Viva la Revolution
"So Cal, what're we doing for lunch?" Asked Eric.
"I don't know, with that board walk fair going on traffic will be hell in a nutshell." The blond sighed heavily.
"Hell in a nutshell, that's a new one." Eric chuckled.
"Are you making fun of me?" She asked suspiciously.
"No, I think you're adorable, Cal." She giggled in response.
"Hey, Giggles, Aqua Man, what's up?" Natalia asked happily, strolling in with her usually long legged stride. Ryan came in behind her, though clearly watching her hips sway from side to side.
"Hey you guys, what do you want to do for lunch?" Asked Cal.
"We could go back to China Coast." Ryan suggested, more for his memory of the desert than the meal. He looked at Natalia and winked.
"I'd be up for that." She said, biting her lip as a blush appeared.
"Okay, but if we get stuck in traffic I'm blaming all of you!"
"See? All your fault." Calleigh huffed, sitting in the driver's seat of the hummer as traffic was moving like molasses in Stettler's heart. Very cold in there. Very cold. Frigid, even. Ice age cold. Not pleasant.
"Well, at this rate, we'll all die before we get to have our last lunch. We'll probably go insane in here, start eating each other's shoes." Natalia grumbled, setting her chin in her palm.
"What?" Ryan asked incredulously.
"I saw it in a movie." She answered simply. He nodded.
"Come ON!!" Calleigh snapped, making everyone jump. "This is ridiculous! I'm starving!!" She huffed honking the horn.
"Look lady, we're just as angry as you are!" One man shouted from the car behind them, making Eric shake his fist at him.
"Oh my god." Calleigh opened the hummer door and stepped out and onto the step. She grabbed the rungs on the top and hauled herself up with effort, her legs dangling for just a minute.
"Calleigh?!" Eric stuck his head out his window and looked up at the woman as she stood in a Napoleon stance. "Calleigh, what are you-"
"Sh! I can see China Coast! We're only a few blocks away!" She shouted, getting back behind the steering wheel via open window.
"So, how are we going to get there? We may be police but we can't go jumping on cars to get to the restaurant." Ryan shrugged.
"Well, we could use the siren." Calleigh smiled sweetly.
"Calleigh!"
"Okay, maybe not."
"Yeah, maybe not."
"Oh! I have an idea!"
"Calleigh!" Eric shouted, clutching the dash board.
"What? If we were in New York you wouldn't complain!" Calleigh replied casually as she drove madly through the traffic, weaving in and out of the smaller vehicles.
"No, but the speed limit monitors might!" Natalia squeaked as Calleigh cleared a bus by two inches. "What? Are we in the four digits?"
"Oh don't be such babies, we're here." Calleigh hit the brakes suddenly, making the back of the hummer come up off the ground and come back down with a loud bang. The mass of metal bounced slightly, making the people inside bounce in their seats.
Natalia's eye twitched. Her hair was standing on end and she quite literally found herself unable to remove herself from Ryan's grip.
Ryan was still holding onto Natalia for dear life, as she was with him, and slowly unclenched his jaw, hearing it crack loudly.
Eric put his hand on his chest to make sure his heart hadn't given out. Nope. Still there and beating...barely. He looked over at Calleigh.
Calleigh looked in the mirror and touched the right corner of her lip, keeping the pink gloss in check.
"I told you she drives like a madwoman." Ryan muttered to Natalia.
"I know, I just never believed you until now." She whispered back.
"Are you guys okay?" Calleigh and Eric asked, turning to see the two holding each other solidly. They began to pull away, their bones cracking loudly every inch they moved. Natalia's elbows and knees snapped at the same time as Ryan cracked his neck, though it sounded more like he snapped his neck off.
"Ow."
"Okay, so who's ready to order?" Asked the waitress.
"I'll have the Shanghai noodles and the sweet and sour pineapple pork with a large milk, please." Calleigh said eagerly.
"You got it, and for you folks?" She asked.
"I'll have the spicy stuffed tofu with rice and a diet coke, please." Eric said, still looking at Calleigh strangely.
"I'll have the stir fried vegetables and beef please." Said Ryan.
"Could I have the spicy tofu stir fry with plain rice, please?" Asked Natalia.
"You bet." The waitress left with their menus.
"Calleigh, you're...really hungry, huh?" Eric asked cautiously. Calleigh had been a little...of balance...lately.
"Yeah, so what?" She asked defensively, gulping down the large glass of milk. "Excuse me! Could get a refill please?!"
"Yeah Cal, I mean you just ordered double what you normally do." Natalia pointed out, though quickly quieted down under the southern belle's smoldering glare.
"Well EX-CA-YOU-SE me for being hungry." She barked outrageously. "Hey! I asked for a refill, here!"
"Calm down Cal, what's with you?" Eric started.
"Ooh! Foods here!" Calleigh said, ignoring everything else around her. She grabbed her chopsticks, tearing them apart ferociously and diving in chopsticks first. Natalia, Ryan and Eric traded looks and carefully started their own plates, still looking at her.
"Here's your milk." The waitress smiled.
"Thanks." Calleigh pulled the straw out and drank it like she'd been on a desert island for the last year.
"Well...this is good, huh?" Natalia suggested awkwardly.
"Yeah...enjoying your noodles...Calleigh?" Ryan stuttered.
"Yep." She answered monosyllabically.
"You gonna eat all of them?" Asked Eric.
"Hey, what's a pregnant woman to do?" Calleigh said happily before realizing exactly what had come out of her mouth.
Eric spat out his drink all over the table in shock, some still dripping from his mouth as he coughed deeply.
Natalia inhaled a chunk of tofu and began flailing wildly, coughing and hacking. She stood up from her chair with her hands on her throat.
Ryan wiped his mouth off and patted Natalia on the back. When she kept coughing he performed the heimlich maneuver, wrapping his arms around her and hitting her stomach repetitively. When the lump finally dislodged itself Natalia spit it out hastily. She gasped for breath as the chunk of...brown...once edible...matter...flew out and hit Eric square between the eyes. Thoroughly surprised he tipped backwards in his chair, sending the table flying at Ryan.
Thunk!
Splat!
Ryan's throbbing knee and spicy tofu face plant added to the chaos as he hopped on one leg, wiping tofu out of his eyes. "Burning!"
"Oh, don't be such a hot head!" Natalia laughed.
"Are you mocking me?" Ryan asked blindly, still covered in sauce.
"Sorry." Natalia smiled, wiping some off his cheeks.
"Cal..." Eric started, searching for words. "Who's is it?!"
"Yeah!!" Natalia turned, leaving one-legged-Ryan to fall over.
"It's that damned Jake Berkley's isn't it? I'm gonna kill that sonofa-!" Eric growled.
"Eric!" He turned. "Of coarse it's yours." She whispered.
"Oh, right." He nodded.
"Oh!! Congratulations!" Natalia squealed.
"Um...hello? Still on the ground over here!" Ryan groaned.
"I'm going to have to kick you guys out now...look what you did!"
"Let's see, you all seem fine, just some minor mishaps." Tara murmured back at the lab. "How did this happen again?"
"Slip of the tongue?" Calleigh smiled weakly.
"Should I even ask?" A calm voice called.
"Horatio!" They all cringed.
"Why exactly...are you covered in food and bruises?" He looked each of them over carefully. "You look like you fought a war."
"Viva la Revolution?" Calleigh tried.
"Miss Duquesne, you..." He smiled. "Are the only one not covered in Chinese cuisine."
"I...uh...kind of caused the food shower." She winced.
"Yeah...a classic It's raining food, hallelujah, it's raining food." Natalia sang playfully. Horatio sent her a patient smile, quieting her.
"And exactly what did you do..." Said Horatio. "To cause all of this?" He smiled as she squirmed uncomfortably.
"Well..." She drawled, her face flushing a faint pink with embarrassment. "I, um...I'm kind of...pregnant."
Silence settled in like a mother bird in her nest.
Horatio looked at the bullet girl calmly, assessing the situation.
She stared back blankly, her large green eyes inquisitive as to what he would do.
Eric's face held a distinctive it's all over expression.
Natalia and Ryan sat next to each other nervously. They inched closer together until their thighs were touching and they were grateful for the comforting warmth. Ryan held Natalia's soft hand secretively.
"Well..." He smiled. "Congratulations."
"Oh, thank you H!" Tears stung Calleigh's eyes as she hugged her friend tightly. "Sorry, I'm still a little loopy."
"How far along are you?" Tara asked.
"About a month." She smiled.
"Who's the father?" Horatio smirked as Calleigh and Eric shrunk.
"Look, H, if I have to, I'll switch shifts." Eric spoke up.
"That..." H smiled at the younger man. "Will not be necessary Eric."
"What about IAB?" Natalia asked, her hand still in Ryan's.
"Viva la Revolution...right Calleigh?"