So here's what happens next! :)
"So this is what you mean by 'we', Eric." Natalia said. The group sat in the hummer for a fifteen minute drive from the lab to the beach. Frank was on the wheel.
"Yes, mam." he and Calleigh shared a smile, and while those who saw them shared faces.
"Alright, kids." Frank took their attention. "Here we are, let me just find a parking spot." Romartico Café, one of the exclusive places by the beach. The place was empty and almost looked isolated, like they rented the place, she thought. They did. As they got out of the vehicle, they walked towards the entrance, passing by Horatio's Hummer. "Horatio's here." Natalia looked at Calleigh, and she bounced her eyebrows in reply.
"Hey, hold on a sec" Ryan softly grabbed on of her arms then reached for something under his suit. He pulls out a yellow handkerchief and grins at her. "Turn around." he said.
"Oh come on guys, as if I have no idea what's about to happen." Natalia crossed her arms.
"Ha. Well you see, the thing is, you don't" Tim answered, leaning on one of the pillars on the café's classy front porch.
Eric opened the door, while Ryan guided Natalia with his hand on her shoulder. The rest followed. Romartico Café's walls were all made of glass. People on the outside could see the people inside. But in this case, the lights were off. The café's indoor dining area was quite small. Just around ten to fifteen tables. Everything else was at the resto's private portion of the beach, which would normally be filled with tables, but not tonight. Just a big round one enough for all of them.
Ryan left Natalia in a spot and regrouped with the other. "Guys" Natalia said trying to get a reply from anyone one of them. The lights were still off in the indoor area and sun is setting outside, leaving only a low level of light to come in. But enough for the gang to prepare into their positions. Horatio looked to the direction of the lone present waiter standing by the light switch and nodded. He approached Natalia's back and laid his fingers on the blindfold causing her to flinch. He takes it off slowly.
Same as she was blindfolded, she could only see darkness. Then the golden colored lights went on shinning on the marble floor and the faces of her colleagues. "HAPPY PROMOTION AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" they cheered.
Horatio was chuckling behind her. Natalia trying to soak up the moment, admiring the customized cake in front of her. A photo of her, Calleigh and Horatio on her first day at the MDPD lab was icing-printed on the flat top, while the sides depicted the strip glass walls of the lab. She turns around to Horatio, "Happy Birthday" he greeted, "and Happy Promotion" he said it like he would with his witty one-liners at crime scenes.
Everyone was hovering around the cake, not to mention Walter. Natalia held to one of Calleigh's arm and pulled the two of them away from the group and settled at the back of the room with a beautiful view of the shore.
"Thank you" she said. "You're amazing"
"Don't just thank me, thank the guys" Calleigh smiled.
"I will, surely, don't worry. I love you"
"Love you too" she replied with her notorious accent.
Three-fourth a cake and who knows how many bottles of wine later, it was well dark outside, windy too, a few grains of sand were whizzing through the air and into their eyes. So they decided to take this party inside. A bunch of them were drunk, Nat, Ryan, Walter, and Tim, Jesse's half-way there. Horatio, Calleigh and Eric were taking it easy. Frank indulging some quality beer by the bar, and Alexx casually sipping her second glass.
"Hey Horatio, are you willing to take these kids home by the end of the night?" she began to joke. "I mean, come on. Imagine the whole cast of Jersey Shore cramped together in your Hummer."
Horatio replied with a rare laugh "Well, Alexx, if I can manage a herd of Mala Noches, for sure I'll be fine with these monkeys." he assured her.
Meanwhile, most of them were too preoccupied with Ryan's corny cop jokes to notice Eric and Calleigh leave the room. The two of them set out at the back porch to delight themselves of the soothing breeze.
"Quite a party you planned" he started.
"What are you talking about, you guys have as much to do with this as I have"
"Okay, yes, but that doesn't change the fact that you just might be the most badass sister slash mother in the world." Eric flirted, desperately setting the mood.
"Hey!" she focused her eyes at him. "I'm not that old."
"I didn't say anything" he said with his hands up. She sighed and giggled. "You really are" Calleigh was beginning to feel flattered. You know what, maybe she is the most badass sister in the world…if you take out the motherly aspects of her personality. She's very proud of Natalia, of what she's achieved through the years. Their relationship when they were younger were far more different than their relationship now. When Natalia got assigned to the MDPD lab, the two of them couldn't ask for a better opportunity for them to become a family again. Now they're inseparable, stronger than ever.
"Thanks" she said. Leaning towards Eric's direction, she placed a hand on Eric's jaw and pulled closer to place a soft kiss on his lips. At this point, she didn't care whether someone saw them or not. Neither did Eric.
Please review :) I know there's not much hiphuggers in it but this story is 50% DuVista and 50% CalEric. i'll try my best to write them equally :)