December 20th

"Where have you been for two days?" Fran asked as Derek came in the door, shuffled to the living room, and flopped face down on the couch. "I've been worried sick about you, you know?" (Once a mother, always a mother, apparently...)

"At the hospital," he replied, voice muffled by couch cushions. He was exhausted down to his very bones and all he wanted to do was fall into a deep sleep for the next two days, but he had a feeling his mother wasn't about to let that happen...

Her eyebrows leapt up her forehead at his announcement, panic obviously coursing through her. "The hospital?" she repeated incredulously. "Whatever for? And why didn't you call me?"

He rolled over so he voice wouldn't be muffled, stifling a yawn as he did so. "Emily had her baby."

"Really? Isn't she almost three weeks early?" Fran asked, surprised and perhaps a little dubious as if she suspected he were hiding something.

He shrugged. "You know what you always say: babies have their own schedule."

"So, you aren't kidding?"

"Not even a little bit. I did the whole labour thing with her – holding her hands and giving counterpressure and everything," he explained, still seeming in awe himself over the fact that he'd actually done it. "She even wanted me to cut the umbilical cord..."

Fran nodded slowly, apparently digesting that bit of information. "Wow..." she said in a whoosh of air.

He raised a brow at her tone. "What, Mama? I know you've got something to say on the matter, so out with it..."

"I'm just...surprised," she admitted, "I mean, you're... Well, you're a good man, but from what you've told me, you tend to run when things get serious. And there's nothing quite so serious as helping someone give birth."

He rolled his eyes. "Maybe. But this is different. Yes, suck at commitment, but that's just because I've never felt it, you know? That thing that tells you something is real. It's differentwhen it's someone you l-"

"What was that?" Fran asked when he trailed off suddenly, looking stricken by his own honesty.

"Nothing," he lied. "Nothing at all."

A smug smirk was working its way across Fran's lips. "You were going to say love..." she accused. It wasn't a question.

He heaved a sigh, sounding exhausted, though it was unclear if that was because of the conversation or the last forty-eight hours. "Fine. Maybe I have some feelings for Emily, but it really doesn't matter. Because I'm not her husband. She's not ready to move on."

"Derek, you just shared the most intimate moment of Emily's life with her. That's not something you share with just anyone..."

"So, what, Mama?" Derek asked. "You think Emily's secretly in love with me?" He shook his head. "Because I really don't think..."

She interrupted, "That's right – you don't think. Otherwise you wouldn't be here right now."

That seemed to surprise – and confuse – him. "Well, where would I be, oh all-knowing Mama?"

Shaking her head and smiling, Fran patted his cheek. "You'd be at the hospital. With Emily."

"But..." She just gave him a pointed look. "For one thing, I'm exhausted. And for another..." he listed.

"Just go, Derek. You know it's where you want to be."

"How do you feel?" JJ asked quietly, glancing at Emily from the corner of her eye as if trying to get a read on her without openly letting Emily know she was doing so.

The two of them had made the slow journey from Emily's recovery room to the nursery so that Emily could watch him through the pane glass window. She'd surprised JJ by letting the nurses take him...not that she could really blame her, considering she'd been awake for nearly three days at that point.

Emily shrugged, staring at her son like she couldn't look away, a tiny smile playing about her lips, albeit a sad one. "I don't know – I don't think it's really sunk in yet," she confessed, sounding almost embarrassed to be admitting it aloud.

JJ rubbed her back gently. "I'm sure it takes time. It's a huge transition to go from having him inside you and having him be this real person separate from you."

She nodded. "I already love him so much. I just... I don't feel like a mom yet."

"Is that why you let him go to the nursery?" she asked. "Because I half expected you to cling to him so hard they'd need the jaws of life to tear you apart."

Emily said nothing.

And, apparently sensing that she needed some space from the matter, JJ changed the subject. "I've gotta say, I'm impressed with Derek – he didn't throw up or faint or anything. I was half expecting him to swear off sex for life after the way you swore during transition..."

She gave a little laugh. "He's my hero," she whispered, voice so soft JJ wasn't sure she was meant to hear it.

"You must really be important to him," JJ replied.

"What makes you say that?"

JJ bumped her shoulder against Emily's. "Because Derek Morgan, infamous player, infamous commitment-phobe, spent two days helping you bring your baby into the world. A baby that isn't his."

"Meaning what?" she prompted.

"Meaning he obviously has feelings for you," JJ whispered.

Emily shook her head. "I don't think..."

"And you have feelings for him," she continued.

For a few moments, her mouth hung open slightly. "Jayje..."

"If you can't admit it to me, admit it yourself," she urged.

A beat.

"Is this why you paired us up in the stupid pen pal thing?" she asked. "Because, Jay... I just..." She sighed, shook her head, trailing off.

"I know," JJ said in a gentle whisper. "But for what it's worth, I think you two could really make it work."

Emily just nodded slowly, almost vacantly. "I think I should try to get some sleep," she said, "You know, while I still can..."

JJ squeezed her hand, but said nothing. She knew Emily didn't need to be pushed right now. She just needed a friend.