Thirty-Six

Thanks for all the great reviews =)

I would like to say happy whatever holiday you might be celebrating today or this weekend, I just ate loads of chocolate…Yum.

This would be up probably six hours ago if Erin would WAKE up before noon.

Please R/R

Eric walked down the hallway, as he passed, people were all working on their respected specialties. Whether it was DNA or trace. Everyone was working hard, and everyone knew there was something not right with Ryan. His behaviour changed when Nirvana left, but this was a dramatic unknown reason to everyone else in the building.

He stopped by the break room door. It was closed, he looked inside to see Ryan pacing around, and he gripped the collar to his jacket and tugged it a bit. Eric's eyes opened wide, it looked as if someone took a cord and wrapped it around his neck. Eric opened the door and Ryan quickly turned to him.

"Delko," Ryan seemed surprised. Why should he? It was Eric's coffee break. Ryan should know that by now, "What are you doing here?" Ryan was also making excuses.

Eric pointed towards the clock, "I'm on break."

Ryan turned and looked at the clock, "Oh," all of a sudden Ryan seemed nervous…on edge, "I need to use the bathroom," he was acting weirder. Eric followed him to the door before Calleigh stepped in. She smiled at Ryan before she looked in to see Eric standing in the middle of the break room.

"What's with him?" Calleigh pointed back towards Ryan.

Eric shook his head, "Like I said earlier, I don't know," Calleigh nodded.

"He seems nervous," Calleigh shifted her footing.

Eric nodded, "Can you get your sister to talk to him?"

He still wasn't used to referring Nirvana as his 'sister'. He just lost one then gained one. Especially since she held out on telling him and probably didn't plan on it, "She's not happy with Wolfe," Calleigh nodded suddenly remembering their break up, "Vice versa."

Calleigh bit her lip, "She loves him though," Eric looked up at her, then she smiled at Eric, "Vice versa," copying what he said earlier. Eric smiled back at her.

"I know," Eric chuckled a bit, "He got so happy after she came back with us," Calleigh nodded and smiled slightly bigger, Eric's smile faded a little, "I'm glad you're smiling," her smile faded. Eric mentally cursed himself for say that out loud.

"Cal, I'm sorry," She didn't know what to do. Once again all her emotions hit her at once. The loss of a child was a painful fresh memory. She wanted to put it behind her, but she just couldn't. It would be impossible. She should have told Martin that she was with child, then it could be still alive right now.

"I'm fine," she bit her lip and blinked away the fresh tear droplets that built up in her eyes.

Eric came up towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "No, you're not," she tried to break away from his grip, no such luck. He was going to keep on questioning her and pushing her until she would say something that would satisfy him. He knew her too well. And he also loved her. She loved him as well.

"You don't know what it felt like," her voice sounded so small, "The pain," she looked up, "The idea of the life inside of you slipping right through your fingers."

Eric cupped her chin and turned it to face him, "Cal-," she shook her head and once again tried to get away from him, "Cal, you need to listen," she turned towards him slightly, "The thought of losing you was way too painful for me."

Her voice was slightly high-pitched, "But you don't know!" he seemed taken aback by her voice, "You don't know how helpless I felt when my child slipped away from me," she broke away from him completely, "I couldn't save it," then she turned and walked out of the room.

Eric watched her retreating form until he couldn't see her anymore.

He shouldn't have said that.

…

Lila sat in the back of the van next to Horatio. Being in a cramped space next to Horatio felt…awkward. Lila looked up and saw the man turn the steering wheel to the right. Lila knew what was coming. A pothole. She braced herself closer towards the wall, but she felt the sudden force knock her petite body onto Horatio. He immediately caught her and held her steady. She looked up at him, he seemed surprised. Lila quickly got off his lap and pushed herself further towards the wall.

Things just got more awkward.

She felt the van stop and the man started speaking in Russian. She heard more Russian. Lila quickly translated the last bit, "Open the gate," was what she heard. She let out a sigh of relief. They were in.

The van went forward for probably three more minutes before she felt it stop. Horatio moved forward and grabbed the guy's wrists and handcuffed them together. Lila followed his lead and grabbed a roll of duct tape and tore off a nice sized piece with her teeth and pressed it over the man's face.

"Don't move, stay quiet, and you'll live," Horatio pulled out his weapon, "Understand?" the man nodded. Lila smirked a bit. Who knew Horatio would do that?

Horatio got off the van first, she followed. Horatio was already a few steps in front of her, "Should I go in first?" Horatio looked at her and raised his eyebrow.

"Come in behind me," she nodded. She didn't have her weapon drawn.

Horatio looked over at her, she knew what he was about to say, "I'll draw it after we get in the building," Horatio sighed a bit, he knew trying to get her to take it out wouldn't be an easy thing to do. She was stubborn and knew what she was doing.

At least, he hoped she knew what she was doing.

Horatio started climbing the stairs slowly, once he got to the top he looked around and motioned for Lila to follow him. She nodded and came to the top and started following him.

But she had different plans.

She turned a corner before he had the chance to look around for her. She stared going down another corridor quietly being sure not to alarm anyone. Lila heard someone behind her, she immediately grabbed her knife from her pocket and pressed herself up against a wall. She waited for the figure to come behind her.

Lila was about to move forward and grab them, but they walked past her. She raised an eyebrow, that was odd. She removed her self from the wall and set after the man.

She needed more information. She needed it now.

…

Horatio kept on going down the corridors. He saw sunlight as he entered a lit up room. There was a man in the center talking furiously on the phone.

"Mr. Wolfe," he heard roughly. Ryan was speaking to this man.

Then Horatio heard a whimper, Billy Gantry was sitting with his hands bound right in front of him. Fear was plastered all over the boy's face. Then Horatio realized what was happening, the man was raising the gun towards the boy. The boy's face went from fear to shear horror.

Horatio lifted up his gun and squeezed the trigger. The man in front of him buckled his legs and fell to the ground. Horatio looked at Billy, his eyes were squeezed shut. Horatio looked behind him.

No Nirvana.

Great.

Horatio then heard another whimper, he quickly turned his attention to Billy and pulled down the gag. Then Horatio reached over and picked up the phone, "Hi Mr. Wolfe," Horatio balanced the phone on his shoulder as he undid Billy's binds.

"Come on son," he helped Billy towards the nearest exit, "Let's go."

"Let's go," he threw the phone down as he continued his decent down the corridors.

Horatio led Billy down the stairs quickly; he opened the door and saw Nirvana sitting in the driver's seat, fingers drumming on the steering wheel. Horatio opened the door and led Billy into the seat.

"What are you doing?" Nirvana started the car and put it in reverse.

"Driving," she stated flatly.

She stepped on the acceleratory, Horatio quickly held onto Billy and the back of the driver's seat as the car lurched backwards. Billy's stunned expression said it all.

"We need to get out of here fast," she kept on driving backwards, Horatio wished he could see outside, but then he realized they once again hit that same pothole as they did when they entered. He looked forward; the chain was already on the ground with two dead bodies next to it. He looked up at Nirvana who pulled out and quickly put the car in drive and sped forward.

What had she done?

Then he heard an explosion.

…

Calleigh sat on the floor of the ballistics lab. She felt nauseated more than anything else. She rubbed her temples as the little sweat beads formed on her forehead. She breathed in and out in order to keep her breathing stable. She looked up when Natalia entered her lab.

"You okay?" Calleigh nodded, then she felt Natalia's presence next to her, "I heard what happened with you when you were in Russia," Calleigh nodded again, "Eric wanted me to talk to you," Calleigh nodded once more.

"He's worried about you," Calleigh looked up, "I don't really know what it feels like to lose a child," she paused, "I think you should talk to Alexx, you haven't seen her since last month and she'd be more than happy than talk to you.

"I know it's different, she almost lost Bryan last year, she has a bit of sense," Calleigh once more nodded, "Maybe talking to her would be best?" Natalia spoke more as if she was questioning what she was saying to the blond.

Calleigh brushed away some stray tears, Natalia hadn't known she was crying a bit until now, "I will," Calleigh pushed off from the wall and moved towards the gun range. She had put her phone and pager in the gun range so she wouldn't hear them go off.

She picked up her cell phone, "Alexx, I need to talk to you."

…

Ryan didn't know what he was going to do. Calleigh and Delko were both mad at him. Billy would have died if he hadn't done what he did. He took an oath to protect and serve, he was protecting Billy.

He could lean back and know that Billy was safe, thanks to Horatio. Ryan looked forward seeing Billy run towards his dad, Mark. Ryan then looked at Horatio who was now standing next to him.

"This is far from over, isn't it," Horatio nodded towards his younger CSI.

"We'll be ready Mr. Wolfe," Horatio smiled "We'll be ready for them," Ryan wished it could all be over.

"Mr. Wolfe," Ryan looked up, "There was some damage done to the Russian's safe house," Ryan saw that one the news. He didn't pay much attention until he heard 'Russian mob' in the media.

"How did that happen?"

Horatio shrugged his shoulders a bit, "They must have rigged it," Ryan didn't understand. Horatio moreover was protecting the younger CSI. Horatio overall knew who it was. Nirvana.

"There's someone you might need to talk to," Ryan groaned. Internal Affairs most likely popped into his head, "She's over there," Ryan turned his head. Leaning against a black Mercedes was the one and only Nirvana McAlister.

Or Lila Sharova.

Whatever you wish to call her.

"Lila," the name came out of Ryan's mouth in a whisper.

Horatio patted his shoulder, "Go to her Mr. Wolfe," Ryan looked at him before he started running towards her, "Be good to her."

"Be good to her."

Mind everyone, I've been sleep deprived, if it seems a little rushed, I haven't been able to think and I don't have my proofreader, I sent it to Erin this morning for her to read, she didn't send it back, I think she slept until noon again.

Please Review (This one is way longer than usual, and I almost made it longer, but I couldn't write anymore today, I'm about to fall asleep on the keyboard.)

Leigha