Matt just stared at the door that C.J. had slammed when she went outside. She'd been angry with him just as he'd been with her. Only he hadn't dropped a bombshell on her.

Only seconds ago, he'd been on his way out the door powered by adrenalin and not much common sense to go rescue his cousin over in L.A. But now, he just sank onto the couch in the living room, totally stunned at what just happened.

That's when he realized he couldn't leave the ranch, that he had to do what felt nearly impossible to him right now which was to trust others to do what they could do to find Will and the child.

His place was here because she'd been right, if he went, he might be more of a hindrance than the man who would bring his cousin home. He fought against the part of him that still tried to push him to head to the helicopter and do what came naturally to him. Sitting and waiting for news had always driven him crazy, because he just wasn't good at allowing others to take the lead when it came to quick decision making about dangerous situations.

But watching C.J. standing there so angry, yet so damn protective of him at the same time, he never should have underestimated how much she loved him even before they'd fallen in love. The woman who was now his wife.

His pregnant wife.

He'd thought about going after her but he knew that right now, she needed her space. Something in her eyes that he'd read there told him that so he'd fight his instincts to run after her too.

So instead he sat and waited for news on his cousin, which would come to him through a phone call.

Then the door opened again and there she stood in front of him. A plethora of emotions swam across her face, and her body remained tense.

"C.J…"

She softened her stance with a slight smile.

"You're still here…"

He nodded.

"I…C.J. you were right," he said, "It pisses me off that you are but I'm going to have to trust that those who are there can handle it."

She still stood there but her posture had relaxed a bit.

"Houston…Hoyt's got the best officers working on it, and Roy's got his own connections."

Matt knew that but he also knew that she hadn't moved closer to him.

"So you came back."

She sighed.

"I said a lot of harsh things to you but I just got scared…but this isn't about me or about you…it's about Will."

"Yeah well, I haven't heard anything yet about whether he's turned up."

She wrapped her arms around herself and sat in a chair, close to where he sat but not enough.

"Then we wait…"

They had both done more than their share of that when either one of them had been injured on the job or someone close to them. She knew it'd been like hell waiting to hear from some surgeon entrusted with the task of putting him back together and she suspected he'd felt the same way when it'd been her turn. She did know that whenever she woke up in a hospital, there he'd been holding her hand infusing warmth into her.

But now she sat in her chair as they conducted their vigil, while he remained on the couch. Both of them focused on Will and not anything else.

Roy called Matt about an hour later and told him that Will had turned up at a marina with the missing child after both of them had escaped from the crime lords who had kidnapped the child to use as leverage against a rival organization.

He passed the information onto C.J. and told his uncle to bring his son over for some barbecue the next day.

"I'm so glad Houston…I was scared…"

He looked at her and read that in her eyes.

"I was too and I have to tell you that sitting and waiting for news…it's just not easy for me."

She sighed, hugging herself with her arms.

"Me neither Houston but waiting to hear from you would have made it even harder."

He paused looking at her, knowing that what had happened had taken its toll on her and that included more than just the latest crisis. She'd been running on adrenalin for three months with no real respite even after Dmitri no longer remained a threat.

If he had to do it over again, would he have agreed to go after Dmitri knowing what would happen? He didn't know the answer to that now looking at her. But she looked so beautiful despite everything she'd been through and now he could concentrate on what she had told him.

"So you're pregnant?"

She looked up at him and nodded.

"Yeah…Carol confirmed it but I already knew," she said, "I was going to tell you but it's just been so crazy, and Dmitri was gunning for us and I thought it'd just distract you."

He just stared at her.

"I know it sounds crazy now and I'm so sorry I didn't tell you earlier…and I know the baby wasn't planned and…"

Before she knew it, he'd patted the sofa.

"Come here…"

She looked at him and she hesitated.

"Houston, this must come as a shock I know but I want this baby so much. I've had more time to let it sink in…I'm happy and I'm scared…both…if that makes sense."

He patted the couch again and gave her that look that it made a lot of sense.

"C.J…come on over here and we can discuss how I feel about it."

She got up and when she went to join him. He pulled her down on the couch and wrapped his arms around her pulling closer to him, holding her tight.

Then he kissed her and she forgot everything else she needed to tell him, his arms rubbing her back soothingly as his lips kept her own very busy. Finally they broke for air and she studied his face, touching it with her fingers.

"Does this mean you're happy?"

He smiled at her in a way that made her insides melt.

"Most happy…I can't tell you how much so…"

He kissed her again, and this time she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer to her. The couch was a bit cramped for the both of them but it didn't matter as she settled next to him.

"It's so much to grasp," she said, "and yet I don't know it feels like it was meant to happen."

He stroked her hair off of her forehead, thinking that about the whole marriage.

"Are you feeling okay?"

She nodded against him.

"Yeah…a little sick in the morning but that's normal…and maybe as you just saw, a little hormonal."

He smiled.

"That's okay…it's been a hard couple of months but starting right now, it's about to get a whole lot easier."

She heard that tone in his voice and knew he was up to something.

"Houston…"

"C.J. you've been running ragged and you look tired."

She snorted.

"Well thanks Houston."

He realized he was going to have to proceed gently with her.

"What I mean is that I think you need to get some rest," he said, "I read somewhere it's important for expectant women to get extra sleep."

C.J. sighed remembering Carol giving her the same advice and once the adrenalin dissipated out of her, she felt fatigue hit her.

"I tell you what," he said, "Why don't we head upstairs to the bedroom and we'll both take us a nap because I'm feeling really tired too."

She looked at him concerned.

"Oh Houston, you're the one that's been injured," she said, "you don't need to look after me."

His face grew tender.

"I want to C.J…but you're going to have to let me do that for you," he said, "You need to relax and just accept the fact that I'm going to take care of you too."

She felt her eyes sting unexpectedly then because that sounded so nice. He untangled himself from her to get off the couch but he grabbed her hand to help her up.

Then he swept her off of her feet.

"Houston…"

"It's okay…this will get us there faster."

She cast him a wary look.

"We are going up there to sleep aren't we?"

He looked innocent.

"Of course…in a little while…"

She felt a thrill of anticipation race through her, nudging its way past her tiredness. Maybe it was okay if they didn't go to sleep right away.

She cuddled up with him afterward, the warmth of his body wrapped around her made her feel secure in a way she hadn't for a while. It's been such a rollercoaster since it all started but at least now maybe life would settle down a bit.

At least for a little while…

He'd carried her up the stairs straight into the bedroom and it hadn't taken that many kisses to get their clothes off. He stroked her waist with his hands.

"So where…"

She smiled, taking hold of one of his hands and placing his palm over her lower abdomen.

"Right here…"

He just stood there, transfixed even though it was still very early on. Then she started putting her hands on him, on his chest…his abs…and then…

He closed his eyes and sighed when she touched him there feeling him grow in her hands.

His response was to push her closer to the bed where they fell together.

"Is that…"

She smiled.

"It's perfect…"

He thought so too and held onto her closely afterward while they both came back down to earth.

"Houston, I think we're both going to be okay," she said, "despite ourselves."

He strummed his fingers across her bare back thinking of all the times lately they'd been working towards that in the midst of chaos. Now at least here on the ranch, they faced more peaceful days where they could spend their time building their relationship and preparing for their baby's birth.

"We're going to need to find a place…with room for that nursery."

She agreed.

"We can call the realtor back in the morning," she said, "and maybe she'll have some places lined up for us."

Matt knew that starting their family did mean finding a bigger house. The realtor had recommended that they look at some of the fixer uppers that had been old ranch houses back in the heyday. Many of them just needed the right people to come along and fix them up.

He thought they could do that with some help, since they had some friends who were contractors.

"And don't forget the space for the horses," she said, "and a good sized barn."

He nodded, making a mental list with her.

"A helipad too…"

He agreed with that too.

"We'll get up bright and early…after you've had plenty of sleep."

She snuggled against him, thinking that the perfect plan but always aware of the fact that life seldom went as predicted.

All the more reason to savor the times when things fell into place.