Chapter 5

Hey everyone!

I'm going to post two new chapters at once and hopefully wrap up this story.

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Thanks again to Spaceape and KatieC!

Thanks to all my readers and reviewers! You guys are wonderful!

Disclaimer: CSI Miami is not mine, but Emily Taylor is.

"Ryan, will you take Emily down to Alexx? I have some things I need to do." Horatio said as the three of them walked into the lab.

"Sure boss." Ryan said.

Soon they were in the ME's office. Alexx looked up.

"Hey guys. What can I do for you?"

"Emily was grazed by a bullet on her forehead. She needs stitches." Ryan said. Ryan, you can go now; everything is fine."

"Alright," Ryan replied. "See you later."

"Emily, honey. Why don't you come over here and have a seat. I'll take a look at that cut."

Emily was silent throughout the whole ordeal. She sat in the chair that Alexx provided and watched the pretty ME bustle about, gathering supplies. She had only met the ME once before, but she had liked her very much. Alexx carefully unwrapped the temporary gauze bandage and examined the cut. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but the cut looked dirty. Alexx took some alcohol on a gauze pad.

"This might sting a little, but I have to clean it." Said Alexx.

Emily nodded. Alexx carefully began to clean out the wound. It did sting; Emily flinched, but it was soon over. "That was the easiest part," Said Alexx softly. She took the sterile needle and ran the medical thread through it. "Here we go."

Twelve stitches later Alexx tied off the thread. She put a bandage on Emily's forehead, securing it with medical tape. "There you go. All done." the ME said with a smile.

"Thanks Alexx." Emily said as she hopped off the table.

The ME gave her hug. "Come back in a couple days so I can check those stitches. "

Emily went back up to the lab. Ryan was in there, processing something.

"Need help?" Emily asked as she retrieved her lab coat.

"Nope, but Horatio wanted you to come up to his office." Ryan replied.

"Okey dokey." Emily said.

She entered Horatio's office and found him doing some paper work at his desk. He looked up.

"Oh, hello Emily. I just wanted to tell you to go home, you need some rest. The last couple of days have been tough."

Emily was about to protest, but the look in Horatio's eye said, "Don't even think about it."

"Okay H. See you later!"

Emily went to the locker room and found her temporary locker. Calleigh walked in while she was retrieving her things.

"Hey, Emily. Going home so soon?"

"Yeah" Emily said looking at Calleigh. Calleigh saw

the bandage on her head.

"What happened to you?" she asked with some concern.

"Oh nothing," Emily replied, "It was just a graze."

"I guess H is sending you home then?" Calleigh said with a small smirk.

"Yeah, but I did want to stay here."

Calleigh noticed the regret in Emily's voice, but shook her head. "When Horatio says to go home and rest it is usually best not to fight it. I'm sure there will be plenty to do when you come back tomorrow."

"Okay. See you later Calleigh."

"Bye, Emily!"

Twenty minutes later Emily pulled her car up to her home and walked in the front door.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" she yelled as she dropped her stuff in the doorway.

"Hey sweetheart!" her mom's voice came from the kitchen. Emily locked up her gun and walked into the kitchen.

"Wow, Em, you're home early today. Is anything wrong?" Vicki Taylor, a pretty, middle aged brunette with green eyes asked.

"Nothing really." Emily said, leaning on the kitchen counter. Just then her mom caught sight of the bandage.

"Sweetheart, what happened?" she asked as she rushed over.

"Mom, it's nothing. Just a graze," Emily replied somewhat exasperated. When her mom wouldn't stop staring she vented a frustrated sigh. "I swear, Mom, I'm totally fine."

Emily heard the front door open and turned around just as a little girl of about six years and a taller girl that looked around ten bounded into the kitchen.

"Emily's home!" the little girl shouted as Emily bent

to pick her up.

"Hey, Lizzie. How was your day?" Emily asked the little redhead.

"Great!" said Lizzie excitedly. "Daddy took Chels and I to the park!"

Emily smiled at her other younger sister, Chelsea, a pretty girl of about ten, a brunette, like her Mother, with blue eyes.

"Mom, what's for lunch?" Chelsea asked, as Emily hugged her Dad, a tall, muscular middle-aged man. Emily's dad was a Radiologist, but he had the day off today.

"I just made sandwiches." Emily's Mom said.

After lunch, Emily excused herself and stole away to her favorite place in her house, her art studio. Her fingers were itching to feel the brush move along the soft canvas. She needed to paint. Painting helped her relax, and think clearly.

She chose a smaller canvas and some clean brushes and started painting. She wasn't exactly sure what she was going to do; she just let the brush lead her. She found herself painting the team. She could picture the scene on the first day she had met them. As she painted she concentrated on capturing that moment when they had all been laughing; Eric, with his mouth open and his arms crossed in front of his broad chest; Calleigh, blonde hair resting on her shoulders; Ryan, his hand running through his shaggy hair. Horatio standing next to Ryan, both hands on his hips, the corners of his eyes showing small laugh lines.

Almost five and a half hours later Emily finished looking over the slightest of details on each figure. She stepped back, looked over the painting, and gave a satisfied sigh. She heard her mother's voice calling her, and left the room.

All right hope you liked it! Review plzthnx