A/N: I know James has a British accent on the show, but for the sake of the story, I made him an American citizen. You'll figure out why soon enough. I also had to take some liberties when it came to legal stuff and jargon. Feel free to criticize, but just remember I'm not an American, or a lawyer, so I just write what seems right to me. Any constructive help to make my story more credible is welcome though.

Disclaimer: No, no, no, still not mine. Except for original characters.

They thought they could do this. They wanted to do this. Have this. This wonderful relationship between partners who understood each other, motivated and supported each other no matter what happened.

Like the day she got a letter from James, informing her that he had fallen in love again with the mother of his child and had married her. He hoped Merri understood and would someday find the happiness he had found with his wife and their son. Though Merri no longer cared about her own botched wedding, Chris didn't mind her being slightly taken aback, if only because it did remind her of the rejection she had felt months ago.

Or the day of the anniversary of Savannah's death, now two years ago. She and Chris went back to Alabama together to visit her grave and pay their respects. At first, Chris asked to be left alone and she stood waiting for him at a respectable distance, but still within his line of sight should he need her. She saw him place the flowers they'd gotten on the stone slab with her name carved on it, crouching down with his hands folded in what seemed like a prayer. When he stood and reached out to her a couple of minutes later, she hurried to his side and held onto his hand as he silently wept for the sake of the woman who had died so violently and prematurely and whom he had loved before he had found his way to Merri.

Merri didn't begrudge him his grief, nor was she jealous of the love Chris had indeed once felt for Savannah, though it was kind of odd to realize that, had this unfortunate woman not been shot, Merri would not be in this relationship with him at all. That he might have been killed instead of his then girlfriend, or that nothing may have happened and she would have been watching from a distance as Chris built a future with Savannah instead of her.

Yet, things were as they were and here she was standing with Chris, who loved her now. And she could support him as he paid his respects to his childhood sweetheart, made somewhat easier by the fact Chris had never made her feel like she had to compete with her ghost.

When her boyfriend squeezed her hand, she looked up at him.

"I eh…I told Savannah about you. I think…I think she would have been okay with us. Would have wanted me to be happy again."

"And I'm happy I make you happy."

"You do. Don't ever doubt that you do."

"I don't. And you make me happy too."

Hand in hand, they left the cemetery and went on to visit the LaSalle family, where Merri finally met his mother and sister and hooked back up with a surprisingly even-tempered and lucid Cade, who applauded their relationship, something she could tell Chris valued a lot. For all the concerns he'd had about his big brother, Cade's approval was very important to him. With their father almost absent from their lives, it had been Cade's example the young Chris had followed.

Life shifted from quiet days to unnerving days (sometimes the bad guys did outsmart or outrun them) to downright beautiful moments, but the couple remained steadfast and met every challenge heads-on, some tougher than others.

Like the moment that one of his regular hospital patients was taking a turn for the worse. He spent two nights at the kid's bedside, keeping vigil in order to give the exhausted parents a chance to get some undoubtedly fitful sleep. The boy died the next morning, just after his parents had come back into his room and Chris had left to go home and get some sleep himself.

Chris and Merri were there to attend his wake and Chris held his head high and his eyes dry, until the boy's mother came over and gave him the book they had last read in together. At a mere six years old, the boy had written his will and his parents had found it in his coloring book. He'd divided his meagre belongings between all his friends and Chris was to have their favorite book.

Badass Special Agent LaSalle broke down in tears then and there and Merri's hand had hurt for days from the sheer force with which Chris had gripped it.

They fought sometimes, of course they did and when they did, it was loud and violent, though never physical. But they made up just as fast and furious and with the best sex in their lives. Merri learned to let go of her control issues, to simply enjoy his displays of affection and take the subsequent mess in stride. His elaborate meals were magnificent and he was always so genuinely pleased when she praised his efforts (and rewarded him afterwards), so who cared if the stack of dishes in her kitchen teetered over because neither one of them felt like getting up to do something about it, like perhaps washing them? Cuddling together in front of the TV was so much more enjoyable after a day of chasing down New Orleans's finest scumbags.

Chris learned that sometimes, no matter how much he loved her and knew she loved him too, she needed her space to brood and stew on things that had her confused or hurt. The first time she had pushed him away after a though case and locked him out of the bathroom (which they normally always left open) he'd been hurt and honestly a bit insulted, but she had come to him after a while, kissed him soundly and told him in clear terms that every now and then, she needed to gather her thoughts on her own and that it in no way meant she no longer loved or trusted him.

She had shown him indeed how much she loved him that very same night.

A few months after her birthday, they had found a working balance between their private time and their jobs. As promised, King had kept them from Washington's radar and so far, other than their own little family, nobody seemed to know that they were a couple. To those more observant, their connection was clear as day. Whenever they could, they would touch. Not maul or cuddle (unless they thought they could get away with it), but usually just small, insignificant looking touches that still meant the world to both of them. His hand on the small of her back when he helped her into the car or in passing as he held the door open for her. A quick linking of hands, sometimes mere brushes of fingertips, right before they had to part ways for whatever reason. His hand on her thigh (or a bit higher if he was in a daring mood) as they were driving.

If touching wasn't an option, they exchanged a quick look, and when they weren't in each other's line of sight, they would speak words of encouragement, nothing more serious than 'be careful' or 'see you soon'. No terms of endearment or silly nicknames. They knew what they meant to say without the need for them. Any moment out in the field was a moment they could lose each other forever and though they had the fullest faith in the other as well as in the rest of their team, it had become paramount to let their better half know that they were loved, just in case it would be the last thing they would get to say.

It was almost Halloween when life threw them a curveball nobody could have seen coming. As usual around any holiday, Chris was getting into a party mood. Halloween was one of his favorite holidays and he planned to go costume-hunting with Merri today. They'd spent the evening in their own homes as they sometimes did after a tough case. But when he arrived at her place to pick her up, coffee and donuts in hand, he found his girlfriend sitting motionless on the couch, holding a letter of some sorts.

"Merri?"

No answer.

"Sweet Merri?"

She remained frozen.

"Brodelicious?"

Nothing. Which was odd, since the cheesy nickname would normally at least generate some kind of response. He gingerly sat down next to her, taking her hand in his own as it became obvious something had gotten her really distressed.

"Merri, talk to me sweetheart. What's wrong? What can I do?"

She finally looked up at him, tears in her eyes. Then silently handed him the letter. He scanned the heading. It was from a lawyer's firm; Cooper, Winfield & Haynes. Curious now, he read on.

And his heart sank.

The formality of the words didn't do justice to the sad news it conveyed. The sad news being that Mr. and Mrs. Lathom (née DeVaal) had been killed in a car accident in Johannesburg, South Africa a few days earlier. Their son, who was in the backseat, had miraculously survived and wasn't even injured, safe for some cuts and bruises.

No living relatives of Mr. Lathom had been found and none of Mrs. Lathom's family had come forward. Her parents were long gone and apparently she had become estranged from her only brother, who had shown no interest in his nephew. But at least Mr. Lathom had left a will with his lawyer, Mr. Winfield, back in the United States, in which all his personal belongings were to go to his wife and son.

The son who was now an instant orphan. A dual South-African/American citizen, with no other family left to take care of him, at least not in South Africa.

Poor kiddo. Going from one parent to two to none in just a few short months. Still, there was more to the letter and Chris read on. And nearly choked when the last paragraphs and their implications sank in.

James had apparently given some thought to the possibility of a tragic accident like this happening and had taken on a life insurance policy for both his wife and himself, the benefits of which were to go to Nigel, to be put in a trust fund by his guardian until he reached the legal age of eighteen.

The guardian, should no family be tracked down and should she accept?

Meredith Brody.

His Merri was supposed to be the guardian of this baby. The baby of her ex-fiancé; the same man who had left her twice, the second time because of the existence of this baby. And who hadn't even asked the woman he was supposed to marry if she would ever be willing or able to take on a severe responsibility like this? No wonder she was shocked into immobilization.

Not knowing what else to do, Chris put the letter down on the coffee table in front of him and took his girlfriend in his arms. She relaxed against him, though still didn't say a word. When she finally spoke, her voice was hollow with shock.

"A baby, Chris. The poor kid is just a baby. He has no-one."

As if to drive the story home; she handed him a bundle of pictures of a cute little boy with a wide smile and bright chocolate brown eyes.

Chris looked from the pictures back at her, already knowing where this was heading. And for some reason not dreading it half as much as maybe he should.

"What's going through your mind, Sweet Merri?"

"A lot. Possibilities. Impossibilities. Risks. Responsibilities. Changes. Us."

"Us? What about us?"

"Chris, I can't make a decision like this on my own. James appointed me as Nigel's guardian, but I'm with you now and selfish as it sounds, you to me always, always come first. If this is not something you think I should do or we should do, then I won't. I couldn't bear to lose you, not even for a child of a man who basically hated your guts."

"Can't blame the kid for that, Merri. And you don't have to worry about me. You're my world too and should you decide to be this kid's legal guardian, then I'll stand by you no matter what."

She palmed his cheek and leaned in for a kiss she desperately needed, grateful for his unwavering support, something she knew she shouldn't have doubted to begin with.

But when the letter had arrived (by courier even) earlier that morning, it had rattled her completely. First, there was the initial shock of James's death (she may no longer love the guy, she hadn't stopped caring for his wellbeing), then the realization that there was a hopeless baby involved and then the added shock of the implications.

Merri wasn't new to making life-changing decisions, but up until very recently, her decisions only revolved around herself. After the death of her sister, she had felt a loner, a wanderer, whose comings and goings had little effect on anyone but her. But now there was Chris. Their extended work family. The home she had built for herself.

How did a baby fit into this? Into their dangerous, irregular jobs? The evolvement of their relationship?

Her first gut reaction had been rejection of the entire idea. Just don't do it. Call the lawyer, let him know you weren't capable of taking in an infant, let them find another home for the child, throw away the letter and forget all about it. Pretend it never happened. Nobody would be the wiser. Not even Chris and certainly not Nigel. Surely there were good foster homes in South Africa? It really wasn't a Third World country, was it? It wasn't like he would starve to death, right? No, of course he wouldn't. He would be just fine. Someone else would surely adopt him. He was a cute baby in the pictures, who could resist?

But then doubt had settled in. She was pretty selfish leaving this kid in the hands of strangers while James had thought her willing and capable of raising him. Plus, Chris was hardly a hurdle. He loved kids, doted on them and might even jump at the chance of being this boy's daddy. Hadn't she known from the start he wanted a big family? Hadn't their first fallout been because of it?

Now she could give him a son after all. Even if she turned out to be too old to successfully reproduce, she could still give him a family. If she didn't do this and he would ever find out (one could never know for sure that one's darkest secrets couldn't be unearthed and used against them; as they all found out on a daily bases while witnessing geniuses like Patton at work), he may not want to have anything to do with her anymore, considering her a monster for willing to throw an innocent child by the wayside because it didn't fit into her lifestyle.

And yet…wasn't it too early in their relationship? There was no doubt in her mind that she loved Chris and that he was as devoted to her as she was to him. They were a good and stable couple. But then again, so had Dwayne and Linda seemed to all who knew them and they eventually failed.

Eventually though was not now. Even if she and Chris eventually broke up (don't think about it; don't jinx it!), it may not be for years and years and in the meantime, they could give this baby boy Nigel a childhood in which he felt loved and safe.

"Chris?"

"Yes, Merri?"

"If I do this…if we do this…it'll be a big commitment. Not just to Nigel but to each other. Do you think…are we even there yet?"

Chris sighed. It was an honest question. They were doing great, but they had only been together for a few months and if this letter hadn't arrived when it had, he would have opted for at least a few more months before taking any next major step like moving in together (not that they didn't spend most nights together these days anyway, but they still kept their own homes for those occasions when they preferred to be alone) or proposing marriage. But she was right. If they did this, it would accelerate their relationship considerably and the potential harm was major if they failed to keep up.

Yet…there was nothing he wouldn't do for his Merri and he would run like the wind and fight until his very last breath to keep her and those they loved safe and sound. This baby was someone he could come to love, whose future already depended heavily on their decision. Could they in all good conscience turn him down? After all, it really wasn't his fault Chris had once upon a time wanted to strangle his father.

He reread the letter and made up his mind.

"Merri, it's Saturday now, so there's nobody at the lawyer's office anyway. Why don't we sleep on this and call this lawyer on Monday to hear what he has to say? Even if we decide to take this little guy in, it may take weeks, even months before we actually get custody of him. Months in which we can get used to the idea, figure out how we are going to handle being parents, how to deal with this at work, how to tell King he'll be a granddad…"

She snorted at that.

"He'll make a cool grandpa. And you'll make an amazing daddy."

"You'll make a wonderful mommy."

She nodded.

"Monday. We'll call the lawyer on Monday."

So what does the lawyer have to say? Find out in the next chapter. Reviews are great!