Calleigh stared at Ryan. If it was a dream she didn't want it to end.
"Calleigh?" Ryan asked. He suddenly started feeling nervous. Maybe he had asked to soon.
"Oh my god Ryan!" Calleigh shrieked, "I love you!" She threw herself into his arms and gave him a big kiss.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Of course I will marry you." She smiled. Ryan chuckled and kissed her.
For a moment he had thought that he had just made a complete fool of himself. However, in the moment that she said "Oh my God Ryan"he knew that he be planning a wedding.
Calleigh continued to cry.
"Calleigh honey, you're not sad are you?" Ryan asked.
"No, it's happy tears." She smiled, "I'm sorry happy."
"So am I baby." Ryan smiled and kissed her again.
"Tell me this isn't a dream." Calleigh said.
"I can't do that." Ryan said.
Calleigh looked confused at him.
"This is a dream Cal. A dream that will never end. I have a dram girl, a dream job, and a dream life. And without you this would be a nightmare." Ryan smiled.
Calleigh kissed him hard.
Ryan put the rings on her finger; it had a golden band with a green diamond in the middle. It was the exact same green color as her eyes.
"Oh Ryan, it's beautiful." Calleigh smiled.
"Just like you." He smiled, "I got a little help from Alexx, Nat and Valera to pick it out. But now we have to go ´cause I've got one more surprise for you."
"Oh Ryan." Calleigh smiled.
Ryan took her hand and led her towards the car.
"Where are we going?" Calleigh asked as Ryan started the car and drove away form the cabin.
"It's a surprise Calleigh." Ryan smiled.
It didn't take long before Ryan stopped.
"Put this blindfold on." He said.
Calleigh put it on and was then led out to the car by Ryan.
She had no idea where they were walking but she could hear a door open and she felt the smell of chlorine.
She could hear something splashing in water.
Calleigh gasped when Ryan removed the blindfold.
She was standing on the edge of a pool, and in the pool was her favorite animal. Dolphins!
Calleigh shrieked and kissed Ryan all over his face.
"I know you love dolphins Cal." Ryan said.
There was another person there who gave the couple swimsuits and told them to jump into the pool once they had changed.
Calleigh was the first one in and the other person, who must have been the dolphin trainer, because he made small sounds, which brought the dolphins closer to Calleigh.
Ryan soon joined his future bride and the two swum with the dolphins all night long.
-I-
On Tuesday morning, Calleigh and Ryan were back at the lab.
Everybody in the lab quickly surrounded them.
Everybody wanted to congratulate them and look at Calleigh's ring.
"Let me see it girl." Alexx said, "Excuse ME coming through." Alexx moved through the crowd of CSI's and lab techs.
"Well, it looks better on you than it did in the jewelry store." Alexx chuckled and hugged Calleigh.
"Tell us about the proposal." Valera said and all the girls dragged Calleigh away while she told how Ryan had proposed.
The men were left alone with Ryan.
"So Mr Wolfe, are you ready for marriage then?" Horatio asked.
"I sure am H." Ryan said.
"Did I just hear Calleigh say something about dolphins?" Eric asked.
"Yes, I took her to a place that a friend on mine own. There are six dolphins there and we all know how crazy Calleigh is about dolphins." Ryan smiled.
"When will you start planning then?" Frank asked.
"Next week I think. We're just going to tell our parents first." Ryan said.
A few feet away Calleigh talked with Alexx, Valera, Nat and some other lab techs about some things that she wanted her wedding to be like.
"I want it to be on a gun range." Calleigh said.
The girls laughed.
"And you think Ryan will approve?" Valera asked.
"He better or I'll shoot him." Calleigh joked.
"What about guests then?" Alexx asked, "Many or few?"
"Only the closest." Calleigh smiled, "Which would be all you people and then my parents and Ryan's parents." Calleigh smiled, "And of course Delko's sisters."
"Yea, have you told them, ´cause you know you shouldn't do it over the phone with Maya." Natalia said, "She'll make you deaf."
They all laughed.
"No, I'm having a girl dinner tonight, and you are all welcome of course. Then I'll tell them." Calleigh smiled.
"We'll be there." Alexx said.
"Great! It's around seven at my house." Calleigh said.
--
Ryan had just told the guys that Calleigh was having dinner with the girls.
"And you need someplace hang out during that?" Eric asked.
Ryan nodded.
"Why don't we have a guy's dinner?" Frank said, "Poker, beer, strippers." He smiled.
"Poker sound great, and bear. But not strippers." Ryan said.
"Great, how about at mine and Horatio's place at six thirty?" Eric asked.
"Sound good." Ryan said.
"By the way, my father might join us, is that cool?" Eric asked.
"Sure! I'll kick his ass in poker." Frank said.
"Frank you always loose in poker." Horatio said.
"I do not!" Frank said, "You shuffle the card in the wrong way."
Eric and Ryan backed away and let Frank and Horatio bicker about who was the best in poker.
They always argued about that, since none of them wanted to confess that one of them was better than the other.
-I-
Frank, Horatio, Eric, Ryan and Joseph were seated around a table on the back porch of Eric and Horatio's house.
It was nine pm and they were all focused in playing poker and drinking a few beers.
"These are shit cards." Frank said.
"And it's not my fault this time, ´cause I didn't shuffle the cards." Horatio said.
"It still is your fault." Frank said, "You have like an aura that destroys my good game."
"What good game?" Horatio teased.
"Watch it carrot top, things might get dangerous." Frank said.
Horatio chuckled.
"Do you two always bicker about poker?" Joseph asked.
"Yeah, because Horatio cheats." Frank said.
"I don't cheat." Horatio said, "But Frank never get the good cards."
"Or he doesn't know how to play." Joseph said.
The guys burst into laughter. Frank glared at Joseph.
"I think that's the problem." Ryan said, "Frank needs to learn how to play."
"I know how to play. I used to win all the time when I played against my ex-wife." Frank said.
"Yeah, well that's only because she's worse than you." Eric said.
"You never won; you just didn't come in last place." Horatio chuckled.
"At least I can drink a lot of beer." Frank said.
"Without getting drunk?" Ryan said.
"Kind of. I have to drink at least eight beers before you notice that I'm slightly under the influence. But it takes a lot of alcohol to make me so wasted that I can't stand." Frank smiled, "So if we had a beer drinking competition, little carrot top over there would come in last place."
"Really? I thought H would have no problem drinking a lot of alcohol." Ryan said.
Frank laughed.
"Horatio? No, no. He's a sissy when it comes to that." Frank chuckled.
"Yeah, well it's better to be good a poker. That way I can win money." Horatio said.
Throughout the night, the guys played and laughed.
--
Valera, Alexx, Nat, Calleigh and the Delko sisters sat in Calleigh and Ryan's living room.
Calleigh had just told them about how Ryan proposed and where she wanted to have her wedding.
"I always like it when people do something a little bit different." Trish said.
"Which reminds me of something. Calleigh wound you mind letting Nat, Maya and I take care of the cake?" Valera asked.
"You got some ideas don't you?" Calleigh asked.
"Oh yeah, and you're going to love it." Valera smiled.
"Then the cake is all yours to fix." Calleigh smiled.
"What are the boys doing now?" Alexx asked.
"Playing poker and drinking beer." Calleigh said, "And if Frank has it his way he will call for strippers." She chuckled.
"Does he have them on speed- dial?" Valera joked.
The girls laughed.
"Oh come on, Frank's got to meet some woman somehow. He has forgotten how to flirt." Maya chuckled.
"How would you know anything about that?" Trish asked.
"I happen to go the same bar as he sometimes. And he uses these pick up lines." Maya laughed.
"Maybe you should teach him how to flirt Valera." Calleigh smiled.
"Only I can do it in the Valera way." Valera grinned.
"And how is the Valera way?" Trish asked.
"If you find someone you like never stop asking for a date." Valera said, "And make sure to show the guy that you're the boss from the beginning." She smiled.
"In other words, scare the crap out of him from the start but try not to make him run for the hills." Alexx chuckled.
Laughter erupted from the girls and Valera gave Alexx a pretend death glare.
"Seriously though, Calleigh how did you and Ryan get together?" Trish asked.
"Yeah, I don't think you've ever told us that." Valera smiled.
"Alright, well it was during a homicide case. Our victim was found in a swimming pool." Calleigh smiled at the memory, "And me, clumsy as I am sometimes, slipper on the edge of the pool and fell in." She chuckled.
"And then Ryan thought I was drowning, so he jumped in to save me." Calleigh said, "But he soon realized that I had already gotten out of the water."
The girls laughed.
"Let me guess, you tried to help him up and he pulled you in?" Maya said.
"Not really. When I was going to help him up, I slipped again and fell in." Calleigh laughed.
"And then you started making out in the water, right?" Valera asked.
"First I asked him why he jumped into the water and he said he thought I was drowning. So I gave him a thank you kiss." Calleigh grinned.
"But they forgot how to stop kissing." Alexx grinned.
"So you made you in a pool? With cops all around you?" Valera asked.
Calleigh nodded, "About ten minutes later we realized what we were doing." She chuckled.
"And now you're getting married!" Trish squealed.
"Who do you think Ryan will choose as his best men?" Valera asked.
"Valera, we haven't started planning anything yet." Calleigh chuckled.
"But if you had to guess." Maya said.
"Well, I think he's chose all three of the guys. H, Eric and Frank." Calleigh said.
"Does that mea you will choose three as well?" Trish asked.
"Yes, if he does I do too. But girls, do get sad if it's not you, okay?" Calleigh said.
"Of course not Calleigh, as long as we are invited to the wedding." Alexx smiled.
"Well hell yes!" Calleigh laughed.
--
"Frank for god's sake!" Horatio said, "You don't have any good cars so just give up."
"No, way I have the highest card I have ever had so far." Frank said.
"What is that, a four maybe?" Eric joked.
"No, it's much higher than that." Frank said.
"So at nine then?" Joseph asked.
"Ryan you've been very quiet for a while now, are you alright?" Horatio asked.
Ryan nodded, "Just nervous I guess." He said.
"Nervous? You haven't even started planning!" Frank exclaimed.
"I'm still nervous." Ryan said.
"I think that you're nervous because you're wondering if you made the right decision." Joseph said.
"Spot on." Eric said, "I can see it in your eyes Ryan."
"Really?" Ryan asked.
"Yeah, whatever emotion you have it shows in your face." Eric said.
"That's why it happens to be a miracle that you're better than me in poker." Frank said.
"Because I don't have a poker face?" Ryan asked.
Frank nodded.
"Ryan, what does you heart tell you?" Joseph asked.
"That I did the right thing." Ryan said.
"Then don't doubt it." Joseph said, "If the heart is happy the soul is happy." Joseph smiled, "Or the opposite if you like. Either way, the heart and soul are always right."
Ryan nodded and smiled.
"Marriage is good for you." Frank said.
"Is that why you are divorced?" Ryan joked.
"No, I am divorced, because…"
"You're ex-wife ´suddenly managed to beat you once in poker and then Frank couldn't take it anymore." Horatio joked.
"Yeah, sure that's true alright." Frank said, "Not!"
"Oh shit Frank." Eric said, "Saying stuff like that does not suit you."
"What stuff?" Frank asked.
"Well you know: "Yeah sure… Not!"." Eric grinned.
"Yeah, but when you have three teenage daughters you pick up on things." Frank grinned.
The guys laughed.
At around midnight, Frank and Ryan were one their way to leave.
"So Frank how much money did you loose?" Eric asked.
"Shut up Eric." Frank said, "18 dollars." He said after a while.
"That's not much." Ryan said.
"It is if you're Frank Tripp." Eric grinned.
"Since he always looses." Horatio said.
"One day Horatio, I'm going to win." Frank grinned, "And you'll be the one loosing money."
"Frank don't hope too much." Horatio joked and then hugged his friend goodbye.
Ryan and Frank walked towards their cars that were parked down the street.
"Are you sure the girls have left the house?" Frank asked Ryan.
"Yeah, sure why?" Ryan asked.
"Because woman hate when their partied gets interrupted." Frank said.
Ryan chuckled.
"Goodnight Frank." Ryan said.
"Are you even old enough to drive?" Frank asked.
"Yes." Ryan said, "In fact I'm probably a better driver than you." He smirked.
Frank laughed.
"Oh please Ryan, don't say things like that. I almost laugh myself to death when you do." Frank joked.
"Very funny Frank." Ryan snorted.
"Seriously though, I've seen how you drive." Frank said.
"And how is that?" Ryan asked.
"Like a girl." Frank said.
"Oh so I drive just like you then?" Ryan joked, "IS it something you picked up from your daughters?"
Frank glared at Ryan.
"You are one fast little guy, you know." Frank said, "I must be getting old or something."
"I agree." Ryan laughed.
"Goodnight Ryan, I'll get you one day." Frank said and unlocked his car.
"Night Frank."
TBC…