This is a CSI: Miami fic both about Ryan's childhood and a murder. I'm going to be doing the old crime scene investigation story, but interweaving it with flashbacks of Ryan's childhood. I will be leaving clues that will ultimately lead up to the killer, so if you want to try to figure it out on the way, you can submit a review and tell me who you think it is! Of course, at this point there aren't any real clues to who it is, but in later chapters there will be.

So without further ado...

COINCIDENCES – Chapter One

Ryan Wolfe walked into the Miami Dade Police Department with his eyes half opened. He yawned, but quickly stifled it with his hand. He nodded to the receptionist at the front desk, as he always did. As he entered the lab, he was greeted by his cheery colleague.

"Good morning," Calleigh Duquesne said with a smile that verged on being a smirk.

"Ya, maybe for you." Ryan moaned. "Why did we have to come in so early today? I didn't even have time to get my coffee."

"I don't know, I just got here. Horatio said to meet in the conference room though." The two walked down the hall to the room where Eric Delko, Natalia Boa Vista, and Horatio Caine were waiting.

"Nice of you to join us," Eric teased. Ryan could only roll his eyes. Eric was a morning person and Ryan—well Ryan just wasn't.

Horatio got right down to business. "We have a murder, 27 year old female, found in the backroom of Crosby's Coffee Shop on Plain Street. The manager called it in this morning."

Ryan raised his eyebrows. "Crosby's? That's where I usually get my coffee in the morning. Didn't have time today, though. Talk about coincidence."

Horatio glanced Ryan's way, and then continued. "Wolfe and Delko will process the scene; Calleigh, you and Natalia will stay here and review her file." Everyone nodded and set off for their dictated spots.

Eric and Ryan headed out the front steps towards the department's hummers. Ryan breathed in the Miami air and sighed—another day, another case. Not that he ever got tired of it, he loved his job.

Eric jumped into the driver's seat and started the ignition. Ryan got into the passenger seat, shaking his head. Eric never let him drive; he gave up asking years ago. They zoomed along the interstate, enjoying the usual sun-soaked Miami and its occupants. Before they knew it they were on Plain Street, parking in front of the modern looking coffee shop.

"So, you come here often, Wolfe?" Eric asked.

"Ya, every morning."

"So you know the folks here?"

"By name; it's not like I'm friends with any of them. We just make small talk in the morning." Eric gave him a look of disapproval which made Ryan scowl. Why did Eric disapprove of everything he did?

The two entered the building, which was now taped off, and went straight for the back. Before they could reach it, however, they heard a commotion behind them. "Excuse me!" A blustering man who looked to be in his mid-fifties came zooming under the crime scene tape up to them. His large belly and balding head along with cheeks that were rosy red gave him the distinct look of a clean-shaven Santa Claus.

"Sir, you're going to have to step behind the tape," Eric said with authority.

"But I own this place!" Eric looked as if he were about to reprimand him again, but Ryan jumped in.

"What's your name?"

"Leonard O'Mally."

"And you called in the murder, right?"

Leonard nodded. "Well, I did call it in, but I wasn't the one who discovered her."

"What?" Eric spat. He had little patience for people like this.

"I was a block away when my assistant manager, Shawn Belby called me and told me he had found a body in the back room. I told him to call it in but he said he was scared. So I came down, saw it, and called it in."

"Really?" Ryan said with interest. "Where is this Shawn now?"

Leonard pointed to a young man outside the crime scene tape. He seemed to be answering questions for the patrol officers. "I know it seems a little fishy, but Shawn's not the brightest kid. Besides, he got into some trouble with the law back in Boston, I figured that's why he didn't want to call it in."

"Right," said Eric, "We're gonna need you to stay right over there." Leonard nodded and went to wait outside the crime scene tape. "C'mon Wolfe, let's…" Eric looked at Ryan with raised eyebrows. Ryan was staring at the young kid called Shawn with a strange look on his face. "Wolfe? You okay?"

Ryan shook his head. "I know him."

Eric was perplexed. "The owner?"

"No. Shawn." Eric turned to look at the assistant manager with him.

"His name's Shawn Belby and he's a creep if you've ever met one. I spent four miserable years around him."

"You went to high school with that guy?"

"Unfortunately."

"Talk about coincidence—or maybe not. Maybe you shouldn't be on this case, Wolfe."

Ryan scoffed. "I might not have liked him, but I barely knew him and talked to him only once. Give me a break, Delko. No one's gonna care if I'm on this case." Eric sincerely hoped this was not just Ryan's naivety showing.

"Whatever. We'll talk to him later. Let's go see crime scene." The two boys wandered behind the bar and opened the door into a dark room. The only light was filtering through a small window near the ceiling of the building. The whole room was not large, and was made smaller by four rows of shelves filled with boxes. These weren't what grabbed the CSI's attention, though. Right in front of the shelved, a woman was lying face down, clearly dead.

Eric headed towards the body but stopped when he realized that Ryan was not coming. Ryan was staring at the girl as if he had never seen a dead body before. "Wolfe?" Eric asked, concerned. "Are you okay?"

FLASHBACK

Ryan Wolfe sat on the front wall of his yard, watching the movers unload the truck. His small legs dangled over the edge of the stone. A woman in her thirties appeared at the front door. She gazed at Ryan a moment, then walked over to him. "They have a daughter about your age. Maybe you could go and introduce yourself." She looked hopeful.

"I guess. But what if I don't like her?"

"I'm sure you will. There in the back yard now. Go on." He got up somewhat reluctantly and ambled towards his neighbor's back yard. Ryan had lived on a slow street in the quiet Boston suburb for all six years of his life, and had no friends at all. He was not sure he liked the idea of a girl living so close to him.

The family was admiring the house from the back. There was a man who reminded him of his own father, tall and dark-haired, and a woman with blonde hair twisted up into a bun. But Ryan was more fascinated with the young girl standing next to them. She was about the same height as him, skinny, with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.

She noticed him the second he entered the back yard, and went bounding towards him. "Are you the neighbor? You must be, my parents said you were an only child. I'm Madison. We're gonna live next door to you. I think we'll be very good friends."

Ryan was certainly taken aback by her vivaciousness. But her friendly smile and sparkling brown eyes were kind and sincere. "I'm Ryan Wolfe," He finally managed.

She smiled. "Want to go explore? I don't know the area at all." She spun around and looked at the woods with obvious excitement.

"Well my mom doesn't really like me to go into the woods…"

"Don't be silly! We won't go far. I just want to see what's in there." And with that, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the woods. He didn't put up a fight. She was strange, to be sure…but he liked her.

FLASHFORWARD

Eric waved his hand in front of Ryan's face. "Wolfe? What's going on?"

Ryan swallowed. His voice was hoarse. "Eric….I can't be on this case."