Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own CSI Miami or any of the characters…sadly

A/N: well here it is, a Thanksgiving story as promised (: This popped into my head as I was eating lunch today at this café that I am in love with! This week has been super stressful and…interesting to say the least. I'm kinda grounded but we got an extra credit assignment to write a thanksgiving piece for my English I honors class, so I got to thinking why not kill two birds with one stone? :p Read and Review, it makes my day(:

Takes place three years from the present

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The shrill sound of the alarm pierced through the Delko residence. Eric Delko snaked his arm out from under the warmth of the comforter and haphazardly swatted his hand out in order to stop the offending sound. Finally with a groan he managed to knock it off of the nightstand where it lay mute on the floor. With a sigh of approval he turned on his side to wrap his arms around his wife. What he found in return was a cool pillow highly contrasting with the warmth of his arms. He sat up, puzzled, and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. He looked around the room his wife however, was nowhere to be seen. With a groan he flopped back down and covered his face with a pillow. Leave it to Calleigh to be up at 5:30 in the morning.

He lay there motionless for a few more moments before he decided he was never going to be able to fall back asleep. With great effort he sat up and disentangled himself from the warmth of the sheets. Finding a pair of discarded boxers on the floor he shrugged them on and sleepily trudged into the bathroom. A few moments later he followed the blinding light into the kitchen. Emerging from the hallway he stopped in his tracks and let out a small chuckle at the sight playing out before him. Calleigh was standing in the middle of their kitchen clad in a pair of his plaid boxers, a tight camisole, and an apron hanging loosely around her neck. Her hair was in a sloppy pony tail and there was flour all over her face. At the sound of his chuckle she sharply looked up and gave him a halfhearted glare.

"What are you doing?" He questioned, teasing present in his voice.

"For you information I was trying to cook Thanksgiving dinner"

"At 5:30 in the morning?" Disbelief playing over his features.

"Well I'll have you know that there's a lot that goes into Thanksgiving. I have to cook the food, clean the house, get myself ready, get you ready…" He cut her off with a groan.

"Cal, come on. These are my parents that we're talking about. The ones who gave me life. They don't really care if everything's perfect," he exclaimed exasperated. That didn't seem to do the trick, and Calleigh turned her back to him after giving him a wholehearted glare. He could tell something else was bothering her, so he strode the distance between them in two short strides and snaked his arms around her waist. "Tell me," he stated simply. She let out a sigh, and slowly turned around and caressed his face with her hands.

"I don't know Eric. I mean I know that they're your parents and all, but still… I don't know," she sighed and leaned her forehead to his chest. She stood there in that position before she lightly pushed back from him, and looked up into his deep brown eyes. "It just seems that," she continued. "We've never really had to do anything. I mean we are always going over to your parents' house for everything. Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Epiphany: you name it; we've gone to your parents' house." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I guess I'm just scarred that this time it's all up to me." Just three years ago this telling of emotion would have startled Eric, but over the years he found Calleigh no longer blocked him out and she told him every feeling she was experiencing. Over the past three years Eric had managed to build up the courage to ask her out, propose to her, marry her, and start a new life with her. Sometime he still couldn't believe that she had said yes. What had he done to deserve someone like her?

"Querida, don't worry about a thing. If you are so worried about everything being perfect then let me help you do it." She pondered the idea for awhile before finally giving in, and leaning back into his comforting embrace. She leaned her face against his bare chest, and breathed in the faint traces of his cologne from the day before and the sleep he had just been disturbed from. She felt her lips twitch into a smile as she realized that her life was finally looking up. After the death of Speed then the death of Marisol, she wasn't sure that her life was ever going to be the same. She found out though, that with Eric she could forget everything that had happened in the past and solely focus on the present and the future. What she didn't realize however, was that he felt the exact same way that she did. As he was standing there a thought popped into his head. "By the way, why are you wearing a pair of my boxers?" He asked a smile threatening to spread over his face. She blushed and turned her head away from him for a moment before answering.

"Well, if someone hadn't ripped my nightgown in two last night I might be wearing it right now," she drawled batting her eyelashes at him. He let out a throaty chuckle as he remembered their antics from the night before. He leaned down and captured his lips with hers in a lazy kiss. He pulled his head back and bent down once again to whisper in her ear.

"It's not like you didn't like it," his voice husky and dry. She blushed again and swatted his chest playfully. His only response was to pull her up on her tippy-toes and capture her lips in another kiss. Unlike the laziness of before, this one was filled with passion and longing. He carefully backed her up to the counter top, as she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him impossibly closer to her. He pulled back reluctantly; smiling at the pout Calleigh was giving him, and traced her neck with a line of hot, wet kisses. It was almost too much for him when she gave a small gasp of approval, and in response he carefully picked her up a deposited her on the counter. She tugged his face back up to hers, and she kissed him hungrily. He played with the hem of her camisole before beginning to pull it up.

"MAMA!" With a reluctant groan she tore her lips away from his, and hopped off the counter as she headed towards the source of the cries

"Be right back," she called over her shoulder as she disappeared into the hallway. Eric listened intently as Calleigh's soft coos subdued the crying, and soon fits of high pitched giggles were echoing throughout the house. He watched as she emerged back into the kitchen carefully juggling their one-year-old daughter in her arms. "Looks like someone didn't want to miss out on the fun," she said smiling. She set her squirming daughter down, who like her wanted to be in control. That was one of the only things that she had inherited from Calleigh, besides the green eyes. Other than that it was unmistakable that she was Eric's daughter. Her dark brown curls framed her face, and her skin was a soft golden brown. She had even taken to his looks, as she would sometimes cock her head to the side or give a pout that unmistakably resembled Eric's. "DADA!" She squealed in delight when she realized that he was in front of her. She lifted her arms out to him, and he picked her up and threw her in the air causing another fit of giggles.

"How's my princessa this morning?" he asked tickling her tummy.

"Daddy's little girl," Calleigh mocked with a smile on her face.

"And don't you forget it Isabella," he instructed his daughter who had a confused look on her face. That caused Calleigh to let out a chuckle.

"Well Mr. Super Dad why don't you go change her diaper and I'll clean up in here?" Calleigh asked, already heading to the sink. Eric quickly deposited Isabella back into her arms, and Calleigh smirked at him.

"Well well well. Your daddy won't even change your diaper Bella," she said while shaking her head. "Isn't that sad?" Isabella replied by sticking her tongue out at Eric which made Calleigh smirk all over again. "That's my girl," she stated with a triumphant smile. As she disappeared into the hallway once again Eric stood rooted in the same spot. He still couldn't believe it. He got the girl and the family of his dreams. What more could he ask for?

Oh yes, there were definitely many things to be thankful for this year

A/N: And there you have it (: Review pretty please. Grats!
B.T.W- I ahh-viously tweaked the school version a little bit. Haha :D

Oh and- does anyone know who the kid was that ryan dropped of at school? maybe his nephew? maybe a secret son? That would be cool (: But seriously i really need to know...