Okay so this is the next chapter! Things are really starting to heat up now!

Week 3

"Why don't you take a break Eric?" Calleigh said softly as she massaged the knots out of her boyfriend's shoulders. Eric put down the paper work he had been reading and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I think I need glasses." He said; causing the blonde behind him to chuckle. "It's true! I'm going cross-eyed reading this."

"Like I said. You need a break and a really strong mug of Café Cubano."

"What I need is to find Ryan. Why couldn't we have just lost him for a few days? Why does he have drop off the face of the earth for a full two weeks?" Calleigh giggled again.

"Come on glasses boy. Let's go get you a coffee." Eric begrudgingly allowed his girlfriend to drag him out of the AV lab and into the break room where she made him a mug of his favourite Café Cubano. It was very rare that the CSIs saw their lieutenant these days. In the last three weeks he had been turning up to work less and when he did make an appearance he only stuck around to take the credit for a case before sulking off again. To everyone's surprise Natalia had taken on the task of running the lab while the redhead wasn't there. Officially it was Calleigh's role as second in command. But she didn't seem to mind her friend taking charge.

"Okay so we have just one case today apart from Ryan's and that is out on long beach. So if myself and Calleigh take that one then that leaves Eric in AV. I know it's an awful job but I need you to carry on trawling through that computer Eric. There has got to be something that could give us a clue to where he is." The DNA expert said.

"Nat I don't think…" Calleigh started.

"No Cal please. Don't even go there. We're not giving up on him yet. Two more weeks okay? If we don't find something in two weeks then we cold case it. But for now we keep looking. He's out there and we're gonna find him." Calleigh nodded dropped her gaze.

"We're not used to seeing you helping us out Caine." The man said. "You're usually cleaning up after us instead."

"Well it's funny how things take an unexpected turn." Horatio replied.

"Boss got you running errands while your CSI is missing?"

"Yep. And he still expects me to find him."

"You know I heard that the Mala Noche picked him up."

"Really?" Horatio asked as he raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah. I heard that he'd been making drug runs for them after you took out Riaz."

"Well it wouldn't be the first time he had got himself into trouble."

"With both the Spanish and us too? He's deader than my grandmother." Horatio chuckled. "You really sold him out?"

"It was either him or my brother in law."

"I'd hate to work for you."

"It's a good job that you don't then isn't it?" Horatio asked as he signed the delivery papers.

"I guess." The man said as he climbed back into the truck and drove off.

"Ryan you aren't supposed to be calling me." Rick said. "It's not safe."

"I know but I need to know what's happening. I'm meant to be coming back in a week and we still haven't flushed the bastard out yet."

"Patience. He did a job just this morning. We have him Ryan. He is going away."

"Who's taking his place?"

"I was hoping you would step up." Rick replied.

"Me as lieutenant? Rick it's a nice offer but I'm not ready."

"You're more than ready Ryan. Listen I've got to go but have a think about it. And for goodness sake wait until I contact you."

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

"Bye." Ryan sighed as he flipped his phone shut.

"Did I just hear right?" Speed asked as he entered the room. "Did you just get offered Horatio's job?"

"Yeah. It turns out he's been in league with the Russian's for years. Rick's gonna sink him and he wants me to become the LT."

"Ryan that's fantastic! You are gonna say yeah aren't you?"

"Tim I go back in a week. I can't just walk back in the lab with a gold badge attached to my hip and two extra letters in front of my name; pretending like nothing ever happened."

"Course you can. Ryan you have to have more trust in that big brain of yours. Who says you have to pretend like nothing ever happened anyway. If it's your lab you run it how you like. You tell the others the situation and if they don't like it they can go work somewhere else. You know mum told me that Jesse is looking at transferring and you have that friend of yours from the night shift."

"Walter."

"Yeah and then you have me."

"You want to work at the crime lab again?"

"Why did you think I wanted to go back to Miami?"

"Okay."

"So you're saying yes?"

"Yes… No… I don't know."

"Ryan you might never get the opportunity again. Think about it yeah? You can completely turn that place around."

"Okay. I'll do it." Speed grinned and lifted Ryan into his arms; spinning him around in circles.

"That's my handsome prince." He said.

"So Ryan." Lorcán started. "Timothy tells me you have some news." Ryan glared at his lover's innocent face before grinning.

"Yeah I do."

"Well don't just leave us hanging." John said.

"Yeah honey what is it?" Emily asked.

"I'm becoming Lieutenant Ryan Wolfe of the Miami-Dade crime lab." Ryan said. There were gasps and cheers from the small group.

"C'est Super!" Camille shouted.

"I'm so proud of you Ryan." Speed whispered as he nuzzled Ryan's neck.

:O BIG twist. What will happen to H? And how will the team react when Ryan returns? Find out soon! Please review!