Title: Open Water
Author: LiLAqUaMaRiE
Fandom: CSI: Miami
Pairings/Characters: CaRWash
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, angst
Spoilers: Can be considered a fic post (3x01) Lost Son, but nothing really spoilerish.
Summary: Into each life some rain must fall and this is no different for Calleigh and Ryan.
Disclaimer: I don't own "CSI: Miami" or anything related to it. So don't sue me please!!!! I'm already poor as it is. Don't need a lawsuit to put me out on the street.
Note: This is a fic for CSI Santa 2006 – and this is the first time I attempt a fic at the pairing of CaRWash, so hopefully it didn't come out to bad. Some quotes used were inspired from the Tales of Legendia game, well just a certain scene really that inspired this fic. And if the title seems a bit odd – it's in reference to the rain theme.

OPEN WATER

It was a gloomy, rainy day when Ryan Wolfe found Calleigh Duquesne heading out of the Miami-Dade CSI building in a hurry. Her hair was loose upon her shoulders, she had no make-up on and was donning dark garb, as if heading to a funeral.

He wasn't so far off in his assumption.

Ryan blinked; he opened his mouth to apologize for almost bumping into her, but he closed it when she just walked right by him as if he wasn't even there in the first place. He paused in confusion; he was trying to comprehend what was going on when he noticed she didn't have an umbrella with her.

It was not a good idea to be out in the type of weather they were currently having without an umbrella or some sort of jacket with a hood – one could easily get sick by just walking about with nothing to cover up with.

Ryan didn't even think twice as he ran over to her, covering her with his own umbrella. His body in front of her blocked her from her walking, making her stop in her steps. Since his umbrella wasn't very big he had to stand very close to her, so it could cover up the both of them. Ryan called out to her, "Calleigh?" Even with him standing in front of her, she didn't respond.

Confused by her actions, he called out to her once more only this time he placed a hand on her shoulder. However, the instant his hand touched her shoulder, she gazed up at him; her eyes shined brightly with unshed tears.

Ryan was worried.

He removed his hand from her shoulder, lifting it up to touch her face gently. His eyes stared at her with confusion and worry written all over them, "Cal, what's wrong?"

Calleigh tried to smile at him but it faltered as she tried. Slowly she lifted her own hand to take his hand within hers; she held his hand for a moment before letting it go.

Ryan eyed her through it all in silence before softly saying her name, "Calleigh?"

She swallowed slightly before attempting to respond. "Ryan, I-I…" she trailed off with a sigh. Shaking her head, she glanced away. "It's nothing."

Ryan continued to stare at her before he lifted his hand once more up to her face; with one hand he cupped her face – gently but firmly – making her look at him. He gazed into her eyes in silence for a moment before opening his mouth to speak. "You don't have a nothing face. You have a something face. What's a matter?" His tone was soft and gentle.

She swallowed again; for a brief moment she closed her eyes before reopening them to stare at Ryan. "I forgot." Those two small words were said with so much emotion that it startled him. He tilted his head slightly to a side as his eyes narrowed further with confusion. "Forgot? Forgot what?"

Calleigh pushed away from him, falling back under the rain. "I said it was nothing." She attempted to walk away but was stopped when she felt a hand grab at her arm, pulling her backwards.

She was brought back under the umbrella, back to standing close to Ryan, back to feeling his eyes boring down on her. Calleigh noticed the stern look upon his feature as he spoke out to her "No. It's just not anything; it has to be something important." But then his face softened as he gazed at her. "Please tell me what's wrong."

Her shoulders slumped as she tried to look elsewhere. Calleigh didn't know where to start; she didn't even know how to form out in words what she was feeling. "I-I…I forgot him." Ryan stood silent, waiting for her to continue without any interruptions. "This was the first time…" she paused, her lips trembling slightly, "How could I forget him?" She swallowed hard, "I always visited him – always!" Calleigh blurted out in anger.

She closed her eyes, "I told myself I would never forget him, but – but I did." She reopened her eyes to gaze at Ryan as her lips trembled again and her eyes shined brighter with more tears that were unshed. "I forgot about Tim."

Realization dawned upon Ryan as he listened to her words. His heart went out to her – especially since he hated seeing her in any pain. To him, Calleigh was always a strong, admirable woman - one that he respected and adored beyond anything. So seeing her in the state that she was in broke his heart into two; unconsciously the umbrella fell from his hands and silently he pulled her to him – into a tight hug.

As he held her against him, he spoke softly to her. "It's okay Cal, it was an accident." He felt her tense within his arms before relaxing as she leaned against him; it was if she was seeking the support and comfort he offered. "Its okay; from what I've heard, Tim loved you dearly and would never have held anything – especially this against you." He felt her tremble against him as she listened silently.

They stayed like that for a while; both within each others arms, under the rain that had enveloped them both – in silence.

Suddenly Calleigh broke away from the contact. She peered at the wet ground below as she spoke to him, "I'm sorry. I-I must go…I–"

Ryan blinked, he realized they were both drenched, that the both of them resembled drowned animals and that his umbrella that was on the ground was drenched inside and out as well. He shook his head slightly as he picked it up. He was tempted to close it but decided against it. As he glanced up at her, he noticed she still had a gloomy look on her face. He stared at her for a few minutes in silence, "You were going to visit Speedle right?" he questioned her softly.

Calleigh lifted her face to gaze at him with a wide-eyed expression before nodding in silence. He took another deep sigh before speaking once more. "Alright, let's go." Ryan placed an arm over her shoulder as he used the other one to steady the umbrella.

Calleigh didn't budge from where she was, "What?" she questioned in surprise as she blinked at him.

Ryan allowed a small smile to form upon his lips. "I said, 'let's go'." She didn't respond instead just kept staring at him. He gave her a light smile, "As in you" he pointed at her, "and me" he pointed at himself, "going." He pointed to the street before them.

Calleigh swallowed unsure of what to say or do but once again she felt his arm go around her shoulder as he gently pushed her into walking. Ryan made her choice for her. She sighed softly accepting it.

It was a long and silent walk to the cemetery, but it was a very familiar walk to Calleigh who had always visited each morning before going to work – to visit Speed's grave. Only this time was different, it was the first time she had forgotten to do so and it seemed it was the first time she would visit him with company.

They both stood in front of Speed's grave; Calleigh stared hard at the headstone before her – till this day seeing it always made her heart hurt.

Ryan glanced at the grave of Timothy "Speed" Speedle, the man that for a long while he thought he was replacing within the CSI team, the man that the woman he had fallen in love with, loved even till now with all her heart.

It was a sad sight.

Calleigh moved away from Ryan and his umbrella to stand back under the rain. She walked away from the grave, away from Ryan to stand a few feet across from them. She stood where she was glancing at her wet hands in front of her before letting them fall to her sides.

"Thank you, Ryan," she replied softly.

Ryan blinked at the words but he shook his head as he turned around to face somewhere else rather than at her. The rain was pouring down harder and they were still wet – slowly he closed the umbrella before glancing up in the rain in silence.

Calleigh turned around to stare at his back. "But please stop being so kind to me," she continued, this time more earnest.

The rain kept pouring down harder on them and around them; slowly she walked towards him, only to stop when she was directly behind him. The rain drizzled down on them as he continued to stare at the sky above and as she continued to stare at his back.

Slowly as if in a daze she took a step forward, a step closer to him. She leaned against his back – seeking the comfort he once offered her.

Ryan tensed at feeling her against him but relaxed his body; he turned his head slightly without moving away from her. "You okay?" he questioned softly to her.

"Just…" Calleigh paused in her speech, "Just let me stay here like this." Her hair clung to her face and neck as if it were a second skin, "Please…" she quietly pleaded to him "for a little while." She leaned in closer to his back as a sob threaten to burst out from her. Ryan nodded to himself and turned his face back around to stare straight ahead. They stood like that for a while until Ryan moved slowly around, bringing her into his open arms.

She tensed as she felt his arms go around her, but relaxed slowly as she heard him speak softly. "You know." His arms held her closer to him, "The rain feels really good all of a sudden."

A small laugh broke out of her lips along with a sob. It took her a while to calm down, leaving her with only tears falling from her eyes as she leaned closer into his embrace. A few minutes later she broke away from him with a small smile on her lips. She glanced up at the raining sky and nodded as she glanced at him, stating not questioning, "It does, doesn't it."

She glanced away from him to glance at something else that was near them – Tim's grave. She slowly turned towards it, walking closer to the grave. She kneeled down on the wet ground below – in silence she stared at the headstone.

Ryan just watched her quietly; he watched as another sob broke through her lips, watched as she reached out to touch the headstone with a trembling hand. He closed his eyes quickly; the sight pained him more than he could say - he genuinely felt for Calleigh.

He wanted to run up to her and gather her once more within his arms; wanted to hold her tight against him, telling her she didn't have to hurt any longer. But that was just that – something he longed to do but couldn't. He was just forced to watch her in silence, watch her heart break once more over Speedle's grave and watch as his heart broke right along with hers.

He decided it was best if he walked away – if he gave her some space, some time alone that she seemed to so desperately need. He was about to start when he heard his name being called out.

"Ryan?"

He turned around to see her staring straight at the headstone. Calleigh called out again in a monotone voice, "Ryan?" Part of her never wanted to leave Tim's side again but at the same time part of her didn't want to be alone – not again.

Calleigh swallowed slowly. Her mind was racing, trying to form words that she could say, but she didn't know what to say. She didn't want to be alone– she knew that. She wanted him, she needed him – he couldn't leave her.

"Ryan, stay." Calleigh paused, "Stay with me." She was slightly embarrassed for begging to him, but he had now become her anchor in the world of pain she has lived in ever since Tim died. "Stay with me, until the end…." She ignored the tears that fell from her eyes, "Please?"

Ryan who had been silently listening to her pleads, silently feeling his heart shatter a bit at the desolation within her voice – started to walk towards her. After reaching her, he kneeled down next to her; slowly he reached out for her hand, taking it within his own. He felt it tremble against his, silently he squeezed it. "Not until the end…" Ryan waited for her to turn her face around to glance at him. He gave her a small smile, "Always."

The rain that had been pouring down on them had slowly stopped around them. Calleigh swallowed again as she glanced at the grave below with tears running down her face.

Ryan frowned, he couldn't help it – he just didn't want to see her in pain. Slowly Calleigh looked up at him, the tears continued to fall from her eyes. She smiled at him as she gave his hand a light squeeze since they were still joined by the hands, "Don't worry, I'm not sad."

His eyes gazed at her as a small smile of his own formed on his lips.

"I'm happy."

Fin.