Title: Stella and the No Good, Rotten, Horrible Day
Author: A. Magiluna Stormwriter
Feedback address: stormwriter@shatterstorm.net
Date in Calendar: 8 December 2011
Fandom: CSI: Miami/CSI: NY
Pairing: Stella/Natalia/Calleigh
Rating: PG
Date Written: 21 November 2011
Word Count: 1122
Written for: Crack!fic Meme of November 2010
Recipient: shatterpath
Prompt: #15 has had one of those days and meets #9 at a bar or the like. What happens?
Sequel to: Stranded
Summary: Stella's had a really rough day.
Spoilers: This story totally jinks off into an AU from the point where Stella went to New Orleans at the beginning of the current season of CSI:NY. Also, that whole fiasco with Delko never happened for Calleigh.
Warnings: No standard warnings apply.
Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Frisked & Conquered
Link to: http://f-n-c.shatterstorm.net/
Archive: ShatterStorm Productions only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…
Advertisement: Part of the FSAC:DD11

Disclaimer: "CSI: New York," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Alliance Atlantis, and CBS Productions. "CSI: Miami," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Jerry Bruckheimer Television, Alliance Atlantis, Touchstone Television, The American Travelers, and CBS Productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "CSI: New York," "CSI: Miami," CBS, or any representatives of the actors.

Author's Notes: Yeah, I have this weird thing with writing my CSI ladies together. So sue me… LOL! The idea of Stella going to Miami instead of New Orleans has been on my mind ever since we found out she was going to New Orleans. And I'll admit that it's because I want to put all of the pretty together, damn it! But I didn't want to split up Natalia and Calleigh, so… *veg*

Beta: Shatterpath, but any remaining errors are mine…

"Stella and the No Good, Rotten, Horrible Day"
By A. Magiluna Stormwriter


"Hey, you," comes a familiar and welcome voice as I slide into our usual booth at Jimmy's.

"Hey," I reply, signaling to Jimmy for a round at the table. "Both of you here?"

"She's just finishing up a report for Horatio, then she'll be here. How you doing?"

I lean forward, resting my head in my hands, and sigh. "If I could have one day obliterated from my mind, this would be the one. Does that tell you anything?"

"Oh no!" she says, reaching across the table to run her fingers through my hair. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I lean into her touch, feeling a smile tug at the corners of my lips. "Yes, but I'll wait until you're both here. I really don't want to go through this twice."

Jimmy walks over and sets three bottles of beer on the table. "Tab again, Nat?" When she nods, he repeats the motion and wanders back to the bar, leaving us alone again.

Before I can do more than get a good pull off my beer, Calleigh breezes into the bar with a smile that grows even broader upon seeing Natalia and me in our booth. Just the sight of that sunny disposition does wonders to lift my mood more than a little. She moves to sit next to Nat, pressing a kiss to her cheek, then glances over at me. I try to smile more convincingly than I feel, but she can clearly see right through it, as she moves to sit next to me. She leans in to press a similar kiss to my cheek, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"I hear you had a bitch of a day, Stel," she says softly.

I snort softly, leaning my head toward hers. "You could say that."

I launch into the details of my day, every damned little thing that added up to one of the worst days of my life. Certainly it's the single worst day I've had since I moved to Miami. Natalia reaches across the table to grab my hand again, brushing her thumb across my knuckles repeatedly. Calleigh, on the other hand, keeps her arm wrap around my shoulders and rests her head on my shoulder, fingers playing in the loose curls that she adores so much. And, of course, Nat makes sure that Jimmy keeps the table supplied in drinks, even if she and Calleigh have switched to water. She's a smart one, my Nat.

My Nat. Never expected to be saying something like that, that's for sure. It was one thing to be working that case with Nat when we got stuck out in the middle of the swamps. To this day, I will never be comfortable going through there, or getting anywhere near a damned alligator. Crocodile. Whatever the hell it was in the water.

But to pick up everything I've ever known in New York and just leave? Granted, transferring to the Miami Dade crime lab was probably the best thing I've ever done. I'm challenged with my work, I'm happy, and I found something I've been searching for years to find.

"Stel? You still with us, darlin'?" Calleigh's soft voice breaks into my thoughts.

Grinning sheepishly, I nod. "Yeah, sorry. I got lost wandering…"

"Penny for them?" This time, it's Natalia asking the question.

"Just thinking about all the changes in my life over the last year or so," I finally reply. I tighten my grip on Nat's hand, reach over to grab Calleigh's. "I just needed something different when I transferred here. I wasn't expecting to fall in love, not once, but twice." And then I let go of their hands to bury my face in mine again. "Oh God, I sound like such a sap!"

Calleigh laughs and tugs at my hands. "You're not a sap. A romantic fool maybe, but not a sap."

I shift my hands enough to glare at her. Doesn't matter that she's right, I'll still glare at her for it. This, of course, only makes her laugh harder, which gets Natalia to join in. Soon enough, I'm laughing with them, but won't remove my hands from my face. I can feel the heat of my embarrassment too strongly still.

"You're not helping, Duquesne," I mutter.

"Nope, and you wouldn't have it any other way, would you?"

That makes me pause for a moment, and I lift my head to study both of them. I can't deny that she's right, because she absolutely is. I'd take a hundred days like today if it meant that I had something good to go home to, something like Natalia and Calleigh. No, we don't have the most conventional of relationships, but what we have is good for us. It's definitely good for me, and right now that's all that matters to me.

"Take me home, my dears," I say with a smile. "I don't think Jimmy's is the best place for what I'd rather be doing right now."

"Oh, I don't know," Natalia replies, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes that normally is Calleigh's purview. "Jimmy might make some good money if we--"

"You stop right there, Boa Vista," I say, slapping her hand. "I am not going to be party to fulfilling the prurient fantasies of a bunch of guys in a bar. Not even if it meant we got a free, unlimited tab for life from Jimmy."

Jimmy glances over at the mention of his name. Well, he probably looks over because of Calleigh's loud, delighted laughter. I shrug and roll my eyes, which earns me an amused grin from him. With that, Natalia heads up to the bar to settle our tab as Calleigh pulls me out of the bar. We lean back against her car, waiting for Nat to join us again.

"When's your car supposed to be fixed?"

"Hopefully tomorrow."

"So who's the lucky one that gets to take you home?" Natalia asks as she walks up to us.

"That's up to you two," I reply, motioning between them. "I'm not about to be accused of playing favorites."

"Chicken!" Calleigh mutters, then yelps when I slap her arm. "What? Am I wrong?"

"I'm not chicken, I'm being diplomatic."

"Is that what they're calling it now?"

"Unless you want to sleep on the couch tonight…"

"Okay, okay!" she says, holding her hands up in acquiescence, making all three of us laugh.

"Okay, how about you take Stella home, Cal," Natalia finally says, "and I'll pick up something for dinner."

"That works for me. You good with that, Stel?"

I grin broadly. "I'm more than good with that."

Okay, so maybe my awful day is turning out better than I'd expected after all.