Chloe sighed in relief when she opened her apartment door to find Chase grinning at her.

"You're pregnant," he commented.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," she muttered, standing aside so that he could come in.

"How are you, Chloe?" he asked, wrapping her in a big bear hug.

She sank against him, amazed at how she had forgotten just how nice a hug could feel. Eventually she pulled back though, looking him straight in the eye.

"I'm cranky, I'm fat, and I waddle."

"But you're cute."

"Shut it, Edmunds."

"Hey, now. You asked us to fly out here, remember?"

"Us?"

"Kim's here too."

"What? Why?"

Chase laughed. "Because she cares about you too, Chloe. She's so excited that you're going to have a baby. She gets all dreamy every time she thinks about it. And then she remembers that Morris left you like the cowardly piece of shit he is, and she starts cursing him."

"No swearing in front of my baby," Chloe scolded.

"Your baby isn't born yet."

"He will be soon. And besides, he can hear you." She placed a hand protectively on her very swollen stomach.

"Chloe, Chloe, Chloe…you've really got the mom bug, haven't you?"

"I thought I told you to shut it."

"Yes ma'am," he smiled, kissing her on the cheek.

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"Hello?" Chase mumbled, his eyes closed and his voice heavy with sleep.

"Chase?"

He sat up quickly, the tiredness rushing out of his body.

"Chloe? What's wrong?"

"I think my water broke."

"You think?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure, actually."

"Okay, where are you?"

"Home."

"Alright. I'm on my way. I'll be there in less than ten minutes."

"Don't speed."

"I won't."

"I don't want you to get pulled over or get in an accident."

"I won't."

"Okay."

"Hang on, Chloe. I'm coming."

He hung up the phone and jumped out of bed, turning on the light and then pulling on his pants and shoes.

"What's going on?" Kim asked groggily.

"Chloe's having her baby."

She sat up suddenly, just as he had moments earlier.

"What?"

"Her water broke. I have to go get her and take her to the hospital."

"I'm coming with you."

"Only if you can be ready in the next two minutes."

Kim threw on a hoodie and slipped her flip-flops on, grabbing her purse and their room key. Then she walked to the door.

"I'm ready. And if you're not in downstairs and in the car in the next sixty seconds, I'm leaving without you."

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"You're doing great, Chloe," Chase murmured, holding her hand and pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Shut up, Chase," she growled, her face contorting as she went through another contraction.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked, half-joking.

The panic in her eyes cut straight to his heart.

"No. Please," she begged. "I don't want to do this alone."

"You won't, Chloe. I'm right here." He paused, debating. "There's someone here to see you."

"What?" she asked, her confusion distracting her from the pain for just a minute.

"Someone came to see you. They heard you were having a baby and wanted to come make sure you were alright. Do you want me to get them?"

"Who is it?"

"Do you want me to go get them?" he repeated, giving her a deep look.

She bit her lip.

"Will they make me feel better?"

He nodded.

"I really think they will."'

"And you won't be gone for long?"

"I'll come right back in. They're just outside."

"Okay."

Chase placed a kiss to her forehead before letting go of her hand and moving out of the delivery room. He was only gone for about twenty seconds, but it felt like an eternity to Chloe.

And then Jack was striding into the room, walking straight to her side and taking up Chase's previous position. He squeezed her hand and rested his palm on her forehead, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Jack?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Hey, Chloe," he said quietly.

"You're really here?"

"Yeah, I'm really here."

"I'll wait outside," Chase interrupted, coming over and kissing Chloe's cheek. "Good luck."

The panic rose in her eyes again.

"Wait. Jack, you don't have to…I mean, I'm sure you didn't come here to…"

"I did," he said firmly. "I want to be here with you for this. If you'll let me."

"If you're sure-"

"I am."

She turned to Chase, her mind still reeling from everything that was happening.

"I'm okay," she told him. "You'll be outside?"

He nodded.

"And I'll come back after Anthony is born."

"Okay."

He smiled at her again and moved out of the room, taking a seat next to Kim outside.

"Was she shocked?" she asked him.

"Oh yeah. But in a good way. She had no idea that he came with us."

"Maybe now they can work things out."

"If Jack holds up his end of the plan, I think everything will be just fine."

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"He's beautiful," Jack murmured as he stared at the sleeping baby in her arms.

"He is, isn't he?"

"You did wonderful."

She looked up at him, her face glowing with satisfaction and contentment.

"Thank you, Jack. For coming. For helping me through this."

He smiled at her, his right hand playing with a lock of her hair. Slowly, he reached out his left hand to rest on her stomach. Then he lowered his face, pressing his lips against hers. He kissed her slowly, soaking in the feel of her.

The door to the room opened, and Jack pulled away. The nurse came in, followed by Chase and Kim.

"If it's okay, Miss O'Brian, I'm going to take Anthony now, so you can get some rest."

"But you'll bring him back later?"

The woman smiled at her kindly.

"Of course."

Chloe nodded, and slowly handed her son over to the nurse. She kissed his forehead gently before the other woman carried him out of the room.

"How are you feeling?" Kim asked.

"Tired. But really good."

Chase looked between his two friends, knowing that something had happened before they had come into the room. Walking over to Chloe, he kissed the top of her head.

"We're going to go see Anthony. I want to get a good look at him. We'll have the nurse bring him back soon, okay?"

Chloe nodded. Sharing a secretive smile, Chase and Kim left the room, leaving Jack and Chloe alone again. As soon as the door was closed, Jack sat on the edge of Chloe's bed, resting one hand on the other side of her. They stared at each other for a long couple of minutes before Jack leaned in again.

His kiss was more insistent this time. He nudged her lips open and slid his tongue in, exploring her mouth slowly and deeply. Chloe kissed him back with equal passion, her hands coming up to hold his face. She tilted her head, pulling him closer.

Then she was pulling back suddenly, looking at him with a confused expression.

"That's not fair, Jack."

He frowned.

"What isn't?"

"To kiss me like that when you're just going to disappear again."

"I didn't disappear, Chloe."

"You left."

"I went to Boston."

"What?"

"I wanted to be near Kim. I live a few blocks away from them."

"I haven't heard from you in nine months."

He sighed.

"I know, and I'm so sorry, Chloe. I thought you would be happier without me in your life. Bill told me that you were pregnant, and I thought it would be better if I just left you and Morris in peace."

"Morris left me."

"I know."

"I didn't love him."

He cocked his head to the side.

"Then why did you stay with him?"

She shrugged.

"I didn't want to be alone." Chloe paused. "And I couldn't have the one person I wanted."

He reached up and brushed the hair out of her face, letting his fingers linger on her cheek.

"Come back with me," he whispered.

"What?"

"Come with me. To Boston. Come live with me."

"Are you serious?"

"Chloe, all I've thought about in the past nine months is how much I miss you. How much I wish you were having my son instead of Morris'. How much I want to be with you."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that I love you, Chloe."

She frowned.

"Isn't this all kind of sudden? I mean…you've never thought that way about me before."

"Yes I have."

"Since when?" she asked, scowling.

"Since a few months before I went to China."

"But…Audrey-"

"Chloe, stop. I love you. I've been trying to ignore it for years. I thought you couldn't love me back. I thought you were happy with Morris. I didn't want to put you in danger. I didn't want to ask any more of you than I already had. But I love you. That's the truth. And I don't want to be without you anymore."

"Promise me."

"What?"

"Promise me," she repeated. "That this isn't just some fleeting thing. That you really love me. That you really want to spend your life with me. I can't do this halfway, Jack. If we do this, we do it all."

He smiled and leaned his forehead against hers.

"I promise," he whispered, kissing her again.

"Then I'll come. To Boston. Me and Anthony. We'll live with you."

Jack's smile was blinding. "Really?"

She smiled back. "Yeah." Then she paused, frowning again. "They planned this, didn't they?"

"Who?"

"Chase and Kim. They brought you out here and didn't tell me. They planned this."

Jack chuckled.

"Yeah, but I helped. I told them how I felt. Chase told me that I needed to tell you, and that this was the perfect opportunity."

"It was a good plan," she admitted.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For loving me. For making sure I'm not alone anymore."

"You'll never be alone ever again," Jack promised, stretching out on the hospital bed next to her. "I will always be with you. And I will always be yours."

"That's good," she murmured, her eyes fluttering closed as sleep overcame her. "Because I've always been yours."