Thank you all so much for sticking with this! I have been so unbelievably busy the past few months – mainly because I decided to take myself back to uni to study for a Masters but ANYWAY. Here is the 10th chapter of this saga, I hope to be winding it up very soon and hopefully wont keep you too long between instalments as I've had the next chapter written since the beginning!

Thank you for all your reviews, follows and favourites – and welcome to all my new readers! Please leave any feedback in the reviews, I love to hear what you think!

Hope you guys enjoy it!

It had been one of the roughest nightshifts in a long time.

For Natalie in particular it had been a difficult one. She'd lost a patient; and although she had long since accepted it as part of the job, it was especially tough when the patient was a two-year-old boy. He'd fallen and hit his head attempting to climb out of his crib – his parents had called 911 an hour later when his eyes began turning inwards but by then it was already too late. He crashed en route and, despite Nat managing to stabilise him, Dr Abrahms confirmed what she suspected – the little boy had a massive bleed to the brain and there was nothing more that could be done.

His parents had been beside themselves with grief and it was all Natalie could do to hold herself together. By the time 7am rolled around she was exhausted and overly emotional.

Will had been keeping a watchful eye on her through the shift, checking in as much as being her attending had allowed. He didn't want anyone to catch on to their newfound relationship and he also didn't want Nat thinking that he considered her so fragile she needed careful monitoring. He could see she was feeling vulnerable, especially given that she had been in those parents' position not all that long ago and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her – but that would overstep the bounds of the attending-resident relationship they were attempting to maintain within the four walls of Med, so he kept it to regular, professional check-ins.

He found her at the end of the shift, staring blankly into her locker.

"Tough night – huh?"

She turned to him, a forced smile on her face. "It's over now."

He stepped towards her opening his arms. "C'mere."

Natalie moved willingly into his arms, buried her face in his chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. "That could have been me –"

"But it wasn't. Nat, you can't keep thinking like that, you're okay, Owen is okay. Things are getting back to normal."

"I just, I don't know, it was just hard."

Will pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head. "I know Helen takes Owen while you're on nightshifts but why don't you go get him and have breakfast before you go to bed?"

"Hmmmm," Nat considered, moving backwards to close her locker. "I have one condition."

"Which is?"

"You come too."

**CM**

They'd gone together to collect Owen and Natalie was glad that Helen had handed the boy over with nothing more than an "I'll be over around twelve thirty" and no indication that she felt even remotely uncomfortable about Will going for breakfast with the pair. In fact, she even made a point of saying how good it was that she had the morning to herself, so she could run errands. Natalie couldn't help but feel relieved that it had gone so smoothly.

The diner they chose was quiet, filled mainly with older couples and clusters of mom's grabbing coffee post-school run. Natalie watched in amused silence as Will cut up Owen's pancakes for him and helped the boy dunk the pieces in syrup, getting both pairs of hands layered in the stuff in the process.

"So he's a messy eater as well as a messy bather?" Will joked, taking the baby wipe Natalie was offering to clean his hands once Owen was done.

"If a mess can be made then my boy's gonna make it." Nat rolled her eyes. "Isn't that right buddy?" The toddler giggled in response, excitedly kicking his legs and shrieking "Mamama!" delightedly.

Will laughed and took more wipes to clean the boy up, gently wiping his sticky hands and face. "You're a disaster kid." He joked, tickling Owen's face with the edges of the wipes, smilingly as the boy giggled uncontrollably.

Natalie couldn't help but find it incredibly attractive how good Will was with her son, and just how natural their interaction was. Owen had always been comfortable around Will, given how much he had come and gone in the first months of his life but the last few weeks they'd really gelled as a pair and it made her so happy that her son and her, well, boyfriend, were getting so well.

Over the last few weeks they'd spent so much of their together.

One afternoon, a couple of days after they'd bathed her son together, Will met them at a soft play and they'd spent a good couple of hours chasing Owen around the brightly coloured structure, building towers with huge soft bricks and kicking them down and diving around the ball pit. To start with Will had been sat by Owen's stroller, minding their stuff and sipping coffee while Natalie helped Owen up and down the slides. But then Owen had caught sight of him again, and reminded that Will was there, raced excitedly across padded floor to their table and shouted his newest word.

Pay! Pay! Pay!

"Play, huh?" Will had laughed.

Owen just tugged at his jeans and continued to demand. "Pay! Pay!"

"You gonna tell him no?" Nat smirked, eyebrow raised.

"No," Will scoffed. "I'm not that brave."

They ate lunch as an exhausted Owen napped in his stroller and made plans for Will to come over the next night, post shift for dinner.

On that occasion, he had insisted that he make dinner while she bathed Owen and put him to sleep. The next night she returned the favour, stealing regular glances into the living room where Will and Owen were sprawled across the floor surrounded by wooden puzzle pieces. Another night, after a particularly long shift, Helen had put Owen to bed for them so they made dinner together and lay around afterwards, wrapped up together on her couch watching bad sitcoms and cuddling.

They'd spent a lazy weekend together (although Will insisted he leave on the Saturday night and returned the Sunday morning) eating junk food and playing with her kid all day. She was worried that there was only so many times Will could tolerate building block towers or hours of Thomas & Friends the man could endure but it seemed liked he loved it.

It was a domesticity she had never really been used to – but she absolutely loved it.

She couldn't help but smile when she looked at him, couldn't resist the warmth that she felt every time their eyes met. She loved how comfortable they were together, they way she felt when he held her, how amazing their kisses were.

Her flow of thought was interrupted by their waitress dropping their bill on their table. Will, finishing off the last of his breakfast, was quick to snatch it up. Nat raised her eyebrows as he choked down his last mouthful and cleared his throat.

"My treat."

"Will –" She started to protest.

"I suggested it." He smirked. "I need you sweet for my next request anyway." He winked at her before standing up. He ruffled Owen's already messy curls before wandering off to pay.

"I think you need a haircut buddy." Nat observed, trying to tidy up the boy's hair.

"Excuse me?"

Natalie looked up sharply to see an older woman on her way out of the diner had stopped at their table.

"I hope you don't mind me bothering you – I just wanted to say, you guys make a beautiful family." The older woman smiled and nodded. "Have a lovely day."

Natalie didn't know quite what to say, so she smiled and thanked the woman. You have a beautiful family. Well, she supposed that anyone looking in on them would assume that's what they were. A family – mom, dad, son. She looked up at Will, strolling back towards her with a bright smile on his face and decided that she didn't really mind – because he was gorgeous and her son was adorable. So, it wasn't a completely incorrect statement – and who knew? Maybe one day that's exactly what they would be.

God she was getting a bit ahead of herself.

"Ready to make a move?" Will asked as he returned to the table.

"Definitely, I'm exhausted." Nat nodded. "Come on, I'll drive you back home."

**CM**

The drive back was quiet, Owen was playing contentedly with some toys in the back and Nat and Will were happy to sit in amiable silence until they drew up in front of Jay and Erin's building.

"Thanks for breakfast." Nat smiled.

"Anytime." Will grinned in response, leaning across to pull her into a kiss. He could feel the electricity race through him and he had to stop himself groaning at the feel of her hands sliding into his hair.

"It was a really good idea." Natalie sighed as they pulled apart. "I already feel so much better."

"I'm full of those." Will couldn't wipe the smile from his face. "Good ideas I mean. Speaking of," he cleared his throat. "Not that I haven't loved every moment we've spent together the past few weeks, and not that that I don't adore your son, but I was thinking, well, I was hoping that you'd like to go out for dinner with me? Just the two of us?"

Natalie bit back a smile. "I'd love to. When should I arrange a sitter for?"

"I was thinking, maybe Friday?" He was almost being shy.

"I'm actually Owen free this weekend. So, that's perfect." Nat smiled brightly this time. Seeing Will look slightly confused she offered an explanation. "Helen's ex-husband is in town for the weekend so she's taking Owen to see him, they're going out for dinner Friday night and I think they're taking him out Saturday and Sunday, no idea what they plan on doing with him though."

"So, I could have you all weekend then?" Will smirked.

"I mean, it's an option." Natalie responded coyly. "But I wouldn't want to impose on any other plans you might have."

"Trust me, you would be doing no such thing." He kissed her again, briefly this time. "So, Friday then?"

Natalie smiled brightly, her lips burning from his kiss. "Friday."

Ohhhhh, wonder how the date will go?

Any suggestions?

Let me know it the reviews!