Natalia sat in the interview room with Ava, Eric's niece. His sister was in and about the department with a case that has her BAU team working with the MDPD. Her husband had brought their daughter with them as they didn't want to leave her in D.C. when most of Elena's family lived in and around Miami. Elena had changed her last name to Alvez to avoid getting confused with Eric as Delko.
Marisol was working, Eric was following up on a lead for their own case and their parents were still in and out of Cuba. Which is why Elena had gone to Natalia. They'd met each other at a forensics conference in Washington D.C. some time ago, round about the time her and Eric were.. in a relationship. So she'd been mentioned to Elena as his almost-girlfriend. If that made any sense. As she became close friends with Boa Vista, and Eric trusted her, it made sense she was the logical option.
The CSI didn't mind though. After the pregnancy scare, it really got her thinking about what she really wants sometime in the future. And how scary settling down will be. She did love kids after all and had already met Ava before. The little girl quite liked the DNA expert.
"Do you like my uncle Eric?" The nine year old quietly asked Natalia as she neatly colored in the coloring book.
"I do. He's a really great guy. Amazing cop."
Ava beamed. "Mom says he's at the stage to 'settle down'. To marry and have loads of kids!"
Natalia chuckled. She really was a funny one. And yet she had that Delko charm. Just like her mother. Eric's family was an interesting topic. But she'd never mentioned to him that she was friends with his sister purely because there was no reason to.
"When somebody loves someone very much, and they know that they can't live without them.. that's when they'll know it's time to get married. Once your uncle finds that special person, he won't be able to hide it." The brunette said, opening up her notepad.
"Would you ever ask uncle Eric to marry you? Girls can ask, can't they?"
"Girls can propose to their partners too, yes." She confirmed.
Ava shook her head. "My question. Would you ever propose to uncle Eric? Just yes or no.. pleaseeeee?" She was adamant on Natalia answering the question. But honestly, that had caught Natalia off guard. It was basically a version of the question 'would you marry Eric?' only coming from a nine year old. "Yes."
"How do you propose?" This little girl asks a lot of questions. Natalia sighed to herself. "I would show you but I don't have a ring." Ava reached into her pocket and got out two matching bracelets, professionally made. They reminded Natalia of the ones Ryan had on his wrist. "Will this do?" "Yes. Perfect."
The little girl handed the DNA expert the slightly bigger bracelet and watched as Natalia went around to the other side of the table, getting down on one knee. "Who am I proposing to?"
"Uncle Eric! Uncle Eric!"
"Ok. So the person gets on one knee usually, facing their partner.. and they do a little speech."
"Will you do the speech? Please Tali?"
Boa Vista hated when she had to argue with little kids. "Ok. Just for example." She looked over her shoulder to the young Delko as she stayed in the proposal position. Ava grinned.
"Eric, we've known each other for a few years now. We met here but found ourselves wound up in one another when we started seeing each other often after work. My friend told me you liked me and I didn't believe it. Not until you invited me 'round yours to watch a movie.. one we didn't even watch the whole of. Ever since I met you, my life changed for the better. You were the first person I'd been with since my divorce. The first person to see all of my scars and not judge. I felt.. great. You made me feel as though I was the only girl in the world every time. And I know that how I feel about you has never changed. Not even after the pregnancy scare, or the volleyball thing.."
Ava watched intently, every word she understood causing her to smile. Aunt Talia really did love her uncle. And she saw that. The nine year old was overjoyed by seeing such like in real life, and not just in the movies.
"..and I want you to know that I don't want anyone. There's nobody else I'd rather watch action movies with, or wake up next to every morning. You're not any guy. And I've grown to love that Cuban musk of yours. I love you, and only want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side."
Every word Natalia said, she meant with every fibre in her body. Elena's daughter wanted a proposal speech and Natalia wanted to be real about it. She didn't want to make one up that didn't mean anything. Natalia wanted it to show Ava that even when you're convinced things are over, there will always be your one love to guide you back. Marriage was for the ones who knew that this was forever.
Sometimes the wrong people are blinded into making the decision to marry, even when they know that it's not a forever thing. Or it had a high chance of diffusing in excitement which only led to passionate, anger-fulled divorce battles. The legal union of two souls becoming one symbolizes not only unity, but ever lasting love between the two individuals and their desire to live up to the vows they make with everything they've got.
"..Eric Delko, will you marry me?"
She held up the bracelet toward the doorway for emphasis. Natalia then looked over her shoulder at Ava, who's eyesight was in a different direction. "Ava?"
"Look up." The little girl squealed.
Natalia turned her head and looked up. That's when she was met with the presence of someone else, standing in the doorway. "I didn't know you wanted to get married." A deep, slightly thick voice said. She stared into the chocolate pools of CSI Eric Delko who was staring down at her, posed on one knee and offering him a substitute wedding band (aka the bracelet).
The CSI blushed. "Turns out I do. And I want to marry you." She recompiled her confidence, facing her former lover and case partner with the confidence she'd had before she realized he was there.
"I'll marry you, Natalia." He answered with a chuckle.
Natalia took his hand, attaching the woven bracelet around his wrist and standing up. She kissed his cheek and smiled. "So.. we're engaged?"
"We are."
Eric hadn't missed anything she said. He just didn't say anything sooner because he'd been intrigued by what she saw saying. It was a proposal. By the way she said, he felt as though there was a sense of meaning intertwined with her speech. And he wanted to know more. He opened up his arms to her with a suggestive eyebrow.
The Latina found herself drawn into Eric's embrace, feeling the warmth of his body as he held her. He wrapped his arms around her with the intention of protecting her. From what? Anything. They were basically engaged anyway. Ava is clear on what she means. And she'd unintentionally made Natalia propose to him. "Do you really like my cologne?"
"Always have." She whispered with a coy smile.
They pulled away, both smiling at one another. "There's one for you too Aunt Talia!" Ava ran over to Eric and handed him the matching band. "So you remember you're getting married!" Both CSIs held back their laughter. As ridiculous as it would seem, neither actually had such a problem with fake proposals.
The Latino took her hand into his and put the bracelet on. "Natalia Boa Vista, will you marry me?"
"Is that your proposal sweetie?" She inquired mockingly.
"Mhm.. I love you?"
Natalia giggled. "Yes. I'll marry you."
His little niece then grinned even more. She'd gotten her uncle Eric engaged to a woman who her mother (Eric's sister) approved of and showed how much they really do love each other. They didn't lie when they said I love you.
Eric glanced down at his niece. How sneaky of her. Definitely learn this from Elena. Elena was an FBI agent. "Suppose you learn this stuff in FBI training?"
"It's called basic profiling." Natalia said with a shrug.
Delko nodded. To think he'd only gone to check up on them and ended up ..engaged to his partner. Ava was still smiling as wide as ever. Natalia went to go and tidy up the coloring stuff, leaving Delko and his niece at the door. "I found you a wife, uncle Eric! Talia is perfect for you, as mom says."
"Elena- I mean.. mom said that?"
"Yep. And when she asked you to marry her, it was cuteeeee! You're finally engaged!"
Eric laughed, admiring his 'fiancée' and smiling to himself. "Yeah. Suppose it was."