my weak salary is going towards saving for a new place."
"You're living with the Speedles, right?" Warrick asked softly, worried by how tired Ryan looked.
Ryan nodded and checked his watch, "Oh, I'm going to be late for my second job," he said in an anxious voice as he stood up. "I took a second job at a café in Calle Ocho to make ends meet right now and I do the occasional late shift at the airport when they need the extra help."
"I'll look into what you've told me," Warrick replied, sensing that Ryan was just trying to get away.
Nodding, Ryan hurried out of the building and hurried down the street to the bus stop, hoping that nobody would know that he went to Warrick and that he could keep all his problems a secret.
Little did Ryan know that Eric had just been to the ATM across the street and had spotted his younger colleague coming out of the building in a hurry, leading him to wonder if something had happened.
Making a note that he had to pick Marisol up from chemo in a while, Eric got into his car and slowly began to tail Ryan at a distance, wondering why the younger CSI didn't ask for help if he needed it.
Miami-Dade Police Department
"Detective Hagen, I'm sorry," Chief Burton said solemnly as he looked up at the disheveled detective that stood before him. "It's the recommendation of the department psychologist and others in the department that you be put on medical leave until further notice. You'll be paid a good wage…"
Gritting his teeth, Hagen silently nodded, "Just take some time off and maybe take a vacation since it's so close to the holidays anyway," Chief Burton continued calmly. "After the holidays, we'll talk about arranging more sessions with the goal of getting you back to desk work within the precinct."
Before Hagen could reply, there was a knock at the door and Chief Burton looked up from his desk to see a tired looking Stetler standing there in a suit and tie, "Stetler's coming back to work?" Hagen asked in a shocked voice as Chief Burton stood up. "Are you sure he should come back to work so soon?"
Knowing full well that Hagen was trying to manipulate him, Chief Burton silently left his office and was unsurprised to see that Horatio was lingering nearby, "Ah, Chief Burton, I was just thanking Lieutenant Caine for the ride to the precinct this morning," Stetler said calmly. "I can't drive again quite yet."
"It was not a problem, Rick," Horatio replied calmly, as Bobby had asked him to be of help to Rick.
Stetler nodded, "All I would like to do at this point is half-shifts because I still have periods of pain and tiredness where I need to rest, but I am not rich enough to take much time off," he explained calmly.
"I understand completely," Chief Burton replied calmly. "As long as you stick to light duty, however."
A faint smile appeared on Stetler's lips, "That was the plan, sir," he replied calmly. "So, am I cleared?"
Chief Burton nodded and Stetler sighed before he walked off towards his office, "Lieutenant Caine, I thought you should know that I've put Detective Hagen on medical leave until further notice," Chief Burton stated in a quiet, but concerned voice. "I told him it was best under the circumstances."
Horatio nodded, but didn't say anything, "I also heard that Ryan Wolfe's having some trouble getting requalified to be back in your lab," he continued in a concerned voice. "According to Dan Cooper, Wolfe was at the shooting range yesterday and was seen squinting while shooting. That's a big problem."
"Mister Wolfe is still on medical leave," Horatio replied in a concerned voice. "I do not see how it is anyone's business as to how he spends his time since his medical leave is being paid for."
Chief Burton nodded, "I've heard rumors in the department that a reporter named Erica Sikes is friends with Mister Cooper and has been stalking Mister Wolfe," Horatio continued softly. "I would like permission to put a security detail on both Ryan and Emily Wolfe given what has happened to them."
"Rosa Speedle already requested that for their house and for the Speedle's restaurant in Calle Ocho," Chief Burton replied in a calm voice. "I hope it's okay that CSI Speedle volunteered to keep an eye on his father's restaurant when he's not on duty. I approved it, but I told him to be careful about doing it."
Horatio nodded, "That's fine," he replied calmly, smiling when the elevator doors slid open and Bobby came out of the elevator with Adam at his side. "Bobby, it's good to see that you made it here safely."
"Babysitters are almost impossible to find this close to Christmas," Bobby replied gently. "I just had to stop downstairs and make a sizable donation to the MDPD Toy Drive box. It sounds really nice."
Adam sighed, "Daddy gave Maggie's toys to charity because they make him sad," he spoke softly.
Bobby smiled sadly, but didn't scold Adam, "I was wondering where Detective Tripp is today?" he asked in a confused voice. "I didn't see him downstairs and last I checked, I was on the schedule for today."
"Your training also involves office work that doesn't have to be supervised by Detective Tripp," Chief Burton replied calmly, giving Bobby and Adam a reassuring smile. "I'd like to show you to your desk."
Bobby's eyes widened slightly, "My what?" he asked in a shocked voice. "Is that really necessary?"
"You're a detective and detectives have desks," Chief Burton replied calmly. "It's protocol."
At a loss for words, Bobby could only lead Adam along as he and Horatio followed Chief Burton into the office area and stopped at a decent sized cubicle that had a desk, three chairs, and a small filing cabinet as well as a small plaque on the desk that read 'Detective LaRusso-Caine' and it all looked very clean.
"Daddy, is this your office?" Adam asked softly, awed by the furniture and by the strange plaque.
Bobby blinked, "I guess it is, Adam," he replied gently. "This is a really nice office, Chief."
"Enjoy it," Chief Burton replied in a calm voice, grinning as he walked off back towards his office.
Swallowing hard, Bobby silently entered the cubicle and helped Adam sit in one of the visitor's chairs while he sat in the chair behind the desk, "The paperwork's in the first drawer in the desk," Horatio explained, a smile on his face as he watched Adam spin around in the chair. "How are you doing?"
"It's still difficult for me to sleep through the night and with Christmas coming, it will only get harder," Bobby replied in a distressed voice, grateful that Adam was too distracted by the plaque to listen in.
Horatio nodded, an expression of concern on his face, "Just take it one day at a time and perhaps you ought to think about going to the support group for abused spouses that I told you about back in New York," he replied gently, making a mental note to talk to Alexx about getting Bobby a sleep aid.
"If I can find a babysitter, I'll go," Bobby replied softly. "It would help me get used to all of this."
Again, Horatio nodded, "Take it easy today and I'll come by to take you and Adam to lunch around noon, all right?" he replied in a fatherly tone. "I've got to go up to the lab, but I have eyes everywhere."
Despite his tiredness, Bobby couldn't help but chuckle softly as Horatio walked off towards the Lab.
Boscorelli Apartment – New York, New York
Scowling at the snow falling outside the window, Bosco slipped the pan of diabetic friendly lasagna into the oven and set the timer. He then turned to check on how John was doing on his homework and was not surprised to see that John was asleep on the couch with his textbook and notebook on his lap.
Sighing patiently, Bosco silently walked over to the couch and bookmarked John's place in the textbook with the notebook before setting both on the coffee table, "Hmm?" John suddenly spoke sleepily.
"Just relax," Bosco replied in a gentle voice as he pulled his mother's afghan off the back of the couch and draped it over John so he'd be warm and comfortable. "I know you didn't sleep well last night."
The only reply Bosco got was a groggy groan and he sighed before returning to the kitchen to start getting things out of the fridge so he and Ellie could put together a salad, "How'd you know I didn't sleep last night?" he heard John ask in a tired voice. "I knew you hid my shoes, but I didn't think you could…"
"I've been a cop for a long time and your hearing gets pretty good," Bosco replied calmly, taking lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, tomatoes, and apples out of the fridge. "What should we have to drink?"
John sighed groggily, "Green tea?" he replied without opening his eyes. "Might help me feel better."
"Maybe," Bosco replied calmly as he set the items on the counter. "Do you want some right now?"
John sighed sleepily and rolled on to his side, "I guess not," Bosco replied just as the apartment door opened and footsteps entered the apartment. "No sense in trying to sneak in here, Sully."
There was a snicker and Bosco turned to see Sully standing there with David and Ellie, "School let out early because of the snow!" David crowed excitedly, causing John to open his eyes with a tired sigh.
"Good, then you can both do your homework before your mom gets home and Jimmy, Kim, Joey, and Camille come over for dinner," Bosco replied firmly. "Are you going to stay for dinner, Sully?"
Sully nodded, "Yeah," he replied in a calm voice. "It's been a while since I've seen Jimmy and Kim."
"Daddy, can I help make the salad?" Ellie asked, spotting the things on the counter. "It's really fun."
Shocked and pleased that Ellie called him 'Daddy', Bosco nodded, "I have to be the one to chop up the vegetables, but you can put the things into the salad bowl," he replied calmly. "Sit at the table."
Looking excited, Ellie set her backpack near the closet and hurried over to the kitchen table and Bosco quickly brought the salad bowl, lettuce, and tongs over to the table, "Tear up the lettuce into bite-sized pieces and put it into the bowl while I chop up the vegetables," Bosco stated. "David, set the table."
"John, can you help me?" David asked softly. "I'm too short to reach the plates without breaking them."
John sighed and got off the couch with the afghan still wrapped around him, "When you're done with helping David, John, go check your blood sugar and take insulin if you need to," Bosco replied in a concerned voice, worried about how tired and withdrawn John seemed. "Your Mom should be home…"
There was suddenly a knock at the door and Sully answered it, surprised to find Carlos in the hallway with a sullen looking Danielle, "Thanks for the ride, Carlos," Danielle said in a soft voice as she walked into the apartment and straight into her room without looking at anyone or even saying hello.
"What happened?" Bosco asked in a concerned voice, the salad quickly forgotten. "Never mind."
Wondering what crap Walsh had dished out on Danielle, Bosco silently went into the master bedroom and saw Danielle laying on the bed crying softly, "What happened?" he asked in a concerned voice.
"Walsh just started berating me and said that I shouldn't have married a beat cop who works the same shift and the kids would end up neglected because of it," Danielle replied tearfully. "He knows about everything and he started calling John a deluded psychotic brat. I kinda snapped a bit after that…"
Bosco sat down on the bed, "Snapped how, Danielle?" he asked in a concerned voice.
"I called him a deluded domineering freak like Edward was," Danielle replied in an embarrassed voice as she looked at the floor. "Walsh replied by saying that maybe if I would have stayed with him over marrying you, John wouldn't be so screwed up. I called him a fool for a Captain and said that he shouldn't treat his paramedics so badly if he wanted to stay Captain because I would complain to the city if he kept the crap up with me. Maurice, Walsh kinda got mad and shoved me into the wall."
Anger filled Bosco's eyes, "He what?!" he replied in a sharp voice. "Did you report it to the cops?"
"Carlos saw the whole thing and threatened to kill Walsh if he did it again," Danielle replied in a pained voice. "I don't want to go report it alone and if I report Walsh, I'll lose the job and the income."
Bosco frowned, "I'll go with you, but we should hurry if we're going to be back before Kim and Jimmy come over with their kids," he replied in a concerned voice. "So what if you lose the job?"
"I don't want to go anywhere else in this weather, Maurice," Danielle replied in a distressed voice as she laid down on the bed. "Can you just call someone from the precinct and have them come over?"
Bosco sighed, "Danielle, I'll go with you and the sooner you do it, the sooner you'll feel better," he replied calmly. "Walsh has some anger issues from 9/11 that he obviously never got worked out even though all of us cops were ordered to get help. It even took me a while to get help about 9/11."
Danielle sighed and got off the bed, wrapping her arms around Bosco before they went out into the living room, "Mom, Uncle Carlos had to leave, but he says you should rest," John spoke up from his place on the couch, watching as Bosco grabbed his coat from the closet. "Are you going out?"
"Yeah, honey, we are," Danielle replied in a gentle voice. "We'll be back before dinner, okay?"
John nodded and sighed, quickly realizing that something bad had most likely happened between his mother and her boss, as she was home earlier than usual, "Love you," he said softly as they left.
"All right, what's wrong?" Sully asked in a concerned voice once Bosco and Danielle were gone.
John scoffed, "Walsh was a jerk to Mom," he replied tonelessly. "That's why she was home early."
Sully frowned, but didn't say anything because he knew that John was probably right and that Walsh shouldn't have been allowed to continue in his work without going to counseling after 9/11.
"Grandpa, can you help me with my homework?" David asked as he sat at the table with his bag.
Sully nodded and as he went to the table, he sighed, "John, maybe you should do a little more of your schoolwork before dinner," he replied in a calm voice, smiling as he took a seat at the table. Truth be told, he wanted to go beat Walsh up for hurting Danielle, but he had other responsibilities to see to.
Speedle's Restaurant – Calle Ocho, Miami, Florida
Eric pulled up to the nearest free curb and was surprised to see Ryan standing in the restaurant that Anthony Speedle owned, talking with both Anthony and Tim while fixing his tie. Wondering why Ryan seemed to be working at a restaurant when he was supposed to be working on getting back to the lab, Eric got out of the Hummer, locked it, and walked across the road to the carefully decorated restaurant.
Not wanting Ryan to see him, Eric hid behind one of the bushes and watched for a few minutes as Anthony talked with Ryan and Tim before moving further into the restaurant. Ryan and Tim talked for a few minutes and then Tim silently sat at a table in the corner of the currently quiet restaurant.
"Eric Delko, what are you doing spying on people?" Eric suddenly heard an amused voice say.
Eric turned and saw Marisol coming down the street with a tired Emily, who was pushing James and Julliet in a double stroller that looked brand new, "Mari, how was your meeting?" he asked gently.
"It was good," Marisol replied calmly. "Eric, why are you spying on Ryan while he's working?"
Eric frowned, "Working?" he asked in a concerned voice. "I thought he was requalifying?"
"Erica Sikes and Dan Cooper have been giving him trouble and they shot a video of his requalifying test at the range," Emily explained in a disgusted voice. "It distracted him so much that he didn't shoot well."
Before Eric could reply, Emily pushed the stroller down the sidewalk and into the restaurant, "What's really going on, Mari?" Eric asked in a concerned voice, knowing that Emily had just told him a lie.
"It's not my place to tell, Eric," Marisol muttered anxiously as she walked off inside after Emily.
Frowning, Eric moved over to the window and watched as Marisol helped Emily with James and Julliet while Anthony brought out several boxes including one tall enough to fit a tree. Emily talked softly to James and Julliet and smiled as they laughed at watching Anthony and Ryan set up the small tree.
Ryan and Emily are probably barely making ends meet. Eric thought sadly as he returned to his Hummer across the street and got behind the wheel. I wonder if I could get a few Christmas things for them.
Silently pulling out his phone, Eric quickly texted Calliegh for ideas on how to help people in need at Christmas without using Ryan or Emily's names. He knew that Calleigh would have good ideas.
Unknown to Eric, another person had been watching the restaurant from their car and was very amused that Ryan was working there instead of being a CSI, "What are you looking at, Caine?" Ramon scoffed from the backseat of the car that he had hijacked while Ray was driving. "What's in the eatery?"
"A couple of CSI's," Ray hissed, angry at himself for being careless enough to leave the car doors unlocked, allowing Ramon to slip into the car without detection during a stop at traffic lights.
Ramon hooted and pinched Ray's ear, "You're high, aren't you?" he asked in an amused voice.
Instead of responding, Ray fingered his keychain and started the engine, being sure to turn the wheel in such a way that he would drive off without attracting attention. Unaware that his car was directed at the nearby restaurant, Ray set the car into 'Drive' and pressed on the accelerator as hard as he could.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Ramon screamed, leaning forward to grab the wheel as the car sped towards the restaurant, barely missing it and instead slamming into the empty building next door.
Eric, who had just pulled out, stopped his Hummer, set it in 'Park', and immediately got on his cell-phone while he surveyed the extensive damage and the damaged car that had caused the chaos.
Almost immediately, James and Julliet started screaming loudly and even though she was exhausted from the meeting and the walk to the restaurant, Emily picked up both infants and began to coo to them quietly. Julliet calmed down after only a few seconds, but James continued to sob uncontrollably.
Overwhelmed, Emily carefully set Julliet back in the stroller and gently kissed James on the forehead, "Shh, James," she whispered repeatedly, cringing as the sound of the car's horn suddenly filled the air.
"Is everyone okay over here?" Tim asked softly as he came over from where he had been sitting.
Without offering a reply, Ryan ran outside just in time to see Ray climb out of the vehicle and dash off into the nearest alleyway, "Wolfe, are you all right?" he suddenly heard Eric ask in a worried voice.
Ryan, however, was both shellshocked and confused as to Ray's attempt at trying to kill him. He had been wary of Ray and had reported his instability to Victims Assistance, but had Ray heard about it?
Manhattan Precinct – New York, New York
Exhausted from having to patrol in the snowy weather, Ty slunk into the chair nearest to the door that led outside, fully intending on taking just a minute to breathe before he went home to the place he shared with Sasha when she wasn't working. He had worked hard, was exhausted, and needed rest.
Just as Ty was about to get up and say goodbye to Brendan so they could both leave, the doors opened and Bosco and Danielle came into the precinct, "Davis, what's up?" Bosco asked, seeing his old friend.
"Brendan and I just got done and I'm getting ready to leave," Ty replied kindly. "Sasha's waiting…"
Danielle sighed, but didn't say anything, "Walsh got aggressive with my wife and I'm not letting him get away with that," Bosco explained in an irritated voice. "Is there anyone here we can file a report with?"
"Billy Walsh?" Brendan asked in a concerned voice, having overheard Bosco as he came down the hall.
Danielle nodded, "We had an argument at work and he shoved me against a wall," she replied in a nervous voice, knowing the only way to serve as a good example to others was to speak bravely.
Ty was quiet for a moment and sighed, "I'm sorry, I thought someone had warned you about Walsh," he replied in an embarrassed voice. "He should have been made to go to counseling after 9/11, but we…"
"The emergency departments had already lost so many and Walsh thought that if he took time off for the kind of counseling he needed, the department would be all the worse off," Carlos, who had come to complain about Walsh's treatment of Danielle, commented as he came down the hall. "Hi Danielle."
Danielle frowned, "Carlos, I thought you had gone home?" she asked in a confused voice. "What are…?"
"I wasn't sure if you would come since you've got company coming for dinner, so I decided to stop by and file a complaint of my own," Carlos replied in a concerned voice. "I heard him shove you."
Danielle sighed, "Thanks for coming, Carlos, but I need to be a big girl and speak out because I need to show that I'm not going to let fear eat me alive," she replied softly. "Who did you talk to here?"
"Brendan, actually," Carlos replied calmly. "He and Ty were on their way out, but they're Anti-Crime."
Danielle nodded and sighed and her eyes widened as she suddenly saw Faith walk down the hallway from an interview room, "Faith?" she called out anxiously, feeling uneasy around all of the men.
Faith froze at seeing Danielle, but didn't move away, "Faith, can we talk?" Danielle asked softly as she walked over to her and sighed. "I had some problems at work and I need to talk to a woman about it."
"Bos, why don't you come too?" Faith asked, seeing that Bosco was concerned. "Danielle needs you."
Bosco nodded and followed Faith and Danielle into an empty interview room. Faith sat and pulled out a pen and paper while Bosco helped Danielle to sit before sitting beside her and taking her hand in his.
"Captain Walsh and I had an argument at work and he shoved me into a wall in anger," Danielle replied in a nervous voice as tears filled her eyes. "I'm seriously thinking about quitting, but I can't afford to."
Faith sighed and made a few notes, "Are there any bruises?" she asked in a concerned voice.
"I don't know," Danielle replied softly, sighing as Faith took out a small digital camera. "Hang on."
Faith and Bosco watched as Danielle removed her shirt, bra, stood up, and turned, revealing a bruise across her shoulders and back that was beginning to color. Faith silently took a few photos of the bruises at different distances and angles and then waited silently as Bosco helped Danielle to get redressed.
"Give me a detailed description of what happened and I'll put a report together with your information and the photos," Faith said in a concerned voice. "I'll go see Captain Walsh about it tomorrow."
Hoping that Jimmy and Kim would forgive her lateness, Danielle sighed calmly and began to speak.
Anthony Speedle sighed as he came into the kitchen and saw Ryan silently chopping vegetables even though he didn't have to, "Lieutenant Caine and several crime scene investigators are next door looking at the accident," he explained calmly. "Emily and Marisol are out talking to Lieutenant Caine and Timothy, but I know you saw something that bothered you. Ryan, what exactly did you see?"
"Someone who everyone thinks is dead," Ryan replied softly, not wanting to talk to Horatio and get pegged a deluded freak after failing to requalify. "I also saw Ramon Cruz in the backseat."
Anthony frowned, "Ramon, the youngest son of General Cruz?" he asked in a concerned voice.
"Yes," Ryan replied anxiously, not looking up from his chopping. "He's got diplomatic immunity."
There was a heavy silence and Anthony sighed, "If you don't feel like coming out, you do not have to," he stated in a calm voice. "Just know that you and your family are safe staying at our house."
Ryan nodded and silently continued chopping vegetables and Anthony silently went out into the street where police cars and CSI Hummers were blocking traffic. Horatio was chatting with Marisol while Emily and Tim were sitting in one of the Hummers with the doors open and James and Julliet on their laps.
Eric and Calleigh were busy examining the car while Erica Sikes and a cameraman were trying to film all the action and talk to everyone. Ramon had somehow disappeared from the backseat, so the car was empty, but patrol officers still had their hands full trying to keep back the crowd that had gathered.
"Mister Speedle, how are you doing?" Lieutenant Caine asked softly as he walked over to Anthony.
Anthony sighed, "We were in the middle of decorating the restaurant for Christmas when the car ran into the building next door," he replied anxiously. "For a minute, I thought the car was headed right at my restaurant, but it swerved at the last moment and fortunately missed hitting the building."
"It swerved at the last minute?" Horatio replied in a curious voice. "Did you see who was driving?"
Anthony shook his head, "I just know that two men were in the car and when I talked to Ryan, he said that Ramon Cruz was in the backseat at the time of the crash," he replied in a worried voice.
"Hmm," Horatio replied in an intrigued voice as he put on his sunglasses. "Thank you for telling me that, Mister Speedle, but I would very much like to talk to Mister Wolfe. Is he available for me to talk to?"
Anthony shook his head and was about to offer some sort of excuse that would prompt Horatio to leave Ryan alone when Marisol came over to them, "Lieutenant Caine, are you done talking with us?" she asked in a soft voice, giving him a curious look. "Emily wants to take James and Julliet back to the house and I'm going to drive them back in Eric's car and visit a while. If you're not done talking to us…"
"No, I've got Eric, Calleigh, and Speed to help me out," Horatio replied calmly. "I would, however, enjoy seeing you again at another time in a more pleasant environment. I've been thinking about it and was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner sometime with me? To a quiet restaurant somewhere?"
Marisol smiled and nodded, "I am also aware that Speed has feelings for Miss Wolfe, but that he would prefer a group date because there is safety in numbers," Horatio continued softly, trying not to think about the incident at McCauley Jeweler's'. "Perhaps we could double with Speed and Miss Wolfe?"
"That would be very nice, Lieutenant Caine," Marisol replied in a gentle voice. "When?"
Horatio lowered his sunglasses briefly, "I'll contact you when we're done here," he replied gently.
"Okay," Marisol replied softly, giving Horatio an innocent smile before turning and walking back to the Hummer where Tim and Emily were now settling James and Julliet back into the stroller while talking.
Not far from the scene, Edward, who had been on his way back through Calle Ocho to his hotel room in the more seedy part of Miami, had seen the crash and found himself amused by it. He was disguised because he knew that the MDPD would not hesitate to arrest him for his hand in John's abduction and he had been ordered to lie low until Bernie told him otherwise. Today was a day of amusement for him.
Boscorelli-Sullivan Apartment – New York, New York
Danielle pasted a smile on her face as she and Bosco walked into the apartment and saw that Jimmy and Kim had arrived with Joey and Camille in tow. Jimmy was sitting on the couch reading to Joey and Camille while David and Ellie sat at the table, watching while Kim set the table with plates and the food.
"Where's John?" Danielle asked in a concerned voice as she closed the door. "Is he all right?"
Sully sighed, "When Kim and Jimmy arrived, John took his homework to his and David's room," he replied in a calm, but concerned voice. "He's already checked his blood sugar and he said to just tell him when dinner's ready and he'll take a break from work. He didn't even say hi to Jimmy, Kim, or the kids."
"Maurice, do you want to talk to John or you want me to?" Danielle asked in a concerned voice.
Bosco sighed and gently stroked her hand, "I can talk to him," he replied softly, deeply gratified that Danielle was giving him opportunity to be a father to the kids. "You just go take it easy, all right?"
Danielle nodded and Bosco silently went over to the door that led to the bedroom that John and David shared, "John, it's Maurice," Bosco said in a calm voice. "Can I come in and talk to you for a minute?"
There was a sigh and a quiet 'okay', so Bosco opened the door and found John sitting on his bed with his notebook and textbook in front of him, "Hey," John replied softly, not looking up. "Is it dinner time?"
"You think Jimmy's injuries are your fault, don't you?" Bosco asked softly, giving John a look.
John sighed, "If Edward hadn't been looking for me, he wouldn't have gone to the house and set it on fire," he replied in a tired voice. "Doc would still be alive if I had insisted on staying home on…"
"If your mom hadn't made you come to my place on Halloween, you'd be dead," Bosco replied in a matter-of-fact voice as he sat on the bed and looked at John. "You'd have died with Doc in that fire."
John was quiet for a moment and nodded, his eyes brimming with tears as he closed his books, "I'm the reason Jimmy was shot and I'm really surprised he didn't bite my head off when he came in," he explained in a soft voice. "He can't work right now and I'm sure he's really frustrated about it."
"It's not like they're not paying him," Bosco replied calmly. "Jimmy's on disability right now and it's 75 percent tax free, so his family is well taken care of. He gets to spend time with Kim and his kids and I sometimes visit him during my breaks and Jimmy doesn't hate you; neither does Kim. All right?"
John sighed and nodded, "I know all this recovery stuff is hard, but I also know that you're a lot stronger than I was during my recovery," Bosco continued softly. "You've got such a loving family who will support you through everything now and in January when we have to go back to Miami for that thing."
"I wish I could remember more than I do," John replied in a frustrated voice. "I've been trying, but…"
Bosco sighed as he stood up, "Just keep doing what Miss Wolfe tells you to do over Skype and don't try to rush your recovery, all right?" he replied in a gentle voice. "Are you still doing your meditation stuff?"
"Yeah," John replied softly. "I eat lunch alone, so I do it then. I'm really trying to remember things."
Bosco nodded and John got up off the bed, "Let's go eat dinner and you don't even have to talk to anyone else about this if you don't want to, all right?" he suggested gently. "It should be ready."
Nodding, John followed Bosco out into the common area and saw that Danielle, Kim, Jimmy, Sully, David, Ellie, Joey, and Camille were all sitting around a table that had plates, cutlery, glasses, a pitcher of green tea, a pan of lasagna, and a bowl of salad on it. There were two empty seats left at the table.
Grateful to have talked like father and son, John and Bosco silently took their places at the table.
Coral Gables – Miami, Florida
"Emily never came to see me while I was in the hospital," Bernard snapped, throwing a dart at a dartboard from his easy chair as Ramon walked into the room. "Why didn't she, Ramon?"
Ramon said nothing and looked to Clavo, who was sitting on the couch reading a magazine, for an idea of what to say, "She grew a spine and didn't even have the courtesy to thank me for returning James to her alive," Bernard hissed, taking great care not to become too angry. "She's incredibly ungrateful."
"Maybe that brother of hers is not letting her come?" Ramon asked in a meek, but steady voice.
Bernard smirked and chuckled, "Yes, that could explain it," he replied in an amused voice, pleased that Ramon had thought up a way to force Emily to come as she was supposed to. "It's all Ryan's fault."
"Why not send Eddie or Ricky to go get Ryan since the half-blind idiot would recognize us?" Clavo hooted in an amused voice as he looked up at Bernard. "They will have an easier time getting into…"
Bernard scowled, "Eddie's hiding out like I told him to and I've pretty much ran out of things for Ricky to help me with right now," he replied grouchily. "Besides, he's still pining for his sweetheart, Catherine Willows."
"Just how are we supposed to get at little Ryan?" Clavo whined. "He's always surrounded by people."
Ramon's eyes widened, "He's working at Speedle's Restaurant in Calle Ocho," he spoke up timidly. "Why don't one of us just go in there disguised as a customer and snatch him when we're alone with him?"
"If Ryan tries to fight, cause damage to the café to distract others from his disappearance," Bernard replied in a cruel voice. "Only go after Ryan; do not touch Emily, James, Julliet, or anyone else. If you do, I will be angry."
Both Ramon and Clavo said nothing and Bernard sighed, "I merely want to talk to Ryan and convince him to make Emily come see me," he replied in a tired voice as he slowly stood up and walked over to the bed in the other corner of the furniture filled bedroom where he spent most of his time in the quiet villa he had recently bought.
Understanding themselves to be dismissed, Ramon and Clavo left to plot while Bernard climbed into bed to rest. Ramon was deeply relieved that Bernard hadn't found out about him trying and failing to carjack Ray Caine, as it would send the man into an outrage and his recovery required a lot of rest.
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