Cheryl looked around her apartment. Everything was in boxes, dotted about the living room. She had separated them into two stacks; the smaller of the twowere what she would take with her in her Hummer, the second was what she would have shipped after her in a few days.

Other than hooking a trailer up to her Hummer, and putting the boxes in it, the only thing she had left to do was unplug her music system, which was currently blaring out The Benjy Davis Project. Loud enough, in fact, that she didn't hear the knock at the door, and turned around to find Horatio, Eric, Calleigh and Alexx walking through the door. She turned the music down and smiled at them. 'Morning, all.'

'Hi, Cheryl.' Said Eric, 'we're here to help you move.'

'What about the problem of those reporters out there?'

'Don't worry about them,' said Calleigh, from underneath a baseball cap. 'We have an idea. But we wanted to give you a leaving present first.'

Cheryl smiled, 'thank you, but you didn't have to do that.'

'Don't thank them yet,' said Horatio, 'you haven't seen what these three got you, yet.'

'Are you sure I want to have this,' she asked them warily, suddenly conscious Eric had had a hand in picking it.

Eric grinned and handed over a box which he had been holding behind his back. Cheryl took it off him, indicating to them to sit down on the couch, whilst she undid the bow and pulled off the lid. She opened the box and burst out laughing. The first thing she pulled out was a bullet proof vest, which had a removablered and white target painted on the back, and Miami Dade PD transfer on the front, underneath her surname. She put it to the side, and pulled out the next item, which was a stress ball, followed by an alarm clock, and a little black box with an LCD display and suckers.

'That goes on your dashboard. It transmits to a satellite, picks up a return transmission, and beeps at you when you speed.' Explained Delko. 'It has a different pitch for police radars that are in the vicinity.'

'I hope you bought yourself one,' said Cheryl.

'Why would Eric need one?' Horatio asked.

Cheryl chuckled at the panicked expression which was filling Eric's eyes. 'Just a private joke, Horatio.'

Horatio frowned, and Cheryl was pretty certain he didn't believe her. Having said that, she was pretty certain he knew anyway. She'd be very surprised, and perhaps a little disappointed if he didn't.

'Yeah, just a joke,' Eric hurriedly agreed.

'I'm sure it is,' said Horatio, with a little wink at Cheryl. She wasn't disappointed.

She turned her attention to the last item in the box. It was a framed picture of the team, taken back when she'd started. Or at least after her and Tim had been released from hospital, and she still had brown hair. She stared wistfully at it. Things had been different then, and everybody in the picture looked happy. Even Yelina.

'Thanks guys.'

'Oh, honey,' said Alexx, 'did you really think we'd sent you off without a serious gift?'

'I wasn't expecting one to start with, serious or not,' she smiled, 'and what I have here is more than enough.'

'Honey, we aren't letting you go until you have something that will fill the void that was us. And we don't want you forgetting us too quickly.'

'Alexx, corny as this seems, I'm not going to forget you guys.' She told her, 'although, I suppose you could be replaced.'

'Hey!' Exclaimed Eric, giving her a small push, 'we're irreplaceable.'

Cheryl shrugged. 'I suppose you have left some lasting marks. You in particular, Calleigh.' She laughed. 'Bullets leave a lasting mark.'

Calleigh laughed back, 'your other present is outside the door.'

Cheryl got up and headed over to her door, a curious expression on her face. She opened the door and looked ahead. Inside, a huge part of her was hoping that the others had convinced Tim to come and say goodbye. Or ask her to stay. He wasn't there though. She looked down and saw another box.

'Don't blame me,' Horatio quickly said, 'but I would advise you to open that quite quickly.'

As if to emphasise his comment, the box made a quack.

Cheryl dropped to her knees, 'please tell me you didn't,' she cried, as she pulled the lid off. 'You did!' Inside, curled up in one of the corners, head tucked up under its wing, was a bird. More specifically, a goose. Or, even more specifically, a gosling. She scooped the small creature up into her arms, 'how did you know?'

'A little bird told me.' Said Eric.

'Eric, that was truly dreadful,' exclaimed Calleigh, amidst the groans.

'Sorry, Cheryl.' Said Horatio. 'I did try to warn you.'

'Are you kidding? He… she… it's great!'

'It's a he,' said Alexx. 'I got my kids to help pick him. Which was a stupid idea, really, because now they want one.'

'What are you going to call him?' Asked Eric.

'I don't know. I always wanted a goose. I was going to call one Graham, if I had one. But Graham just doesn't suit this walking pillow.'

'The kids were calling him Eddie.'

'Eddie?' The gosling quacked. 'Now, I don't know if that's him telling me he likes that name,' said Cheryl, 'but, I'm going to pretend he can understand me. And is agreeing with me,' she added as an afterthought. 'Eddie. Yeah, that will do.' She brought the box in and put Eddie back in it, leaving the lid off. 'But how am I going to get out of here?'

Calleigh walked over and took her hat off, putting it on Cheryl's head. 'I need to go to the Lab.'

'The reporters outside saw one blonde enter the house, and they'll see one blonde leave.' Horatio explained to her.

Cheryl grinned, 'I like it.'

'So do I,' agreed Calleigh. 'It means I get to get out of the lifting.'

The two blondes headed into Cheryl's bedroom and quickly swapped clothes, so Calleigh was wearing Cheryl's shorts, fitted t-shirt, running shoes, and baseball cap, and Cheryl was wearing Calleigh's jeans, boots, tank top, and baseball cap.

'Have a safe trip,' said Calleigh to Cheryl, before the others left, 'and y'all had better ring me often.'

'I will,' Cheryl told her, as she gave her a hug goodbye. She left, with Horatio, Alexx and Eric, and headed to the Crime Lab Hummer Horatio had driven them there in, leaving Calleigh in Cheryl's apartment, pretending to be her. The four got in the Hummer, and left the complex, driving round the block, and parking up.

'Now what?' Cheryl asked, peering out the back window to see if they had been followed, which they hadn't.

'Now you're going for a run.' Eric said, pulling out his cell phone. 'Or, at least, that's what the reporters are going to think.'

'Hmmm, not a bad plan.' Admired Cheryl, sitting back and relaxing. About fifteen minutes later, Eric's phone rang. It was Calleigh.

'She's heading to the beach.' He told them, after he hung up. 'She says if it's going to take longer than a couple of hours, give her a call, and she might go get a manicure.'

'The reporter will like that,' Cheryl laughed, as Horatio drove back into the apartment complex. They all jumped out and began the task. Cheryl and Alexx attached her trailer to her Hummer, whilst Eric and Horatio began loading up her Hummer and Skyline with boxes. As soon as the Skyline was packed, Cheryl drove it onto the trailer and secured it, with Alexx's help, as the two men continued to pack the boxes.

Between the four of them, it took an hour. Cheryl shut the trunk to her Hummer and turned to the other three.

'Take care, sweetie,' said Alexx, as the two women hugged, 'you show them how we do things in the sunshine state.'

'Yeah,' agreed Eric, enveloping her in his arms as Cheryl turned to him. 'They aren't going to know what hit them. A twenty-three year old CSI 4, who has the looks and mentality of a teenager, but the brains of someone twice her age, a temper which could rival a wound up hornet, who drives too fast, sings too loud, doesn't-'

'Eric,' interrupted Cheryl, 'are you telling me goodbye under all that?'

Eric smiled, 'take care of yourself, kid. And if you ever need anything, just pick up the phone.'

Cheryl finally turned to Horatio and handed him her apartment keys. 'The truck will be here the day after tomorrow to get my furniture and things. The keys want to go to the landlord as soon as they're done. Are you sure you don't mind?'

'Of course not.' He told her. 'Be careful, wont you. I don't want a phone call saying you killed yourself driving too recklessly. And please stay away from bullets, if you can. You may have the title of a detective, but you will be a CSI there, and they have different policies. And if you ever,' he told her, 'if you ever want to come back, there will always be a place for you, at least whilst I'm in charge.' He took off his sunglasses and looked at his niece. 'Just stay safe,' he finished, before also giving her a hug.

Cheryl smiled at them, 'I'm just going to double check the oil.'

'We'll go then,' said Horatio. He gave her a final hug and a kiss on the cheek, before they got in the Hummer and left.

Cheryl walked around to the driver's side, popped the hood, and buried her head under it, pretending to do something, instead wiping away her tears. She gave herself a few minutes then, after actually checking the oil, dropped the hood. She headed into her apartment, which they had left the door open to, for the last time. She changed into some of her own clothes, which she would be more comfortable driving in, before picking up the final thing to go into Hummer: Eddie. Cheryl strapped his box into the front seat, shut the door and turned around to walk straight into someone.

'Tim!' She gave him an uncomfortable smile. 'I didn't think you would come.'

'I nearly didn't'

'Oh.'

'I'm sorry it had to come to this.'

'So am I,' Cheryl agreed. 'Tim, nothing happened between me and Cole. I never even considered it.'

'I know,' he sighed. 'I think… I just couldn't believe that someone like you would ever want to be with someone like me.'

Cheryl shook her head. 'That's what I thought too. About you, I mean.' She sighed. 'I wish things had turned out differently.'

'Is it too late for that?'

Cheryl looked at him and nodded. 'I think so.' She sighed again, 'I have waited five weeks for you to say that.'

'So don't go. Stay.'

'I can't, Tim. I need to get out of here. It's not just you. It's Horatio. He gives and gives, for all of us - not just me. He always has our back and is forever putting his neck on the line to protect us. The least I can do is return the favor. He is going to work himself to a heart attack soon, and I'm no angel. And the whole situation with Yelina... She'll forgive him, but not whilst I'm here.' She leant back against the Hummer, 'I need to go.'

'I thought as much.' He said sadly. 'I was out one day, and I saw this. It was whilst we were together,' he said, pulling something out of his pocket, 'I was going to give you this for your birthday next week, but things… well, you know. Anyway, I didn't want to return it, so consider it a leaving present.' He handed her a small box. 'Or better yet, an apology.'

Cheryl took it off him and opened it. Inside was a white gold necklace, with a white gold cross pendent, like a kiss, on the chain, with a small emerald in the bottom right of it. Cheryl gaped at it, 'Tim, this is beautiful!' She looked up at him, 'I can't accept this.'

'No, I want you to have it.' He said, taking the chain out of the box and putting it on her.

'Thank you,' she said, wiping a tear from her cheek. 'I should go, before the reporters get back.'

Tim nodded. 'I know.' He leant over and kissed her. 'Take care of yourself, and have fun.' He told her finally, before heading over to his bike and also leaving.

Cheryl watched him drive off, before getting into her Hummer and starting the engine. She wiped the final tears from her eyes and pulled away, turning her stereo, and James Blunt's Goodbye My Lover up loud. She was off to the original Sin City.

And I will bear my soul in time,
When I'm kneeling at your feet.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow.

So, that's the end of the Miami 'editions'. I think I mentioned a few times this was based on a really... bizarre... dream I had, ages ago now. Besides, I'm a bit bored of the characters anyway! Well, not bored of them, just wanting to work with some different personalites. It's all going to end up with a nice big cross-over between the three CSIs (which I am still waiting for CBS to do! In the meantime, I will have to suffice with what is going on in my crazy imagination.)

Please don't be mad at me for things ended with Speed and Cheryl (in my defence, in the dream, Speeddied, and I wasn't about to let that happen again!) Plus it allows for Ryan and Speed to work together. Heh heh heh, that would have been interesting.

I hope this doesn't loose too many of you, and if you want to continue reading, I'll be in the Las Vegas section, for a while, anyway!

Thank you sooo much for reading and for all the reviews. I'm glad you've enjoyed reading! (!)

Axellia