September 3

Community Centre - Las Vegas, Nevada

"Gil, are you sure about this?" Sara asked as she pushed the stroller into the community center where a parenting class would be taking place. "I'm really nervous about Gregory and Danielle being out even though they're about seven months old and socializing is supposed to help according to the books…"

Grissom sighed patiently, "I think it'll be good for us to learn from others," he replied gently. "Please?"

Sara sighed and nudged the stroller forward, "All right," she replied softly. "I…I'm just nervous."

Grissom nodded and sighed as he and Sara entered the room where the class was to be held and they immediately saw Greg and Jenny sitting in the corner with Jessica on the floor between them, "Hello," he said in a calm voice, waving at them casually. "I don't believe I've seen you two in a while…"

"Ryan took a personal day to be with Sofia and his son and I work later," Greg spoke quietly.

Grissom nodded calmly, "Besides, I won't get to come to these next week since I'll be working with the pilot project recruits," Greg spoke, sighing. "Jenny's going to be doing school online…"

"Have you adopted Jessica yet, Greg?" Sara asked softly. "I know you were talking about it…"

Greg sighed heavily, "Derek Stokes is doing everything he can to fight it," he spoke quietly. "He's living in a halfway house in Texas now and wants the right to be in Jessica's life. Nick…"

"Ah, is that why you and Nick aren't speaking and are no longer roommates?" Grissom asked softly.

Jenny sighed softly, "We invited Nick and Parker to stay, but Nick insisted on leaving and we know where they live," she replied softly. "Greg's put money into Nick's account through Catherine and also drives by to make sure they're all right, but Nick doesn't want either of us visiting the apartment."

Grissom frowned, but didn't say anything and Sara silently got Gregory and Danielle out of the stroller and laid them on some flat pillows meant for babies. Almost immediately, both babies managed to sit up and looked at their parents curiously before eyeing Jessica as if they were wanting to be friends.

"They're prodigies," Sara spoke in a pleased voice. "They're learning things very, very fast."

While Sara and Jenny discussed babies, Greg watched as Grissom took his cell-phone out and moved to the far end of the room. He was worried about Nick's ability to balance cancer treatment, a kid, work, and life and he knew that Grissom was right to call and see if he could offer Nick any help.

LaRusso Ranch - Nevada Desert

Sam Braun wrinkled his nose as he stepped out of the limo in front of the dilapidated properties that Dimitri had left to his children. He had been dragged away from the comfort of his casinos by a call from Anya, who had told him that Horatio was there and finally well enough for a 'conversation.'

As Sam shut the door, he heard footsteps and smiled coldly when Colin Jamison came into view from behind some shrubs where he had parked his car, "Colin, you're early," Sam said in an amused voice.

"I have school things to attend to later," Colin replied quietly. "Classes start in a week."

Sam nodded, "We won't be doing much today except meeting Horatio and reminding him of his situation," he replied in a quiet voice. "Doctor Pride is tending to Anya today and Jill is at school."

"Where is Lieutenant Caine being held?" Colin asked quietly. "Somewhere obvious?"

Sam gestured towards the barn, "Ray's been tasked with guarding him," he explained softly.

Nodding, Colin followed Sam to the barn and both were stunned to see Horatio sporting bruises on his face while his hands were cuffed to some pipes that were sticking out of the wall. Ray was pacing nearby popping his knuckles and looking very much like he wanted to either sleep or blow cookies.

"Ray?" Sam asked in a quiet voice, unsurprised that Ray had found a reason to smack Horatio around.

Ray scoffed, "He had the nerve to ask if I killed Maritza Boscorelli," he snarled in a wheezy voice.

"Since she's not here, did you?" Horatio asked in a pained, tired voice. "I wouldn't put it past you."

Ray swore and spat, "Maritza is with her mother and I have no idea where Vatelli took them," he hissed, disgusted with his brother. "Now that you're healed, I'm going to enjoy helping you die."

"You want to kill me after you failed to kill Yelina?" Horatio asked weakly. "Is that it, Ray?"

Swearing, Ray grabbed a hammer off of a tool bench where Dimitri had kept his tools and had never gotten around to moving them when he left Vegas, but Sam stepped in front of him.

"You need to rest," Sam spoke firmly. "You can beat Horatio with that after you have rested."

Ray swore, "I've got lung cancer and I'm getting weaker every day," he spat. "I want Horatio to die before I do, so I have to push it. It hurts to even breathe, but I have to do this…"

Horatio frowned as he looked at Ray, "That's right, Horatio," Ray wheezed. "I'm dying of cancer…"

Colin frowned as Ray coughed up blood on the wall, "Ray," Sam spoke quietly. "Rest."

Ray sighed and moved towards his cot in the corner, "Fine, but I'm staying here," he scoffed.

Sam looked annoyed, "You need a comfortable environment after your chemotherapy and Anya has already paid for a room for you and a barrage of whatever you need at my casino," he replied in a stern voice, giving Ray a look. "Mister Jamison, do you have anything pressing at the moment?"

"Not for a while," Colin replied softly. "I…what if Lieutenant Caine tries to hurt me?"

Ray offered the hammer over to Colin, "Beat him with this if he tries anything," he hissed coldly

Colin swallowed hard, but took the hammer, "I will bring you relief before the evening," Sam promised, his tone carefully neutral as he assessed his protégé. "Did you bring things to do?"

"Books and things," Colin replied softly. "Things I need to study before the 10th."

Sam looked pleased and motioned to Ray, "Your doctor will meet you at your suite," he said.

Ray suddenly broke into a coughing fit violent enough that he puked, "You should not even be in this filth since you had chemotherapy yesterday," Sam hissed. "Let the healthy serve as guards for now."

Once Sam had ushered Ray out and the limo had left the property, Colin grabbed a stool from the workbench and dragged it over to Horatio, "Just don't try anything stupid," Colin hissed coldly.

"And who are you?" Horatio asked in a weak voice. "I…I don't recognize you."

Colin swore and dropped his backpack at his feet, "You're going to die here and you're still asking questions and trying to get people to help you," he hissed darkly, gripping the hammer. "Why…?"

"Why become a criminal when you're so young?" Horatio asked. "It seems like a waste of a life…"

Colin walked over to Horatio and violently smashed the hammer into the Lieutenant's left hand, "You sound like that weird geek from Los Angeles who tried to convince me to quit the field after my girlfriend hung herself in our apartment," he hissed, his expression murderous. "He thought I was wasting my life with something so busy, but I got him fired because of his comments towards me…"

Pain shot through Horatio's hand, wrist, and arm and he knew immediately that at least his left hand was broken, "If you keep saying stupid things, I'll break more bones," Colin hissed coldly as he returned to his stool. "Just be quiet and hope that you don't make me mad enough to kill you myself."

Juvenile Rehabilitation Facility – Manhattan, New York

"Emily Yokas?"

Emily, who had just been transferred from prison the day before after managing to complete her sentence despite complaints about her attitude, sat up and saw Kim Doherty, a nurse who worked per diem at hospitals and rehab facilities to help pay bills, lingering at her door looking concerned.

"You don't look well," Kim replied in a quiet voice. "Did you need to see a doctor?"

Emily scoffed, "Did my mom bring Alex or come by herself?" she asked irritably. "Did I get mail?"

"You've got a visitor," Kim replied patiently, well aware that Emily had attempted to send a letter to Derek Stokes only to have it intercepted by prison staff. "You already know you're on mail restriction."

Emily glared at Kim, "When I turn 18, I'll be able to write whoever I want," she snapped.

"You have a visitor who's going to help you with your schoolwork and whatever else you need to do before you'll be released," Kim spoke firmly. "I wouldn't keep your visitor waiting."

Rolling her eyes, Emily got off her bed, donned her slippers and a sweater, and followed Kim to the visiting area. Emily was stunned to see Stella, who had been given street clothes to wear for the duration of her work release, sitting at a table with her prison bracelet visible on her wrist, "Stella Bonasera?" Emily asked in a shocked voice. "I thought you were in jail for what you did?"

"Your mother asked the NYPD to get you some help and I was asked to be that help," Stella replied.

Emily frowned, but joined Stella at the table, "What do you get out of it?" she asked suspiciously.

"I'm not doing this to get something out of it," Stella replied firmly. "They offered parole, but that's not why I agreed to do this. I agreed to help you because you're so young and you're making bad choices that will end up getting you killed. I had a friend who made bad decisions and she ended up a dead…"

Emily's eyes widened in surprise, "What was her name?" she asked in a surprised voice.

"Her name was Aiden," Stella replied, sighing as she shared the events leading to Aiden's death.

Las Vegas, Nevada

The apartment, which had three bedrooms, a good-sized bathroom, a kitchen, and a good-sized living room, Nick and Parker shared was in a high-rise not far from the lab or the Strip and Grissom found it reasonably easy to gain access. Nick hadn't answered the phone, so Grissom had gotten the address from Greg and apologized to Sara before making his way over to the younger man's home.

Sighing, Grissom knocked on the apartment door once he had found it and frowned when the door opened a crack, "Are you a stranger?" a quiet voice asked. "Daddy said not to talk to strangers."

"Parker, is that you?" Grissom asked softly. "Parker, do you remember me? It's Uncle Gil."

The door suddenly opened fully, revealing Parker standing there in shorts and a t-shirt with messy hair, "Parker, is your dad here?" Grissom asked in a concerned voice. "I'd like to talk to him…"

"Daddy's hugging the potty," Parker spoke softly. "Someone bad phoned last night and made him sad."

Grissom frowned and entered the apartment, his concern growing when he saw that the landline had been unplugged. Sounds of vomiting suddenly filled the air and Parker quietly sat on the couch.

Quickly closing the apartment door, Grissom made his way to the bathroom just in time to see Nick shut the lid of the toilet and rest his face on top of it, "Nick?" he asked in a concerned voice.

A weak groan filled the air and Grissom quickly got a hold of Nick, being careful as he helped the younger man up and out of the bathroom, "Your skin is clammy and cold," Grissom spoke softly.

Nick sighed weakly as Grissom helped him to the door, "Parker, do you know how to put on your socks and shoes?" Grissom asked in a quiet voice, looking at Parker. "We're all going for a drive."

Parker shook his head and Nick wobbled briefly before Grissom quickly helped him to the couch, "I had chemo the other day and Derek called my landline saying he was going to go to Miami and visit Jenny and his daughter," Nick spoke weakly. "I…I tried to tell him not to and he got upset…"

Grissom nodded and Nick sighed tiredly, "He doesn't know they're here," Nick rasped weakly.

Footsteps suddenly approached the door and Grissom quickly opened it, "It took me a bit to scrounge things up and avoid Ecklie," Dr. Robbins said as he entered the apartment with a loaded duffel bag. "Thank goodness this building has an elevator, Grissom. If it only had stairs, it wouldn't work…"

Nick frowned as he looked at Dr. Robbins, "You should be in the hospital," Dr. Robbins said as he gazed worriedly at Nick's pallor. "I can't believe you were working full shifts while on chemo."

"I have a kid," Nick replied in a tired voice. "I only work when I can hire a babysitter."

Grissom sighed, "You're dehydrated, for starters," Dr. Robbins said worriedly. "Eating much?"

"Light things," Nick spoke quietly. "I get Ryan to help when I need to be in the field."

Dr. Robbins scoffed, "You keep this up and you're going to end up in the hospital," he spoke firmly. "The whole lab knows that you used to be roommates with Sanders and his wife; what happened?"

Thoroughly exhausted and not wanting to discuss his trouble with Derek, Nick closed his eyes, "You need to spend more time in bed and less time working scenes," Dr. Robbins spoke worriedly.

"It'll get a little easier when the trainees come," Nick spoke weakly. "We'll have more help."

Dr. Robbins sighed, "You should probably go to the emergency room, to be honest," he commented.

"I love my son and I'm trying to be everything for him," Nick spoke in a weak voice.

Just then, another knock sounded at the door and Dr. Robbins quickly got it, "When Grissom called me, I had a feeling you would need some help, so I called EMS on my way here," he confessed, quickly opening the door to reveal two paramedics. "Take it easy, guys; he's a cancer patient in treatment."

Parker's eyes went wide, but Grissom gently got him out of the way and Dr. Robbins managed to help Nick from the couch to the gurney that the paramedics had with them, "Ecklie's going to use this as an excuse to fire me," Nick spoke weakly, fighting to stay awake. "He warned me about it already…"

"Just get some rest, Nick," Grissom spoke gently. "I'll make sure Parker is looked after."

Parker silently ran off into Nick's bedroom and returned with Nick's wallet, sighing as he offered it to Dr. Robbins, "Thank you," Dr. Robbins spoke, wondering how Parker was handling all of this.

Grissom placed his hands on Parker's shoulders and the two of them watched as Dr. Robbins and the paramedics left with Nick on a gurney. Once they were gone, Grissom silently closed the door and looked down at Parker gently, "Uncle Gil, I'm hungry," Parker spoke in a quiet voice.

"Well, why don't you go have a nap and I'll make us both something to eat?" Grissom suggested, hoping that Nick had some food in the fridge. "I'll come wake you when the food is ready."

Nodding, Parker went off to his small bedroom and Grissom silently got to work finding food; he also found himself trying to figure out how he could help Nick without causing too much of a ruckus.

Plaza Hotel Ballroom - Manhattan, New York

HAPPY 18th BIRTHDAY, JOHN! sat emblazoned on a poster that was on a stand near the door and sporting multiple signatures. The card had been decorated by Danielle and Holly and every guest who came to the party hand signed it or would sign it. Next to the stand was a table containing a guestbook and a basket where people could leave well-wishes for the young man set to go off to Las Vegas.

Just behind the table sat a larger table holding a pile of presents, cards, and items that guests had brought to the party. Sully and Yelina had consulted with Bosco and Danielle and had arranged a special party for John because he was leaving and the family needed a pleasant celebration.

As part of the party, Bosco had gotten a fake throne and costume crown and John was sitting in the throne at a table near the front of the room with his family with the crown on his head. He watched as family friends from all over the city mingled and sighed tiredly; he didn't enjoy being the center of attention, but he was also grateful that he was loved enough that his family would arrange the party.

There were also tables with food and games that people were enjoying, but John was content to simply sit and enjoy company, "Heck of a party, my friend," Tommy said as he came over to the big table.

"I…I was thinking about getting my Masters degree after this year," John spoke in a quiet voice.

Nodding, Tommy hobbled around the table and sat down beside John, smiling as he caught sight of David and Ellie playing a board game with Kylie, Ty, and Sasha, "Yeah?" he asked softly. "I…I got my GED, but I think I'm going to just do online college for a year so I can get my strength back…"

"How's your dad doing?" John asked quietly, sighing because he knew Tommy was doing online college to be available in case Carlos needed help. "Have they figured things out with him yet?"

Tommy sighed gently, "No," he replied softly. "Most bought the story I spun about needing time to build up my strength. If they knew the truth…dude…my dad would never live it down…"

"Your secret's safe with me, bro," John whispered softly as Yelina came over to the table.

Yelina smiled at the two friends as she sat down, "I'm getting a bit tired, so your grandfather thought I should rest a bit," she replied softly. "People are starting to wonder why you're not mingling…"

"I've never been good at that," John confessed softly. "Not even when I was in the lab here."

Tommy smiled, "Dude, it's your birthday," he replied encouragingly. "Go and be social."

Nodding, John got up and moved away from the table, deeply surprised when he saw Mac, Danny, Lindsay, Flack, Hawkes, Sid, Adam, and Jo Danville sitting at one of the tables with plates of snacks in front of each of them, "Shouldn't you all be at work?" John asked in a concerned voice, approaching them cautiously. "It's good to see you, but what if there's a case? You're all of the CSI's."

"If there's a case, we'll handle it," Mac replied calmly. "Have a seat for a moment, will you?"

Nodding, John silently sat in the empty chair next to Mac, "We talked to your parents and all of us pitched in to get something you will definitely need in Vegas," Mac spoke quietly, smirking as Bosco and Danielle came over to the table. "I got special authorization to get this for you, John."

John's eyes widened as Mac reached under the table and pulled out a rolling crime scene kit with John Boscorelli engraved on the lid, "It's got all the basics," Mac explained, offering the handle to John.

Danielle quietly took a picture with her digital camera, "Your father also got you something," she said.

Bosco silently held up a box as he walked over to John, "I expect you to use it," he spoke sternly.

John took the box and opened it, smiling when he saw a bulletproof vest, "You wear that every time you are in the field with the Vegas crew," Bosco ordered firmly as a baby's cry filled the room.

"Maurice, honey, I think Mikey and Emily are tired," Rose said as she pushed the stroller containing the infants over to Bosco. "Emily's asleep and Mikey's anxious about all of the noise. I can take them back to your place and settle them down so you and Danielle can stay at the party longer, okay?"

Bosco sighed and nodded, giving his mother a quick peck on the cheek, "Thank you so much, Rose," Danielle spoke, giving the woman a gentle hug. "We'll be home after the party's all done."

"Can you bring me some food, dearie?" Rose asked softly, returning the hug. "I'd like that."

Danielle nodded, "I'm sure there will be leftovers, Rose," she replied softly. "Love you all."

Smiling, Rose silently left with Mikey and Emily and was joined by one of the uniforms that had been escorting the family to and from public places since Maritza's abduction because Ray Caine was on the loose and considered dangerous. Bosco had insisted on the measure to protect the rest of his family.

As Danielle took a photo of John and the vest, Bosco gazed over at the table where David and Ellie were sitting with Kylie, Ty, and Sasha and was relieved to see that Ray Jr. had joined them while Sully, who was holding Nicolas, watched from nearby, "…Are you going to be living in the dorms while you're at UNLV, John?" Bosco suddenly heard Danny ask. "You could get some action there…"

Bosco turned to the table, "Oh, um, I got a hotel room for the first week that's very close to the bus line and campus because my parents and I didn't think the dorms would be a good idea," John spoke quietly. "I'm a little well-known after the thing with Sackheim and I just want some privacy."

Jo nodded calmly, "You might run into my son while you're there," she spoke in a kind voice. "He's finishing a Criminal Justice course through the pilot program before he goes into his field of choice. I made a deal with him that he could take whatever he wanted if he did a degree in Criminal Justice first and he agreed. He applied for the pilot program to make me happy, but he's more into art…"

Danny's eyes widened and the group began to discuss their college and university experiences, but John silently gathered the kit and vest before standing up, "Um, thanks for the gifts," John spoke quietly. "I'm going to put them with the rest of the gifts. I should really mingle with others…"

Bosco followed John over to the table where all of the wrapped gifts sat, waiting to be opened, "All this stuff," John said softly. "What am I going to do with it all ? I can only bring two suitcases and a trunk."

"We'll keep the stuff you don't need for when you come home," Bosco spoke as a squeal rang out.

Ellie giggled as she ran over to the table, "Is it time for John to open presents?" she asked eagerly.

Delighted to see such a smile on Ellie's face, John nodded, "It is," he replied in a kind voice.

Miami, Florida

"I heard you got an extension on your decision," Calleigh spoke in a quiet voice as she came into the lab staff room and saw Robert there, silently working on paperwork at the table. "Is it true?"

Robert sighed, "Speedle and Rick convinced me to calm down and think about how I could handle the situation without losing my head," he replied quietly. "Natalia…she's got BJ and Adam at home today."

"How's BJ doing?" Calleigh asked softly. "I heard that he had appendicitis not too long ago."

Silently reminding himself to act as his uncle would want him to, Robert exhaled softly, "Doctor Stokes caught it pretty quickly and BJ's doing very well," he replied quietly. "I'm currently doing per diem shifts with the lab until I can make a decision. It's a compromise I made with IAB and Speedle."

Nodding, Calleigh took a seat at the table, "How come Cardoza and Walter are back at the mental hospital and you're not with them?" Robert asked quietly. "What if they find more evidence?"

"Eric's off today and someone needs to be here," Calleigh spoke quietly. "Speedle's in the office."

Robert nodded and suddenly noticed that Calleigh looked uncomfortable, as if she were in some sort of pain, "Calleigh, are you all right?" he asked in a concerned voice. "You look like you're hurting…"

"I had a D&C yesterday," Calleigh spoke quietly, sighing. "I thought I couldn't get pregnant again after I lost a baby because of Hagen's abuse, but I did. Eric and I…we weren't planning for a child…"

Sighing, Calleigh massaged her stomach, "Eric is trying to get his anger under control and he's seeing a therapist so he can get re-certified for the field, but neither of us were prepared for this to happen," she explained softly. "We talked about kids, but this pregnancy came on so fast and Eric came under a lot of stress over it. That's why he attacked you at the scene; that was the day we found out about it…"

Robert sighed softly, "We're sort of in a rough patch," Calleigh spoke softly. "He's back living with his parents and I have my place back to myself. Eric still wants us to date, but to slow down a bit."

"Are you sure you should be working?" Robert asked softly. "You should be resting…"

Calleigh sighed softly, "Speedle knows about it and being here is easier than resting at home and thinking about Horatio," she admitted softly. "He's been gone for weeks and nobody has any idea what direction the kidnappers went after they left the Everglades. All we have is the type of van used…"

"Speedle knows about what?" Tim asked as he came into the break room. "What's up?"

Calleigh sighed, "I was just telling Detective Caine about the D&C I had yesterday," she spoke in a tired, quiet voice. "I talked to you and Emily about it and said I'd take it easy at the lab today."

Tim nodded calmly, his expression serious, "Jesse and Walter should be back from the mental hospital at any moment," he replied calmly. "I was just checking the latest emails and faxes from Vegas and offices of the Jetting West company are starting to get back to Vegas with results of their searches."

Calleigh and Robert looked anxious as Tim showed them a map of the western United States that had details written on a paper that was stapled to the bottom, "No suspicious activity in Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Southern Montana, or Wyoming," Tim said softly. "The other states are still investigating."

Tim suddenly paused as a thought came to mind, "There was a sticker on the company license plate," he spoke in a quiet voice, frowning. "It said Prides of Louisiana and it was small, but legible…"

"Maybe H is in Louisiana," Tim mused softly. "Maybe the type of truck was to throw us off."

Robert sighed, "That name sounds familiar," he replied softly. "I need a computer."

Tim and Calleigh trailed after Robert as he went to one of the evidence rooms and quickly accessed the country's law enforcement database, "Every law enforcement officer is in this database and it's something my uncle showed me privately when I graduated university," Robert spoke anxiously.

Calleigh and Tim watched as Robert typed Pride in the surname section before selecting Louisiana from the States list, "I can't believe I didn't think of that til now," Tim spoke anxiously. "I…"

"You were in shock," Calleigh and Robert spoke in unison before smiling at each other.

The computer beeped, indicating that it was searching, just as Walter, who was carrying a large box, Jesse, and Tripp came down the hallway, "We got files," Walter said anxiously. "What's…?"

"Tim remembered a detail from the van that took Horatio," Calleigh explained anxiously.

The computer beeped again as a photo and a description appeared, "Dwayne Cassius Pride, NCIS Special Agent," Tim spoke softly, reading the screen. "He works at the Field Office in New Orleans."

"What would H be doing in New Orleans?" Walter asked anxiously. "It seems so obvious…"

Calleigh gave Walter a look, "It's a party scene and would be comfortable for Ray," she replied softly.

Walter suddenly looked uneasy, "Speaking of Ray, we found some bloody puke in one of the rooms at the mental hospital," he spoke anxiously. "We have a sample and I wonder if it belongs to Horatio…"

Tim sighed heavily, "I'm going to place a call to this office and see what Dwayne Pride can tell us about the sticker," he spoke somberly. "Walter, Jesse, run that blood to see whose it is."

Sighing softly, Calleigh leaned against the table for support, "I'm going to drive Calleigh home and then I'm going to come back," Robert spoke softly, looking at her. "Calleigh, I think you should rest at my place for a while and Natalia can help you with whatever you need. I insist on it…"

Nodding, Calleigh slowly stood, "Calleigh, don't come back to work until you're feeling better," Tim spoke firmly, giving her a look. "We're not going to get careless just because H isn't here right now."

Robert silently helped Calleigh out of the room, "What's the paperwork about?" Tim asked.

"Stuff involving patients, including Tara Price," Jesse spoke softly. "We haven't sorted it."

Tim nodded as he printed the information file, "Let's get to work," he replied firmly.

LaRusso Ranch – Nevada

"Wow, what did you do to Caine?" Colin heard a stunned voice ask. "His hand is all bruised…"

Colin scoffed as he looked up from his reading and saw Ivan standing there looking amused, "Caine was giving me crap about my past," he hissed coldly, returning his book to the bag before standing up with the hammer in his hands. "I broke his hand and he's been deathly quiet ever since I did it."

Ivan's eyes went wide, "What, you're 25 and acting like a career criminal all of a sudden?" he asked.

"Where's Ray Caine at?" Colin asked coldly. "Sam Braun said he was going to come back so that I could go back to campus. I have actual studying to do that needs to be done before the 10th."

Ivan looked amused, "Ray is quite ill and Sam told him to keep resting," he replied as Dr. Pride silently came into the barn carrying a large bag. "Doctor Pride and I will be entertaining Horatio this evening."

"This kid has some vengeance out for someone besides Caine," Ivan spoke, gazing at Dr. Pride.

Colin sighed and wiped the hammer with his sleeve before handing it to Ivan, "Once Caine's dead or dying, I'll be making time to get rid of that dork from L.A. who tried to get me quitting Criminalistics after my girlfriend hung herself," he hissed coldly. "Now that you're here, I need to get back home."

"Your home's a crappy dorm," Ivan scoffed. "Quit acting like you are actually valuable to Sam Braun."

Swearing, Colin swiftly clocked Ivan in the face, sending the older man to the floor, "I may be young, but I know how to beat the crap out of annoying idiots," he replied, picking his backpack up.

Dr. Pride's eyes widened as Colin slung the bag over his shoulder and left the barn, "Horatio, do you like drugs?" Ivan asked, clutching his nose as he got to his feet and walked over to Horatio.

Horatio, however, said nothing and silently studied Ivan intently enough that Ivan let out a loud roar and slammed Horatio's side into the pipes, "Prepare some drugs, Andrea," Ivan ordered coldly. "We won't kill you yet, Horatio, as Ray would be very angry. We all promised him that he could be the one to kill you."

Pain shot through Horatio's body as he tried to pull his aching body away from the pipes, choosing to stay silent while he did so in hopes that Ivan would get bored. Truthfully, Horatio was very sure he would eventually die by either breaking enough to off himself or he would die because Ray would decide to kill him.

"I have this," Dr. Pride spoke, removing a syringe from her bag. "It's something that triggers nausea and vomiting…"

Deeply amused, Ivan took Andrea's bag and quickly extracted a large water bottle full of ice water, "Waterboarding you and drugging you is a good place to start, Horatio," he spoke in a cold voice. "Ready for some fun, Horatio? It's time to begin dying."

Please read and review!

This is the end of 'Choices and Consequences', but the story will continue on in 'Sunrise of Changes.'