December 18th

Sometime around five AM, Derek awoke to Emily cursing a blue streak. Sleepily, he mumbled an incoherent question in response to the rude awakening, but didn't bother to open his eyes. Afterall, it was five AM and they hadn't even gone to bed until after midnight...

"My water broke," she informed him without bothering to ask for clarification as to what his sleepy mumbling meant.

He sat bolt upright in bed, blinking sleep from his eyes. "Okay," he said, more to himself than to her, "Okay... So...what now?"

She gave him a scathing look at the admittedly stupid question. "We go to the hospital," she said, the duh implied in her tone.

He certainly wasn't going to comment on her attitude just then, even if it felt unreasonably unkind, considering all that he'd done for her so far, even though he had no obligations to do so. "Do you have a hospital bag?" he asked, climbing out of bed and hurrying to help her stand.

"By the door," she informed him as she dug in her dresser in search of dry clothes. She didn't even bother asking him for privacy before shucking off her damp pants and underwear.

He instantly diverted his eyes, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Should I text JJ to let her know?" he asked, looking anywhere but at her.

She huffed in annoyance at the mention of her friend. "If she's not already dead, she will be when she shows up," she growled.

Derek took that as a no (and he didn't doubt that she truly meant the threat). "Isn't there anyone else I can call?" he practically begged. "Another friend? Your mother?"

"Nope. You're it," she declared firmly. "You're going to finish what you started."

And, though he obviously wanted to protest further, he said nothing.

Together, Emily and Derek wandered through the halls of the hospital, making slow circles around the nurses' desk of the labour and delivery ward. Their progress was halted every so often by her contractions, during which Derek would dutifully support her weight in an awkward little slow dance while she breathed through the pain. (He was pretty sure the nurses thought they were a couple, judging by the way they watched and whispered.)

"Who is she?" Emily spoke, startling him as he stared down at his phone screen as they walked. When he blinked a few times, stunned, she elaborated, "You keep checking your phone – only one thing would be this distracting to Derek Morgan... Don't tell me...it's the girl you tried to pick up at the coffee shop?"

"It's nothing," he insisted, shooting her a roll of his eyes over the teasing. At her continued skeptical look, he sighed, relented, "I haven't heard from my pen pal yet... I'm worried."

She gave a little laugh. "That reminds me: I never wrote my last letter."

A beat, during which the two of them slowly came to realize what exactly the unlikely coincidence meant.

"No!" Emily's eyes went wide in disbelief. "It couldn't be!"

Derek started laughing – not because the situation was funny but because there was nothing else to do. "I think we have to face the facts, Princess...they tricked us to making friends with each other."

"Friends?" she repeated, incredulous, "You said you were falling in love with me!"

He winced. "I was kind of hoping you wouldn't remember that..."

She laughed, a little hysterically. "How could I forget?"

Before they could explore the issue any further, though, JJ finally arrived. "Hey guys – I'm so sorry, I..."

"You!" Emily hissed, pointing at JJ accusatorily. "You did this!"

She blinked a few times in surprise and confusion. "Did what?"

But Emily was already on her way back to her room without them, a slow journey, hampered as it was by her IV tower and her waddling gait.

JJ turned to Derek, brow raised in confusion. "What was that about?" she asked him.

"Did you, umm..." He paused, cleared his throat. "Did you know that Emily and I are pen pals?"

"How did you figure it out?" she whispered.

His jaw hung open slightly. "So, it's true?"

JJ at least managed to look chagrined. "Pen and I knew that you two would fall for each other if you could just get past the childhood petty rivalry, so we paired you up and convinced you to join." She paused, frowned. "Is she really upset about it?"

"I think she's just overwhelmed and in pain," he said, though he wasn't entirely certain that was the case.

"Have you been with her the whole time?" she asked, changing the subject.

He nodded. "And I'd like to know where you were...and why you ignored my messages."

She winced. "I'm so sorry – I got called to work, but it was my boyfriend trying to surprise me. He took me to a B&B for the night and I didn't have my phone charger. I didn't think she'd go into labour so early, so I wasn't concerned when my phone died." She paused, offered an apologetic smile. "I'm just surprised she wanted you here," she added. "You two aren't on the best of terms when she isn't in pain..."

He shrugged. "I guess I'm better than no one at all."

From down the hall, Emily hollered, "Derek, get in here!"

"Guess you're not relieved of duty just yet," JJ said with a laugh. She followed him into the room to find Emily kneeling on the floor, elbows on the bed. "What are you doing?" she asked.

Emily ignored her. "Counterpressure," she yelled at Derek.

He obediently obliged, pressing firmly on her back.

"Wow..." JJ murmured, apparently finding the scene before her hard to believe for a variety of reasons, "You two are a well-oiled machine."

"I just do what I'm told," he said with a shrug. "That generally avoids the yelling and cursing..."

Emily turned to glower at him over her shoulder. "Be careful or you might find yourself in trouble," she warned. "I was just starting to like you..."