Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of CSI: Miami. Unfortunately. Am just borrowing and they will be returned undamaged and in their original packaging.

It Has To Be This Way

When Maxine came into work, she was in a very bad, miserable mood. She snapped and snarled at everyone, broke several things in the lab and when Eric innocently asked if she'd had a nice weekend and if the results he'd sent in would be ready soon, she was so furious that he practically ran from the lab.

'Don't go in there,' he warned Calleigh. 'She is having a seriously bad day. Seriously bad.'

Maxine stalked out of the lab, shoved a sheet of paper at Eric who recoiled in terror and then stalked back into the room.

Calleigh looked astonished. 'She really does look angry. I wonder what's happened?'

Ryan came over. 'Something wrong?' he asked cheerfully.

'Valera is in a very bad mood,' Calleigh said.

'Think you can calm her down?' Eric asked. 'It's going to be a nightmare if she's going to be this mad all day. And something must be really wrong.'

Ryan shrugged and went in.

'Hey,' he said. 'How are you?'

She spun around, her stomach lurching in a pleasant way when she saw him and then tying itself miserably in knots. 'What?' she demanded angrily. 'What do you want?'

'Something wrong?' he asked, stepping back and frowning. It was an expression that was almost identical to the frown that Luke had always directed at her when he didn't understand. Except for one important difference. Luke had always frowned with an edge of anger and resentment whilst Ryan frowned at her with genuine concern.

'Nothing,' she said shortly.

'Maxine,' he said gently, 'I can tell there's something bothering you. Maybe I can help – '

'Just shut up!' she snapped angrily and saw the surprise in his face. It was going to be harder to do this than she had thought and she wasn't sure she could bring herself to do it. 'Just leave me alone! Go away!'

He took another step back. 'I'm sorry,' he said quietly. 'If you want to talk, I'm, here.' He backed away.

She took a deep breath. 'I won't talk to you. You're the last person I'd want to talk to. In fact, I don't even want to look at you. Go away.'

He didn't reply for a minute. 'All right,' he said eventually. 'Fine. If I've done something, I'm sorry.'

'Stop saying you're sorry,' she said, turning around so she didn't have to face him. If she kept her back to him she could imagine that it wasn't him, it was Luke and that made it so much easier.

Until she heard the hurt in his voice. 'I don't understand. I thought we were getting on well, I thought – '

'You thought wrong.' Her tone was hard. 'It's not working. I don't want to see you anymore.'

He didn't say anything for a minute. 'Can you give me a reason?' he said eventually.

She turned on him. 'No! It's my right to say who I do or don't want to see! Leave me alone!'

'And I think I at least have the right to know why you've suddenly changed your mind!' he shot back, raising his voice in anger and bewilderment.

She glared at him. Imagined Luke's smug smile and said, 'I just don't like you. I thought I did, I was wrong and actually, I can't stand you. Go away. Don't bother me again unless it's work related. That's it, final words. I don't want to talk to you anymore.'

'Valera – '

'Go away!'

'All right,' he said quietly. 'I'll go.' He walked out of the room.

She bit her lip, hard, to keep herself from bursting into tears. Damn Luke. Damn him, damn him, damn him.


'Trouble in paradise?' Alexx said, smiling.

Ryan was sitting in the locker room, his arms folded across his knees, resting his head on his arms. He looked up as she spoke. His face was very pale.

'Or just a very tough case,' she continued. 'Which is it, honey?'

'The first, I guess,' he said. He didn't elaborate.

She considered him. He looked miserable and confused and suddenly very tired, very different from his cheerful energy earlier in the day.

'You want to talk about it?' she asked gently.

He shook his head. 'Not yet. I'm still trying to get my head around it.'

'All right.' When he didn't say anything, she understood that he wanted to be alone so she left him and went to see Calleigh in her lab. 'Trouble is brewing,' she said.

Calleigh looked up from the microscope. 'Ryan and Valera.'

'How do you know?'

'They just had an argument in the DNA lab.'

'I saw Ryan all but in tears just now and he wouldn't say what was wrong.'

'Ryan? In tears?'

'Not quite,' Alexx admitted, 'but he looked like he felt like crying, if you see what I mean. What exactly happened? What did she say?'

Calleigh filled her in quickly. 'I think we need to find out what's going I'll. I'll tackle Valera, and I'll get Eric to tackle Ryan. Later, though, if Ryan's as upset as you said he seems to be. I'll talk to Valera after work.'

'Fine,' Alexx nodded. 'I'll go and check on Ryan.'

'You do that,' Calleigh said.