Miami, Florida

It was the middle of the afternoon, yet Dr. Pride was napping on the bed in the bedroom that she had been given while staying with Dr. Stokes and Detective Tripp. After the hospital had deemed her fit for release, she had offered to stay in jail until someone from New York could come get her. That suggestion, however, had been vetoed by Dr. Speedle and Dr. Stokes and Dr. Stokes had talked her boyfriend, Detective Tripp, into having their guest from New York stay at their home for a while.

The doorbell rang, but Dr. Pride ignored it because it wasn't her house and Dr. Stokes was there. She was merely a guest who was counting down the days until she was sentenced to jail in New York.

"Doctor Pride?" Dr. Stokes's voice suddenly filled the air. "Someone's here to see you."

Dr. Pride sighed as she slowly got out of bed, briefly fixed her hair, and left the bedroom in the clothes she had been lent because her things were still in evidence at the MDPD. She was surprised to see her older brother, Dwayne Pride, sitting on the couch in the living room wearing boots, jeans, and a professional looking shirt, "Dwayne?" she asked in a confused, groggy voice. "What are you...?"

"I talked the MDPD into telling me where you were staying until you went back to New York," Dwayne replied in a concerned voice, frowning as he gave her a once-over. "Andrea..."

Dr. Pride scoffed, "I made a lot of mistakes, Dwayne," she spoke softly. "I'm paying for them now."

Just then, Dr. Stokes came into the living room with a glass of juice, which she handed to Dr. Pride, "Sit and drink that," Dr. Stokes spoke in a kind voice. "It'll keep your blood sugar up."

Dr. Pride obeyed, "Dwayne, I drugged and assaulted a man named Greg Sanders at the Crime Lab in Las Vegas and I drugged Horatio Caine," she spoke in a quiet voice. "I got pregnant with Greg's son, Matthew, but I sent Matthew to him and his current family. Michael's safe as long as I stay away."

Just then, Dr. Stokes's phone rang and she answered it, "Hello?" she spoke in a calm voice.

Florida Everglades

Alexx knelt to check Ryan, who Darin had knocked out with a single punch after his shouting had nearly foiled their plan, "He'll be fine!" Darin scoffed angrily. "Doctor Grissom is in the back!"

Susie flinched at Darin's yelling, but she focused on settling Madison at the table with the food she had prepared, "Eat this," she spoke in a quiet voice. "Just don't do anything but be at the table."

Darin smirked as he grabbed Alexx by her hair and forced her to her feet, "Go deal with Doctor Grissom while I go handle something else!" he ordered angrily. "I have to go meet someone!"

Alexx whimpered as Darin stormed out of the house with the keys to the boat in hand, leaving James to deal with the mess alone. As the boat whirred to life outside, James swallowed hard and sighed.

"Doctor Woods, I know you're scared," James spoke in an uncertain voice, recalling how Grissom had taught them to speak during interviews. "Darin's a lot more aggressive than me and I…I suggested Nick's sister cause he used to talk about her a lot at the Vegas lab. I didn't know she wasn't there…"

Alexx looked at James warily, "You don't seem the criminal type," she spoke in a concerned voice, seeing that he was very scared. "Why'd you get mixed up in kidnapping Nick and Doctor Grissom?"

James paused and swore as he suddenly felt his nose start to bleed. Alexx frowned as James rushed out of the front room and she followed him. She stopped upon seeing him in the kitchen, resting his head in the freezer, "Your nose?" Susie asked in a concerned voice, frowning at James worriedly.

"I'm dead anyway if McKeen finds out what we did," James spoke shakily. "Check on Grissom."

Susie motioned for Alexx to follow, which she did, "James got diagnosed with leukemia back when he was in Vegas and he tried to use the lab's insurance to pay for it, but McKeen caught him," Susie explained in a concerned voice. "He allowed James to keep using the insurance as long as he wanted to pay for treatment and then helped him financially when James fled to Miami…but it had a price."

Alexx frowned as Susie led her into a bedroom where Grissom was sleeping sitting up, "Gil, this is Doctor Woods," Susie spoke in a concerned voice. "She was brought to…to have a look at you."

The sound of retching suddenly filled the air and Susie left the room, presuming that James was being sick from his last treatment and pure anxiety about the situation. Grissom's eyes opened and he looked at Alexx warily, "I…I'm not going to hurt you, all right?" Alexx spoke gently. "I know you're scared."

Grissom sighed, but didn't speak and simply allowed Alexx to examine what she could of his broken self. His mind was in tatters, his body was broken, and he was just waiting to die even though that would mean hardship for his mother, Sara, his two Gregs, and Danielle. He truly expected to die soon.

Manhattan, New York

Mac had checked the lab schedule for the day after talking to Don and getting back to work. He was now down in the morgue and silently watching through the glass as one of Sid's employees, a blonde haired, blue-eyed young man who worked part-time as an LPN whenever work was available, silently sat at a table practicing stitches while talking to Sid since there were no autopsies to do at the moment. The young man had been hired after being recommended.

Sighing, Mac walked through the door, "Michael, can we speak?" he asked softly. "Your mother…"

Michael Pride suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked up at Mac, "She asked me to avoid the news and just lie as low as I could so that NYPD wouldn't have to have two cops babysitting me like they did her," he replied in a nervous voice. "I know that she's in Miami right now, sir..."

"I'd like to discuss arranging protection for you," Mac spoke quietly. "The trial is coming up soon."

Michael sighed softly, "Doctor Hammerback was actually a colleague and is a friend of my mother's, Detective," he spoke in a quiet, subdued voice. "He offered to let me stay with him for a while since it's not safe to be at the apartment where my mother and I lived with Matthew…"

A sad expression crossed Michael's face and he sighed, "Mom was upset about sending Mattie to his dad, but my father had been calling her a lot lately about how he'd visit if she didn't do what she was told," he explained in a solemn voice. "When she went to Vegas, she did under threat of death…"

Mac watched as Michael let go of his tools and put his hands over his face, "This per diem at work named Carlos knows I've been going through a hard time financially and emotionally and he's lent an ear whenever he sees I need someone to talk to," Michael spoke shakily. "My mom did his surgery and having a friend at work helps a lot. I told Carlos how Doctor Hammerback has helped me and he said that I should continue letting him. I might request more hours here when the trial starts because it'll be a lot harder to hide at the hospital and my boss already knows I am wanting things that way."

"If there's not money in the budget, I'll pay for his extra time myself," Sid offered quietly.

Mac sighed, "I'll arrange something," he promised. "Is there anything else I can do to help?"

Michael paused, "Can you possibly find out if Greg Sanders will let me at least keep in touch with him about Mattie?" he asked in a quiet voice. "Greg is Mattie's dad and has the right to say no, but Mattie is my brother and I thought I'd ask. I know my mother did some horrible things to him…"

"I'll look into it," Mac promised sincerely. "I've got to get back to work, but you have a good day."

Michael nodded nervously and quietly returned to his work as Mac left the morgue in silence. Mac went up to his office rather quickly and got on the phone with Las Vegas, needing to talk to Greg.

Las Vegas, Nevada

"…Ray, how long are you going to be in New York for?" Catherine asked Ray as she, Ray, Greg, Morgan, Hodges, Brass, and Henry gathered in the briefing area. "I know your testimony is important."

Ray sighed, "I honestly don't know and you're right, my testimony is important because it intersects with the pilot program," he explained calmly. "Doctor Grissom had offered to do it in my stead because he was in charge of the pilot program, but I was asked to go instead when he went missing in Miami."

"And you've also got to deliver Colin Jamison's testimony, right?" Greg asked softly. "He's still at the center as far as I know and not in any state to handle this. Mental illness…it's a hard thing."

Ray shrugged, "If I'm told to," he replied. "I have to see what's going on there."

"How much trouble is the lab still in over this?" Hodges asked nervously. "I…I had to give testimony over my past with Colin Jamison because he says that I triggered him. If I had known about…"

Catherine sighed, "Hodges, Colin Jamison was found to have a mental illness upon post-incident assessment and you're not responsible for what happened last year," she explained calmly. "As far as how much trouble this lab is in over the pilot project incident, Grissom took all the blame and resigned. The county also installed a new sheriff and the trial will give this lab a bit of bad publicity…"

"It wasn't Grissom's fault, though," Greg argued hesitantly. "He didn't cause any of this."

Catherine frowned, "Greg, I know Grissom's your biological father, but he was in charge of screening the applicants for the pilot project," she explained firmly, her expression one of disbelief. "Someone with Colin's past incidents should not have been even allowed an interview. I know Grissom wants to see the best in people, but he should have done a little more investigating into Colin's background."

Before Greg could reply, a secretary came into the room, "CSI Sanders, you have a call at the front desk," she said in a concerned voice. "It's important otherwise I wouldn't have bothered you."

Nodding, Greg gave Catherine an apologetic look as he got up and went to the front desk, "Hello, this is Greg Sanders," he spoke calmly as he answered the phone. "I was told it was important?"

"CSI Sanders, this is Mac Taylor at the New York Crime Lab," Mac spoke calmly. "I'm calling you on behalf of one of my employees, a part-time coroner's assistant named Michael Pride who is also the son of Doctor Andrea Pride and half-brother to your son, Matthew. Michael wants permission to visit or write Matthew and he understands if you're not comfortable with that. He just wanted to ask."

Greg paled, as he hadn't known that Matthew had an older brother. He didn't know what to say or how to feel, but he knew that he wasn't ready to handle any conversations concerning Dr. Pride at the moment because the trial was coming up. It was hard enough for him to think about that, let alone…

Everything suddenly went numb and Greg heard yelling as he found himself sinking into blackness.

Manhattan, New York

The support meeting had been emotionally draining, but Flack was feeling better and knew that Sully had been right in prodding him to go. He recognized a few faces, including Stella, but he hadn't done anything but sit quietly. Jess would have been proud of him for doing this, he mused.

As the meeting wrapped up, the buzzing of a cell-phone suddenly filled the air and Flack watched as Caira quickly got up and excused herself. Flack sighed and checked his watch: he still had to go home and get what he needed for the trip to Miami, but he had wanted to squeeze in one last meeting.

"All right, that's it for today," Jason Christopher spoke calmly. "See you all next week."

Murmurs filled the room and Flack quickly excused himself, frowning when he saw Caira standing just down the hallway with her cell-phone to her ear. She looked tired and distressed as she talked.

"Colin, you don't need to feel bad about that," Caira spoke in a quiet voice, sighing as Colin explained that D.B. was trying to get legal guardianship of him and it was causing stress within his own family.

A sigh filled the phone and Caira looked patient as Colin explained he knew he needed it, but he hated feeling so much like a burden, "You're not a burden, Colin," she replied. "You're my brother…"

Flack watched with concern and sighed when Caira put her phone back in her pocket, "You okay?"

Caira looked at Flack and sighed, "You got a sibling?" she asked softly, her expression sad.

"Yeah, I have a sister who has issues," Flack responded calmly. "Was that your sibling?"

Caira nodded, "My brother," she replied softly. "Everyone who reads knows who he is. He called me cause my old foster dad is trying to get guardianship of him and he knows he needs someone to look after him, but he's sad about it. He's also worried about the upcoming trial."

Flack sighed as the door opened and several people came out, including Yelina, "Are you ready to go home?" Yelina asked softly, offering the girl a smile. "I'm sure you're anxious to visit with John."

"I know he was coming home today, but I needed to be here first," Caira spoke softly, nodding.

Flack checked his watch, "Do you ladies want an escort outside to a cab?" he offered kindly.

"That's very kind of you, Detective Flack," Yelina replied, nodding. "We'd appreciate that. I've been skittish about being out in the city in small groups ever since Maritza was taken."

Flack nodded, although he now felt ashamed for ever thinking badly of Maurice Boscorelli. He silently let the two outside and as he waved down a cab, a bike courier came up to them carrying a large envelope in hand, "Excuse me, are any of you Caira Jamison?" the courier asked in a formal voice.

"I am," Caira spoke in an anxious voice as she stepped forward. "What is it?"

The courier handed her the envelope, "You've been served," he stated, offering a clipboard. "Sign here."

Frowning, Caira signed the clipboard and opened the envelope as the courier biked off down the street, "There's going to be a hearing about the assault that Jill Adams committed against me last fall and I'm being subpoenaed for it," she spoke, frowning while she read the letter. "It'll be here in New York around the same time as the Horatio Caine hearing. Jill's listed as one of McKeen's associates…"

Yelina frowned, as did Flack, "I never pressed charges on that," Caira spoke nervously. "I don't…"

Flack checked his watch again: he needed to get home and pack or he'd miss his flight, "Um, I hate to do this, but I have to go," he apologized as he waved down a cab. "Take that home and be safe."

Yelina looked surprised and concerned, but she nodded and led Caira to the cab as Flack hurried off.

Miami, Florida

With Darin's gun pressed against his head, Rick had no choice but to be quiet as the boat came to a stop near a dock that was close to a rugged looking house. He had left his car at the mile marker and had boarded the boat willingly after meeting Darin, but now he was regretting even giving in at all.

"MOVE!" Darin's angry voice filled his ear. "You're a little late to the party, so we need to hurry!"

Rick obeyed and willingly went into the house, frowning when he saw James Scott in the front room, silently cleaning a head wound on Ryan's forehead, "Rick?!" Ryan asked in a pained voice. "What…?"

"Where's Gil at?" Rick asked in a stern voice. "We had a conversation about him on the way."

Just then, Alexx came out having helped Grissom as much as she could before leaving him to rest and she froze at seeing Rick, "Stetler?" she asked in a confused voice, frowning at him. "What are you…?"

"Where's Grissom at?!" Darin snarled. "Get him and get out of here! I have new company!"

Ryan frowned, but Rick glared at him, "Susie, take your brat and Grissom and get out!" Darin yelled.

Susie came into the living room and froze at seeing Rick with Darin, "Susie, I'm sorry about Bob," Rick said in a nervous voice, sighing. "Darin's letting you go, Susie. Take Gil and get out of here."

"Doctor Grissom isn't well enough to just get up and walk out of here!" Susie replied anxiously.

Darin's anger grew and Rick looked at Ryan, "Phone 9-1-1 and direct them here," Rick spoke in an anxious voice, sighing. "Darin, was it? I'll be your hostage and you can take me wherever…"

"Rick, no," Ryan cut in anxiously, his expression upset as he gazed at Rick.

Rick scoffed, "Shut up and do what I tell you," he replied firmly. "Anyway, Darin, I'm already on the bad side of the police cause I'm facing losing my position. Take me as your hostage and we can go."

Ryan's eyes widened in shock, "Wait, what?" he replied in a worried voice. "What happened?"

Darin smirked, "Let's go then," he replied coldly. "I agree to your terms."

Ryan, however, grabbed Rick's sleeve, "Ryan, I need you to behave yourself and let me protect you like I did a long time ago when I took you to your uncle's house," Rick said, gazing at Ryan firmly. "I need you to trust me and to help Doctor Woods look after Susie, Madison, and Doctor Grissom…"

Nodding, Ryan released Rick's sleeve and watched in horror as Rick let Darin lead him back out of the house. A few moments later, the sound of a boat engine could be heard. Alexx likewise looked stunned.

"I…my cell still works," James spoke shakily, swallowing hard. "You…you can have it…"

Ignoring the shaking in his body, James fished his cell out of his pocket and offered it to Ryan, "I might die soon, but I wanna save my soul," he managed to stammer weakly. "Please take it."

"Ryan, James has had leukemia for a while now," Alexx spoke softly. "Take the phone and let him…"

Ryan's eyes widened as James suddenly fainted and hit the floor unconscious, having overdone it.

"I helped Rick install a tracker in his car," Ryan said anxiously. "Cell-phones can activate it."

Alexx knelt next to James while Ryan quickly activated Rick's car tracker using the phone.

"This is Rick's car," Natalia spoke in a concerned voice, sighing as Horatio, Calleigh, and Jesse approached the mile marker where the car was parked. "I…I know I can't work the case, but Lenny's at home freaking out and Bobby asked me to come see if I could be of any help."

Horatio nodded and Natalia sighed before she moved back, "Wait, there's a light blinking on the radio," he said, quickly shining his flashlight into the car. "Natalia, that's a tracker. Do you know anything…?"

Nodding, Natalia quickly got her phone out and typed in a code to access the signal, "Rick had a tracker installed in his car a while back and gave only trusted people the code," she explained, walking back over to Horatio to show him the phone. "The other signal's somewhere in the Everglades."

"Let's get backup here immediately," Horatio ordered, nodding at Calleigh. "Call in the special help."

Tim's beeper went off, but he ignored it and instead focused on the meal that he and Emily were sharing with an anxious looking Jill and Tony. Jill had received word that she was facing charges for her involvement with McKeen and her assault of Caira Jamison and she was scared. Vegas had thrown her under the bus because McKeen was in the wind, but she was too pregnant to fly to New York.

Tony had been freaked out enough by the letter and the possible consequences that he had asked Tim for help. Tim had turned to Emily and the four of them were now talking it over.

"Tim, if you have to go to work…" Jill spoke anxiously. "We've told you nearly everything."

Tim sighed, "What else is there?" he asked in a concerned voice. "And did you tell Mom and Dad?"

"They know," Tony spoke in a nervous voice. "I also have to consider if Jill goes to jail and if I get forced back into undercover work. They might want to put me to work even if Jill stays out of jail."

Tim frowned, "They've already floated the possibility of you going back into undercover work in exchange for Jill staying out of jail, haven't they?" he asked in a voice of disbelief. "Tony, the last time you went undercover on orders and found Lenny Stetler, your health took a huge nosedive."

"Timmy, I will do what I have to to protect my wife and our kid," Tony replied firmly. "I'm still in school to be a chef like Dad, but I know the high-ups might want me back in service soon. What Jilly and I were wondering was if you and Emily would take care of the baby if something happens to us."

Tim sighed, "You know we will," he and Emily said at the same time before smiling at each other.

"Thank you," Jill spoke in a worried voice, sighing. "Now, what do I do about this subpoena?"

Emily swallowed hard, "I think I have a way to help you avoid having to travel to New York in your condition, but you'll still have to deal with the charge," she replied in a concerned, firm voice.

"I'm listening," Jill replied. "I will take responsibility, but travelling anywhere is hard right now."

Manhattan, New York

The Boscorelli apartment was quiet, but Sully found himself relieved for it as he sat in the living room with Nicolas on his lap, reading a book to him. Michael and Emily were both napping and John was resting in his studio with the door open in case he needed anything. Danielle and Bosco were still out 'recovering' from the award ceremony and all the kids were still at school. Sully looked up at Caira and Yelina and smiled, "Mama," Nicolas said with a smile, reaching towards Yelina eagerly. "Mama."

Yelina smiled as she walked over to Nicolas and picked him up, "Is John resting?" Caira asked softly.

"Yeah, but he insisted on leaving the door open," Sully replied with a sigh. "Are you okay?"

Caira nodded, "The meeting was helpful," she replied softly. "It was after that sucked."

Sully frowned and Caira handed him the mail she had gotten, "There's going to be a hearing about the assault that Jill Adams committed against me last fall and I'm being subpoenaed for it," she explained in a distressed voice. "It'll be here in New York around the same time as the Horatio Caine hearing. Jill's listed as one of McKeen's associates. Colin also called and said D.B.'s trying to get legal guardianship of him, but D.B.'s family is making the whole thing really difficult."

"Do you mind if I call the court on behalf of Victims Assistance for you?" Sully asked quietly, worried that such a trial wouldn't be good for Caira or for Jill. According to the emails he occasionally got from Ryan Wolfe, Jill was now married and very pregnant and wasn't allowed to travel.

Caira shrugged and Sully nodded. He would discuss the situation with Ryan Wolfe, as he had been given authorization by Gil Grissom to act as an interim leader for Victims Assistance in Miami because Natalia had a lot on her plate and Grissom had been too sick at the time to keep working. Now that Grissom was missing, Ryan had collaborated with Jesse Cardoza, Natalia, and Emily to build upon the organization since he himself was busy with work and being a single parent. Before going missing, Grissom had also given his power of attorney to Danielle so not to overwhelm Sara and along with it, he had named Sully a leader for Victims Assistance in New York, meaning Sully was now busy.

"Hey," a quiet voice suddenly filled the air. "Grandpa, I think it's time for a snack, right?"

Caira turned just in time to see John wander out of his studio room wearing slippers, sweats, a loose shirt, and a hoodie with his bag in his good hand, "You're looking better," Sully observed quietly.

John shrugged, but didn't say anything, "Hi," he finally said, gazing at Caira. "How was it?"

"It helped," Caira replied in a kind voice as she walked over to him. "How are you feeling?"

John smiled, "I slept," he admitted softly, sighing. "I know I haven't spent a lot of time with you."

"John, you've been recovering," Caira replied softly. "Besides, I haven't wanted to push you."

John nodded, "How about a cuddle on the couch with a movie?" he suggested softly. "Sound good?"

"That sounds great," Caira replied gently, smiling at him. "Let's go sit and talk about a movie."

As the two sat on the couch, Sully sighed, "We're having company for dinner tonight, so just have a small snack," he explained calmly. "Your mom invited the Messers over for dinner."

"Seems appropriate seeing that Detective Messer is her birth brother," John replied in a calm voice.

Sully nodded and John sighed, "I don't have to dress up, do I?" John asked nervously.

"No, you're just fine the way you look," Sully replied calmly, frowning when his beeper suddenly went off that meant he needed to get on the Victims Assistance bulletin site for some information. "Enjoy your movie."

Nodding, John turned his attention back to Caira and picking out a film for them to watch. Sully, meanwhile, hurried over to the computer and quickly logged on to the site to see what was up.

Miami, Florida

Chaos filled Susie's safehouse as Horatio, Natalia, Calleigh, Jesse, Tripp, Doctor Stokes, and several uniforms stood in the living room. Both Tripp and Dr. Stokes had left Dr. Pride in the company of her brother, who had promised to stay with her at Frank's house til they got back. There were also several paramedics in the house: some were with Alexx tending to Grissom in the bedroom, a couple were tending to James, and one was stitching up the gash that Darin had put on Ryan's forehead.

Susie sat on the couch next to Ryan with Madison at her side, "…Rick and Bob knew each other from Rick's time undercover and they were accountability buddies in the field," she was explaining as she looked up at Horatio. "Bob knew Rick was in there cause of Sackheim forcing him to be and that Rick would get eaten alive, so he pulled a lot of strings to make sure that Rick would be safe inside."

Horatio nodded, "And Rick got that psycho kid away from here so we'd be rescued and Doctor Grissom would have a chance," Susie continued in an anxious voice. "It was really brave…"

"Stetler came out here alone," Tripp sniped, scowling. "He didn't call for any backup."

Susie sighed as paramedics came out with a semi-conscious Grissom on a gurney. Grissom was covered in blankets, IV lines, and was sporting tracheotomy and he looked deathly pale. Alexx was right behind the paramedics, "Ryan, did you know what happened to Rick?" Horatio asked softly.

"Darin Mitchell took him out of here on the boat that was here," Ryan replied worriedly.

Horatio nodded and reached for his radio as a shot suddenly rang out. He swore and took off outside, not stopping or turning to see that several members of the team were following at a fast pace.

In another part of the glades, Darin Mitchell swore as he advanced on Rick in the now useless boat. It had died not long after leaving the dock and he didn't have the patience or desire to check it. He was angry about the boat and he was even angrier that Rick had basically blown up his and James's plan.

Without hesitating, Darin belted Rick in the face, sending him to the floor. He then stomped on Rick's left wrist as the man used his hands to catch himself, causing the sergeant to scream in pain. The screan triggered a rage in Darin and he spent the next several minutes beating Rick bloody. As Rick lay there stunned, Darin cocked his gun and aimed it. He had fired off a few shots while taking Rick away to keep the man compliant, but now that their only method of escape was gone, Rick needed to be too.

Suddenly, Rick managed to get to his feet as sirens filled the air. He lunged at Darin and the two toppled off the boat and into the murky water, "Rick!" Horatio shouted, having been close enough to see the tail end of the fight. "Calleigh, call for more radio cars…!"

The two suddenly emerged from the water as Horatio closed in and his eyes widened as the bruised, soaked, and bloodied Rick shot Darin point blank in the chest. Darin's eyes widened in shock.

Cursing escaped Darin's lips before he collapsed, but Rick gazed around as if he were in a daze, "Rick!" Horatio called out, frowning when Rick didn't respond immediately. "Rick, can you hear me?"

Rick's eyes widened as he gazed down at the gun that was in his right hand, a gun that was now covered in swamp debris and blood. A pained expression filled his face when he peered at Darin and realized that he was dead, "Rick, come on," Horatio spoke in a quiet voice, offering his hand to help Rick up out of the murky water. "You need an ambulance and we need to get Darin's body."

Again, Rick didn't move and so Horatio waded into the water. A moment later, Calleigh arrived at the bank and Horatio eased the gun out of Rick's hand before passing it over into her gloved hands. As Calleigh put the gun in an evidence bag from her kit, Horatio gently took hold of Rick's right hand.

"Come on out of the water," Horatio spoke in a calm voice. "Calleigh, the paramedics."

Rick shakily followed Horatio through the water and up the bank, but he promptly collapsed in a heap once he was on dry land. He vaguely heard Horatio yelling for paramedics again as he passed out.

Jackson Hospital – Miami, Florida

"Hey Nick, did you need or want anything?" Nick heard a quiet voice ask. "You look upset…"

Nick swallowed hard before he looked up at Eric, "For Grissom to be alive," he admitted in a shaky voice, trying to keep the tears from his eyes. "He handed himself over so that I'd be okay…."

Eric sighed, his expression concerned even though Nick had been moved to a new bed and was supposed to be comfortable, "Mom and Dad want to bring Parker, but I can't do anything til I know if Grissom's okay," Nick repeated in a pained voice, his expression filled with grief. "What do…?"

Walter's radio suddenly crackled, "…Eric, I need you to come down to Jackson Hospital's ER to process an incident…" Horatio's voice suddenly filled the phone. "He was found alive…"

Nick's eyes widened in shock and he began to sob, but Eric quickly left because he knew immediately that Horatio wasn't saying everything. He hurried down to the emergency room just in time to see a team of medical personnel swarm on Grissom. Jesse was already in the room to collect evidence.

"Eric," Eric suddenly heard Calleigh's voice say. "Eric, over here. Horatio asked me to talk to you."

Eric turned and saw Calleigh standing nearby, just outside the door to an exam room that had the blinds down, "I thought Horatio was going to have me process Grissom?" he asked softly. "What…?"

"Sergeant Stetler went to the Everglades alone and ended up rescuing Ryan, Alexx, Doctor Grissom, a woman, and a little girl," Calleigh explained in a concerned voice. "He also shot one of the people who took Alexx hostage from the hospital. The person he shot was Darin Mitchell from the Vegas case."

Eric's eyes widened in shock, "Sergeant Stetler passed out briefly, but he regained consciousness in the ambulance," Calleigh explained in a concerned voice. "Horatio went with the woman and the little girl and wants us to talk to Stetler. The Chief's being told and the other shift's also being pulled in."

Nodding, Eric sighed and Calleigh pushed the door open, revealing a curtain, "…We'll get an x-ray on that wrist and also get you a room upstairs," Alexx was saying gently. "You also said your ribs hurt?"

"Alexx, Eric and I are here to process Sergeant Stetler and collect the evidence," Calleigh called out.

The curtain was suddenly moved and Alexx came out, "Sergeant Stetler needs a moment," she said in a quiet voice, a frown on her face. "He knows that there's going to be deep trouble over this."

Footsteps suddenly filled the air and Eric and Calleigh turned to see Ryan, now sporting a bandaged head, come over to them wearing a pair of clean scrubs. He looked tired, but very worried.

"Wolfe, what happened out there?" Eric asked in a concerned voice, frowning at him.

Ryan, however, looked at Alexx, "Is Rick awake?" he asked softly. "I'd like to sit with him."

Alexx nodded and Ryan sighed, "I hope someone's put in a call to the union rep and to Detective Caine because Rick's going to need support right now," he spoke quietly. "I can only do so much for him."

Calleigh gave Ryan a surprised look, but Ryan silently went past the curtain without saying more. There was quiet talking and then Ryan suddenly poked his head out, "Um, Calleigh, could you and Eric go swap with Jesse or call another CSI, please?"

"Wolfe, what are you doing?" Eric asked coldly. "You're obstructing our investigation!"

Ryan shook his head, "He doesn't want you near him and he knows Calleigh's been assigned to supervise you while you're on prolonged limited duty," he replied in a matter-of-fact voice.

Eric looked at Calleigh, who looked ashen, as she hadn't told Eric he was on prolonged modified duty because she knew it would embarrass him, "We'll go get Jesse's evidence and send Jesse here," Calleigh spoke quickly before Eric could speak. "Eric, we'd better hurry and speak to Jesse."

Before Eric could reply, Calleigh quickly hurried off, forcing him to follow her in silence.

Manhattan, New York

Pavel LaRusso's penthouse apartment was quiet, but it was not empty.

Anya's pregnancy had progressed considerably and since the trial was drawing closer, she had moved in with Pavel temporarily so that he could protect her. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough anymore.

News of the the recent events surrounding Nick Stokes and Gil Grissom had reached New York and Pavel was nervous. He was also nervous because the feds had told him and Anya that their testimonies had been enough to get them excused from prison and they were free to do whatever they wished now.

Pavel, however, had also been asked to speak at Horatio Caine's trial about LaRusso Ranch and he would do that as a favor before returning to his work. While he did that, he planned to send Anya away.

"Anya, Mama is waiting for you in Miami," Pavel spoke in a quiet voice. "She moved to a better house and it will be safer for you and ze baby. Bobby and hees family are also nearby eef you need zem."

Anya LaRusso frowned at Pavel as she sat in a comfy chair, "What if McKeen comes here and hurts you to keep you from speaking about Papa's ranch at the trial?" she asked worriedly. "I worry…"

"I know how to survive," Pavel replied nervously, giving Anya a worried look. "Anya, I vill be okay."

Anya nodded, "Please do, Pasha," she said softly, sighing. "Will you come down after you testify?"

"I might," Pavel replied nervously, his expression tired. "Jason Wolfe has been asking me to visit."

Anya gave Pavel a compassionate look, "Pasha, you should take time away from Papa's companies and relax," she gently admonished him. "It was not fair of him to expect you to take on his legacy when you are barely an adult. McKeen knows you are not like him, but he wants to destroy you anyway…"

Pavel sighed, "I vill soon," he spoke softly, his expression worried. "Your flight is in ze morning."

Nodding, Anya slowly got up from her chair, "Do you want me to call Tommy Wolfe and ask him to check in on you and Mama?" Pavel asked softly. "He vill do it if I ask and he eez off ze probation, so he does not have to answer to ze cops anymore. Ryan is avare of us and so he will let Tommy do it."

"You know that Ryan Wolfe has to be very careful because of his problems and because of his family's past, Pasha," Anya replied as she moved into the nearby open kitchen. "Do you want anything to eat?"

Several blocks away, Danielle Boscorelli was arranging the extended dining table so that it could accommodate Danny, Lindsay, and Lucy that evening. They were going to eat as soon as Danny, Lindsay, and Lucy got there because it fit best with when John needed to eat and it also fit best with Mikey, Emily, Nicky, and Lucy's early bedtimes. Danny was also working a late shift that night and he could fit the meal into his break. Danielle was so busy that she didn't hear the phone ring.

Fortunately for her, Bosco heard it and grabbed the cordless as he watched over the cooking food, "Boscorelli residence," he said in a calm voice, quickly looking over at the couch where John and Caira were sitting while David, Ellie, Mikey, Emily, Nicky, and Ray played on the floor. "Who is this?"

The caller replied that they were from Jackson Hospital in Miami, Florida and according to Gil Grissom's health records, Danielle Boscorelli was listed as his power of attorney and they needed to speak to her about him urgently. Frowning, Bosco walked over to Danielle and touched her arm.

"Jackson Hospital in Miami is on the phone and they want to talk to you about Gil Grissom," Bosco spoke in a quiet voice, frowning at her as he offered her the phone. "You're his power of attorney."

Danielle frowned, but she took the phone because she knew she was Grissom's power of attorney. It had been among the documents he had given her about Ellen Seville. She hadn't understood why he hadn't made his wife, Sara, his power of attorney, but she also knew that Grissom never really explained why he did things the way he did things. Sighing heavily, she placed the phone to her ear.

"This is Danielle Boscorelli," Danielle spoke in a concerned voice, her heart full of concern.

Danielle listened intently as she was told that Grissom was in very serious condition, but alive and in need of serious care, "Do whatever you can to help him," she said without hesitation. "Please."

John's head turned towards his mother, but he didn't say anything and instead listened intently to the rest of the conversation. Only when the conversation ended did he clear his throat ever so softly.

"Mom, did they find Doctor Grissom?" John asked quietly, his expression concerned. "Is he okay?"

Danielle set the phone back in its cradle and walked over to the couch, "He's not well, but he's alive," she replied softly, gazing at John intently knowing that Caira was also listening in. "We'll talk later."

John nodded, "Can I help with anything?" he asked softly. "Or should I go do my shot?"

"Go do your shot," Danielle replied as the door buzzer sounded. "We'll eat pretty soon."

Sighing, John slowly got to his feet and made his way to his private studio room while Danielle went to the door, "Hey, Danielle, it's us," Danny's voice spoke when Danielle pressed the button. "We're here."