May 15

Fricassa Towers, Staten Island, New York

Loud sirens filled the air and a banging noise filled the air as Pavel LaRusso lay on the floor in the corner of his apartment holding his ribs while a wound on his forehead bled. Things had happened so suddenly; two of Ivan's men had beat him for trying to shoot Ray and Ivan had killed them and removed himself, their bodies, Ray, and his other men from the apartment. Now, 9-1-1 had somehow been called.

The door suddenly burst open and both uniformed and plainclothes police flooded the apartment, "Sir, my name is Detective Taylor," Pavel heard a voice say as a face hovered above him. "What happened?"

"I vas having a party and some people attacked me before running away," Pavel spoke, wincing as he slowly sat up and eyed the many police in his apartment. "I do not know who called ze police."

Mac nodded, "Do you want me to call an ambulance for you, Mister…?" he asked quietly.

"Pavel LaRusso, sir," Pavel spoke in a weak voice. "I think zat would be helpful, yes."

Hearing the name LaRusso caused Flack to pause, "LaRusso?" Flack asked anxiously.

Mac looked at Flack, "I haven't heard that name since Bobby left," Flack mused softly.

"Raymond Caine vas een my apartment uninvited and he mentioned a Bobby," Pavel spoke shakily.

Mac frowned, "Zat moron brought drugs een and started messing up my table," Pavel hissed. "I shot at ze table to destroy ze drugs and Caine had hees friends beat me. Zey all ran avay after zat."

"Flack, call for an ambulance," Mac spoke in a concerned voice, disturbed by the mention of Ray Caine.

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

"I appreciate you driving me into the lab this morning on your way to see Jesse at the hospital," Ryan spoke in a tired voice as he entered the elevator with Tim and Emily. "I wonder what Horatio wants?"

The elevator quickly rose and opened to the Crime Lab floor, allowing all three to exit the elevator, "Mister Wolfe," Horatio spoke coldly as he suddenly came down the hallway to them holding an envelope in his hand. "This came for you from the Las Vegas Crime Lab and I have not opened it, but I am quite curious as to what this is about. You have steady employment at this Crime Lab."

"You put me on medical leave for the duration of my radiation," Ryan replied nervously.

Horatio suddenly looked very stern, so Ryan sighed, "Speed, Emily, give us a moment," Horatio said.

Tim silently moved a few feet away, but remained within hearing range, but Emily refused to move, "I have Sofia and a child to think about," Ryan spoke firmly, snatching the envelope from Horatio's hand without caring how Horatio would react. "And after what Ray did to me…"

"Mister Wolfe, you have already been disciplined by this department over your gambling addiction and that gave the department a black eye," Horatio spoke angrily, his voice rising just enough that lab techs, Calleigh, Jesse, Walter, and Alexx came into the hallway to see what was going on. "To leave the lab without notice would worsen the department's reputation and I cannot authorize that."

Ryan swallowed hard, "Stetler authorized it," he replied coldly. "I couldn't trust you after what Ray did."

"Mister Wolfe, I would have thought your appreciation for my covering up your recent behaviour would extend to continuing your employment here," Horatio spoke quietly. "I am aware of the marijuana that Detectives Tripp and Caine found on your person when you were downtown several weeks ago."

Gasps and murmuring filled the hallway, but Ryan looked both confused and angry, "Had it been reported as yours, it would have been enough to fire you because I am aware of Miss West's conversations with the chief," Horatio spoke firmly. "You were fortunate that your medical tests were clean…"

"You subpoenaed my medical tests the night I collapsed on the beach?" Ryan replied angrily.

Horatio looked stern, "Your behaviour has put the reputations of everyone else employed here on the line and I have to worry about the integrity of the lab," he stated softly. "I don't know if this cancer and the treatment is the cause of your behaviour, but it is not something I can ignore any longer."

Sighing heavily, Horatio held out his hand, "I need your badge and ID right now," he spoke in a stern voice, giving Ryan a stern look. "You no longer work for this Crime Lab and I will file the appropriate paperwork with IAB when Stetler comes in later today. Please clean out your locker and leave."

More gasps and whispers filled the hallway, but Ryan ignored them as he handed his badge and ID over before going to the elevator with Tim and Emily. The three left on the elevator in absolute silence.

"Horatio, are you all right?" Calleigh asked softly as she approached him. "I didn't know about…"

Horatio sighed patiently, but said nothing as he turned and walked back down the lab hallway.

Still stunned by what had happened, Tim and Emily helped Ryan clean his locker out and take the things out to Tim's van, "This is an acceptance letter," Ryan said as he opened it and read it. "From Grissom."

Emily smiled and hugged Ryan, "At least you have that," she replied softly. "I'm sorry about Horatio…"

As Ryan and Emily talked, Tim silently got on his cell-phone and made a call to a private number, "Did you want to come with us to see Jesse at the hospital?" Emily asked, giving Ryan a worried look.

"No, can you drop me at the Agremont on your way there?" Ryan asked softly. "I want to tell Sofia."

New York City

"I can't believe the hearing moved up," Nick grumbled as he came out of the airport bathroom leading a sleepy looking Parker along towards where Grissom was standing. "You didn't have to come for it."

Grissom sighed, "Ecklie wants me to interview those from here who made the shortlist for the pilot program," he replied in a calm voice. "It so happened that the trial ended up being at the same time."

"Daddy, I'm hungry," Parker spoke quietly. "And I'm sleepy. I want to eat and go back to bed."

Nick sighed patiently, slightly irritated that Parker's grandmother had told him it wasn't a good time to visit after he had said they were coming to New York, "Well, we're gonna stay at a nice hotel with Uncle Gil," he said in a kind voice. "We're also gonna get something really good to eat really soon."

Parker yawned and Nick responded by picking Parker up and putting him on his shoulders, keeping him there as they and Grissom made their way to the luggage carousels. Grissom quietly collected all of the luggage and led them over to where they could catch a shuttle to get to their hotel.

"Whatever your father said to Ecklie on the phone spooked him because we're booked into a suite at the Plaza," Grissom commented in an amused voice. "You've got a prelim meeting with the judge right away and so I can look after Parker while you do that. I don't start interviews til this afternoon."

Nick frowned as they went outside and loaded the luggage, Parker, and themselves into a shuttle, "I'm not allowed to serve as your advocate because it could be seen as a conflict of interest, but I know the advocate you were assigned," Grissom explained. "His name is John Sullivan and he's a retired cop who got into helping Victims Assistance after his daughter and her kids came back into his life."

Nodding, Nick put an arm around Parker, "I don't like being here," he spoke softly. "Derek's not able…"

"Detective Speedle from Miami sent up any sessions you had with her after your torture and they helped the judge decide you needed an advocate," Grissom explained softly as the shuttle took off. "The 19 cops have all been fired and arrested, but they're out on bail. One is on trial for something else today, but he'll also face charges for this. The girl who taped the party on her phone will also testify…"

Nick nodded, not saying a word as the shuttle made its way into the city and through the streets, finally stopping at the Plaza. Grissom took the luggage into the hotel while Nick kept Parker close to him.

"Daddy, there's a food place!" Parker said, noticing the restaurant. "Can we please get food?"

Nick sighed patiently, but didn't say anything as Grissom checked them in under his name and they went upstairs to their suite with a bellboy handling their luggage. Parker's eyes went big at seeing the suite.

"Nick, you've got to get going right away if you wanna get there on time," Grissom spoke calmly. "The information folder is in your suitcase and Advocate Sullivan is planning on meeting you there."

Nick silently took his and Parker's suitcases to the room they would share, "Parker, buddy, Daddy has to go to court for a little bit, so Uncle Gil's going to babysit you," he spoke gently. "All right?"

Parker, however, wasn't listening and climbed up on to one of the beds with his shoes still on, "Daddy, I'm tired," he spoke in a quiet voice, resting his head on the pillow. "Can I go back to bed?"

Nick nodded as he opened his suitcase and took clean clothes and the folder out, "Sure, little guy," he replied kindly, quickly changing into the court-appropriate outfit. "Want me to tuck you in?"

Parker nodded and so Nick removed Parker's shoes and tucked him into bed, "If you need something, Uncle Gil will help you til I get back," Nick said, kissing his forehead. "Daddy loves you."

"I'm going to keep David and Ellie home from school today," John heard his mother say softly. "I don't want them getting stalked by reporters while you're testifying against Officer Mattaroski…"

John emerged from his room just in time to see his father, who was dressed in a suit, sigh, "Faith said that the prelim for those officers involved for the party is today, so I might go by and support her and Emily," Bosco said in a quiet voice. "I hope you don't mind, Dani. Faith and I were partners a long time."

"No, Faith and Emily need all the support they can get," Danielle replied in a concerned voice.

John sighed, "Mom, I wanna go support Dad at his court thing," he said softly. "Please?"

Danielle paused and sighed, "Alright," she replied softly. "He could use support and I need to stay here with your siblings today because your grandfather's busy with Victims Assistance work and your grandmother is going to be taking Nicolas and Raymond shopping for clothes and other things."

"Raymond's pretty nice," John commented quietly. "Do you think he'll stay with us?"

Danielle shrugged, as she didn't know how Raymond would adjust to being in New York with his mother and an extended family after what he had been through. He had been quiet after being released from the hospital, but was slowly warming up to the idea of how big his new family was. Her parents had set Raymond up in the spare bedroom, but they didn't know if he'd want to stay or return to Miami to live with his grandmother. Raymond had been through a lot and they were taking things slowly.

"Hey, if you're coming with me, we need to go," Bosco spoke calmly, giving John a kind look.

John nodded and held up his backpack, "I have what I need," he replied in a pleasant voice.

Bosco gently kissed Danielle and then left the apartment with John just as the phone rang, "Hello?" Danielle said as she quickly grabbed the cordless off the coffee table. "Danielle Boscorelli speaking."

"Danielle, Gil Grissom here," Grissom spoke calmly. "Ecklie sent me to New York to interview those who made the shortlist for the pilot program and John's on the shortlist. When can I interview him?"

Danielle smiled, "John went to court to support his father at the hearing against Officer Mattaroski, but I'll send him a text," she replied in a kind voice. "I assume that they'll be back this afternoon."

"Nick's with me in New York, so why don't I text him to find John and let him know about the interview?" Grissom suggested, smiling as he saw that Parker was asleep in Nick's hotel bed. "Would that be okay?"

Danielle sighed tiredly, "I would appreciate that," she replied softly. "Thanks for calling, Grissom."

As the call ended, Yelina came out of the master bedroom helping Nicolas toddle, "You're up early, Danielle," Yelina commented softly. "Did you get up to see Maurice off to court?"

"Yes," Danielle spoke softly. "David and Ellie are staying home from school today because of it and John decided to go to court with his father as support. What are you, Raymond, and Nicolas doing today?"

Yelina smiled, "I thought I'd let Raymond rest as much as he needs and then take him and Nicolas on a walk to show him where things are," she explained softly. "John and I will not put him in school until September, but we have workbooks for him in the meantime. Ray's finding it really safe here."

Danielle nodded and sighed as she heard noise coming from Michael and Emily's nursery, "Hold on, Mikey must want to get up," she said in an anxious voice. "That boy is so much like his daddy."

Fully expecting to see Mikey in his crib, Danielle was surprised to see him hanging on the outside of the crib and almost to the floor while Emily slept in the crib across the room, "I guess you're getting too big for that bed, Mikey?" Danielle asked softly, sighing as she picked him up. "Good morning."

Mikey babbled happily and then clung to Danielle, "I guess we'll have to talk to Daddy about getting you a new bed," she spoke softly, holding him close as they went over to Emily's crib. "Emily…."

Emily stirred and rubbed her ears, "Oh, your ears are hurting you," Danielle spoke. "Let me get your medicine and then you can rest a little more, okay? The doctor said you'd take your time…"

Danielle quickly got Emily's medicine and put it in her ears, prompting Emily to smile and go back to sleep. The doctor had said Emily's recovery would take a while and they would then discuss hearing aids because Emily's hearing was compromised. Emily had been a preemie, so it was somewhat expected.

Michael, on the other hand, was slowly growing out of his hypersensitive hearing and seemed to now be growing out of his crib. Maritza was also growing, but her future with the family was currently unknown.

"Good morning, Maritza," Emily said softly as she approached Maritza's crib and saw her awake.

Maritza blinked curiously and drifted back to sleep as if she was reassured of her safety. Danielle sighed and carried Michael out to the front room where Yelina was already feeding Nicolas baby food.

"Mikey had climbed out of his crib," Danielle spoke softly. "Emily also needed her medicine…"

Yelina nodded, "Emily and Maritza are still sleeping, but Mikey will not go back to bed once he gets up in the morning," Danielle spoke gently, kissing Michael. "Michael, should we both go have a nap?"

Manhattan Courthouse

Nick sighed as he entered the quiet courthouse and saw that Sully, who was wearing a suit with a badge and gun on his belt, was sitting on a nearby bench holding a folder. His gaze immediately switched to the security line nearby that included a metal detector, a property scanner, and a pat-down search.

His heart sunk at the thought of a pat-down search and he knew that having a panic attack in the middle of the courthouse would make him, Grissom, and the entire Las Vegas Crime Lab look bad. Ecklie had insisted that he take paid vacation after the court thing, but Nick had refused because he had to be stronger than what had happened. The problem was, though, that he was nervous about being touched.

Everyone at the Crime Lab knew that Nick was skittish about being too close to people or being touched without permission, but Ecklie's patience was running thin and had ordered Nick to get some sort of help or take a vacation after court. Nick knew he needed help, but he was scared to ask for it.

"They won't hurt you," a quiet voice suddenly said from behind. "They're very professional."

Nick turned to find that Sully, who had been watching Nick's body language with concern, had stood up, "The security here is very professional," Sully explained softly. "Are you Nick Stokes, by chance?"

"Yes," Nick replied, eyeing Sully nervously. "Are you John Sullivan, by any chance?"

Sully nodded and Nick let out a sigh of relief when no handshake was offered, "I think your phone is buzzing," Sully commented calmly. "You might want to handle that before we go see the judge."

Nodding, Nick quickly checked his phone and saw Grissom's request to find John and ask him when a good time for an interview would be, "Grissom wants to give John an interview," Nick commented in an impressed voice. "He said that John and his father will be here and that I should find him…"

Sully smiled, "I can call Bosco's cell after we're done talking to the judge," he replied calmly.

Nick nodded and sighed, "I'll walk with you as we go through security," Sully spoke gently.

Swallowing hard, Nick walked through the security procedures with Sully and kept quiet as they walked to Judge Halstead's office. Judge Halstead was sitting at her desk and looked up at them.

"Officer Sullivan, come in," Judge Halstead said calmly. "And you must be Nicolas Stokes?"

Nick nodded, "Yes, your Honor," he replied nervously. "Um, I'm sorry I'm late and nervous…"

"Mister Stokes, I can't blame you for being nervous given what you went through," Judge Halstead replied calmly, gesturing to the empty chairs. "Your Victims Assistance Advocate is here to help you get through the court proceedings. From what I understand, you and your brother, Derek, were forced to a party in Bed-Stuy and prostituted out to the partygoers by cops from the Bed-Stuy precinct?"

Nick sighed, "I had originally thought Derek was the one in charge, but he was being controlled by others," he replied softly. "Each of the officers introduced themselves and said that they had work for us because they thought we were male prostitutes. The way I looked, I can't blame them…"

"Mister Stokes, this situation is NOT your fault," Judge Halstead spoke firmly, giving Nick a look. "The 20 officers involved made the choice to judge you and your brother by your appearance and did not investigate the circumstances behind your appearance. Police officers are held to a high standard, Mister Stokes, and they failed both you and your brother. For this, they must be held responsible."

Sully sighed heavily, "Officer Mattaroski is being held over on a separate matter that is going to be dealt with this morning, but the other 19 officers will be held accountable in a hearing that is set to begin tomorrow," Judge Halstead spoke calmly. "They are out on bail, but are being monitored through electronic devices and are required to follow several regulations, including a mandatory curfew."

Nick nodded, "If you can, Mister Stokes, I need you to recall the sequence of events," Judge Halstead spoke calmly. "This is just to ensure that I have all the information that I can pass to your lawyer."

Mattaroski's scowl was the first thing that Bosco saw as he and John came into the courtroom where the hearing would be held. Sighing, Bosco looked away from the prisoner box where Mattaroski sat and he saw Faith and Emily sitting in the gallery, "Hey," he said in a quiet voice. "What are you…?"

"Danielle called me last night and said that you had this thing today," Faith spoke quietly. "She said you didn't want her to come and be subject to that. She asked me to come and Emily wanted to come…"

John smiled at Emily, "John, sit with Faith and Emily," Bosco spoke calmly. "He insisted on coming."

"My husband's home with Alex," Faith explained. "We'll look after John for you, Bos."

Bosco nodded, "I gotta go sit with the lawyer," he said nervously. "We'll meet up after."

John sighed and sat with Emily and Faith while Bosco went up to a table at the front where his lawyer was already waiting, "Mom's keeping David and Ellie home from school today," he whispered.

Faith nodded calmly, "Hey, Emily, did you want to catch a movie or go out to eat later?" John asked softly, giving Emily a kind look. "I know you've been busy lately, but I wouldn't mind…"

"Emily, go and have fun," Faith spoke calmly. "Alex will be fine at home for a few hours."

Emily smiled and nodded just as the judge came into the room. It was at that point that John noticed Mac in the courtroom and he remembered his father mentioning that Mac had stopped Mattaroski from beating him up that day at the precinct. Everyone quickly rose and sat at the judge's command.

Judge Laramie gave Bosco a look, "Sergeant Boscorelli, would you please take the stand and share what happened on April 20th of this year?" she asked calmly. "Just take your time, please."

Swallowing hard, Bosco got up and took the stand, ignoring the glare that Mattaroski was giving him as he slowly began to recall the events of that day. He knew he had to take his time recalling it.

"If you don't get Yokas and her brat to stop bugging us, we're going to make life very difficult for you," Mattaroski hissed as he lingered around Bosco's desk. "I have papers to protest my firing…"

Bosco scoffed, "You were caught on tape at a party," he replied coldly, refusing to be intimidated by people he used to work with. "You forced Nick and Derek Stokes to serve as prostitutes."

Mattaroski, who was one of the 20 who had been fired, glared at Bosco before offering the reinstatement form, "I can call the others in minutes, Bosco, and we'll give you more than a scar on your cheek," he hissed coldly. "That brat of Yokas's is a dirty skank who doesn't even know who the father…"

"Do you want me to arrest you?" Bosco asked in a cold, but soft voice as he stood up and walked around his desk to face his former colleague. "I'm not taking your form or reinstating you to your job."

Mattaroski grabbed Bosco's collar, "I could arrange for you to have a repeat performance of what happened in Miami, Boscorelli," he hissed darkly. "Tell me, did it hurt when you were raped?"

Bosco paled, but before he could react, Mattaroski was forced off of him, "THAT'S ENOUGH!" Mac's angry voice suddenly rang through the precinct. "You were fired and now you'll be arrested!"

Mattaroski swore as he pulled out of Mac's grip, "You are going to arrest me even though your crime lab is under investigation because of Stella Bonasera?" he spat. "How do you even have time to arrest me when all of your cases for the last several months are being re-examined. You know that Stella's blaming that kid for her breakdown and you know that she's been a little off-kilter ever since that rapist killed…"

"This isn't about DJ Pratt killing Aiden Burn," Mac hissed. "This is about you assaulting the soon to be desk sergeant for this precinct and whether or not he wants to press charges for what you did!"

Mattaroski's eyes widened as he looked at Bosco, "Lock him up," Bosco spoke in a tired voice.

"At that point, Detective Taylor asked if I wanted to press assault charges and I agreed," Bosco explained in a quiet voice, wanting nothing more than to leave the room. "I heard later on that Mattaroski made bail under strict conditions. I'm uncomfortable discussing being raped, so can we not dwell on that?"

Judge Laramie gave Bosco a curious look, "If you're uncomfortable, you're free to leave because you have given your testimony," she explained calmly. "If any follow-up is needed, you'll be contacted."

"Boscorelli was raped and his mind's been screwed up ever since!" Mattaroski suddenly snapped.

Anxious whispering filled the room and Judge Laramie smacked her gavel, nodding at Bosco to leave immediately. Bosco silently got up and left, prompting Faith, Emily, and John to follow after him.

"Hey, Bos, why don't we take the kids through the park on the way back to your house?" Faith suggested, seeing that Bosco was shaken and angry about Mattaroski's outburst. "It's nice out."

Bosco nodded, but didn't speak as they all left the courthouse and walked down the street to a newer section of the park that had playground equipment and security cameras for safety, "I need to sit down for a minute," he finally said near a bench. "John, Emily, if you wanna play on the equipment…"

John eyed Emily and then tagged her before running off, prompting Emily to giggle and chase after him, "Bos, you wanna talk?" Faith asked as she and Bosco watched John and Emily play a game of tag.

Bosco shrugged and frowned when he suddenly noticed a group of the 20 coming down a nearby path, all of them dressed for a cold winter, "We gotta get out of here," he muttered to Faith. "Look."

Faith turned and immediately rose when she saw the group, "John, Emily, time to go," she said in an anxious voice, seeing that they were climbing the playground equipment. "We need to go."

"Oh, Yokas, you don't need to go," an officer that Bosco recognized as Damian McCall, spoke in a cold voice as he drew his gun. "We wanna chat with you and your little girl about that video…"

John's eyes went wide and he came off the equipment, "Get lost," he sneered coldly. "Emily doesn't have to talk to you because she doesn't want to. Haven't you idiots ever heard of consent?"

"Haven't you ever heard of keeping your mouth shut, you little punk?" McCall hissed.

Bosco scowled and got in front of McCall, but McCall shoved Bosco to the dirt and Faith immediately got her cell-phone out to call for help. She quickly climbed a tall piece of equipment to make the call.

"Dude, you didn't say we were gonna shoot Yokas's kid," Lewiston spoke up nervously.

McCall swore and promptly fired two shots at Emily, hitting her in the abdomen and nearly causing her to fall off the equipment. John grabbed hold of Emily and gently eased her to the ground, quickly removing his jacket to cover the bleeding wounds, "Emily!" Faith cried. "Bosco, do something!"

As Bosco pulled his gun out, the other five officers all drew their guns while Lewiston turned and bolted from the park as fast as he could, "Six against one, Boscorelli," McCall hissed. "Get out of the way!"

Swearing, Bosco tackled McCall and managed to disarm him, keeping a grip on both guns as he stood up, but he suddenly heard two more shots. He turned just in time to see two bullets head towards John.

"You stupid brat from Bed-Stuy!" a voice shouted. "You should have just stayed a loser punk!"

Dropping the phone, Faith got her off-duty weapon out and both she and Bosco promptly began firing shots at McCall and the other five officers. McCall was hit in the chest and the others were hit in various parts of their bodies. As the attackers fell to the earth, all of them injured, Faith got down and swore.

"I…I'm bleeding," John spoke in a trembling voice, frowning at a patch of growing blood on his shirt.

Bosco's eyes widened in shock and he swore when he saw blood on John's pants, "Hold on!" he shouted anxiously, hurrying over to them. "Faith, help me out! You called 9-1-1 about the attack, right?"

Loud sirens suddenly filled the air and Bosco swore loudly as all the police from the courthouse, including Nick, Sully, and Mac emerged on to the scene. Mac's eyes widened in shock and horror as he saw that John and Emily had both been shot and that the fired cops had been the shooters.

Nick froze, deeply horrified that John was one of the kids who had been shot. He knew he had to call Grissom about the emergency, but he felt frozen to the ground and unable to move; he was in a state of panic.

"How'd you get here so fast, Taylor?" Bosco asked anxiously, gazing at Mac. "You were…"

Mac quickly removed his jacket to use, "You're not that far from the courthouse and the alarm came pretty quickly," he spoke anxiously. "All non-essential personnel are being kept there in lockdown."

Emily suddenly let out a moan and passed out as more sirens filled the air, "EMILY!" John screamed even as he began to feel woozy from blood loss. "I'm gonna throw up and faint…I think I'm dying…"

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

"Horatio, a little birdie told me that you fired Ryan Wolfe!" Horatio heard a voice snap as he sat at his desk, silently preparing a request for Eric to have an evaluation. "Care to explain yourself?!"

Horatio looked up and saw Rick standing there with his wrist in a cast in brace and an angry expression on his face, "The chief and the DA are both aware of my decision," he replied grimly. "I don't…"

"I authorized Ryan's request to go to Vegas temporarily!" Rick snapped. "Because of Ray! Because you feel it's more important to let Ray run loose and terrorize Miami and New York instead of…!"

Horatio frowned, "New York?" he asked quietly. "Rick, Ray is not in New York as far as I know."

"Then how come he was mentioned in the article about Warrick Brown's death?" Rick snapped, slapping a copy of a national newspaper on Horatio's desk. "He's in the company of Ivan Sarnoff and the Russians! He stole money from Ryan Wolfe because Warrick Brown stole Ryan's information!"

Horatio rose from his desk, "You are biased in Ryan's favour simply because you rescued him from an abusive situation when he was a child, Rick," he replied firmly. "I have filed the paperwork and I did give Ryan the choice of whether or not to leave. He also chose to buy marijuana from a downtown dealer…"

"It was found in his pocket, according to your report," Rick snapped. "Did you perjure yourself?"

Horatio scowled, but said nothing, "I got authorization to have Catherine work at the lab because New York proved that she was not criminally responsible for what happened in Vegas," Rick snapped. "And I don't care if you have an opinion about it. The chief already authorized it when she's able to…"

"I was considering asking Emily to assess Eric and see if he's fit to return to work at the lab, actually," Horatio spoke in a calm voice. "He's doing very well in his therapy and is out of the hospital."

Rick glared at Horatio, "Delko was shot in the head!" he snapped. "Recovery from that is not easy!"

Horatio didn't reply and merely sat back down, prompting Rick to storm out and quickly make a call.

Agremont Hotel

Sighing tiredly, Ryan silently let himself into Sofia's suite and smiled as he saw that Sofia was still asleep with a hand on her growing belly. As Ryan locked the door and approached the bed, Sofia woke.

"Ryan," Sofia spoke in a quiet voice, smiling at him. "I thought you were going to work?"

Ryan sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, "I had sent off an application to work at the Las Vegas Crime Lab and Rick signed off on it, but Horatio found out about it," he explained softly. "We had a very cold chat at the lab and he fired me. I checked the letter and Doctor Grissom says I have the job…"

Sofia's eyes widened in shock, "Your family is here," she spoke in a tired voice, gazing at him.

"Tim and Emily were there when Horatio fired me because they drove me to the lab on their way to go see Jesse," Ryan explained softly. "They are both happy for me and very angry with Horatio."

Sofia nodded, "Sofia, I love you and I love our child," Ryan spoke softly. "I really do."

Tears filled Sofia's eyes, "I love you too, Ryan," she whispered. "I can't believe you are moving…"

Ryan nodded and lay down next to Sofia, sighing as they silently joined hands on the bed. His life in Miami was over as he knew it, but Las Vegas was awaiting them.

Manhattan, New York

Danny swore loudly as he and Lindsay crossed the police tape just in time to see Emily Yokas get wheeled out of the park on a gurney as Faith chased after them. Flack and Mac were watching worriedly as paramedics worked on John, who was lying on the ground with his shirt cut off and sporting a large gunshot wound on his ribcage and one on his left thigh. An oxygen mask was over his face.

Several coroners were looking at the bodies of the officers who Bosco and Faith had shot and Bosco was standing near the paramedics, watching them work intently. Nick was standing nearby, looking horrified.

"What happened, Mac?!" Danny exclaimed anxiously, his eyes wide. "John was shot?!"

Mac sighed softly, still deep in shock that fired NYPD officers had attacked an innocent civilian and one of their own without a care in the world, "Danny, I assigned you to go to the hospital and talk with Pavel LaRusso," he replied quietly and firmly. "I know you're friends with John, but I need you to go there."

"I have Hawkes meeting me there," Danny replied. "I was on my way when I heard about this."

Mac nodded, "Go talk to Pavel," he instructed. "Lindsay and I can handle this quite well."

Sighing, Danny reluctantly left the scene, "Through and through on the thigh," a paramedic said.

"How about the ribs?" Mac asked in a concerned voice. "Will he need surgery?"

Lindsay's eyes narrowed at the wound and suddenly realized something, "Mac, it's not a huge wound," she spoke in an anxious voice. "It's an entrance and an exit right near each other. John?"

John looked at Lindsay, removing the mask as he did so, "Yes?" he spoke in a weak voice.

"Do your ribs hurt?" Lindsay asked softly. "You have an entrance and an exit wound…"

John nodded and Bosco quickly put the mask back on John's face, "Keep that on," he ordered.

"He's ready for transport to Angel of Mercy," one of the paramedics spoke. "Boscorelli…"

Bosco nodded, "I'll ride with him," he spoke firmly, handing his gun to Mac. "Here."

Mac took the gun with a gloved hand and watched as John was gently transferred to a gurney via a backboard, "I think the bullet must have bounced off his ribcage," Lindsay spoke in a low voice.

Nick sighed anxiously, "Officer Boscorelli, can I come too?" he asked softly. "I called Grissom…"

"I'll give you a ride," Sully offered calmly. "There's not a lot of room in the ambulance."

Bosco sighed heavily, "I called Danielle and she freaked right out," he spoke softly. "Ugh."

Scoffing, Bosco followed after the paramedics, ready to find and kill the cop that got away.

Angel of Mercy Hospital

Within half an hour, Danny and Hawkes had found the hospital room and Detective Angell was already there. Pavel LaRusso was lying upright in bed with a bandage around his forehead and a gown over his body. An expensive looking watch, phone, and wallet sat on the bedside table along with a set of keys.

"I'm Detective Messer and this is Doctor Hawkes," Danny spoke calmly. "Can we talk to you?"

Pavel shrugged, "I am stuck here for a day, so I do not see why you cannot," he replied tiredly.

"Detective Taylor, who is my boss, said you were attacked in your apartment?" Danny asked.

Pavel sighed, "I was having a party and the not invited showed up," he replied. "Raymond Caine came into my apartment and started sniffing drugs at my table. I yelled at him and his friends beat me up."

Danny nodded, "I just found out my father died and now this," Pavel hissed, his voice irritated.

Angell sighed, "My condolences, Mister LaRusso," she spoke in a quiet voice. "Is there…?"

"I would just like to rest," Pavel spoke in a quiet, somber voice. "My fazzer…he was everyseeing."

Danny sighed, "Detective Taylor said that one of us should guard the door in case your assailants try to come back," he explained calmly. "It's just a precaution given that you were badly beaten."

"Very well," Pavel spoke in a tired voice. "I need priwacy to call my mozzer about zees."

Danny nodded and led Hawkes and Angell out of the room, allowing Pavel to get his phone and dial his mother's number, "Mami," Pavel spoke in a tired voice. "Mami, it's Pavel…I was attacked…"

Miami, Florida

"Jesse can come home?" Emily asked in a stunned voice as she and Tim stood outside of the NICU with Alexx and another doctor. "I don't understand; I thought Jesse wasn't progressing as well as…"

The neonatologist smiled, "When a family believes in a kid as much as your family does, they're gonna fight harder," she explained in a kind voice. "You can take little Jesse Timothy home today."

Emily smiled as she, Tim, and Alexx followed the neonatologist into the NICU and over to Jesse's bed, all of them ecstatic as Jesse cooed, waving at them and stretching in the onesie that Emily had brought him the other day, "How about I take a picture of you and Doctor Woods with Jesse?" the neonatologist spoke in a happy voice, pulling out a camera. "To celebrate him going home?"

Nodding, Emily gently wrapped Jesse in the blanket that Rosa had brought him and held him close to her chest, smiling as she stood between Alexx and Tim. The neonatologist quickly snapped a photo.

Alexx smiled, "At least this is one good piece of news for the family," Emily spoke softly.

Tim sighed softly, "Um, I called the union rep about it and he advised me to not go into work today and I also phoned Stetler rather discreetly once Ryan was out of the car and going to see Sofia," he spoke quietly. "Alexx, you should know that Horatio had words with Ryan this morning and fired him."

Alexx's eyes went wide, "Tim, you'll end up fired too," Emily spoke anxiously, holding Jesse close.

Tim shrugged, "I was a cop before I became a criminalist and Horatio might let me go, but I could probably get another job in another department," he spoke quietly. "I know it's not what you…"

Emily, however, didn't reply as they and Alexx left with Jesse and made their way to the van, "I've noticed that Ryan hasn't been treated well since I got back and especially since he got diagnosed," Tim spoke quietly. "I think this thing in Vegas will be good for him, but for Horatio to fire him over it…"

Jesse cooed happily as he was put in the carseat and properly covered, "I think we should have a family meal," Emily spoke softly. "To discuss this and to give everyone a chance to meet our miracle."

Tim nodded and the two quickly got in the car, "Our miracle," he commented softly, deeply awed.

Miami-Dade Police/Department Crime Lab

Horatio sighed quietly as Calleigh, Jesse, Greg, Walter, Robert, Natalia, and the rest of the lab techs gathered in the conference room. After watching Speed and Emily escort Ryan out, he had called a staff meeting to announce Ryan's firing and Eric's return to the lab for retraining. The meeting was mandatory, but Speed and Emily hadn't returned, so Horatio assumed that they were visiting Jesse.

As Horatio was preparing to begin the meeting, Rick suddenly came into the room with Catherine, "Rick, Catherine, this meeting is for lab personnel," Horatio spoke in a quiet voice. "I don't understand..."

"I re-hired Catherine to help out in the lab," Rick replied coldly. "It's temporary while she heals."

Horatio frowned, "I got a call from the union rep this morning about some changes you made to your team," Rick spoke before Horatio could react. "A review is going to be done, but in the meantime, I've gotten authorization to invite Catherine back to the lab. Now, are you going to start this meeting?"

Seeing Horatio's expression, Catherine sighed, "Don't worry, Horatio," she spoke softly. "I'm still recovering from major surgery and am undergoing counselling, so I have limited shifts..."

Horatio sighed irritably, but said nothing further about it, "I terminated Ryan Wolfe's employment with the Crime Lab this morning," he spoke quietly, facing the rest of his team. "There were many reasons, but we will not be shorthanded because I'm working on bringing Eric back for retraining."

Calleigh looked stunned, "Horatio, is Eric ready for that?" she asked in a worried voice.

"I'll be overseeing his retraining and we'll go at a pace that his comfortable for him," Horatio explained in a calm voice. "Now, Walter Simmons has also recently joined the team as a Level 1 CSI and he'll be guided by Robert in his training..."

The rest of the staff meeting went rather quickly and when it was over, everyone except for Robert and Natalia left the room to get to work, "Talia, I think we should get married soon," Robert spoke softly, taking her hands in his own. "I woke up this morning wanting nothing more than you in my family."

Natalia smiled, "What does soon mean?" she asked softly. "We've both had so much..."

"I was thinking the 26th," Robert spoke softly. "A simple ceremony at the courthouse or on the beach and a simple reception somewhere. I don't want anything fancy and I know you don't either."

Natalia's eyes widened in shock, "I'd like Donnie Flack as my best man if he can get down here for the wedding, so I want to give him time to get time off and fly down," Robert spoke softly. "And you need to have time to get a sexy dress."

"That should give me enough time to get the adoption papers ready because I want to adopt BJ and Adam at the wedding," Natalia spoke in a pleased voice. "I love them and they need a mother…"

Robert smiled and gave Natalia a gentle kiss, "And that is you," he whispered in a kind voice.

Manhattan, New York

Cops were everywhere, but Sully ignored all of them as he entered the emergency room with Nick at his heels and went over to the desk where John Miller was standing, holding Alex close as he talked with a sergeant and Mary Proctor, "Sullivan, what is going on?" Captain Miller asked, spotting him.

"I was in court and there was an announcement about two kids being gunned down in a nearby park," Sully explained anxiously. "We got there and we saw John and Emily hurt. Bosco and Faith shot the people who attacked; they were some of the cops out on bail for prostituting the Stokes brothers."

Captain Miller swore and held Alex close as he caught sight of Nick, "All but one were shot by Faith and Bosco," Sully spoke anxiously. "One got away and NYPD have all units out searching for him…Six others…"

"Frank Lewiston got away and Detective Yokas and Sergeant Boscorelli killed Damian McCall, Bobby Nalder, Isaac Leighton, Kevin Zallo, Nate Palmer, and Tyler Scott of the Bed-Stuy Precinct," Mac spoke as he came up behind them looking somber. "There are concerns that Mattaroski may have also…"

Sully sighed, "Emily Yokas was rushed to surgery and John's being stabilized in a trauma room, Sully," Mary explained in a brisk voice. "John's blood sugar dropped en route and he passed out."

Nick frowned, "Faith and Boscorelli are talking to the higher-ups and I think Danielle is here too, but she's on the phone," Mary spoke calmly. "In what world is it okay for cops to shoot other cops' kids?!"

Horrified that what had happened to him had caused two innocent kids to be shot, Nick silently leaned against a nearby wall, "Nick?" Sully asked quietly. "Nick, what happened wasn't your fault."

Nick sighed heavily, "It's cause of me they were shot," he spoke numbly. "Because I was weak…"

Mac frowned as he faced Nick, "No," he spoke firmly. "Some who took the oath to honor and sustain the law made a choice to break that oath back when they forced you and your brother to do disgusting things at a party. They further violated that oath today when they shot two innocent youths."

Nick nodded silently, but didn't reply simply because he believed that this situation was his fault.

With the sound of sirens and police radios echoing in his ears, Billy Walsh silently entered the Plaza Hotel and quietly checked in. Jimmy Doherty had identified him as the one who had corroborated with Warrick Brown to go after Danielle and Maurice Boscorelli and now, the police were looking to talk to him.

Billy had told his work he was going on holiday out of state, he had packed some things and donned a disguise of dyed hair and glasses, and was now on the run. He had never liked Danielle, but now regretted almost getting her killed. He had no idea about Warrick's past with Danielle and hadn't had any idea of what had happened until he had heard about the shooting on the news while drinking at a bar.

Check-in was quiet and Billy quietly retreated into the restaurant to eat and figure out a game plan. He certainly couldn't go to the airport and if he went to the firehouse, Jimmy or one of the other guys would turn him in. Bosco had given an interview on behalf of the family in response to Warrick's death and had simply asked for people to leave his family alone. That had worked pretty well so far.

"…I appreciate you coming to check on us," a voice spoke quietly. "When Nick called, I wasn't overly sure what to do because I'm looking after Nick's son, but Nick says he'll be back here once he has news."

Billy looked up and frowned when he saw Flack sitting at a table with Grissom and a dark-haired little boy, "I don't know anything except that six of the cops that attacked John Boscorelli and Emily Yokas are dead because Boscorelli's father and Yokas's mother were with them and had their off-duty guns on hand," Flack spoke in a serious voice. "It would have been a lot worse if not for them…"

"It's already bad," Grissom spoke anxiously. "When Nick called, I immediately called Vegas and talked to Conrad Ecklie, the deputy lab director. He wants me to talk to John's parents about rescheduling the interview for a better time. I personally just want to know if the kids are okay, but Conrad is all business. I heard that six of the officers were killed, but one named Officer Lewiston fled the scene?"

Flack nodded, "I was sent over here to make sure that Frank Lewiston wasn't here," he replied.

Swallowing hard, Billy hid behind the menu and pretended to study it because he wanted to hide the horror he suddenly felt; his friend, Frank Lewiston, had been recently fired from the Bed-Stuy precinct over his conduct and was very bitter, but he had obviously had no guilt about harming Bosco and Faith's kids out of anger. As Billy sat hidden behind the menu, he was unaware that Grissom had noticed him.

"There's a guy sitting over there hiding behind a menu," Grissom spoke quietly. "That's very odd."

As Parker, who had been given a hamburger and fries to keep him busy, downed his meal, Flack silently looked over where Grissom was looking, "There's flecks of hair dye on his forehead and those glasses look unusually plastic," Grissom observed quietly. "I know this is New York, but that seems odd…"

Flack's eyes narrowed as Billy lowered the menu, "That's Billy Walsh," he whispered, immediately recognizing the man from the wanted poster despite the poorly constructed disguise. "Hold on."

Anxiety filled Billy's heart as Flack suddenly rose and walked over to him, "Sir?" Flack asked.

Cursing loudly, Billy thrust the menu at Flack and bolted towards the restaurant exit, "STOP!" Flack screamed, grabbing for his radio as he bolted across the lobby after Billy. "Central, I've got…"

Flack suddenly froze as Billy lunged for Nick, who had been escorted back by Sully because there wasn't anything further to be done that moment. Billy pulled a knife and forced Nick into a headlock.

"This dude's gonna get his throat sliced if you don't let me go," Billy hissed, glaring at Flack darkly.

Grissom froze in the doorway to the restaurant and pulled Parker behind him, "Let Nick go," he snapped.

Sully swore, but Billy glared at him, "You wanna be responsible for getting a guy killed, Sully?" he hissed.

Panic filled Nick and he began to tremble and sweat as flashbacks from his hostage experience suddenly began hitting him. He also began to recall when Warrick tried to kill both him and Derek at the motel.

Suddenly, Nick felt himself being shoved forward and hit the floor in a semi-conscious haze, unaware that Billy had fled the hotel with Flack at his heels. He could hear Grissom and Sully calling his name.

Darkness, however, seemed more inviting than more flashbacks, so Nick allowed himself to drift off into oblivion.

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