A/N: *facepalm* I'm sorry, everyone. Life completely got in the way. I'm trying super hard to put time aside to write this story, but my plan is failing! (Much like we hope Ryan's plan will fail, lol). Also, I know this seems a little slow right now (we are still on the first day back), but I promise for it to get really juicy very soon, like in the next chapter...

Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! I try to reply back to every one of them, but that didn't work out this time. Hopefully, I'll have the chance with this chapter. Anyway, ENJOY!

Chapter 3 – Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Two eyes studied meticulously over the documents before them. The CSI they belonged to had scrutinized over these images for months now, so much that he could see them in his sleep. Though, that didn't stop him from staring for hours on end.

Eric Delko was determined to find out who Calleigh Duquesne's new boyfriend was. Sure, to the uneducated eye, this scene would look like a jealous ex-boyfriend spying on the woman he still loves. However, these spectators would be completely and utterly wrong; Eric was just looking out for the beautiful blonde.

It was treacherous territory to be examining Calleigh's receipts in the layout room, but he had just received – more or less, stolen – new details from her… well, that location was privileged information.

Okay, so maybe he was a jealous ex, but love makes people do the craziest of things.

"Love like family" my ass, he thought.

"Delko?"

"Huh?" The Cuban shot his head up in distraught and quickly slammed his palms against the papers on the table. "Wolfe!" he shrieked, "don't you know how to knock?" Ryan scrunched his brows confusedly, cocking his head to the side.

"You okay?" the younger CSI questioned carefully. Sighing, Eric slumped his shoulders over and eyed the receipts again. He was going to need to be sly about this.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Delko breathed, slowly grabbing each piece of paper and sliding them into a Manila envelope. "I'm just stressed about these convicts out on the loose," he lied.

True, he was worried heavily about Memmo's disappearing act, but Horatio, as a friend, ordered him to concentrate on something else and not about a situation he currently couldn't control.

Luckily for Eric Delko, his brother-in-law never specified what that "something else" should be.

"Do you need any help?" Ryan asked, inching his way closer to the anxious CSI. "According to Horatio, I have all the time in the world right now."

"No, no," Delko waved and moved the envelope farther away from Ryan. "I've got it taken care of." Clearing his throat, he attempted to change the subject. "So I take it your talk with Horatio didn't go that well?" Ryan grinded his teeth and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I've been ordered to psychiatric counseling," he answered bitterly, flailing his hands in the air. "Therapy, Delko! I haven't been to therapy in 2 years!" Placing his palms against the glass table before him, Ryan let out a heavy sigh. "Even then it wasn't an 'order'."

"Wow," Delko replied sheepishly, stuffing the evidential envelope into his back pocket. "That's not like H."

"No kidding. And I can't go out into the field until this head doctor clears me." He rocked his body away from the table to rub his brown hair maniacally. "And then I ran into Natalia, which I was really not ready for."

"Wolfe," Delko chuckled and shook his head, "why don't you just tell her? This whole thing could be over before it starts."

"But that's the problem, Delko," Ryan scorned, "I already did start this. I just need it to go back to the way everything was."

"You keep saying that, but have you even thought that maybe change could be a good thing?" Eric shrugged confusedly. Why is this man making it so hard? "That maybe this is exactly what was supposed to happen between you and Natalia?"

"Getting harassed by a freak was supposed to happen?"

"Wolfe, that wasn't your fault!" Delko retorted with serious.

"So everyone says," Ryan grumbled. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. Was does matter is that I need to find away to get Natalia's mind off of the letters and on to something else."

Eric just shook his head disappointingly again. A boulder could fall on him, and he wouldn't notice.

"Which is what I first came to ask you about," Ryan continued, purposely ignoring the Cuban's expression. "Natalia mentioned the letters to me... again." The CSI bit his lip and lowered his head, his eyes scanning the layout table. "The way she keeps bringing them up, you don't think maybe she knows, do you?"

"Knows what?" Delko quickly asked.

"That I sent... but who could have told her?" he tried to reason. "I mean, that information was part of the case."

"Yeah, about that..." Delko began slowly, "Natalia—"

Suddenly, Ryan tilted his head and stared at a piece of paper seizing his attention on the floor near Delko's slick boots.

"What's that?" Ryan interrupted, pointing to the free slip of paper. Delko's eyes peered down and widened hesitantly.

Another receipt!

"Oh! That's nothing," Delko lied with a small quiver, bending down to snatch the slip. He was too slow as Ryan clutched on to it.

"Is it from your case notes?" Ryan questioned, flipping the receipt over to stare at the check-out printed smoothly upon it. "Wait, Calleigh?" His eyes placidly rose, sizing up his now embarrassed friend who tore the paper away from Ryan's fingertips. "Why do you need Calleigh's receipt?"

"I said it was nothing!" he choked. Quickly, Eric stuffed it into the Manila envelope before hiding back into his pants pocket.

"You're pathetic," Ryan chuckled, his arms smoothly crossing his chest. "Here you are criticizing me about my feelings for Natalia when you can't even admit how crazy you are for Calleigh?"

"It's not the same, Wolfe!" Eric exclaimed.

"It's completely the same!" Ryan laughed. "Man, Speed was right. You are a complete idiot," he grumbled under his breath.

"What did you say?" Eric inquired, his stance now at attention. He didn't just say what I thought he said?

Oh, Ryan thought, take it back. Find some way to take it back.

"Nothing," Ryan grinned with a wave of the hand. "Forget it."

Eric's lips parted, ready to pry out of the young man just exactly what he meant when a beautiful accent broke the moment.

"Hey, boys," Calleigh sweetly greeted as always. "Natalia and I are heading out to a call." The blonde shot a cunning smile over to Eric before bringing her focus to Ryan. "I was wondering if you wanted to join us, Ryan."

"He can't," Eric interrupted. "He has to pass his mental first." That's what you get for calling me pathetic. And evil glare was returned to the CSI from Ryan.

"Yeah, afraid so," he conceded, "but Delko would love to join you. Hey, Delko, maybe she could help you with that case you're so involved in?"

"No!" Eric shot back to Ryan, "that's fine. Really." Bringing his eyes back to his love, he smiled gently. "I really do need to get this done myself."

"That's okay," she replied somberly. I guess Operation "Love Letters" will have to wait… "Ryan, what does he mean by a 'mental'?" Ryan grinded his teeth once more.

Is the word "mental" really necessary?

"I've been ordered to therapy," he retorted, "by Horatio. Well, actually IAB ordered it, but H didn't seem too against it."

"I wouldn't doubt that," Calleigh answered quite bluntly. "The newest head at Affairs has been hammering down on the way Horatio handles the team."

"So?" Ryan shrugged. "Nothing different than when Stetler was here."

"No, Stetler was nothing, but you didn't hear any of this from me." Exhaling, Calleigh shot her hands to her hips. "Anyway, Natalia is waiting for me."

"Sorry," the men shrugged.

"It's okay," she chuckled, "I'll just have to find a suitable replacement."

With that, she turned on her heels, the blonde's hips swaying side to side as she disappeared through the lab halls. Eric's eyes watched closely, the movement swinging like a pendulum, Ryan sarcastically rolling his eyes.

"Like I said: pathetic." Ryan left in haste before his friend could rebut anything else. Calleigh's last words lingered in the back of his mind as he trailed to Questionable Documents.

"Suitable Replacement."

That could work…

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Also, is anyone noticing the titles of the chapters? I hope so... =).