Title: Why You?
Author: Alysandra Martin (moi, lol)
Rating: T (It's 'cuz I'm paranoid)
Pairing: CaRWash (Calleigh&Ryan)
Warning: Character Death. Also, it may seem OOC-ish.
Disclaimer: CSI: Miami isn't mine. It belongs to CBS, No profit is intended, I just wrote this for my own fun. But MANN, I wish I owned it. :D
Full Summary: You're one of the most important people in my life. Why you? Ryan says. Why now?
Author's note: So, Dutchie suggested that I add some details to show how Calleigh died. And she was right. But, being the lazy 15-year-old that I am, I didn't want to edit the one-shot I posted already. So, I'm posting the prequel. Besides, it makes my story number look big. XD 'I Never Got to Tell You' is set around a month after the funeral.
It's a typical day in Miami for the CSIs. Hot, sunny, and full of crime. Ryan Wolfe sighs and looks at his watch. They had been sitting there for over an hour.
"Isn't this guy going to come home already?" he asks, disgruntled.
"Just be patient, Ryan," Calleigh Duquesne says in a calming manner. "He can't really go anywhere, anyway. We have him for murder." The two CSIs were waiting outside their killer, Lee Harolds', home to arrest him for the murder of Geneva Waters.
Ryan calms down almost immediately after she says that. He smiles; she always had a calming effect on him.
Calleigh notices that Ryan is smiling. She chuckles. "What are you smiling about?" she asks in that Southern drawl that he always loved.
Ryan realizes that he's smiling for no apparent reason and quickly wipes it off his face. "What smile? I wasn't smiling, I was… grinning." he jokes, warm hazel eyes sparkling.
Calleigh laughs, her jade green eyes also sparkling. The sound of her laugh makes him grin again. He loves it when she laughs. He loves… her.
Calleigh's phone rings. She takes it out and answers it. "Duquesne," she answers, leaving Ryan to his thoughts.
He loves her. Ryan Wolfe loves Calleigh Duquesne. Why does he find that so strange?
He shakes his head mentally. 'No,' he says to himself. 'There isn't anything strange about that.'
'Oh yes there is,' another voice in his head says. 'She's your friend, your mentor.'
'So?' Ryan argues with himself. 'Does that really matter?'
'Does it?' the other voice says. 'What do you really think?'
As Calleigh snaps her phone shut, Ryan snaps back to reality.
"Squad cars at Harolds' work place said he just left. He should be here soon," Calleigh says, pushing a stray strand of blonde hair out of her face. They sit in silence for a few minutes.
Then Ryan takes a breath. This was it. He was going to tell her. "Hey Calleigh," he starts.
"Yeah?" she asks. "What's up?"
He runs his fingers through his soft brown hair. "I—"
The screeching of a red Lamborghini's tires interrupts him. Calleigh looks out of the Hummer's window and sees the license plate. "VGH7410, this is our guy," she says, getting out of the car. She motions for Ryan to follow her.
Ryan gets out of the car and mentally slaps himself. 'Harolds just had to come home didn't he?' he tells himself, frustrated.
"Lee Harolds," Calleigh says. He was standing with his left side facing towards them. "Miami-Dade PD. Get on your knees and put your hands where I can see them; you're being arrested for the murder of Geneva Waters."
Neither Ryan nor Calleigh could see Harolds' right side. A Colt .45 was tucked into his pants, cocked and ready to fire.
"You heard her Harolds, get down on the ground now!" Ryan yells. Harolds' head was down, a mischievous smile creeping onto his face.
Ryan and Calleigh take out their guns and cock them, ready to fire at him. "You've got until the count of three, Harolds. One… two… thr—"
Bang. Calleigh didn't even get to say three, for Harolds shoots her right in the heart. She cries out and falls to the floor.
"Damn bastard!" Ryan growls angrily. As quick as a flash, he shoots Harolds in the arm. He goes to him and cuffs him. Then he whips out his phone, presses a button and yells, "Shots fired, Flagler and 15th, requesting a squad car and paramedics. Officer down; repeat, officer down!"
Calleigh is lying on the sidewalk, breathing heavily and trying to stay alive. Ryan rushes over to her and takes her hand. "Ryan," she breathes. "I-I don't think I'll…" she cries out in pain.
Ryan squeezes her hand with his and strokes her blonde hair with his other hand. You could hear sirens getting closer and closer. "Shh, it's okay, Cal. You'll be okay," he says. He wants to believe himself; he wants her to be okay.
The paramedics and the squad car arrive. The two officers in the squad car grab Harolds and lead him to the car while the paramedics put Calleigh on a stretcher and into the ambulance, Ryan not leaving Calleigh's side.
The ambulance speeds into Miami General Hospital. They take Calleigh out of the ambulance and rush her into the emergency room. As they reach surgery, one of the doctors says, "I'm sorry, Officer, we can't allow you in here."
Ryan growls angrily. "And why the hell can't you?"
The doctor gives him am apologetic look. "I'm sorry, it's hospital policy."
Ryan reluctantly consents to wait outside the operating room. While waiting for Calleigh to come out of operation, the rest of the team comes to the hospital to wait with him.
Horatio takes the seat next to Ryan, shades in his hands and ocean-blue eyes full of concern. "Tell me what happened, Mr Wolfe."
Ryan sighs. "Calleigh and I stepped out of the Hummer to arrest Harolds. His body was angled in a way that we could only see his left side. We didn't know that on his right side was a fully loaded gun. When we told him to get on his knees… he shot."
Alexx is seated in the chair next to Horatio, brown eyes full of sadness. "Poor baby. I just hope…" she starts, but then the doctor comes out of the operating room, pulling off his gloves.
Ryan stands up. "How is she?" he asks shakily. "Please tell me Calleigh is okay." All the doctor can do is shake his head.
Alexx starts sobbing. Horatio looks at the floor, eyes meeting no one's. Natalia sobs into Eric's shoulder, while he gently rubs her back, a couple of tears streaming down his own tanned face.
Ryan cannot process this news. He turns on his heel and leaves, refusing to meet anyone else's eyes. He gets in the Hummer (the rest of the team brought the one he and Calleigh had used) and drives off.
'Damn it,' he says to himself while driving. 'Damn it, damn it, damn it. I should have protected her, I should've…'
He reaches his house, not even bothering to get his own car and return the Hummer to the Crime Lab. He opens his door, throws his keys on the table and just stands there. He then collapses on the couch, sobbing.
"Oh Cal. You were one of the most important people in my life. Why you?" Ryan says aloud to no one in particular. "Why now?"
There is silence. Ryan, knowing he wouldn't receive an answer, just walks to his bedroom and falls asleep.
A week later is Calleigh's funeral. Everyone is standing as the policemen fire shots in memory of Calleigh. Ryan can't help but stare at the coffin. Calleigh, his Calleigh, the woman he loved, was laying in the coffin.
A few minutes later, the funeral was over. The people file out of the cemetery, but Ryan stays. He reaches under his seat to where he had a bouquet of yellow tulips. Eric asked why he had those tulips, but Ryan didn't answer. Those tulips were for Calleigh.
He walks up to the marble headstone and lays the flowers there. He has a hard time parting, but everyone must do it eventually. He says these last two words in a barely audible whisper. "Goodbye Calleigh."
Well this was longer than I expected. Just telling everyone, I am changing my penname to CSI Junkie Aly. XD R&R please! reviews make me mucho happy. XP