Ryan sighed heavily. Keats had taken the next flight up to Sarasota to be with her family. Ryan had offered to go with her, but she had refused, insisting that it was more important for him to be at work.

He agreed with her, against his better judgment. So what if he lost vacation days? Keats was more than worth it. But somehow, they way she'd argued with him, he thought it better that she went alone.

When his mom had died, he stayed away from everyone. He hadn't wanted anyone to know how he cried. Sometimes, it was better to grieve when no one was watching.

He glanced at the pictures of their latest victim, all five shots spread out across the table. Delko stood behind him, studying the photos along with him.

"Somehow…the kid just can't get a break." Delko mumbled after a long while.

"What do you mean? Keats?" Ryan asked, his concentration broken.

"The more I get to know her…the more I feel like…she's a sister to me, you know? I want her to be happy, and then something like this has to happen to her."

"Yeah…Actually, when Keats was off solving crime under everyone's noses, Patty and I went to Molina's. She…helped me pick out a ring."

"Are you for real?" Delko asked, extremely surprised.

"But…I can't ask her now. The timing would be way off. I just…I just wish I could do something for her…" Ryan rubbed his lower lip.

Eric Delko began to see Ryan in a different light. He must have been in love. It showed on his face whenever he spoke of her.

"I can't believe Patty's gone." Ryan ran a rough hand through his hair. Patty's fierce love and protectiveness of Keats had touched him.

Keats couldn't understand. Her grandmother's house was large and full of secrets…secrets that Grammy Remington refused to acknowledge.

Her parents were never around. She hardly knew them at all. But being in Biloxi with Grammy wasn't much better.

She was a cold woman. Her heart was in the right place, but she could never express her love in a conventional way.

Sloane dealt with the lack of attention by sneaking out of the house and going out on dates with guys who didn't really care about her. She knew it deep inside, but she didn't really mind. Attention from anyone, no matter how unhealthy, was worth the trouble.

Keats decided to deal with it in a different way.

At first it was the little things…smoking and drinking before she could even legally drive a car. Patty hadn't wanted her to do those things, but since she did them herself, she was hardly in a position to pass judgment.

Then it became more serious. She would cut herself with scissors, get into fights at school for money. For a brief window of time, she was completely unlike the Keats she would grow up to be.

During this time, as well, she was involved in gang-related activities. Grammy never noticed because she trusted the girls, and treated them like adults, even when she shouldn't have.

Patty discovered what she was doing. She held her hand out to reach her when she was wallowing in her lowest depths. Patty was the one who rescued her from the Hell she had found herself in.

Patty was the one who prevented her from spiraling further out of control.

It was dark outside. The funeral had been well attended, and Keats had gotten away from the mourners as soon as she could manage it. She hated looking into the faces of her old friends. If she saw them, she knew she wouldn't be able to take it.

She was finally alone, sitting on the swingset in the local park. She was swaying lightly with the breeze and keeping good company with her memories of Patty.

"What if I do something stupid again? No one will be there to stop me from making a mistake." Keats murmured into the wind. But as she said it, she saw Ryan's serious face scolding her.

Ryan would protect her. Even if their relationship did not last, she knew he would always care for her. He'd never take Patty's place, but he didn't have to.

Ryan was wonderful in his own right.

She wiped away one last tear and vowed to be strong. If not for Patty, then for Ryan.

"Former Miss Albany?" Horatio kneeled next to the body, fingering the delicate pale blue chiffon fabric between his gloved fingers.

"Mmhmm. And she was dressed for the occasion." Alexx said. She held her two fingers against the victim's neck, double-checking her status.

"If it wasn't for a lack of pulse, Horatio, I'd say this girl was only sleeping."

"Approximate time of death?" Det. Tripp asked her.

"Not more than a few hours ago. The call probably came in pretty close to her T.O.D. But the cause of death…that's the one that'll be tricky." Alexx said.

"She just moved here to live with her brother." Tripp added.

"Has he been questioned, yet?" Horatio wondered. Tripp shook his head.

"Looks like this might be a case of severe sibling rivalry." Horatio slipped on his sunglasses and gave orders for the victim's brother to be apprehended.

"Mr. Delveccio, I need to know where you were last night." Calleigh asked the victim's brother. She sat across from him, surmising his appearance and body language.

"I was at my girlfriend's place. I spent the night there." He said. His spiky blond hair twitched as he spoke.

"I'll need to verify that with her, and any other people who can attest that you were with her the entire night." Calleigh said.

"Sure. Give her a call right now. She's home." He slid his cell phone across the table and Calleigh caught it, her eyes narrowing at him.

'His concern for his sister is apparent.' Calleigh thought skeptically. She dialed the number he had given her and waited patiently for an answer.

"Hello?" A muffled voice said.

"Hi, Ms. Gonzalez? This is CSI Duquesne. I'm calling in regards to your friend, Mr. Delveccio…" Calleigh listened as the woman explained that Delveccio had been with her during the time of the apparent murder.

It sounded accurate, yet incredibly derived. As though she'd been prepped for the phone call a hundred times. Calleigh closed the phone and requested permission to take it for evidence.

Delveccio grinned and nodded. Calleigh hated his grin.

Calleigh strode down the hallway, pausing briefly to inform Natalia about the Delveccio interview.

"So the guy's dirty?" Natalia asked. Calleigh gave a curt nod.

"By the way…have you heard anything about K.J.?" She wondered. Calleigh shook her head, her face suddenly concerned.

"I've been meaning to ask Ryan about it, but he's never in the mood to talk." She murmured.

"Wow. Must be pretty bad." Natalia replied. She was really growing fond of Keats and was saddened by her loss.

"It has to be. He won't talk to anyone except Eric and Horatio."

"Well, if I can't find out anything soon, I'm going to go digging for info myself." Natalia said before Calleigh was called away to check on Alexx's progress.

She watched her go, wondering why Ryan was holding back.