Title: Family Tales
Series: sequel to Family Ties
Author: Swift tales
Fandom: CSI: Miami
Category: AU, Romance, Family, Angst
Pairing: Eric/Ryan (a little Horatio/OFC)
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Spoilers: Everything before and during Curse of the Coffin
Disclaimer: I obviously don't own
Summary: Natalia is informed and there is a slight confrontation



Chapter 10

Calleigh sighed as she arranged the evidence to her liking on the table. She looked sideways, through the glass walls and into the trace lab, where Ryan was working. Soon, that familiar sight would be gone. Ryan was transferring to swing shift. She could understand his reasoning and she knew that it probably was the best thing to do. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t sad that Ryan was leaving. None of them had accepted him from the beginning or had treated him as he should have been treated. But he had become one of the team, he was one of them and it was a sad thing that he was leaving.

It was an understatement to say that Calleigh had been surprised at the news that Ryan was Horatio’s son. She’d been blown away completely, she’d never even had an inkling of something like that, until all the pieces had suddenly fit together in the break room. It was amazingly strange, Calleigh thought. Part of her mind hadn’t fully wrapped around it yet, as if it was impossible to believe. She thought that the full realization of what that meant would hit her later, much later, probably when she was home alone.

The door to the lab opened and Natalia walked in. She was dressed in cream pants and a lavender top, covered by her labcoat. Her hair was gathered together in a shiny brown-haired ponytail with highlights. And her smile was blinding. She seemed perky and happy and Calleigh had to smile.

“Why, it seems that someone’s court appearance went well.” Calleigh said teasingly.

Natalia grinned. “I’m confident that we’re going to get a conviction for this one. So, what did I miss in the team meeting?”

Calleigh’s smile widened. “Oh you will not believe it. I was quite surprised, a couple of times actually.”

Natalia grinned. “Oh really? Well, this ought to be good, not a lot can surprise you. Usually you know everything.”

“Oh, not this time.” Calleigh said with a grin. “I think this is actually one of the first times that the gossip mill in the lab didn’t know anything about it.”

“Really?” Natalia asked, setting her palms on the table, fingers splayed out away from each other and leaning forward curiously.

Calleigh leaned forward and smiled. “Ryan is leaving the team, unfortunately, he’s switching to swing shift.”

Natalia’s mouth dropped open and she stared at Calleigh. “What? You mean, he’s leaving voluntarily, because he wants to? He’s not being…transferred by Horatio or IAB or something?”

Calleigh shook her head. “No, he requested a transfer.”

“Wow, I certainly never expected anything like that.” Natalia said, surprise written across her face. “I thought that if Ryan ever left the team, he’d have gotten fired or something… or forced into early retirement…or not able to work anymore because of a physical injury he got on the job or something.”

Calleigh nodded. “I know… but he explained his reasons to us and those are the most surprising of all.” She clapped her hands together with glee. “I don’t know which reason to tell you first!”

Natalia grinned. “Well, come on…. You’re getting me all curious.”

“Well, you are aware that IAB installed a new set of rules a couple of weeks ago, a new policy about co-workers getting involved.” Calleigh said, waggling her eyebrows.

“Are you telling me that Ryan is in a relationship with someone from day shift in the lab and that it’s serious enough for Ryan to leave?” Natalia asked.

Calleigh nodded, resisting the urge to clap her hands again in excitement. There was nothing better like some good gossip to lighten your day, and gossip like Eric and Ryan’s relationship was a once in a life time event. Of course, Calleigh would never spread any mean gossip around or things that she knew were private. But Ryan and Eric were prepared to ‘come out’ as a gay couple.

Natalia frowned and bit her lip. “But who? I certainly haven’t noticed anything new between Ryan and anyone.”

“I know.” Calleigh said. “That’s why it was such a surprise, there hadn’t been any kind of rumours about who Ryan is seeing. And with this certain person it would have been all over the lab in minutes if anyone had had the slightest inkling.”

“Well come on! Stop building the suspense like that! Who is it?”

Calleigh smiled brightly. “Eric!”

“Where?” Natalia asked, looking around the lab.

Calleigh rolled her eyes. “No! I mean, Eric is the one Ryan is seeing.”

“What?” Calleigh nearly winced at Natalia’s high pitch. “Ryan’s gay? Eric’s gay? Calleigh, that’s not possible, I dated them both remember?”

Calleigh shrugged. “Well maybe they’re bisexual. I know for certain Eric is, he’s never been afraid of admitting that. Although I wouldn’t have counted on Ryan being gay, he just didn’t seem like the type, you know? But then again… maybe he’s just Eric-sexual.” She giggled.

Natalia took a few seconds to compose herself. “This is…so weird. Even if I had known that Ryan was gay or bisexual or whatever… I never would have matched him up with Eric. They seemed to hate it each other, they were always in each other’s face, ready to throttle each other.”

“Unresolved sexual tension.” Calleigh nodded gravely, but with a playful twinkling in her eyes.

Natalia giggled. “Oh my God… This is so incredible news. This gossip is going to last for weeks.”

Calleigh laughed. “And that’s not even the most surprising reason.”

“It’s not? It gets better?”

“Oh it sure does.” Calleigh said, taking a minute to adopt a more serious expression. “I don’t know how to tell you… other then just to come out and say it.”

“Well say it!” Natalia urged.

“Well… Ryan is leaving day shift because Horatio is his biological father.” Calleigh said, not being able to think of any other way to word it.

Natalia stared at Calleigh for a minute, not saying a word and Calleigh could understand. The words seemed almost impossible, but they were true. It was shocking news, far more shocking then to hear about the relationship between Eric and Ryan.

“So that’s how he got the job.” Natalia said.

Calleigh frowned. “Excuse me?”

Natalia shrugged. “Well, you can’t say that Ryan was really qualified to become a CSI.”

Calleigh stared at her friend and teammate for a minute, unable to decide if she should be shocked or angry at the words that were coming out of Natalia’s mouth. For the moment she decided to settle somewhere in the middle of those two. “Ryan had the necessary degrees, he’d gone on all the seminars, he’d even gone on tours and special training weekends. He was fully qualified and he managed to impress all of us at a crime scene. Ryan was more then qualified.”

Natalia shook her head. “He was rooky.”

“We’re all rookies at one point, Natalia. So were you.” Calleigh pointed out.

“If he was really so qualified then how come he made those classic rooky mistakes? How come it took so long for him to gain any sort of respect or reputation in the lab?” Natalia countered.

Calleigh flushed, suddenly painfully aware of her own part in that situation. “Ryan entered the lab at a very difficult time for all of us. We were hesitant to accept anyone who we thought was replacing Speed. We didn’t take the time to each Ryan the things he couldn’t have known but should know and we didn’t take the time to get to know him. We’re all very sorry for that now, but despite all of that Ryan has become a good CSI.”

Natalia snorted. “Right and that’s why Horatio has to keep him out of trouble all the time. I bet that’s the only reason Horatio covers for Ryan so much. Ryan gets special treatment because he’s Horatio’s son.”

Calleigh raised an eyebrow. “And what are you? Horatio’s daughter?”

Natalia glared.

“Oh don’t give me that look, you’ve been given as much special treatment as Ryan has and you know it. He would have had every right to fire you after we all found out that you were a spy for the feds. But instead you became a CSI. Strange how things like that turn out without anyone getting special treatment. And not to mention all the times he’s stood up for you ever since you became part of the team. It’s what Horatio does, he covers for us and he protects us if we manage to screw up. And he does it for all of us.”

Calleigh was on a roll

“And by the way, the fact that Ryan is Horatio’s son didn’t have anything to do with Ryan getting hired or with Horatio covering for Ryan. Because guess what? Ryan didn’t even know that he was Horatio’s son and Horatio didn’t even know that he was Ryan’s father until about two months ago. Ryan was kidnapped when he was child and Horatio thought that his son was dead. It was only when Rachel Wolfe, Ryan’s supposed mother and his kidnapper died on that plane crash that Ryan figured it out through blood samples.”

Calleigh gathered some papers, glared at Natalia and delivered her parting shot.

“It’s because of people like you that Ryan felt he needed to transfer to swing shift.”

To Be Continued…