November 15, 2006

Riker's Island - Manhattan, New York

"Stella Bonasera?"

Stella sighed anxiously as silently walked into the makeshift courtroom wearing civilian clothing that she had been wearing since being at the rehabilitation hospital with Emily Yokas that morning. Her parole hearing was that day, but she didn't expect anything to change because of what she had done.

Emily was set to be released soon and it was now time for her to learn her own fate, but Stella fully expected to still be in prison by the end of the day. She knew she would never work in law enforcement again, but maybe she could take her money and use it to do some good with the time she would have.

To her surprise, Mac was sitting on a chair next to a concerned looking Carlos Nieto while the parole board sat at a table, "Ms. Bonasera, welcome," Adele Smith, the woman at the head of the table said in a calm voice, giving Stella a once-over. "If you have a seat, we'll get ready to begin…"

As Stella took a seat in the front row, a dark-haired young man suddenly hurried into the room sporting a VISITOR badge on his suit, "Sorry, ze secureety here is wery tight," Pavel LaRusso spoke in a quiet, anxious voice as he nodded at the parole board. "I am Pavel Dimitriakov LaRusso, ze diner owner."

"LaRusso?" Carlos spoke in a concerned voice, frowning. "As in Dimitri LaRusso?"

Pavel sighed as he gazed at Carlos, frowning when he recognized the man who his father had tortured nearly to death, "I am not my fazzer," he replied in a quiet voice. "I own seweral businesses…"

Carlos sighed and said nothing as Pavel turned around, "I heard about zat terrible behavior zat Dimitri engaged een and eet disgusts me zat I share hees name," Pavel lied in an upset voice. "Eet ees vat eet eez, zo and all I can do eez try to do some good. I seenk Mees Bonasera can be of help to me because me hiring her can show people I am not my fazzer. Eet is an opportunity I take wery seriously."

"Very good, Mister LaRusso," Adele replied calmly. "Please have a seat and we'll get started."

Pavel nodded and sat in an empty row, "This parole hearing is now in session," Adele spoke firmly.

Silence filled the room as Adele opened a folder, "I have here letters from students who were at the diner the day of the attack," she spoke in a quiet voice. "A lot of the students are too busy with assignments or exams to be here, so they sent Victim Impact statements. Mister Carlos Nieto, however, brought a letter from his son, Tommy Nieto, that was written in response to news of this hearing."

Carlos sighed and shakily stood up, but as he read the letter, Stella found herself surprised that Tommy's words were not condemnations, but forgiveness. She had expected Tommy Nieto to hate her for the time he had to spend in hospital and in a wheelchair, but he was clearly better than hate.

"…Thank you, Mister Nieto, and please pass our thanks on to your son," Adele finally said.

Carlos nodded and sat back down, "I will now proceed to read the other statements," Adele said softly.

Swallowing hard, Stella silently braced herself to hear what she felt she deserved for her behavior.

Boscorelli Apartment

"…Wait until Mrs. Davis or your parents can bring you home, okay?" Bosco heard a kind voice say. "The weather doesn't look good and it's really cold, so I don't want you three walking home…"

Bosco groaned as he opened his eyes and found himself tucked into bed within the safety of his master bedroom with blankets over his body. As he sat up in bed, he saw that a teddy bear was on his arm.

"What happened last night?" Bosco asked in a quiet, groggy voice as he got out of bed and yawned.

The sound of a whistling kettle suddenly filled the air and Bosco silently left the bedroom, frowning when he saw Danielle silently pouring cups of tea in the kitchen while Sully and Yelina sat in the living room with Nicolas on their laps and Michael and Emily on the floor in front of them. The TV was on and playing some sort of video, but Bosco ignored it as he made his way over to Danielle.

"Hey," Bosco spoke in a groggy voice, sighing tiredly. "Am I supposed to go to work today?"

Danielle sighed as she turned to face him with a cup of tea in hand, "I called you in sick," she replied in a quiet voice, her expression concerned. "You threw up a lot last night and you had a high fever…"

Bosco nodded and sighed when Danielle handed him the tea, "Thanksgiving's approaching and Maritza being declared a cold case hurts," he spoke in a quiet voice. "I left work early yesterday and went over to Ma's bar, but I didn't drink. I sat there with a basket of wings and fries and just cried to my ma."

Danielle sighed, "And then I walked around in the cold for what seemed like forever," Bosco said softly, inhaling the tea. "I'm sure people are gonna talk about how I left work early…"

"Let them," Danielle spoke firmly. "You're on a sick day and that's all they need to know."

Bosco silently took a seat at the table with his tea, "I got assigned some shifts next week," Danielle spoke in a quiet voice, sighing as she joined him. "Just four-hour ones, but it's better than none."

"Hey, I was thinking of Skyping John at some point because we never responded to that email he sent us about the police exam," Bosco spoke in a quiet voice. "I meant to, but then I got the news…"

Danielle nodded, "John understands," she replied softly. "I explained what was going on."

"The national police exam is a big deal, Bosco," Sully spoke up, having eavesdropped on the conversation. "John knows you're proud of him, but he also knows what you've been through and he's not going to judge you when you struggle. He was there in Miami right after it happened…"

Bosco nodded and drank his tea, "Besides, Davis said if anyone tries to get on your case or whine to the high-ups about you taking a sick day, he'll beat them up," Sully added, a smile on his face.

"That was good tea," Bosco spoke quietly, sighing as he pushed the cup away. "I'm tired."

Suddenly, Michael crawled over to Bosco and whined as he grabbed on to the leg of his pajama pants

Bosco raised an eyebrow as he looked down at Michael, who immediately raised his arms, "You wanna be with Daddy, Mikey?" he asked in a quiet voice. "Daddy's sick and isn't much fun today."

Michael, however, whimpered and Bosco silently picked him up, "Hey," Bosco spoke quietly.

A cooing sound escaped Michael's lips as he kissed Bosco's face and Bosco sighed, just letting his weary heart be warmed by his youngest son. It was as if Michael knew he needed love today.

Private Condo - Las Vegas, Nevada

"So Sam Braun has been moved to a safe house because he was not the mastermind behind what my uncle's been through?" Robert asked in a concerned voice as he sat with Ryan in the living room of the condo where Robert and Horatio were staying. "If Sam wasn't the mastermind, who was?"

Ryan sighed, as Grissom had given him full charge of making sure Horatio and Robert were safe based on what the tape revealed and also making sure that McKeen didn't find out that he had been exposed by Sam Braun, "It's a high-ranking police officer from Vegas who was mad over the whole Warrick deal," he spoke in a quiet voice. "He thought Horatio was too lenient on Warrick and…"

"Warrick almost killed Emily and her baby in court," Robert replied softly. "And he used you…"

Ryan nodded, but didn't speak, "Someone thought Horatio didn't do enough to keep Warrick from running amuck," he finally spoke in a quiet voice. "That's why Horatio was kidnapped…over that."

Robert sighed bitterly, but said nothing, "I really wish Horatio was back in Miami right now, especially if things go south with this whole mess," Ryan spoke softly. "How long until he can travel?"

"No flying before Christmas," Robert replied in a tired voice. "His lungs couldn't manage…"

Ryan nodded, "What about travelling another way?" he asked quietly. "Maybe the train?"

"If someone's gunning for my uncle, they might find me booking tickets odd," Robert replied.

Ryan sighed and frowned as the buzzer sounded, "Hey, it's John Boscorelli here with some groceries and books," John's voice called out. "Last time I was here, Lieutenant Caine asked for books…"

Robert got up and quickly buzzed John in, smiling when John came in carrying a cloth bag on his arm and a backpack on his back, "I can't stay too long because I have to meet with Doctor Langston and the others for class and then I have to study until it's time for Nick to go to work. He's on night shift."

"Uncle Horatio's resting, but you're welcome to go in and say hello," Robert replied, taking the groceries from John so he could put them into the fridge. "He'll be happy to see you."

John nodded and silently went into Horatio's room, surprised when he saw Horatio awake and staring at the ceiling deep in thought, "Lieutenant Caine?" he asked softly. "I got you your books."

"Oh, hello," Horatio spoke in a quiet voice, gazing at John. "I'm sorry…I didn't notice you."

John nodded and set his bag on the bed, "The LVPD bought me new medical supplies, so I have a little extra money," he spoke quietly. "I went by a bookstore the other day and got you what you wanted."

Horatio looked thoughtful, "Out of your own money?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Shrugging, John sat in a chair beside the bed and took the books out of his bag, allowing Horatio to look at them, "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly. "You're looking well-rested."

Horatio sighed, "I honestly didn't believe I would survive," he confessed softly. "When you're in isolation and subject to torture for long enough, you begin to lose hope of escaping it."

John sighed and gently patted Horatio's hand, "Now, I hear you get to take the national police exam very soon because of the heroics you demonstrated," Horatio spoke, changing the subject.

"Around Thanksgiving, sir," John replied gently. "I'm not sure how to feel about it…"

Horatio nodded, "Everyone's all excited about what I did and they think that lauding me as a hero will do wonders for the Vegas PD," John spoke quietly. "I've had to give endless media interviews…"

"The police department here has no doubt suffered from the actions of Warrick Brown," Horatio replied in a quiet, tired voice. "From what I've heard from the conversation in the living room, so have I…"

John frowned, "I know that my nephew is trying to protect me by having secret conversations in the living room with Ryan," Horatio spoke in a louder voice, prompting John to sigh irritably.

A moment later, an embarrassed looking Robert came into the room, "Um, hi," he spoke softly.

"Bobby, I know you want to protect me because I need to recover, but I am old enough to know what's going on," Horatio spoke gently, giving his nephew a look. "I've heard bits and pieces…"

Robert sighed, "Ryan is going to arrange for us to take a high-speed train back to Miami as soon as possible, uncle," he replied softly, his expression somber. "Someone in the department arranged for what happened to you and Ryan knows who it is, but he doesn't want us to know yet…"

Horatio looked concerned, but said nothing, "John, don't discuss what you've heard with anyone," Robert spoke in an anxious voice. "Nobody knows who the leak is but Ryan and Grissom."

John nodded and sighed, "I should get going," he spoke quietly. "I've got to stop by the post office before class because I need to send my mom's birthday present to her since I won't be there."

"Oh, that's right," Robert spoke calmly. "Your mom's birthday is coming up. I forgot…"

John sighed and silently gathered his things, "Feel better, sir," he spoke in a quiet voice.

Horatio sighed and closed his eyes, so John silently left the apartment and to the cab he had left waiting while he delivered the items. Grissom had allowed him to visit that day, but had specifically told him to not take Nick's truck to the apartment. Now that John knew why, he understood Grissom's concerns.

"Where to now, kid?" the cab driver asked as John got in the back with his backpack a little lighter.

John sighed, "UNLV, please," he replied in a quiet voice. "It's time for me to go to classes."

Las Vegas Crime Lab

Jenny sighed softly, watching as Greg sat at the computer in one of the evidence processing rooms with the folder on the table beside him, "I'm sorry about this, sweet," Greg spoke in an apologetic voice.

"Greg," Jenny spoke in a quiet, but kind voice. "This would be hard news for anyone to bear."

Greg sighed and Jenny gently rubbed his back, "I…I called California last night and my mom said that what Grissom said is true," he spoke in a quiet voice. "I really want to know my birth parents…"

"I'm glad Sofia didn't mind watching Jess so I could be here for you," Jenny spoke quietly.

Greg nodded as he inputted information into the computer, "Grissom said my birth mother lives in New York and has some issues," he spoke softly. "She recently got arrested for assaulting a cop."

Jenny looked concerned, but didn't say anything, "My adoptive mom said that they put my DNA into Grissom's project in case they changed their mind about me and wanted to send me back, but they enjoyed that I was a genius," Greg spoke quietly. "When I lost some of my hearing, though…"

Just as Caira came into the room with some books in her arms, the computer beeped, showing a photo of Ellen Seville and her record, "No mention of my father in here," Greg spoke softly. "Hi Caira…"

"Looking for something?" Caira asked in a curious voice. "I could help…if you want."

Greg sighed, "Did you need the computer?" he asked softly. "I was doing ancestral research…"

"I'm just getting things together for class," Caira spoke quietly. "I have to leave soon."

Greg nodded, "Maybe my mother knows who he is," he muttered softly, gazing at Jenny.

Deciding to leave Greg and Jenny alone, Caira silently left the room with her workbook and went to the locker room to get her bag from her cubby. She had taken the bus to the lab to see what was going on with Colin's case and then she knew she had to catch the bus right away if she was going to make class.

As Caira left the lab, Greg and Jenny silently went to Grissom's office to talk about finding his mother.

Riker's Island, New York

"My recommendation is that you are granted early release for good behavior on the condition that you help Mister LaRusso with his businesses and also continue to mentor Emily Yokas until she is released from rehabilitation," Adele Smith spoke in an official voice as she looked at Stella. "I also want you to check-in with Detective Taylor on a weekly basis and go to outpatient psychological counseling."

Stella nodded, knowing that she wouldn't get much peace because the planning of the attack on John Boscorelli at the university diner would follow her for the rest of her life. She sighed softly, but didn't say anything because there was no point; her mental health issues had screwed up her life.

"Ms. Bonasera, Detective Taylor has informed us that your involvement in this incident was post-traumatic stress disorder triggered by the violent loss of your colleague, Detective Aiden Burn," Adele spoke in a quiet voice. "Detective Lindsay Monroe has also written a statement to that effect and you can't be held criminally responsible because you were officially diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. You received enough help that I feel this can be on your record as a mental breakdown and while you should not ever work for NYPD again, this will not affect the rest of your career options."

Stella looked surprised, but didn't say anything, "With that said, I declare you fit for release with the aforementioned conditions," Adele said, stamping Stella's papers. "Please go clean out your cell."

Swallowing hard, Stella rose, but looked nervous as she silently left the room with a uniformed officer at her heels to get her things. She wasn't sure how she would fare now that she was about to be free.

Central Park

I finally did it. Emily Yokas thought as she sat on the bench in Central Park. I emailed Derek.

For days, Emily had used her day pass to walk through New York and get up the courage to use the contact information Derek had left with her at the party in Bed-Stuy. She hadn't been legally able to communicate with him until now, but once she turned 18, the centre couldn't stop her from doing it.

Since Stella had left for her hearing, Emily had taken a walk to a library and had emailed Derek about possibly meeting up because she wanted to talk about the party in Bed-Stuy. The DNA lab had sent him a letter about Alex being his son, but he had never responded to the letter as far as she knew. She knew, however, that she couldn't raise Alex alone and that Derek might be able to be what John couldn't.

Now, after sending the email, Emily found herself waiting in Central Park for her mother to discuss plans for Thanksgiving because she would be released by then and had nowhere else to spend the holiday. The custody arrangement meant that Alex would be with his grandparents until the hearing in the new year, so Emily wanted to see her son and also try to reconcile with her mom and stepdad.

Emily had also taken time to visit her father's grave and chide him for being responsible for Amanda and Maggie LaRusso-Caine's deaths. She hadn't known Officer LaRusso-Caine well or long, but she knew that her father was responsible for destroying his family and she wanted to help him somehow.

"Emily!"

Emily looked up from the ground and sighed when she saw her mother coming down the path towards her without Alex, "It's a bit cold for Alex to be out, so I left him with John at home," Faith spoke in a kind voice, smiling at her. "Caroline called the other day too; Charlie wants to visit for Thanksgiving."

Nodding, Emily stood up, "Mom, I saw the national papers," she spoke softly. "Why…why didn't anyone tell me John has a girlfriend out in Vegas? I saw a picture of them in one of the papers…"

Faith looked surprised, "John's 18 and he's had it hard," she replied. "A girlfriend must be nice."

"I've written John, but he hasn't written back much," Emily spoke softly. "He's doing well and he doesn't talk about the girlfriend in the letters, but the photo says they've been dating since September."

Faith was secretly relieved that John now had a girlfriend, as it meant that Emily could focus on getting clean and maybe being a responsible mother, "You're getting your diploma soon," she said, subtly changing the subject as they walked down the path. "Have you thought about going to college?"

"I'm not sure what I'd do there," Emily replied softly. "I'm not sure I'm cut out for college."

Faith sighed patiently, but said nothing because she wanted a civil visit with Emily, "Mom, I visited Dad on my last day out," Emily spoke softly. "I feel bad about what he did…"

Las Vegas, Nevada

"Greg, I can put in a request to New York so you can contact Ellen, but they may say no," Grissom spoke in a quiet, concerned voice as he stood with Greg and Jenny in his office. "Why do you…?"

Greg sighed, "Maybe she can tell me something about my father?" he replied in a hopeful voice.

Grissom looked thoughtful, "Maybe you should ask your adoptive parents for your birth certificate," he replied in a quiet voice, giving Greg a look. "I'm not sure Ellen kept any of your personal documents."

"Why wouldn't she?" Greg asked in a confused voice, frowning. "She…she's my mother…"

Grissom sighed as he recalled what New York had told him, "A cop threatened your mother with a lot of trouble if she had children, but she had three," he explained softly. "Your siblings are named Danny Messer and Danielle Sullivan, but she didn't know what to do with you, so John Sullivan…"

"Danielle Sullivan?" Greg interrupted, his eyes widening. "You mean John's mom?"

Grissom nodded, "John Sullivan helped your mother find a stable home for you and then looked after your mother when she got surgery to not have anymore children," he explained. "Your adoptive parents put your DNA into my project, but I never expected anything to actually come of it."

"It became Victims Assistance, right?" Jenny asked softly. "Your project?"

Grissom sighed, "That inspired me to create a network where people could seek help for unwanted situations," he explained. "I've been investing my own money and when I teach courses, I get educational grants that go into the program. The grants allow me to help people nationwide."

"And Natalia Boa Vista's the co-founder how?" Greg asked in a curious voice.

Grissom looked amused, "The FBI utilizes the program when they need to and Natalia was a major financial contributor to Victims Assistance going national," he replied. "Hence, she's the co-founder."

"…Conrad, I wouldn't normally ask for any time off seeing as I'm new, but we really don't know many more holidays Sofia will have with us and I'd like to take her and Carlos on a little family vacation," Ryan's somber voice suddenly filtered into the room. "It won't be for very long and I can do…"

Grissom watched as Ecklie suddenly came into view with an anxious, somber looking Ryan, "Oh, Ryan, don't start weeping," Ecklie replied quietly. "The supervisors know about Sofia and we wouldn't be so heartless as to deny you holiday time with your family. You can also have Christmas if you need it, but you'll have to do doubles in the new year to make up for it. Grissom, do you have a minute?"

"Of course," Grissom replied calmly. "Greg, I'll let you know when I hear something."

Greg nodded, took Jenny's hand as they got up, and they silently left the office as Ecklie and Ryan came in, "Gil, the Wolfes needs time off around Thanksgiving," Ecklie spoke firmly.

"I've been working out a schedule so he and Sofia can both have that holiday off," Grissom replied in a calm voice, pleased to see that Ryan was putting their pre-agreed plan into action. "Sara and I are going to have it a few days early and my mom said she can watch the kids while we work. Greg and Jenny aren't going anywhere, so I've got Greg working. Catherine and Nick haven't got back to me."

Ecklie sighed, "Morgan's debating about the holidays, but I don't think any of the techs are going anywhere and we have the four trainees," he replied. "Boscorelli's got his exam, I don't think Jamison's going anywhere, Danville's mom told him to tough it out, and Kimoyah's staying…"

"When Nick and Catherine get back to me about their plans, I'll tell you," Grissom promised.

Ecklie nodded and stalked off down the hallway, "Everything's set," Ryan spoke softly.

"You and Sofia deserve to be commended once this mess is all over," Grissom replied quietly.

Ryan sighed, "I just want to be alive once this whole mess is over," he replied in a worried voice.

Grissom gave Ryan a serious look, "I hope you are too," he replied softly. "Go do some work."

Nodding, Ryan silently left Grissom's office and Grissom let out a heavy, tired sigh.

Miami, Florida

"Rick, Sam wants to see the kids for Thanksgiving and I told him I'd talk to you about it," Catherine spoke as Rick sat at the computer in his office. "I know you don't like each other, but the kids…"

Rick sighed, "I'd rather not get in the middle of whatever problems surrounding Horatio are out there and I want to keep the kids from harm," he replied. "Why don't you come out here for Thanksgiving?"

Catherine scoffed irritably, "Did you do the DNA test for the hearing yet?" she asked softly.

"I'm listed as their father on the birth certificates and Eddie's dead, so what difference would it make to know?" Rick asked in an upset voice, glaring at the screen. "It would only upset Lindsey and Lenny."

Catherine frowned, "Don't even give me that look, Catherine," Rick said sternly. "I knew about Eddie."

"You worked very hard, but you were too tired to do anything when you got off work," Catherine replied in an anxious, upset voice. "I was lonely and there wasn't much else besides…"

Rick scoffed, "I was very hurt that you cheated on me with Eddie," he replied softly. "I know he was your ex before I came into the picture, but it was inexcusable. I already suspect some things…"

"If it helps, Vartann freaked when he heard about the miscarriage," Catherine cut in softly as Natalia came into the doorway and knocked. "Let me talk to Grissom about Thanksgiving, all right?"

The call ended and Rick sighed as he looked at Natalia, "What?" he asked coldly. "A case?"

"No, I just got off the phone with Bobby," Natalia spoke softly. "Can I close the door?"

Rick frowned, but nodded and Natalia closed the door, "Ryan and Grissom have made arrangements for Bobby and Horatio to come back via train close to Thanksgiving," Natalia spoke quietly. "Ryan booked the tickets in his name and he and Sofia will lie low with Carlos until the holiday is over and done."

"Is Ryan out of his mind?" Rick replied in a concerned voice. "Why is he doing such a risky thing?"

Natalia sighed, "Grissom and Ryan know who the actual mastermind in Horatio's kidnapping was," she replied softly. "Ryan asked me to help and he asked me to talk to you and arrange things on this end because he doesn't want to endanger Speedle and Emily. Sam Braun is currently in a safehouse…"

Rick sighed softly, "All right," he spoke in a tired voice. "I'm assuming Horatio will need a hospital?"

"No, he'll be staying with us and I need to talk to Alexx," Natalia spoke in a concerned voice.

Rick looked concerned, "Doctor Stokes might be a better choice," he replied. "She is very grateful to you and Horatio for helping her when she first came here and she wants to repay him somehow."

"Alexx and Horatio are also close, so I'll talk to both of them," Natalia replied softly. "All right?"

Rick nodded, "Catherine wants me to send the kids for Thanksgiving, but I told her no," he spoke in a quiet, tired voice. "Hearing that some serious stuff is happening makes my decision a little easier…"

Natalia looked thoughtful, "Did you already have a suspicion about your kids?" she asked softly. "Bobby and I set up internet tracking so we can see what BJ and Adam are up to when they choose to go on the computer and I noticed you visited a lot of sites that offer DNA testing for a fee…"

"I didn't want to involve the lab," Rick replied softly, his expression somber. "The issues with the techs have been straightened out, but I don't want people finding out my personal issues more than…"

Natalia nodded, "Bobby and Horatio should be back by then, so I was thinking of a nice family dinner for all of us," she spoke in a kind voice. "Is there anything you, Lindsey, or Lenny like especially?"

"Lindsey and Lenny are Bobby's niece and nephew and they will like whatever you choose to serve, but I don't know if I should be there," Rick spoke quietly. "Ivan is very angry about what happened to Ray and blames me for Sam Braun's sudden disappearance. It's better I'm not there, Natalia…"

Natalia frowned, "Ivan Sarnoff is currently missing," she replied. "Did he contact you?"

Rick nodded and sighed as he pointed to a ziploc bag on the edge of his desk that held a letter, "Courtesy of Ivan and Clavo Cruz," he spoke in a quiet voice. "My undercover assignment from Sackheim was to get intel on them and Sackheim was supposed to look for my kids, but…"

Natalia looked worried, "Do you want the lab to analyze this?" she asked softly. "We've been looking for Ivan Sarnoff and Clavo Cruz for a long time. This letter may help us find them."

"Go ahead," Rick replied quietly, suddenly gagging. "Sorry, you know I had treatment yesterday."

Natalia nodded and grabbed the bag with her sleeve, quietly leaving so that Rick could be sick without an audience. She took the bag to an evidence processing room and documented it before gloving up. As she worked, she could hear footsteps coming down the hallway as well as quiet talking.

"I'm not taking your return lightly, Delko, but the chief granted it after you talked about how Aaron Peters manipulated you into trying to get Emily fired," Tim's voice spoke calmly. "Peters has been fired and Emily's been re-instated, but she's not in today. She's doing things with the kids."

There was a sigh, "We've all been under a lot of stress while Horatio's been away, but we're gonna take things slow and hopefully heal from all the drama," Tim spoke quietly. "Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah," Eric spoke quietly. "I'll…I'll just work in the lab until we know if Horatio's coming back."

The footsteps drew closer and Natalia watched as Tim came into view with a tired looking Eric, "Tim, Rick gave me this letter that Ivan Sarnoff and Clavo Cruz sent him," she spoke softly.

Tim frowned, "I was actually on my way to talk to Stetler about Eric," he replied quietly. "He got permission to come back for limited duty and I wanted to clear that with IAB."

"Stetler had chemo yesterday," Natalia spoke quietly. "I heard you say the chief allowed it, so…"

Eric looked confused, but Tim nodded, "I'll talk to Stetler another day," Tim replied softly.

"If Stetler's got cancer, why is he working while doing treatment?" Eric asked worriedly.

Natalia sighed, "Bobby and I gave him and his kids a place to live with no strings attached because Rick and his kids are family, but he insists on supporting them himself as much as he can while saving for a place," she replied gently, knowing Eric had memory issues. "It's very complicated."

UNLV Campus – Las Vegas, Nevada

"And then there were four," Ray Langston spoke quietly as he came into the classroom and saw John, Caira, Tyler, and Kimoyah all sitting in a row with their books out. "How are you all doing?"

Nobody spoke, so Ray sighed heavily, "James and Darin are currently at county lockup while Lisa, Michelle, and Adriana are all on their way back to their respective schools due to breach of the contracts they signed. Colin Jamison is receiving help and I hope he is able to get well…"

Again, nobody spoke and Ray looked thoughtful, "Today, we're going to talk about the aftermath of crimes," he spoke in a calm voice. "The process the perps go through and the healing process that the victims go through. Now, Horatio Caine survived a terrible attack and the investigation isn't yet completed, but I hear there is enough for a discussion. Boscorelli, how are you feeling after that?"

John sighed softly, "Honestly, I'm still processing what I had to do because I ended up having to kill in order to save a life," he replied softly. "I had a little field training in New York including how to shoot, but using a gun is not something I overly enjoy. If I hadn't, though, Lieutenant Caine would be dead."

"Do CSI's have to kill people a lot?" Tyler asked nervously. "I'm not a fan of blood."

Ray gave Tyler a look, "Your grades are good, but you're not a fan of blood?" he asked sternly.

"It makes me squeamish," Tyler replied softly. "I threw up at the Camino crime scene."

Ray sighed, "That was a horrible scene," he replied quietly. "How did that turn out?"

"Sir, you seem very interested in the work," John replied. "Have you thought about doing it?"

Ray looked amused, "First of all, I told you to call me Ray or Doctor Langston, Boscorelli," he replied in a pleasant, amused voice. "Secondly, I have not thought about doing it. Are they even hiring?"

John shrugged, "They'll probably need help after the semester ends and we all go home," he replied in a quiet voice. "I was thinking about going for my Master's next fall because I'm still very young."

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Tyler spoke quietly. "Especially after the casino bombing…"

Caira sighed softly, but said nothing because D.B. had gently encouraged her to look into transferring to another school for the next semester to put some distance between her and Colin so he could focus on recovery. Colin was demanding she stay, but she knew that she needed to focus on herself and let D.B. oversee Colin's recovery once he moved to Vegas. She had quietly looked into schools and had only shared that with John; he had been supportive and told her to do whatever she needed to do.

John, however, looked at Caira questioningly, "Are you okay?" he whispered, offering his hand.

Caira nodded, but took hold of his hand anyway, "Miss Jamison, would you care to share how you're feeling after you were attacked in your dormitory?" Ray asked calmly. "For education purposes?"

"There aren't any dorms free for the rest of the semester," Caira spoke quietly. "I was given a temporary dorm while they investigated, but now I'm seeking alternative arrangements."

Ray nodded, "I've been talking to campus counselors about it and friends," Caira spoke quietly.

"That, ladies and gentlemen, is the most helpful recovery tool of all," Ray said. "Talking about it."

Tyler suddenly frowned, "I've got a question," he said softly. "About the respite thing…"

"Really, Danville?" Ray asked sternly. "You wanna know why you got taken off respite duty?"

Tyler nodded, "Everyone did," Kimoyah spoke in a quiet voice, her accent softening her words. "I know you think John and Caira are assigned to visit, but they go over there on their own time…"

"Why would you do that?" Tyler replied in a confused voice. "Aren't we like really busy?"

John sighed, "It's called compassion," he replied quietly. "I understand what he's been through."

"Whatever the reason may be, don't take it personal, Danville," Ray cut in sternly. "All right?"

Tyler nodded, "All right," Ray continued, grabbing his textbook. "Let's read a bit from the book and then we can talk more about this. Conrad Ecklie will have my head if we don't use the textbook."

Crime Lab

"What do you mean I can't have Thanksgiving off?" Catherine replied in an annoyed voice as she sat in Grissom's office with Grissom to talk about the holiday. "I wanted to go visit Rick and the kids."

Grissom sighed, "Ecklie granted Ryan and Sofia time off because Sofia's dying," he spoke softly.

"She's in treatment," Catherine replied, her eyes widening. "What do you mean by that?"

Grissom looked somber, "It's not working and Sofia's going to stop treatment after the round of chemo is done because she'd rather not deal with the side-effects forever," he explained, hoping Ryan wouldn't bawl him out for tattling. "They want to take Carlos on a holiday and make memories."

"Rick won't send the kids here because he doesn't trust Sam," Catherine spoke anxiously.

Grissom looked confused, "Well, Sam attacked Rick in Miami," he replied in a concerned voice. "Sam Braun is missing right now, anyway, so how do you think he could see the kids even if they visited?"

Catherine frowned and suddenly gave Grissom a look, "You know where Sam is," she said quietly.

"I'm not allowed to talk about that," Grissom replied as Ecklie came to the door. "Conrad?"

Conrad's eyes narrowed, "You're not allowed to talk about what?" he asked suspiciously.

"I want my kids to see Sam, as he's always been like a grandfather to them, but Grissom won't tell me where he is," Catherine replied. "I can't get time off for Thanksgiving, so I was seeing…"

Conrad sighed, "Stokes already asked for the day off because he's having treatment the day before," he replied in a tired voice. "Boscorelli volunteered to be here for a shift and he's also looking after Stokes's kid. The exam isn't til after Thanksgiving, so he could have gone home…"

"Wait," Grissom spoke in a surprised voice. "John said that he was staying here to study."

Catherine couldn't help but smile, "John mentioned to me that he felt bad for Nick and wanted to help him because Nick was so gracious about giving him a place to live," she replied calmly. "If I can't get it off, can I have a bit of a potluck here? The others might stay too and for those on shift…"

"Sara and I are having an early Thanksgiving, so we'll be here," Grissom replied calmly. "Jenny and Greg are staying with Sofia and Ryan and Jenny's going to house sit, so Greg will also be here. I think Greg needs the distraction anyway, given all that's happened between him and Doctor Pride."

Ecklie sighed, "Gil, Sanders finally got back to me about that and he wants it dealt with internally," he replied in a concerned voice. "He also asked to have parental rights and Doctor Pride's upset…"

Grissom's eyes widened, "And Sanders has also been using his downtime at work to look into that DNA thing," Ecklie spoke sternly. "You better tell him to slow it down or he'll make himself sick."

"How many of the students are staying?" Catherine asked in a confused, quiet voice.

Grissom sighed, "All of them," he replied calmly. "So we'll use them if we need to."

Private Condo

The sensation of pain filled Horatio's arm and he woke, immediately relieved to find that he was in the safety of his temporary bedroom. He wasn't still in that barn, barely hanging on to life while Ray and Dr. Pride had their fun. Ray was dead, so nothing could be done about what he had done. Dr. Pride, however, was still alive and he wanted her and whoever was the true mastermind to be dealt with.

As Horatio reflected on what his legal options were and what would happen once he was able to testify in a court of law, Robert came into the room with a food tray, "Hungry?" Robert asked kindly.

"Not really, but I do need to eat," Horatio replied softly, gazing at him. "You look very serious."

Robert sighed and silently set the tray up before sitting beside the bed, "Everything's been arranged," he spoke in a quiet voice. "Ryan and Sofia will sneak us to the train station under the guise of taking a holiday with Carlos. You and I will be in a sleeper car on the journey back and Ryan and Sofia will lie low and give us time to get home before they make a public appearance. Conrad Ecklie and Grissom are in on the plan and Ryan and Sofia got the time off for 'vacation'. Nobody else knows about it."

"What hospital will I be staying at when I'm back in Miami?" Horatio asked in a quiet voice, stunned that Grissom, Ecklie, Ryan, and Sofia had put themselves on the line so he could be sent to safety.

Robert sighed, "You'll be recovering at my house and I'm going to be paying both Alexx and Doctor Stokes to come and help you with medical stuff," he replied quietly. "I don't trust that you would be safe at any hospital right now. Ryan knows who the mastermind is and he agrees with me."

Horatio gave his nephew a concerned look, but didn't say anything because everyone was determined to help him get to safety whether he liked it or not. All he could do was hope nobody got killed over it.

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