Title: ...One More Time
Author: Amy
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI Miami or the characters. Nor do I own the lyrics to 'Hit Me Baby (One More Time)' by Britney Spears. =)
Author's Note: Don't question my sanity. It was something silly that I came up with while taking my nephews & niece trick-or-treating.
Summary: Ryan throws a Halloween party and EVERYONE must attend.

"Calleigh Duquesne!" Maxine Valera snapped. "If you pull at that skirt one more time, I swear to God, I'm going -."

"Maxine!" Natalia Boa Vista cut her off. "Calleigh, quit fidgeting. You look fine."

Calleigh groaned inwardly and shifted uncomfortably. She was really going to learn to say no one of these days.

Ryan Wolfe had decided that he was going to throw this huge Halloween party this year. He'd even rented out a small function room at a hotel and gotten a deejay for entertainment. Calleigh had tried to get out of it, claiming she was going to spend the night with her father, handing out candy but her co-workers wouldn't take no for an answer. Natalia and Maxine had dragged her out costume shopping after work one night earlier in the week. Needless to say, they refused to let her leave the store with the plain pair of scrubs that she was going to buy and claim she was a nurse. Instead, she was standing in the rising elevator, wearing a very short plaid skirt, a low-cut white blouse that was tied just above her bellybutton, white knee socks, and a pair of black heels. Maxine was wearing a short red dress, red high heels, and a pair of devil horns and a red tail. Natalia had pulled her brown hair into two low ponytails and was wearing a denim mini, a plaid top that, like Calleigh's, tied just above her bellybutton over a short white tube top, a pair of cowboy boots, and of course, a cowboy hat.

The elevator doors opened a minute later and the three girls stepped out into the function room. Calleigh had to admit that the room did look cool. Ryan had gone all out with the decorations, there were tables lined with food, a very spacious dance floor, and a deejay booth set up against the back wall. Music was already blasting from the speakers and people were having a good time.

"Come on, Cal!" Maxine dragged her across the room towards Ryan, who was dressed as a pirate, Eric and Cooper, who were dressed as a referee and Superman, respectively. "Hey, guys!"

The three men turned to face the approaching girls, mouths opened wide. Working in such a professional setting, seeing their three co-workers, especially Calleigh, dressed so… not professionally completely blew their minds.

"Close your mouths, boys. The drool is not attractive." Maxine smirked.

Ryan shook his head and blinked a few times before responding. "H-hey."

"You did a great job, Ryan. The place looks amazing." Natalia attempted to bring them back to reality.

"Oh, thanks, 'Talia." He smiled and elbowed Cooper. "You guys look…"

"Hot." Cooper replied simply. "Seriously. Cal, I mean…"

Calleigh stifled a laugh. "Thanks, Coop."

"Um, well, there's food and drinks. Stetler is sitting at the table in the opposite corner so…" Ryan told them.

"So that's why you're as far away from the door as possible." Calleigh smirked.

Ryan nodded. "I didn't think he was going to show up. Although, we've yet to figure out his costume."

"He's wearing a black suit with black sunglasses." Cooper shrugged. "Maybe he's impersonating H."

"Hey, where are Horatio and Yelina?" Calleigh asked.

"They were here earlier. I'm not sure where they went. They were dressed as Fred and Wilma Flintstone." Ryan replied.

"That's awesome." Maxine laughed.

"Hey, 'Talia? You want to dance?" Ryan asked suddenly.

"Okay." She shrugged and took his outstretched hand.

"Hey, don't leave me here!" Maxine exclaimed, grabbing Cooper's hand and dragging him out onto the floor.

"You're awfully quiet tonight." Calleigh turned to face Eric.

"I'm afraid of what's going to come out of my mouth right now." He admitted.

Calleigh gave him a confused look. "What?"

"Okay, don't slap me or anything but Coop -."

"Hey, hey, hey! We got a song going out for a Calleigh Duquesne next up! Where is Calleigh tonight?" The deejay interrupted.

"Oh no…" Calleigh frowned. Looking up towards the deejay booth, she spotted Ryan, Cooper, Natalia, and Maxine trying to not laugh as the music changed.

"Oh baby, baby. How was I supposed to know that something wasn't right here? Oh baby, baby. I shouldn't have let you go and now you're out of sight, yeah. Show me how you want it. Tell me baby, 'cause I need to know now, oh because…"

"Eric! Hide me!" Calleigh exclaimed, jumping behind him as they turned the spotlight on. She could feel her face burning and was positive it was as red as a fire engine.

Eric just smirked and stood there casually, letting Calleigh cower behind him. It was taking every ounce of willpower that he had to not burst out laughing right now.

"Oh, Calleigh!" The deejay called over the microphone. "Don't be embarrassed now!"

"My loneliness is killin' me, and I, I must confess I still believe, still believe, when I'm not with you I lose my mind. Give me a sign, hit me baby one more time!"

Calleigh hadn't been this embarrassed since the night Sheriff Wilkins found her in the back seat of Bobby William's car with her pants down at her knees. "Eric!" She hissed again.

"Come on, Cal." He spoke over his shoulder. "It's Halloween. Everyone's either completely drunk or well on their ways there. They won't remember this come Monday morning."

"Calleigh Emily Duquesne!" Maxine approached her with Natalia following close behind.

"Eric!" She exclaimed again.

"Oh baby, baby, the reason I breathe is you. Boy, you've got me blinded. Oh pretty baby, there's nothin' that I wouldn't do. That' s not the way I planned it. Show me how you want it. Tell me baby, 'cause I need to know now, oh because…"

"Cal, it's Max and 'Talia. They aren't going to give up." He pointed out. "Come on. Let's show them up out there." He grabbed her hand and dragged her towards their friends and the dance floor.

"Eric!"

"My loneliness is killin' me, and I, I must confess I still believe, still believe, when I'm not with you I lose my mind. Give me a sign, hit me baby one more time!"

Grinning from ear to ear, Eric pulled her out into the spotlight and held her close. "Just go with it, Cal."

Calleigh sighed and looked over at her friends. "I hate you all." She pulled away slightly from Eric and shook her head.

"You love us." Maxine smirked, pulling Cooper towards her. "Let's dance!"

"Cal…" Eric tried to bite back his grin.

"You so owe me." She gave in and let herself be pulled back into his arms as he began moving to the music.

"Oh baby, baby, how was I supposed to know? Oh pretty baby, I shouldn't have let you go. I must confess that my loneliness is killin' me now. Don't you know I still believe that you will be here? And give me a sign, hit me baby one more time!"

"Hey, Cal?" Eric smirked.

"Eric, don't even go there." She told him, thinking he was going to refer to the song.

"I wasn't. Trust me." He told her. "I was just going to say Coop was right."

"What?" She stretched her neck around to look up at him, confused at where he was going.

"You look hot tonight."

"Eric Delko!"

"What?" He smiled innocently.

"My loneliness is killin' me, and I, I must confess I still believe, still believe, when I'm not with you I lose my mind. Give me a sign, hit me baby one more time!"

Silly, I know. What'd you think anyway?