Gina looked down at the bedcovers as she wondered how to respond to Ric's last remark. As she ran her hands over the corner of the bedding Jack spoke again.

"Very badly," he added, this time looking up to meet her eyes.

Gina swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. She didn't know much of her partners past to begin with, but didn't want to ask him about the situation in case he thought she was wanting information from him. All she really wanted was to make him feel better.

"Do you regret it?"

Jacks vision shifted back to the cracked ceiling, before is eyes closed and he nodded his head slightly. Gina felt her eyes well up as the feeling of rejection swelled in her mind. Jack knew he had hurt her but he didn't know how to explain the predicament to her without telling her things she couldn't know.

"Gina, I am so happy to be here with you. You changed my life," he said slowly, lifting himself up on his elbows to face her as he tried to make her hear him. "I never thought I could feel this again, until I met you…"

Gina looked down at him, still hurt. "What's the 'this' that you're feeling?" She asked, spite in her voice, she wanted to hear him explain himself.

Jack sighed and dropped his head back into the pillow as he ran a hand across his face. He tried to speak by couldn't make himself say the words which were imprinted on his brain. 'Accepted,' he thought, 'you love me for who I am.' But he couldn't speak the words aloud, it would be an insult to her, the woman who claimed she loved him but didn't even know his real name.

A tear fell from her eye and ran over her red cheeks as her lips wavered slightly. "Thanks Ric," she said as she started to push herself up from the bed. Jack moved to help her up and she quickly batted his hands away. Jack sat on the end of the bed and silently watched as she slowly made her way out of the room. "Thanks for everything," she quipped sarcastically, patting her stomach gently to emphasise her point.

"Gina!" He called, getting up and going after her, desperate to tell her how he felt; the image of her upset wouldn't overcome his guilt and so he fell silent again.

She ignored him and made her way down the stairs holding onto the banister for support. Jack followed her, his eyes carefully watching her, scared she would trip in her anger.

"I'm sorry," he said, panic in his voice.

"Oh yeah?" Gina challenged once back on level ground. Jack stood still on the bottom step of the rickety staircase, desperation and hurt scrawled over his face. "I'm waiting," she snapped, hands on her hips as Jack looked down at his feet, mouth moving silently as he tried to form words.

"That came out wrong, earlier," he said, looking at her then quickly looking down at his feet again. "I regret leaving things the way I did with that woman," he said, taking a deep breath as he tried to order his words, "because I'm scared that things were harder on her than they needed to be, before she died."

A blank expression rolled over his face as he sat down on the step with his hands clasped on his knees. "But what I really regret," he said, looking up at her again with red eyes as tears rolled down both of her own cheeks, "is upsetting you."

Gina sighed before a small smile briefly touched her lips. The hands fell down to her sides as she moved over and sat her heavy frame down next to his.

"I'm just confused," he said, "this news was so unexpected and it hit me hard and… I'm sorry, there's no excuse for me hurting you," he added, before her hand snaked up and rested on the side of his face. She turned his head so he was facing her and gently stroked her thumb over his stubble and smiled warmly.

"I'm sorry Ric," she whispered, "I know this must be hard for you, losing somebody…" Jack looked down for a moment before taking another sharp breath and resuming the eye contact. "I just got a little jealous," she said, before looking down at her own feet.

"I'm scared, Rich."

It was a complete statement, she offered no more information.

"What?" He asked gently, his tone soft but insistent, making her continue.

"The argument we had about naming the baby, and now this… I guess I'm just a little nervous about having the baby." She paused, Jack couldn't fill the silence, he wanted her to continue.

"My father left my mother just after she had me. He didn't want the responsibility or commitment. I'm just scared that…" She stopped realising Jack would misinterpret her words, "I'm just feeling vulnerable. So when you mentioned this woman… I guess I felt jealous, and… "

Jack shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry about your father," he said seriously, "but I would never, and I mean never, leave you or this baby. You are my family and I love you."

He took her hand and held in both of his gently as she smiled at him. "I guess its my hormones," she added, giving him a smirk as she tilted her head to the side.

Jack smiled with her. "I'm sorry I made you feel that way."

Gina shook her head and silenced him with a finger to his lips. "Its not your fault. Its just… a result of the circumstances," she added brightly, making Jack laugh a little.

"I feel a little silly," she said, rolling her eyes, "for being jealous of a dead person; and stealing your thunder."

Jack smiled with her as he helped her to her feet and into the chair in the living room.

"You okay?" She asked, seeing his eyes mist over.

Jack nodded, putting his arm around her. "I am fine. I have everything I could ever ask for right here."

As Gina began informing him of her next doctors appointment Jack banished the image of Audrey from his mind, hoping that she herself wouldn't want him hurting over her, even if she had hated him. 'She's gone,' he said to himself, 'she's been gone for a long time and she's never coming back.'

This was his life now, and as he watched Gina concentrate on the knitting pattern splayed out on her lap he realised it was the life he wanted.