Back at the lab, Speed sat in the Trace Lab listening to music, and writing his reports when he heard the door open. He expected it to be Horatio, but when he turned around he saw Eric.
"Hey Speed. Calleigh and I are going out for some lunch in a little bit you want to come?"
Speed took off his headphones and said, "Yeah sure. Just let me know when you're leaving. I got to get this paperwork finished."
"Okay, we're going to leave in about an hour. Lunch is on us, birthday boy." Speed smiled, rolled his eyes, and went back to work.
Just as Eric was about to leave, Speed stopped him. "Hey Delko, can I ask you a serious question?" Speed had been thinking a lot about his future with Lauren.
"You all right, Speed? What's up? Eric asked.
Speed said, "It's actually about Lauren."
"Everything all right with you two?" Eric asked.
Speed smiled. "Everything's fine. I've just been doing a lot of thinking lately about our future together."
A silly grin appeared on Eric's handsome face. "Speed, now I know we're best friends, and I'm flattered, but I just don't swing that way."
Speed half laughed. "You're an ass. You know what I mean. I'm talking about my future with, Lauren."
Eric started laughing. He couldn't help it. Speed baited him and he couldn't pass it up. "I know Speed," he said once he calmed down. "You think she's the one already?"
"I know she's the one. Time isn't going to change my mind." Speed turned serious. "I don't think I would've made it through everything that's happened in the past year without her."
"I know what you mean, Speed. I've known her a long time, and in the short time we dated I knew she would make someone happy one day. I'm actually glad it's you, Speed. So what did you want to ask me?"
Speed cleared his throat and started to become nervous. "I'm just worried she'll say no."
Eric scrunched up his face and said, "Speed come on, really? You think she's going to tell you no? She loves you. I see the way she looks at you, and I hear the way she talks about you. Lauren may seem like she doesn't want to settle down, but she does. Sometimes she needs a little push. Trust me."
Speed sighed. "You're right. I just love her, and I don't want to mess things up."
"You won't mess things up, Speed. Take some time and think about it, and look for the perfect ring. It doesn't have to be fancy. Lauren's more into you than the ring that will be on her finger."
Speed smiled. "Thanks Delko."
"No problem. Lauren really has changed you hasn't she. We're starting to see the softer side of the serious, Tim Speedle. Or maybe it's just old age." Eric smiled.
"Shut up. Let's go get some food. My paperwork can wait until after."
"Now there's the Speed I know." The two left the office, and went in search of Calleigh.
Speed, Eric, and Calleigh made their way over to the booth they always sat in, at their local diner, Auntie Belham's. Ryan would've come, but he was in the middle of an interrogation. "All right, birthday boy! Lunch is on us," Eric said patted Speed's back.
"Thanks Delko. I feel loved," Speed said.
"You should be, Tim," Calleigh said smiling sweetly at her friend. "Life just isn't the same without you." Speed looked at her and smiled as if saying thank you.
Their waitress had arrived. "Hello! How is everyone this afternoon?"
"Good," the three said in unison.
"Excellent! My name is, Abby, and I'll be your server this afternoon. Can I start you guys off with some drinks?" They ordered a round of waters. "Okay. I'll be right back with your drinks and then I'll take your order, if you're ready." Calleigh, Eric, and Speed thanked their server before she left to grab their waters.
"When our waitress comes back, I'm going to tell her it's your birthday, Speed," Eric joked. Speed gave him a look. "Come on man! Free ice cream sundae!"
Abby came back a couple minutes later with their drinks and took their orders. They got a round of cheeseburgers and fries.
"So Tim, are you and Lauren doing anything tonight?" Calleigh asked squeezing the lemon into her glass of water. She was having a hard time keeping this party a secret. Calleigh was so excited. Speed deserved every bit of this.
"Nothing much. I really didn't want to make a big deal about it so we're just going to out for dinner after I get off work," Speed said taking a sip of his water.
"Did she get you anything?" Eric asked.
Speed smiled a boyish grin. "Tonight."
Eric laughed and said, "I bet."
"Eric!" Calleigh said playfully swatting her friend's arm.
"What?" Eric asked acting innocent.
"Is that really all you boys think about?"
"Well…" Eric trailed off as Speed's phone rang.
Speed looked at the caller ID hoping it was Lauren, but it wasn't it was his mother. "Hey guys, I got to take this. I'll be right back." Speed got up from his seat and headed toward the door.
"I bet Lauren's calling to finalize those birthday gifts," Eric teased.
Once outside Speed answered his call. "Hello."
"Oh! Hi honey. I didn't think you were going to answer. I thought you would be busy working," his mother, Barbara Speedle said cheerfully. "I was going to leave you a birthday message, and apologize again for not being able to fly down for your birthday. The restaurant is just crazy."
"Actually I'm on my lunch break with my Eric and Calleigh. I understand. Plus isn't there a bad storm coming in?" Out of the corner of his eye, Speed noticed a familiar face pull up to the diner. It was Sara Piper, or known to most men as, Cookie Divine.
"No, it is moving north. We're not going to get anything." What Speed didn't know was that his parents and younger brother, Harry, were in fact in Miami. They had just arrived at the airport and were taking a cab to their hotel.
"Well, that's good." Sarah didn't notice Speed, and walked passed him. He breathed a little sigh of relief. He shouldn't have gone out with her way back in December. It was one of the few things he regretted. "Hey mom, I got to go. Our food is ready."
"Okay honey. Happy birthday and we're sorry we couldn't be there."
"It's okay, mom, really, and thank you. I'll talk to you later."
Speed was about to end the call when he heard his mother say, "Oh, honey, can you tell your wonderful girlfriend to call me. I've been trying to reach her, but she's not answering her phone."
"Yeah, sure. You sure she's not answering her phone? She's usually good about that," Speed said a little shocked.
"Okay, thank you. Bye honey."
Speed ended the call and then dialed Lauren's number. It rang until the voicemail picked up. He left a quick message for her asking her to call him when she got this message, and to give his mother a call too. He didn't know if he should be worried or if she was just busy.