A/N: I didn't think I'd be doing a follow-up chapter, but with all the positive feedback I got from you guys, I decided to pull through. This is part 6 of the Quinceanera series. It's fluffier than the first chapter and is a little more romance-ish, but it's not quite there.

Enjoy, review, and (hopefully) smile!

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Groan.

Natalia moaned and rolled over on the couch , trying desperately to ignore the ringing of her phone. It wasn't exactly something that she wanted to be doing at seven in the morning on the day off she was forced to observe under duress. All she wanted to do was forget about the shitty previous day she'd had. As well as the nightmares she'd had to deal with silently during the night. God, she'd hoped she could have gotten over what happened, but apparently that hadn't gone over so well with her mind. She buried closer into the couch. Funny, she didn't remember the couch being that warm.

She also couldn't remember a time when Ryan Wolfe was equivalent to her couch.

Wait, what?

Okay, if she had to admit it to herself, it wasn't a big deal. Ryan had offered to drive her home, after all. Completely normal. Eating Chinese takeout and watching a Jeff Dunham special didn't quite constitute as crazy or protocol-breaking. And as for waking up to her friend? She'd fallen asleep against his shoulder. Not mind-blowing at all, to anyone.

Then why did she feel like she had a pit in her stomach?

She closed her eyes and decided to immerse herself in the feeling. She wasn't particularly a touchy-feely person, but she didn't really mind the position she was in right now. It felt nice; she wasn't going to complain and risk waking Ryan up before he wanted to. That, she knew, was just asking for trouble.

She released a deep breath and placed her head against his chest again and realized his arm was wrapped around her waist. His arm was probably wrapped loosely enough that she could slide out of his embrace and start to make breakfast before things got too uncomfortable.

Eh. It probably didn't matter too much. She was no Calleigh, who even before her obvious relationship had seemed a little awkward around Eric. This was Ryan, and he probably wouldn't hold whatever she did against her.

An hour and a half later, she woke up again, but this time, she was alone on the couch. She sat, up, instantly both confused and alert, as she tried to take in her surroundings. A tuft of her hair stuck out as she grabbed the blanket on the side of the couch. She pursed her lips and frowned. Ryan was missing. She stood up and grabbed her cell phone, pressing speed dial 3.

That's when she heard a ring coming from the kitchen.

She padded over softly, still wrapped up in the blanket and still having a bad hair day. She watched, amused, as Ryan looked at his phone, amused and slightly confused. He picked up the phone anyway.

"You're calling my cell phone as you're standing in the doorway." It wasn't a question.

She laughed, a little sheepish. "Yeah. Didn't see you on the couch, and…"

"…you're a little too groggy for eight thirty in the morning?" He smirked. "How the hell do you pull yourself out of bed every day?"

"Grudgingly, Ryan," she chuckled. "If not for the coffee, I don't know what I'd do."

"Good thing I started making something," he said. She walked toward him and he handed her a steaming mug of coffee.

"A mocha cappuccino for the lady," he said with an exaggerated bow.

"Just the way I like it," she said, raising her eyebrows. "Thanks, Ryan."

"Hey, I've screwed up your coffee once. Never again, I swear."

She couldn't help but duck her head and crack a smile. Then, her face became a little more thoughtful.

"Don't you have work today?" she asked, her voice still raspy from want of water.

"I switched my off day with Delko," he said casually.

"Ryan…" Natalia looked at him, shocked.

"What?"

"You went through all the trouble to switch your off day with Eric just so you could help me out?"

He looked her in the eyes, and his own softened a little. "I figured you'd like the company after everything that happened yesterday."

"You ever think maybe I didn't need the company?" she said angrily. "Ever think maybe I'd rather be left alone?"

He paused and considered this. "Actually, you know what?" he said. "It actually doesn't matter too much that you don't want the company. You need someone here to help you deal."

"And it's going to be you."

He huffed. "You're not complaining," he pointed out. "And you don't see anyone else volunteering."

"You're basically babysitting me."

"Nope. Consider this a favor from a friend."

"Why, though?" she asked, gulping down her coffee. "Why?"

He sighed and leaned against the countertop. "You were there for me through my gambling problem, through when I got fired from the lab. I'd like to think we've grown a little closer since then. You're having a hard time. It's okay not to be an impenetrable fortress all the time. Just…" he sighed again. "Just let me help you out for once, Talia."

Natalia bit her lip and squared her jaw, and it almost seemed to Ryan like she was battling her demons right then and there. Then, she looked at him seriously.

"So," she said. "You have any ideas for breakfast?"

RN * RN * RN * RN * RN

Later that afternoon, the two had found themselves in a very interesting situation.

"I can't believe I voluntarily allowed you to blindfold me," Natalia half-laughed as she shifted in the passenger seat. "This goes against everything I have ever learned!"

"Come on, Natalia," Ryan scoffed. "We're both CSIs; you really think I'm going to trick you into doing something crazy and dangerous?"

"Yeah, because you're definitely the crazy one in the group," she jibed.

"Hey!" he exclaimed. "I can step out of my comfort zone."

"Says the one who cleans the spotless countertop after spilling a drop of water," she muttered.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," she said innocently. "Now tell me where you're taking me before I shoot you."

He couldn't help it – he began to laugh.

"It's not funny!" she pouted.

"You're kidding, right? It's funny as hell."

"You wouldn't have said that yesterday."

He tactfully ignored this jibe, as she knew he would. Still, to his credit (or perhaps to his detriment), he continued to laugh.

"How are you driving and laughing at the same time?" she wondered.

"I'm special, Natalia," he said.

Silence.

"Come on. You don't think I'm special?"

"Do I have to answer that?" she asked, the words coming out more delicately than she'd anticipated.

"Okay, I'm not going to take any more of this," he muttered. He made a turn and stopped the car. Then, he opened and shut the door and walked around to the passenger seat. Natalia, who had busied herself by humming a U2 song stuck in her head, didn't notice Ryan behind her.

"Boo."

She threw a punch backward, which he caught easily.

"Don't. Do. That," she growled.

She could practically hear his smug grin. "Come on," he said. "Take my hands."

"Not after that," she faux-whined.

"I promise," he said solemnly, "I will make sure you survive the walk to where we're going."

Her shoulders instantly relaxed after hearing his promise. "Fine," she said. She swiveled her feet around toward the door and extended her hands towards Ryan. He took them and helped her carefully step down from the car. They walked for a few minutes in silence, hand in hand. Natalia noticed that the area they were in was almost completely silent…except for the sound of rushing water.

She smiled a full-blown smile. "You brought me to the beach," she grinned.

"Good to know you qualify to be a first-year CSI," he said snarkily.

Natalia promptly elbowed him in the ribs. He winced but still patiently held onto her hand as they walked across the sand. The sun beat down on the two, and Natalia felt that she wouldn't mind doing this with Ryan again.

"Can I take my blindfold off, since I know where we are?" she asked.

"One minute," he said cajolingly.

"You patronizing me?" she said warningly.

"I'd never patronize you, Talia," he replied, squeezing her hand quickly.

She suddenly dropped his hand like it was an open flame and stiffened. The two walked the rest of the distance in awkward silence.

Natalia wanted to kick herself. It wouldn't have been awkward if she hadn't made it that way. It had just been a friendly gesture, but she had treated it like he was proposing out of the blue. Damn, she needed to get over her embarrassment before it ruined her friendship with him.

They finally stopped walking. "Okay," he said softly. "You can take off your blindfold now."

She reached up behind her but found that Ryan, in one of his OCD moments, had tied the knot too tight.

"Uh, since when do you tie these so tight?" she grumbled.

"I'll help you out," he said, and he moved behind her to untie the kerchief. His hands worked quickly and smoothly, and within a few seconds Natalia was staring at the most beautiful afternoon on Miami Beach she had ever seen. She looked at him hesitantly. He nodded his head and slowly slipped off his shoes. She nodded back, kicked off her heels, and ran straight into the waves, Ryan tight on her heels.

He pushed her down, and as a huge wave crested, she pulled him down beneath the water. They sputtered and gasped for air a minute later when they came to the surface. Natalia looked at Ryan, and any previous awkwardness faded as they burst out laughing at the sight of them. They looked ridiculous: two police detectives in their mid-thirties, fully clothed, splashing each other and playing in the ocean like they were six. And as Talia nudged Ryan's shoulder with her head and he pulled her into a hug, neither of them could help grinning. This had been the most fun they'd had in weeks, and it was hard for Natalia to feel guilty about firing off shots at Ryan in a daze when he had pulled out all the stops for her to feel even remotely happy.

"Thank you," she said, and much more than simple gratitude was evident in her face as she leaned against him.