Rick sat next to Blake on the hearth, but she quickly pulled away causing Matthew to whimper in his sleep from the movement. "Shh" She whispered into his ear causing him to calm immediately. Blake gave a half smile.

"Blake…" Rick said but they were interrupted by voices in the hall.

"No, I do not think that they should have played a running game. They needed a better defense" Ed could be heard saying.

"What about their…" Fletcher stopped short, causing Ed to look towards the trio at the fireplace.

"Blake, I didn't know you were coming. Happy Thanksgiving" Ed said looking at Rick.

Blake awkwardly stood with a sleeping Matthew in her arms. "I wasn't going to, but Mom made me" She answered honestly.

"Well, I am glad you're here. I miss seeing you" Ed told her.

"I think I'm going to go home. I haven't been feeling very well."

"She had the stomach flu" Rick volunteered. Blake turned around and looked at him curiously.

"How did you know that? No wait, it doesn't matter." She said.

"You said you're here with Holly?" Fletcher's eyes lit up. "Where is she?"

"In the kitchen, helping Maureen."

Fletcher grabbed the snack bowl Ed was carrying. "You go back and see what's happening with the game, I'll refill these" Fletcher said all too eagerly. "Scoot, go" he told Ed as he headed towards the kitchen.

"Are you two alright?" Ed asked.

"We're fine Ed, thank you" Blake went to him and pecked his cheek. "I'm sorry if I have made things worse" She whispered. Ed simply hugged her back.

Blake went to a chair and sat in it, still holding Matthew over her shoulder. Rick sat across from her.

"Blake, I…"

He was interrupted again, this time by a flustered Maureen. "Oh, I'm sorry, I seem to be a third wheel no matter where I go."

Blake furrowed her brow. "What does that mean, Maureen?"

Maureen jut a thumb towards the kitchen. "Holly and Fletcher are in there pawing each other like they are in the back of an Oldsmobile at a drive-in movie."

Blake scurried out of the chair. "Excuse me? My mother and Fletcher?"

Maureen was embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew. I'm sorry Blake." She walked over to where Blake was now standing. "Here, let me take him, I will put him in his crib." She was chewing on her bottom lip. Blake kissed Matthew on his head. "Have a good nap sweetie" Maureen expertly took the sleeping boy from her, leaving Rick and Blake alone.

Blake headed towards the kitchen but Rick grabbed her hand. "Let go of me. I want to find out what exactly my mother thinks she is doing with Fletcher of all people."

"I think you know darn well what she is doing with Fletcher. Come with me" He pulled her by the hand.

"Rick, stop, where exactly are we going?" Blake demanded. Rick stopped pulling long enough to pull their coats from the hall closet.

"Put this one, it's cold outside"

Not knowing why Blake complied with his demand. Once she was encased in dark wool, he grabbed her hand again. Under her own power she followed him to the empty apartment above the garage. It wasn't a far walk, but it was private. Rick reached a hand out and flipped a light switch on the wall illuminating the space in a soft light. He pulled his coat off once he was certain the heat had been left on.

"This should afford us some privacy" He announced bounding down the stairs from the small landing to the living space.

"Rick, why are we here?" Blake asked, sliding down the half wall to sit on the stairs.

"I wanted to be able to talk to you without half of Springfield barging in on us." Rick said.

"Rick, we have nothing to talk about. I believe I made that pretty clear the last time you called. Now if you don't mind, I'd really like to go home. Tell Holly to call me, I will pick her up." Blake paused, hand on the banister "Unless she wants Fletcher to bring her. When did that start and how did I miss it?" She asked.

"Fletcher told me about it right before you moved out. I don't think it's anything serious. I believe it's just a fling"

"Wonderful. Fletcher Reade of all people. It could be worse; it could be Alan." She remembered the comment her mother made, laughing at her own private joke.

"Blake, I really don't want to talk about your mother and who she is hooking up with. I want to talk about us, about Matthew."

Blake stood "Rick, there is no us. Not anymore. I made a mistake thinking there could be. I ruined everything for you. I cost you Meredith and I'm costing you Matthew, but on that point I don't have too. I want you to tell the judge I've moved out. In fact, I will be happy to testify to all of it. I think I offered that before. I said it before, I can't cost you your son." She turned to go but felt his hands on her shoulders preventing her from climbing the small set of stairs.

"Blake, you're not going to cost me anything. I've made a decision; I'm not going to lose Matthew." He pulled her into him. He could smell her perfume; he could feel the warmth of her skin near his. She didn't pull away. "I asked you to marry me" He whispered. His lips hovering just above her ear. His lips grazed her skin. "Would you say yes if I asked you again?" He purposefully kissed her neck.

Blake was feeling week in the knees. She did still love him, she knew it, but she couldn't act on it. She couldn't say yes to anything he proposed, marriage or otherwise. He spun her around so she faced him. His brown eyes were dark, she wasn't sure if that was from torment, or need, or both. He placed his hands on either side of her face and pulled it closer to him. "I want you to be part of the plan" he said before he kissed her. She surprised them both when he kissed her back. He shoved her coat off her shoulders. The shirt she wore had no buttons. It was loose, slipped over her head. He put his hands under it and touched her bare skin. She whimpered under his lips. She needed to breathe. When he made his way to her belly button, she pushed him away from her.

"I'm sorry" he said. "I got caught up."

"So did I" she admitted "but we can't. I'm sorry"

He turned away from her. "The paternity test is back." He told her. "they said not until early December, but they got it back early. I imagine Phillip or Alan pulled some strings."

Blake raced to him and laid her head on his back as she wrapped her arms around his chest. "Rick…how? They didn't know which lab it was being sent to." She didn't know what else to say. He laid his hands on top of hers.

"I'm not going to lose him Blake. I lost his mother, I've lost you. I can't lose anything else."

She could hear his heart beating through his shirt. To hear him speak you'd think it impossible as it seemed to have shattered into a million irreparable pieces. "What can I do." She asked, her voice slightly above a whisper.

Her turned, and lifted her chin with a hand. Her arms were still wrapped around his waist. His eyes searched hers, but he did not speak. Instead, he laid his lips on hers again, kissing her. As before she relented and kissed him back. He laid his hands on her hips, over her pants and under her shirt. She froze momentarily, but didn't stop him. If he noticed any changes in her shape, not that there were many, he wasn't consciously aware of them. His need, just as it had been their last night together was primal. He took her to the couch. There was no romance in the coupling, but a need that had to be fulfilled. When it was over, he had tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry" He whispered hoarsely.

Blake shook her head "You have nothing to be sorry about" She reassured him.

"Blake, I'm leaving town tonight. I'm taking Matthew and leaving the country"

"You can't!" She screamed.

"Blake, I can and I am. You're free. You can finally have a life free of the self-imposed guilt you've been burdened with over the past year or more."

Blake fell back onto the couch. "Rick, I will never be free. You and I are eternally linked."

Rick went to the stairs giving them as much physical space as the small apartment would allow. "I know it feels that way now, but I promise in time that you will move on."

"Rick, you idiot. I can't move on. I'm pregnant with your child!" She didn't want to tell him that way. She didn't want to tell him at all, but she couldn't let him leave the state with Matthew in tow.

His knees gave out. He put a hand down to catch himself as he landed on the ground. His head was foggy. He couldn't have heard her right. "What did you say?" He asked.

"I said I'm pregnant. I'm having a baby, your baby" tears streamed down her face.

Before Rick could process or respond the front door flew open. "There you two are. Holly and Maureen are in a huff looking for you. Dinner is about to be served" Fletcher told the pair, oblivious to the tension.

Blake moved towards him and took his hand. "Fletcher, you and I need to have a talk about whatever it is that is going on between you and my mother, but right now, I want you to get out."

Fletcher's cheeks went crimson. "You've got to come with me. If you don't there will be mutiny over at the big house" Fletcher pointed with his thumb. "You too Rick, get up, let's go."

Blake took laid her hands on his chest and pushed slightly. He lost his balance as he went backwards out the door. "Tell my mother, Tom knows the turkey is stuffed and to go ahead and start dinner without us." Fletcher was and looked confused. "Oh, and Fletcher, make sure they know the next person to interrupt us does so at their own risk. "She shut and locked the door before turning back to a still stunned Rick.

Blake sat down next to Rick and laid her head on his shoulder once more. He laid a hand on her knee. "Did I hear you right? You're having my baby?"

"You did. I'm pregnant."

"Well then you need to marry me." Rick stated emphatically.