[DISCLAIMER: I do not own CSI Miami or the characters, but I do own any plots ot characters I have made up]

Authors Note: Sorry about no tupdating sooner I was busy writing the Crossover between CSI and Criminal Minds + a new project of mine for Home & Away. This chapter doesn't really have much sciency stuff to it, really just about Wolfe and Charlie trying to move on with their lives.

Ryan woke up next to his girlfriend Charlie. He watched as she slept for a few minutes, looking at how peaceful she seemed. He turned on his back and looked at his ceiling, thinking back on last month...

Firstly his girlfriend had been attacked; secondly found out that there are plenty of more victims and thirdly Horatio had called in the FBI for their help. They eventually found the guy shortly after Charlie once again was put in danger.

He got out of bed, pulling his top over his head trying to be a quiet as a mouse so he wouldn't wake his girlfriend up.
Charlie had been given leave for the past couple of weeks due to her ordeal but today she was going back to work, earlier than she should have been Ryan thought. She had only just started sleeping properly again in the last week. Ryan couldn't remember how many times he had awoken to Charlie screaming in her sleep and he had to wake her up to calm her down. This was taking its toll on him too, starting effect his work life. He had missed a crucial fingerprint just the other day at a crime scene but luckily Delko had gone over the scene after Ryan had finished processing it, just in case. Ryan couldn't believe he had make such a rookie mistake but Delko swore that he wouldn't tell anyone, because he knew Ryan was going through a hard time and a investigation into his work ethics was something he didn't need on top of everything.

Ryan walked down the stairs of Charlie's apartment to the kitchen, turning on the kettle to boil some water for his coffee. As he waited, he walked over and peered at all of her photo frames. He looked closer at one photo of Charlie with her deceased best friend Nikki, around the age of 16 as school cheerleaders. Ryan could see the similarities between the two girls; anyone would have thought they were sisters – blonde, beautiful and full of life. Ryan was startled when he heard Charlie walk up behind him, making him jump a little. She lightly laughed and looked at the same photograph of the young cheerleaders.
"You's did look like sisters" Ryan said as he cradled his arms around Charlies body, pulling her into a tight hug.
Charlie nodded, looking at the photo more "I wish you could have met her" she said with a sad tone, moving away from Ryan, making her way over to the kitchen to pour them some coffee. Ryan followed, and stood behind her as she poured the water and coffee together into mugs, with his chin on her shoulder.
"You know if you asked anyone from my highschool they'd say I'd have a better shot at becoming president than having a cheerleader as my girlfriend".
Charlie smiled to herself, turning around to face Ryan and put her arms around his neck. "Why? What were you like in highschool?" she curiously asked, with a playful grin. Ryan sighed, not wanting to reveal just how nerdy he was back in the day...
"Let's just say I was never the popular kid who played football".
Charlie nodded, "I would have been your friend" she said teasingly making Ryan raise his eyebrow and kissing her on the lips.

At the Miami Dade crime lab, Ryan and Delko were in a lab waiting on some DNA results for a case they were working on.
"So how's Charlie holding up?" Delko asked as he examined some blood spatters to a suspects DNA. Ryan squinted while looking at the same results, concluding they weren't a match.
"She's getting better and she's going back to work today".
Delko nodded taking off his gloves and writing down their findings on a piece of paper. "It's good she's getting back to her normal routine Wolfe" he said looking over at his colleague who he could tell was now thinking about how his girlfriend's day was going.

At Charlie's work, everyone was being really nice and supportive. Only a hand few of the employers knew what had happened to her which were some of the partners and the other girl who had the same job as her while all the rest of the office were told she had some family business to attend too. Charlie had only been given some legal documents to type up just so she could get use to the work again, so she found herself typing up witness statements and Wills.
After her first day back at work, she was pleased to come home to her apartment and find Ryan had made her dinner. Well really, all he had done was order Chinese food and set up it on the lounge room table. Charlie laughed, sitting herself down on the lounge while Ryan served her some fried rice with Mongolian lamb. After eating in silence for a few minutes, Ryan put down both of their plates and pulled her next to him, laying her head down on his shoulder as he stroked her hair.
Charlie listened to Ryan's heart beat, closing her eyes making her feel relaxed.
"How was your day back?" he asked. Charlie made a meh sound "it was okay" was all she said and he left it at that, knowing not to hassle to subject. Charlie got up and picked up some mail on the table and found a opened letter for Ryan. He noticed what she was holding and tried to get it off her.
"What is it?" she asked, intrigued at the piece of mail her boyfriend didn't want her to read.
He sighed as she opened up, reading it aloud "Ryan Wolfe, you are invited to your 10 year high school reunion" she said smiling at the idea. "Its this weekend?" she asked looking up from the letter to Ryan.
"I got it a few weeks ago, and didn't think much of it at the time..."
"Your going right?"
Ryan shook his head "Not after all that's happened..."

Charlie rolled her eyes, putting down the letter on the table and moved back closer to her boyfriend.
"Ryan we've got to get back to living our lives. I think this will be fun! You get to see all your old friends from school! I'd love to do that, but my reunion won't be for another 2 years."
Ryan knew he had no choice in the matter when he saw the look on her face, the puppy dog look. She wanted him to go and he knew she would make him, but she would have to come also. "Fine I'll go, but you have to come too"
Charlie squeeled, excited at the thought of meeting Ryans old peers. "It will be fun Ryan, and we need that after all we've been through."

On the day of Ryan's high school reunion, Charlie went with her old friend Lauren to the hairdressers
"So where abouts is this reunion taking place?" Lauren asked as she flipped through a magazine as the hairdresser started blow-drying her hair.
"Its in some huge hotel they've rented out, we're all staying in it over night so it shall be nice". Charlie replied as she looked at her new hair colour.
"Do you like?" asked the hairdresser as she got a mirror to show Charlie the back of her hair, she nodded and smiled.
"The caramel highlights make you look more mature" Lauren added watching the hairdresser brush Charlies hair. She smiled, very pleased with her new look. It had been forever since she'd spent some money on herself or just relaxed really. Her hair was still blonde but had some caramel highlights which made her look not so much like a Barbie.
"I hope Ryan likes it"
Lauren sighed, rolling her eyes "Charlie, your gorgeous and he's totally in love with you. Of course he'll like it".

Once they had gotten to the hotel, Ryan had gone down to the lobby while Charlie got dressed. When she walked towards him after 20 minutes, Ryan was speechless "You look stunning".
Charlie's hair was in soft curls, she had bright red lipstick and on her top eyelids was black eyeliner and was wearing a black cocktail dress.
Ryan walked into the huge hall, holding Charlie's hand looking around at the familiar faces staring back at him. He wasn't if they were staring at him because of how much he changed or because of the beautiful woman he had on his arms, whatever the reason he was glad Charlie was there with him.
After getting a name tag, Ryan and Charlie walked around the room, listening to music which was made famous in the year they graduated.
Charlie stopped as they walked past some photos that were hanging
"Oh my god! Ryan! Is that you?" she said pointing at a skinnier looking boy. Ryan sighed as he saw his year 12 school photo with the science club.
"Nawww you were in the science club?" she said turning to face him but he looked away, embarrassed.
"Yeah okay I was for extra credit! I needed it for my college application..." he said trying to cover it up that he was a tad of a science nerd but Charlie thought it was cute.
"Don't be ashamed of your past Ryan, it makes you the person you are today" she said lightly kissing him. "Now let's go mingle with your old high school buddies"

After an hour or so, Ryan had talked to more of his classmates than he ever did back at school. Charlie could point out all the different clichéd groups by just looking at them and geeze no one them have changed. Ryan was stuck talking to an old science lab partner so Charlie went to the bathroom to fix her makeup and when she went in there, there was a group of girls gossiping.
"Gosh all these years later and she still looks like a fat pig!" said the one in the middle, obviously the leader.
"Yeah no one has really changed that much, but oh my god! Did you see Ryan Wolfe! I mean Damm he grew up fine!"
The girls all laughed together as Charlie went to the next mirror, quietly listening as the three girls talked about her boyfriend.
"Yeah you never know what a haircut and building some muscles will do for you!" said another but the one in the middle with black hair spoke again
"Yeah but I heard from Penny, you know Wolfes old lab partner that he brought his girlfriend here who's apparently like a model or something..."
The two girls on either side of the black haired fell silent, not knowing what to say to their Queen Bee.
"She's probably some crack head wannabe, trying to make it as an actress" the black haired girl sniggered while the others laughed "But don't worry, by the end of the night I'll have Wolfe up in my room"
That was the last straw, Charlie walked over to the girls with a smile on her face, acting all friendly

"Hi I'm Charlie" she said shaking the black haired girls hand.
"Um Hi... I'm Colette and these are Libby and Ash" she said looking to the other two girls. Charlie continued shaking her hand
"I'm Ryan Wolfe's girlfriend, you know the one thats apparently a crack head wannabe?"
Colette let go of her hand, a surprised that Charlie was being so nice and calm towards her after what she had just said.
"Let me tell you something Colette, back in high school you and your friends have may been the so called pretty and popular girls and gotten all the jocks. But out here in the real world, people don't care about labels or who you WERE back then. See its a thing called having a heart and not judging a book by its cover. Back then in school Ryan was the same loving and smart person to what he is today but now you see him. Well frankly you screwed up and now he has me and would never fall so low to do ANYTHING with you"
Colette was speechless, no one had ever spoken to her like that before. Charlie was finished wasting her time on that girl and headed for the bathroom door, noticing that during her little speech a few more girls had watched on, and smiled to her as she left.

By the time Charlie had come back to Ryan he was by himself now, kneeling against the wall
"Anything interesting happen in the bathroom?" he asked taking a sip of his drink. Charlie shook her head, a cheeky grin emerging over her face.
"you sure about that? Just heard from Penny about you having a go at Colette in the bathroom?"
Charlie laughed, looking around and saw Colette with her two followers, talking to a random bunch of people and looking over at waved at them making them turn away "I may have said a few words"
Ryan leaned in and kissed her "Good, I always hated her back at school"

"Dam Wolfe, how did a guy like you catch such a fine girl like that?" said a man's voice which made them break apart from their kiss. Standing next to them was obviously an old friend of Ryans by the way he smiled and hugged him quickly. He was tall, well built with loght brown scruffy hair with light blues eyes.
"Rick, thought you couldn't make it?' Ryan asked. His friend shook his head "Change of plans"

Then after a few minutes of small talk with Rick, Charlie went to get herself a new drink when a random girl came up to her.
"Your Wolfe's girlfriend right?" asked the sandy blonde haired girl and Charlie knew her to be Penny, his old lab partner.
"Yeah I sure am. What do you do for a living?" she replied with a warm and friendly smile. "I'm a psychologist, what about you?"
"I'm a Legal secretary"
But then a girl who had been listening in to their conversation budded in
"OOOO really? I heard Wolfe's now a CSI, did you guys meet on the job?"
Charlie didn't know how to respond to that question, well yes they did meet while her was working on the case of her murdered best friend, but that wasn't really an ice breaker for a good conversation.
"Err you could say that" she left it like, smiled at Penny making her way back over to Ryan.

But before she could make it a big guy stepped in front of her
"I heard your dating Ryan Wolfe?"
Geeze! High school hasn't changed! Charlie thought to herself "I sure am" she said bluntly, turning to walk over to him but he grabbed her arm. She turned to him, seeing he was quite onbviously a tiny smidge intoxicated. All signals were going off in her head, like as if something bad was going to happen to her again but before she knew it Ryan was at her side.
"What you doing there Laney?"
He said sternly, looking down at his hand around Charlie's wrist. The guy smirked and let go, backing off a little
"I was just about to introduce me to your fine lady Wolfe, and let me say she is dam fine".
Ryan put his arm behind her back, to let her know it was okay.
"How did you score such a smoking girl like that?" he said slurring his words. Rick walked over casually with his hands in his pocket
"Laney, I can see you haven't changed much from high school, still hassling pretty girls?"
The bigger guy stepped forward but Ryan got in the middle of him and Rick his friend, pulling them apart.
"It's not high school anymore, just walk it off" he said looking at both of them. Laney the bigger guy, laughed in Ricks face and walked off into the other direction.

"After all these years, he's still an ass" Rick said to Ryan, patting him on the back and walked off to get another drink.
"You okay?" Ryan asked Charlie, she nodded lightly smiling just happy he was there to save her from the creep. But then Ryan and Charlie's attention was on the stage as a few random class mates were talking into the podium
"We'd like to bring Colette Clark up on the stage to thank her for all her help in organising this reunion"
Ryan looked at Charlie, rolling his eyes. She laughed and hugged him as everyone waited for Colette, the dark haired girl from the bathroom to get on stage.

A few minutes later, there was a scream and one of Colette's followers ran out into the crowd of old high school peers
"She's dead! Colettes dead!"

Next time Ryan Wolfe calls in the help of hos team members to crack the murder mystery at his high school reunion, and everyone is a suspect.

Stay tuned...

Authors Note: I'm not really happy with that chapter but felt I had to concerntrate just on Wolfe and Charlies relationship a bit more. Next one shall be more interesting with the other team members in it... Let me know what you thought/think who killed Colette