They were acting like teenagers, like teenagers that just barely entered the age where one was classified as a teen. And maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the holiday season, but either way they were acting like 7th graders, and maybe for the time being, that was okay.

It'd been Valeras idea to have the annual "Crime Lab Christmas party," at the crime lab. They'd usually go out to eat or follow the department and where they hosted their annual charity event, but this year they stayed at the lab, surrounded by the oh so festive test tubes and mass spec and chemicals that they were all a little too buzzed from eggnog to remember the full names of. But there were cookies and secret santa, so remembering the formula for Ethylenediaminetetraacetate wasn't of any use for them at the moment. Everyone was gathered around in their own little groups, Ryan and Walter talking about some annual football game, Valera and Nat bonding over how men are completely useless creatures, Horatio listening to Frank talk about his disappointment with his alcoholic ex-wife still being able to have their three kids Christmas morning, Travers talking to a new intern about his life in London, and the rest of the techs scattered around the room, sipping their hot cocoa or eggnog, talking about meaningless things they won't remember in the morning.

But it seemed two CSI's were missing, both of them calling minutes apart saying they were running late- Eric helping his sisters wrap the final presents for Christmas morning and Calleigh dealing with her useless father- despite the holiday he just wouldn't give her a break. Valera knew Calleigh would be tense, she always was during Christmas, they had to convince her to even come to the MDPD party last year, so Valera had a trick up her sleeve, wanted to make sure Calleigh could, for once, have a special Christmas. She signaled Ryan and Walter to come over to her, "did you get it?" Natalia asked.

"Yea, yea don't worry, I got it right here," he said blandly though with a smile, walking to the counter and pulling out a mistletoe from one of the drawers.

Valera scowled at him, "we're in Miami, you could have at least gotten a real one."

"Hey," he said with a laugh, his hands up, "I didn't want it to die alright? That wouldn't be very romantic, and besides I'm from Boston, sure we have trees but they're there for decoration, not for me to go hunting for parasitic shrubs."

"Oh lighten up Wolfe," Walter said slapping his shoulder slightly then whispering to Natalia and Valera, his hand blocking his mouth from Ryan, "he's just in a bad mood because this chick turned him down when he asked her to get a drink," he murmured, knowingly loud enough for Ryan to hear.

"You know I can hear you Walter," Ryan replied blandly while Walter gave him another pat on the shoulder.

"Don't feel too bad Ryan," Natalia smirked, "that mistletoe you were complaining about might actually work for you."

"Yea Ryan," Valera agreed, "that knew intern's been scoping you out since she started," she nodded to the partially new intern that Travers was talking to.

"I think she's more interested in British guys."

"Nah, she keeps glancing at you," Walter smirked, watching her through the corner of his eye, "besides, I think she knows Travers is gay. And I think she's more interested in people that throw British tea in the harbor, and that would be you," Walter smirked patting his shoulder, "my Boston friend."

"Shit," Natalia murmured looking at her phone then to Ryan, "quick hang the mistletoe, they're on their way up."

Ryan nodded, did an about face turning towards the opened break room door, mistletoe in hand, and before he could realize he wasn't tall enough to hang the plant, Frank called out to him, "Wolfe what the hell are you doing?"

Ryan smirked, "It's not for you, Frank."

"Well then, who the hell is it for?"

Horatio smiled at him, "I think you know, Frank."

"Wolfe," Frank said, pausing to glance between the younger man and Horatio, "let me give you a hand with that," he walked over to the door, taking the mistletoe and tacking it above the doorframe.

"You know I could have reached that," Ryan said.

Walter snorted, "yea, maybe in a few years. Come on, they're coming."

Ryan glared but ventured back to the other side of the break room, and sure enough the elevator dinged, while Eric and Calleigh, together, made their way down the hall. Everyone in the room got suddenly quiet, which the two noticed once, causing them both to halt right at the threshold between the hallway and the break room, conveniently beneath the mistletoe.

"Whats going on?" Eric asked, looking suspiciously at his co workers(whom, he noted, looked completely guilty).

Everyone glanced up to the top of the doorframe, absolutely nothing subtle about that, and both Eric and Calleigh's eyes followed, making contact with the green shrub hanging guiltily above them.

"Why look at that," Travers called out with a smile, "it looks like the two of you are standing under a traditional Phoradendron."

Eric and Calleigh looked at eachother awkwardly, then back to their coworkers, and before either had a moment to object, Walter smiled at them, "you two are familiar with the tradition, right? You get caught under the mistletoe around Christmas, you kiss the person caught under there with you"

"Don't think about finding an excuse Delko," Ryan smirked at them.

Eric glanced nervously to Calleigh, searching for a reaction, because well, if their coworkers thought they had to trap them under a mistletoe for them to get going at it, then their co workers were apparently clueless of their current relationship and the depth it went. And the topic of "coming out" had been one they'd brushed on maybe once or twice, usually in bed at the end of the day while both were on the edge of sleep, but that was as far as it went. And they both knew the labs lack of knowledge of their relationship was because it was Calleigh's call, maybe not outwardly so, but Eric knew that she wasn't ready, and Eric also knew that he wouldn't breathe a word until she was okay with it. And now... Well... now they were trapped and had a decision to make, there was no way out of this one without those around them getting some answers that's for damn sure.

Everyone was watching them, and that in turn made both of them uncomfortable, but also made both of them feel obligated. So Calleigh turned and faced Eric, and ironically, before he even had a moment to realize what was happening, both her arms laced behind his neck and she was kissing him soft and subtle, a gentle press and slide of lips while his hands skeptically made their way to her hips.

She pulled back and smiled at him, and then went back for one more quick peck before pulling away, her pale skin growing red with lust and embarrassment, but she figured what the hell, hiding was useless anyhow. He just looked at her, his one hand staying rooted on her hip, the other sliding up to cup her cheek with a smile before pulling her forward for one last, quick brush of lips and then wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into a hug, her head on his chest. They were completely entranced, lost in the moment, and not just the feel of one another but the feel of having that weight of hiding from your friends completely gone, and to both of their embarrassment, ironically, forgot that they happened to be at the crime lab... in the break room... with all of their coworkers watching the two of them. And it wasn't until Walter broke the peaceful silence that they become aware of their current location, "ay love birds," he smirked and Ryan picked up after him, "we're uh, still in the lab."

The two opened their eyes and looked around, both equally embarrassed, but they didn't have much time to focus on it because the next thing they knew Valera was speaking, "go home, spend Christmas together," she grinned, then reached into her purse, "and I was your secret santa," she tossed a wrapped box at Eric, who, shockingly caught it, though the wrapping paper tore slightly when it stumbled in his hands. He peeped through the slit to the box, and quickly went wide eyed, looking at Valera with complete and utter embarrassment, mortified would be an understatement. Calleigh glanced to him, then to the box, and saw through the slither of the tear the very recognizably well known logo of a trojan man about to enter battle and she blushed so red and glared at Valera, that she didn't care if everyone thought(okay fine knew) they were up to Naughty Christmas Adventures had they left then, because being tossed a box of condoms from a Secret Santa that they worked side by side with everyday was significantly more embarrassing than just, well, almost anything.

Her face still significantly crimson, Calleigh gave one last glare at Valera before glancing at Eric, grabbing his hand, and turning on her toe, Eric still trying to process what was happening while he clutched the unopened box of condoms. But Calleigh's embarrassment was enough to have him following her, and he hoped, at least, that despite her mortification at the situation, they were going to have Naughty Christmas Adventures. It'd be a shame to let that box go to waste after all.

When the two were out of earshot Walter glanced to Valera, "The hell did you get them Max?"

Her answer was both nonchalant and blunt while she reached for a cookie, "box of condoms."

Ryan whistled low, glancing in the general direction to see that the two were gone, "I think they're both a little too embarrassed to be using it tonight, and Calleigh doesn't really seem like the type to go down on someone after a first kiss."

"That wasn't their first kiss," Travers stated, making his way beside Max to grab a cookie, "and they've been going at it for months," he paused to select a sugar cookie cut out as santa, "but I do agree with you, however Ryan, that they won't be going down on one another tonight, though I'd think their sheer exhaustion from these past few cases will kick in before the snickering embarrassment."

Ryan nodded at him, "right," he said blandly and a bit sarcastic, "thanks for your keen investigative skills."

"You're welcome," he smirked, and before the room could go quiet, Frank spoke, "let's just hope there ain't gonna be no Little Delko's running 'round here, or some Calleigh babies in ballistics, we don't have room for anymore of them."

Natalia smirked, "I think that was the point of Max's present."

They all laughed, little did they know that Valera's present was a bit too late...