July 31

Las Vegas Crime Lab/Victims Assistance Main Headquarters – Las Vegas

"Gris, you wanted to see me?" Grissom heard a kind voice ask from the doorway.

Grissom looked up from his paperwork and smiled as he saw Nick Stokes, who had left his shift early to attend counseling appointments that he had been attending for the last few years without anyone's knowledge, "Have a seat, Nick," he replied calmly. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

Nick quietly sat, "You seem to take off an hour before your shift ends," Grissom observed softly.

"Um," Nick replied nervously, knowing he was busted. "I have another appointment then."

Grissom raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, "Don't say it has anything to do with Victims Assistance because I'm the head of it and I know everything that's happening in it," he finally replied firmly.

Nick sighed and looked at the floor, "I go to early morning counseling," he admitted quietly.

Grissom's eyes narrowed in confusion, "Is that a code word for something illegal?" he asked quietly.

"No, Gris, it's actual counseling," Nick replied nervously. "I've been going since after Danielle moved."

Grissom's eyes widened, "Danielle Sullivan?" he asked in a shocked voice. "What happened that…?"

"You know I helped them pack up and escape, but what you didn't know is that Edward Addison found out it was me who helped," Nick replied, not daring to look up. "Edward…he paid me a little visit…"

The way that Nick mentioned the visit prompted Grissom to flinch, "He…he knocked me out cold, tied me to my bed, and when I woke up, he…" Nick spoke, his voice shaking badly. "You can figure it out."

"And you never reported it," Grissom finished softly. "Because you wanted to protect the Sullivans."

Nick nodded, too ashamed to look up, "Victims Assistance people aren't supposed to end up victims," he spoke in a shaking voice. "I made Greg get the kit and he stashed it in evidence if you want it."

"Well, at least you did that much," Grissom replied quietly. "A lot…a lot simply wash it away."

Nick shrugged, "Greg and I were supposed to hang out that night anyway and he showed up when I was getting dressed and he stopped me before I could," he replied quietly. "He ran me to a hospital and lied that he found me in pain and some nightshift doc did a rape kit and Greg managed to get a hold of it."

"I don't give a crap about evidence preservation, Nick; I give a crap about you," Grissom replied calmly, sighing as Nick started crying. "Stay here and do breathing exercises and I need to go see Greg."

Nick nodded and continued to cry as Grissom got up and left, locking Nick inside the office so that he wouldn't be tempted to bolt. Silently cursing himself for not noticing the odd behaviors sooner, Grissom silently made his way to where he knew Greg was finishing up his work at the end of the shift.

"Greg," Grissom spoke quietly as he saw the young CSI packing up his work. "A word?"

Greg nodded eagerly and looked up at Grissom, "Nick's locked in my office right now and he told me some very interesting things," Grissom said calmly. "He said he was assaulted by Edward Addison…"

Paling, Greg nodded slowly, "It took me a year to talk him into seeing a therapist," he admitted softly.

Grissom nodded, "The evidence is in the locker under a codename," Greg replied. "Broken Heart."

"Go get it and bring it to my office right now," Grissom replied firmly. "Don't do anything else."

Without waiting for a response, Grissom returned to his office, unlocked it, and was surprised to see Nick asleep on the couch with his arms wrapped around himself for warmth. A box of tissues was in his lap and used tissues littered the floor, telling Grissom that Nick had tired himself out crying about it.

Grissom silently returned the box to his desk, got into his closet, and got a blanket out that he kept on hand in case he ever needed a rest during a shift. He silently unfolded it and draped it over Nick.

"…Wha?" Nick asked groggily, not waking from his sleep. "Gris, this…this is your blanket…"

Grissom sighed, "Just sleep for now and we'll talk later," he spoke gently. "I have paperwork."

Nick relaxed and as he slept, Grissom sat behind his desk and silently accessed his email account that he used to keep in contact with Natalia. He knew that he had to tell her about what happened to Nick.

Delavida Cemetery - Miami

Bernard's coffin sat at in front of a marble tombstone, ready to be lowered into the earth while Tim, Emily, and a quiet looking Jesse Cardoza stood nearby while Ryan sat in a chair with sunglasses over his face, wanting to be there for his sister even though he was feeling sick from his first chemo session.

As the small group stood there, a Hummer pulled up to the curb and Emily was surprised when Horatio got out and helped a shaky looking Carlos and Holly out of the backseat. Carlos leaned heavily on Horatio and Holly as the three made their way over to the grave, "Are we late?" Carlos asked softly.

Ryan immediately tensed up at seeing Horatio, as his cancer would become less of a secret and he would be advised to take sick leave. Horatio, meanwhile, eyed Ryan with concern because he recognized sickness when he saw it and knew that it must be an effort for the younger man to be here.

Emily knelt down beside Ryan, who was starting to tremble, "Are you all right?" she asked softly.

"Just bury the body so I can go home," Ryan replied softly. "This isn't about me today."

Emily sighed, "I'm going to throw up," Ryan admitted softly. "I need to find some bushes."

Nodding, Emily helped Ryan stand up and the two of them moved across the grass to a pile of bushes just outside of the rows of headstones. Ryan knelt down and began to vomit into the clean bushes.

"Here," Emily said softly, reaching into her bag and pulling out a bottle of vitamin water. "Drink it."

Ryan silently wiped his mouth and accepted the water, but stayed where he was, "I should have taken you home so you could rest," Emily spoke softly, gently rubbing his back. "Did you want to go now?"

"Can't just leave in the middle of the funeral," Ryan replied in a tired voice. "It's…"

Ryan suddenly trailed off and puked several more times, "I'm taking you home and you're going to bed," Emily replied firmly. "I know you want to support me and I appreciate that, but you need to rest."

Swallowing hard, Ryan sighed and allowed Emily to help him up, "Hey, Ryan, are you all right?" he suddenly heard Carlos ask in a tired voice as he heard footsteps approach. "Chemo treatment?"

"Yeah," Ryan replied quietly. "I thought you were released to go back to New York?"

Carlos nodded, "I heard about this and decided to come to make peace with myself," he replied. "I might take a couple of days to just mentally adjust before I go home. You should be resting."

Ryan sighed, but only managed to make it a few steps from the bushes before his legs gave out and he collapsed to the grass semi-conscious, weak and shaky from vomiting so much. Carlos immediately got down on the grass and rolled Ryan on to his side while Holly quickly got her phone out and called 9-1-1.

"What happened?" Horatio asked in a concerned voice as he walked over to Emily. "Emily?"

Emily sighed as she knelt down beside Ryan, "H, I'll explain things," Tim said, walking over to them.

JFK International Airport – New York

"Officer Boscorelli?"

Exhausted from getting to the airport earlier that morning and flying home, Bosco sighed and opened his eyes to find a flight attendant standing by his seat with a wheelchair, "Your wife came off and said you required assistance," the flight attendant explained calmly. "She and your family are inside."

Nodding, Bosco slowly got to his feet and instinctively looked for his bag, but found nothing, "Your family has your bag, sir," the flight attendant said calmly. "If you'll just take a seat…"

Bosco nodded and sat in the wheelchair, keeping quiet as he was carefully rolled off of the plane and into the terminal. He was relieved to see no reporters; just Danielle, "My dad and Yelina took the kids to get the bags," Danielle explained gently. "I figured you would feel more comfortable that way."

Danielle smiled at the flight attendant as she left them alone, "Is Chief Morris after me to come back anytime soon?" Bosco asked in a worried voice. "I'm still on antibiotics and I still tire out easily."

"You get however much paid leave you need," Danielle replied softly. "Chief Morris insisted."

Bosco sighed and Danielle silently pushed the wheelchair through the terminal, "I'm going to fatten you back up before I let you go back to work anyway," Danielle replied gently. "And there's the hearing…"

"Once I'm home and in bed, can you go check on Mikey and Emily?" Bosco asked softly.

Danielle nodded and parked the chair outside next to a Suburban that she had bought for the whole family with some of the FDNY donations because they needed a bigger vehicle, "Come on, Maurice, you can ride shotgun," she said gently, quickly unlocking the car before she offered her hands. "Come on."

Bosco sighed as he was helped into the front seat, "This is new," he spoke quietly. "When…?"

"Have a nap, honey," Danielle replied quietly, closing the door as Sully, Ty, and Yelina came over to the Suburban with John, David, Ellie, and the bags. "Don't make a bunch of noise in the car, kids; your dad's wiped out and he's probably going to sleep in the car and when we get home. Can you ride quietly?"

John nodded and quietly loaded David and Ellie in the backseat, "Dad's asleep," he said quietly.

"We'll meet you at the apartment," Yelina said softly. "I'm a bit hungry and so is your father."

Sully smiled, "Do you want us to bring you anything?" he asked in a kind voice as he quickly loaded the bags into the back before shutting it and locking it. "You shouldn't have to cook today."

"Maybe some Italian food for the kids that John can eat?" Danielle suggested softly. "They'll be happy."

Yelina nodded and walked off with Sully and Ty while Danielle got behind the wheel of the Suburban, relieved to see that Maurice was asleep with a seatbelt over him and looking rather peaceful.

Mercy Hospital – Miami, Florida

Horatio sighed as he lingered in the hallway, watching as a tired Carlos sat beside the hospital bed where an unconscious Ryan lay being treated with oxygen and IV fluids after being transported from the cemetery. The access site in Ryan's arm made Horatio realize that Ryan had some sort of serious illness and he found himself wanting to know what was going on and how he could be of assistance.

Despite how tired he was, Carlos had insisted on riding with Ryan so he wouldn't be scared if he woke up in the ambulance, as they would always consider each other brothers after their time in the foster care system together. Emily had waited around with Holly, Jesse and Tim to finish with the service, as it would be short because she simply wanted to get Bernard in the ground since he had hurt so many.

Horatio, on the other hand, had used his badge to provide the ambulance with a police escort to the hospital simply because he was Ryan's boss and he cared, "Can I help you, sir?" a voice asked.

"Yes, I'm Lieutenant Horatio Caine of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab and Ryan Wolfe is my employee," Horatio replied in a concerned voice. "He is also a friend who collapsed at a memorial service…"

There was a silence and Horatio turned to see Dr. Montoyan standing there with a chart in hand looking rather thoughtful, "I'm not sure I can enlighten you without Ryan's permission," Dr. Montoyan replied.

Horatio sighed and watched as Dr. Monotyan went into the hospital room and talked to Carlos while checking the machines and making notes on the chart, "Horatio," he heard another voice say.

"Speed," Horatio said as he saw Tim come into view. "Speed…what's going on? Do you know?"

Tim sighed, "Emily's got power of attorney for Ryan and she said it might be best that you know," he replied in an unusually somber voice. "When Ryan was here getting checked a while back, the doctor found a lump in Ryan's neck and ordered a biopsy. Ryan's got Papillary Thyroid Cancer and his first chemo session was early this morning. He was told to take it easy, but Bernard's burial was today."

Horatio nodded, but didn't say anything, "Ryan was scared he was going to lose his job over this," Tim admitted quietly. "Stetler said he'd still be able to work, but we know that decision is up to you."

"I'm not going to fire Ryan for having cancer," Horatio replied firmly. "He talked to Rick?"

Tim nodded, "Emily and Jesse are still there because they both lost family to Bernard and they organized the burial together," he explained calmly. "Jesse was a cop in LA and saved Emily from Bernard…"

Before Horatio could reply, there was a beep, "Ryan, it's all right," he heard a concerned voice say. "You were brought into the ER after passing out. Just relax; I'm going to make sure you get good care."

Horatio and Tim turned just in time to see the bed being repositioned while a conscious Ryan struggled to make sense of his surroundings and breathed in oxygen through his mask. Ryan saw Horatio and Tim through the window and he frowned slightly, but didn't keep his eyes open for very long after that.

There was a heavy silence as Dr. Montoyan came out of the room, "Excuse me, Doctor, I've been made aware of what's going on by Ryan's brother-in-law and I'd like to be of help," Horatio spoke quietly.

Manhattan – New York

"Maurice, it's time for you to wake up, babe," Bosco heard Danielle's voice say gently.

Bosco opened his eyes and frowned at the heavily secure building with the doorman, "This isn't our building, Dani," he replied in a confused voice, gazing at his wife. "I've never seen this place."

"Some things happened while you were away," Danielle replied quietly. "We live here now."

Bosco gave Danielle a strange look as she offered her hands, "Can you walk?" she asked gently.

Swallowing hard, Bosco slowly got out of the Suburban and closed the door before leaning heavily on his wife for support. The doorman nodded at them as they entered the building and the two of them were silent as they entered the elevator, "How'd we afford this?" Bosco asked in a tired voice. "Dani?"

The elevator dinged and Danielle guided Bosco off on to a floor, frowning when Bosco stopped and had a few short coughs, "Right, you're going to bed when we get into the apartment and I'll give you another dose of antibiotics," Danielle said gently as they reached the door. "Our kids are already inside."

Bosco's eyes widened as he entered the apartment and saw that everything was in place, "By the way, Maurice, thank you for the surprises that you got for Michael and Emily," Danielle replied, gently guiding them into their master bedroom. "Sit down on the bed and I'll help you with your jacket and shoes."

Nodding, Bosco sat and coughed some more as Danielle removed his shoes and jacket, "John, David, and Ellie are being quiet and waiting in their rooms until my dad and Yelina come with lunch," Danielle explained in a gentle voice as she pulled the covers back. "Do you want your pajamas?"

"No, I'll be all right in this," Bosco replied quietly as he got into bed. "Can you check on Mikey and Emily? I know they won't let me visit until I'm better, but I haven't even met them yet and…"

Danielle nodded, "I'll get your meds and call the hospital while you sleep," she replied gently.

Bosco silently accepted his meds, but remained awake as Danielle used the phone in their bedroom to call the hospital, "This is Danielle Boscorelli and I was wondering how my preemies, Michael Maurice and Emily Rose, are doing?" Danielle asked, putting the phone on speaker as soon as she was connected to the NICU line so Maurice would be able to hear how his littlest ones were doing from bed.

Danielle listened as the nurse explained that Michael and Emily were slowly progressing and gaining weight, but they were still barred from having visitors because they were slightly jaundiced and needing oxygen support, "Thank you," Danielle replied softly. "Let me know if things change. Bye."

Bosco sighed sleepily as he closed his eyes, "Save me a plate of food," he mumbled sleepily.

Danielle nodded, turned the speaker button off, and kissed Bosco's forehead before she left the master bedroom. John and David were setting up the Nintendo while Ellie sat on the couch watching eagerly.

"Keep the sound down," Danielle replied calmly. "Your dad's just taken his meds and is sleeping."

Speedle Family Restaurant – Calle Ocho

"You didn't have to take me out to eat before we went over to see your brother, Emily," Holly said in an anxious voice as she sat at a table with Jesse and Emily. "I assume you want to see how Ryan's doing."

Emily nodded, "Tim went over and told me to go eat because I skipped breakfast and he doesn't want me doing that because we're trying to have a baby," she replied softly. "I told him that it's going to be difficult because I went through chemo, but he wants to try anyway because he knows I want another."

Holly smiled, empathizing with Emily's plight, "I miscarried before Carlos was kidnapped and tortured," she admitted softly. "All the morphine he was given might affect his ability to have kids, but I love him…"

"Hi there, can I please take your order?" Jenny asked as she came to the table. "Hi, Aunt Emily!"

Emily smiled, "Everyone, this is my niece, Jenny," she explained calmly. "She's my oldest brother's."

Jenny sighed, but as she silently prepared to take orders, a woman with dark hair came into the restaurant with a handsome looking man on her arm, one that Emily recognized as AV Tech Cooper.

"Can we get some service over here, please?" Dan called out crossly. "Tara and I are hungry!"

At the yell, Jason silently emerged from the kitchen and froze when he saw Dan Cooper and Dr. Price, but they didn't see him. Jenny, however, noticed his face and silently moved over to him.

"That's…Doctor Price, Jen," Jason whispered anxiously. "I don't know who the dude is…"

Jenny frowned and led Jason over Emily, "Doctor Price is here," Jason mouthed quietly.

Emily frowned, "Go call 9-1-1 in the kitchen," she mouthed back as she slowly got up.

Jenny nodded and hurried Jason into the kitchen while Emily walked over to the table where Dan and Dr. Price were sitting, "Cooper, hi," Emily said in a calm voice. "I want to talk to you and…"

Suddenly, Dr. Price and Dan got up and bolted from the restaurant, prompting Emily to chase after them, "What's going on?" Holly asked in an anxious voice. "Did that kid say that Doctor Price…?"

Shots filled the air and Holly screamed, diving under the table, "Stay here!" Jesse said in an anxious voice as he hurried outside and saw Emily hiding behind her car with her gun drawn while Cooper hid behind a car that was parked down the street. "What the crap is going on out here, Emily?"

Jesse stood just in time to see Dan Cooper hop into the car, spin a U-Turn on the spot, and drive off without any sign of Dr. Price around, "She was following my nephew," Emily reasoned anxiously.

Las Vegas Crime Lab/Victims Assistance Main Headquarters – Las Vegas

Despite the fact that he had rested and was now having a snack of peanut butter and crackers that Greg had gotten him from a machine, Nick felt tense as he watched Greg and Grissom look through the evidence which included the rape kit and evidence Greg had collected from Nick's damaged home.

"I don't understand how Edward knew where you lived," Grissom spoke in a concerned voice.

Nick shrugged, "I only tell very close friends where I live," he replied softly. "Like Greg."

Greg frowned, "Your address would also be in the Department Personnel files," he replied slowly.

"I don't want…I can't go there," Nick replied shakily. "You're implying that someone from…"

Grissom eyed Greg warily, "Edward didn't visit you alone, did he?" Greg asked quietly.

"I can't…" Nick replied softly, looking at the floor. "Nobody will believe me…about who was there."

Grissom frowned, "I collected prints, hair, and DNA from your house that night and they've been preserved, so I can and will run them," Greg spoke firmly. "This is going to be solved one way…"

"Catherine was there," Nick spat, his voice filled with anxiety. "She was by herself, or so it appeared, and she said she wanted to have a drink because she heard I had a rough day. I opened the door and I found myself being slammed into a wall by Edward Addison, who demanded to know where Danielle was."

Grissom's eyes widened, "I fought the dude and it was a messy brawl," Nick continued quietly. "I had just about worn him down when I suddenly felt a poke and I heard Catherine apologize. I blacked out and when I woke up, I was completely naked and tied to my bedposts with a gag in my mouth. Both of them had their fun and it hurt so much, but I couldn't fight or scream. I ended up passing out."

Greg looked sick and Grissom sighed, "I have to call Rick Stetler in Miami about this because he's got guardianship of Catherine since she's in a mental hospital," Grissom spoke in a somber voice. "He's going to want to know about what happened and arrange for some of her money to be sent to you."

Nick sighed, "Do what you have to," he replied quietly. "I guess…I guess I'll have to testify…"

"I need to take this information to Victims Assistance first and also the LVPD Sex Crimes Unit, Nick," Grissom said in a quiet voice. "Edward Addison is dead, but we can still charge Catherine."

Feeling a migraine coming on, Nick closed his eyes and anxiously massaged his forehead, listening as Grissom got on the phone and requested that specific people come to his office immediately.

Mercy Hospital – Miami, Florida

"Really, Emily, I'm feeling a lot better," Ryan spoke in a weak voice as he lay in bed, a tube in his nose replacing the oxygen mask. "Doctor Montoyan wants to keep me overnight, but I don't think it's…"

Emily sighed and Ryan frowned when he saw a uniformed officer take a seat outside the door, "Doctor Price showed up at the Speedle's restaurant and Jason was waiting tables and recognized her," she explained in a quiet voice. "I got in a shootout with AV Tech Dan Cooper when he helped her flee…"

Ryan sighed, "Anthony closed the restaurant for the day and Jason and Jenny are at home with Diana and Emilio," Emily explained quietly, noting how sick Ryan looked. "I think you should rest more."

"Doctor Montoyan's worried I won't be able to look after myself properly since I live alone and I'm doing intense chemo," Ryan spoke in a shaky voice, the mere act of talking wearing him out. "Hang on…"

Taking care not to jar the access in his arm, Ryan slowly sat up, rolled on to his side, and shakily rearranged the pillow so it was supporting more of his body before he lay down and sighed.

"This way's more comfy," Ryan spoke groggily. "I have to be able to work cause the lab is already shorthanded since Delko's not cleared to return to work yet. My chemo's twice a week, though…"

Emily gently patted Ryan's shoulder, "Just chill, all right?" she asked softly. "You asked me to help."

"I honestly don't feel great," Ryan spoke weakly. "The nausea's still there and I feel tired."

Emily nodded, "I know Marisol and I tried these homemade berry smoothies when we were sick from chemotherapy," she replied softly. "I still have the recipe and I could put some together for you."

"I think I need some more sleep," Ryan spoke in a low voice. "Can you sit with me for a while?"

Emily nodded and Ryan drifted off, sighing sleepily as he felt Emily take his hand in her own.

Manhattan – New York

"Oh, I can hardly wait until you can both come home and be with us," Danielle spoke softly as she gazed at the preemie photos of Michael and Emily that hung in their nursery. "Your daddy wants to meet you."

Sighing, Danielle moved out of the nursery and saw that David and John were still playing video games while Yelina watched and her father was doing the lunch dishes, "Ellie?" Danielle called out quietly.

"She's in your room," John spoke up. "She heard Dad crying and she wanted to go help him."

Frowning, Danielle went into the master bedroom and saw Maurice sitting up in bed holding Ellie close while crying with his eyes closed, "Daddy's sad, Mommy," Ellie spoke quietly. "He woke up crying."

Danielle sighed, "A bad lady hurt your daddy while he was in Miami just like bad men hurt you and John in Miami last year, Ellie," she replied softly. "It's going to make him sad from time to time, but if we love him and sit with him when he cries, he'll feel better. Ellie, can you go get some juice for your daddy?"

Nodding, Ellie quietly left the bed and Danielle sat down, holding her husband close, "Would you like a hot bath, Maurice?" Danielle asked softly, rubbing his back. "You could have one with supervision."

"It might help my breathing," Bosco replied in a tired voice, opening his eyes. "I feel stuffed up."

Danielle nodded and helped Bosco out of bed and into their master bathroom, holding tight to him as she turned the faucets and set the temperature. She helped him undress and sit in the tub comfortably.

"You were warned that you would get sick easily for the next little while because the blood poisoning lowered your immune system, but there's nothing we can do about that now," Danielle replied gently as she shut off the water after it had covered him up to the lower chest. "Do you want your hair washed?"

Bosco nodded, feeling considerably relaxed by the hot water. Danielle silently got a pitcher from the cupboard under the sink along with some bottles of shampoo and conditioner for men. She took great care to be gentle as she did Maurice's hair, as she knew that he still was nervous about physical touch.

"That feels good," Bosco replied quietly, closing his eyes. "I feel grungy. Can you wash the rest of me?"

It didn't take long for Danielle to wash him, "Can I sit in the water for a minute?" Bosco asked softly.

Danielle sighed, "I'll get you some clean clothes and come back," she replied softly. "Okay?"

Bosco nodded and Danielle quickly got clean clothes from the bedroom, setting them on the sink as she returned to the bathroom, "Time to get some actual food into you," Danielle spoke softly. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Bosco replied softly, sighing as he was helped out of the tub and wrapped in heavy towels.

Danielle carefully dried him off and dressed him in the clean clothes, "Can I eat in bed?" Bosco asked.

Nodding, Danielle gently stroked his face and guided him back to their bed where a glass of juice was waiting on the bedside table. Once he was seated, Bosco picked up the juice and downed it quickly.

"Your appetite's starting to come back," Danielle replied gently as she helped him into bed.

Miami-Dade Police Department – Miami, Florida

"…I need to go out of town in a couple of weeks for a few days," Horatio heard an anxious voice say as he led Jesse on to the IAB floor to discuss re-instatement. "I need you to watch Lenny for me, Bobby."

There was a sigh, "Of course I will, Rick," Horatio heard his nephew reply. "Why do you look worried?"

Horatio frowned as he came into the doorway of Rick's office, frowning when he saw Rick working at his computer while Robert sat in a chair on the other side of the desk, "Rick, I was hoping to talk to you about re-instating one of my former CSI's," he said calmly. "I believe Robert is supposed to be on duty…"

"This isn't happening at the cost of Ryan Wolfe's employment, Horatio," Rick snapped irritably.

Horatio sighed, "I plan to use Jesse for field work and keep Ryan in the lab because he will be able to rest from his chemo there should he need to," he replied calmly. "Speed brought me up to date."

"Whatever," Rick replied in a calm voice as he rummaged through his desk, pulled out a stack of paperwork, and swiftly thrust it at Horatio. "Get Cardoza to fill that out and get him on payroll."

Suddenly the phone rang and Rick swore loudly when he checked the number, sighing as he picked up the receiver, "Catherine, I just heard," he said in a quiet voice. "Yes…yes, I'm coming to New York."

Horatio frowned as Rick suddenly held the phone away from his ear as Catherine's voice increased, "Please, Catherine, don't get upset," Rick said in an anxious voice. "I didn't know this was…"

A clang filled the phone and Rick hung up before silently returning to his computer, "I thought you and Catherine were divorced, Rick," Horatio observed quietly. "Your behavior seems unusual for an ex."

"We are separated," Rick replied in a tense voice. "An actual divorce would mean that the state would take guardianship and I would rather have a say in how Lenny and Lindsey's mother is cared for."

Horatio nodded, "Robert, get back to work," Rick said quietly. "Cardoza, go fill out your paperwork."

Robert and Jesse quickly left, but Horatio sat down, "Catherine used to be really good friends with Edward Addison back when the kids were little and she'd go out and do whatever she wanted while I took care of them," Rick explained, knowing Horatio wouldn't go away until he talked. "This Vegas CSI named Nick Stokes helped Danielle Sullivan and her kids relocate from Vegas to New York a few years back and Catherine found out about it. She told Addison and both of them assaulted CSI Stokes badly."

Horatio frowned, "Grissom talked Stokes into pressing charges against Catherine and there's going to be a hearing about it in New York either next month or in September," Rick explained softly. "As Catherine's guardian and legal partner, I have to go and serve as emotional support, but alone…"

InTown Apartments – Calle Ocho

"Officer Speedle, it's very nice of you to drive us here, but we could have gotten a hotel," Carlos said as he and Holly followed Tim into Ryan's apartment. "We're only planning to stay a couple days longer."

Tim sighed, "Ryan's not going to need it for a couple of days and asked Emily to let you guys use it so you could save money," he replied calmly. "You're one of the few people Ryan trusts, so…"

"Why was he at the burial after doing chemo?" Carlos asked worriedly. "He looked like crap."

Tim gave Carlos a look as he dropped the key into his hand, "Back when we were dating, Emily used to get mad at me if I told her she shouldn't do something after chemo because she should rest," he replied in a calm voice. "They had an abusive father, a narcissistic mother, and a domineering older brother…"

"Ryan told me about all that in foster care," Carlos replied quietly. "We've kept in touch over the years."

Tim nodded, "I think the last letter Ryan wrote said that his mom's in a mental hospital and his older brother is in jail," Carlos spoke quietly, worried for his friend. "He mentioned his mother had cancer…"

"Emily did too, but she's in remission and doing great," Tim replied calmly. "Need anything?"

Carlos and Holly exchanged a look and shook their heads, "Emily let the manager know you'd be here watching Ryan's apartment for a couple of days," Tim said calmly. "Fridge is stocked with food."

"Thank you for helping us out, Officer Speedle," Carlos replied calmly. "Can we thank you somehow?"

Tim shrugged, "If anything weird happens, call it in," he replied calmly. "Otherwise, just relax."

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