June

Seaside Bar

Dawn's rays shone through the dingy window of the seedy bar, yet Nick kept drinking and silently ignored the looks he was getting from the staff. He really hated Natalia right now.

The door suddenly opened and Nick didn't look up, as it was probably someone come to kick him out so they could clean. Clavo, who had come looking for a bar where he could drink in peace, instead came over to the bar and smacked the counter in search of a strong drink.

"Do you wanna make some money, buddy?" Clavo asked gruffly. "I need a favor."

Nick looked at Clavo skeptically and frowned when Clavo reached into his pocket and pulled out a small brick that had a letter tied around it, "Find Ricky Stetler and give this to him," Clavo spoke, his voice slurred from earlier drinking. "Do it and I promise you'll get lots of money."

The thought of money appealing, Nick took the brick and waited for further instruction.


Miami, Florida

"That's a lovely dress, Emily," Yelina spoke softly as she sat on the couch beside Emily in Emily's office at the Police Department, looking through photos of Emily in her dress. "It suits you."

Emily nodded, knowing that seeing the photos was helping Yelina to keep her mind off of the missing Ray Jr., "Did I give you an invitation?" she asked quietly. "I know they're all made."

"I plan to come," Yelina replied softly. "While I was in New York, I spent a lot of time with John Sullivan Senior and he told me that I needed to start living and keeping my mind busy."

Emily sighed and looked at a message on her computer that she had just gotten that morning, "Tommy's trial will be happening at the same time as the wedding and Danielle Boscorelli has to come and testify about his violent behavior before the ambush," she replied, gazing back at Yelina. "Bosco can't come with her because he needs to be with the kids, so Sully is going to."

Yelina's eyes twinkled, as Sully had confided in her about it. "How are you doing since you've been back from New York, anyway?" Emily asked quietly. "I haven't seen you very much."

"I've been a little under the weather, so I've mostly been staying home and keeping an eye on Bobby's children so he is free to go to school and do a bit of part-time work for the department," Yelina replied quietly. "He's at the university working on a Criminalistics degree and it shouldn't take long because his credits from before he got married are still applicable."

There was a silence and Yelina sighed heavily, "I…I also found out that I'm pregnant," she continued in a quiet voice, a smile forming on her lips. "John Senior and I were intimate."

"Congratulations," Emily replied quietly, smiling at her. "Have you told Sully about it yet?"

Yelina blushed, "I know he's coming, so I will get the opportunity to tell him in person," she replied in a pleasant voice. "I never thought that I'd be able to have another after…"

Swallowing hard, Yelina sighed, "I think about Ray Junior often," she admitted quietly. "John Senior and I have talked a lot about him and when Ray Junior is found, he would like to adopt him as his own should we decide to marry. I know his family accepts our relationship…"

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Yelina rose anxiously, "I should get back to work," she spoke gently. "Please let me know when John Sullivan Senior comes to Miami."

Emily nodded and Yelina opened the door, unsurprised when she saw Horatio on the other side. Neither spoke, but Yelina offered Horatio a smile in hopes to cheer his somber mood.

"Miss Wolfe, I was wondering if I could seek counseling?" Horatio asked in a quiet voice.

Emily nodded and Horatio silently closed the door and made himself comfortable on the couch, "How are you doing, Lieutenant?" she asked quietly, seeing little but sadness in his eyes.

"It's been hard," Horatio admitted quietly. "I keep dreaming about that terrible day."

Emily nodded, but said nothing, "Marisol died trying to protect an innocent girl from her abusive father and I can't necessarily be angry at that," Horatio replied quietly. "As far as I know, Tommy Wolfe is being held in prison until Danielle Boscorelli can come testify and I am very glad that she is not coming alone. I hope, despite this, I am still welcome at your wedding."

"Horatio, you are dear to both Tim and I," Emily replied gently. "Of course you are welcome."

Horatio nodded, "Marisol…Marisol had redrafted her will recently and she left you some money with the stipulation that you were to use it to make life better for your family or even add on to it if that is something you and Speed ever consider doing," he spoke shakily. "I have the document in my office that makes it official, but I wanted you to be aware of it."

"I don't understand," Emily replied in a confused voice. "You…you were Marisol's husband."

Horatio smiled, "Marisol was very aware that you used a great deal of your personal savings to help the Sullivan-Boscorelli family," he replied calmly. "She wanted to give you thanks."

"I wish I could thank her," Emily replied, sighing as Horatio reached into his jacket, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to her. "I'll send the kids to a good school with this money, but I can do that after I'm done work for the day. Now, are you wanting to tell me how you're really doing?"

Horatio smiled and then slowly, he began to reflect on how he had been feeling recently.


New York, New York

"Mom, why can't I go?" John asked as he watched Danielle silently pack a suitcase and backpack for the trip to Miami she was taking soon. "I can protect you really well."

Danielle sighed, "John, you're only 16 and you need to be here to help with David and Ellie," she replied patiently. "You also have to get yourself ready to go to university this fall."

"I can't believe I got accepted into a Criminalistics program," John replied quietly.

Danielle smiled, "John, you've always been very bright for your age," she commented gently. "I believe that you'll be able to do great things. Your past does not have to define what you do."

John nodded and Danielle sighed, promptly sitting on her bed, "I can't believe Miami wants me to come down despite being very pregnant," she said in a tired voice. "I hate flying as it is."

Before John could reply, a sleepy looking Ellie came into the bedroom and crawled on the bed, "Ellie, bug, you shouldn't be up so early," Danielle spoke gently. "Today's no school."

Nodding, Ellie crawled into bed, "I wanted to say bye," she spoke sleepily. "I love you."

"Oh, my baby girl, I love you too," Danielle replied softly. "Will you behave for your dad?"

Ellie nodded, "David's a little wheezy this morning, so I told him to stay in bed," John stated.

"He's been wheezy for two days because he doesn't want me to go, but I have to," Danielle replied in a concerned voice. "I should only be a few days and then Grandpa and I will come back home and we'll be a family again. In the meantime, please listen to your father."

Just then, the front door opened and Bosco came in wearing his uniform, "I managed to get off early," he called out in a tired voice. "Danielle, Sully's all packed and is coming over soon."

Sighing, Danielle swallowed hard and continued to quietly pack while John and Ellie watched.


Miami, Florida

"I brought your uniform," Tim called out as he approached Emily's office door, having gotten Emily's uniform dry cleaned as a surprise for the ceremony in a few days. "I figured you might want it…"

As Tim opened the door, he stopped in mid-sentence as he saw Emily seated on the couch, silently crying as she held an envelope in her hands, "What?" he asked in a worried voice.

"Marisol left me money," Emily spoke shakily. "So…so that we could care for our family."

Tim looked surprised, but nodded, "I…I'm not sure if I can have any more children naturally because of all the treatment," Emily spoke shakily. "I know how much you want children…"

"And I'll have them once we get married," Tim replied softly. "If that's all we have, it's okay."

Emily sighed heavily, "I'm so tired," she spoke softly, putting the envelope in her bag.

"I'm on duty, but I don't mind being your pillow for a bit," Tim replied quietly. "Rest."

As Emily moved her bag to the floor so she could lie down, Horatio suddenly returned looking somewhat concerned, "Speed, we've got a case," he said in an urgent tone. "It's Stetler…"

Tim's eyes widened in surprise, "A brick was thrown through his son's bedroom this morning and Rick says that a letter was tied to it," Horatio replied anxiously. "It's fairly serious."

"I was going to go to the airport with Emily to pick up Danielle Boscorelli and her father, H," Tim replied in a concerned voice. "I know I sound overprotective, but I want someone with Emily."

There was a heavy silence as Horatio tried to figure out a solution, "Horatio, I can go to the airport with Emily," Yelina spoke, having overheard the conversation on her way to ask Emily for another appointment. "I don't mind and I would like to talk to John Sullivan anyway."

"Thank you, Yelina," Horatio replied kindly, gesturing for Tim to follow him outside.

Nodding, Tim sighed and gently planted a kiss on Emily's lips before heading off to work.


Coconut Grove

Horatio frowned as he and Speed arrived at the scene in a department Hummer; police cars were everywhere, but everyone seemed to be focused on two figures next door to Bobby's. A window on the second level of the house was badly broken, but nobody seemed to care.

As they got out of the Hummer, Tim suddenly noticed that there was a figure standing in the broken window, silently watching the action below, "ANY MORE COPS AND I'LL BLOW HER HEAD OFF!" Horatio suddenly heard someone yell. "I WANT RICK STETLER RIGHT NOW!"

Deeply concerned, Horatio and Tim joined the throng of police and were horrified to see that Nick had Natalia around the neck with a gun pressed to her head, "Frank," Horatio said tightly, quickly recognizing Frank in the throng. "We got a call that a brick had been thrown..."

"Nick, please," Natalia gasped, trying to loosen Nick's grip. "I…I promise you it wasn't…"

Nick growled and glared at the throng of police before moving the gun away from her head to point it at everyone, "Who should I pop off first, Natalia?!" he growled. "Go ahead and pick…"

Without any warning, a bullet came out of nowhere and knocked Nick backwards and Natalia forwards, "Natalia!" Horatio said in an anxious voice as he hurried over to his fallen CSI.

"I…I'm all right," Natalia gasped anxiously as she slowly got up. "What…what happened?"

It was then that Tripp noticed Bobby silently lingering in the second floor's broken window with his hands on his off-duty weapon, "Horatio, looks like your nephew took matters into his own hands," he said in an impressed voice, noting that Bobby looked rather somber about shooting.

"Is…Nick..?" Natalia asked shakily as she looked over at Nick and saw him lying in blood.

Horatio frowned as Bobby disappeared from view, "I heard a window shatter next door and some loud screaming earlier," Natalia explained anxiously. "I had something to eat quick and when I came out to go next door to see what was going on, Nick grabbed me and said a lot…"

"Is anyone else hurt?" Horatio asked in a concerned voice. "What about Rick or the kids?"

Just then, the front door opened and Ryan came out holding the brick and note in evidence bags with Rick at his heels, "Mister Wolfe," Horatio said calmly. "How long have you…?"

"I've assigned Ryan to this case, Horatio," Rick interrupted. "He understands the situation."

Horatio frowned, but said nothing, "It has to do with Lindsey," Rick continued in a whisper.

"Rick believes that Bernard sent someone to get the note to Rick," Ryan explained in a nervous voice, ignoring the suspicious looks he was getting from the officers. "I'm related to Bernard and he's more likely to talk to me than anyone else because I'm Emily's brother."

Horatio glared at Ryan, "You could also put yourself in danger," he replied in a dark voice.

"I'm willing to risk myself for a child," Ryan replied firmly. "If anyone else tried to go…"

Ryan swallowed hard, "If anyone else tried to go, Lindsey might get killed," he finished.

"I…I could go with you," Tim spoke hesitantly. "I've met Bernard before."

Horatio's eyebrows rose, but he didn't say anything and frowned when he suddenly saw a van come speeding down the street towards the scene, "RUN!" he shouted in an anxious voice.

Everyone scattered and the vehicle suddenly slowed as the van door slid open near Ryan. Before anyone could react, two masked figures burst from the van, grabbed Ryan, and forced him back to the van and into it. Shouting filled the air as the van revved up and sped off.

"That van…must have followed Nick," Natalia spoke anxiously as she hurried to Horatio.

Stetler swore loudly as he marched over to the group of officers, "Get out there and comb every little bit of Miami to find CSI Wolfe!" he barked angrily. "Anyone who doesn't is fired!"

"Rick?" Bobby asked as he suddenly came out of the house. "I heard a bunch of yelling…"

Horatio frowned as Bobby presented him his off-duty gun in a bag, "For evidence," Bobby explained in a shaky voice. "I…I'm not sorry I did that. I had to do something or else…"

"A van showed up and scattered the crowd," Horatio replied softly. "Ryan was abducted."

Bobby frowned, "I'll be calling for Calliegh and Delko to come and sort out what happened with the shooting and the car," Horatio spoke firmly. "You should go be with your children."

Nodding, Bobby silently made his way over to Natalia and watched as she shakily talked to Tripp about what happened. Horatio watched with deep intrigued as the three of them talked before Bobby put an arm around Natalia and silently walked her into the safety of his house.


Manhattan, New York

"Danielle, can I have a favor?" Danielle suddenly heard Carlos call out as she and her father came outside to get the taxi and saw Carlos's rig parked down the street. "Please?"

Deeply confused, Danielle nodded and watched as Carlos took out a ziploc bag that contained envelopes bearing very messy writing, "Can you give this to Miami-Dade PD?" Carlos asked.

Sully frowned, "Carlos, what kind of trouble is this?" he asked in a concerned voice.

"I…I've been getting letters for the past few weeks from Bernard Marquez," Carlos stated in a nervous voice. "He somehow figured out I was down in Miami when Kylie was taken…"

Sully silently took the bag and slipped it into his carry-on bag, "Why is Bernard Marquez writing you?" he asked in a concerned voice, wondering if Bernard was angry at Carlos over Kylie.

"He was a foster kid supervisor over this group home I was in and he was fired when he tried to get me to do bad stuff and I told on him," Carlos replied nervously. "I guess he remembered me and he somehow found out my address. Holly's so freaked out over this."

Danielle frowned, "What has Bernard been asking you to do, Carlos?" she asked softly.

"He keeps asking me to come to Miami and help him," Carlos replied shakily. "He's dying."

Sully's eyes widened, "I've just been holding on to the letters because I don't know what to do about this," Carlos said in an anxious voice. "If I do anything, he might come after my family…"

"I'll get this to the MDPD," Sully promised in a worried voice. "Are you going to be okay?"

Carlos shrugged, "I tried to take it to the NYPD and they brushed it off, saying that it's not a crime for people to write each other," he replied worriedly. "I…I have to go."

Swallowing hard, Carlos went back to the ambulance and Sully quickly loaded the taxi's trunk with their bags before helping Danielle into the taxi, "Let's go," he said in a concerned voice.


Miami-Dade Police Department

"What do you mean Ryan was abducted?" Emily asked in a sharp voice as she sat at a table with Horatio, Tripp, and Yelina in the CSI conference room. "He wasn't even on duty until later."

Horatio sighed, "Apparently, Ryan was over at Robert's home talking to Rick and Rick and Ryan were both outside when a van tried to run everyone on scene over," he explained patiently, distressed over the situation. "Ryan was abducted by whoever was in the van…"

Emily sighed heavily, "You said earlier that a brick with a note on it was thrown through a window at Robert's house?" she asked in a worried voice. "What exactly was the note?"

"Speed is reading the note," Horatio replied. "Callieigh is processing the shooting and also the van's traces. Delko is talking to Rick about the contents of the note, but Rick is stubborn."

Emily nodded, "Bernard," she replied quietly. "It probably has something to do with him."

Horatio frowned, deeply confused, "I'm about to break confidentiality, but I think it needs to be done," Emily spoke in a somber voice. "Bernard knows where Rick's daughter is hidden because he is the one who kidnapped her along with some of his friends. Rick's been to see me over it."

Suddenly, a loud crash filled the air and Horatio frowned when he saw Rick on the floor of the next interview room, holding a hand on his chest while Eric tried to help. Instinctively, Horatio bolted out of his chair and over to the other interview room to see what happened.

"…If you call paramedics, Delko, you're fired," Rick wheezed anxiously. "Just…a panic…attack."

Eric frowned and reluctantly got his phone out of his pocket as Rick vomited on his shoes and sank to the floor in a state of semi-consciousness, "Eric," Horatio spoke sternly. "Call them."

Nodding, Eric quickly fired off a call to 9-1-1, "Stetler was telling me about the brick and the note and about how Lenny was crying because of what happened," he explained in a concerned voice. "Stetler said he felt shaky when it happened, but he had to talk to Ryan…."

"Horatio, I'm fine," Rick spoke in a faint voice, not moving. "Just…Just help me sit up."

Before Horatio could protest, Rick pulled himself into a sitting position and slouched against the wall, "Delko already called for paramedics, Rick," Horatio stated calmly. "Please just wait."

"I developed hypoglycemia in prison because it wasn't safe for me to eat," Rick replied shakily.

There were footsteps and Horatio was surprised when Emily came into the room holding out a granola bar, "Take this and sit there for a few minutes," she instructed in a firm voice.

Rick sighed, took the granola bar, and sighed as he bit into it, "Thank you," he spoke softly.


New York

"So Danielle and Sully left this morning, huh?" Carlos asked as he and Grace sat in their open rig near where Bosco was parked, chatting with Bosco and sharing coffee. "Do you miss her?"

Bosco scoffed, "Of course I miss Danielle," he replied incredulously. "She's my wife."

"Sully seemed awfully excited to be going," Grace commented slyly. "Him and Detective…"

Suddenly, a car came driving down the street that stopped beside the rig, blocking the ambulance in. Two men completely clad in leather stepped out and walked over to Carlos and Grace, "You Carlos Nieto?" the smaller of the two men asked, giving Carlos a look.

"Yeah," Carlos replied in a confused voice, frowning as the men suddenly lunged at him, slamming him into the open door of the rig before slamming him into the road. "HEY!"

Grace started forward, but Bosco quickly drew his gun and fired a warning shot at the ground near the scuffle. Carlos tried to throw the guys off, but one punched him hard in the ribs, causing him to howl in pain. Swearing, Bosco aimed at the bigger guy and fired two shots.

As the big guy fell on to Carlos dead, the smaller guy jumped in the car before Bosco could shoot again, "Bernard misses you!" he shouted as he sped away from the scene.

Bosco quickly holstered his gun and helped Holly haul the bigger guy off of Carlos, who was semi-conscious with a shaking hand over his ribs while one was pressed against his forehead while he lay in blood that was seeping from a bullet wound in the bigger guy's head.

"Holly…," Carlos gasped in a pained voice, deeply shaken by the fight and the words.

Grace quickly grabbed the medical bag from the ambulance so she could help Carlos.


Mercy Hospital

Fear filled Holly as she entered the Emergency Room with Kim nearly two hours later after getting a call from Grace that Carlos had been badly hurt during work. Kim had left Joey and Camille with Jimmy and had helped Grace get Tommy and Kylie from school before coming.

"Mom, stop crying," Tommy said in an anxious voice as he hugged his mother. "Dad's…"

Holly swallowed hard and held Tommy and Kylie close, frowning when Mary Proctor came out of a trauma room over to them, "Mrs. Nieto?" she asked calmly. "Come with me, please."

"Come here, Kylie and Tommy," Kim said, taking Tommy and Kylie's hands in her own.

Holly fought back tears as she followed Mary into the trauma room, deeply relieved when she saw that Bosco was there along with Dr. Fields and a guy with a badge she didn't know. Carlos was laying on a gurney with a hospital gown and blanket covering him up to the neck while IV's and machines surrounded one side of the gurney, "Carlos," Holly spoke tearfully, gently touching the bandage that was wrapped around his forehead. "Grace said you were hurt…"

"Holly, it wasn't a random attack," Carlos spoke in a pained voice. "I…."

Holly frowned and Carlos whimpered, prompting a nurse to quickly administer some pain medication through one of the IV lines, "Mrs. Nieto, my name is Gil Grissom," Grissom said in a quiet voice. "I'm the Director for Victims Assistance Services here in the United States."

"Victim?" Holly replied in a confused voice. "Didn't you help rescue Kylie last year?"

Grissom nodded, "Based on the description of events that Officer Boscorelli provided, we believe that Bernard Marquez sent two guys up here to try and kidnap Carlos," he replied.

Holly's eyes widened, "What would Kylie's abductor want with Carlos?" she asked worriedly.

Suddenly, Carlos sat up, turned his head, and vomited on the floor before cringing and looking down at the shoulder sling holding his right arm, "I think I have a skull fracture and a bad concussion," he said in a tired voice. "I've got five broken ribs, I had a dislocated shoulder til Bosco popped it back in, and my back's absolutely killing me from being slammed into the rig door and thrown on the street. I…I'm probably going to be spending a few days in the hospital."

"I don't understand why Bernard Marquez would want you," Holly repeated worriedly.

Carlos gave Grissom a look and nodded before wincing, "Lie down, Carlos," Mary said in an anxious voice, gently helping Carlos lie back down. "Try not to move your head around. If you move your head around, your skull fracture might worsen."

Holly looked at Grissom, deeply confused, "Years ago when the program was just brand new, New York called me about this kid in a group home who reported inappropriate behavior by a supervisor to the police," Grissom replied in a quiet voice. "That kid was Carlos Nieto."

Bosco frowned and swore under his breath as he realized what Grissom meant by 'inappropriate behavior,' "Bernard Marquez was the supervisor and he ended up being charged with assault, embezzlement, theft, and sexual assault of a minor," Grissom said grimly.

Tears filled Carlos's eyes and Holly gently kissed his face and forehead, "You brave soul," Holly whispered softly, gently wiping Carlos's tears with her hands. "I'm so, so sorry, Carlos."

"I called NYPD Anti-Crime and they'll be coming to talk to you," Bosco spoke quietly.

Dr. Fields sighed and made some notes on the chart, "We're going to move him upstairs now," he said in a calm voice even though he too was shaken. "You can go with him if you want."

Holly nodded and held tight to Carlos's left hand when the medical staff rolled Carlos out of the trauma room, "Someone should call Sully," Bosco said numbly. "Just to check on things."

"Warrick's down there and he'll be proving backup," Grissom replied in a quiet voice.


Miami-Dade International Airport

Sully sighed as he stepped off of the plane and saw that Danielle was already off and at a food kiosk drinking tea with her carry on suitcase at her feet, "Thirsty?" he asked, walking over.

"I'm just a little tired," Danielle replied quietly. "And it's hotter than crap outside."

Sully nodded and grabbed Danielle's bag, "Let's get one of those cart things," he said.

"Dad, walking's good for me right now," Danielle replied quietly. "I'm fine."

Sully sighed and nodded, taking it slow as they walked to the front area of the airport where Yelina waited with Warrick, who was on the phone, "John," Yelina spoke with a smile as she hugged Sully and then Danielle. "Danielle, I'm glad you were able to get here safely."

"What's happened?" Danielle asked in a concerned voice, seeing that Warrick looked upset.


Mercy Hospital – New York

Kim sighed, her arms around Tommy and Kylie as she entered Carlos's hospital room and saw Holly sitting beside the bed as close as she could to Carlos with their hands interlocked. Carlos was lying in bed with his eyes closed while the machine monitoring his pulse and rates beeped.

"Dad looks really bad, Aunt Kim," Tommy whispered quietly. "Who beat him up?"

Kim shrugged and Kylie went over to Holly, who scooped her up into her lap immediately, "Jimmy's dropping the kids with my mom and he's going to bring you guys some supper," she spoke quietly, frowning as Carlos suddenly cringed and fumbled for the pain button that was attached to a medication machine. "I think Carlos is hurting again, Holly…"

Holly's eyes widened and she quickly put the pain button into Carlos's hand and helped him press it, prompting Carlos to let out a sleepy sigh of relief, "Carlos screamed in pain on the way up, so Dr. Fields put in a central line," she explained softly. "He's on some strong pain meds because he has five broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a back injury, a slight skull fracture, and a bad concussion. Grace is already filing the paperwork so he'll get paid while off the job."

"…Carlos is trying to sleep and can hear everything you're saying," Carlos mumbled in a groggy voice as he opened his eyes and saw Kim and his children. "You should be doing homework."

Tommy scoffed and knelt down, "It doesn't make any sense why someone would just attack you out of the blue, Dad," he replied in a worried voice. "Officer Bosco said that's what happened."

"Well, I had a past before I became your and Kylie's dad, Tommy," Carlos replied groggily.

Kim frowned and Holly gently squeezed Carlos's wrist, "Kylie, baby, do you remember when those bad men hurt you in Florida last year?" Carlos asked, gazing tiredly at Kylie.

Kylie nodded, her eyes sad, "Well, when I was a lot younger and lived in a group home because I didn't have any parents, a bad man hurt me really badly," Carlos spoke in a groggy voice, trying to keep from crying. "I told the police about it and the bad man ended up getting in a lot of trouble for what he did to me. The bad man sent some of his friends to beat me up."

"I'm sorry, Daddy," Kylie replied softly as she crawled on the bed. "Can I kiss you better?"

Carlos smiled groggily, "I would love a Kylie kiss, but be gentle because Daddy's really sore," he replied in a tired voice, unaware that Ty had arrived and had heard the conversation.

Kylie nodded and gently kissed Carlos on the forehead and the nose before crawling off of the bed. Kim was near tears and made herself sit in a chair before she gave a knee-jerk reaction.

"Dad, I'm sorry," Tommy apologized, unsure of what to say. "What can I do to help?"

Carlos sighed, "Kim, can you take Tommy and Kylie for water and visits to the bathroom and see if Jimmy's here yet?" he asked tiredly, wanting to talk to Ty without the kids in the room.

Kim nodded, got up, and took Kylie and Tommy from the room, "So you finally talked about it with others besides me, did you?" Ty asked quietly as he sat down near the hospital bed.

Holly gave Ty a look and Carlos sighed, "We were roommates for a while as you know and I came home one day to Carlos heavily drunk and crying," Ty explained quietly. "We talked about what happened and I shuttled him to support groups when we were both off shift."

"I sent the letters to Miami with Sully," Carlos spoke groggily. "When they left this morning."

Ty nodded, "Anti-Crime thought that you might like a bodyguard for at least tonight, so I'm kinda here for a while if you want a break, Holly," he offered in a worried voice.

"I don't need to take water or food breaks," Holly replied firmly. "I'm staying here."

Ty looked surprised, "I lost the baby a week ago," Holly replied softly. "Miscarried."

Carlos sighed sleepily, prompting Holly to gently brush his hair out of his face, "I have to sleep," he mumbled as he closed his eyes. "I don't think I'll wake up if the kids come back today."

"It's fine, honey," Holly replied softly, frowning when Brendan came into the room.

Brendan swore at the sight of Carlos, "Grace wasn't kidding," he mused darkly.

"Brendan, shh," Holly spoke quietly, touching Carlos's face. "Carlos needs rest."


Coral Gables – Miami, Florida

"…My associate just phoned me and we will be without the help of young Carlos, so you will have to tend Ryan's injuries by yourself," Ryan heard Bernard speak through the darkness.

Light suddenly flooded the room and Ryan found that he was handcuffed to a pipe in a dirty boiler room, "Ryan, you decided to once again stick your nose where it doesn't belong and help Rick with something I told him to do BY HIMSELF!" Bernard roared as he struck Ryan in the face.

"Rick's gonna find Lindsey," Ryan gasped, his voice filled with pain. "The fact that you're so angry about it tells me that you don't even know if she's with your goons anymore."

Bernard swore and kicked Ryan hard in the chest, causing his cuffed wrist to twist and snap as he fell backward, "I have control of gangsters ALL OVER THIS EARTH," he snapped angrily.

"Like you actually care about kids after what you did to Carlos Nieto and after you killed your own daughter!" Ryan snapped ferociously, earning himself a boot to the jaw. "OW!"

Bernard roared with fury, picked up a piece of extra pipe and began to thrash Ryan with it, alternating between his face, his legs, and his torso enough that Ryan felt intense pain, "Maybe I can actually do some damage to you this time!" he shouted with each hit. "I know I wasn't Emily's first and I never knew if the brat was mine or not, so SHUT UP ABOUT IT!"

"You shouldn't be screaming and beating me with your bad heart," Ryan sputtered.

Bernard's eyes widened in shock, "I'm going to die anyway and why not smash your sister's delicate heart by killing you first?!" he snapped in an irritated voice. "It will be so fun!"

Feeling energized, Bernard raised the crowbar and brought it down on Ryan's handcuffed hand, laughing as several loud pops filled the room. Unable to tolerate the pain, Ryan passed out cold.


Victims Assistance Condos

The condo was large, but in a very secure building and Danielle immediately got on the phone to New York to check on Bosco and their kids. While she was on the phone, Warrick quietly filled Yelina and Sully in about Bernard trying to abduct Carlos and severely injuring him, but Danielle had overheard and had insisted on being involved in the conversation, ending her call with a promise to John, David, Ellie, and Maurice that she would call back.

"Carlos gave me an evidence bag of unopened letters that Bernard had been trying to send him," Sully said in a concerned voice. "When we go to the PD, I'm turning them all over."

Warrick nodded, "Grissom says that Victims Assistance and the NYPD figured out that the guys were there to try and abduct Carlos at Bernard's bidding and Officer Boscorelli will be getting a commendation for stopping the kidnapping," he explained calmly. "I've also put in a call to the MDPD about the situation and they'll do what they can, but they're dealing with the abduction of one of their officers by more of Bernard's men; Officer Ryan Wolfe was kidnapped today while investigating an attempted attack on Detective Caine's home."

Sully's eyes widened in shock, "John, this is probably not the best time, but I need to tell you something," Yelina spoke in a nervous voice, taking her hand in his own. "Please just listen to me finish before you speak."

Warrick paused and Danielle suddenly smiled as if she knew, "John, I'm pregnant and I know for certain that it's yours," Yelina spoke in a quiet voice, smiling nervously as Sully's eyes widened in surprise. "Say something."

Deeply shocked and enthusiastic at the same time about the news, Sully responded by gently kissing Yelina.


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