December 15

Delavida Centre – Miami, Florida

Deeply grateful that Detective Tripp had agreed to sit for BJ and Adam on his night off, Bobby silently entered the large building and saw the sign 'Support Group for Abused Spouses' on the door just off the large, couch-filled lobby. He silently removed his great coat and gloves, but hesitated to enter the room.

After a moment, however, Bobby silently tucked the coat over his arm and entered the room, pleased to see that he was not the only man there along with a small group of women. Several men and women were gathered around different areas in the room and there was a table at the front of the room with pamphlets, books, and fliers on top of it. To his surprise, Bobby saw Natalia lingering near the table.

Unsure of what to say to his next door neighbor, Bobby silently approached the table and began to browse through the books because he knew the need for help went beyond meetings, "Which book is the best?" he asked, giving Natalia a nervous look. "I wasn't allowed to go to meetings in New York."

"This one's good for beginners," Natalia replied as she held up a small red book. "It's ten dollars."

Bobby nodded, but didn't say anything as he picked up a copy of the book Natalia had suggested, "Thanks," he replied nervously, feeling very out of place even though he knew he needed this.

Natalia nodded as a bell rang, "Oh, they're getting ready to start," she explained in a gentle voice.

Deeply intrigued as to how this meeting would help him, Bobby walked over to the chairs that had been set up and silently anticipated what was going to happen. Could these meetings really help him recover?


Flavida Restaurant

In a more ritzy part of Miami, Tim's hands trembled as he adjusted the red tie he was wearing with the nicest suit he owned; the best suit for the date he had waited many years to take Emily on. While he adjusted his tie, he also found himself looking in the mirror at Emily, who was sitting on a padded bench in a light pink, floor length dress that had cap sleeves while her thinning hair was done up in curls. Her shoes, a pair of white dress shoes, sat on the floor beside her because her feet were already sore.

"Here, do you want me to rub those for you?" Tim asked softly as he walked over to the bench and sat down next to her. "We've got some time before Horatio and Marisol show up, I'm sure."

Emily smiled, "You can rub them later if you stop by your parents' house to say goodnight to James and Julliet," she replied gently, warmed by Tim's gentle charm. "I'm glad Ryan agreed to watch them since your parents are out of town for the night, but I'd feel better if they had police protection there."

"I phoned Jessop from the MDPD before I came to get you and he'll look in on my parents' house," Tim replied in a reassuring voice. "He's on nights this week anyway and he said he doesn't mind."

Nodding, Emily sighed, "I'm glad we could do this now since Christmas is getting closer," she commented in a soft voice, snuggling up to Tim as gently as she could. "My chemo regimen's almost done and I'm looking forward to a quiet holiday with whoever wants to spend the time with me."

"I was planning on spending Christmas with my parents anyway," Tim replied gently, turning to face her.

Emily chuckled and smiling, she kissed his nose, "I'm sorry, are we interrupting something?" Horatio's amused voice suddenly asked as footsteps neared the two. "I believe we arrived a little late."

"Oh, not at all," Emily replied pleasantly, amused that Tim immediately turned a deep shade of red.

Marisol, who was dressed in a floral print dress with white shoes and her hair done up, laughed and smiled as Tim helped Emily to her feet and back into her shoes. Horatio was wearing a dark suit and an amused expression on his face at watching his best friend and new friend help each other out.

The foursome was quiet as they walked into the restaurant and picked a booth near one of the giant windows so that they could see Miami's nightscape while they ate, "Would it be too strange if I ordered a cup of cocoa?" Emily asked in a nervous voice. "I'm just feeling a little cold tonight and it'll help."

"I don't think that's strange," Tim replied gently. "In fact, I might have a cup of cocoa myself."

Emily chuckled and sighed, "I'm really grateful that we could get together like this and I hope we have a pleasant evening," she said as a young, well-dressed server came over to the table. "Ah, hello there."

"Hello, my name is Jenessa and I'll be your server this evening," the young server, who's hair and makeup were overdone, clashing with her uniform. "You guys look really familiar. Who are you?"

Horatio's eyes narrowed, "I would like a glass of water to start," he replied in a neutral voice.

"All right," Jenessa said in a cheerful voice as she wrote a note on a pad. "Anyone else?"

As Emily gazed at the server, who reminded her very much of the niece she had never been allowed to meet, she found herself turning her attention to Tim, "Two cups of cocoa with whipped cream," Tim replied gruffly, suddenly sensing Emily's discomfort. "Marisol, what do you want to have?"

"Oh, just a glass of cranberry juice," Marisol replied pleasantly, suddenly worried about Emily.

Jenessa nodded, jotted the orders down, and walked off into the small area near the kitchen where there was a phone. She passed the order into the kitchen, got on the phone, and dialled a number.

"Hey, Jenny, I've got a customer here who looks a lot like your crazy uncle and like that picture of your aunt you showed me," Jenessa said in an amused voice as a woman answered the phone. "Better tell your grandma that your aunt's in Miami."


Bzzz…Bzzz…Bzzz.

Sighing heavily, Ryan kept his eyes on James and Julliet as he got his phone out of his pocket and scoffed at seeing a text from a Sarah Wolfe. The text was filled with very obscene language and rude comments about both Emily and himself and finished off with a reminder to bring them nice things for Christmas.

"Whatever," Ryan muttered, setting his phone on the table and instead watching James and Julliet play with a plastic kitchen set and plastic accessories that Emily had gotten at a thrift store to help them learn what was okay to touch and what wasn't okay to touch. She had labelled everything for James's benefit since Julliet was already able to read basic things, but James still had difficulties reading.

The sound of a car engine turning off prompted Ryan to sigh, "All right, guys, it's bedtime," he said in a tired voice as he got up off the couch. "I'll help you clean up the food and then we'll go read something."

"Okay, Uncle Ry Ry," Julliet replied while James silently started gathering the food. "What story?"

Ryan chuckled as they cleaned up the food and then he gently carried both James and Julliet into the small bedroom they shared, but had separate beds. After helping Julliet into her bed, Ryan put James into his bed that was across the small room. As he tucked him in, there was a knock at the door.

"Just stay here and I'll read something fun when I come back," Ryan promised as he left the room and not only closed, but locked the door to James and Julliet's bedroom so that they would be safe.

As Ryan made his way to the door, it suddenly burst open and Clavo and Ramon came in, "Hey there, Wolfie!" Clavo taunted in a cruel voice as he flashed a small hood before Ryan. "Come for a ride!"

Anxious not to leave James and Julliet alone, Ryan started throwing random objects at both Clavo and Ramon, giving them both minor wounds. Unfortunately for him, both Clavo and Ramon were much bigger and while Clavo held Ryan tight, Ramon jammed the hood over his head and tied it.

Muffled screams echoed both in and out of the house as Clavo and Ramon dragged Ryan from the house and threw him forcibly into the back of their vehicle. Not wanting to attract attention, Clavo and Ramon shut the doors, got in, and tore off down the street unaware that Julliet was banging on the door loudly.


Manhattan, New York

Coldness washed over Danielle as she opened her eyes and suddenly remembered that she was safe in bed with Maurice, not being forced to lie in bed with Edward as she had been during her time as a prisoner in the cabin that had been in the middle of nowhere. She suddenly felt very nauseous.

Swallowing hard, Danielle slowly sat up and hugged herself, "Danielle, what's wrong?" she suddenly heard the groggy voice of her dear new husband ask. "Is something wrong with one of the kids?"

"No, everything's fine," Danielle replied in a nervous voice. "Go back to sleep, Maurice."

Once Danielle was sure that he was back asleep, she got out of bed and silently wandered into the living room, making brief stops to check on John, David, and Ellie before she sat down on the couch with only her pajamas and socks to keep her warm. A few strands of silver garland and a lightly decorated tree adorned the apartment, but there were no presents under the tree yet because she hadn't been paid.

Danielle sighed; she had been trying her best to balance working her poorly constructed work schedule and be there for her family, but with Christmas coming, all of her work wasn't amounting to very much because Walsh had deducted for her continual calls on the job to her kids, which was illegal and rude.

"Danielle?"

Danielle looked up from the couch and was surprised to see Bosco standing there holding her slippers in one hand and his robe in the other, "You okay?" Bosco asked in a concerned voice. "What's wrong?"

"I was just having a bad dream," Danielle replied softly. "About my time with Edward in the cabin."

Bosco nodded, but he didn't say anything as he joined her on the couch, "I know we haven't been overly intimate since our wedding night and I'm sorry for that," Danielle continued in a tired voice. "During my time in that cabin, I was treated very poorly and I've been trying to find the time to see a counselor."

Nodding, Bosco gently draped his robe around her shoulders, "How about you go to a women's counseling center tomorrow after that big meeting?" he suggested gently. "I mean, Walsh isn't going to take the whole meeting tomorrow to ream you out. I get off at three and I can get the kids from school."

"I can't believe Carlos's report amounted to a meeting with all the fire departments in the city," Danielle commented in a distressed voice, gently taking her husband's hands. "I didn't want everyone to know about the problems between Walsh and I and now there's a meeting to deal with the situation."

Letting out a tired sigh, Danielle leaned back and snuggled in Bosco's robe, "John's school called today while you were working and they said that John might do better in a homeschool program because he's what they call antisocial," she stated in a distressed voice. "In reality, they're just calling John antisocial because they think he'll fail out of school because he has to go to Miami for a while in January."

"How are David and Ellie going to do when it comes time to go to Miami?" Bosco asked worriedly.

Danielle smiled, "Mrs. Davis assured me that she would correspond with David and Ellie and help them get all their schoolwork taken care of while we were in Miami," she replied gently, frowning as she suddenly heard a door open and footsteps creep across the floor. "Hold it right there, please."

Fully expecting to see John trying to escape yet again for a late night walk, Danielle got up and was surprised to see David standing there in his pajamas, "What are you doing up?" Danielle asked in a concerned voice as David wandered over to the couch. "Honey, you look upset about something."

"Edward wrote me a letter on the computer," David replied softly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a folded up piece of paper. "I don't know how he got me a letter, but I don't wanna read it."

Frowning, Danielle took the letter and set it on the table, "Well, then don't," she replied, deeply disturbed that Edward had somehow managed to find David through email. "Are you okay?"

"Why would he be contacting me?" David asked in a confused voice. "I don't want to have anything to do with him after what he did to John and Ellie. He left a cell-phone in that apartment we stayed in in Miami when John was kidnapped and I thought it had games on it, so I played with it and…"

Danielle's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything, "I guess it sent some sort of signal to Edward and he tried to attack Grandpa Sully and I," David explained in a worried voice. "It was really horrible."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Bosco asked in a concerned voice. "Why tell us this now?"

David sighed, "I was afraid you'd hit me," he replied softly. "Edward did when I used to cry a lot and even though I was only a baby, I still remember it. I never told anyone, not even Grandpa Sully."

"Oh, David, I would never hit you," Bosco replied calmly. "I got hit by my old man and I couldn't…"

Swallowing hard, Bosco got up and walked off into the kitchen space, "I was abused as a kid by my dad and I became a cop so that I could protect people, not hurt them," he replied softly. "Now, it wasn't good that you didn't tell us about this earlier, but now we know and we can help you through it."

"I want to call you 'Dad', Maurice," David replied in a nervous voice. "I want it to be okay, though."

Bosco's gaze softened and Danielle smiled, "It's okay if you want to call him 'Dad', David," Danielle replied in a calm voice. "Do you want your dad and I to come and tuck you back into bed?"

David nodded and Bosco and Danielle gently shepherded David back into the room that he and John shared. John was asleep in his bed with his back against the wall, but David's bed was empty.

"Right, hop back into bed," Bosco said in a calm voice. "Do you want a story or a little song?"

David sighed and got back into bed, "No thanks, but can you or Mom stay with me til I fall asleep?" he asked in a nervous voice. "And can you make sure I never have to see Edward's letter again?"

Unsure of what to do, Danielle and Bosco looked at each other, "Is Ellie okay?" David asked softly.

"She's got like 50 stuffed animals protecting her, kiddo," Bosco replied in an amused voice, making a note to talk to Ty, Brendan, and Sully about how much they spoiled the kids. "You ready to sleep?"

David nodded, "Thanks, Mom and Dad," he said in a sleepy voice as he closed his eyes. "Love you."

Both Bosco and Danielle kissed David and the sleeping John before they left the room and went into Ellie's room, where Ellie was sound asleep in bed surrounded by her stuffed animals. Letting out a tired sigh, Danielle led Bosco back to their room and they climbed into bed, quickly snuggling together.

Slowly, but surely, Danielle drifted off to sleep with Bosco next to her, holding her protectively.


Miami, Florida

"Jenessa, you done work already?" Jenny Wolfe, who was a waitress at Club Cruz, asked as Jenessa came into the apartment that they shared. "Clavo phoned from his car and asked us to hang out."

Jenessa frowned, "Jenny, I just told you that I saw your aunt at a restaurant and you just want to go hang out with Clavo and Ramon?" she asked in a concerned voice. "It's nearly eleven p.m.

"That woman, Emily, is not my aunt," Jenny replied, scoffing. "My mom said that Emily is trash."

Before Jenessa, who had thought of the woman and her friends as being very pleasant to talk to and serve at the restaurant, could reply, there was a loud honk outside followed by some loud music.

"Ooh, that must be Clavo!" Jenny squealed. "Hey, I told my dad I'd be here studying. Cover for me?"

Shaking her head, Jenessa followed Jenny outside to the curb in front of their apartment where a blood red SUV was parked, "Hello there, chicas," Clavo hooted as he opened the driver's window. "Coming?"

Before Jenny or Jenessa could reply, there was a muffled yell, a crash, and a hooded figure suddenly burst out of the back passenger door and took off running, "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING HIM!" Clavo screamed at Ramon, who had been slammed into the window by Ryan before his escape.

"Who?" Jenny asked in a confused voice. "Don't tell me you've got idiots running things for you."

Clavo sighed, "Just a punk who tried to defy us," he replied in a stressed voice. "Wanna hang out?"

"I've got to work tomorrow," Jenessa lied, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. "Jenny does too."

Clavo pouted, grunted, and drove off around the corner, "I'm going to go try and find that man to make sure he's okay," Jenessa said in a distressed voice. "You should really stay away from Clavo, Jenny."

Jenny scoffed and returned to the safety of the apartment, but Jenessa went off in the direction that the hooded man had run. She was tired, but very concerned about whether or not the man was okay.


"Jessop, what happened?"

Officer Jessop sighed as Horatio approached the now sealed off house and shifted position so that James would stay in his arms while Julliet held to his leg, "Speedle asked me to check on things and when I arrived, the door was open and the inside was a mess," he explained in a distressed voice, quickly spotting Tim and Marisol trying to calm a very shaken Emily. "Speedle told me that Wolfe was supposed to be watching his sister's kids, but I didn't see any sign of him when I went in and let the kids out."

"MAMA!" James screamed, suddenly realizing that he wasn't being held by anyone he knew.

Jessop flinched as Emily sighed and hurried up the walk to embrace him, "It's all right," Emily replied in a shaky voice as she drew James and Julliet close to her. "Maybe Ryan locked the door to protect them."

"Miss Wolfe, the house needs to be processed," Horatio replied calmly. "I put a call in to the night shift and they should be here soon, but you and your children need to find a place to stay for the night."

Emily nodded and sighed, "Bernard had something to do with this, I'm sure," she replied in a distressed voice. "He sent me a letter a while back requesting that I visit him, but I don't want to see him."

Swallowing hard, Emily sank on to the steps, "I just want to get some rest," she said in a tired voice.

"You could come sleep at my place with the kids and I'll call my folks about what happened," Tim offered, overhearing Emily's comment as he neared the steps. "I'll sleep on the couch and you and the kids can have my bed tonight. Where are Delko and Callieigh, Horatio? They should be on this."

Horatio sighed, "I do not know, Speed," he replied calmly. "Anyway, might I suggest a hotel instead of your apartment since it will be more comfortable and less likely to be known by anyone suspicious?"

"Mama?" James asked in a worried voice, suddenly noticing that Emily was trembling and sighing.

Tim frowned and sat down next to Emily, "I'm fine, just really worn out from raising two kids and undergoing chemo," Emily replied in a trembling voice. "Ryan's been working so hard to try and get a place for us so we're not having to impose on Tim's parents after Christmas, but it's not going well…"

Another Hummer pulled up and three night shift CSI's, including a heavy set man with dark skin, came out and walked up to the house with kits in their hands, "Ah, the night shift is here," Horatio said in a concerned voice, giving each of the CSIs a look, "Dylan, Marks, and I don't believe I know you…"

"Walter Simmons, sir," the heavyset man replied calmly. "I'm currently a student at Miami-Dade U."

Horatio nodded and Emily groaned, "Please, someone, take the kids," she said in an anxious voice as she suddenly rushed off the porch and threw up on the grass. "I'm sorry; the chemotherapy's rough."

"Maybe you ought to think about going to the ER," Tim commented softly. "It would help you."

Emily sighed, "I don't want to go anywhere in case Ryan's found," she replied anxiously.

"Why don't I take you, James, and Julliet over to my house, Emily?" Marisol suggested in a gentle voice, sensing Emily's reluctance to go to the hospital as she approached them. "It's quiet there."

Grateful for having such a good friend, Emily nodded, "Thank you," she replied softly. "Kids…"

"I'll help you get them in the car," Tim offered, gently picking up James and Julliet. "Come on, kiddos."

Horatio smiled at Marisol and Emily, "I'll call Marisol's house when we hear anything," he replied in a reassuring voice, determined to remain on scene until Ryan was found. "Have a good night."

Marisol nodded and smiled at Horatio as she and Tim led Emily and her kids towards the vehicles.


Delavida Centre

The sun was almost set when Bobby finally stepped out of the meeting room and he frowned at seeing Hagen lingering near a bus stop down the street, as if he had been following him. Before Bobby could figure out what to do, he heard footsteps and the chatter of others who had also been at the meeting.

"Hey, Detective Caine, you forgot your book," Bobby suddenly heard a gentle voice say. "Here."

Bobby turned and saw Natalia standing beside him holding the book he had purchased just after the meeting had ended. She not only held her own book in her hand, but the one he had just bought.

"You forgot this," Natalia replied calmly, offering him the book. "How are you getting home?"

Bobby sighed as Hagen silently moved off into the bushes, "I'll wait for the bus and read this while I wait, I guess," he replied calmly, checking his watch only to find that it was nearly 10. "It's late."

"I could drive you home since I do live right next door to you," Natalia offered in a gentle voice.

Before Bobby could reply, he spotted a battered figure stumbling down the street out of the corner of his eye, "Is that Ryan Wolfe?" he asked, suddenly recognizing Ryan. "He looks a little disoriented."

"What?" Natalia asked in a concerned voice, frowning when she spotted Ryan. "Ryan Wolfe?!"

Hearing his name, Ryan frowned and squinted, "Ryan, it's Detective Caine from the MDPD," Bobby said in a calm voice, keeping eye contact with Ryan as Ryan slowly approached him and Natalia.

Ryan squinted and nodded, but said nothing, "Ryan, is all that blood yours?" Natalia asked in a shocked voice, suddenly seeing blood covering Ryan's shirt, shoes, and pants. "What happened to you?"

Swallowing hard, Ryan closed his eyes and it was then that Bobby noticed the bloody footprints that were behind Ryan and leading down the street, "Miss Boa Vista, do you happen to have a cell-phone and your CSI kit?" Bobby asked in a concerned voice. "Call 9-1-1 and also ask for CSI responders."

"Yes, I'll do that right away," Natalia replied, hurrying across the lot to where her car was parked.

Bobby nodded and looked at Ryan, "Ryan, come with me while I follow the bloody footprints," he replied in a calm voice, determined to see if Ryan was able to follow commands with his injuries.

Swallowing hard, Ryan nodded and slowly walked alongside Bobby as he followed the bloody footprints down the street. To their horror, there was the body of a young, dark haired girl in the bushes with a gunshot wound in the stomach of her dress. A jacket was pressed over the wound as if someone had found the girl and tried to stop her from bleeding out. Bobby then noticed blood on Ryan's hands.

"She was just lying there and I took off my jacket to try and help her," Ryan stuttered anxiously, placing his hands on his ribs to try and alleviate the pain. "I-I just tried to help her, but I couldn't do anything."

Bobby nodded and Ryan sank to his knees, prompting Bobby to pull out his cell-phone and dial the MDPD, "This is Detective Caine of Homicide," he said in a commanding voice. "I need backup."

"Jenessa Williams," Horatio stated softly as he held the bloodstained wallet in his gloved hands, grateful that the light of the moon and his flashlight helped him to see the ID. "Eric, any weapon on scene?"

Shaking his head, Eric walked over to Horatio, "Callieigh hasn't been able to find one and the only evidence we have is the bullet, Wolfe's shirt, and the bloody footprints," he replied in an apologetic voice. "I tried to talk to Wolfe, but he's not really saying anything about how he got beat up."

"Eric, help Alex with Jenessa's body," Horatio replied calmly. "Frank, help me talk to Mister Wolfe."

Nodding, Frank found himself silently being grateful that Yelina had come to Bobby's house with Ray Jr. so that he could respond to the scene and help his partner. They walked over to a gurney where Ryan was laying while Bobby stood guard, silently waiting for paramedics to load him into a nearby ambulance and trying to keep an oxygen mask on his battered face as he fought to stay awake.

"Mister Wolfe, what happened?" Horatio asked calmly. "How did you get beaten so badly?"

Ryan sighed, "I was almost kidnapped," he replied, moving the mask off his face. "But I escaped."

"By whom?" Horatio replied calmly. "I believe that Detective Caine also asked you questions?"

Ryan blinked and groaned, "Clavo and Ramon Cruz," he replied weakly. "They broke in, beat me up, and hooded me," he replied weakly, wincing as he inhaled. "They were going to take me to Bernard."

"Lieutenant Caine, we're ready to take him to Miami-Dade now," one of the paramedics said.

Horatio nodded, "Eric's going to go with you and collect your clothes as evidence, Mister Wolfe," he explained in a calm, but commanding voice. "Miss Boa Vista will also go to collect DNA evidence. I'll call Marisol and your sister, both of whom are at Marisol's house with James and Julliet. Take it easy."

Before Ryan could reply, Horatio walked over to where Alexx and Eric were moving the body on a gurney towards a nearby coroner's van, "We'll go by to question Ryan after he's been patched up," Tripp, who was watching the proceedings. "Yelina's over at Bobby's house with BJ, Adam, and Ray Jr."

"Good," Horatio replied calmly. "I believe I'm going to pay a visit to Clavo and Ramon Cruz. I believe, from what I last heard, that they have a club near the far end of Coral Gables, so I'll go there."

Tripp frowned, "They've got diplomatic immunity," he replied worriedly. "What can you do?"

"I'm merely going to talk to them, Frank," Horatio replied calmly, gripping the wallet in his hand.


The sounds of coughing filled the room that John and David shared and David woke up just in time to see John bolt up in bed and throw up on the floor, "I'm sick," John said in an anxious voice.

David's eyes went wide, "MOM, DAD!" he hollered, not hesitating to get out of bed. "MOM, DAD!"

There was silence, followed by footsteps running across the floor, "David, it's four in the morning," Bosco said in a concerned voice, frowning as he opened the door and saw John in the bed crying while vomit was on the floor. "What happened in here? David, go get your ma and tell her John's sick."

Nodding, David ran out of the bedroom and Bosco quickly moved over to John's dresser and pulled out a sweater and socks before going to John's bed, "Just the stress of everything," John muttered softly.

Before Bosco could reply, Danielle came into the room, "I just started not feeling good and thinking about school tomorrow and how I hate it because of what happened," John started babbling anxiously, sighing as his mother felt his forehead and his skin. "Do you want me to pay for the carpet?"

"No, the carpet's not important," Bosco replied gently. "Do you want me to get John's kit?"

John sighed, "I was like up an hour ago checking it and it was low," he replied softly. "Always is."

"Your blood sugar's always low at night?" Danielle asked in a concerned voice. "Maurice…"

Bosco sighed, "I think you need to go to the ER," he replied in a concerned voice. "I'll take you."

"I'm getting my father to watch David and Ellie," Danielle replied firmly. "I'm coming too."

John groaned and laid down, closing his eyes as he did, "I'm dizzy," he said in a faint voice.

"David, go back to sleep," Danielle ordered firmly. "Maurice, go call for an ambulance."

Bosco nodded and hurried from the room, but David didn't go back to sleep. He silently watched as his mother gently took John's hands in her own and gently rubbed them to try and keep him calm.


Exhausted from going out that evening and from worrying about Ryan, Emily sighed as she gazed at the speakerphone that was on a table not far from where Marisol was standing, silently sipping a cup of tea that she had gotten to pass time as they waited for someone to call with news about Ryan.

James and Julliet were on a pull-out bed, surrounded by pillows and covered with a blanket as they slept soundly, the trauma of the evening temporarily forgotten because Emily had sung them to sleep before settling herself on the couch to rest. Marisol had quickly gotten her a warm blanket and soft pillow.

"I can't believe James and Julliet weren't scared off by my singing," Emily commented softly, her eyes focused on her sleeping children. "My voice is weak and I'm so tired that I probably sounded terrible."

Marisol sighed, "You sounded fine, Emily," she replied softly. "They were comforted by your voice."

Emily nodded and made herself comfortable, "I just hope the Speedles aren't angry at the mess."

"It wasn't your fault," Marisol replied in a compassionate voice. "They won't be angry with you."

Nodding, Emily laid down and within seconds, her eyes were closed and she was sound asleep.


Coral Gables Mansion

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN RYAN ESCAPED YOUR CAR?!" Bernard roared, struggling to control his temper as he sat in his recliner, glaring daggers up at Clavo and Ramon. "HOW COULD YOU TWO BE SO DUMB?!"

Ramon's eyes widened in shock, "We were on our way to your house with him when Clavo wanted to visit some girl that worked at his club," he explained in an anxious voice. "Ryan escaped then…"

"You idiot!" Clavo snapped, glaring at Ramon. "You wanted to see Jenessa and Jenny as much as I did!"

Bernard raised an eyebrow, "Jenny Wolfe?" he asked in a shocked voice. "She's barely legal!"

"Ah, Bernie, we have a problem," Ramon spoke up anxiously. "I accidentally shot Jenessa…"

Bernard's eyes widened as Ramon showed his bloody hands, "Where's the gun?" he snapped.

"Um, I sorta left it in a bush," Ramon stuttered anxiously. "I was so nervous about being caught."

Bernard closed his eyes and groaned, "I can't protect you and Eddie's in hiding," he replied softly, sighing heavily as a woman with dark hair and dark skin came into the room. "Ah, Doctor Price."

"Mister Marquez, I've come from Home Care with some things for your home and your medications," Dr. Tara Price, a woman who was trying to make her way in the medical world, said in a pleasant voice.

Bernard nodded and opened his eyes, "My friends will be more than happy to help you set up whatever things you have brought for me," he replied in a calm voice. "Clavo, Ramon, go help Doctor Price out."

Even though Dr. Price was slightly nervous about being alone with Clavo and Ramon, she nodded and led them out of the room. Bernard sighed heavily and then reached for the phone on the nearby stand.


"…We're about five minutes out…"

Warmth and shaking were the first things that John felt as he slowly came back into awareness and opened his eyes to see himself staring up at Carlos's face, "Hey John, welcome back," Carlos said in a gentle voice, giving John a reassuring smile. "Danielle, Bosco, John just woke up."

There was silence and John suddenly felt the gurney being raised and he saw not only Carlos, but his mother, and stepfather sitting in the back of an ambulance, "You scared the crap out of your mother and I, kiddo," Bosco commented in a concerned voice. "You passed out on the bed in your room."

"Wow," John commented groggily, frowning as he felt Carlos move something off his face and immediately replace it with tubes in his nose as well as add an IV to his hand. "Where are we?"

There was a sigh, "Angel of Mercy Hospital," Grace's voice came from the front of the ambulance.

John was quiet as Carlos and Grace unloaded him and rolled him into the Emergency Room while his parents followed close behind. Mary Proctor immediately came over to the gurney and crowd.

"Ah, young Mister Sullivan," Mary replied in a calm voice. "I guess you're not feeling too good?"

John sighed, "No ma'am," he replied groggily. "I guess I passed out in my bedroom at home."

Mary nodded and helped the group move the gurney into a Trauma Room, "Can you slide over to the other gurney?" she asked in a concerned voice, sighing as John slowly did as he was asked to do.

"Carlos, can you tell Tommy that I'm sorry and that he was right?" John asked in a groggy voice.

Carlos looked confused, but nodded, "Okay," he replied calmly. "I'm getting off pretty soon."

Nodding, John closed his eyes and sighed heavily, "I'll get a set of vitals," Mary said in a concerned voice as she saw Dr. Fields coming their way. "Can you tell me when you started feeling sick, John?"

"A couple days ago, I started feeling shaky at school," John replied weakly. "I tried to tell the school about it and asked to go home, but they wouldn't let me go and had me sit outside for lunch because they said cold air would help and that it was just nerves. Tommy sat with me so I wouldn't be alone."

Bosco's eyes widened in anger, "They what?" he asked in a shocked voice. "Danielle, can we talk?"

Danielle nodded and moved out into the hallway, leaving John in Dr. Fields' and Mary's care while Carlos and Grace left, "I know it'll be expensive, but I think we ought to get John into some sort of distance learning thing," Bosco said in a concerned voice. "I don't want him going to that school ever again."

"I've got that meeting this morning, unfortunately," Danielle replied softly. "Could you possibly...?"

Bosco nodded, "I'll go," he replied calmly, sighing as he saw Dr. Fields coming out. "Danni…"

"Officer and Mrs. Boscorelli, I'm going to be ordering blood tests and an x-ray, but I'm pretty sure that John caught the flu and a bit of bacterial pneumonia from exposure," Dr. Fields explained in a concerned voice. "He mentioned something about his school making him spend time outside in the cold weather?"

Danielle sighed and Bosco nodded, "I'll be taking care of it this morning," he replied in a sharp voice.

"Does he need a gown or can he have pajamas?" Danielle asked, suddenly concerned as to how John would feel at his scars being exposed by having to wear a gown. "He'd probably rather have scrubs…"

Dr. Fields nodded, "I'll have a nurse bring him some," he replied calmly. "You can go back in now."

Nodding, Bosco and Danielle went back into the trauma room and silently watched as Mary prepared a syringe while John paled considerably at the sight of it, "John, don't look at the needle," Bosco said in a gentle, but firm voice, seeing that John was ready to faint. "Focus on something more comforting."

Swallowing hard, John silently looked at his parents as Mary drew blood and put a cotton ball and band-aid over the site, "Can I get some clean pajamas or something?" John asked in a tired voice.

Before anyone could reply, another nurse came into the room holding a pair of green scrubs, "Doctor Fields said to give you these, Mister Sullivan," the nurse said in a calm voice, giving the scrubs to Danielle as she nervously lingered as close to the bed as she sensed John would allow. "Do you need help?"

"Ma'am, it's Sullivan-Boscorelli," John replied weakly. "I think my parents can help me, but thanks."

The nurse nodded and left, pulling the curtain around the bed as she left, "I'll take this blood to the lab while your parents help you change," Mary said in a calm voice. "Take your time and don't get up."

"Mom, you've got to get ready for your meeting," John said in a weak voice. "I can do this alone."

Danielle sighed, "We're staying," she replied firmly as she and Bosco began to help John undress.


Miami-Dade Police Department/Crime Lab Campus – Miami, Florida

Both grateful and sad that the investigation was now in the hands of the Crime Scene department, Bobby found himself outside of Rick's office and was surprised to see Rick asleep on the couch while his phone vibrated repeatedly on the desk. Frowning, Bobby entered the office and checked the phone.

B. Marquez and an envelope symbol were on the phone, but Bobby didn't touch the phone, nor did he check the message, "Rick, are you all right?" he asked in a gentle, but clear enough voice to wake Rick.

"Oh, Bobby, I was just taking a break," Rick replied in a groggy voice as he opened his eyes and sighed at seeing his brother-in-law there. "I was doing paperwork and I started hurting, so I took one of the ibuprofen I was prescribed for my injuries and I guess I ended up falling asleep on the couch."

Bobby nodded, but didn't say anything, "Is there something I need to know?" Rick asked softly.

"Ryan Wolfe was the victim of an attempted kidnapping by Clavo and Ramon Cruz just a few hours ago," Bobby replied in a somber voice. "A girl named Jenessa Williams was found murdered not long after…"

Rick's eyes widened, realizing that Bernard had probably sent Clavo and Ramon to kidnap Ryan for some reason that he didn't know about, "Clavo and Ramon tried to intimidate me before I was shot in New York, but I don't want anything to do with them now," he explained softly, cringing as he stood up and noticed that Hagen was lingering not far outside the office. "What is Hagen doing at the precinct?"

"Why wouldn't Detective Hagen be here?" Bobby asked in a confused voice. "He works here."

Rick frowned just as Hagen moved out of sight, "Bobby, Hagen was put on medical leave by the chief," he replied in a concerned voice. "I don't know the details, but he shouldn't be around the precinct."

"Hmm," Bobby replied in a concerned voice. "Anyway, do you want me to drive you home since you're obviously tired and didn't go home last night? If you had gone home, you wouldn't be here now."

Rick sighed, reached into his pocket, and tossed Bobby his keys, "I'll take a cab from your place," Bobby said in a gentle voice as Rick stood up. "Maybe I can get home in time to see BJ off to school."

As Bobby and Rick left Rick's office, they failed to notice that Hagen was silently watching them go and planning to follow them wherever they went.


Victims Assistance Office

"Ray?" Natalia called out softly, frowning as she entered the main office and found Ray's desk a mess of scattered papers and open desk drawers when his desk had usually been spotless and well-kept. "Ray?"

Ray came out of his closet holding a small cigarette in one hand and an advanced looking cell-phone in his hands while his jeans, blazer, and boots smelled of drugs, "Natalia, I need to talk to you," he said in a concerned, unusually anxious voice. "I heard that Ryan Wolfe fell in with Clavo and Ramon Cruz."

"Clavo and Ramon Cruz tried to kidnap him," Natalia replied in a sharp voice. "Ray, are you all right?"

Ray scoffed and took another puff, "I want Ryan's badge back," he replied in an anxious voice. "He's too unstable to work within the networks of Victims Assistance. If he's associated with criminals…"

"He was almost kidnapped by them," Natalia replied in a concerned voice. "I'm not revoking his badge."

Again, Ray scoffed, "Whatever," he replied, moving towards the doors. "I have work to do elsewhere."

Once Ray was gone, Natalia silently walked over to her neatly kept desk and scanned a small list that she kept next to the phone before finding a number. Swallowing hard, she silently picked up the phone.


Bellevue Mental Hospital – New York

Catherine scoffed as Gil's beeper went off and Danny scowled, "Really?" Danny snapped, glaring at Gil from the table where he and Gil had been sitting, talking with Catherine. "What's the beeper for?"

Ignoring Danny's question, Gil slipped out into the hallway and saw Mac hanging up his own cell-phone, "I just got a call from John Sullivan's grandfather and John's been taken to Angel of Mercy hospital with the flu and pneumonia," Mac explained in a stern voice. "I thought the kid had NYPD bodyguards?"

"They were assigned to patrol at some FDNY meeting today since nobody thought there would be any more issues with the kid," Mac replied calmly. "John's grandfather is going over to Angel of Mercy after he makes sure that David and Ellie get to school. His mother has to work and his stepfather does too."

Gil looked amused, "So Boscorelli married John's mother?" he replied in an intrigued voice. "Cool."

Mac scowled and Gil sighed, "The agreement was that either the NYPD or Victims Assistance had to be within range of the family at all times due to the investigation that will take place in Miami in January," Mac stated in a sharp voice. "I believe Davis and Finney were assigned to patrol them, but if they…"

"Davis and/or Finney will probably report to the hospital once the meeting's over, but John's grandfather will be good enough until someone can come," Gil replied calmly, refusing to be intimidated by Mac's words and demeanor. "Or did you forget that he was the one who convinced Catherine to not shoot John or anyone else that day at John's high school. John's grandfather is a retired beat cop."

Mac was quiet for a moment and then nodded, "Now, Catherine's been mentioning a lot about Rick Stetler and how she shot him because she wanted to protect him and wanted him to stop being involved," Gil said in a concerned voice. "We know that Clavo and Ramon kidnapped Catherine's daughter and supposedly sent her to Brazil, but do you think Rick's trying to find the girl himself?"

"I'll contact him and see if he wouldn't be up for a chat in a few days," Mac replied in a calm voice.

Gil nodded, "We'd best get back to Catherine," he replied nervously. "She's been alone too long."

"Do me a favor, Grissom, and don't try and get involved in Rick Stetler's interrogation because he's clearly trying to find Lindsay Willows," Mac snapped. "He'll probably have to come to New York."

As Mac went back into the room, Gil got on his phone to arrange for a quick trip to Miami so that he could handle talking to Rick Stetler before Mac and the NYPD decided to force him back to New York.

Just as Grissom hung up after booking a ticket to Miami for that afternoon, his cell-phone rang again, "Grissom," he said in a calm voice, answering it. "Natalia…you sound upset. Tell me what happened."


FDNY Headquarters

The clock hit nine a.m. as Danielle entered the room where the meeting was going to take place and was surprised to only see Walsh, D.K., Grace, Carlos, Ty, Brendan, and a few others from both the Camelot and Bed-Stuy firehouses as well as the chiefs over both districts, "Ah, Mrs. Boscorelli, come in," one of the chiefs said in a calm voice. "I believe you weren't informed of the change of plans, but my associates and I decided that this matter could be handled privately. Now, several complaints have been filed against Billy Walsh and, seeing as the departments have been short-handed, no action has been taken."

"I'm aware of that," Danielle replied softly. "I'm actually considering resigning from the squad."

There were several gasps, "The FDNY commission has talked and we're willing to shorten your hours to accommodate your other commitments," the chief said calmly. "Your pay was also docked as a result of Captain Walsh's dislike of cell-phone use during times when there aren't any calls; is that correct?"

"Yes, sir," Danielle replied calmly, ignoring the scowls that Walsh was sending her way.

The chief nodded, "As of today, Captain Walsh is going on paid medical leave and is hereby ordered to seek counseling until further notice," he replied calmly. "Grace Foster is hereby being promoted to Lieutenant and is going to be in charge of the 5-5 station. Danielle, you'll now ride with Carlos Nieto."

"Oh, you're kidding!" Walsh exclaimed in a shocked voice. "Grace Foster's not fit to be a Lieutenant!"

Grace flinched and Brendan quickly stepped forward, ready and willing to defend his girlfriend against what appeared to be a chauvinist pig. Ty, however, quickly grabbed Brendan's arm and held him.

"That's how it will be for now and we'll re-evaulate sometime in the new year," the chief replied in a firm voice as he glared at Walsh. "This meeting is over and you're all dismissed to go about your days."

Scowling, Walsh stormed out of the room and a few moments later, the door could be heard slamming. Danielle sighed and Grace offered her a reassuring smile.


Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida

"Thank you for getting me home," Rick commented as he and Bobby entered Rick's bungalow that looked as if it needed cleaning. "I apologize for the mess, but I can't keep up with the cleaning."

Bobby nodded and closed the door before helping Rick over to a couch that looked as if it had been made up as a temporary bed, "I'll call the chief later and let him know that I went home, but we agreed that I would be on limited duty until after the holidays," Rick explained as he sat and laid down.

"Do you want me to get you anything while I'm here?" Bobby asked in a gentle voice. "Pain meds?"

Rick sighed, "I just need some rest, I think," he replied tiredly. "Thank you, though."

Bobby nodded and silently wandered into the kitchen to make sure that Rick had enough to eat and that he was able to keep up with everything. To Bobby's surprise, the fridge wasn't that full, there were half-filled takeout containers scattered across the counters, and the sink was filled with dirty dishes.

Before he could get to work cleaning up the kitchen, however, there was a knock at the door and Bobby heard Rick get up to answer the door, "Is Detective Caine here?" he suddenly heard Hagen ask.

"He's not here," Bobby heard Rick say in an anxious voice. "Why are you even at my house, Hagen?"

There was silence and Bobby's eyes widened as he heard the cocking of a gun, "What are you doing?!" Rick yelled as Bobby ran to the kitchen doorway. "STOP! I WANT YOU OUT OF MY HOUSE NOW!"

"Don't lie to me," Hagen hissed as he pulled the trigger and shot Rick directly in the shoulder.

As Rick gripped his shoulder, Bobby unholstered his off-duty gun and came out into the living room with it pointed at Hagen, "Don't be stupid," Hagen growled, pointing his gun at Bobby. "You want him dead?"

"Detective Hagen, what do you want?" Bobby asked, lowering his gun. "Why are you here?"

Hagen sighed heavily, "I want to know why your uncle got me put on medical leave and told Tripp to take over your training," he replied, promptly kicking Rick in the leg. "I was doing just fine training you."

"You've been losing it since Ray Caine was killed," Stetler hissed, struggling to ignore his shoulder pain.

Snarling, Hagen cocked the gun again and swiftly shot Rick in the leg and thigh, causing Rick to howl in pain, "The next bullet will go through his heart if you don't cooperate with me, kid," he hissed.

"What do you want?" Bobby replied, holstering his weapon. "I don't want you killing Rick."

Waving his gun at Bobby, Hagen gestured to the door with his other hand, "We're going for a drive," he replied in an unusually dangerous tone. "You're going to drive and I'll talk until I tell you to stop."

"At least let me try and stop the bleeding," Bobby replied, quickly removing his jacket.

Hagen nodded and quickly threw his own jacket at Bobby, "Use that too," he replied gruffly.

Swallowing hard, Bobby quickly used his jacket to put Rick's shoulder in a sling and made sure that it was tied in a way that Rick's hand was pressing on the wound before securing Hagen's jacket against the wounds on Rick's leg. Rick groaned, but didn't say anything because it would put Bobby in danger.

Offering a silent prayer for his safety and that someone would find Rick before he bled to death, Bobby rose and silently walked over to Hagen. Cocking the gun, Hagen pointed outside and Bobby silently followed Hagen outside to where a Hummer, obviously stolen from the lab, was parked and running.

Hagen climbed into the front passenger seat and Bobby silently got in behind the wheel, not even bothering to touch his seatbelt in case it angered Hagen. As the Hummer took off, Rick used his good arm to pull himself across the floor to the end table where the phone was. Ignoring the pain in his body, he grabbed the cordless off the table, slowly dialed 9-1-1 with his free hand, and anxiously waited.


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