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"So what exactly are we going to do?" Natalia asked the three other people sitting near her. "It's obvious there are some attractions between some of us...they just all kind of counteract each other."
"Yeah," Ryan said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. "Which isn't exactly how I'd hoped things would turn out."
"You know, normally I don't approve of--" Calleigh began.
"We know," the other three chorused.
"But admit it, Cal," Delko said with a grin. "You like the two of us as more than friends." He pointed between himself and Ryan a few times.
"Not going to confirm or deny that statement."
"You already did," Natalia pointed out. "If it was just me deciding between the two of them it would be easier, but knowing you like them both too makes this...complicated."
"That's an understatement," Delko said. "Probably the biggest one I've heard in a while."
"But back to what you said earlier," Calliegh interjected before Natalia replied to Delko. "What are we going to do? Never mind that any of us dating each other is bound to get messy and that if things don't work out--"
"Calleigh?" Ryan said.
"Yeah?"
"Please stop talking." She glared at him, and he held up one of his hands. "What we need is an objective third party. Or fifth party, I guess."
"Let's count H right off the list," Delko said.
"And the techs," Natalia added. "Before a decision was even made we'd have an audience."
"There's always Alexx," Calleigh said thoughtfully. She looked around at the other three, who were all wearing grins. "What?"
"If we weren't in the middle of this mess I'd kiss you for that suggestion," Ryan said. "Of all the people we know Alexx is the most level-headed...and also the one most likely to help."
"Then it's settled. Off we go to Alexx," Natalia said, standing up. "Let's just hope she's not in the middle of an autopsy."
---
Alexx looked at the four of them. "You want me to what?" she finally asked.
"Look, we really can't decide. We're leaving it up to fate at this point," Natalia said. "But if any of the four of us did it..."
She sighed. "I need to pound something into your heads first. Get over all those assorted exes you have really quickly, or else whatever relationships I pick out are going to fail miserably and all four of you are going to be a pain in the ass to work with.
"What do you mean?" Delko asked.
"Eric, honey, you're fine." She pointed at Natalia and Ryan. "You two need to get over your exes." And then she turned to Calleigh. "And you need to get over all your exes."
"What do you mean?" Calleigh asked.
"John, Jake, and that almost ex of yours, Agent Elliot," Alexx said, ticking them off on her fingers. "All of them."
"It isn't as bad as you're making it seem," Calleigh said quietly.
"Baby, it's going to be harder for you. I don't think you've ever gotten over John, and having Jake use you the way he did...you want a relationship, you need to move on. If you can't then I'm not tossing your name in here."
"I'll try," she said. "I just...I'm going to need help."
"Even if I don't end up with you, I'll help," Delko said.
"Same here," Ryan replied. "No matter what else happens here, we're still friends. Well, we should be, unless there's some lingering--"
"Ryan, honey, you're rambling," Alexx said, clapping a hand over his mouth. She reached over and grabbed one of the containers she put internal organs in.
"Is that clean?" Calleigh asked. Alexx just stared at her. "Never mind."
"All right. Hand me your ID badges," she said. All four of them dutifully handed them over. She dropped them in and pulled two out at random.
"So who'd you pick?" Ryan asked.
"Honey, I'm pretty sure none of you are gay, so that combination won't work."
"Who'd you draw together?" Natalia asked, feigned innocent look on her face.
"I'm not going to tell you."
Calleigh and Natalia looked at each other. "Delko and Ryan," they chorused.
"Back to what we were doing," Delko said. "Try again, Alexx? Please?"
She nodded, and then pulled out two more before dropping them back in. "Ryan and Natalia."
The two of them grinned at her before grinning at each other. "Congratulations," Natalia said to Delko and Calleigh.
"You too," Delko said.
"Now that that's settled, will you all please get to work?" Alexx said, handing them back their badges. Everyone started to filter out, but Delko came back.
"You didn't get Ryan's name," he said quietly. "You got mine."
"You saw?" she asked, surprised.
He nodded. "Why?"
She took a good look at him. "Eric, Calleigh may be attracted to Ryan but she's not going to completely trust him. Not after the gambling stuff. Natalia's been through the whole being on the outside mess herself, and it'll work better. Calleigh trusts you implicitly. And between you and Ryan, if anyone's going to really help her move on it's going to be you, honey."
He grinned at her and leaned over to give her a hug. "Thanks."
"Not a problem. Now I mean it, go back to work."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Don't ma'am me, Eric, or I'll go tell Natalia I pulled your name instead of Ryan's." She smiled as she put the threat out there.
"All right, Alexx. I'm leaving, I'm leaving."
She watched him leave and went over to the next body she was going to perform an autopsy on. "Those four remind me exactly why I'm glad I got married," she muttered in the corpse's direction. "All right, let's find out just what happened to you..."