24 Hours Later
Manhattan, New York
It wasn't what Catherine had wanted to do, but it had been the next available flight on an airline that would allow her to pay cash. She was tired and anxious over what she had done and needed time.
After getting off the plane, Catherine had gotten a cab into town and had simply walked the streets until the sun came up. She hadn't dared check into a hotel where she could be found, but as the sun came up, she started to suffer stomach cramps, nausea, and tiredness, so she was rethinking that decision. The pregnancy test had been positive and she was terrified about how she was going to let Rick know.
Not wanting to be recognized, as she was sure that her picture and story were all over the news by now, Catherine ducked into an alleyway with her rolling suitcase and sat. She was emotionally drained, exhausted, and needed to figure out what to do. Would it be better to turn herself in?
Pain shot through Catherine and she closed her eyes, hoping that she would feel better soon.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Parker yawned as Nick settled him into the carseat that now sat in the back passenger seat of his truck, "Did you get enough sleep, kiddo?" Nick asked softly, smiling at his young son. "No school today."
"Is that lady's baby going to be okay?" Parker, who had heard people talking about Danielle while resting in the lab's sleep area for the night, asked softly. "Babies shouldn't be kidnapped."
Nick sighed softly, "I hope so, kiddo," he replied. "The police are doing what they can to find her."
A faint cry suddenly filled the air and Nick eyed Parker, who looked worried, but was not crying, "Daddy, that sounds like a baby," Parker said in a worried voice. "Do you think we should tell Uncle Gil?"
Frowning, Nick quickly got Parker out of the truck, "Run inside and tell someone with a badge that you need help," he instructed, waiting until Parker went inside to follow the sound of the crying.
Nick's eyes widened as he moved over to the garbage area and saw a swaddled Danielle laying in the middle of a pile of garbage bags meant for the dump, crying her eyes out. Quickly taking his phone out, Nick took a picture of the scene before gloving up and putting his phone away. He silently picked the crying Danielle up and held her against his hoodie in an attempt to keep her warm and safe.
The sound of crunching gravel filled the air and Nick suddenly found Ecklie and Grissom with him, along with several staff who had come out to see what was going on, "She was right there among the trash bags meant for the dump," Nick explained softly. "She's swaddled, but the swaddling feels lumpy."
"Stokes, process her," Ecklie spoke firmly. "Grissom, you had better let Sara know about this."
Grissom suddenly looked very somber, "Sara ended up needing more extreme surgery than I thought and she's in SICU right now, so I can't visit," he lied softly, wanting Sara to have privacy. "My mother's with Gregory."
Nick frowned, deeply concerned and confused, "Take Danielle inside and process her," Ecklie ordered, watching as Grissom got his phone out to call Sara and let her know that Danielle was safe.
Miami-Dade University Hospital - Miami, Florida
"Jesse's doing a lot better," Alexx spoke softly as she sat next to the bed where Emily lay, thoroughly exhausted and emotionally drained by the whole situation that landed her there. "He's a fighter."
Emily sighed wearily, "I'm sorry I'm not very good company today," she spoke softly.
Alexx sighed gently, "You've been through a lot," she replied in a kind voice. "I'm just surprised…"
Just then, Tommy came into the room carrying a bag filled with books and other things, "Hey there, sis," he said in a kind voice, showing the bag. "I thought I'd bring things for you and for my little nephew."
Emily gave Tommy a look and sighed, "I thought you had to work today?" she asked softly.
"No, Jason's looking at colleges with Tony today and I said I'd get them later since Mister Speedle is cooking at the family center restaurant," Tommy explained calmly. "How are you doing?"
Emily shrugged, "I'm wondering when I'll have to give a statement about what happened in the courtroom that day," she spoke softly. "I saw who shot Eric Delko and I know who shot me."
"I believe Ryan asked them to leave you alone," Tommy spoke quietly. "He's extremely angry about what Warrick and the others did at the courthouse. Warrick Brown used him for information…"
Emily scoffed, "I know that," she replied tiredly. "I know Las Vegas will try to get him off, but I witnessed everything that went on and my new son's life is hanging in the balance because of his choice."
"Oh, Ryan signed out some of the family fund money to send to those kids in New York who saved his life," Tommy spoke, quickly changing the subject so to calm Emily down. "He wanted to thank them."
Emily nodded, "He said he was going to and I told him it would be a good idea," she replied calmly.
"I guess his wedding to that Sofia chick will be in like May or June," Tommy said calmly, noticing that Alexx had slipped out to give them privacy. "They want to hold it at the family center."
Emily nodded, "Greg and Jenny's wedding, I don't know when that will happen because something happened in Vegas and Greg's former bosses are begging him to come back," Tommy spoke quietly, taking the seat used by Alexx. "I guess that Stetler guy's wife got her dad to beat him up and she ended up beating up another cop named Sara out there. I don't know much, but it's been on the news…"
"Rick's wife was responsible for that?" Emily asked in a stunned voice, shocked that Catherine would not only arrange for the hit on Rick, but also assault a colleague. "I….I can't believe she'd do that."
Tommy sighed softly, "Greg…he had a panic attack when he got a call from Doctor Grissom of Las Vegas and was told what happened," he replied softly. "I brought him to see Doctor Higgins because this is one of the walk-in days. Please don't tell him I told you, but this situation is tearing him apart because he was friends with Warrick until Warrick tried to kill him. What happened at the courthouse…"
"And I bet hearing about Catherine made it worse," Emily interrupted softly, deep in thought.
Over in the psychiatric wing of the hospital, Greg lingered nervously near the office where Dr. Higgins had agreed to meet him, "I don't know if I can do this," he admitted softly. "Horatio might…"
"Horatio's already aware that you've been doing some counselling since you got here and he figured you might need to do more once you heard about Catherine," Ryan, who had come to support Greg while waiting on results of some recent bloodwork, replied calmly. "I know she's your friend…"
Greg sighed heavily, "She and Rick never really got along too well even when they lived in Las Vegas and I figured Sam had something to do with it," he replied softly. "But for her to beat Sara up…"
Ryan nodded, vaguely remembering Sara from his time in Vegas, "I'm sorry that that happened," he spoke quietly. "But you really have to decide if going back is going to do more harm than good."
"I honestly don't know what to do," Greg admitted shakily. "I was just so sick yesterday after Grissom called me that I didn't eat much. On top of that, Warrick's been asking me to come visit him…"
Ryan frowned, but said nothing because he knew he would have to tell Horatio about Warrick harassing Greg, "Doctor Higgins will probably want to talk to me alone," Greg spoke softly. "What are you…?"
"I might visit Rick," Ryan spoke quietly. "Delko's started therapy and I think Horatio's with him."
Greg nodded and sighed just as Dr. Higgins came down the hallway, "Greg?" she asked softly.
Quietly excusing himself, Ryan made his way through the hospital to Rick's hospital room and saw Walter sitting in a padded chair outside of the room sporting a gun and badge, "Walter, hi," he said in a kind voice. "I heard you were doing finals, so that's why you weren't taking shifts at the lab."
"Horatio needed the extra help and I'm qualified with a gun," Walter replied calmly. "I decided to take some shifts guarding Sergeant Stetler while I finish my finals and study for my Level 1 exam."
Ryan nodded, "Anything unusual happen last night?" he asked softly. "I wasn't feeling well…"
Walter nodded, "Detective Caine stayed all night," he replied quietly. "He left early this morning."
Sighing, Ryan looked into the room and frowned when he saw the bed empty, "Walter, Stetler's not in bed," he said in an anxious voice, hurrying into the room. "Everything's still in it's place…"
Walter's eyes widened and he hurried into the room, frowning when he noticed the bathroom door closed, "…Please, find her," Rick spoke in an anxious, whispered voice. "I…I don't know what to do."
Ryan approached the bathroom door and knocked, "Rick?" he asked in a concerned voice.
There was a sigh, "Honestly, whatever your name is, just please go away," Rick muttered in a weak, shaky voice. "I've got enough to deal with without you perky uniforms always asking me crap."
"It's Ryan," Ryan replied, deeply concerned by what was going on. "What's wrong?"
A beep filled the air and the door unlocked, revealing an exhausted looking Rick sitting on the toilet seat with one hand on a cell-phone and his casted hand in his lap while his IV pole stood beside him, "I just got a call from some person at the Las Vegas Police Department asking me if I'm hiding Catherine because she's not even in Nevada anymore," he managed to say. "She managed to hop a plane…"
Breaking down in tears, Rick set the phone on the sink, grabbed his IV pole with his good hand, and shakily got to his feet, "Rick," Ryan spoke anxiously, gently taking hold of Rick. "It's okay…"
Rick, however, continued to cry quietly as Ryan guided him back to bed and helped him sit, "Walter, go see if Horatio's in Delko's room," Ryan spoke quietly, watching as Rick covered his face with his hand.
Walter nodded and left the room, "Do you know who made the call?" Ryan asked quietly.
"No, but the guy said I was protecting her like Vegas protected Warrick," Rick spoke shakily. "If Catherine did come to Miami, she wouldn't come to me. She'd either go to the kids or him…"
Ryan nodded, "The hospital knows not to let her in, though, and Catherine does not know where the Speedles live, so Lenny is also safe," Rick spoke shakily, rubbing his face. "Warrick Brown, however…"
"What about Warrick Brown?" Horatio asked as he entered the room with Walter at his side.
Rick sighed, "That's the only reason Catherine would bother coming here," he said softly.
Horatio frowned, "Some guy from Las Vegas called me and accused me of hiding Catherine since she apparently hopped a plane out of Nevada," Rick spoke tiredly. "I hid in the bathroom for the call."
"If you lend me your phone, I'll look into it at the lab personally," Horatio spoke calmly.
Rick sighed and massaged his forehead, "Mister Wolfe, I'd like you to remain here," Horatio spoke softly.
Crime Lab – Las Vegas, Nevada
"…I know you wouldn't call if you hadn't found something," Grissom heard a voice say as he came through the lab looking for Nick and Danielle after leaving a message with the hospital for Sara.
Grissom froze when he saw Nick on the phone while Danielle lay asleep on the middle of the table with the blanket open, "Nick, Ecklie told you to process Danielle," he said in a slightly annoyed voice.
"Um, book me in for next week if you think it's that serious," Nick spoke into the phone, ignoring him.
Grissom frowned, as it wasn't like Nick to ignore him, "Okay, let me write this down," Nick spoke anxiously, grabbing a sticky note and a pen before he wrote down a few pre-op instructions. "I have it and I'll see you then. Thanks for calling me with those results. See you Monday, Doctor Wylie."
"Those look like pre-op notes," Grissom spoke softly, peering at the sticky. "What's going on?"
Nick sighed, put his gloves back on, and held up a pregnancy test and note, "These were in the blanket and Danielle is well-fed and unhurt," he replied in a quiet voice. "She probably misses you."
Grissom raised an eyebrow, "You might run those over to Hodges and Archie once you tell me what's going on," he replied calmly. "Why are you talking to your doctor and why are you writing…"
"I got the results of my tests back and I don't have STD's or anything like that, but I have permanent anemia," Nick spoke quietly, his eyes downcast. "Um…the scans found masses in parts of my body…"
Grissom's eyes went wide, "In my neck, in my private area, and in my abdomen," Nick finished softly. "I have to go in for a biopsy on Monday and all that stuff I went through caused this to happen..."
Nick sighed heavily, "I need to see if my parents or one of my sisters can come up and babysit Parker and look after me," he spoke in a weary voice just as Ecklie came into the room. "I'm done."
"Stokes, I just got a call from New York," Ecklie spoke irritably. "20 cops are going to be standing trial for what they did to you and your brother and you're needed to testify. Trial date will be announced soon."
Nick looked shocked, "Um, I need a couple days off," he spoke softly. "I'm having surgery Monday."
Ecklie's eyes widened, "It's a biopsy of multiple areas," Nick spoke. "I hope I don't have cancer."
"Well, I'll shuffle some dayshifters around," Ecklie spoke quietly. "And expedite Morgan's paperwork."
Nick nodded, but didn't say a word, "I'll see if I can get New York to hold off on the trial til summer," Ecklie spoke in a nervous voice as he left the room to deal with the increasing shortage.
"I'm going to go take that note and test over to Hodges and Archie," Nick said, gathering the evidence as he stood up. "I've processed Danielle, Grissom, so you can hold her if you want to."
As Nick left the room, Grissom walked over to Danielle and gently took her into his warm arms.
Manhattan, New York
The Boscorelli apartment had again been renovated because of Sully buying the two apartments next to Bosco and Danielle's to expand things so that the family could stay together. Renovations had been active for several weeks, making for cramped quarters, but they were now done and not only were the kitchen and living room bigger, all of the rooms were also bigger and there was an extra bathroom.
Despite the early hour, the sound of keys unlocking the door filled the apartment and the front door opened, "Everyone else is still asleep," Bosco spoke in a quiet voice as he helped John, who was wearing scrub pants, a loose top, and sandals, into the apartment while carrying John's bag. "Feeling all right?"
"I just want to go to bed," John replied quietly, deeply relieved when he saw the hideabed all set up.
Bosco nodded just as Danielle came out of the master bedroom, "Mom, you're up," John said softly.
"Yeah, Emily has her surgery today," Danielle explained softly. "I'm going to take her there myself."
John sighed and Danielle immediately hugged him, "The doctor didn't want to operate on both kids at the same time and Mikey's is more of a treatable condition than surgical," Danielle spoke softly.
"Is Emily going to lose more of her hearing as she gets older?" John asked in a worried voice.
Danielle sighed as she walked over to the nursery that Michael and Emily shared, "We should know that after the surgery today," she replied softly. "Premature babies often have complications long after…"
Bosco helped John over to the bed, "I have work I can do from home today, so I get to babysit," he said, watching as John got into bed with his shoes still on. "Do you like the new version of the apartment?"
John shrugged and closed his eyes as he rested his head on the pillow, "Well, I'm off," Danielle spoke in a quiet voice as she came out holding a fully dressed Emily. "We should be home by tonight."
Bosco smiled and planted a kiss on Emily's face, causing her to coo, "Love ya, Emmy," he whispered.
"Love you, Maurice," Danielle spoke softly, sharing a kiss with Bosco. "Have fun at home today."
Bosco nodded and went into the kitchen as soon as Danielle left with Emily, "Dad?" David asked softly as he suddenly came out of the bedroom he and John shared. "Oh, when did John get here?"
"The hospital let him go this morning," Bosco replied quietly. "What do you want for breakfast?"
Miami, Florida
"The correctional facility says that Warrick Brown hasn't had any visitors in the last 24 hours," Horatio spoke, pocketing his phone as he and Walter returned to Rick's hospital room and say Ryan in the hall.
Ryan sighed, "Rick threw up and then took some pain meds, which knocked him out," he replied in a concerned voice. "I put a call into Detective Caine and he says both Lenny and Lindsey are safe."
"Well, Catherine never took either child to school, so she has no idea where the Speedles live," Horatio spoke in a quiet voice. "I did call McCarran, but there was no credit card used in the transaction."
Suddenly, Ryan's cell began to ring and he moved down the hallway to answer it, "Ryan Wolfe?" Carlos's voice suddenly spoke in a quiet voice. "It's Carlos and I found a letter from you for Tommy in the mail…"
"Tommy and John saved my life, Carlos," Ryan replied softly, unaware that Horatio had wandered close and was listening in on the conversation. "The cheque should be enough for a college education."
There was a pause, "Ryan, it's a check for $15,000," Carlos replied softly. "Can you afford that?"
"I would be dead if it weren't for them," Ryan replied softly. "Please, give it and the letter to Tommy and tell him that being in a wheelchair shouldn't stop him from making a big success of himself."
Carlos sighed, "I know you saw the news," he replied softly. "I'll tell him that…thank you, Ryan."
A click sounded and Ryan pocketed his phone, "Mister Wolfe?" Horatio asked quietly.
"I…I gave some money from my family's estate to the kids who saved my life in New York," Ryan explained as he walked back over to Rick's room. "One of their fathers just called to thank me."
Horatio nodded, looking thoughtful, "I discussed it with Tommy and Emily before I did it, so it's perfectly legal and I plan to replace the money," Ryan spoke anxiously. "I didn't know how else to thank them."
"That was very kind of you," Horatio spoke quietly. "I…I noticed recently that you applied for overtime with both patrol and nightshift. Does that have to do with your upcoming wedding to Sofia?"
Ryan sighed, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a folded up letter, "My personal bank account was compromised and a lot of money was taken," he spoke quietly. "It's different from the family one."
Horatio took the letter and opened it, frowning when he found a second, handwritten letter inside that had Ray's handwriting, "They said that whoever did it left that note," Ryan spoke quietly.
Your friend in prison told me all I needed to know and now I'll take my due. The note said.
Anger surged through Horatio, as Ray had obviously been asked by Warrick to hit Ryan financially after the incident at the courthouse. Ray had never been caught for shooting Eric and he was obviously very talented in getting what he wanted no matter who it hurt. Ryan sighed quietly.
"I just got this letter this morning," Ryan spoke quietly. "The hacking happened yesterday."
Horatio nodded, "Well, I'm concerned that the extra work is going to wreak havoc on your health because you're still doing chemotherapy," he replied softly. "I'm going to have to deny your overtime request, but I will make sure you're reimbursed and I will handle this situation personally."
"I…I brought Greg to counselling, but I have to ditch him because I've got chemo this morning and I forgot about it," Ryan spoke in a nervous voice. "If I stick around for Greg, I might miss it…"
Horatio nodded, "Walter, remain with Rick, please," he spoke calmly. "Mister Wolfe, let's go."
Ryan silently followed Horatio to the Oncology Floor chemo suite, "Your health is more important than anything else right now," Horatio spoke firmly. "You attend to that and I will see to your situation."
Having overheard them, a nurse approached them, "Hello, Ryan," she said, recognizing him.
"Ryan's here for his chemotherapy appointment," Horatio spoke calmly. "Is he too late?"
The nurse shook his head, "Go on," Horatio spoke calmly. "I'll call you later on today."
Nodding, Ryan followed the nurse and Horatio made tracks to the Psych floor, arriving just in time to see Greg come out of a counselling room with Dr. Higgins. Greg looked like he'd been crying a little bit.
"Lieutenant Caine, hi," Greg spoke nervously. "I….I was just doing a bit of counselling…"
Horatio nodded calmly, "Are you feeling up to working this morning?" he asked quietly.
"I guess so," Greg replied quietly. "Did Ryan make it to chemo? He was going to skip it to help me."
Horatio nodded, "What do you need help with, Horatio?" Greg asked, eager to help.
"I need your help with a situation involving Ryan," Horatio replied in a concerned voice, nodding at Dr. Higgins calmly as he led Greg out towards somewhere where they could talk privately.
Manhattan, New York
The children's hospital was quiet, but Danielle found herself comforted by it and it allowed her to enjoy her time with Emily. She also loved Martiza, but she only legally belonged to Maurice until the adoption paperwork went through and Dr. Price had objections that were slowing the process down.
As Danielle sat in the waiting area with Emily after checking in, she heard footsteps and looked up to see Kim there, "Hey," Kim spoke softly. "Bosco told me about the surgery, so I'm doing a per diem day here. I've only got casual at Angel of Mercy and I do per diem days so Jimmy doesn't have to work as hard."
"I just hope this helps Emily," Danielle spoke softly. "We were warned that it might not."
Kim nodded, "I can get you guys settled in pre-op," she spoke softly. "All right?"
Nodding, Danielle got up and followed Kim down the hallway with Emily in her arms, sighing when they got to the pre-op area, "Emily and Mikey were both preemies and I guess this happens sometimes with preemies," Danielle spoke softly, sighing as Emily looked up at her. "I hope this helps you, honey."
Emily babbled happily and Danielle sighed, "Maurice is holding the fort down today at home because David and Ellie don't have school, Maritza needs her dad, and Mikey's a bit of a handful," she spoke in a quiet voice. "Doctor Price is actually protesting my adopting Maritza, so I don't know what's going to happen there. Maurice is her father and has a right to her, but what happens when Doctor Price gets out of prison? It's going to be awkward for all of us if some judge gives her visitation rights to see Maritza."
Kim sighed, "Maurice says that he's fighting it, but I don't want to put him through that kind of stress," Danielle spoke softly as Kim handed her a small gown for Emily. "Emily, honey; time to get you dressed."
Emily babbled happily as Danielle dressed her, not knowing what it was she was about to endure.
Miami-Dade Correctional Facility
"Officer Caine here to see Warrick Brown," Ray, who had donned his old DEA clothes and badge, said in a firm voice as he approached the prison's check-in desk. "My son, Raymond, is here on a Take Your Kid to Work Day thing from his school. Mister Brown said he wanted to talk to me about a drug ring."
The receptionist nodded, "Go ahead," she replied, smiling at the handsome looking cop.
Ray grinned and led Ray Jr. through the security procedures, finally leading him over to a bench near the guard tower in the visiting area, "Now, you stay here like a good boy while I do police business," he instructed in a fatherly tone loud enough for the guards to hear. "Can you do that for me?"
Having been told the plan by his father, Ray Jr. nodded and silently sat down and watched his father go through another door. He didn't like doing his father's dirty work and he didn't like Warrick…
The sight of an unattended phone prompted Ray to silently move and quickly dial his uncle's number, as he knew his mother had left Miami, "This is Horatio Caine," a voice said after two rings.
"Uncle Horatio, it's Ray Junior," Ray Jr. spoke fast. "My dad…he's doing something bad at the prison…"
There was a silence followed by gunshots, "Ray, at the prison?" Horatio asked anxiously. "Why?"
"He's visiting that black guy from Vegas," Ray spoke anxiously, flinching as the phone was snatched.
Ray Jr. looked up at Ray, who looked angry, "Don't EVER do that again!" Ray spoke angrily.
Alarms suddenly blared and Ray grabbed Ray Jr. by the arm, swearing as he dragged the boy through the prison. Gunshots filled the air, but Ray kept moving until they were outside in a grassy, gated field.
Other men, including Warrick, quickly joined them, "Ivan's chopper!" one suddenly said anxiously.
"Dad, let me go!" Ray cried, feeling intense pain in the arm that was being held. "My arm hurts!"
Ray scoffed and slapped Ray Jr. hard, "You stupid, worthless child!" he snapped. "How dare you phone your uncle and put my plan in jeopardy! I should have just shot you after taking Wolfe's money!"
A chopper suddenly landed that was carrying several guys, "Ray, let's go!" Warrick said, running off.
Swearing loudly, Ray started dragging Ray Jr. towards the chopper, but Ray Jr. pulled free, "THAT'S IT!" Ray screamed anxiously, pulling a gun out of his pocket and pointing it at his son. "YOU'RE DONE!"
More shots rang out and Ray Jr. turned and began to run in a direction that was both away from the chopper and from the prison, ignoring all the gunfire and screams for him to come back. The chopper managed to get away, but it didn't go after Ray Jr. so the pre-teen felt free to keep running as fast as he could just to get away.
Nearly an hour later, Horatio and an anxious looking Greg stood in the prison control room, both of them watching recordings of the chaos. Once the chopper had disappeared, all of the prisoners had been put into lockdown and APB's were put out for Warrick, Ivan Sarnoff, his men, and Ray Caine.
Ray kept moving until they were outside in a grassy, gated field, ignoring Ray Jr.'s quiet whimpers.
Other men, including Warrick, quickly joined them, "Ivan's chopper!" one suddenly said anxiously.
"Dad, let me go!" Ray cried, trying to pull out of his father's death-like grip. "My arm hurts!"
Ray scoffed and slapped Ray Jr. hard, "You stupid, worthless child!" he snapped. "How dare you phone your uncle and put my plan in jeopardy! I should have just shot you after taking Wolfe's money!"
"I gave you that information not so you could steal from him!" Warrick could be heard saying.
Horatio frowned, as this tape told him that Warrick had stolen some of Ryan's personal information and had given it to Ray. Ray, in turn, had used his police skills and influence to break Warrick out of jail.
"Where could they be going?" Horatio mused quietly, very angry about the sudden turn of events.
Just then, a uniformed guard came into the control tower with a sheaf of letters, "This is Warrick Brown's mail," he said anxiously. "Most of them were bound for New York and returned."
Greg eyed the letters and frowned, "Danielle Sullivan?" he spoke anxiously. "I remember her…"
Horatio gave Greg a look, "She's Danielle Boscorelli now, but Warrick Brown must be unaware of that and unaware of her current address," he replied. "These are addressed to a home in Bed-Stuy."
"Should I call Grissom and let him know Warrick's gone?" Greg asked nervously.
Horatio nodded and got his own phone out, "You do that and I'll phone New York," he replied anxiously.
Manhattan, New York
"…The last of the students who survived the NYU diner shooting are giving their testimonies in court this morning after the shooters tried to unsuccessfully to postpone the trial through psych evaluations," John heard a voice say as he slowly came back to awareness. "Do you two really have to watch that?"
John opened his eyes and saw his father sit with David and Ellie on the couch, joining them in watching the news, while Mikey slept in his swing. He could also see his grandparents in the kitchen.
"Maritza and Nicolas are still sleeping, as is John, so keep it down," Sully instructed sternly.
Bosco sighed and looked over at the hideabed, "Morning, sunshine," he said, nodding at John.
"Hi," John spoke quietly as he slowly sat up. "What time is it? I feel so much better."
Bosco sighed, "The sun's up," he replied patiently. "You got some mail. It's on the coffee table."
Sighing, John got out of bed and walked over to the coffee table, taking his mail as he squished on to the couch next to David, "It's from a guy named Ryan Wolfe in Miami," he said in a quiet voice.
Sully looked surprised and watched as John opened the envelope, revealing a letter and a check, "Um, this check is for $15,000," John spoke quietly. "The letter says to use it for my education…"
Bosco looked immensely relieved, "The family bank is down the street and you should put that in there," he said in a kind voice. "If you're feeling good, I can walk you there. I could use a little exercise."
"Maybe in a little while," John spoke quietly, noticing that the trial was again being broadcast. "I thought they got through all of the testimonies already? Why are people still testifying?"
Bosco shrugged just as there was a knock at the door and Yelina went to answer the door, frowning when she saw Mac in the hallway, "Detective Taylor," Yelina spoke in a concerned voice.
John immediately looked nervous, but Mac waved him off, "I'm not here about you or the trial, but we do need to do your summer proficiencies after you recover," Mac spoke sternly. "Keep resting."
Yelina immediately looked worried, "Detective Salas, we just got a call from Miami that your ex-husband, Ray Caine, Ivan Sarnoff, and some of Ivan's men broke Warrick Brown out of prison," Mac spoke in a quiet, somber voice. "Your son, Raymond Junior, was also involved, but he alerted Horatio and prison authorities to the issue until Ray Senior caught him and threatened to kill him…"
Sully frowned and hurried over to the door, "Ray Junior fled the scene and nobody knows where he is, but Horatio believes that Warrick and his men are headed for New York to look for Danielle," Mac explained in a concerned voice. "There were several returned letters addressed to her…"
"What?!" Bosco exploded, moving over to the door. "Danielle took Emily for her ear surgery…"
Mac nodded and John suddenly got up, "Uncle Warrick used to babysit us so he thinks Mom owes him even though he broke the law!" John snapped. "That's why he's coming to find her!"
"Get your shoes and wallet," Bosco spoke firmly, seeing that John was becoming anxious about Warrick to the point where he might relapse in his illness. "Let's go to the bank and put that check in."
John sighed, but nodded and obediently gathered his things, including his diabetes bag and jacket, "David, Ellie, keep an eye on Mikey and Maritza," Bosco called out. "If you'll excuse us."
Once Bosco and John were gone, Sully sighed, "Don't mind John; he's protective of his mother," he explained in a quiet voice. "Yelina, if you want me to go look for Ray Junior for you, I will…"
Yelina sighed and hugged Sully as tears filled her eyes, "There's a nationwide Amber Alert out for him, Officer Sullivan," Mac explained calmly. "I promise we'll notify you when Raymond is found."
A wail filled the air and Sully released Yelina, "I'll get Nicolas," he spoke gently. "I love you."
"I hope you will have some protection for Danielle," Yelina spoke softly. "I don't know exactly what she went through in her past, but this fellow seems desperate to find her. Please tell me you will."
Mac nodded as he reached for his radio, "I'm arranging that now," he promised sincerely.
Miami-Dade University Hospital – Miami, Florida
The sound of footsteps approaching her room woke Emily and she hurriedly reached into the drawer of the bedside table and pulled out a taser that her husband had brought her for when she was alone, "I have a taser, so show yourselves," Emily spoke coldly as she slowly sat up. "I'm an officer of the law."
Silence filled the hallway and Greg came into view with his hands up, "It's just me and Horatio, Detective Speedle," he said anxiously, seeing her angry expression. "Horatio's just making a phone call."
"You have no idea what it's like being here alone," Emily spoke softly, lowering the taser.
Greg shook his head, "Um, I have some bad news," he spoke softly. "Warrick…Warrick escaped with the help of Ray Caine and some other guys including Ivan Sarnoff. We came to see if he came for you…"
Emily sighed wearily and returned the taser to the drawer, "They want to release me soon, but Jesse has to stay here," she spoke in a tired voice. "He's doing well, but he's taking time reaching milestones."
Greg nodded, not saying anything, "Las Vegas keeps bugging me to come back and I'm not sure I want to," he spoke quietly, coming into the room. "Catherine attacked Sara and hurt her really badly."
Emily frowned and sighed, "It was my recommendation that Catherine be let go after she saw me to try and save her job," she spoke in a tired voice. "Greg, I can tell…part of you misses Vegas…."
"Part of me does, but part of me also has flashbacks about what happened in the desert," Greg confessed quietly. "Jenny…she's so understanding and says she's willing to come with me…"
Emily nodded, as Jenny had confided in her that she was willing to follow Greg anywhere with Jessica because he was such an amazing guy, "You don't have to make a decision right now," she replied.
Just then, Horatio entered the room, "Hello," he spoke calmly. "I had a phone call, my apologies."
Emily sighed, "Greg told me what happened," she spoke quietly. "At the prison…"
"Ray somehow arranged all of this and I don't know how, but he started off by hacking Ryan's bank account through information given to him by Warrick Brown," Horatio spoke, taking a seat by the bed.
Emily frowned, "Ryan's money is gone?" she replied in an upset voice. "Because of Ray?"
Horatio nodded, "Ryan tried to apply for overtime, but I told him to focus on his health and I will personally ensure that he is reimbursed," he spoke calmly. "When Warrick and the others are found…"
Emily suddenly noticed a look of discontent cross Horatio's face, "What is it?" she asked softly.
"Speed has been taking a lot of days off lately and I wanted to know if he was all right?" Horatio asked in a concerned voice, looking at her. "I assumed it was to visit you, but I don't see him here at all…"
Emily sighed, "You'll either find him at home or at the Family Center in Calle Ocho," she replied in a tired voice, feeling upset that Tim had been skipping work. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant. I take full responsibility."
Horatio gave Emily a confused look, "Ever since the court shooting, Tim has been nervous about being around the lab in case something else happens," Emily explained softly. "He remembers when he was shot and all those memories came back because I was shot. He doesn't want to appear weak in front of any of you, so he stays at home with the kids. Tim's afraid you'll judge him for what happened to him."
"That's not true, but I may need to tell him that personally," Horatio replied in a concerned voice.
Emily yawned and nodded, "And it sounds like you need to get some rest," Horatio spoke kindly. "I've got Calleigh, Jesse, and Natalia working today while Bobby is off because BJ was released from the hospital today. Once Natalia is off, he'll come in and work tonight to help Walter out."
Nodding, Emily closed her eyes, "Mister Sanders, I have uniforms coming to protect Eric and Emily, but they are stuck in traffic," Horatio spoke quietly. "Can you stay here until they arrive and then come?"
Swallowing hard, Greg nodded, silently promising to protect his fiance's aunt as much as he could.
Desert Palm Hospital - Las Vegas, Nevada
"Sara, I have a surprise for you," Sara, who had been sleeping, suddenly heard a soft voice say.
Sara opened her eyes and sighed tiredly, smiling sadly when she saw Grissom and Betty standing there with Gregory and Danielle in carriers, "Danielle was found this morning by Nick and she's fine," Grissom spoke in a quiet voice. "Do you want me to hold her close to you so you can feel better?"
Nodding, Sara sighed and gently stroked Danielle's face when Grissom brought her close, "I've made a decision, Gil, and you're not going to like it," Sara spoke softly. "I've decided to take an indefinite leave from the Crime Lab to recover and spend time with Gregory and Danielle. I know we're short on…"
"Ecklie's rushing Morgan's paperwork," Grissom replied softly. "I expected you to take leave."
Sara gave Grissom a look, "I'm not sure I can come back after my sick leave is over," she spoke softly.
Grissom nodded, "I expected that too," he admitted. "What happened should not have happened."
"Please don't expect me to forgive Catherine, because I can't," Sara replied. "She tried to kill me and she tried to hurt our children. Whatever is going on between her and Rick should have stayed in Miami."
Grissom sighed, "Sam Braun beat Rick up and Rick is in the hospital," he spoke quietly.
Sara scoffed, but said nothing, "Once I'm physically recovered, I'm going to see if I can get some counselling because my mind is just reeling," she spoke quietly. "I can understand why Greg left."
"Ecklie's been pushing him to come back," Grissom spoke softly. "Promising him field work."
Sara again scoffed and turned her attention to silently enjoying her family's company.
Manhattan, New York
"How are you feeling?" Bosco asked in a calm voice as he and John emerged from the bank after putting John's cheque in an account he had opened once he started university. "Are you less upset?"
John sighed, "I'm sorry for getting upset, but I remember those days and I just can't believe Warrick would expect help from my mom in avoiding the law," he spoke quietly. "He used to be different."
Bosco shrugged, "From what I know of the guy, he used to gamble on and off the job and also took shortcuts in his work," he replied calmly. "He's not the type of guy I'd consider a role model. "
John, however, wasn't listening as his eye had caught the sight of blood on the ground and he found himself following after it, "There's a trail of blood," he spoke quietly. "This seems really weird…"
Bosco frowned and joined him, his eyes going wide when he saw John standing over a body and a rolling suitcase in the alley, "Dad, this lady's not breathing and her pants are all bloody," John said anxiously.
Quickly pulling his cell-phone out, Bosco watched as John quietly began to administer CPR and found himself relieved when she started breathing, "Dad, this is Catherine Willows," John spoke anxiously, suddenly recognizing her. "I recognize her from the past and I have no idea why she's here…"
Within half an hour, uniformed police, CSI's, and paramedics were all at the alleyway and it was cordoned off by police tape. Catherine had been whisked into an ambulance and was being checked out, as it was unusual that she was bleeding and barely responsive, but seemed to have no wounds.
"John Boscorelli, you keep saving people and we're going to have to name a precinct after you," Chief Sinclair, who had been observing the Crime Lab's work more closely since the incident with Stella, said as he approached Bosco and John. "I thought you were under orders to take it easy for a while?"
Mac silently approached the group, wanting to know the answer, "I was sent money from this Ryan Wolfe guy for saving his life and my dad took me to the bank so I could put it in my account," John replied in a tired voice, feeling worn down from the day's events. "Are my mom and sister…?"
"NYPD sent a guard detail to them, yes," Mac replied calmly. "What made you find Catherine?"
John sighed, "I was getting a little tired from the walk to the bank and I looked at the ground," he explained in a tired voice. "I saw the blood and began following it until I ran into Catherine. I saw that she wasn't breathing and so I did CPR like my mom taught me. I know I contaminated evidence…"
"You saved her life and I'm sure she'll want to thank you when she wakes up," Mac cut him off gently, giving him a small grin. "I want you to go home and get some rest. I'll call if we need to talk again."
Bosco nodded and silently hustled John back to the apartment as quickly as he could, ignoring Sully as he watched TV with David, Ellie, Michael, and Maritza, "Bosco?" Sully asked in a concerned voice.
"Um, we came across this woman bleeding in an alley and she was Catherine Willows," John spoke shakily before anyone could stop him. "I ended up using CPR to save her and I hope she's okay."
Sully paled, "Catherine Willows?" he asked in a concerned voice. "The one who held you hostage?"
John nodded and sighed anxiously as tears filled his eyes, "Um, I should get some tea," he said anxiously.
Sully got up and helped John get some green tea from the fridge, "It was good of you to help Catherine out," he spoke calmly. "I know she tried to hurt you, but you rose above it and contained your hurt."
"It's hard seeing people from the past," John admitted, calming as he drank his tea. "Really hard."
Realizing that John was still shaken over hearing about Warrick's threat against his mother, Bosco sighed patiently, "Look, if that Warrick guy comes after your mother, I will protect her and all of you with every fibre of my being," Bosco spoke firmly. "He's a dirty cop and I hate him for trying to come up here."
John finished his tea and silently retreated to his and David's bedroom, "I'm going to lie down with the door open," he spoke quietly, tired from the day. "Mac said that Mom and Emily have a guard…"
Sully silently handed Bosco a letter, "By the way, Bosco, you got this," he whispered. "From Miami."
Deeply confused, Bosco tore open the letter and found that Tara Price was demanding custody of Maritza once she was out of prison because she thought that the Boscorelli family was unfit. The letter said that Tara was aware of Danielle's attempts to adopt Maritza as her own, but that it wasn't going to work and that they would lose.
As Bosco read the letter over and over, he couldn't help but wonder if she was involved in Warrick's escape from prison. Tara hinted that she had been working as a trustee and that she arranged for certain people to get out of prison in exchange for the daughter that was rightfully hers. The letter also included very graphic reminders of what they had been through. Bosco fought the urge to vomit as he hurried over to the phone in the kitchen.
"Bosco, what is it?" Sully asked in a concerned voice, noticing the expression on Bosco's face.
Ignoring Sully, Bosco dialled 9-1-1, "This is Maurice Boscorelli," he spoke shakily. "I need to report a crime."
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