Hey I'm back. lol. Thanks to everyone who's reviewing (look Save the Elmo you're not the only one :)

I would like to say that I wrote this before discovering that there was a secret scene or something that had been posted online when the episode originally ran. I found out what it was about when looking something up online and was relieved to find that the contents didn't really change my story if I didn't want to change it. So I didn't.

Well on with the story. Again remember to review. And thanks for reading,

-Horatio-

Ryan was working on the bag that had had the money from the bank stashed in it. A college student from Miami University had been brought in with red dye all over her and the inside of the bag. She claimed to have found it in a laundry room and when she opened the gym bag that dye pack that the bank clerk had stuck in it exploded all over her.

Beside Ryan sat the women that had been at the front desk earlier, Stormy. I remembered seeing her briefly at the bank and wondered if she'd been present at the robbery. She looked much calmer now then she had earlier. Looks like the time spent with Ryan was helping her. I was glad I'd given him permission to let her stay.

"Mr. Wolfe," I started casually. "Is that the money bag?"

"Dye pack pretty much obliterated any chance of finding anything inside," Ryan answered, not looking up from the bag, which his was examining under a magnifying glass.

"Well that leaves the outside, doesn't it?" I suggested, redirecting Ryan's search.

Ryan set down the magnifying glass and turned the bag over to examine the bottom of it. A large bluish grey spot covered most of the underside of the gym bag.

"Water mark," Ryan said, tilting the bag towards me so I could see better.

Stormy leaned forward, interest evident in her eyes.

"Might get us something," Ryan added softly, almost to himself.

"There's one way to find out," I said.

"It'll take some time," Ryan turned the bag right side up.

"Ok. It's not a problem," I assured him. "I'll be on my cell. Mr. Wolfe, I got a call...from Ericka Sykes."

Ryan glanced downward briefly. Stormy's brow furrowed as she frowned, her eyes darting between me and Ryan.

"Damn it," Ryan said softly beneath his breath. He looked back up at me. "Um, I'm really sorry she bothered you. I, ah, I told her I wouldn't give her a quote," Ryan told me, his right hand creeping over to hold Stormy's left hand.

Her frown deepened, her intelligent eyes watching both of us carefully.

"It wasn't about a quote."

Now concern reflected in Ryan's eyes as he sat back in the chair. "What's going on?" he asked, tightening his hold on his girlfriends hand.

"I don't want you to worry about it, OK? I'll take care of it," I assured him, shifting to leave before walking away.

-Ryan-

Stormy didn't question me about what Horatio had talked about, even though I could feel her unasked questions hanging in the air. I tried to not let it distract me. My focus was to process evidence and catch the robbers that had threatened my girlfriend and Eric and killed two people.

I was in the trace lab with Stormy waiting for the results to come back when Eric wandered in.

"Hey, Wolfe, Stormy," he greeted us.

Stormy gave a small hello and I echoed her.

"Where are you on the bag from the bank?" he asked, leaned against a counter top across from us.

I tightened my grip on Stormy's waist to reassure her at the mention of the bank and she leaned in closer to me while answering for me, "We're just waiting for the results of the test Ry ran. There was a water mark on the bottom of the bag that will hopefully say something about where the bag was at before the robbery."

Eric shook his head with a rueful smile. "Did Wolfe tell you to say that?" he asked.

Stormy smiled, an actual smile. It was the first real one I'd seen from her all day. "No, he didn't. Believe it or not, Eric, I am more then a pretty face," Stormy teased him.

Eric took it in stride and shot back, "Really? Coulda fooled me."

Stormy resorted to sticking her tongue out at him in a childish way.

I chuckled at the two of them.

"OK, you two, make nice," I butted in before Eric could respond to Stormy's antics.

Stormy tipped her head back to look at me, a gorgeous smile on her face. I found myself smiling back at her, glad that the real Stormy had emerged from the terror earlier that day.

The printer beeped, letting us know that the test was done and the results were printing. Eric was closest so he grabbed them while I dropped a quick kiss on Stormy's head.

"Forty percent ethylene glycol solution," he read off the paper that the printer had spit out.

"Yeah, that's a coolant mixed into water," I said quickly, the information quickly at my finger tips. I remembered learning that the same year I meet Stormy.

"It keeps water circulating at subfreezing temperatures," Eric added.

"Ice rink," Stormy piped up.

"Yeah," Eric said.

I grinned at her. "How did you know that?" I asked.

Stormy winked. "I dated a hockey player briefly. Before I meet you of course," she added hastily.

-Sasha-

Eric and Ryan got permission to go to the Miami University ice rink. I was going to go with them since I was familiar with the ice arena there but Mattie called just was we were walking to the door.

"Hey Mat, sorry about earlier," I answered my singing cell phone.

Mattie's hurried voice replied, "It's ok, Sasha, forget it. We have an emergency. Remember T-Bone? Mrs. Walters' son's dog?"

I stopped walking. "Yeah."

"He just swallowed a toy truck. I've got it so he can breath but it's a temporary fix. It's going to take both of us to get it out. I'm really sorry to be taking you away from Ryan."

"No, Mat, it's fine. I'll meet you at the clinic in 20 minutes."

Ryan and Eric had stopped walking when I stopped and both were watching me.

I hung up and grimaced. "Sorry, guys, I gotta go. Emergency," I said, fishing around in my purse for my keys.

Ryan stepped forward and wrapped me up in a hug. "If you need anything you have permission to call," he whispered in my ear.

I leaned into him for a moment, breathing in his scent and savoring the feel of his arms around me.

"I have to go," I reminded him gently. "And so do you."

We parted there without saying goodbye. It was another thing Ryan and I did. We didn't say goodbye.

To be continued...

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