Te Amo, Mi Amor

by homesickdelko

They keep telling each other that it isn't going to happen. That it cant happen, that its wrong and that they work together and Stetler would have a field day if he found out. But they know its going to keep happening, because its right, who cares that they work together? And Stetler needs to fuck off. But saying its not going to keep happening at least implies they're trying.

10. The Three Crimateers

"Hey Delko," Walter fished with a brown nosed grin, swimming into the DNA lab where Eric was processing evidence from their current case.

"Walter," Eric replied, amused as hell. The lab had been so much more entertaining for him and Calleigh since deciding to leave their coworkers in the dark while they blindly placed bets, attempting to look into their life to see how blind their bets really were.

"What you got there?" he asked looking over his shoulder.

"Evidence," Eric grinned.

"So uh, how are you and Calleigh?"

Eric cocked an eyebrow and continued to play along, staring down his microscope and pretending to care about the piece of pubic hair that had been found at the scene.

"Fine, how are you and what was that girls name?"

"Jenni-"
"Right Jenni," he continued to smirk, "how are you and Jenni?"
"Well uh," Walter cracked his knuckles, "we just don't see eye to eye on a lot of issues."

"Oh really," Eric switched one sample for another, "like what exactly?"

"Oh you know, politics, coffee, marriage, sports-"

Eric laughed, "Marriage huh?" he wasn't sure what was more entertaining, Walter trying to pry or Eric making it ten times more difficult for him to find the answer.

"Yea you know, she was against premarital sex, unless of course she was 110 percent certain it was with the person she was marrying."

"Oh really," Eric was trying his best to suppress his laughter, switching back to the original sample and pretending to analyze it.

"Yea you know, in case she wound up having a baby or something."

"mmhm"

"And I told her that's why condoms exist, but she just wouldn't listen."

"Sorry to hear that Walter," he laughed, writing something down on the case file and going to look at a third sample.

"Yea, I can understand though, I wouldn't really want a child with someone unless I was going to spend the rest of my life with them. But you know, maybe that's just me."

Eric continued to grin, highly amused, but didn't respond.

Walter continued, "I guess that's the way most people do it, take precautions in case they end up in a situation where they'd be stuck together."

Eric attempted to suppress his laughter, "yea I guess so."

Walter was quiet for a moment, "so I guess you and Calleigh, with a baby on the way and all, would follow the natural course of events: get together for a while, move in together, have a baby, maybe propose somewhere in between."
Eric cocked an eyebrow in response.

"But I guess you and Calleigh aren't ones for following the general course of events."
"No Walter, I guess not," he changed to another slide.

"I mean you were together for a while, even though you kept that secret, then she ended up getting pregnant, and then the two of you moved in together."
"Well, you seem to have a pretty good grasp on the timeline of our relationship."

"Delko, there seems to be one very key piece missing here."

"Sure, maybe."
"What do you mean sure maybe?"

Eric looked to Walter, his grin widened ear to ear, "do me a favor and take a break from investigating me and investigate the case."

He passed Walter the case file attempting to escape, but before he had the chance, Walter said one last thing, "I do see a pattern of secrecy going on here, Delko."
Eric laughed, "run the sample through CODIS and we'll go from there."

Walter sighed, running the remaining test tubes. The one time no one is up in Delko's business is the one time I need the details.

On the other side of the lab in ballistics, Natalia wasn't having much luck either.

"Hey Cal," Natalia said sweetly while she approached her at the computer on the north wall of the lab.

"Hi, Nat," she didn't make eye contact and continued to watch the screen, half interested but not really considering she was just waiting for a result.

"So how are you?"

Calleigh, like Eric, was far too amused, "I'm fine."
"So, how did Valentine's day go?"

"Fine," Calleigh, unlike Eric, was not staring down a microscope, so she didn't have much of a barrier between her and Natalia to hide her excitement with.

"So how are you and Eric?"

"We're good."

"And the baby?"

"She's good."

"Mhhmm," Natalia was itching to be blunt, but she knew that would get her nowhere.

"So Cal," she continued while Calleigh scanned another bullet into the machine.

"Hm?"

"You and Eric have any plans to do anything before the baby comes?"

"Maybe," two could play at this game.

"Any plans before April 15?"

Before Calleigh could answer, there was a hit in IBIS.

"Jeane Davis," Natalia read.

"It says she bought the gun in '06 and reported it missing in '07."

Natalia looked to Calleigh, "and 7 years later it decides to show up? You'd think it have been passed through here earlier."
Calleigh shrugged, looking down at the case file, "weirder things have happened."

Nat grinned, "yea I guess you're right, you know kind of like you and Delko moving in together and having a kid but not taking things further."

Calleigh cocked an eyebrow and smiled while Natalia continued, "unless of course, he did take things a step forward."

Calleigh was highly amused, and refused to let the fun end soon, "Tom's got a bullet waiting for me in autopsy."

Natalia sighed, "yea I guess uh, Walter and I should go look back over the evidence."

Calleigh grinned, walking out of ballistics while Natalia yelled after her, "sharing is caring."

Drat, both Natalia and Walter had been rather unsuccessful. Natalia was certain Eric had to have proposed on Valentine's day, but Walter said that was too obvious. They stood in the break room leaning against the counter, sipping a cup of coffee while Ryan began to lay out evidence.

"Natalia, Valentine's day is too predictable and Delko is not predictable."

"But they're obviously hiding something," she reasoned, "we already know they live together and are having a baby, what else could they be hiding beside the obvious?"

"You're both going about this the wrong way, CSI's work by hard evidence, not instinct," Walter tossed in, adding more coffee to his cup.

"Alright you got any evidence Walter," Ryan asked crossing his arms and cocking an eyebrow. He sighed, "I got nothing."

Natalia thought for a moment, "we're asking the wrong questions to the wrong people."

"What do you mean, we are talking about Eric and Calleigh, and we asked Eric and Calleigh," Ryan said.

"I know, but who started the rumor about them in the first place?"

"You think Valera knows something?" Walter asked setting his cup in the sink.

"She knew something was going on with them-"

Ryan cut her off, "Natalia everyone knew something was going on with them, she was just the first to ask about it."

"No, Natalia you might be onto something, maybe we need to go back to the original source," Walter pointed a finger at her and smiled.

"You think she'll bite?" Ryan asked.

Natalia smiled, "Let's find out."

The three marched into DNA where they saw a rather content Maxine Valera working meticulously with the samples she had at hand.

She looked up, somewhat startled at the group, putting her hands up, "you guys know I can't jump your case up."
"Valera that's not why we're here," Ryan said crossing his arms.

She set down her testtube, "okay, then why are you here?"

"Remember that theory you had a few months back?" Walter asked,

She was thoroughly confused, "I have many theories Walter."

"We're mainly thinking of the one about Eric and Calleigh," Natalia pushed.

Valera eyed the three of them, "okay, what about it?"

"We were just wondering," Ryan paused to smile, "if you had anymore theories floating around."

The machine beeped and she switched test tubes, "I might have a few."

Natalia grinned, "care too share?"

She sighed, "Guys, trying to out them for dating is one thing, but I think the rest is for them to tell when they're ready."

Natalia sighed, "yea I guess you're-"
"No!" Walter and Ryan practically yelled at the same time. "We got money at stake," Walter said.

Valera looked between the two, "I think you'd have better luck harassing Eric than me."

Ryan looked to Walter cocking an eyebrow, "interrogation?"

Walter nodded, "interrogation."

"Wait wait guys," Natalia began, looking to Valera then back to the two. She sighed, "Fine, but don't go reporting your findings to every tech you see."

"Good luck," Valera said, waving them off while they left DNA. The Three Crimateers checked all the obviously places: Ballistics, the evidence lab, the break room, and the locker room, all of which came up empty for both Calleigh and Eric. Ryan, Natalia, and Walter went back to the break room and sat at the table.

Natalia groaned, "where could they be?"

Ryan sighed, "Maybe Cal got sick and Eric took her home?"

Before anyone else could toss out any other ideas, a very venomous voice sliced through the air of the lab, making even those within reach cringe.

"The two of you, in Horatio's office, NOW!" Stetler yelled. The Three Crimateers looked and saw both Eric and Calleigh stepping out of the elevator and into the Stetlers direct line of fire. The man was always so hateful, and no one really understand why. It seemed those working in IAD always got some sort of satisfaction for bringing down one of their own.

They watched while Calleigh and Eric followed, and Eric instinctively putting his hand on the small of Cal's back didn't seem to help the situation. Stetler was steaming while they walked into Horatio's office. Walter, Natalia, and Ryan followed from a distance, and Stetlers words were not at all quiet, so it was virtually impossible to not listen.

Eric and Calleigh stood beside Horatio while he stared down Rick.

"Rick, what seems to be the problem," Horatio asked once the three were in Horatio's office, though the answer was rather obvious.

"Time and time again with your lab Horatio," Stetler paused before continuing. "First Delko loses his badge while hooking up with random women, Calleigh's boyfriend shoots himself in the lab, you marry Delko's sister, Boa Vista's ex husband gets a restraining order against her and then Valera goes ahead and starts dating him and then he ends up dead, Calleigh again involved with an undercover officer, and now," he paused, smiling sarcastically putting up his index finger, "and now we have the two of you."

Calleigh was silent, and Eric was attempting to keep his cool while Horatio talked.

"Rick-"

"Your lab is on very thin ice Horatio." He looked to Eric and Calleigh, "the two of you need to end this. Now."

"Stetler-" Eric barely had the chance to utter his name before being interrupted once again.

"Either this ends, one of you switches shifts, one of you transfers to Broward, or you're both fired."

Eric sighed and put his hands up defeated, willing to do whatever necessary to make their relationship work, "Okay, okay. I'll transfer to Broward if I stay on day shift."

"Wait Eric," Calleigh began, putting her hands on his forearm but he waved her off.

"Cal it's fine, don't worry about it. I love you and us, and I'm not about to let work take it away. I can take the tri rail up there, we'll make it work."

"Eric, that might not be necessary," Horatio spoke.

Stetler looked to him, "excuse me?"

"Rick you've overlooked a few things," he smiled. "If you were to read the fine print of the protocol you'd see that there is an exception. If the two employees engaging in a romantic relationship 1. end up having a child and 2. legally bind their relationship through marriage, the rule no longer applies."

He put his hands on his hips, "alright, you have one of the two points, what, you gonna get on your knees Delko?"

Eric smirked, "you're a little late Stetler."

He scoffed, "really?"

Eric laughed, "yea," he put his hand in his pocket and looked to Cal, while Horatio patted Eric on his back, "I know we said we we're gonna see how far their bet went before we told anyone... but I didn't wanna wait anymore." He pulled out the two rings, slipping his on then hers while pulling the top of her hand to his lip and grinning.

He looked to Stetler, "we good, Rick?"

Stetler was quiet for a moment and then Horatio spoke, "I think we're done."

He walked over and held the door open for him, "good day, Rick."

Rick Stetler did not enjoy feeling utterly defeated, and it was painted across his face while he scowled. The attention on Stetler though quickly subsided when Natalia bolted into Horatio's office and jumped on to Eric and Calleigh.

"I'm so happy for the two of you!"

Eric grinned, "yea, now all bets are off."
"No, not the due date one," Walter thew in, walking into Horatio's office with Ryan beside him.

Ryan crossed his arms, "yea I still got $50 on May 21st."

"Natalia how much did you win?" Calleigh asked, escaping her bear hug in attempt to look at her.

"Natalia is a rich lady, 500 crisp Ben Franklin's," Walter said.

Horatio was the next person to pull them into a hug and smiled at Eric, "you're going to be great parents."

Calleigh smiled, "thank you, Horatio."

Ryan smirked, "so Mr and Mrs Delko, when's the wedding?"

Eric put his arm around Calleigh waist, "Ryan you should've figure out by now we're kinda making this up as we go along."

He grinned, patting Eric on the back, "That's always how you've don't it Delko. Come on, lets go get food, it's on Natalia."