Burning

AN: FINALLY! School has been insane, and I've been having computer problems…All on top of writer's block! –bangs head against desk- Anyways, please enjoy the fourth chapter!


Horatio stared angrily at the two men sitting in front of him. Eric sat with his back towards Ryan, staring out at the blue sky and the blinding light. Ryan sat with his back to Eric, preferring the intensified darkness of the lab. Horatio suddenly felt like laughing. It was grade school all over again, with him cast into the role of a principal, dealing with his two favorite students, fighting over a toy, or in this case, a girl.

Sighing, Horatio lowered himself into his seat and waited for the first accusation to start flying. He didn't have to wait long.

Ryan sat back against the chair, while, almost instantly, Eric spat out, "Two faced-rat bastard." Horatio leaned forward, waiting for the retort.

Ryan fired back, almost standing up, "Well, if you weren't such a narrow-minded prick who didn't listen," before remembering Horatio sitting there. Blushing ever-so-slightly, the man sat down.

Horatio winced, his head hurting. He'd been clipped by Ryan's elbow, in the face, before Eric had caught him squarely with a punch meant for the brunette. Then, he'd had to pull the blinds, before sitting the men down. As it was, the three Advil he'd taken were wearing off quickly and he still had the meeting with the mayor in an hour. But before that, he needed to find out what was happening between the two partners.

"What exactly started this?" His voice took on a cold, steely tone, causing both men to wince at the grating cold and causing them to sit tightly against their seats.

Ryan muttered, "Nothing, sir." Eric snorted, but was quickly silenced by Horatio's piercing look.

Horatio studied the two men. Ryan held a bag of ice against his bruise and winced as the bandages threatened to leave his skin, while several bandages covered Eric's angry red scratches and a new t-shirt covered his body. It was no secret among the CSIs that the two were both in love with Calleigh; in fact, there was even a pool going on about whom Calleigh would end up with, the majority, including Horatio, were betting on Eric. Plus, everyone knew that Ryan and Eric had rings to propose to her one of these days, in the hopes of being with her forever. However, Horatio had a vested interest in making sure that Calleigh was happy since he'd once been in love with her. As it was, he wanted to win the pot, but he didn't want Calleigh to make a decision she might later regret.

The two CSIs, no matter how they were compared, always ranked the same. Though Ryan appeared to be slightly taller than Eric at times, Eric could be more intimidating. While Eric had a penchant for appearing more powerful, Ryan seemed to be the one women trusted more. Despite Ryan's more cosmopolitan approach, at times, Eric was the one women appreciated more for his rawness, a quality Horatio had asked Calleigh to explain many times, before giving up in his attempt to understand.

And while he generally trusted the two to make their own decisions, he couldn't stand their actions. There could be only one thing, or rather, person, who would cause them to fight. Horatio cleared his throat, drawing two pairs of eyes to meet his. "So, what exactly started this fight about Calleigh?"

Nearly twenty minutes later, Horatio could only stare. The break room was more than trashed, having been beaten up again after Horatio's question. The explanation, shouted in bits and pieces between the punches, made his head dizzy and the approaching time of his meeting induced the inhalation of three more Advil. As it was, Horatio still had to ask.

"You suggested sharing Calleigh?" His voice came out strangled and nearly high-pitched. Ryan nodded, nursing another pack of ice, while Eric simply snarled from the chair, his bloodied hands soaking in ice. They had split the rest of Horatio's Advil, while they waited for more ice.

Leaning back, Horatio sighed. "WHAT exactly possessed you to come up with this idea?"

Ryan shrugged. "It seemed like a good idea at the time. I mean, no matter how this works out, one of us is going to be out in the cold when it comes to Calleigh."

Eric muttered, "I don't mind it being you."

Ryan nodded, "Yeah but what if it were you? Calleigh's the perfect woman, but we don't know which of us she'd choose. And either way, our partnership would be shot to dust, and it's unlikely we'd be able to professionally work with Calleigh."

Horatio nodded, listening to the argument and realizing the truth. No matter what happened, he'd have to reassign both men, since relationships within the department were still frowned upon. In addition, there was the issue of jealousy. He wasn't willing to place the life of any agent in the hands of a distracted agent, since that could lead to injuries, or worse, death. Like with Speed. Horatio abruptly pushed the thought away. That was a thing of the past, and now he needed to focus on how he could resolve this issue.

Looking at the two men, he shook his head. "Look, your relationships with Calleigh are obviously important. But, I need you two to be focused right now. Help her complete this arrest, then take the rest of the day off and figure this situation out." Horatio stood and headed towards the door, glancing back as he clicked the door shut.

Ryan sunk into the chair, carefully nursing his head, while Eric's face grimaced as he shifted and felt the ice bump into his hands. Neither looked at each other.

Suddenly, Horatio's voice filtered back into the room, "She is always at the club on Delmont and Verde once she finishes up the paperwork. I suggest you talk to her there."

The two glanced up, barely making eye contact, before they nodded their heads in acceptance. Now was not the time to discuss Calleigh. But later, later was a different story altogether.


AN: Expect another chapter tomorrow! I finally worked out the kinks of the club meeting, and yes, I realize that it's getting a little rushed, but I want this story to reach the end! R & R please!