A/N: Thanks to all ten people who reviewed! That is the most I have ever received for a chapter so it made my heart really warm. And that is why I am continuining this so soon.

The silence in the room was deafening. Ryan and Calleigh just looked at each other, neither able of saying anything. Alexx decided it was best for her to leave.

"I'll have to go now, sweetie. See you soon!" And with that she was out, leaving the two in a rather uncomfortable situation.

Calleigh wanted to say something, laugh, make a joke; anything that would relieve the tension. But she knew that the only way was to tell him.

"So… umh… I guess you want some answers now."

He didn't reply but his expression told her that he was listening.

"I'm going to tell you everything. Just… just don't interrupt me."

"You heard right. You are Oliver's father. I just found out about it yesterday and I was going to tell you and I didn't mean for you to find it out like this.

"I didn't know before because I just had the paternity test taken. I didn't have the courage to do this before. I was afraid that everything would be turned upside down and that's just what happened."

She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts but didn't dare to look at Ryan. She was too afraid of what she might see there.

"I thought that James was Oliver's father. And I was willing to believe in it and be with him because I didn't want to trouble you with this. What happened between us was a mistake. A drunken one. I thought it wouldn't be fair to put this kind of responsibility on you."

"So you thought it was better to never let me know you thought it might have been my child?"

His voice was sad and disappointed and a little bit angry.

"Ryan, I… I didn't know what to do! You know, his not Carlisle but Duquesne."

"I know."

"What?" Calleigh was dumbfounded. She had never let anyone know what was Oliver's last name. James had willingly let her name him Duquesne; she had told him it was because she wanted the name to continue in her family but he didn't know her real reasons behind it.

"I saw the application in the hospital. You left it in plain sight. Oh god, I should've guessed by then!"

He buried his head in his hands but Calleigh heard his muffled voice. "It was all there, right in front of me: the eyes, his last name, his middle name. I thought he was Jonathan for other reasons not because it was my middle name as well. Oh, Calleigh, why didn't you just tell me?"

"I couldn't. A child needs to have both, a mother and a father. My father was an alcoholic, yes, but he was still there. James might not have been the best choice but at least he was there."

"And I wasn't?" Ryan's voice rose unintentionally.

"No! That's not what I meant. It's just that … I didn't want to force you into something that happened because of a mistake."

They both remained quiet for some time.

"Why do you think it was a mistake?"

Calleigh didn't understand the question at first. "Come again?"

"Let me put it this way: why do you think I didn't like, didn't want what happened?"

Now she was in total shock. Is he saying…?

"I didn't think you would consider it a mistake now. You said something else before you mentioned that I'm Oliver's father."

Oh yes. The infamous I'm in love with you.

"I…" she didn't know what to say. It had come so easily before but when it was time to say it to him, she couldn't.

"Well, I heard it anyhow. And I'm not going to deny that I have felt like that for you for a long time. And to answer my previous question – the night when we were together was like a dream come true. To have something so desired…"

"But… but we agreed it was a mistake. That we were to be friends."

"We didn't agree on anything. You did and since I was afraid of losing you, I didn't protest."

Calleigh didn't know what to say. Here he was, confessing his love for her and she knew she felt the same time but she couldn't say it out.

"You could at least tell me if you meant it."

She stayed silent even though everything inside her screamed her to accept that and say it back and tell him everything hidden deep inside her.

Ryan sighed. "Okay, I'll just pretend you didn't say it and I didn't hear it. I'll go now. I can promise you that I will take responsibility for Oliver. I want to be a part of his life. If you don't want to share a life with me then that's okay but don't deny me the right to see him."

And with that he stood up and left. Calleigh watched him go as if she was in some sort of a daze and didn't snap out of it until she heard the door close.

Just then she realized she had let the one man who had loved her without wanting anything back, walk away. And she also realized that she was willing to love him back the same way.

Ryan sat in the bar and just stared in front of himself. Eric, who was there with him, thought that he had never seen a man this depressed. He was hurting and Eric could see it.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"Whatever it is eating you. I can see that something is bothering you. Everyone can."

Ryan sighed. Of course he would feel better after telling this to someone but he felt a little weird with Eric. Calleigh was like a sister to him and Ryan wasn't sure he would like to hear that he had messed up his sister.

"It's about Calleigh, isn't it?"

Ryan didn't answer but Eric knew it anyhow.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk?"

"It's a really long and complicated story."

"I'm not going anywhere."

So Ryan told him. For the first time in his life he didn't hesitate to talk about how he felt and what he really thought.

Eric was more than surprised to hear all this. He had no idea their feelings ran so deep although he had suspected they were beyond colleagues.

"And that's basically it," he finished his story.

"So… to put it short – you and Calleigh slept together when she was still with James, she got pregnant, didn't know who the father was, stayed with James, now he is gone, she took the paternity test and you're the father."

"And I'm head over heels in love with her."

Eric was about to reply when he saw someone come in. Someone who was a lot more efficient than anything he could have said to Ryan.

Calleigh noticed Ryan and Eric sitting together. She knew that Eric had seen her and when she saw him leave, she knew that Ryan had told Eric about everything. She took a deep breath and approached the table.

"Is this seat taken?"

Ryan looked up, surprised to see Calleigh sitting down next to him, looking at unease but also anxious. He wanted to say something but she put a finger on his lips.

"No, I will do the talking now."

He obliged and didn't say anything but waited for Calleigh to speak.

"When you told all those things to me before, I just fell into a daze. It was so unreal. And it came as a shock so I didn't quite know how to respond.

"I was afraid to be loved. You offered me this all-consuming, ever-lasting thing, the kind of life that only exists in fairy-tales and I wasn't sure I could take it all. I didn't think I deserve this."

She reached out and caressed his cheek with her hand. "It's not that I don't want this all. I just don't know how."

He was astounded at her confession. But what followed next surprised him even more.

Calleigh leaned towards him and captured his lips in a very delicate and careful kiss. He didn't even have the time to respond before she pulled out.

"Show me what love really is, Ryan."

This time he didn't hesitate and started the kiss himself. The innocent and delicate kiss was overtaken by all the passion they felt and they kissed like tomorrow would never come.

When they finally pulled apart, they were both smiling. And in unison they said the three words that mattered right there and right then.

"I love you."

A/N: Awww! I am going with the happily-ever-after ending because I know everyone want that. I am thinking about doing one chapter more, something about them in a few years. Or should I leave it at this?