Olivia drummed her fingers on the tabletop, took another sip of her coffee and checked her watch again. He wasn't late; she was just early and nervous. It had taken her a long time to come to this decision and even longer to decide whom to ask. She hoped he didn't laugh in her face or worse, think that she was somehow making fun of him. She'd been slowly coming to the conclusion that she was never going to find the perfect mate and her biological clock was beginning to tick so loudly that it was about all she could hear.

'Ah, there he is, I'd know that fedora anywhere, hardly anyone wears hats anymore and no one wears them with such panache as John Munch'.

His long slim legs ate up the distance from the door of the café to where Olivia sat in mere moments and soon he was seated across from her.

"So lovely lady what did you want to see me about?" he asked. Just then the waitress, as though by magic, appeared and placed a small carafe of hot water, a cup and saucer and a selection of tea bags at John's elbow. He thanked her and then smiled at Olivia knowing she must have prearranged the show of service.

"Boy, whatever you want, you must think you really need to butter me up to get me to agree," John said with a quirky smile as he began the ritual of brewing his morning tea.

"Well, I'm really hoping you'll say yes to my proposition."

"A proposition, eh? Well, what man can resist being propositioned by a beautiful lady?" he asked. He was obviously in a good mood maybe that would play into her hand.

She gave him a nervous smile and huff that might have passed for a laugh.

"So, what is it? You want me to go in with you on some business deal or something like that?" he asked.

"No it's not a business proposition," she answered, stalling.

"OK, not business, ah I know, your 20th high school reunion is coming up and you want me to escort you, right? Pretend to be some rich cat you've lassoed?" John suggested, as he peeked at her over his colored glasses.

Olivia couldn't help but be amused by him.

"No, that's not it, though when it comes up, and it's coming up sooner than I'd like to admit, I might take you up on that," Olivia answered

John decided his tea had probably steeped long enough, and so poured himself a cup and contemplated how he wanted to doctor it, if he did at all.

"So if it's not a business deal and it's not pretending to be your rich date at your High School reunion, then what is it?' he asked, pretending to be impatient.

Olivia decided the best thing to do was just spit it out, and see how he took it.

As he waited for Olivia to make her request of him, John took his first swallow of tea.

"I want you to father my child," Olivia declared.

John coughed and sputtered, having inhaled some of the tea. Olivia pounded him on the back.

"Are you OK?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, I thought I heard you ask me to father your child," John said, implying that perhaps there was something wrong with him, given what he thought he had heard.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with your hearing. I did ask you to father my child," she assured him.

"I see," John said noncommittally.

"Well?" she asked.

"Well, uhm, I suspect you've thought about this for a while, no?" John asked.

"Yes, I've given it very careful consideration," she assured him.

"Well, then you will understand if I say I'd like to think about it too?" John asked suddenly much more quiet and thoughtful than he'd been.

"Yes, of course, and if there's anything you want to talk about just let me know," she said.

"Yeah, uh let's order some breakfast and then I'll walk you to the stationhouse," he offered.

"Yeah, OK," she said and wondered what was going through his mind.