A/N: First attempt at writing a CSI: Miami fic, but this idea hit me while watching the episode "Three Way" from Season 4. This takes place after that episode.
"Is he still seeing her?"
"What on Earth does he see in her?"
"She's only interested in him because he's a CSI."
"Is he desperate?"
Every day he heard them. They thought they were being quiet, like he wouldn't know they were talking about him. But he knew. He knew the rumours: the gossip. He was a CSI for heaven's sake. He knew what was happening around him.
Ryan Wolfe walked down the halls of the crime lab, head high. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of knowing their words hurt. Sighing softly he left the building and headed to his car. He snorted quietly as he stopped to look at his car. If they think I'm selling information they've only got to take a look at my life to know that isn't the case.
Getting in, he drove to his apartment. Entering through the door he carefully hung his jacket and put his bag down in the closet.
I knew I forgot something today, he groaned as he looked into his refrigerator which contained an almost empty jug of milk, a half-eaten block of cheese and a bottle of ketchup. Glancing at the clock he mentally added the time up. Okay, 10 minutes to walk to the grocery story, 25 minutes shopping, and a 20 minute walk back. Half and hour prep and… that puts it at about 8:30, which is too late. Looks like I'm going out for dinner.
-----CSIM-----
Twenty minutes later Ryan Wolfe was seated in his favourite restaurant. "Hey, how're you doing today Ryan? You haven't been in here much lately." His favourite waitress greeted him as he sat down.
"I'm doing pretty good. Solved a case today." Ryan grinned at her.
"I know, I heard about it on the news." She smiled at him, oblivious to the way his eyes dimmed. "So, the usual?"
He nodded and leaned back in the booth. He glanced around casually. It wasn't a very well-known restaurant, out of the way and not advertised much. The waitress was right; he hadn't been here in a while. I shouldn't be here now. I've got that microphone to pay for, I can't afford this. Too late now, though. He shifted his body back and folded his arms on the table, resting his forehead on them casually.
How could I be such an idiot? I honestly thought she liked me. And when she put me on her show, I thought it would be good. CSIs are like unsung heroes. I thought I'd give them a little recognition. I hardly talked about myself at all. Now she's made me look like a jerk. Half of the people at the lab hate me; Delko is just waiting to have a chance to beat me up. Horatio doesn't even see me as a real CSI, just a replacement. Calleigh… Calleigh…
He was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Ryan?"
He jerked his head up and whirled his body around to see the face of Calleigh Duquesne, the girl he'd just been dreaming about. "Hey Cal." He said nervously. "What brings you here?"
She shrugged. "Just driving by and saw this place. It looks good."
"Yeah it is. Want to join me?" Ryan asked hopefully.
"How kind of you to ask me," she teased as she sat down.
She took her hair out of her ponytail. Good. I like it better when it's loose and flowing like a golden waterfall – what am I saying? I sound like a cheesy romance novel.
"Ryan?" Her voice broke through his thoughts.
"Oh sorry, my mind wandered."
"I asked if everything was alright. You seemed kinda bummed when I arrived." Her eyes were soft with worry.
"Oh it's nothing really. Thank Melanie." Ryan smiled at the waitress who brought him his coffee.
"Oh, is this lady joining you?" Melanie asked, turning to Calleigh with a less than friendly smile.
"Yes I am," Calleigh said coolly. As she placed her order Ryan was totally oblivious of the angry glares Melanie was shooting Calleigh, and the flirtatious glances she was giving him.
"Alright, your order will be with you shortly."
"So what were you going to say?" Calleigh said with a smile.
"I wasn't going to say anything." Ryan denied hotly.
"Yes you were." Calleigh said with a look at him that let him know he was going to tell her."
Ryan sighed. "Alright, the thing is-"
"Here you go." Melanie plunked Calleigh's drink down on the table, spilling the coffee over the sides.
"Whoa, Melanie, are you okay?" Ryan asked, concerned.
"Yeah, Ryan. Everything's fine." She smiled a bright, cheesy grin at him. "So Ryan," Melanie said with a smirk at Calleigh. "When are you going to appear on television again? Let me know and I'll set my TV for it especially."
"Um, I'll be sure and let you know," Ryan said with a half-hearted smile at Melanie.
"Great. I'll be back with your orders soon!" Melanie left them in silence.
"So that's it, huh?" Calleigh said softly.
"That's what?" Ryan evaded.
Calleigh sighed and rolled her eyes slightly. "That's what you were sad about. The whole Erika Sykes thing. You still on about that?"
----FLASHBACK-----
"You still seeing her?" Alex asked him as he stood over the dead body with his camera. Calleigh and Eric joined them.
"No, it's just, she's just. She's very pretty so I – can we just focus on the victim?" Ryan said, flustered.
"Confirmation…"
-----END OF FLASHBACK-----
"It's nothing, Calleigh. I'm fine. I'm over it." Ryan said with a completely unconvincing smile.
"Come on, Ry. It'll be better if you just talk about it."
Ryan looked down into the dark depths of his suddenly fascinating cup of coffee.
"What happened between you today?" Calleigh asked softly.
----FLASHBACK-----
The elevator dinged behind him and he grimaced when he heard the all too familiar voice behind him. "Ryan, just the guy I was looking for."
Ryan turned around impatiently. I don't have time to deal with her today. "Erika not now, I'm busy."
"I need to ask you something."
"If it's a question about the case I can't give you an answer." Ryan said shortly, fixating his eyes on the photos before him.
"Okay, it isn't, but point made." He noted the hurt in her tone of voice. Is she really that dense?
He waited a few minutes for her to speak before looking up. "Come on, what is it?"
"I need to get reimbursed for that data-recorder you busted." Are you kidding me? Ryan thought as he reached for his wallet. "You know, from the whole Mala Noches thing. The producers have been hounding me."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. How much is it?" Doesn't she understand how busy I am? I have to get this evidence to the lab.
"Five hundred bucks." She said calmly with a little smile on her face.
"Five hundred bucks? For a recorder? What, are you kidding me, is it dipped in gold?" He asked disbelievingly. "Erika I work for the County, I can't afford that." He tried to hide the hint of desperation in his voice.
"I didn't break it Ryan." She said with a smug look on her face.
He sighed and pulled out all the cash in his wallet, $40. "Okay, I'll give you the rest when I get my paycheque. You know I'm good for the rest." Looks like I'll have to be putting in a bit of overtime.
"Pleasure doing business with you." She smiled sweetly at him. He turned away disgusted and headed down the hallway to the Ballistics Lab.
-----END OF FLASHBACK-----
"Five hundred dollars, huh?" Calleigh said softly.
"You know it's not even about the money anymore." Ryan's eyes narrowed as he took another sip of coffee.
"So what's the deal?"
"Here you go, Ryan." Melanie said warmly as she put his meal down in front of him. "There." She said shortly as she put Calleigh's dish down roughly. "Have a nice meal."
"So?" Calleigh said before she took a bite.
"I don't want to talk about it anymore." Ryan said shortly.
"Okay, whatever you want." They ate in silence for a few moments before Calleigh spoke up again. "Mind if I ask a direct question?"
Ryan chuckled. "It wouldn't be you if it wasn't direct. Shoot. Uh… not literally of course."
"Why did you start dating Erika Sykes of all people?"
Ryan chewed silently before answering. "She – she liked me. Or so I thought. She came up to me on the street one day and talked as if she knew me. Talked about my being a CSI and everything. She asked me out."
"And you accepted? From a random girl you met on the street?" Calleigh said disbelievingly.
Ryan shifted his eyes. "She – she was pretty. And it looked as if she liked me. It was a once in a lifetime thing, believe me."
"So you allowed yourself to be picked up by this random girl you met on the street."
"Wow that sounds bad." Ryan chuckled nervously. "But yeah, that's how it happened."
"And you continued to see her even after you knew who she was." Calleigh said disbelievingly.
His eyes dropped to his half-eaten meal. "She promised me. She said she wouldn't ask me any questions: that it wouldn't interfere with our relationship."
"And you believed her? Ryan you know what reporters are like!"
"I did believe her. Or, at least, I wanted to so much I didn't care. You see I- I've never had a girlfriend before." Ryan's plate suddenly became fascinating.
"So you allowed yourself to be used by her just so that you could have a girlfriend?"
"It sounded good at the time." Ryan mumbled.
"Ryan, you could do so much better for yourself than Erika Sykes." Calleigh said confidently.
"Girls just aren't interested in me. They prefer guys like Delko: strong and masculine. Compared to him I'm a geek."
"Ryan, do you not see the way girls practically fall over you? When you comfort them when we reach a crime scene or after we've solved a case, don't you see the way they look at you then?"
"Um, no. Girls want guys like Delko. I'm no girl's fantasy come true."
"Here's your bill, Ryan. Why don't I just put this on your tab, okay?" Melanie gushed as she smiled sweetly at him.
"That'd be great, thanks Mel." Ryan smiled at Melanie as she slapped Calleigh's bill on the table. "Wait; put both of ours on my tab."
Melanie drew back sharply. "Whatever." She turned and walked away.
"What was wrong with her?" Ryan wondered, confused.
"She's upset because she thought you were single and how she thinks your dating me." Calleigh said calmly as she got up and put on her coat. "Thanks for dinner."
"Huh?"
"Men are so blind." Calleigh said with a shake of her head.
-----THE END-----
A/N: I'll probably do another in Calleigh's POV, and maybe even continue it some more.