Title: Broken Vow
Author: LiLAqUaMaRiE
Fandom: CSI: Miami
Pairings/Characters: Ryan/Natalia, Ryan/Valera, implied mention of Valera/Nick
Rating: PG-13/T
Genre: Romance, drama
Spoilers/Warnings: This is an AU fic and no spoilers really.
Summary: AU – Takes place a couple years into the future: It's Christmas Eve and Ryan gets an unexpected phone call that could change his life around.
Note #1: Okay here's a more detailed plot line: Ryan and Valera were a couple in the past before the whole thing with Natalia's ex entering the picture and asking Valera out. In short their relationship didn't end pretty. Heart broken, Ryan found solace and love within someone else arms – Natalia. Now this fic takes place within the future, where they're happily married and suddenly Valera calls Ryan late one night. The call stirs up forgotten emotions and Ryan feels guilty for talking to her because of Natalia. He doesn't want to leave her or hurt her in anyway but Valera isn't making it easy on him.
Note #2: The italic parts mean the other person on the other line that's calling.
Beta: Kasandra (SincerelyinDenial)

Honey why you calling me so late, it's kinda hard to talk right now

I gotta whisper cause I can't be too loud. Well, my girl's in the next room

Sometimes I wish she was you, I guess we never really moved on

It's really good to hear your voice saying my name it sounds so sweet

Hearing those words it makes me weak and I, never wanna say goodbye

But girl you make it hard to be faithful

- "Lips of an Angel" by Hinder

BROKEN VOW

Ryan Wolfe pulled into the driveway that led to his house; he parked his car and turned off the ignition. He opened the door to get out, gently closing it behind him. He then turned around heading towards the trunk of the car. Opening it he pulled out a couple of different bags before closing it. Ryan grasped the bags with one hand as he walked up to the front door of the house while he searched for his keys. However, as he searched, the door opened wide and a little girl in pigtails pounced onto his leg with glee.

"Daddy! Daddy! You're home!"

Ryan chuckled with amusement as he glanced down at the little girl who was clinging to his leg. "Yes pumpkin, I'm home." His smile grew even more as his daughter lifted her small six year old face, giggling. "Have you been a good little girl for mommy?" he questioned softly.

The little girl known as Natasha Olivia nodded while still clutching on to her father's leg. Ryan grinned as he entered his home, taking his little girl for a ride as he did. His wife entered the room and greeted her husband; "Hi honey."

His wife wore an expression of love as she moved to greet her husband by placing a soft kiss on his lips. Ryan smiled warmly at her as she pulled away, "Hello Natalia."

She gazed at him tenderly before focusing her attention on the bags he still had in his hands. "Finished shopping?"

Ryan laughed out loud as he attempted to answer her, but before he could, another voice interrupted him.

A nine year old boy ran down the stairs yelling, "Dad! You're home!" As he reached the main floor he stared at his father with wide but hopeful eyes. "Did you get me the new Playstation2 game I wanted?"

Ryan sighed softly as Natalia shook her head. "Riley James Wolfe, what have I said about pestering your father about Christmas gifts?"

The young boy sheepishly looked at the floor in front of him as he started to whine. "But mom…"

"Riley." Her voice was gentle but stern and their son sighed as his shoulders slumped. He gave his father a defeated look before apologizing. "Sorry dad," he mumbled.

Ryan shook his head at his son as a small smile graced his lips. He winked at him playfully, "It's okay kiddo, don't worry about it." He quickly glanced in Natalia's direction before continuing, "Besides, I got the game you wanted."

Riley's face brightened up with joy at the news. He started to bounce up and down happily before he rushed forward, giving his father a hug. "Thanks Dad!" Ryan laughed as he playfully ruffled his son's hair in response.

Natalia shook her head, trying to look stern but she had a small smile on her lips that betrayed her emotions. She glanced at her nine year old son fondly, "Riley, go wash your hands. Dinner is almost ready and go take your sister with you."

The young boy who was still happy nodded quickly, "Okay Mom!" He went over to his younger sister and attempted to pull her away from their father's leg. "Come on Tash," he ordered her, "Let's go."

The six year old shook her head, tightening her grip on her father's leg. "No; don't wanna let Daddy go!" she protested.

Riley rolled his eyes at his sister's actions, "But you got to wash your hands!"

"No."

Natalia laughed a bit as she crouched down to stare at her youngest child at eye level. "Sweetie, it's time to wash your hands."

Natasha pouted up at her mother, "But Mommy, I wanna stay with you and Daddy."

Natalia tenderly smiled at her daughter, "Don't worry angel, we're not going anywhere."

She glanced up at Ryan who nodded as well, "She's right pumpkin."

Natalia smiled once more at the young girl, "See, no one is leaving. Besides your daddy's tired; let him rest. Go with your brother to wash up." She stared at both her children before her, "Dinner is almost ready."

Natasha glanced at her mother and then up at her father before glancing back at her mother. Her little face was scrunched up in thought, and then a second later she grinned at her mother. "Okay Mommy," she said as she let go of Ryan's leg before pausing to look up at her father, "Bye Daddy."

Ryan laughed lightly as he waved, "Bye pumpkin."

Natalia smiled as she watched the kids run off together, "They're adorable aren't they?" she asked out loud.

Ryan nodded as he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Natalia's forehead. "With you as a wonderful mother, I can't see them any other way."

Natalia blushed softly as she nudged him with her elbow. "Take off your coat and wash up too mister; as I told them, dinner is almost ready besides I need you to help me set the table. Calleigh and her husband should be on their way over pretty soon."

Ryan pouted at his wife, "Do I have to…" he whined. Natalia shook her head as she headed back into the kitchen, "You and Riley are so alike I swear."

Ryan laughed as he placed the bags on the floor beside him; he shrugged off his coat and hung it up on the coat rack. He was about to walk away towards the living area of the house when the telephone rang. He sighed and yelled out that he'd pick it up. "Hello?"

"Ryan?"

Ryan froze – he knew that voice. It was a voice of his past, his past before Natalia. He could never forget it – never.

"Ryan?"

He swallowed hard as he looked in the direction of the kitchen quickly before turning back around to face a wall as he whispered into the phone, "Valera?"

"Thank god it's you, Ry!"

He closed his eyes automatically as he had done in the past every time he heard her mention his name like that. Something within him seemed to have awakened, like it never left. Something which he thought he had buried along time ago. "Valera, why are you calling me?" He wanted to keep his voice tone low as possible; he definitely didn't want Natalia to hear him.

"I miss you Ryan."

Immediately, he shook his head in reply. "No, no." As he closed his eyes once more he quietly questioned her, "Why are you telling me this now?"

"Ryan I want to see you."

He kept his eyes closed as he spoke into the phone. "Valera, I – I'm married remember?"

"Please Ry, I want to see you. I need to see you."

As he continued to hear her speak, feelings he thought he had forgotten seemed to stir up within him instinctively. He turned around to glance at the kitchen once more, he saw Natalia smiling softly as the children laughed around her. He swallowed hard, he wouldn't deny it – he was tempted, he was temped to say yes. "Valera you know I can't I-"

"Please."

Ryan bit his lip, before he resigned to his fate. "Alright Val."

"Great. Same park we used to meet."

He nodded to himself, "I remember."

"See you then."

"Yeah" he replied back. After he hanged up he turned around to find his wife standing close to him.

"Who was it?" she questioned.

He jumped back startled. Natalia blinked in confusion, "What's wrong honey? You okay?"

Ryan swallowed. "Ah…I…" he glanced at a near by clock on the wall. "I have to go."

"What?"

"I have to – Eric called me." He quickly lied.

Natalia blinked as she glanced at the time, "Eric? Why is he calling so late?"

"He needs help!" He nodded quickly, "Says he needs me to see him right now."

Natalia was confused. "But dinner and the kids-"

Ryan smiled grimly at her as he touched her shoulder softly. "I'm sorry hon; I'll try to be home early, but if not don't wait up for me." He picked up his coat from the coat rack and opened the door, leaving.

Natalia stood there with a lost look on her face; she felt something pulling on her jeans and she glanced down to see her little girl standing along with her brother with a questioning look on their faces, "Mommy where's Daddy going?"

She glanced away from them to stare at the direction Ryan had left from, "Out baby, out."

Ryan was sitting down on one of the many benches within the park, lost in thought. 'What am I doing?' he questioned himself. He shook his head, ninety-nine percent of his mind was screaming at him, demanding that he go back home to the family he left behind. However that one percent that was remained - that small little part was the one that had the invisible reigns over him –controlled his actions.

After hearing Maxine Valera's voice after so long, something within him awoke; he was sure of that – but he felt miserable for what he was doing, to his children – to Natalia. She didn't deserve what he was doing right now; she didn't deserve it at all. Not one bit.

"Hello Ryan."

Ryan blinked as he broke away from his chain of thoughts to glance up at the new voice to find Valera bending down over to where he was with a grin plastered on her face. He breathed in deeply – she looked beautiful, just like the last time he saw her so many years ago.

She titled her head to a side, "It's been so long Ry."

He could only nod in silence as she grinned once more sitting down next to him. "I've missed you, you know," she said softly.

Ryan swallowed as he turned to glance at her. "Why now? Why are you doing this?

"I want to be with you."

He immediately shook his head as he quickly stood, "Val, I'm married." He continued as he walked away from the bench, "There's no way in hell that-"

Valera stood as well cutting him off, "I love you."

Ryan paused as he stared at her; his eyes were wide in shock. "Why are you doing this to me? Why not then?" His temper flared. "Damnit, I shouldn't be here."

Valera walked towards him; she faced him as she reached him. Ryan opened his eyes to stare into her eyes, "You shouldn't have called me."

Valera shook her head firmly, "You still feel something for me Ryan."

Ryan didn't want to admit she was right so he shook his head. "You're wrong. I love Natalia…"

"You don't love her."

He glared at her, "Don't say that!"

She walked closer to him, her eyes never left his. "You don't. You just haven't realized it." Before he could respond she brought her hands up to his face, bringing his lips down into a deep kiss.

They stayed locked with one another for a few moments before they broke apart; both of them were breathless as they stared at one another. Ryan broke the silence, "Why do you make me feel so weak?"

She gazed into his eyes, "Because you love me Ryan."

Ryan tried to push away but Valera clutched his hands into her own. "Maxine, don't."

Valera shook her head. "Why? Why Ryan?" she glared at him, "It's simple – you love me and I love you."

"If only it were that simple."

"I never loved Nick, I'll always love you."

He glared at her this time. "But back then you chose him instead of me. Face it, you and me are through."

"Leave her."

His eyes showed confusion, "What?"

"Come with me."

He stared at her as if in a daze. Valera walked closer to him once more, their faces inches apart. "Be with me," she whispered out to him before she captured his lips once more in a kiss.

He pulled away from her, holding her within his arms away from him. "Why must you make it hard to be faithful?"

"I told you Ry, you don't love her."

He shook his head as he moved away from Maxine. "That's the thing you not getting Val – I do love her."

Valera's eyes narrowed for a moment before relaxing, "But don't you wish she was me?"

Ryan stared at her about to shake his head negative before she cut him off. "Tell me the truth Ry!" Valera demanded.

He sighed as he looked away, "Sometimes, in the past."

"See." Maxine smiled at him triumphly. "You do love me Ryan."

He glared at her, "That does not mean I don't love Natalia."

"Don't say her name!"

Ryan shook his head as he walked up to stand inches apart from Valera. "No. I loved you – yes. I won't lie, but you're of the past Maxine; the past. Natalia and my children are my present and my future."

Valera eyes widen in shock, "You have children?" she questioned in disbelief.

A small smile graced his lips for a moment, "Two of them."

She stared at him for a moment before looking away, "We could have had children." She whispered.

Ryan stared at a tree within the park blankly before responding. "But we don't."

Valera's eyes shined with unshed tears. "I love you damn it."

"But I don't."

Her eyes started to shed the tears that were forming and she ran up to him yanking around. She yelled at him, "You do damn it, you do." Ryan attempted to shake his head but she lifted her hands to his face yanking him down into another kiss.

Ryan broke away harshly this time. "No." he stared at her tear marked face, "I'm sorry Maxine." He glanced up and noticed something that made his own eyes widened.

Standing a few meters away stood Natalia, her hands were brought up to her face as she tried to hold back the sob that wanted to break loose. The moment their eyes connected, Natalia turned around in an attempt to run away from the scene before her.

Ryan stared hard for a few moments, as his mind registered that his wife – Natalia – saw him with his ex-girlfriend. Without even thinking, he pulled away from Valera and ran after Natalia; he couldn't let her go, not like that and not out of his life.

Natalia ran wildly, but she was blinded by the tears that continued to shed from her eyes. She hadn't plan to follow Ryan, but her gut instinct screamed at her to do so and since a few moments later Calleigh arrived with her husband, Natalia knew she could leave the children with then. As she ran, she tripped over something and fell hard onto the cold ground below. She cried her heart out – the man she loved, the man she married and happened to be the father of her children was kissing another woman. It broke her heart completely.

Ryan finally reached her and attempted to help her up as he saw her trip from afar, but as soon as Natalia felt Ryan's hands on her she flinched away.

He retracted his hand as he stared down at her. His eyes shined brightly – what he did not want to happen, had happened. Natalia was hurting because of him and that in turn hurt him deeply. They stayed like that for a moment – him staring down at her while she stared at ground before her blankly as tears ran down her cheeks.

Silence reigned between them until Ryan broke the silence.

As he crouched down next to her, whilst not touching her in fear of another rejection, Ryan called out to her softly, "Talia?"

Natalia roughly wiped away tears the fell from her eyes while she muttered something out, unfortunately it was incorrigible to understand so Ryan tried calling out to her again as he attempted to touch her once more.

This time, Natalia snapped around to stare at him angrily. "I said go away!"

Ryan shook his head slowly as he stared into her hard eyes, "Natalia, please…"

She sneered at him, "Please? Please? Please what Ryan?" She chuckled humorlessly at him, "Please forgive you? Or do you want me to please leave you alone with…with her?"

Ryan closed his eyes in a wince, he knew he deserve the way she was treating him and much more, but he had to get through this. He couldn't loose her; he couldn't. "Natalia I love you."

She snorted in response, "Well, what a way to show it then."

A tear fell down Ryan's eye. "I'm sorry." He whispered out to her.

Natalia glared to him, "How could you?" Tears kept falling freely like raindrops falling from the sky, "After everything we been through…after…" she trailed off as she glanced away.

Ryan tried to touch her but she swatted his attempts away, "Don't." she shook her head, "Don't touch me."

"God Natalia…" Ryan swallowed hard as tears ran down his face, "You have every right to hate me for what I've done." He stated as he closed his eyes briefly, "But you have to know that I love you not her."

Natalia stood as she glared at him, "So loving me means kissing another woman?"

Ryan shook his head vehemently as he too stood, "No. God no Natalia – I didn't kiss her…" He noticed that she rolled her eyes at him as she looked away in disbelief. "Honest, she kissed me instead – not the other way around." He tried to reason with her.

Natalia turned to face him, "Is that supposed to be comforting?" she questioned him dully.

Ryan moved in closer, he noticed she did not move away so he reached out to touch her face gently with his hands. Slowly he wiped away the tears the fell from her eyes with both of his thumbs, "It breaks my heart to see you cry." He whispered to her.

She stared at him, her bottom lips trembling, "And it breaks mine to see you with another woman."

Slowly he leaned in closer; their foreheads touched one another as they both closed their eyes. Ryan spoke out softly to her, "Nothing can express how sorry I am for hurting you."

Natalia bottom lip continued to tremble, "I don't know if I can forgive you Ryan." She tried holding back a sob, "I just don't know…" Unfortunately, she couldn't and she broke into a sob as she leaned in closer to him, sobbing into his chest.

Ryan held her tightly within his arms as he too broke into tears at hearing her words and seeing how much pain he caused her.

It was a sad night for the both of them; he never wanted to say goodbye and neither did her, but fate had different plans.

FIN.