Hi guys! Most of you probably don't know me- I'm really a RaiN shipper, but I've always been open to CaRWash and personally both are equally viable. I also like Hiphuggers. Seriously, I like everyone! =) Anyway, this is probably a 5-10 chapter story with some serious CaRWash. Don't like? Don't read … R&R!
On The Edge of Somewhere- Chapter 1
"Case: Duquesne against Foreman. Plaintiff. State your reasoning."
"Thank you, your honor," Calleigh greeted, turning her attention to the front of the courtroom. "Your honor, on May the 17th 1999, Mr. Peter Foreman was at a seminar I was conducting about the collection of ballistic evidence and the analysis of stations on a bullet. Mr. Foreman asked me out for dinner, but I refused, insisting that I do not date those that I could potentially be working with."
"Get to the point, Miss Duquesne," the judge replied tiredly, rubbing his wrinkled eyes.
"If you must know so quickly, sir, then I am appalled at the court of justice in Miami!" Calleigh snapped, and the judge straightened his posture and reluctantly gestured for her to continue. "Thank you. On May the 20th 1999, I returned from my work and discovered Mr. Foreman's car outside, with him inside my house. I demanded that he leave, and he reluctantly complied. On May the 25th, the same incident occurred and I called the police. An Officer Jonson replied to the call. When he arrived, Mr. Foreman had disappeared and his car was gone. He chose not to believe me. On May the 26th, I left work and found roses on my front seat and he was hiding in the back seat. When I returned home, he followed me inside and slit my throat." Calleigh displayed the blatant injury that sliced its way across her neckline. The judge shuttered.
"Defense, what do you plead?"
"Not guilty, your honor," Foreman replied, stealing a seductive glance at Calleigh, who shuddered and rolled her eyes in exhaustion.
"Your honor, respectfully," Horatio spoke up behind his CSI, "Miss Duquesne caught him with the bloody knife used to inflict that wound you see on her throat. She has a picture of him as he left her house, which clearly dictates that he was in fact inside the house.
"Defense, how do you answer to that?"
"The crazy bitch gave me the knife! She told me that she'd… you know; get me some action if I hid it for her. I assumed she was trying to hide up something she did."
"Profanity, please. Miss Duquesne?"
"Your honor, please do not believe a word of that. There's no evidence to support his claim!" Calleigh cried, wiping her eyes. "There's no murder to coincide with his claim that I was covering something up, no agreement that would state that I was required to pay him for his deeds, and ABSOLUTELY no way that I would prostitute myself to that monster!"
"Miss Duquesne, keep your voice down!" The judge shouted and the small blonde woman complied. "Court ruling? Take leave of forty minutes."
He smashed his gavel, and the jury gathered to discuss. Calleigh ran her fingers through her hair and glanced up at Horatio, who smiled weakly. "We'll get through this, Miss Duquesne."
"Call me Calleigh," she whispered and hugged him tightly. The surprised lieutenant returned the embrace awkwardly. "And thanks for being here, cowboy!" she mocked and tapped Frank on the top of his shiny head.
"Just don't get too used to it, Cal," he grumbled and shifted through his papers.
"Frank," Horatio greeted coolly.
"Caine," Frank replied and turned back to his work.
"Court ruling, jury out!" The judge called. "Jury, how do you rule?"
"The jury has ruled that Miss Duquesne should be granted a TRO against Mr. Foreman, but that the injuries she sustained are circumstantial."
"That's bull crap and you know it! Frank called from behind her but Calleigh nodded.
"Court ruling, final!" The judge pounded his gavel.
Xxx
"AHH!" Calleigh screamed, waking up immediately. The pounding of the gavel from ten years ago echoed in her ears, replaced by the small knocking on her door. "Calleigh Duquesne!" she called through the door, peering through her peephole.
"Calleigh, it's Ryan," her companion's low voice answered.
"Come on in!" she greeted brightly and swung open the door. Ryan's eyes widened at the sight of her dressed in lacy panties and a small bra. She had a sweater draped over her shoulders but it did little to cover her voluptuous figure. Ryan blushed, pulling his hands out of the back of his jeans and placing them in front of his groin, immediately aroused and embarrassed. "Nice t-shirt," Calleigh called as she turned and quickly got ready. "You all set for our run?"
"Yeah, I wore my Converse," Ryan joked and she laughed from the other room.
"You also wore your jeans," Calleigh giggled as she walked back into the room. She was wearing tight black pants and a thin sweatshirt of the same color. She flashed him her bright white sneakers. "These are running shoes," she corrected and then took a swig out of her bright orange water bottle.
"Nice hair," he laughed and she quickly blushed, attempting to put it up in a ponytail. "You like clothes, I like hair," he noticed and turned around to begin jogging.
"Careful, shoes untied!" Calleigh called as Ryan tripped over his laces and tumbled face forward on the gravel driveway.
"I'm okay!" he cried, picking himself up off the ground, brushing off his white t-shirt and quickly fixing his hair. Oh lord, Calleigh though, laughing as he pulled out a comb and fixed his slightly spiked hair. Why did I have that dream last night? Calleigh thought to herself, a frown settling on her pale face. That was ten years ago, she thought and then called out to Ryan.
"You sure?"
"You gonna run?" Ryan challenged and Calleigh grinned.
"You wanna race?"
"I get a head start," Ryan whined, and she answered in the affirmative.
"You'll need it," she teased. "Five, four, three, two, one!"
She dashed after him as he skipped ahead. In spite of herself, Calleigh couldn't help but notice the way his biceps clenched as he huffed and puffed his way down the street in the intense Miami heat. And that hair, she thought to herself, but brushed the thought away. Ryan had always been a source of great discord in her life- she always had to be in control. Calleigh liked to be the strong one. She needed to be in control of everything- but Ryan was in control of himself. He was unpredictable, so Calleigh being in charge of him was very difficult. Chasing him now, she felt as though she'd been running after him since he'd joined the lab. She tried to be one step ahead of him at every point, but truthfully he was so unpredictable and headstrong and so goddamn BEAUTIFUL. Damnit, Duquesne, keep your head in the game and win this race! Ryan laughed as she began to pant.
"What is it, Duquesne? Can't take a challenge?"
"You, Wolfe, a challenge?" Calleigh mocked, and they both stopped to catch their breaths. "You wish."
"You look really hot when you sweat," Ryan blurted, before realizing what he said. Jesus Christ, Ryan, keep your mouth shut! He mentally berated himself.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Calleigh joked. Don't read into it too much, Duquesne, he's just flirting, for goodness sake!
"You wanna kiss me?" he challenged jokingly-or not really.
"You wish, Wolfe," she laughed and they continued to run, putting the awkward flirting behind them.
"Yeah, I do," he called after her and she burst into a fit of giggles.
Ryan had lost his initial head start and was eventually several yards behind the woman he found himself desperately in love with. That smile, he thought to himself, feeling suddenly ridiculous. And that ass… Whoa, Wolfe, mind out of the gutter! Angry that he let himself become so dirty, and angry that he could not admit his feelings to his partner, he sighed and kicked a pebble in her direction. She turned back, offered a sad smile, and then her eyes glinted dangerously and she surged ahead with a sudden burst of speed. He'd always found himself attracted to her. He'd dreamt about her since the day he joined the lab. Sure, there was definitely something between himself and Natalia, and CERTAINLY everyone knew the history between Calleigh and Delko, but he found himself inexplicably drawn by some greater force towards Calleigh, with no hope of savior. And in some weird way, he never wanted that to end.
"Wolfe, eyes front and center!" Calleigh called. Damnit, Calleigh, don't rush those things. All guys have wandering eyes- don't read into it that much.
"Sorry. Distracted," Ryan mumbled. Damn you, 'Little Ryan'!
"By what?" Calleigh called back jokingly.
Your ass, he thought. It scared him how close he came to saying that. "Why were you screaming when I came to pick you up today?" he breathed as he ran, his footsteps pounding against the pavement.
Xxx
The pounding of Ryan's footsteps merged with the pounding on her door. Calleigh glanced quickly at the calendar, trying to memorize the date, knowing that someday it would be needed in court. July 25, 1999. Got it. She unlocked to door to be met with the murderous face of Peter Foreman glaring into her eyes.
"You bitch, almost got me busted!" he screamed.
"I have a TRO, Peter, against you. Now, I'm sure a therapist could explain to you what GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY LIFE means," Calleigh swore and turned around, grabbing her gun. She cocked the 9 mil in his face and tightened her finger on the trigger. "Don't make me shoot," she warned.
"That's so hot," he whispered, grabbing her by the waste.
"Get your hands off of me, Mr. Foreman," Calleigh snapped.
"Don't say you don't like it," he whispered.
"NO GIRL WOULD EVER LIKE THAT!" she snapped and kneed him in the groin. She drew her gun and pointed it directly at the top of his head, as he was doubling over in pain. "Pick up the phone," she began, "and call 9-1-1 for me. Tell them you trespassed and you're turning yourself in, or I'll shoot."
The man awkwardly grabbed his phone. Calleigh watched him dial 9-1-1. She heard the dispatch officer's voice echo over the line. "9-1-1 Emergency Service. Please state the nature of your emergency."
"My name is Peter Foreman. I'm at 211 Shell Cove…"
Xxx
"211 Shell Cove," Ryan echoed, jogging slowly after her, "is a beautiful name for an address."
"Bad small talk, Ry," Calleigh joked as she ran in front of him. Snap out of it Cal, it was just a daydream, she thought to herself. A bad one, her conscience argued, but she forced it out of her hind. "Keep running!" she urged and he groaned.
"So, you and Delko, eh?" he sputtered, his jeans loosening as he ran farther.
"We can talk, Ryan, but not about me," she quipped and he grinned invisibly.
"Well, everyone knows there's something there."
"You are all such gossips!"
"Natalia's a gossip," Ryan replied earnestly.
"You love that gossip!" Calleigh corrected, laughing in spite of how it hurt her.
"I do not," Ryan grumbled. "Not that much," he admitted honestly. Yes, Ryan Wolfe was confused. Who knew?
"Admit that you're in love with Natalia and I'll tell you about me and Eric," Calleigh stopped jogging and waited for her companion to catch up. Ryan doubled over, panting, grabbing the edge of his knees as he bent over. Ryan…bending over…I wish I were facing the other side of him…DAMNIT, CALLEIGH, STOP IT!
"Fine. I was definitely in love with Natalia at some point," Ryan confessed.
"Well then I'll let you know that I was definitely in love with Eric at some point."
"And now?"
"There's someone new," Calleigh challenged. Well, he wasn't exactly new. Calleigh had had a small insignificant crush on Ryan since he'd first joined. Things had hit low points, but Calleigh always felt challenged by Ryan, which was something new, strange and wonderful to her. He reminded her in some strange way of Jake. Ryan was in no way a bad boy, but he definitely showed potential. Calleigh grinned in spite of herself. The thought of Ryan wearing leather jackets and sporting a beard made her laugh out loud. In truth, Ryan was probably the preppiest person she'd ever met. What other guy would wear white suits and sweater vests but Ryan?
"Anyone I know?"
"You might," Calleigh stiffened at how close they were coming to dangerous territory: Calleigh Duquesne's feelings.
"Is he tall?" Calleigh smirked at the question. It was so obvious that the question was related to Ryan's general lack of immense height. 5'9 is fine, but Ryan was constantly worried about his stature-especially in comparison to Walter. Natalia, who was 5'7, had told Calleigh that she liked taller men, so Ryan had started wearing lifts. The very idea of Ryan in heels had made Calleigh burst out laughing.
"What?" Ryan asked defensively towards her giggles.
"Nothing. No, he's not very tall."
"Good," Ryan gushed, immediately regretting his words. Damn, Wolfe, way to make it obvious. "I mean, then everything will be easier…"
"Oh, would you shut up?" Calleigh laughed and raced ahead of them, their break clearly terminated. "Catch me if you can, handsome!" Ryan looked awkwardly after her, shocked at her words. Handsome. Maybe he was reading too much into this, but he think he just heard her call him handsome. She's just being friendly, he thought, shaking himself out of his dream. That's just wishful thinking, he convinced himself. All he knew is, there was no way he was going to catch up with Calleigh. In fact, with the view from back here, he was perfectly comfortable staying behind.
Hope you liked! The stalker will get more involved than just flashbacks next time around- hopefully around 5 chapters long. I've never written CaRWash before, so cut me some slack please XD… Reviews much appreciated!