Knowing that the amnio results were due that day, Gavin had suggested a lunch date to take Sharon's mind off things. He felt guilty for having been away at a conference in Florida the exact week that she had been in the hospital for. Her texts had been short and strictly informative, telling him that she was okay, that she had everything she needed and that he didn't have to head back early. She looked tired when she met him at the restaurant, the rich amount of concealer she had used unable to hide the circles under her eyes completely. She was wearing one of the dresses he had helped her pick out, probably because she couldn't fit into her normal work clothes anymore. It was dark-blue and very conservative, but looked stunning paired with a tan blazer and nude heels.

Sharon ordered soup and salad but didn't eat much of either, aimlessly turning over vegetables and meat with her fork as he enjoyed his salmon ravioli.

"Honey, you need to eat," he said, not for the first time. Even though he was fairly sure he sounded like a broken record, he didn't mind having to repeat himself. They were friends and she had been there for him plenty of times during their acquaintance. Secretly he was glad that he was able to give back to her in this way, even though he wouldn't have wished this particular fate on anyone, least of all his best friend in the world.

She lifted the fork to her mouth and then lowered it again. "I can't. My stomach feels twisted," she finally admitted her defeat, leaning back in her chair and pushing the plate away from her. It wasn't like Sharon to act like a stubborn child. Even through the worst of her morning sickness, she had always kept up a healthy and nutritious eating regime. The mere fact that she had stopped trying was worrisome.

"Tell me about what happened at the hospital then," he said, loading a forkful of his delicious pasta and holding it out for her. "As soon as you're done with this." She looked at the offered food with nothing short of revulsion, but then leaned in and took it, chewing slowly.

"It is great! Admit it!" he said, taking a sip of his white wine. It wasn't like him to have a drink on a lunch break, but it was a quiet day at the office and seeing his friend's predicament was taking a toll on him as well, so he had decided to allow himself to indulge a little to calm his nerves.

She swallowed and scrunched-up her nose. "Tastes like cardboard to me. Everything does."

Gavin clicked his tongue. "Tasty, juicy cardboard, if you please." He pushed the bread basket towards her to remind her how fond she usually was of their favorite haunt's crispy homemade white bread. "This is a particularly nice kind of cardboard, too, so have a piece while you give me the latest scoop on your baby daddy."

He was allowed to be a little flippant with her, he knew. Humor was one of the pillars of their close relationship and it helped both of them to put things in perspective as they helped each other through the hard times in their lives. Sharon smiled and dutifully reached for a slice of bread, breaking off a small piece to put it in her mouth.

"Good girl!" Gavin cooed. "Now about The Flynn. Your texts were cryptic to say the least. Did he finally step up?"

"He was the one who got me to the hospital," she said, her face impassive and giving away nothing - which was a sure sign that a lot of emotion was connected to what she was telling him. "He came to check on me after they put me in a room and came back the next day." Gavin raised his brows. "And every day that I had to spend at the hospital," she supplied, breaking off another piece of bread and chewing it when he gave her a pointed look. "He brought me food and made sure that I ate it."

"Did he tell you why he was acting like a jerk?" he asked, barely able to hide his disdain for Lieutenant Flynn. He had once liked the guy and even hoped that he and Sharon would end up together, but now all he harbored for him was a bunch of negative emotions. Sadly, Sharon had forbidden him from shaking him up on her behalf. Gavin was not into physical violence, but his sharp tongue had earned him quite a reputation and he was sure that he could have made the guy incredibly uncomfortable at least.

"No, but he did apologize." She smirked at Gavin's doubtful look. "And I could actually believe him this time, Gavin."

Gavin made a non-committal noise. Sharon was one of the most rational persons that he knew, but her judgment tended to be a little clouded when it came to her lieutenant.

"He said that he wants to be there for me and for our daughter," she said with a cheeky smile, flinching a little when Gavin dropped his fork onto his plate, causing a loud, disruptive noise. An elderly woman near them gave him a pointed look over her shoulder that he ignored as he stared at his best friend across the table.

"How dare you casually drop this piece of information into the conversation like that!" he accused her, pointing her finger at her chest. He wasn't really angry at her, but endeared and relieved by the amusement in her eyes and the happy glow she radiated. "You're having a baby girl?"

She nodded fiercely. "I found out at the hospital."

"Oh my, carbon copy number two!" Gavin beamed. "Then there'll be three of you walking around!"

Sharon laughed, placing her hand on her stomach. "You never know, maybe she'll look nothing like me."

"You have dominant genes or whatever they call it. If it's a girl, it's a Mini Sharon. Mark my words!" he told her, glad that she was breaking out of her tense posture for a moment.

Sharon smiled at him warmly across the table in response, opening her mouth to say something when the sound of her ringing cell phone cut in. He watched her go rigid as the blood drained from her face. Sharon was not in the habit of leaving her phone on the table during their meals together, but she had today, so he caught sight of her doctor's name on the screen immediately. Her eyes were wide and terrified as she brought the phone up to her ear and Gavin reached across the table to grab her free hand and engulf it in his.

"Hello?" Sharon said softly, her voice breathless. Her hand was cold in his and trembling too much for him to hold it still in his own. Gavin watched her as she listened to her doctor's words, her face giving away absolutely nothing. He didn't know how she did it, but it did nothing to calm his own nervousness on her behalf. She had been pretty clear that she would keep the baby, that she would love it just as fiercely if it wasn't completely healthy and he believed her. Still, he dreaded what that would entail. Sharon loved her job, he knew, but he was also aware that she was eligible for her pension and that she would quit if it was necessary to care for her child. Family came first for Sharon, it always had, but it didn't seem fair to him for her own needs to take a backseat like that again. There were women on the force that were younger than her and outranked her. It was partly due to the fact that working on the force and getting promoted had been harder back when she had joined than it was now, but it was also connected to her two periods of maternity leave and the concessions she had had to make because of her status as a single parent.

"Thank you. I'll see you Monday then." Sharon's voice was still carefully modulated, her face pale but expressionless as she hung up the phone and placed it down on the table next to her plate. She wasn't looking at him, her gaze directed at her plate to gather her bearings, he knew. Gavin waited patiently for her to look up and then caught her eyes, giving her a questioning look. Sharon exhaled, her hand squeezing his back for the first time that day. Her other one came up to wipe away the tears that were brimming in her eyes. Her face hidden behind her hand, she gave something that could have been both a sob or a laugh. He still waited, yet impatiently now and when she lowered her hand, her bright smile told him everything he needed to know.

"She's fine?" he asked anyway, needing for her to say it out loud.

She nodded, her relief now palpable. "All of the tests came back negative. She is perfectly fine."

Gavin waved his hand in the air for the waiter. "This calls for celebration! Champagne!"

She giggled, trying unsuccessfully to stifle her sounds of mirth with her hand. "Gavin, I can't drink!"

He lowered his hand and pouted. "Damn it. How inconvenient."

"Inconvenient indeed," Sharon said with a grin. He hadn't seen her like that in weeks and her happiness made something come loose inside him. In hindsight, he suddenly understood why he had developed a habit of snapping at his clerks and having more than just one glass of wine a night recently. Even if he had pushed the thoughts away, he had been scared on his best friend's behalf. Seeing her like this was wonderful and he felt as if he was able to breathe freely for the first time in weeks.

"Now for names," he told her, suddenly giddy with relief and ready to be extra-silly today. "How about Penelope Ophelia Raydor?"

Sharon laughed and cocked her head in the way she always did when she paused in laughter to smile at the person opposite her.

"I would like to try and not scar her for life."

"Like you did your son Ricky?" he asked her playfully to which she reacted with abruptly raised eyebrows.

"Excuse me?"

"Ricky Raydor? Seriously? How is this any better than Rusty Raydor who refused to take your name for that precise reason?"

Sharon narrowed her eyes at Gavin. "His name is Richard William."

"Still a terrible alliteration if you ask me," Gavin giggled merrily, causing her to join in after just a moment of trying to remain stern.

"I could name her Rory or Ricarda or even Rae," she said, her voice trembling with laughter.

"Oh God!" Gavin burst out laughing. "Rae Raydor! Priceless! The other kids would beat her over the head with her backpack at school!"

Sharon snorted with laughter even though he knew she did not appreciate bullying jokes. Today, however, she was beyond taking offense in anything he said. She was just too happy to enforce her standards of propriety. He watched her place both hands on her stomach, smiling up at him.

"She's moving like crazy. I think she doesn't like what we're saying," she said, her smile lighting up her entire face.

He waved Sharon off. "Come on! All of your kids have a good sense of humor. She should be no exception."

Sharon looked at her watch and stifled another laugh with the back of her hand. "God, it's late. I need to get back to work."

When they had paid their bill, Gavin gallantly extended his hand to help her to her feet and then proceeded to pull her into a firm embrace. There was no way not to end up with one's face in her hair when holding her but he had learned to appreciate it. "I'm so happy for you, Sharon," he said sincerely. "You'll be a great mom once again."

She drew back and smiled at him then pressed a kiss to his cheek. "And you will be a wonderful godfather, honey." She gave another snort of laughter at the sight of his frightened expression.

"Really?" he asked cautiously and a bit scandalized. "Don't you want to pick someone who knows how to handle babies... or kids for that matter? I'll drop her or accidentally give her booze or something."

Sharon grinned. "Don't be silly, Gavin. You'll be great."

He pulled her into another hug. "Thank you, Sharon. I'm honored," he whispered into her hair. "Even though I am a little frightened. If she is anything like you and Emily, she'll be able to kill with a look by age three and I'll be in trouble."

He kept holding on to her as her body trembled with laughter instead of tears for once and he enjoyed his friend's happiness more than anything.

A/N: It's so fluffy, I might die, but it was probably well-deserved after 13 chapters of angst.