Oliver was sleeping tight as Calleigh sat down on the couch and tried to watch some news. It had been three months since he had been born and Calleigh couldn't believe how quickly time had passed. She had instantly lived into the role of being a mother and felt happier than ever.

Although it still bothered her that she had not had a DNA test done and the blank 'father' was empty on Oliver's birth certificate and his last name was Duquesne, she had the feeling that it will sort out somehow.

She had reconciled with James who was giving the best he could to be a good father. If you can call glancing at the baby once a day being a father.

Just then he stepped in. Speak of the devil.

"Hi, how was your day?" Calleigh greeted him in her usual cheery way.

"Fine." The only response he was able to give. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat down next to her. He hardly ever asked about her day.

"What the hell…" James jumped up as he had sat on something not nice. It turned out to be some remains of Oliver's daily feast.

Calleigh couldn't help but laugh as she saw James' horrified face. But her laughter didn't help to ease things.

"What is there to laugh? I just sat in baby puke!"

Her laughter didn't seize as she stood up. "I'll get something to clean it up, don't worry!"

"I can't believe it! You're home all day and when I come home and want to have dinner and watch the TV with some good beer, I have to sit into this… this thing! that you have not cleaned up. What do you do all day? Just sit on your fat ass?"

That he shouldn't have said. Calleigh's eyes lit up and her voice acquired a very threatening tone.

"For your information, I am at home with an infant who is not able to do things on his own. He is a normal baby and normal babies spit, throw up and normal fathers don't blame their mothers for it. I can not do things at the same time and fix you a splendid meal while trying to take care of Oliver. I am not perfect!"

Although she didn't yell as to not wake up Oliver, her tone was one that said 'don't-go-there'. But James wasn't able to read it.

"I don't understand how you can't pull it through but Katie could!"

The mention of his ex-wife didn't help at all. "Well, maybe you should've stayed with Katie then if she was so perfect!"

"You just can't seem to be able to appreciate what I have given you. You have a gorgeous apartment, all the money you want and still you are not happy!"

"Happiness isn't about making money; it is about being with your family. It seems you know nothing of Oliver's life; you were not there when he was born, when I came home with him; whenever he has had a significant time in his life, you're simply not there."

"I didn't want this child and still don't!" It took a fracture of a second for him to realize what he had said and another one to recognize the instinct of pain on his cheek where Calleigh had slapped him.

"That's it. I'm leaving now." As if to conclude her words, Oliver had woken up and screamed for his mom. She put him into his car safety seat, took his diaper bag, her own phone and keys and marched out, right in front of a stupefied James who couldn't believe what was happening.

She was already out of the door when he reached her.

"Are you leaving me?"

Calleigh responded only with an icy glare and got into the car with Oliver. Starting the engine, she took off and left James behind.

Once in the car, she took a deep breath. She certainly hadn't meant this to end with a fight but her tolerance had reached its end. Despite her angry self, she felt the tears rolling down as her mind replayed James' last words. I didn't want this child and still don't! So she had been right. He wasn't cut to be a father.

Calleigh took a deep breath as she realized she had not yet decided where she ought to go. Of course the safest was to go and stay with Alexx. She would welcome her with open arms. Calleigh's reason was all in favor but her heart…

She shook her head and turned right, following the road to the only place where she wouldn't be judged, blamed or questioned but comforted.

"Calleigh? And Oliver? What are you two doing here?" Ryan was the personification of surprise. He certainly hadn't been expecting them.

"We just… um… if this is not okay, we can go somewhere else and…" Calleigh didn't manage to find words but her tears-stained face didn't need any explanation.

"No, no, it's okay, come in."

Once inside, he turned into a good host. "Would you like something to drink? Coffee or something?"

She felt deep gratitude as he didn't question her about her appearance. "Just water, thanks. I'll go and arrange myself in the bathroom, okay?"

"Sure."

Calleigh locked the bathroom door and gazed at herself from the mirror. Her face was stained with tears and her eyes were puffed; it was impossible to miss she had been crying. Doing the best she could, she washed her face and arranged her hair so she looked at least a tidbit better.

When she re-entered the living room, everything inside her went warm at the sight in front of her. Oliver was safe asleep in Ryan's arms who gazed at him with such intense love.

"How did you manage to convince him to sleep?" Calleigh asked quietly, not wanting to wake Oliver up.

Ryan smiled. "I just talked to him a bit and one moment he had just fallen asleep. I'll put him away and then we can talk."

With the inner knowledge of a father, he gently placed Oliver back and offered Calleigh some water. They sat down in the kitchen and although not a word was spoken, the silence wasn't awkward but very welcome. After she regained her thoughts, she knew she had to explain things.

"I left him."

"Why?"

"Because he said some very bad things and I felt like suffocating. He has no right to just say these things when he's even not…" her voice trailed off, not finishing the sentence with even not Oliver's father.

Luckily, Ryan didn't ask. And Calleigh who felt the sudden urge of telling him everything, just talked and talked. About the way things were and he just listened without interrupting until she reached the culmination of that night.

"And when I told him that he's never there, he said… he said…" she couldn't bring herself to say it out aloud and felt the tears rolling down again.

Before she managed to wipe them away, she felt Ryan's finger delicately stopping the tears and she finished, "He said that he had never wanted Oliver and still doesn't." Her voice was a mere whisper but he could hear her.

Ryan felt his heart clench at the thought that someone could say such things about this gorgeous baby and hurt Calleigh so deeply. He took her hand and simply held it, soothing the back of her hand with his thumb. It seemed to calm her.

"I think I should go and try to have some sleep now."

"Okay. My bedroom is down the hall; I fixed it for you and took Oliver there as well."

She nodded and he guided her there. Without saying a word, she rushed to Oliver and gently soothed his cheek, looking into the face of a sleeping angel. Her angel.

Ryan admired the delicate moment for a second and then turned to leave. "Sweet dreams, Cal."

He was about to leave but then suddenly heard her voice. "Stay."

Without believing his ears, he turned around and looked straight into her eyes. "Stay here. I don't want to be alone tonight. Just stay."

And he didn't argue as they both slid under the covers, Ryan only in his boxers and Calleigh in a thin camisole she had kept. Although he had thought to keep some distance because being so near to her made his head go dizzy, she snuggled up close to him and he took in her delicate scent.

As far as he was concerned, this could have lasted on until the last days of his life.

A/N: This story is living its own life! I had a whole different thing planned but things tend to work their own way. I am near to begging you to review as I might otherwise lose the motivation to continue writing. So please do review :)