These characters don't belong to me. If they did, I wouldn't have time to write about them. However, if someone could wrap Eric Delko, or better yet…….the real Adam Rodriguez up and give him to me for Christmas, I'd be thrilled! ;-)
This story is for my friend, Carol, who is the one who got me excited about this couple and the chemistry between them.
This is present time into this season…….
In Sickness and In Health
By: Susan
Maxine hangs up the phone and struggles not to cry. She hates getting like this at work and refuses to let anyone here see that she is anything but tough. She knows better than to call her Mom at work anyway, but she just needed to hear her voice for a few minutes. This case she is working on is really getting to her and the evidence is just not matching up. She sucks in a deep breath, blows it out slowly, chokes down the tears, and turns around to run face first into Ryan.
"Whoa Valera! Where are you going so fast? You on a mission?" he chides. She wants to scream because she knows she isn't fully composed yet and Ryan is the last person she wants to see her like this. "No, I …..um….was just working and the evidence is not matching up and I didn't hear you come in, " she manages to stutter out. Ryan squints his eyes at her, "Valera, you OK?" She takes a step back. For one thing, she isn't sure why Ryan's concern is making her heart rate go up and she also thinks that maybe if she backs up he won't see through her as well. "I'm fine. Just busy." Ryan, never knowing when to back off, keeps staring at her. "You don't look fine." Valera sends him a glare, "Thanks Wolfe. Compliment me anytime." She turns her back to him and tries to concentrate on her work and get her stupid heart back into normal rhythm. She's really feeling ticked off because she is actually letting Ryan get to her. "Must be the hormones, " she thinks to herself. Ryan gives an exasperated sigh. "I don't mean you LOOK bad Valera. You're always hot, you just look upset or like you've been crying or something." Maxine almost chokes and turns around trying not to grin, "Did you just say I was hot?" Ryan feels his face flush, "Um, well………did I ? Out loud?" then he grins. They both laugh and Maxine realizes that she's feeling better already. She reaches up and tousles Ryan's hair, "You're not half bad yourself……….although maybe a hair out of place every now and then would do you some good." Ryan acts appalled, "Watch the hair woman!".
All of a sudden, there's an awkward silence that follows. Valera cannot believe this joking, flirty and sexy side of Ryan she's seeing and Ryan can't believe he's just acted like he has! He isn't sure if he's sorry or not, but he is sure that he is way out of his comfort zone. He clears his throat, "So………um……….are you really ok?" Valera looks at Ryan and nods slowly, "Yeah. I'm Ok. It's just been a rough day. A lot going on." Ryan pauses and then says, "I'm glad you're back by the way. I wasn't sure what to say and how much to apologize and …………well, it's just good to know you are back."
Maxine fights tears yet again. "Thank you Ryan." Ryan keeps standing there feeling like there is more. Valera tries to keep emotions in check and is afraid if she opens her mouth, the tears will come. "Valera, do you want to talk about whatever is going on?" Valera shakes her head and doesn't look him in the eye. She says a little more hateful than she means to, "No Ryan. I don't want to talk about anything. I just want to get my work done so I don't get into any more trouble." Ryan throws his hands up, "Ok. Sorry I asked……I'm leaving." He walks out the door and Maxine immediately wishes she hadn't been rude. "Ryan!" He stops and turns around. The hopeful look on his face made her want to just go apologize and hug him and that scared her and angered her even more. "Did you need something when you came in here?" she said a little too quickly. Ryan's face fell. "I was just going to check on some results, but I saw them on the list to go next
So I'll come back in an hour." Valera nods quietly and says, "I'll have them ready."
Ryan leaves feeling completely frustrated. Valera makes him feel crazy. One minute she is this tough cookie with a "leave me alone" facade and the next he sees vulnerability that makes him just want to hold on to her. He knows something had made her cry and he hopes and prays it wasn't job related. "What else could be going, " he wonders. He'd started so many times to ask her to dinner, but once she'd heard about the reporter and him leaking the information to her and that whole scenario, she'd been very distant and he just couldn't get up the nerve. He knows there is good possibility she'd say no.
Maxine works on the report she is doing and wants to just pack up and leave for the day. As much as she'd wanted to hear her Mom's voice, she now wonders why she didn't just wait until she was on her way home to call. The reality of the situation always hits when she sees and talks to her Mom and work isn't the place to deal with it. No one even knows and Maxine wants to keep it that way. She can't let them see her weak side and the side that is scared to death. Ryan just infuriates her because he pushes all of her buttons. He's pushy about evidence and often full of himself. She knows that Ryan and Eric have tied up more than once both of them always think they are right. She knows that Calleigh has had her issues with Ryan too and that he was going to have to slow down and be willing to learn instead of going ahead full force and letting his mouth and rash action get him into trouble. She thinks that Ryan is taking up way too much of her thoughts and she just doesn't have time for that. She wasn't about to tell him what was wrong so he could go tell everyone else. This is a cross she feels she has to bear alone. No matter how much Ryan makes her heart race when he walks in a room.
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At least one more chapter to come!
I had to stop here because I am tired! I did want to have it started though and will finish if there are reviews! Let me know if isn't boring you to tears! I just wanted this to be the set up chapter to give a little background!