A/N: This is it! The end of it all! I would like to thank of you wonderful reviewers who held ground and continued to read despite my disappearing act. You are all crazy wonderful people. I dedicate this story to you all... =).

Below is your eye/ear candy.

Chapter 22: Faith

The doorbell rang for the second time. Whoever was behind the door seemed eager for Natalia Boa Vista to answer it quickly. "Hold your horses, I'm coming!" she shouted. She was enjoying a long, hot bath with a bit of red wine, so the brunette was plenty annoyed by now. Whoever this is, it better be important, she silently grumbled. Her robe-wrapped body peered through the curtain before opening the door, her eyes scrunching in bewilderment. "Huh?"

The door slowly opened to a humbled Ryan Wolfe. His hands shoved in his pocket, the CSI spoke softly. "Hey, uh…can I come in?"

She stared at him, deciding. Should she? Or should the door close flat in Wolfe's face? She was plenty confused and unsure of their previous encounter from that day. Ryan all but ignored her, giving her an uncaring response when their shoulders touched in the locker room…

True, she was just as formal, but still.

"Talia?" he continued after standing at the door awkwardly.

"I'm considering," she responded coldly.

"Okay," Ryan nodded, "I deserve that."

"In," Natalia said, finally. A callous hand gestured him in sharply before tightening her robe. Natalia's hair was wrapped up, and makeup had been removed. "Let me just go change."

The male CSI nodded just as timid as before as he carefully watch the brunette walk briskly to her room. "So far, so good," he reassured himself. He was pretty sure the door would have been slammed in his face before a single word was uttered, but he seemed to have made it past the threshold. Baby steps, Ryan thought.

Natalia returned in a long-sleeved, low cut night shirt and short shorts. She made have been pissed at Ryan, but she wasn't dead. A little skin to set him off couldn't hurt the situation…and she could have fun at the same time. See what you're missing? Natalia mentally smirked.

Ryan paused and gaped at the evening-ware. He cleared his voice and attempted to speak. "How's the team?" he feebly began, his eyes suddenly focusing and un-focusing to his surroundings. "I took a look at that case you've been working on; it's a doozy."

"Ryan, what are you doing here?" She wasn't in the mood for beating around the bush.

"I just thought I could help out, you know," Ryan continued.

"Ryan!" Natalia exclaimed.

"Okay, fine," he joked, his arms flying up as he walked back to the door. He wasn't handling this very well, and he knew it. "If you don't want my help, that's fine. I'll just leave." Natalia huffed in frustration.

"That's it?" she said harshly. "After everything that has happened, you come here expecting to act like nothing is wrong?"

No, he thought. Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose, praying that words would magically seep out… but nothing happened.

Natalia sighed heavily. I guess that's it. "Goodbye, Ryan Wolfe." She marched to the door and threw her hand to the doorknob…

…Ryan threw his hand over hers and gripped tightly.

Ryan exhaled sharply and dropped his head, his eyes closed. It was now or never. "I'm sorry… for not coming clean about the letter…for not telling you the truth about Christmas and Valentine's Day…and making you think your admirer was nothing more than a crazy stalker."

Natalia backed away from the door, her arms crossed against her chest. Her eyes traveled up the wall to the ceiling as she took in his apology, realizing it was her turn.

"I'm sorry for acting like I never knew." Natalia circled her couch and slumped down. After a moment's pause, she sat straight up and shifted her eyes directly to his. "I just don't understand why you did all of it in the first place. Why couldn't you just tell me how you felt? I thought we could tell each other anything."

"It's not that simple, Talia," Ryan groaned as his body remained stationed near the entrance. "You saw what happened between Calleigh and Delko."

"Do not use those two as an excuse. Tell me the truth, Ryan. The honest-to-God truth."

The truth? He searched his mind, his heart…what was holding Ryan Wolfe back from being honest with the ones closest to him?

He inhaled, tempered himself, and found a spot close to the brunette. "It has been so hard trying to fit into this team. Some days I, uh… I feel like I take steps forward and then instantly fuck it up and I have to retreat. I'm tired of always being the suspected one or being the center of the lab's rumors. The media leak, the gambling, Horatio's death, the diamonds-."

"What does this have to do with the letters, Ry?"

Ryan stood up and paced, his scruffy hands running through his hair. "If word started getting around that I fell for you, my business would be the lab's business…again."

"I know what it feels like for people to suspect you," she reminded him.

"Everyone forgave you, Natalia. They understood you did what you had to do. It's not the same."

"Not everyone forgave me, Ryan."

He stopped and realized the fact. Staring back at her, he continued. "I remained anonymous about the Christmas present because I didn't want to take any credit. I wrote the love letter because I couldn't handle seeing you so upset. And I was going to admit to it, to everything, but then Chad started stalking you and…not only would I be labeled a suspect, I would be the joke….again."

"But we found out it was Chad. Why not come clean then? Why put me through all of that?"

"I saw how you were affected by it. I couldn't let you get hurt again."

"What hurt me is that you couldn't trust me with all of this. These are my feelings, too, you know."

"I understand that now, believe me." A silence fell between them.

"You really did hurt me, you know," Natalia sighed.

Ryan crossed his arms and exhaled. "Then tell me: how do I fix this? How do I make it up to you?"

The brunette bit her lower lip and shook her head skeptically. "I don't know," she joked. "I don't think there's anything you can do. We're just a lost cause, you and me."

"Natalia-."

"We are doomed to have this haunt us forever."

"I'm serious-."

"We'll just have to keep walking around the lab like we don't exist." Natalia then threw her arms up dramatically. "Our jobs will be affected; criminals will be on the streets! And let's not talk about our reputations. All because of a lover's quarrel." She clicked her tongue sarcastically.

"Talia!" he chuckled, "Come on!"

She gazed at the loveable man, clutched a pillow nearby, and threw it at him. Ryan threw his arms up defensively and huffed. "Don't you ever hurt me like that again, Ryan Wolfe!" He was right before; Natalia Boa Vista couldn't hold a grudge.

"Don't throw a pillow at me again!" he retorted in laughter.

"Or what?" she teased.

Ryan pounced on the brunette, laying her against the bed of the couch, and instantly began tickling her. "Give up?" he asked as she gasped between her giggles.

"Never!" she bellowed and pulled his head down into an emotional embrace. This time, he accepted it affectionately.

"Finally!" cheered Jesse and Speedle from the door. "Success!" Their fists met in satisfaction.

Ryan grumbled and, without breaking his grasp from Natalia, reached for a pillow and propelled it through the ghosts. They vanished with a smile.

A giggle escaped from Natalia's lips, and the CSIs continued their passionate kiss. Finally, she thought.

…

And so the CSIs of the Miami-Dade Crime Lab fell back into their comfortable stride. Ryan didn't return to the day shift right away because of his commitment to his new position. Though, when the temporary job came to an end, he requested to rejoin the team.

Ryan and Natalia never explained their reconciliation to anyone neither did they implicate a relationship had, indeed, started.

That's another story.

A/N: Gasp! What does that mean? Another fanfiction, perhaps? I mean, I have an idea in mind, but I will not guarantee it until I actually find the time for it. Like I said up top, thank you, thank you, thank you all for sticking by and reading through this story's experiences...some bumpy, some not. It was a wonderful journey, and I am proud of what I've published.

I shall be on the lookout for some great stories from you all!

Cheers!