Disclaimer: If I owned it, then I wouldn't feel a need to write stories about it.
Summary: Ryan liked to be needed.
A/N: I haven't actually seen the whole Erica/Ryan relationship, so I'm not quite sure everything is accurate, but based on what I've seen and everyone's reactions, this is what I have.
Needed
When Ryan met Erica, he never would have imagined she was bad news, no pun intended.
He had seen a pretty face and a bold personality. She was motivated and determined to get what she wanted, which was to further her career. They had a lot in common.
It wasn't long before they were friends. That was something Ryan lacked in Miami. Between working patrol and working to become a CSI, Ryan had very few real friends. He was glad when he had someone who wouldn't judge him to talk to.
They had briefly dated, but it didn't really work out. They were attracted to each other, but it was more a lust and sense of loneliness than love. Friendship was a better option for them.
But his colleagues frowned upon the relationship. They thought she was bossy and using Ryan. But what did they care, even if she was? They barely held any respect or concern for him, except for Alexx. But she didn't care for Erica either, only because she didn't know the true person behind the reporter.
Erica was like Ryan. She was insecure, trying to find her place in her career. She found her place easier than Ryan had, but she didn't have anyone to talk to, except her cameramen, who weren't all too fond of her and her attitude. She was misunderstood.
The teasing, the flirting, that was their friendship, but sometimes Erica got too caught up in her job. Ryan couldn't say no to his friend and let her watch some of his cases when he could have called patrol to keep her in line.
After their careers started to cross paths more often, Erica found her job more important to her than Ryan. She put her life at risk, trying to get the story, and more often than not, got Ryan in trouble for leaking information to the media.
In the beginning, Erica had needed Ryan and Ryan had needed Erica. Ryan had liked being needed. It was a change of pace from his work. Two lonely people, alienated by their work, were joined by common situation. Now, Erica only cared about one thing and that was her job. There was no room for Ryan and their friendship. That just made her quest for information more complicated.
But Ryan had grown. He wasn't willing to walk over people in order to climb the ladder of success. He wouldn't let Erica walk over him. She would have to climb it by herself while Ryan was left standing alone.
Eric never understood Ryan's relationship with Erica. To him, they met and all the sudden they were buddies. Maybe it was jealousy speaking, but Ryan seemed so much more open with the reporter in such a short time than he ever had with Eric.
He had seen Erica's type before. Live fast, get what you want, and no one gets in your way. Even if he was jealous, he didn't want to see Ryan get hurt. After all, much of Ryan's first few months at the lab had been emotionally painful because of him. He was trying to make amends.
So, Eric tried to keep the reporter at bay. Stay behind the yellow lines, lock her out of the lab, whatever Eric could do. Ryan never knew a thing about his efforts.
When Eric confronted Ryan with inquiries about his relationship with the reporter, Ryan just said Eric could never understand. He was a little skeptical of Eric. Ryan was still distant with the rest of the day-shift, except for Alexx, so Eric went to her.
Apparently, Alexx found that gesture to be good enough for her baby, because when Ryan finally had enough of Erica and her antics, he was left alone and Alexx decided that Eric was a good replacement for Erica.
Eric was willing to try.
Well, that didn't turn out at all like I wanted it to. The last part wasn't even a part of the original plan, it just didn't seem complete where I finished at first. Well, I'm not very satisfied with this piece, but I do like to explore with writing, so I tried. Well, constructive criticism is welcomed; this piece needs a lot of it.