A/N: So to my fellow readers: JulNoWriMo starts July 1st…and well my x-over will take up most of that time.

Natalia pulled out of the parking lot, not giving a damn that she unwillingly spilt up with Ryan.

"Where are we going now?" Hallie asked from the back seat.

"Grocery store. We need something to eat, don't we?" Natalia asked, stopping at the red light.

"That true." Allie said.

The whole thing, his life, his family, his daughters flashed before his eyes as though he was in a dream. Natalia was so mad at him, that she told him to forget everything. As though they didn't happen. Ryan sighed, picking the ring out of the gutter, re-reading the engraving he had asked to put in there "I Will Always Love You". He didn't keep his promise. With that thought he walked to his own car and drove back to the lab.

"Ryan, what's gotten in to you? Got something on your mind?" Calleigh asked, Maxine and Calleigh staring at him.

"You look like you saw a ghost. Or twenty." Maxine said.

"News about Nat?" Calleigh asked, and Ryan suddenly perked up.

"Was I sleeping?" Ryan asked, not sure if he drove here, or just woke up.

"You were gone during lunch hour, so unless you drove and slept then no, you weren't asleep." Calleigh mused.

"If I wasn't asleep then I do have news about Natalia. I saw her. During lunch." Ryan disclosed, Maxine and Calleigh gawking at him.

"And?" Maxine asked

"And what?" Ryan asked her.

"What did she tell you?" Calleigh said.

"Not much. Nothing at all really. Here's the VIN number of the car she drove here though." Ryan said handing Calleigh the piece of paper, and she pulled her netbook out of her locker and powered it up.

"Well that's…er….interesting. The car was rented by a Rachel Boul, but the picture is definetly Nat's." Calleigh said.

"Got any history on the "Rachel" aka Natalia?" Maxine asked, peering into Calleigh Macbook.

"None, till last week." Calleigh said. "You know anything important that happened last week?" Calleigh asked, facing Ryan, who was staring at the screen over Calleigh's shoulder. Was she afraid of someone? Ryan? Someone else that set fire to his house? "RYAN!" Calleigh, roared into his ear, then settled back into her seat. "That prolly means that you have no idea of what happened last week." Calleigh said. "Do you know where she is?" Calleigh asked, her fingers flying over the keys at lighting speed.

"Her place." Ryan said, as Calleigh unearthed boarding passes for her and two girls.

"Ryan….don't say that these are the twins she was pregnant with when she disappeared." Maxine said.

"Look, both of you. I'm telling you this again. I have NO idea if those are my children or no-" Ryan was cut off by Maxine's fake sneeze. "Maxine really. Do I look like the person that would not care for his own children?" Ryan asked.

"Well I du-" Maxine's statement was cut off by a shriek. Calleigh stepped on her, and Maxine got the point. "No." Maxine swallowed hard, glaring at Calleigh. She shrugged as though nothing happened.

"Well, this says that Rachel- Natalia- I mean flew out of Oregon." Calleigh said.

"That's interesting." Ryan said, Calleigh's nose suddenly inches from his. Ryan scooted back a bit, slightly scared by the Southern CSI. "What?" Ryan asked.

"Why didn't you ask Natalia what happened?" Calleigh asked.

Ryan mentally passed that question.

"You should just go to her place and ask her what happened." Maxine flipped her hair, now Calleigh's turn to glare at her. Calleigh was using her CSI to interrogate Ryan, and Maxine ruined her plan.

"Um, Maxine….that's not possible." Ryan sighed.

"And why is that?" Calleigh sharply snapped, sending a look that said "keep your mouth shut" to Maxine.

"She broke it off with me." Ryan said, pulling the ring out of his pocket.

"That's very un- Natalia like. Even if she was gone for these 6-"

"5" Calleigh corrected her

"5 years." Maxine sent her a glare, Calleigh forwarding it to Ryan.

"It's my fault." Ryan admitted. "I accused her of running away from me, breaking it off by running away." Ryan said "Told her- "

SMACK!

"Maxine!" Ryan exclaimed, rubbing his shoulder where Maxine's 3 book carrying purse hit him.

"What me to punch you in the face too?" Maxine growled, already standing, while Calleigh quickly exited the system, and jumped to her feet.

"No!" Ryan recoiled.

"Ryan, that's amazingly smart of you." Calleigh said, her purse on hand too, if Maxine was too late to hit him the second time.

"It's not my fault!" Ryan screeched, walking away from the two and accidentally walking himself into a corner.

"Not your fault." Maxine said, her purse slung over her shoulder. Calleigh and Maxine looked like bullies, with Ryan the victim.

"Okay, so what was I supposed to do?" Ryan asked, already knowing the answer. Though the answer didn't come, but only another SMACK!

"RYAN! YOU WOULD HUG HER! NOT ACCUSE HER OF CHEATING OF YOU, YOU IDIOT!" Calleigh barked.

"What is going on here?" Eric and Mike came into the locker room, carrying their mail.

"Ryan saw Natalia-" Maxine began

"He saw a ghost?" Mike asked her, Maxine silently telling him that he was couch sentenced for the next 2 days. He didn't get the message.

"No! If you listened to me, you'd know where he saw her. Or with whom. OR WHAT HE DID!" Maxine said, stealing Mike's Newsweek, and almost soundlessly hitting Ryan with it.

"Okay, so what did he do SO bad that you two need to abuse him?" Eric joked.

"Accused her of running away and cheating on him." Calleigh stated. "This your new mask?" She asked, tapping the brown cardboard box in his hands.

"Yes it is, thank you very much!" Eric snapped.

"Fine, Aquaman." Calleigh said, before facing Ryan. "So either you take your stuff, and go to Natalia's house to apologize, now…." Calleigh said, watching how Ryan would react to her warning tone.

"Or?"

"Or you get cornered again and purse smacked." Maxine said.

"Exactly." Calleigh nodded.

"Bye!" Ryan ran out of the locker room in record speed.

Ryan stood knocking on Natalia's door not sure if she would open. He closed his eyes, silently repeating his apology.

"Oh it's you." Ryan heard her voice, with a component of disgust in it.

A/N: That's it! For now.

Tagline/lyric quote for next chapter: Is it too late to remind you how we were? – Snow Patrol.