CHAPTER 8

Ryan was awakened by the sensation of someone kissing him on the lips. He kept his eyes closed, convinced that he just woke up from being kissed in a dream. He felt himself drifting back to sleep. It happened again. This time, he was more awake and opened his eyes. Despite it being dark in the room, enough light came in from the outside to see Calleigh leaning over him.

"What is it?" He asked, still half-asleep.

"Nothing. I just wanted to kiss you." Calleigh laid back down, resting her head on his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too." Ryan reached up and started stroking her hair. However, he soon found himself losing the urge to stay awake as his eyelids started to get heavy again. He lowered his hand back down and pulled Calleigh closer to him. He was about to fall back asleep when Calleigh's alarm went off.

Calleigh groaned and reached over to hit the snooze. "I really don't want to go into work today." She rolled back over to Ryan. "I want to stay here in bed."

"We can't call in, Cal. H. will know that we're up to something. And we're short one person already with Eric off today."

"I know. I just wish I had some personal days left myself."

"Besides, don't you want to show off your new ring?" Ryan yawned, feeling himself getting sleepy again.

"Yes," Calleigh giggled. "I can't wait to do that."

Ryan mumbled something and fell back asleep, finally giving up on trying to stay awake.

Calleigh looked and him and smiled. She reached up and brushed the hair away from his forehead and quietly got out to bed to let Ryan sleep to his wake-up time. As she walked to the bathroom, she felt a little sore. Not surprising, since they had sex five times yesterday. Calleigh had never been so sexually active before with a man until she was with Ryan. It seemed like she could never get enough of him; he turned her on so much. She enjoyed having sex in her previous relationships, but it never seemed complete. There was always something missing. It might've been the fact that while she loved her previous partners, she wasn't in love with them. For the most part, she would be physically satisfied, yet she didn't feel the same spiritually. With Ryan, it felt to her that they were one soul that happened to exist in two bodies and when they were connected during sex, it was a complete joining of the two halves. It scared her a little because she would have to fully give herself over to him to feel whole and therefore, would not be in total control of her own actions and decisions. As Calleigh walked into the bathroom, she reached down to her left hand to take the ring off before she stepped into the shower. She grinned as she held the ring in her hand. "This feels right," she thought to herself. She was so happy that she was going to be his wife. She placed the ring down in the medicine cabinet and took her shower.

Ryan and Calleigh decided to drive in to work together. Ryan wasn't going to mention anything about the engagement. He figured that Calleigh would have more enjoyment in announcing it herself. As Ryan walked down to trace, Calleigh went on into the breakroom to see Valera getting herself some coffee.

"Good morning, Maxine."

Valera turned around. "Oh, hey Calleigh."

"Pulling a double?"

"Yeah." Valera answered as she placed the pot back on the burner. "I'm still going to be here for a few more hours." She took a closer look at Calleigh. "Are you ok?"

"I'm just fine. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. You look different."

"Well, maybe it's because I'm so happy right now." Calleigh raised her left hand at Valera and smiled. "Ryan proposed last night. I accepted."

"He did? Wow." Valera paused. "Congratulations."

Calleigh looked at Valera and wondered why there was such a sad tone to her voice. "Maxine?"

Valera suddenly realized that Calleigh noticed her change in behavior. "Yes?"

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, I'm sorry. I'm just tired. I'm really happy for the two of you." Valera took a quick glance at Calleigh. "Excuse me, I need to get back to work." Valera quickly left the breakroom.

"Well, that was unusual behavior for her." Calleigh thought to herself as she poured a cup of coffee.

Valera walked into the bathroom, hoping that nobody noticed her crying on the way in. She wiped the tears from her face and looked at herself in the mirror. She shouldn't feel this way. She should be happy for Calleigh and Ryan. If it wasn't for the fact that she was madly in love with Ryan, she would probably be downstairs right now making some sarcastic remark at him about his engagement. Her feelings for Ryan were never meant to become this strong. At first, she had a little crush on him but didn't think too much into it. But she enjoyed the constant banter between the two of them and he always seemed to go out of the way for her. And the fact that he was very handsome. True, he was a dork…but let's face it-she was a dork, too. Valera weakly smiled to herself as she thought of that analogy. It probably was the same qualities that attracted Calleigh to him, she also thought. Valera would secretly wish from time to time that Calleigh and Ryan's relationship would burnout so she could make her move. She felt bad thinking that way, but she couldn't help it. Now the engagement was proof that they were never going to breakup.

"Get a grip on yourself, Maxine." She mumbled to herself as she continued to look in the mirror. She turned on the water and washed her face before grabbing her cup and heading back out.

Ryan was busy working in trace when his extension started beeping. He walked over and picked up the phone. "Trace."

"Ryan?"

"Yes, H.?"

"Come up to my office. Right away." Horatio hung up the phone with no further explanation.

"Oh, great. What did I do now." Ryan spoke out loud in a sarcastic voice to no one as he placed the phone back down into the receiver. He stepped out into the hallway just as Valera walked on by to head back into the lab.

"Hey, Max." Ryan called out. He was the only one to call her that and that was only when it was just the two of them around. Otherwise, he called her Valera. She ignored him and went back into her lab.

"Hmm. Either she didn't hear me or she's ignoring me." Ryan thought to himself. He was about to walk into the lab to see if something was wrong, but thought otherwise. When Horatio requests you to come see him, you don't take your time. Ryan made his way up to Horatio's office to see Calleigh sitting on the couch and Horatio sitting behind his desk.

"So, what's wrong?" Ryan guessed.

"Nothing's wrong." Horatio said as he got out of his chair and approached Ryan. "I just wanted to congratulate you in person over your engagement to Calleigh." He reached out his hand to shake Ryan's.

"Oh. Thanks." Ryan took his hand and shook it. Calleigh smiled and got up.

Horatio looked at her. "So, have you told anyone else the good news?"

"I told Valera when I saw her this morning." Calleigh said as she walked over to the two. For a second, Ryan wondered if the announcement had something to do with Valera's indifference downstairs.

Calleigh continued. "I haven't spoken to Alexx yet. I'll give Eric a call later."

At that moment, Horatio's phone rang. He walked over to answer it. "Caine. When? Ok. We're on our way." He set the phone down and looked at Ryan and Calleigh. "There's been a shooting at Fourth and Lexington. You two grab your gear and get going. I'll page Alexx."

The two of them went back downstairs to retrieve their kits. While Calleigh ran over to ballistics, Ryan went back over to trace. Through the window of the lab, he saw Valera running tests. He quickly stuck his head inside. "Hey…are you ok?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Her voice was cold, void of any emotion.

"Well, you seem a little distant."

"Ryan, I can't help it if working twelve hours straight makes me a little distant. I'm tired, I'm wired and I want to get this done so I can go home."

"Max, I just wanted to make sure-"

"Ryan, dammit!" Valera slammed down her clipboard, startling Ryan in the process. Valera quickly composed herself when she realized what she just did. "Ryan, look…I'm sorry. I'm just having a rough night, ok? Please leave so I can finish my shift."

Without another word, Ryan left to get his kit, leaving Valera alone. She bit her lip, trying to stop the flow of tears coming to her eyes. She hated the fact that she snapped at him. Valera turned her back away from the window so that when he walked by, he wouldn't see her crying.

Ryan walked back and looked at Valera, whose back was now towards him. He wanted to go back inside the lab and ask her what was really bothering her but he had to get back upstairs to leave for the crime scene. He went out to the parking lot where Calleigh was waiting for him.

"What took you so long?"

"I had to remember where I placed my kit." Ryan lied. He didn't want to mention to Calleigh the reason why he was late was because of the incident he had with Valera. He placed his kit in the hummer.

"Are you ready now?" Calleigh climbed into the drivers seat and turned the ignition.

"As much as I will be."

to be continued…