"You ready to go home sleepyhead?" he asks as he comes in her room.
"Yes," she nods, "are you tormenting me?"
"No you get to go home today. I've got a change of clothes for you. The nurse is going to bring in discharge papers."
"Nick..."
"I've got to go take care of something. I'll be right back," he tells her.
The nurse comes in and unhooks her from the various machines. She gives her some medications and instructions. She leaves her with the discharge papers. Catherine is in the bathroom getting dressed after a very brief shower when Nick returns. She hears footsteps from inside the bathroom.
"Nicky is that you?" she calls out.
"Yeah. Are you ready?"
"Almost," she answers as she runs a comb through her wet hair. She pulls a hooded sweatshirt over her t-shirt and heads for the door.
She finds Nick waiting for her. On her bed she finds a carseat and a diaper bag.
"Are you ready?" he questions.
"She's going?" Catherine questions.
Nick turns the car seat around for her to see in. "All you have to do is fill out the birth certificate. The nurse brought it in while you were in the bathroom."
"They're really letting me take her home today?"
"Uh huh," he nods.
She sits down on the bed and begins to fill out the birth certificate. "How do you feel?" he asks her.
"Better than I look," she admits, "you should have had Lindsey send me make up."
"You look fine," he tells her.
She stops writing. "Are you done?" he asks.
She shakes her head and then hesitates. She begins to write again. His hand gently stops her. "Are you sure that you're ready to go home?"
"I am... I just don't want to fill this out," she admits.
"Why not?"
"I don't want to write none under father."
"So don't."
"What do you want me to do? Leave it blank?"
"I don't know," he shrugs.
She stares at Finley. Finley spits her pacifier out and opens her eyes. Catherine looks at her and replaces the pacifier. "The doctor said that she's got great sucking reflexes," Nick tells her.
"She's so tiny," Catherine adds.
"Put my name down," he tells her.
"What?" she questions.
"Put my name down," he repeats.
"If anything happens to me..."
"I know, put my name down."
"Are you sure?" she questions.
"I'm going to be the closet thing to a dad that she has," he points out.
"So you'll babysit whenever I ask," she jokes.
"I'd do anything for her," he answers.
"Ok," she agrees as she picks the pen up and begins to write.
He signs the document, and leaves the hospital with Catherine and Finley. He buckles Finley into the middle seat of his SUV, and then helps Catherine into the back with her. He starts up the SUV and pulls out of the parking garage.
"Nick?"
"Yeah?" he questions.
"Where did all of this come from?"
"Where did what come from?" he asks glancing in the rearview mirror.
"The carseat, the diaper bag, her clothes, the blanket..."
He cuts her off, "The store. Where else would it come from?"
"You went to the store and got all this?"
"There's this law where you can't take a baby home without a carseat."
"Yes I know that."
"She needed stuff, so I went and got her some stuff."
He stops at the red light and watches her in his mirror. She sniffs the blanket that's covering up Finley.
"Whatcha doin?" he questions.
"Smelling her."
"You don't have to do that," he reassures her.
"You don't even know why I'm smelling her," she argues.
"I washed everything in baby detergent, don't worry."
The rest of the ride is mostly silent until Nick turns down Catherine's street. "Promise you won't be mad at me."
"Why would I be mad at you?"
"Just promise," he replies.
"Nick..."
"Don't be mad," he begs.
They pull up to her house, and he helps her out of the car. He carries the carseat and she opens the door. She steps into the house and tosses her purse on the floor. She looks around the house and finds her mother.
"Hi mom," Catherine fakes a smile as Nick enters behind her, "I didn't know you were going to be here."
"Sorry," Nick apologizes.
Nick puts the carseat on the couch and Lily takes baby Finley out. "Well hello precious girl," she smiles.
"Hey Nick can you come help me in the kitchen?" Catherine questions.
He follows her into the kitchen. "I'm assuming that you told her?"
"Obviously."
"Who else did you tell?"
"No one," he answers.
"You're sure?"
"Yes," he answers.
"Ok."
Finally Lily leaves. Nick can tell how exhausted Catherine is as she burps Finley. "Go to bed, I'll take care of her," he offers.
"I'm fine," she yawns as she pats the baby.
He gets up out of his chair and walks over to her. He reaches for the baby and she shakes her head. "Come on," he begs her.
"Ok," she agrees as she wraps the baby in her tiny pink blanket.
She follows him up the stairs to her room. She stops at the top and turns to him. "Where am I going to put her?" she questions.
"Just go to your room," he advises her.
She rolls her eyes and heads into her room. She stops next to the bed and puts the little girl in the awaiting bassinet. After putting Finley down Catherine stops in front of the bed and turns to face Nick. She throws her arms around him and hugs him. He hugs her back. "I lied," she says in a whisper, "I'm tired." She lets go.
"I know," he smiles as he pulls the covers back for her. She climbs underneath them and looks at him.
"Nick?"
"Huh?"
"What are you doing?"
"Taking care of you," he answers.
"What are we doing?" she questions.
He doesn't answer. "I know where she's going to sleep, but where are you going to sleep?"
"On the couch," he answers.
"No you're not," she argues.
"I'm not sleeping on the floor."
"You can sleep with me," she tells him.
He looks at her but doesn't say anything. "Come on I know that you're tired too."
"I don't want to cross any lines," he tells her.
"Nick you're not. I love having you here. I love being taken care of."
"What are you saying?"
"I don't want to just be co-workers anymore," she answers him.
He doesn't say a word.
"But if you don't, I'll understand that."
"I do," he tells her.
"Good because you're a great diaper changer."
He just laughs.