" Couldn't this stuff be warmed up a bit, first ? . "

Lying nearly fully reclined on the medical examination table, Tani couldn't help but comment on the temperature of the transparent gel that was being meticulously applied over her bared midriff.

One which wasn't quite as flat and toned as it had usually been, and only a only a few months ago to boot. She'd had to kiss goodbye to her formerly trim and athletic form a long while ago.

Because by now, of course there was a distinctive, rounded bulge to said midriff. Junior found that'd he was often assuring her it wasn't massive- as Tani glumly kept claiming it was- but it could be noticed from conversation distance. Unless she wore loose-fitting tops, the slowly growing, telltale swell was a dead giveaway.

So, in addition to her gradually changing form ( " If you call me fat, the Task Force will be dealing with a new body ", she'd warned him ), and having to get outfitted with more, maternity friendly clothing ( " You look good in that billowy dress ! Trust me" , Junior had insisted once ), Tani had to undergo these regular scans.

Ultrasound scanning was indeed another component of the pregnancy road, thought arguably the one she was having the most difficulty getting used to. As she'd confided to Junior earlier, she wasn't a fan of being on her back anywhere aside from the beach, or at home. Junior, of course, sympathized, but also pointed out that she still had to be there.

Which Tani now was; laid up, in a medical center ( which was giving her just a mild case of white coat syndrome ), getting some less-than-room-temperature Ultrasound gel slathered over her belly.

It wasn't cold, per se, but as she stared down the length of her at it, she was keenly aware that it was near enough to that so she felt a certain tingling, spiky sensation as more of it touched her bare skin, and congealed in place. Mild shivers rippled between her shoulders, and down her back. It was just a natural, understandable, reaction to anything less than room temperature touching one's skin, she knew, but even so:

" Ah ! "

She flinched, just a scant, barely noticeable millimeter or so, away from the bemusedly smiling obstetrician who'd just finished applying the gel, and now began to evenly spread it around.

" Don't worry ", Dr Halena ( for that was her name ) reassuringly stated. " One upside to this, is that is captures your body heat relatively fast. Should be warm soon. "

" I sure hope so ", Tani sighed, reflexively shifting back the other way, also by just about a millimeter.

" Besides, I want to get to the important bit of all this. "

The obstetrician chuckled, as did the third person in the room.

That third person, seated off to Tani's right, leaning forward ( hinting at how interested he was in what was going on ), in a padded chair, was none other than Junior himself.

He had one hand comfortably placed on Tani's arm, and the other was propping his goatee-sporting chin up, as he observed all that was going in front of him with great interest.

And, his trademark lopsided grin.

Gently, he massaged his fingertips in circles across her wrist, straying slightly up onto her forearm.

" Well, we didn't come all this way to get some kind of elaborate, obscure, gel based skin treatment, did we ? ", he asked, clearly enjoying the rhetorical nature of the question.

Tani directed one of her gazes- and doing so seemed to be a skill of hers- at him, turning her head his way.

This one in particular was one of a perfect fit to what Junior's just said: One brow raised, lips twitched into a " That was weak, but I still find it funny " kind of way, and with her eyes carrying a distinct degree of amusement.

It was a look Junior'd gotten from her more than a few times over the years, and even more so these days, Tani's pregnancy-warped emotions aside. He'd gotten used to it, and quite frankly, he'd come to enjoy it. Relationships were built on the little things like this; the little gestures, looks, expressions and inside ways of communications that only the two who were " in the loop ", so to speak, could understand. It was a unique code, a language.

One they were both fluent in. It couldn't be taught to anyone other than them.

Easily catching on, Junior offered an easy grin, and shrugged.

" Took too many cues from McGarrett. My sense of humor is warped as badly as his is. "

" That's being kind. You're definitely his protege."

Junior shrugged, acknowledging she was right, yet again.

Especially about this.

He may have gotten onto the team by volunteering on his own, but after that, he'd wound up emulating the great Steve McGarrett, and considering him to be not only his superior officer, but his mentor as well. Someone he automatically learned habits and mannerisms from, because it seemed to be a trait of Steve, that those who followed him gradually became a tad more reckless. And a bit more stubborn.

Apples, it turns out, don't fall far from the tree.

" And, you know he's proud of you. So am I ", Tani reminded him.

" You're a good man. More or less, anyway. "

In the face of such adorably left handed praise, what else could Junior do, but laugh softly, bowing his head and shaking it a bit.

"So I've come to realize. "

The moment was savored, but then Dr Halena spoke up again:

" Allright, then. We're ready ! "

Having completed her preparations, the obstetrician tugged on her pink medical gloves, ensuring they were fully and properly fitted, before proceeding to go over and lift the ultrasound scanner.

" Before we begin ", she advised, turning to address both of them, " Do you want to whether he, or she ? Or, would you prefer it be a surprise ? "

Junior and Tani glanced at each other.

This was easily the kind of important call that could've hit them hard from the side, a serious conundrum that could've had them dithering about it intensely, right here and now.

But, no.

It was one of the first things they'd agreed upon.

As odd as it may seem to some, both of them had come to agreement: They did want to know.

Not that'd love their little girl or boy any less due to that, but the euphoria Tani'd been feeling lately ( one emotion out of many that she flickered between ), had her borderline obsessed with finding out which of the either two genders their child was.

" I want to say ' Yes, a girl/boy , if anyone asks", she's explained to him. " Not ' Well, I don't know. That's- Well, I just want to know! "

Personally, Junior didn't mind the idea of being surprised, but he knew better than to get in the way of a pregnant woman's wishes. Besides, once they did know, it'd be fun to prepare exactly according to which one it was.

This was what they'd decided on.

" Yes, we do. ", Junior stated.

Tani nodded firmly.

" Well,if you've both agreed- ", Dr Halena paused, giving either of them a last chance to back out.

Neither of them did, though.

" Well, in that case . "

" Here we go ", she declared, pressing the device firmly, but carefully, into the gel layer, and checking to see the the monitor was displaying the feed clearly and correctly, which it was.

Junior gradually slid his hand into position, atop Tani's.

He placed a kiss to the top her brunette head.

" Nervous ? ", he asked.

With a pleasant hum, Tani responded:

" Well, one of us. This is exciting for me. Can't even begin to say how much. "

" Ok: we're both nervous and excited more than either of us can say. ", she quickly amended. " Honestly, I can't think of any other way to feel. "

" Neither can I ".

Again, the moment lasted for just a few seconds- just a few- but for them, to them, it wasn't so much how long it was, as it was that they shared it together. Needless to say ( so much so, that they didn't actually say it, as opposed to most " needless to say " things ), getting their very first peek at their impending arrival counted counted at the top.

" Let's see , who's there ". Dr. Heleana began to move the scanner, letting it glide over Tani's stomach, its waves revealing what was going on beneath the surface.

All 3 heads in the room turned to the monitor, fixated on what it was showing them as the scanner was pushed about.

Tani and Junior peered at the images, at the curved, grey and white, grainy display. It was crawling into focus, shifting and flickering as the scanner fed its sounding data into the system. It still wasn't exactly easy for Tani and Junior ( at least ) to read, though, but-

" Ah ! There we go ! "

Stopping the scanner's movement, Dr. Heleana pointed one index finger at the far left end of the roughly fan-shaped image.

" Right there. "

The impending parents shifted their gaze where she'd indicated, focusing on it.

A second or so later:

" Oh, my God. Is- is that who I think it is ? ", Tani exclaimed, in a profoundly stunned tone, as she stared at what they were all seeing.

" Is- "

Junior had seen it as well. He turned to address the obstetrician.

" That's-

Dr Halena looked at him, beaming with real delight, and nodded.

" Yes. "

" You're looking at your baby boy. "

Your. Baby. Boy

The words boomed and echoed in both Tani and Junior's ears, the second they heard them.

It was, to be utterly honest, surreal to hear them. Or, rather, to comprehend exactly what they meant: that they were looking. To look at, what they meant, and to hear them.

Your. Baby. Boy

It was powerful. Overwhelmingly powerful; a moment rivaled only by when Tani'd found out she was pregnant to begin with. They'd known, yes,but still ! This was a entirely different level. One so fat above the one before, you couldn't see that one anymore.

Seeing. Hearing. Both.

Junior felt his pulse speed up. His mouth had come open; a silent gasp of pure amazement.

Tani's mouth had both her hands clapped over it. Tears quickly began to gather in her eyes.

For a good handful of seconds, neither of them could speak, even if they'd been able to find the right words, or enough of them.

Which, they couldn't. How could they ?

Dr Halena was in fine mood as well. She was certainly reading theirs, and completely seemed to understand.

" Its ok if you want to start crying ", she advised Tani. " I certainly won't be judging you. "

Junior eased his mouth shut, blinked a few times ( noting that his eyes did feel a little wet, at the corners ), and turned to look at Tani.

Just as she did begin weeping. It was not loud, nor theatrical; this was real crying. Her face was hidden behind her palms, and her shoulders were quivering. Junior heard the hff, hh, of tears softly being shed.

But, there was still a difference, between sad crying, and joyful crying. Sad crying, was louder. There was a note of bitterness, and whoever was doing it often had to gasp to breathe. That was sad crying.

This, though, wasn't that.

This was the exact opposite; there was borderline laughter, between the tears.

Junior felt exactly the same.

" Tani ", he exclaimed, beaming at her, " I think we need to think of names. "

Tani uncovered her face, and met his gaze.

In it, Junior saw a a near perfect reflection of everything he was feeling at the moment: outright joy, fearful of the future- of their future,theirs and this unborn boy-, and tremendous optimism and excitement for it all. That kind, that they couldn't say, but didn't need to. They knew many different things they wanted to say, things that would fit perfectly, but neither of them could speak now.

Like all important moments, though, it was shared without words.

Finally, though, Tani found some

"J-Junes. I- "

She reached out both arms to him, Without missing a beat, Junior embraced her right back.

He noted the scent of her hair.

" -I can't even- "

" Its allright, ", Junior assured her, feeling his mouth stretch in another wide smile. " Its better than allright. "

" That's our boy. "

" Ours. "