The car ride home from the doctor's office was very quiet, Jake fiddled with the radio to find something that wouldn't annoy Amy, but he gave up and turned the radio off, then softly banged his head against the dashboard as Amy drove and frowned when she noticed what he was doing.

"Jake, stop, you'll deploy the airbags." Amy knew how he felt, part of her was excited, but the excitement they had felt at the end of their doctor's visit had mostly worn off and they each left with the anticipation of the unknown. "Are YOU really okay with this? You've asked me, but are you?"

Jake sat up, "yeah, of course. I mean, am I nervous about the stress? Of course. Am I worried about how the job and stress affect you, not really, you're pretty kick ass, but am I worried about me not sucking as a father and freaking out? Yes, huge amounts."

"Jake, chill. We have almost nine months to prepare, mentally and the physical things, cribs and all those details. You'll be fine."

They were quiet the rest of the ride home, as they entered the apartment, Jake sat down on the couch, he stared at his movies. Prior to all Amy had gone through, his decisions were easy, the tough part was deciding on which kick-ass cop movie to watch, but now, they all felt too real or too fake.

"Babe, what's wrong? Still worrying about the baby?"

Jake shook his head, "no, it's just, well, I can't decide on a movie."

Amy rolled her eyes, "that is worrisome."

Jake looked at her, "I'm serious though, I don't crave Die Hard like I used to, my Keanu Reeves and my Nic Cage collections don't do anything for me now, I thought I'd regain my normal movie habits in no time at all, but now, I just don't know."

"Really, you're worried about your movie habits?" Amy sat down next him, eating a yogurt.

"For reals Ames, I mean at first, I just thought it was about you, what you went through, but now…I kinda wonder if I'm losing my edge."

Amy half laughed, "Jake, you never had an edge, you have a keen mind and great intuition, but hard edge? I don't know."

"What if I'm going soft? That can be terrible for a cop, remember Scaredy Cat Terry after the twins were born? That was disastrous and hard to watch."

Amy leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, "yeah, I know, but maybe you're just realizing that some of that stuff isn't that real, and that the other stuff isn't that great when it happens to you."

Jake nodded, "I guess, I mean, I couldn't handle what they did to you. Who's my role model now? No more John McClane?"

Amy patted his leg, "there are worse things than growing up a little and realizing that your priorities or tastes have changed. You hardly ever eat cereal with soda anymore, you use fabric softener, you wash your plates with soap, and you don't fall asleep with a sucker in your mouth anymore. It's called change, and it's for the good, it keeps you around longer, for my sake."

Jake looked at her again and slightly nodded his head, "change, for your sake, I guess that's okay, as long it's not because I'm going soft or getting old."

A smile came across Amy's face, "well…you are turning forty, in February, so the old thing, quite real."

"Ames, I would never say that to you."

"Yeah, because I'm younger than you." She kissed him and stood up.

"I need to change my clothes and you need to make me a dessert, something fattening, something indulgent, if my body is going to change, I can rationalize and eat a little more from your disturbing side of the food pyramid."

"Done. I'll get on that."

Two hours later, Jake and Amy sat on the couch eating toffee cake, while the rich aromas of the dessert wafted through the apartment. Amy savored her last bite as she considered their situation. "You know, I don't see much action anymore, as a sergeant, you see some, but not near as much."

Jake eyed her suspiciously, "and your point, Sergeant?"

Amy licked her fork, "my point, detective, is that you could still be a kick-ass cop, help people, but see less danger, we talked about things we could do to lessen the danger level, yours has been off the charts the past couple of years."

"Me? A sergeant? I don't know…"

"Jake, you really are natural leader, you just tend to naturally lead people down the most entertaining path rather than the right one sometimes, but you'd be great."

"The paperwork? That sounds terrible."

Amy sat cross-legged and smiled, "actually, you'd have a secretary or assistant to do that, you sign more things than you fill out."

"The studying and tests? Hmmm, not for me."

Amy frowned and pointed at him, "listen, if you're serious about taking less risks but staying on the force, this is the best way, unless you want to work for a security firm."

Jake made a sour face, "so boring, who wants to do that?"

"The person who is too lazy to become a sergeant."

"Ames, c'mon, my record is…"

Amy quickly interrupted him, "is full of commendations as well as a few disciplinary things, but your commendations are for big cases, important ones. I think you could do it or I wouldn't bring it up, and I'd help you every step of the way, you know I think that stuff is fun."

Jake groaned, "ugh, a baby on the way and I'm already becoming boring."

Amy stared at him, not amused, "no, a baby on the way and your wife, who is the one who should be freaking out is instead trying to convince her husband to do something that would one, decrease the dangers he faces and two, increase his salary, babies aint cheap Peralta."

Jake pondered her words, "I suppose, but if word of this gets out to no one, understood?"

Amy smiled and nodded, "yeah, it would be terrible if people learned you were intelligent and ambitious."

Jake grinned, "exactly." A thought occurred to him as stroked his chin, "speaking of not telling people, how long do we wait to tell the Nine-Niners and friends? I reckon we can tell the moms and Victor sooner?"

Amy sighed and slumped into the couch, "yeah, we should tell them soon, everyone else can wait, for a while as far as I'm concerned. They'll make enough fuss when I return to work, I don't need it being out of control and more annoying. Can you imagine Charles and Terry?"

Jake shuddered, "Charles might actually have an orgasm when he finds out."

Amy stuck out her tongue in disgust, "gross, did not need that mental image. My parents wanted us to come over today, I told them I might not want to after the doctor's appointment and all."

"You want to go today? Are you nuts?"

Amy hugged him, "yes, I must be, but let's get it done, they've actually been a great support through all the stress we've faced, and I think they will be great."

Jake shrugged, "Fine, let's tell the Santiago's their little baby is having a baby."

As they entered the Santiago's home in New Jersey, Jake felt the sweats starting, all over his body, he knew this was happy news, but he worried they would worry and cause he and Amy to worry even more. Jake had been vocal about this in the car and Amy told him it was the Peralta Worry Cycle, he always did that when big news came down and that he should relax and just be happy, and then everyone else would be as well.

Camila hugged each of them, "go sit with Victor, dinner is almost ready."

Victor offered them rum, which they both turned down, he sat in his recliner while Jake and Amy sat on the couch, each now feeling nervous about the news they carried.

"Amy, Jake, I owe you each an apology. Camila made it clear I am not to pressure about you having children. It's ironic though that I can't pressure you, but she can pressure me, welcome to marriage Jake."

Jake tried to laugh and seem natural, but he felt extremely uncomfortable now. Camila entered the room and sat on the arm of Victor's chair. "Amy, how did the doctor's appointment go? Are you ready to work again?"

Amy smiled nervously, Jake could tell by her stiff movements that she was about to explode, her hiding big news was never a good thing. "Yeah, going back to work. Doctor, good. It's all good. Right, Jake?"

Jake nervously nodded, "oh yeah, all good."

Victor eyed Jake suspiciously, "Jake, Amy, what's going on? What aren't you telling us?"

Amy gulped and then closed her eyes, "I'm pregnant! We only found out today, I was pregnant when I was held captive! I'm happy but still freaking out, I'm sorry." She started to cry, Jake leaned over to console her.

Victor and Camila exchanged looks, "Are you serious?" Victor sounded faint.

Amy nodded and cried some more, "yes, I, your only daughter, am pregnant. I wasn't sure I wanted a baby, but now that I'm pregnant, I know I want to keep it, I'm scared though."

Camila moved to the couch and hugged her daughter, "Amy, I know you are scared, you have been through so much, but this baby, you will be a great mother, I know it."

"Thanks mom," as Amy said this, her thoughts focused on how they would protect themselves for the sake of their baby, could Jake take less risks, could they actually keep work at work for once in their relationship, but she didn't feel panic or fear, she and Jake had always faced some dangers, things could be tough no matter what as a police officer, this was true before her ordeal, not just after it.

Jake drove for a change on the way home, Amy had to brace herself a little as he drove more aggressively than she did, Jake's fingers began drumming intensely and rapidly on the steering wheel, Amy could tell he was nervous about something, she almost laughed out loud, there was a lot they could be nervous about, going back to work, the baby, Amy's health, the list could go on.

"Babe, you need to relax." She reached out and rubbed his shoulder closest to her.

Jake frowned slightly, "How are you so calm? I have worried so much about you that I can't even focus on what to worry about?"

She lovingly caressed the back of his head, "Jake, listen to me, before I knew I was pregnant, I was angry, I was nervous, I was scared, but when I found I was pregnant and we talked about it, I came to the realization that this is no different than anything else we've face. Yes, it was worse, but we made it through. Do you remember what the doctor said about the policemen she deals with, the ones that don't make it. It's because they focus on the bad things they think are coming, not the positive things in front of them. Shit will happen Jake, it's us, shit will happen." Jake groaned, and the beginnings of a smile formed on his face, "we just can't let those things rule our lives."

Jake nodded, "good point Mrs. Peralta, good point. So, do you think this fetus will be a boy fetus or a girl fetus?"

Amy smiled, "I haven't thought of that, I've been so focused on wrapping my brain around this and just not freaking out about it, but now, I don't know. You know a baby with our genes will be adorable."

"Yeah, totes adorbs, Ames, totes adorbs."

Amy sighed, "and our baby will speak more maturely than you by the age of four."

Jake grinned, "that's being generous, with your brains and influence and lovingly condescending manner towards me, I bet by the time Fetus McFetus is three years old, they'll pass me, in most intellectual areas."

Amy poked her finger into his shoulder, "I am just teasing, you're very smart."

"Oh yeah, I agree, just not you smart, and I'm okay with that. Again, you are the best person and best cop I know, I said that when I proposed, and I meant it and still believe it."