So, first of all, I'm sorry for the delay! Real life caught up with me and I worked so much that all I wanted to do was sleep. I had this chapter partially written on my cellphone, but I didn't have the disposition to post it. So, there you go!

About the chapter: I didn't review it, so there must be a lot of mistakes. Mind you, I'm Brazilian, so english is not my first language so... But I'm trying, I swear! This chapter was supposed to be a drabble but it turned out like this. I hope you guys like it!

I don't own CSI: Miami (because if I did, the show would still be on and Ryan and Natalia would be together.)


Swirling the drink on his glass, he watches as she walks away.

"What are you looking at?"

Walter asks him and turns to the direction that his friend is looking.

Natalia is entering a cab, leaving the bar.

With a knowing grin on his face, he asks, "so you never did get over her, huh?"

Ryan shrugs, looking down. "It's not like I even tried."

"But I thought you were all over Sam."

The brown haired man shrugs again, taking a sip of his glass.

"You know, maybe you should try and talk with her."

"With Sam?!" Ryan snorts at Walter's suggestion. "I tried al-"

"No, not Sam." Interrupting his friend, Walter points at the direction where Natalia went. "Her. BV."

Ryan gives a bitter laugh, "And say what? "Hey Nat, how about we try again?"" He shakes his head, "no, I don't think so."

Walter orders another drink and, as he waits, he continues, "well, not like that, but something along those lines, yeah."

"Walter, that ship has sailed and is now at the bottom of the ocean."

"Dude, even a blind man can see that you're not over her." Walter thanks the waiter that left a glass in front of him.

"Even if that was true," Ryan licks his lips before continuing, a longing look on his face, "she doesn't feel the same for me. And I'm done being rejected by women."

"You saw the way she talked about you today," the taller man says, playing with his glass, "and before you say that she was only saying what she said because she's your friend, I have a feeling that it wasn't the only reason."

Ryan looks skeptically at his friend, not believing his words.

(Even though a part of him - the bigger part, if he's being honest with himself - desperately wants it to be true).

"Yeah, well, I think you're wrong."

Walter shrugs, patting his friend's shoulder.

"Suit yourself." He takes his wallet and leave some bills on the table. "I'll say this, though: you said that you were done being rejected by women. I think that, worst than being rejected, is the feeling of missing chances."

Ryan watches as his friend walks away, pondering his words.

x

Later, after he pays the bill - who would've guess that H could drink that much? - he asks for a cab to go home.

As he waits, he thinks about his last years.

He and Natalia are close. They had some misshaps but they remained strong.

He likes to think that she trusts him as much as he trusts her. He has secrets, of course he does, but when things get too complicated, he knows that he can count on her.

(He remembers when she appeared on the doorstep of the office he was sitting, with a warm look on her eyes and a sincere smile on her lips.

She sat in front of him and, without breaking eye contact, she opened a box and started to help him fill those forms after the whole gambling fiasco.

It was the first time that someone did something nice for him without expecting nothing in return. Not only that, the person who helped him was the same one that he gave the cold shoulder and bad treatment during the last two years.

Natalia is truly one of a kind.)

Sure, she's gorgeous. She has a smile that can move mountains and her eyes are a mystery to him. Sometimes, they're like an open book. Other times, they are as closed as her heart.

But the one thing that he admires about her is her resilience.

She lived through hell and she's still going strong.

Sure, there are times when she thought about giving up, but she's only human. She's allowed to have some moments of weakness.

(Besides, as long as she knows that he'll be there to catch her when she falls, he thinks it's okay for her to have those moments.)

But the smile slips from his face as he remembers Walter's words.

Why now? And why she didn't say anything?

She said that any woman would be lucky to have him. Then why, for fucks sake, she didn't step up and claimed what was hers to begin with?

His frowns deepens as he thinks about it. She has to know that he didn't forget her.

Sure, he buried his feelings because he thought that he would never have a chance with her.

But now? Now he's pissed because of all her mixed signals.

Deciding that he's not going to deal with this by himself, he asks for the cab driver to change his destination.

He reclines on his seat as he waits.

x

He wakes up startled.

Looking frantically around, he sees the driver pushing his leg gently, trying to wake him up.

Not recognizing at first where he is, he's about to ask the man when he spots the familiar condo.

"Why am I-"

Before he can finish his sentence, he feels the anger he felt before falling asleep, coming back full force.

He pays the taxi driver, leaves the car and walks angrily towards her door.

He's glad that he took a nap because he feels more sober now - and he has a feeling that he would want to be at his full capacity to have the argument that he's sure he's about to have.

He knocks on her door and he waits.

Folding his arms across his chest, he turns to look at the street.

It's a quiet night. He sees that some lights are on, indicating that the families are inside, enjoying a quiet evening.

Before he can think about it further, he hears the door unlocking and turns the exact moment she hears Natalia's exclamation.

"Ryan?"

Taking a deep breath, he answers, "I need to talk with you."


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