AN: Wow, guys, thanks SO MUCH for all your lovely reviews, they meant just so much for me. I'm so glad you like this story... This is why I'm being nice and upload a new chapter. So, here it is...

Disclaimer: I only own Ann Evans, and Ryan's family as portrayed here.

Chapter 16

The light… it hurt… God damn it, can somebody turn the lights off? Ryan tried to shield himself from the light, but when he tried to raise his arm to put his hand over his eyes, he felt his left arm hurting like hell. And suddenly, everything came back to him… The sugar mill, the shot to his shoulder, his mother, the terrorist he had killed, Ron… Ron… He was dead… Ron… Ryan tried to prop himself into a sitting position when he heard a loud moan. Alexx. She sat at his bedside, rubbing her eyes. Apparently, she had been asleep and the movement of Ryan's legs had woken her up.

Now she smiled at him, rubbing his knee, "Welcome back, Ryan."

"Was I gone?"

Alexx sighed, "You scared the hell out of us, Ryan. We rushed you to hospital, and let me tell you, Delko said next time he's going to drive again, and here they told us they were out of your blood type. Luckily, Cal was there."

"Only Cal? So what, my own father doesn't want to give his blood to me?" Ryan knew Duke and him had the same blood type. 0 negative. Calleigh was 0 negative too. When Delko had been shot in the head, they both had gone to hospital to donate blood for him, since they were universal donors.

But Alexx shook her head, "Don't think like this. You and Ron were brought here at the same time…"

"Ron?"

"Yeah, Ron. And when they said…"

"Whoa, wait a second…" Ryan forgot the pain in his shoulder. "Ron? Is he alive?"

Alexx looked surprised, "Didn't you know?"

"No… I thought he was… the terrorist said something about ' 'is body', so I thought he meant… well, body as in DB…"

"Oh, baby, he was probably just taunting you all… Your uncle is alive. Roughed up, but alive. Already hit on some of the nurses, going all super hero…" She grinned, "First thing when he woke up was to ask how you were, though…"

"How is he?"

"As I said, pretty roughed up. They shot his leg; this is why he lost a huge amount of blood too. Apparently he wanted to stop that guy you shot from running away with your mother. Anyways. When you both arrived here, your father was really a mess, because both of you needed blood, both of you 0 negative, and he was really not sure whom to give his too… But when Calleigh said she had your blood group… he decided to donate for Ron, then… But believe me, he would have given his to you, too. To both of you, if it had been necessary…"

"So, Ron's gonna make it?"

Alexx took his hand into hers, "He will, Ryan. And your mother will too. You saved both their lives…"

Ryan leaned back onto his pillow and closed his eyes. He felt as if a ton's weight had been taken away from his heart. Ron was alive. His mother was alive. The nightmare was over… "When can I see him?"

Alexx rolled her eyes, "You know that was actually the first thing he asked the nurse, too? First answer me one question: How are you feeling right now?"

Ryan thought a bit, "Well, my shoulder hurts… But for the rest… I can walk, you know?"

Alexx frowned, "Still, you should rest a bit. You haven't eaten in days, the doctor said. And you've lost a lot of blood. Go back to sleep, and the next time you wake up, you prolly can go see him, how about that?"

"How about I just go now?"

Alexx gave him a look that didn't allow any disobedience, "You won't. You will sleep, and if I have to tie you to that bed, I'll do. You'll sleep, wake up, you'll eat something and then, and only then, I let you see Ron. So, are you gonna be a nice boy, or do I have to get some handcuffs from one of the guys?"

Ryan sighed, "No, its okay, I'll be a nice boy…"

------

The next day, after Ryan had slept for what felt like a week and eaten what felt like an entire cow plus a pig in every possible variation, Alexx finally allowed him to go see his uncle. It took him a long time to get dressed, with his shoulder hurting with every move, but he didn't want to show up in front of Ron only dressed in a bathing robe. So when he finally had managed to pull on some trousers and a shirt (he didn't know where Delko, who had visited him the day before, had gotten them from, but he suspected somebody had explained to his partner how to pick the lock to his flat), he walked over to Ron's room. He already heard the music when he stood in front of the door, going 'speaking words, of wisdom, let it beeee….. and in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me…'. (1) Ryan had to grin. Of course. He might have been just out of a really bad kidnapping, but that didn't stop Ron from asking the first person he saw, which Ryan guessed had been Ann, to bring his guitar along. He knocked on the door. The music stopped and he heard a loud, "Get in!"

He opened the door and popped his head in, "Hey, Ron… Mind if I come in?"

Ron put his guitar away, "Ah, the hero of the day. Sure, get in."

Ryan entered and walked over to Ron's bed, "You look like hell." Ron had scratches and bruises all over his face and arms, his lips were split, his right leg was bandaged.

But Ron smiled nevertheless, "Yeah, just like back in the old days when I was young and running the streets, trying to impress the ladies. But let me tell you one thing: right now, you wouldn't win a model contest either with that eye. Where d'you get that from?"

"I was trying to save your butt, and some of them guys tried to knock me down…" Ryan sat down on a chair next to the bed. "I'm so glad you're back…"

Ron nodded, "Me too, kid. Me too. Thanks for saving my butt then…"

Ryan grinned, "Anytime… how are you doing? You're alright?"

"Well, my leg does hurt like hell, and my face looks like I've accidently run into a meat chopper, but it could be worse. At least, I'm alive. Amen I. How bout you? Doreen told me you got shot?"

"Yeah. But it's okay. Just the shoulder."

Ron sighed, "Damn, I'm just happy this is over. You know, at some point I thought I'd never get back again… And when they brought Doreen in… God damn it…" He took a closer look at Ryan, "And from what I understood, she didn't come to Miami all alone…. Exactly, how did they end up here?"

"We found the… the belt… when we searched your flat for evidence. How did you get that, by the way?"

"I went to see your father the night I arrived in Boston. You were asleep in our hotel, and I thought I'd just go and kick his ass for doing this to you. We had a real huge fight. And I thought I just take that belt with me, in case you… we would need it at some point in the future."

"Yeah, well I saw it there, and since I didn't know how it'd end up there, I had to tell the team, and so they brought my dad in for questioning… I didn't know you and my mother were talking about me on a weekly basis."

Now Ron smiled a bit, "She told me not to tell you… in case it would make separation from them harder for you. But she always called, she always asked how you were doing and stuff… She missed you, Ryan."

"I missed her too…"

"How about your father? Did he… say something?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know…"

Ryan shrugged, "The usual stuff… Why do you ask?"

"Just in case you want me to get rid of him."

Now, Ryan had to laugh, "Haven't you been in trouble enough already?"

"Can't get enough of it, son." Ron leaned back and looked up to the ceiling. "Ehm… what I wanted to ask… Ann… how was she doing? She sat here when I woke up, and I could tell she… she looked really bad, you know."

"Just… how can a guy like you, you know, with your experience with women, not check what's going on with that girl?"

Ron frowned, "I'm much too old for her… and come on, would you want a guy like me?"

"Well, I always quite liked being with you." Ryan got up from his chair. "I gotta go back, I have Alexx sitting in my room and she's gonna bite both our heads off if I don't rest enough…"

"We wouldn't want that. I come see you once the give me crutches…"

"Cool…" Ryan walked to the door, but he turned around one last time, "You know, Ron… Ann is a great girl. She really risked everything to get you back. Even being shot at the drop off. She broke into that house. She was crying at my shoulder because she was so afraid to loose you. I think you… you should maybe think of settle down."

"I might think about it…" Ryan grinned and was just about to leave the room when Ron said, "Wait a sec. Come back…"

Ryan frowned and walked back to his uncle's bed. He hadn't even had the time to properly sit down again when Ron hugged him, careful not to touch his injured shoulder. "Thank you, Ryan. Thank you so much for saving my life. I was so frightened, but when I heard you at the drop off, I knew everything would be fine. I would have gone mad there if I hadn't known you knew what was going on. You're one hell of a cop. Thank you…"

Ryan hugged him back, feeling tears coming to his eyes, "God damn it, Ron, you scared the hell out of me… I was so… I wouldn't know what I've done if I'd lost you. I'd prolly would have killed them one by one… I'm so glad you're back…" He wiped the tears away before Ron could see them. Then he got up. "I should really go now… And… think about this thing with Ann… You would make a fine couple…."

"The 09 Bonnie and Clyde…" (2) Ron grinned.

Ryan grinned back and left the room. He knew his uncle well enough to know he was having sort of feelings for Ann, or else he wouldn't have asked how she was doing. And Ron deserved to have a real partner after all those years… God knew how many potential long term relationships Ron had given up because of him… He knew from one girl whom his uncle had really loved that she didn't want to stay with him because he had Ryan. But he had not once let Ryan think he was a burden to him. When Ryan walked back to his room, he really had to fight tears. Now, everything came down on him. Everything he had somehow blocked out during those last days hit him with the power of a rocket launcher. God, just how close had he really been to losing the one man that had made the life he was living now even possible? Without Ron, he would have… he didn't even know. Either ended up on the street or in the army. He didn't know if he had had the courage to stand up to his father if he hadn't known Ron had his back. Okay, he was old enough now to fight his battles alone. He had as well the physical as the mental strength to fight. But he still needed Ron. When he had lost his job, he had been ashamed, he had beaten himself up over it, and he had turned to Ron because he hadn't known what to do anymore. And Ron had helped him, he had given him his self confidence back, just like he had done so many years ago, when Ryan had been sitting at the airport, in his blood stained shirt, and people had looked at him. When he had been so broken, so really shattered into fragments that he thought he could never recover… Ryan took a deep breath, but he still felt just how close to tears he was. Good lord, if he could at least make it to some toilet before he totally lost control and started crying like a baby… But in that moment a door opened. The door, as Ryan found out one split second later, had to be the door to his mother's room, or why else would Duke get out of it?

---

(1)The Beatles – Let it be

(2) Allusion to Jay-Z and Beyonce Knowles – 03 Bonnie and Clyde

----

C'mon guys, I could never kill off Ron, I like him too much :D