A/N: I know Shakey's Pizza doesn't exist in Miami, but I have fond memories of going to Shakey's as a child, so I wanted to use it.

Roger

CHAPTER 11

Calleigh walked into headquarters and headed for the labs. Even though she wanted to be with Ryan at the airport to greet her mother and siblings, they both agreed that getting a confirmation on her pregnancy was too important to wait for. Given that it was Saturday morning, there would be only weekend personnel running the place and most of the crew there didn't know Calleigh enough to question why she was here outside of her shift. Luckily, the one person she wanted to see was someone who knew her very well and would be discreet over the situation.

"Hey, Janie." Calleigh said as she walked into the lab.

"Calleigh! What brings you in on a Saturday?"

"Personal business. I was wondering if you can help me out."

"Sure. What is it?" Jane walked over to where Calleigh was standing.

"I need you to run my blood for a test."

"What kind of test, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I need to confirm that I'm pregnant."

Jane's eyes grew wide. "Oh, Calleigh! Congratulations!" She put her arms around Calleigh and gave her a hug. "Ryan's the lucky guy?"

Calleigh rolled her eyes and laughed. "Well of course, Janie. Would there be a problem in running the test?"

"Oh, no. I'm between cases right now. Let's get some blood drawn and you should have the results in a few hours."

About the same time Calleigh was getting the blood work done, Ryan was waiting at the airport for Calleigh's family. The flight was already an half-hour late and Ryan was getting impatient. It was bad enough that he had to fight traffic all the way into the airport, he arrived at the original gate that the flight was coming in, only to be told that the flight's arrival was moved over to the other side of the airport. As Ryan sat there twiddling his thumbs, he noticed people coming out of the gate. He stood up as he reached into his pocket and pulled out pictures of Calleigh's family so he would recognize who they were. He had spoken to her mother on the phone a few times, but other than pictures, had never seen her in person. As he kept glancing at the pictures and looking up at the people he heard someone speaking at him.

"Are you Wolfe?" A voice drawled.

Ryan turned to his right to see a tall blonde man standing there, holding a travel bag. About ten feet behind him were two women, one Ryan recognized as Calleigh's mother.

"Yes, I am. Are you Jake?"

"I sure am." Jake said as he reached his hand out. "Nice to meet you."

"Same here." Ryan shook his hand as Calleigh's mother and sister came up.

"I was right, mother. This is Ryan." The younger woman said as she came up to Ryan and gave him a hug. "Hi. I'm Calleigh's sister Megan."

"Nice to meet you, Megan."

"Please, call me Meg."

"Will do." Ryan answered as Calleigh's mother stepped up and stared at Ryan for a few moments. Ryan felt uncomfortable having Calleigh's mother looking at him without saying anything.

"So, you're the boy who's marrying my daughter."

"Yes, yes I am." Ryan stuttered.

Suddenly, she reached out and gave him a hug. Ryan let out a deep breath as he hugged her back. "How are you, Mrs.-"

"Oh, no need for that. You can call me Rachel."

"Ok." Ryan let go of Rachel and looked at all three. "So, how did you recognize me?"

"Actually, it wasn't too hard," Meg answered. "Calleigh told us to look for a guy who was tall, dark and handsome, wearing a sweater vest."

"Oh." Ryan looked down at what he was wearing.

"Don't you ever get hot wearing that thing in this kind of weather?" Jake asked.

"No, actually it's quite comfortable."

Jake picked up his bag. "Let's get down to baggage claim. I'm ready to get out of here and kick back a few beers with you, get to know you better. After all, you'll be family in a couple of days."

"We're going out?"

"You have no choice in that, bro. Calleigh told me when I got here I should go out with you and have a good time. She says that you know all the hot spots in town."

"I do?" Ryan replied in a tone indicating that he had no idea what Calleigh was talking about.

"Wait…she was joking?"

"I think so, Jake."

"Well, we'll both go out and find them. How's that sound?" Jake reached up and slapped Ryan's back as the four of them walked towards baggage claim.

"Calleigh said on the phone this morning that she had to go into work. Do you know when she'll be home?" Meg asked.

"She should be home sometime this afternoon."

"She hasn't seen her family in a couple of years because she's too busy and today is no exception either," Rachel said out loud to no one in particular.

"Mother!"

"Sorry, Megan. But it's true. You think she would come out here to greet her own family."

Ryan interjected. "She wanted to come out, but a important matter came up and she had to go in for a few hours."

"Ryan, what did she have to go in for that was more important than seeing her mother and her siblings?"

"I honestly don't know, Rachel." Ryan answered, obviously lying to her. There was no way that she was going to get the real reason out of him. "Our boss apparently needed her for a case."

"Hey, Ryan…you know of a place around here that we can eat lunch?" Jake asked, trying to change the subject. "You have to at least know where the best eats are." He playfully punched Ryan in the shoulder.

Ryan slightly winced at Jake's punch. Not out of pain, but more of an annoyance. "Well, let's get your luggage first."

"Well duh, Ryan."

Ryan continued. "By the time I get you to the hotel and checked in, it will be lunchtime. I happen to know a great restaurant a few miles from the hotel that I'm sure you'll all enjoy. Do you guys like Italian?"

"Yes." Was the collective answer from all three.

"Great. I need my 'Tomato & Basil' soup fix for the day."

The four of them walked under the sign that read 'Baggage Claim'.

-meanwhile, back at the ranch-

Calleigh waited nervously for her results. Jane told her it would be a little while still before they were ready. Calleigh already felt that she was indeed pregnant, but a second opinion would put her at ease. She briefly thought about heading down to ballistics to take her mind off of it, but then realized that it would weigh too heavily on her mind to try and concentrate on anything else. She paced around in the hallway, collecting her thoughts when she heard a voice call out to her.

"Cal?"

She turned around to see Eric standing there. "Hey, Eric."

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be gone for the next two weeks."

Calleigh thought quickly. "I, uh…wanted to make sure everything was in place for Turner when he covers for me. What brings you out here?"

"I just got back from a dive. Bowman called me early this morning, asked if I could come in and help for a few hours. I was on my way out."

"Yeah…I'm almost done here myself." Calleigh answered.

"You want to grab a bite to eat since we're both leaving?"

Calleigh looked back at the door to the lab. "Hold on a minute, Eric. Let me check something first." She walked back into the lab. "Janie, how much longer?"

"Actually, the results are printing out right now." Jane pulled the paper out of the tray and looked at it.

"Well?" Calleigh studied Jane's face, looking for a reaction.

Jane handed the paper to Calleigh. "Look for yourself."

Calleigh nervously took the paper. Her eyes went straight to the answer at the bottom. The results read positive: she was pregnant.

"Oh." Calleigh put her hand to her mouth.

"Are you going to be ok?" Jane walked over and put her arm around Calleigh's shoulders. She looked over to see Eric standing outside, not aware of what was going on inside the lab.

Calleigh composed herself. "I'll be fine. Thank you for doing this for me. I owe you one."

"No problem. Enjoy your wedding on Monday. Sorry I'm not able to make it."

"That's ok," Calleigh replied as she folded up the paper and placed it in her pocket. "See you later. Thanks again." Calleigh walked out into the hallway, where Eric was still waiting.

"Are you free for lunch?" Eric knew better than to ask Calleigh about what just happened in the lab.

"Yes. Let's go. Tell me where we're going and I'll follow you in my car."

The two of them went to Shakey's Pizza to eat and Calleigh was surprised on how much pizza Eric was putting away. If anything, she was the one who should eating that much, since she was now eating for two. While she helped herself to a couple of slices and a salad, Eric's plate was piling up with leftover crust that could have been enough to make a whole new pizza.

"Eric, my god…how could you be eating so much and keeping your figure intact?"

"Murrph mummum muphplpmum."

"What?"

Eric stopped and took a big drink of water. "Sorry, about that. I shouldn't talk with food in my mouth. I said that I'm hungry because I didn't eat breakfast and I worked up an appetite with the dives I did this morning."

"Yes, but isn't eating all of that bad for your regimen?"

"Yeah, but I'll jog tonight. One Saturday a month I help myself to junk food so my system can reset itself. It's good to 'pig out' every once in a while. Then it's back to salads and health shakes for the next 30 days."

"Well, good god, Eric…pace yourself."

Eric laughed. "Try it once. It won't kill you."

"Drink health shakes for a month? Yuck. No thanks."

"Feeling nervous about Monday?" Eric reached for another slice of pizza.

"A little bit. Weren't you nervous?"

"I was scared shitless. I'm used to danger on the job; hell, danger in relationships for that matter. But this was something that I've never experienced before and that scared me the most. I'm still wondering if it's all going to work out."

"You and Cynthia have done a good job so far."

"I'm grateful for that at least. Still, I wouldn't use our marriage as a yardstick. We've haven't even been married a year yet."

"But it's going fine, isn't it?" Calleigh took a bite of salad.

"Of course. You're not having second thoughts are you?"

"Oh, no. Ryan's the one for me. Most definitely."

"I still find it hard to believe that he's 'the one'."

"And why is that?"

"Well, Cal. From my point of view, you could have any guy you wanted. Yet you pick him. It's almost like the head cheerleader in high school who rejects the football team to date the nerd. It's too cliché."

"You automatically think that I could have any guy I want?"

"You've looked in the mirror lately, haven't you?"

"Don't be so vain, Eric. That's the problem right there: Most guys just want to be with the prettiest woman around because they want to sleep with her. You're not a woman. You don't know how sickening it is to be looked at and treated like an object. I'm not saying that I was defending myself with a pitchfork to keep the guys at bay, but you put walls around yourself to keep the men away and from hurting you. It takes that one special person to see beyond the beauty and look at the soul within. Someone who actually loves you for you and not because of how you look."

Eric looked at her. "Jesus, Cal. That's a little heavy. But I see what you mean."

"I hope you do. I'm just tired of defending my relationship with Ryan to everybody."

"Well, I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a little jealous. It's probably why I make fun of Ryan so much."

Calleigh leaned forward at Eric. "Jealous? At Ryan, or what we have?"

"A little of both, I guess. I mean, there were times when we first met I thought about asking you out. But I never went into that direction enough to actually go and do it. Our relationship eventually became too platonic to really change it into anything else."

"You're lucky to have Cynthia."

"I really am. I love her very much." He paused. "You're lucky to have Ryan."

"Thank you." Calleigh looked down at her watch. "Eric, it's time for me to leave. Knowing my mother, she probably thinks that I skipped out on the family so I wouldn't have to deal with her. She's probably pestering Ryan to death right now."

"That's ok, Cal. I'm about done here. I'm going to go home myself and crash for a few hours before I go and jog. Thanks for coming out with me to lunch."

"No problem, it was nice."

"Yeah. Probably because I paid for it." Eric rolled his eyes, obviously not being serious.

Calleigh took a look around. "You're such a big spender, Eric." She laughed.

"Whatever." Eric pretended that he was hurt by her comment. However, he couldn't keep it together and let out a snicker. "Go. Get on home to 'Bill Nye, The Science Guy'."

"See you on Monday." Calleigh kissed Eric on the cheek and left.

Eric looked over at Calleigh's plate and noticed a uneaten slice of pizza sitting there. "Well, since you're not going anywhere," he said as he picked it up and proceeded to take a bite.

to be continued…