January 2, 2007
McCarran Airport - Before Dawn
It was early, but the Wolfe-Speedle family was wide awake and on board the Wolfe family's private airplane. After the events of Christmas, Tommy had gotten the plane out of mothballs and hired a crew so that he could get his family home safely.
The plane had a rest area, a dining area, and an area with seats, but Ryan preferred to sit alone in a comfortable seat with his leg elevated. He felt free after visiting with Lady Heather and taking her advice, but he was tired and physically broken.
The sounds of Tommy, Diana, Tim, Emily, and all of the kids eating filled Ryan's ears, but he had no desire to join them. He was buckled in and ready to leave.
As an announcement came over the intercom, Ryan succumbed to his need for sleep.
Las Vegas, Nevada
The conference room was silent as Grissom and Sara entered, only to see that Catherine, Ray, Greg, Nick, Morgan, Hodges, and the nightshift techs were already seated and looking confused, "Grissom, what's this about?" Catherine asked.
"I have no idea," Grissom replied anxiously. "I'm supposed to be on suspension."
Just then, Ecklie came into the room with a folder, "Good, you're all here," he spoke in a formal voice. "Grissom, you're off suspension until further notice because Sheriff Liston says that we're short help without you. Hodges, you're now a Trainee."
"Ryan can work in the lab, can't he?" Catherine commented. "Even with his leg?"
Ecklie sighed, "Ryan Wolfe wrote a letter of resignation and had it delivered to my office via courier," he explained. "He cited irreconcilable differences with superiors and excessive bullying as to his reasons. What did you guys do to make him leave?"
"He overheard Grissom talking about him at a restaurant on Christmas," Sara spoke in a quiet voice, upset that Grissom's words had pushed Ryan to resign. "I…"
Grissom scoffed, "Ryan was dining with Lady Heather and I told Sara that Atwater was determined to get Ryan off the payroll because he's upset over McKeen killing Sofia and needed someone to blame. Atwater's case was that Ryan endangered the students by involving them in the search for Horatio Caine. Ryan overheard us somehow."
"What else did you say?!" Ecklie asked sharply, his expression angry.
Grissom sighed, "Lady Heather has a questionable reputation to some in the department and if Ryan were seen with her, it might strengthen Atwater's case," Grissom explained in a concerned voice. "Atwater was friends with McKeen before McKeen went crazy and they viewed Ryan as problematic because of his past issued with Miami PD. I also said that I fought tooth and nail to get Ryan hired so that Sofia would come back and now that that Sofia's dead, I'm worn out and tired of trying to be everything to everyone."
Greg looked upset, Nick looked thoughtful, Catherine looked sympathetic, and everyone else, including Ecklie and Sara, looked stunned, "Atwater had video footage of Wolfe going into Lady Heather's and gave it to me, but I locked it up," Ecklie said calmly. "I am not surprised that Ryan resigned, Grissom, because you and him have been hating each other since Sofia died. You two blame each other for an absolutely tragic situation."
"That's scarily accurate," Greg said. "Ryan told me what he was going to do and told me not to talk him out of it. He said he couldn't work for someone he couldn't trust."
Nick looked uneasy, but said nothing, "Just learn from this," Ecklie said firmly. "The last year has been pretty difficult. Sara, I know you resigned, but I thought you should…"
"Thanks for including me, but I should get back to my kids," Sara said as she stood.
Ecklie nodded, "Meeting's over anyway," he replied before leaving the room.
"I should get going," Catherine spoke, rising. "I have a meeting with a lawyer and then I have to go get Lindsey and Lenny from school. It's their first day at Butterfield."
Grissom sighed as Sara and Catherine left, deeply shocked when everyone else got up and left without talking. Recent events had hurt everyone and everyone needed time.
"Hey, Greggo, got a minute?" Nick called out softly as the two entered the break room.
Greg, who was tired and just wanted to get back to Jenny, Jessica, and Matthew, turned to face Nick, "What?" he asked tiredly. "I just wanna go home and see my family."
Nick reached into his pocket, pulled out a printout, and handed it to Greg, "My parents sent me this email that said Derek's getting married today to a girl named Emily Yokas who fathered one of his kids," he explained. "He's got a house, money, and he's trying to show the court he's capable of looking after Jessica. Maybe you ought to…"
Greg scowled, "What, give Jessica over when Jenny doesn't want Derek to have her?!" he replied in an upset voice. "Jenny wants me to adopt her, but Derek's fighting it."
"My parents have concerns about your ability to care for a child based on the accommodations you need to work at the lab, Greg," Nick replied softly. "Since you got hearing aids, you haven't worked a scene alone and I know Grissom allowed it…"
Greg frowned, "You told your parents about that?!" he replied. "That's none of their business, Nick. I'm perfectly capable of being a father to Jessica if I'm allowed."
"You're a recovering alcoholic who wears hearing aids!" Nick snapped, angry and frustrated that Greg wasn't listening. "That's not the kind of role model my family wants raising Jessica! You have Matthew and Jenny's pregnant; isn't that enough?!"
Greg scoffed and turned away, "Go away, Nick," he replied. "I'm tired."
Nick, however, followed Greg to the lockers and saw that Hodges and Morgan were there, stealing a private moment, "I thought you'd be grateful I told you!" Nick snapped, glaring at Greg. "If Derek and his new wife can prove they have a stable home, they might just win custody of Jessica. You can't prove that with what you have right now!"
"YOU ARE OUT OF LINE!" Greg shouted, his expression furious. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Nick scoffed, "You're not cured," he hissed. "You never will be!"
"What's all the shouting in here?!" Grissom snapped as he suddenly came into view.
Nick swore, "Now you've got 'Daddy' coming to your rescue!" he hooted angrily.
Greg turned away and Nick moved closer, "NICK!" Grissom shouted angrily.
"You're desperate," Nick hissed coldly. "Just because you have parents who don't want you, you're fighting to take a girl away from the parents she rightfully deserves!"
All Greg could see was the carjacking and himself being dragged from the car before being beaten in the alley. Nick's face morphed into the faces of his attackers and Greg suddenly felt nauseous and faint. He could hear voices…it was happening again.
Grissom swore loudly as Greg passed out on the floor and began to convulse.
Miami, Florida
The sun was up by the plane landed at Miami-Dade International Airport, but the plane wasn't the only thing on the runway. An ambulance with flashing lights was also there.
"Ryan's over here and he threw up during the flight, but we were closer to Miami than Vegas," Ryan heard a quiet voice say. "He's also been coughing a lot."
An unfamiliar hand suddenly touched Ryan's hand and he immediately tensed up enough to open his eyes. A paramedic he didn't recognize was kneeling in front of him and using a machine to check his vitals, "Who are you?" he asked weakly.
"A paramedic, sir," the paramedic replied calmly. "Just checking your vitals."
Ryan sighed heavily, relaxing when the machine was taken away, "I…I don't feel good," he managed to say, surprised that his voice sounded so weak. "I just wanted to get away from that lab and Grissom. My wife died and it's his fault."
"Timmy, where's Ryan?" an anxious, but familiar voice suddenly filled the air.
Wailing filled the plane and Ryan cringed, "We'll take James, Julliet, Jesse, and Carlos over to our house and they can sleep while you stay here," a voice said.
"Thank you, Tommy," Emily's voice spoke gently. "Anthony and Rosa's house is rather full these days with Tony's new girlfriend visiting a lot and we should…"
Ryan's eyes widened as Alexx came into view with Tim, "I got the pilot to radio the hospital and see if Alexx was working," Tim explained. "She was and when she heard you were on the plane, she demanded to be part of the ambulance coming here."
"Baby, we're gonna help you up and on to the gurney, okay?" Alexx spoke softly.
Ryan nodded and relaxed as the paramedic, Alexx, and Tim helped him get from his seat to a nearby gurney, "What about your work?" he asked in a weak voice.
"I'm taking a personal day," Alexx replied softly. "Can I check your breathing?"
Ryan nodded and Alexx quickly checked his breathing before looking to the paramedic, "We should get him to the hospital," she spoke in a firm voice.
Warm air greeted Ryan as he was removed from the plane and as he was carted to the ambulance, he saw Tommy and Diana loading a vehicle with Emilio, Jason, James, Julliet, Jesse, and Carlos. Tim and Emily came over to the ambulance.
"We're going to get Tommy and Diana to follow the ambulance and drop us at the hospital," Emily spoke in a concerned voice. "Are you going to be all right?"
Ryan sighed weakly, fighting sleep so he could keep an eye on his son, "Ryan, go to sleep," Alexx spoke, seeing what he was doing. "We'll take good care of you."
Austin, Texas
Faith Yokas-Miller sighed heavily as she parked her rental in front of the Stokes family ranch. She had been invited to Emily's wedding to Derek and hadn't wanted to go, but Charlie had wanted to see his sister. Deciding to leave Alex in New York with her husband, Faith had brought Charlie and now it was time to go inside.
"This is a big place," Charlie commented softly as they got out of the car sporting their nicest clothes and walked towards the mansion. "Is this Derek guy rich?"
Faith scoffed, "This Derek is about 40 years old and Emily is 18," she replied.
"So he's like the dude that owns Playboy?" Charlie asked in a confused voice.
Faith sighed, "We're here because we were invited and we're going to be gracious because it is your sister," she explained firmly. "We'll go home tomorrow."
Charlie nodded and rang the doorbell, looking nervous when it opened and Emily stood there, "Mom, Charlie?" Emily asked softly. "You actually came?"
Faith nodded and Emily smiled, even though she knew Alex wasn't there because her mother didn't trust her with him, "I'm glad you both came," she replied. "Dad…he was found and arrested in New York this morning according to the news…"
"Do you need help getting dressed?" Faith asked softly. "It is your wedding."
Emily sighed, "That would be nice," she replied kindly. "My dress is upstairs."
Just then, Jillian came into the front room and smiled when she saw Faith and Charlie, "Welcome to the Stokes ranch," she said warmly. "Faith and Charlie, right?"
"My mom was going to help me get dressed," Emily spoke calmly.
Jillian nodded, "I can find Charlie something to do," she promised gently.
Faith muttered a thanks and followed Emily upstairs, surprised when Emily went into a spare bedroom where a fancy ballgown-type dress and tiara veil were laid out on a fancy, four-poster bed. Faith couldn't help but feel grateful that she and her daughter were speaking enough so she could be a part of this event even if it was weird.
"I suppose we should get you dressed," Faith replied, determined to endure the day.
Miami, Florida
"Daddy, before you go to work, can we go find someone?" Robert heard a quiet voice ask from the backseat of the truck he was driving Natalia, BJ, Maggie, and Adam to the PD so he could go to work. "He was a nice man and helped me."
Robert looked confused, "A nice man?" he asked softly. "Do you know his name?"
"His name was Eric and he was with his sister and tried to help us, but Mommy came and took me," Maggie spoke quietly. "I want to thank Eric."
Natalia looked worried, but Robert promptly pulled into the Crime Lab's parking lot and parked, "His name is Eric Delko and he works here," he explained calmly.
Maggie nodded, "Is the lab lady there?" Adam asked in a shaking voice.
Robert frowned into the rearview mirror, "That lady who tried to hurt you and kidnap you doesn't work there anymore," he replied, unsure as to where Valera was exactly because she had yet again been released and was currently with Ivan Sarnoff.
Adam nodded, but looked reluctant to get out of the truck, "Tell you what, Bobby, you take Maggie in to say hello to Eric and I'll stay with the boys," Natalia spoke gently, seeing the fear in Adam's face. "We'll be fine out here, I promise."
Robert and Maggie were both quiet as they went inside, collected VISITOR badges, and went up to the lab. They quickly spotted Eric silently working in an evidence room using items that Robert recognized as training tools for CSI trainees. Calleigh was also there and the two were quietly talking as Eric worked with the tools.
"There's Eric," Maggie spoke softly, pointing to the room. "He looks tired."
Robert nodded and sighed, "Maggie, before we go talk to Eric, you should know that he might say or do odd things," he explained softly. "Eric was shot in the head…"
Maggie looked confused, but nodded and stayed close to her father as they walked over to the evidence room. Calleigh and Eric looked up at them quizzically.
"Hi Detective Caine," Calleigh spoke warmly. "Who's the little girl with you?"
Robert sighed, "Calleigh, my daughter wasn't dead after all," he replied. "I assumed you saw the news, but she was being held by Fred Yokas. This is Maggie."
Calleigh gasped in shock and Eric stared at Maggie quizzically, as if trying to remember where he'd seen her before, "I was busy with Eric and my dad over the holidays and I must have missed it," she replied anxiously. "That's amazing."
"Sergeant Boscorelli spoke to a judge and arranged for Natalia to adopt her on Christmas Eve, so we're very happy," Robert replied kindly, hugging Maggie.
Calleigh smiled, "Thank you for helping me, Mister Eric," Maggie said quietly.
Eric hesitated, but quickly recovered and nodded, forcing a smile on his face as he did so, "You're welcome, Maggie," he spoke softly. "I'm glad you're okay."
Just then, Frank came down the hallway and froze at seeing Robert there, "Hey, I thought you were working with me?" Frank asked calmly. "What's up?"
It was then that Frank noticed Maggie, "So, it's true," he said. "She's alive."
"I'm just here visiting Eric cause Maggie asked," Robert replied softly. "I'll be at your office in a little bit. I think my uncle's in, but he's probably busy."
The elevator suddenly dinged and Eric, Calleigh, Robert, Maggie, and Tripp looked into the hallway just in time to see Dr. Stokes come off the elevator and head towards them, "Morning, all," Dr. Stokes said warmly. "Do you know if Lieutenant Caine…"
Footsteps filled the hallway as Horatio suddenly came into view, "Good morning, everyone," he spoke in a quiet voice. "Doctor Stokes, I got Alexx's message…"
Dr. Stokes nodded, "Is Alexx not working today?" Eric asked in a confused voice.
"No," Horatio replied softly, sighing. "It seems that the Wolfe-Speedle clan flew back to Miami this morning and Ryan became ill enough that he's currently at Dade-Memorial. Alexx, Emily, and Speed are all with him at the moment…"
Calleigh frowned, "I thought Ryan was still employed by the Vegas Crime Lab," she spoke in a concerned voice. "Are we going to have enough hands today?"
"Walter's on his way in and we have you, me, Eric, and Doctor Stokes," Horatio explained calmly before smiling at Maggie. "Hello, sweetheart; how are you doing?"
Maggie smiled, "I'm okay, Uncle Horatio," she replied. "Just sleepy."
"Well, after I go to work, your mommy is going to drive you guys home and you can go back to bed for a little while after breakfast," Robert spoke gently. "Okay?"
Maggie nodded and Robert smiled before leading her off to the elevators, "Lieutenant, I need a word with you urgently," Dr. Stokes spoke quietly. "Frank already knows…"
Horatio looked concerned and nodded, "Eric, why don't we go work on your retraining some more?" Calleigh suggested, sensing it was a serious matter.
Eric and Calleigh returned to the evidence room, "My parents informed me via email that Derek is marrying Emily Yokas," Dr. Stokes spoke softly. "She's 18 and father to one of Derek's children. My parents say they're in love, but I feel it's suspicious…"
Horatio's eyes narrowed, but his expression was concerned, "I'm worried this is a ploy by Derek to do something very bad later on," Dr. Stokes spoke softly. "He's gained access to money and has a house. I'm feeling worried he might…"
"I'll look into it," Horatio replied reassuringly. "Just don't worry about it, all right?"
Before Dr. Stokes or Frank could reply, Horatio went to his office and quickly got on the phone, "…Speed?" he said when a voice answered. "I heard Ryan's in the hospital."
As Speed talked, Horatio looked at the letter from Sofia that sat on his desk.
Las Vegas, Nevada
"...Stokes and Sanders will not be working on the same cases until further notice and Catherine can supervise Stokes," Greg heard a firm voice say as he slowly regained a sense of consciousness. "Stokes will also be made to undergo counseling…"
Greg opened his eyes and was surprised to see a heavily pregnant Jenny sitting next to the bed, "Jen," he spoke weakly, sighing when he looked at her. "I…I'm sorry."
"For what?" Jenny asked softly, relieved to see Greg awake. "For Nick's anger?"
Greg sighed sleepily, "I know he never let go of how he felt about you," he managed to say in a weak voice. "I'm really flawed and he thinks he's better…"
Jenny sighed and kissed Greg's face before getting up, "You are my husband and I love you, Gregory Hojem Sanders," she spoke gently. "Get some rest, my love."
As Greg drifted back to sleep, Jenny wandered into the hallway and saw that Grissom and Ecklie were talking while Sara and Nick sat together with Jessica and Matthew.
"Nick?" Jenny spoke in a quiet voice as she approached them. "Greg knows."
Nick immediately looked shocked, but Sara looked confused, "Knows what?" she asked.
"Greg knows that Nick and I kissed when I was at Stokes Ranch with him," Jenny spoke in an upset voice. "Greg knows that Nick had and still has feelings for me."
Sara looked at Nick questioningly, "Jenny…." Nick began hesitantly.
"I told you before that I fell in love with Greg because he didn't remind me of pain and suffering I was put through when I was in trouble," Jenny spoke firmly, her expression serious. "You wanted to rescue me cause I made bad decisions before I got pregnant with Jessica. ."
Grissom, who had overheard Jenny's words, scowled as he walked over to Nick and Sara, "Nick, for the sake of your son and your career, stay out of this custody thing that your brother's stirring up," he spoke firmly. "Greg has reported so many harassing calls, letters, and emails to the PD that we're working on trying to get your parents to leave him alone, but it's better if you distance yourself from Derek."
Nick frowned, "What?" he replied softly. "Greg's been harassed by my parents?"
"That's right, Stokes," Ecklie hissed. "Sanders has hearing aids, but it does not make him incapable of doing what he's currently doing. Your parents are being idiotic."
Nick looked surprised, but Jenny returned to Greg's room and sighed as she sat by the bed. She had pressed Greg to keep the custody battle going because she didn't want to risk being separated from Jessica, but she had worn Greg down in the process and he was now suffering PTSD because she didn't want to truly let go of her past.
Maybe, Jenny thought, there was a way to make everyone happy by offering supervised visitation for Derek and his new wife once he proved himself fit for that.
Miami, Florida
"Bobby, when the kids and I got home, I went downstairs to check on Rick and he's gone," echoed in Bobby's ears as he and Tripp hurried to the front door of the Caine family home in Coconut Grove. "He's gone and his personal things are gone…"
Robert frowned as he unlocked the door and saw Natalia standing by the door to the basement, "Hey," Natalia spoke softly. "All of the kids decided to get more sleep…"
"You said Rick and his things are gone?" Robert asked in a concerned voice.
Natalia nodded, "He left a note," she replied, offering Bobby a piece of paper.
Robert took the note in his gloved hands and frowned, "Thank you for your kindness, but I've decided to leave," he read softly. "There's also a check on here for rent…"
Natalia nodded, "He just took his clothes, but his photos and phone are still here," she spoke worriedly. "Bobby, it's like he doesn't want someone being able to find him."
"He's been acting strange since he was found," Robert spoke softly, feeling that something wasn't right. "I'm going to take this note to the lab and process it."
Frank sighed, "Do you want to pass it off?" he asked. "Or keep it in the family?"
"I don't want to involve the lab," Robert replied softly. "For Rick's safety."
Natalia nodded and watched as Robert and Frank quietly left the house again.
It didn't take long for Frank and Robert to get back to the lab and nobody was around, so Robert documented what had happened. He noticed that none of the CSI's were around, nor were any techs, so he had to work alone.
He then donned a spare lab coat and processed the note before running it through the print reader. As he waited, footsteps filled the lab and Frank quietly cursed when Calleigh suddenly came into the room.
"What are you doing, Detective Caine?" Calleigh asked suspiciously, frowning. "I was under the impression that you were now working in Homicide, not the lab."
Robert sighed, "While Natalia and our kids were bringing me to work this morning, Rick cleared out with only his clothes, but left a note and a cheque," he replied softly.
Calleigh nodded, her expression concerned, "I didn't want to involve anyone at the lab, but you're here now," Robert spoke softly. "Rick's been acting strange since he was found in New York and I have a very bad feeling he is remembering things…"
"Horatio went to run an errand and asked me to watch things until he got back," Calleigh spoke softly, sighing. "Did you also want to print the cheque?"
The computer suddenly beeped and Robert looked at the computer, frowning when he saw that prints on the letter belonged to Jesse Cardoza, "What?!" he whispered.
Calleigh frowned, "Jesse last worked on New Year's Eve and then he decided to take some personal time for a few days," she replied softly. "I can't explain this."
Robert quickly got his phone out, "Let me call Jesse and see what's up," he said, shocked that his friend and colleague was behind helping Rick disappear.
Health District - Miami, Florida
One of the newer, yet little-known developments in the health district was a safe house for victims of crime and domestic issues who had been through something traumatic and needed safety off the beaten path. The main investors in the project had been Dr. Emily Speedle, Jesse Cardoza, and Dr. Candace Stokes and they had funded the project because they could see that Victims Assistance was becoming overwhelmed. They had kept the project quiet, as the less that knew, the better.
The condominium itself was fully furnished, but empty because not many knew about it as of yet. Most in need were still relying on Victims Assistance or local agencies.
Rick, however, was very grateful that Emily had offered him this place when he had called her from New York and said he needed safety without Bobby, Natalia, or anyone else knowing. Emily had quietly contacted Jesse and they had helped.
"This is it," Jesse spoke calmly as he opened the door into a two-bedroom condo that was on the ground floor of the condominium. "Two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, and living room. It's fully furnished and medical services have been arranged."
Rick sighed tiredly as he slowly made his way into the condo with his bag of clothes on his good arm while he held his casted wrist close to him, "Doctor Stokes took the liberty of making you diabetic-friendly meals so you can focus on resting."
"I'm on medical leave, so nobody will miss me," Rick spoke softly. "I already told Emily to appoint a temporary deputy. She arranged the medical leave for me."
Jesse nodded, "I actually moved here after my previous building was damaged," he replied in a calm voice. "I'll be here as often as I can if you need anything."
"Maggie's return…she reminds me of Amanda so much and it hurts," Rick spoke shakily as he settled himself in an armchair. "And, I didn't tell Bobby this, but I do remember McKeen telling me that he'd make sure Dimitri's son died if I kept hanging around them. McKeen and Dimitri…they were friends a long time ago…"
Jesse sighed, "I'll do some looking into where McKeen might be and where his hangouts are," he replied quietly. "I am also trying to see who he associates with."
Rick nodded and Jesse sighed, "Look, get some rest and I'll hang out for a bit," Jesse offered in a concerned voice as his phone buzzed. "We'll make sure you're safe."
Sighing heavily, Rick disappeared into the safety of his room and Jesse sat down as he checked his phone. Caine, R. was listed as the caller and Jesse knew that Robert had found out Rick was gone. The problem was that it wasn't yet safe to reveal the truth.
Making a mental note to apologize later, Jesse turned his phone off so it couldn't be tracked.
The sight of Ryan laying asleep in a hospital bed hooked to IV's and oxygen caused Horatio to pause in the hallway outside the room. Inside the room, Alexx was talking with Tim and Emily and Horatio couldn't help but wonder what had happened.
A moment later, Tim came out of the room, "H," he spoke softly. "Hey."
"I was under the impression that Ryan was going to resume work at the Las Vegas Crime Lab after he was cleared to?" Horatio spoke quizzically. "Doctor Stokes…"
Tim sighed, "Ryan overheard Grissom and Sara talking in a restaurant and Ryan and Grissom had a fallout over it," he replied quietly. "Even though the doctors didn't clear him to fly, Ryan persuaded Tommy to charter the Wolfe Family plane to come back to Miami. Ryan apparently resigned, but he got sick on the flight home with withdrawals combined with bacterial pneumonia. That place he was in in Vegas…"
Horatio nodded, his expression concerned because he wondered if Ryan would end up dying from his experience, "What can I do to help?" he asked in a concerned voice.
"I don't know, H," Tim replied quietly. "Did you want to visit him for a bit?"
Horatio sighed and nodded, his anxiety high as he entered the hospital room and saw Emily and Alexx talking, "I heard Ryan was here," he spoke in a quiet voice.
Alexx nodded, "He'll be here for a while," she replied softly. "I don't know what happened in Vegas, but he should not have been flying. He wasn't strong enough."
"After his interaction with Grissom at Christmas, Ryan was in a rage and wanted out of Vegas," Emily explained in a tired voice. "I admit…I'm not overly pleased with Grissom myself, as he was the supervisor and so much fell through the cracks."
Horatio nodded, "Emily, you and Speed have been obviously very busy and under a great deal of stress, so why don't you two go home and rest?" he suggested kindly. "I can sit with Ryan for a while. Calleigh is watching the lab, so that's well in hand."
Emily looked at Tim and sighed, "We do need to look at the listings for new houses," she spoke quietly. "My brother's girlfriend is pregnant and her parents would prefer she stay with my family most of the time for her safety. We decided to get a place…"
Horatio looked confused, "Is the girl in some sort of danger?" he asked softly.
"I don't know who Tony's dating, but my dad told me that," Tim replied softly.
Horatio frowned, but didn't press, "Some respite would be great," Emily spoke quietly. "The kids are with Tommy and Diana, so that lets us house-hunt."
As Tim and Emily left, Horatio took a seat in the chair beside Ryan's bed and sighed.
Las Vegas, Nevada
"Wendy Simms."
Wendy, who had been keeping a very low profile ever since John Boscorelli had left, froze in the doorway of her hideout, "McKeen, you can't be here," she hissed coldly.
McKeen, who was wearing a disguise of a hat, sunglasses, and "tourist clothes", smirked coldly, "I convinced my buddies to let Sam free as long as he doesn't leave the city and adheres to a curfew," he replied, smirking. "He's here for a meeting."
"You're wanted by the feds," Wendy hissed. "How did you get here?"
McKeen looked amused, "NYPD is much too busy protecting Doctor Pride, John Boscorelli, and those within their city to care about me," he gloated. "They don't have the budget to look for people who manage to slip out of the city like I did."
Wendy flinched as McKeen gestured to Sam Braun, who was sitting on the couch looking annoyed and tired, "What's this about?" she asked in a cold voice.
"My son-in-law disappeared without a trace and abandoned Catherine and her children," Sam spoke coldly. "He was supposed to end up in New York and McKeen was going to fetch him from the hospital, but he's gone without leaving a trail…"
Wendy scoffed, "That fool filed for divorce and is running," Sam snapped.
"I also heard through my friends that Derek Stokes is getting married to Emily Yokas today," McKeen spoke coldly. "Some of my friends in patrol heard Nick talking on the phone at the lab about how he wouldn't be able to miss work for the wedding…"
Wendy frowned, "Didn't the news say she was like 18?" she asked softly.
"Emily Yokas asked for my help in beating up John Boscorelli and she will eventually need to be reminded of that, but the current problem is Rick," McKeen replied. "Rick is in hiding because that foolish brat of Dimitri's, Robert, made it happen."
Wendy sighed, "What, do you want me to follow Catherine around to see if she might know where Rick is?" she asked in an annoyed voice. "I know for a fact that she's busy with work and her kids. She has no time to even talk to Rick anymore…"
"Her kids?" McKeen asked suspiciously. "Lindsey and Lenny are with Rick…"
Sam shook his head, "They recently moved to be with their mother," he explained in a calm voice. "Lilly visits me weekly and keeps me up to date on her life…"
McKeen nodded, "But hear this, McKeen," Sam spoke before anyone else had a chance to speak. "If you ever molest my grandson or hurt any of my family again, I'll make sure it's the last thing you do. Had I known that you would hurt Lenny…"
It was then that McKeen realized that Sam didn't care about anything other than his casino empire and his family. As much as McKeen had hoped for Sam's help in finding Rick, it was clear that Sam didn't like him because of what he did to Lenny.
McKeen, however, nodded with a look of fear as his expression to placate Sam and Sam smirked before getting up, "Now that I am able to, I should go to my casinos and check how they are," Sam spoke quietly. "Thank you for your time."
Once Sam was gone, McKeen looked at Wendy, "I don't trust he's going to listen to me and I think he might run to Catherine," he spoke darkly. "He needs to be killed."
"As a former lab tech, I can tell you that something like that takes planning," Wendy replied in a nervous voice. "You also need a crew to carry it out successfully."
McKeen smirked, "James Scott, Darin Mitchell, Adriana Martin, and Michelle Garrett all avoided prison because my buddies stepped in for them," he replied coldly. "They were sentenced to remain in Vegas under the supervision of parole officers for the next two years. I can't access Colin Jamison, but he's too weak for this anyway."
"And how will you get four students to help you?" Wendy asked curiously. "And…"
McKeen scoffed, "I'm friends with their parole officers and they owe me," he replied coldly. "I want Sam Braun dead and I don't want people interfering when I kill…"
"I thought Dimitri's sons were the ones you hated?" Wendy interrupted softly.
McKeen fell silent and suddenly looked delighted, "Dimitri's sons are the key to flushing Rick out," he whispered, truly awed. "That will have to wait until later, unfortunately, as I need Sam Braun out of the way so I can work freely…"
Manhattan, New York
"It just ended, Bos, and everyone's going to the reception hall in town," Faith's voice filled the phone that Bosco was holding as he sat on the couch watching sports at a low volume. "Charlie and I are trying to be there for Emily, but it's hard…."
Bosco sighed, as he had been told by Faith about Emily marrying Derek Stokes and he had told his family. Danielle and John had found it concerning, as they felt no good could come from such an unusual situation. To keep everyone from worrying about what could come from it, Sully and Yelina had taken everyone out to an indoor playground that catered to all ages. Bosco, however, had stayed home because he knew Faith would need someone to vent to and Danielle had encouraged him to help.
"Faith, you don't have to go to the reception if you don't want to," Bosco replied.
There was a sigh, "Bos, Emily only did this because she's going to try and fight me for custody of Alex," Faith replied in a distressed voice. "Alex is doing well and I appreciate you and Danielle recommending that parent-child class for us so we could get him learning things. I'm afraid that if Emily gets him, we'll never see him again."
"John wasn't ready to be a father, Faith," Bosco replied softly. "I hope you don't…"
Another sigh filled the phone, "No, John needs time to heal from his past and build his future before he takes on a responsibility like that, I agree," Faith replied in a kind voice. "It's good that he's in school and has a girlfriend. He seems very happy."
"John's very happy, but he's going to have a lot of hard things to deal with when the trials happen in May," Bosco replied quietly. "I'm glad he's not married yet, honestly. He'll get married to the right person when he's ready and not before then…I hope."
A sigh filled the phone, "Hey, Bos, I gotta go," Faith spoke anxiously. "Later."
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