To DarkKyubi: Natalia isn't THAT bad, but haven't we all said things that we didn't mean at one time because we were angry with someone? (At least I have on many, many, many occasions) Worry not, she'll get her chance at redemption.
She's so mean…but maybe she's right. Ryan probably isn't in love. We haven't even known each other that long. Of course he isn't. And why would he be in love with someone like me? A dumb college kid with weird habits and fetishes. If he really knew me well he wouldn't be so thrilled…Why did I let myself get fooled again?
Keats sat against the bathroom wall, remembering the only other man she had ever loved in her life. He had promised her the moon and the stars, making her believe that they were stronger than fate. That they were meant to be.
She tried to believe it and once she finally did, once she was so deeply, head-over-heels in love with him…he avoided her. And sent a mutual friend to give her a 'Dear John' letter. It was the blackest day of her life. It had only been a year ago, but it might as well have been the day before. The pain was as fresh as it had ever been.
Even though the cases are completely different…the end results are bound to be the same. As much as I would hate to end it, I think I have to. I couldn't bear it if Ryan did the same thing to me as Morgan did a year ago. I think I would die.
Natalia sat across from Eric Delko, feeling extremely guilty. During the few months that Keats had been working at Miami Dade, she had kept an immense grudge against her. But as soon as she had opened up and let out her feelings, they weren't nearly as strong. She began to think that she had been a little too harsh.
"What's wrong?" Eric asked. Natalia gave a modest shrug and tried to shake off an awful feeling.
Eric's cell rang and he answered it apologetically, flashing Natalia a brilliant smile.
"What do you mean? Is he ok?...Sure, I'll be right over." He hung up and sighed, more than a bit bewildered.
"Did something happen?" Natalia asked.
"Cooper went drinking with Ryan. He said that Ryan drank too much and was thrown out of the bar. I'm going to check up on him. We can do this later, right?" Eric said with a hopeful smile. Natalia nodded.
"Wait, Eric. I…" Natalia began. She cut herself off, remembering that Ryan's drinking did not necessarily have to do with what she said to Keats.
"Nothing. I'll call you later." She said. She took a few drinks of wine as he left, knowing that Ryan's problem had everything to with what she'd said to Keats.
Ryan woke up all alone in his bed. Keats had only stayed over a few nights, but already he missed having her warm body beside him. He could still hear her voice. He could still smell her perfume. She had said that things weren't working between them.
It was obvious that Natalia had said something, but she insisted that it was her own decision. She even threw in the fact that she was planning on breaking up with him the second she found out she wasn't pregnant.
And so he had gone drinking. Not wanting to drink alone, he took Cooper with him out of desperation. He had tossed back several too many and started a fight with another guy. He couldn't logically explain his actions. But there was one thing he did know: it was all tied up in Keats.
Eric took Ryan off Cooper's hands, driving him to his apartment. Eric decided to put him up for the night because he didn't trust Ryan to be by himself. Ryan had never acted this way before, and it scared Eric to death.
"Talk to me, Wolfe. What the hell got into you back there?" Delko asked. The hummer was filled with nothing but silence. Ryan shook his head, trying to think coherently.
"She broke up with me. I don't know what I did." Ryan's voice sounded strained.
"Who? You were going out with someone?" Delko asked. Eric might have been the only person at the Lab who wasn't aware of his relationship with Keats.
"Keats. Just when I thought, 'this is the real thing', she goes and breaks it off."
They pulled into the parking dock of his apartment and Eric was confused to find Natalia waiting at his doorstep.
"Natalia, are you all right?" Eric asked, one of Ryan's arms slung over his shoulder. He unlocked the door to his apartment and laid Ryan down on his couch, covering him with a blanket as he passed out.
"It's my fault. The whole thing. I told Keats to end it. It's all me." Natalia said, her voice cracking. Eric shook his head, utterly confused by the entire situation.
"Okay…slow down and start from the beginning…"
"Kit…oh, poor baby." Sloane held her sister comfortingly and made her sit on her bed. Keats glanced at Sloane's wedding dress, wondering why she hadn't taken it back. Keats wiped away her tears, pointing at the dress.
"I thought you were going to return it today." She said, her sobs subsiding. Sloane gave a sheepish smile and sat down beside Keats, grabbing hold of her hands.
"Well…I'm still getting married." She said. Keats' jaw dropped.
"But he's in police custody-"
"Not him, you goose. The assistant manager of this very hotel." Sloane sighed and got a far-off look in her eyes.
"Good thing you didn't pass out personal invitations. The guests won't know the groom from Adam." Keats said, falling backward on the bed. Sloane ignored the comment and picked at a few imaginary places on the dress.
"I take it I still have to march down that aisle like a loser…" Keats blurted out, burying her head under the pillow.
"Well…we were going to elope. Actually I just wanted to get married to him by the beach with you and Grammy Remington and Aunt Roe and the boys. But they aren't going to be here for another few days. Maybe we can do it then. I really don't care if Mom or Dad are there. They never cared much for us anyway, you know."
"That's for damn sure." Keats replied bitterly.
"I don't think either of them noticed the sudden change in my fiancée." Sloane remarked with amusement. Keats laughed sadly.
It was true after all. Grammy and Aunt Roe had basically raised them. They were the ones that Sloane wanted at her wedding. To hell with everyone else.
"Why did you break up with Ryan?" She asked suddenly, pulling the pillow off Keats' face. Keats immediately started to cry.
"I don't want to risk being wrong about him. If things had continued the way they were going…he would have ended it. And I don't want to be hurt like that again." Keats felt ashamed for being so cowardly. Ryan hadn't given any indication that he was like Morgan…
"Kit," Sloane paused and gave a sigh, "You can't close the proverbial door on potential love just because you're scared. At least be honest about your feelings and maybe he can help you through them…"
"…I was nervous and…scared, I guess. As much as I hate to admit it, I was really scared…" Keats could hear Ryan's voice echoing in her ear. It was almost brutal to remember such a thing after the damage had been done.
"I can't change it, now…I blew it." Keats said, biting her lip. But even a core habit of hers had somehow wrapped itself in the memory of Ryan. She sniffed and let her sister envelop her in a warm embrace.
"If he really loves you, he'll forgive you." Sloane murmured as she rocked her back and forth in her arms. Keats nodded slowly, rubbing her eyes and clutching at her sister like a small child.
"Natalia, why would you do that?" Eric asked her, almost in disbelief. Natalia could feel a few tears gather at the corners of her eyes.
"I…I don't know…I was angry…I didn't mean to hurt her. I got carried away." She exclaimed. She glanced over at Ryan, sleeping fitfully on the couch as though he was having a nightmare. Perhaps he wasn't even asleep. Reality was nightmare enough.
"Natalia…you've gotta make this right." Eric said, rubbing his forehead.
"How?" Natalia couldn't even fathom a way to make amends with the current state of affairs. Neither Keats nor Ryan would speak to her again.
"I don't know. But this is your mess and you've got to clean it up."
Some point in between Natalia's last fleeting glance of Ryan on the couch and when she looked up again to see if he was awake, he had indeed escaped and managed to walk to his apartment five blocks away. His head was fuzzy, but his functions were stable. He made it to his place without any major injuries and he took to his bed as soon as he had made it back.
And there he was, lying in his bed. Alone. Wishing he could make love to Keats, or at the very least hold her close to him. He wondered what he could say that would make her change her mind. Her eyes told him she was in love even though her words were differing.
Love. He laughed at himself when he realized that he was actually falling in love with Keats. But what good was it to be in love when there was no relationship and no future? Ryan scowled and reminded himself that he wasn't the type of guy to go for all that mushy love stuff.
He came to work with a bitch of a headache and put on his lab coat, picking up where he left off the day before. Not long after he became immersed in his work, Horatio put a calm hand on his shoulder.
"Agent Wolfe, I think you should be aware of a few new arrangements in progress." He said, leaning on the table with his arms folded neatly across his chest.
"New arrangements?" Ryan gazed up at him in perplexity.
"Remington transferred to another P.D. She put in a request and they complied instantaneously." Horatio paused, letting the news sink in. Ryan could scarcely breathe.
"Where did she go?" He asked, his chest suddenly tight. It was an eerie, uncomfortable feeling.
"A colleague of mine offered to take her under his wing. Dr. Grissom from the Crime Lab at the Las Vegas Police Department has agreed to finish her training."