A/N: Not much to say here...except thanks for all the encouragement so far. Hope you guys enjoy this next chapter!

Contemplative brown eyes met shiny diamond. The eyes stared. The diamond winked back. Jules sighed. Sam wanted to marry her. How was that supposed to work? she mused, tracing the diamond's circumference. She slipped the ring onto her finger and studied the visual effect. It was perfect from ring-size to style. Beautifully simple because Sam knew she'd have hated gaudiness. If she were going to marry anyone, it would be him without a doubt. But she didn't think the commander let them stay on Team One together if they did get married, no matter whovouched for them.

He wanted to have children with her. The thought had flitted across her mind every now and then, too nebulous to take root. Now she couldn't get it out of her head. He wanted babies. Plural. She didn't think she was being vain in making the prediction that they would make absolutely gorgeous babies together. If they had babies. If they got married.

She should set the ring back in the box since she'd gotten a good look at it, but she didn't want to take it off her finger once she slipped it on. She liked it right where it was… which was a problem. What was more important? Keeping the ring on her finger or keeping her place on the team? She'd worked her ass off to stay on Team One as it was, and she was going to have to do the same again, which she was willing to do. But giving up Sam, too? That worked out so well the first time…

He hadn't said the words, neither the night before nor this morning when he'd stopped by before work, but she wasn't stupid. He was putting himself out there on a limb because what they were now wasn't enough. He wanted more, and if she didn't, she was out of luck.

She dropped her hand into her lap and relaxed into her pillow, closing her eyes. She knew there was a solution that would permit her to keep her family and not lose Sam; she just couldn't see it yet.

Team One's first order of business was to rip off the Band-Aid and debrief the hot call they'd handled the previous day and work out any mistakes they might have made and if they could have come out with a better outcome. Greg waited until after they had completed the debriefing to announce, "Emily Ames wasn't just some housewife." His team regarded him with blank stares. "Guns and Gangs had her flagged as an acquaintance of Kirby Zimmerman and Dane Bernthol, two suspected gunrunners. They aren't a hundred percent sure what the nature of the relationship is, but her gun was unregistered and the serial number was filed off which implies she was into something."

Sam felt his jaw flex. "Why didn't you tell us this before the debriefing so we knew what we missed?" he asked, thinly masking his irritation. He didn't fool any of the other men around the table. Fact was, they were wondering the same thing.

Greg had anticipated the question. "It contributed nothing to her husband's frame of mind and there's no indication it had any bearing on hers, either. I just figured you guys would want to know where the gun came from."

Predictably, Ed was the first to accept Greg's explanation. "It would have just made us second guess yourself unnecessarily. I assume Emily's in jail?"

"Yeah. Henry Frank, the baby's father, asked for a statement supporting his suit for full custody of the baby as soon as it's born."

"Good," Sam bit out. His teammates looked at him askance in response to the lack of compassion. He clenched his teeth against the desire to call them all hypocrites. If any one of them had claimed to wish Emily Ames well after what she did to Jules, he would have called the offending man a liar. Besides, her actions also endangered the life of that baby she supposedly wanted so badly. "We done here?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're done, hit the gym" Greg excused the team. "Sam, hold on a minute."

Sam, who had been halfway to his feet, dropped back down as the others marched out and headed toward the locker rooms. Already on the defensive, he started to say, "Boss…"

"How's she doing?" Greg cut him off, looking him straight in the eye.

"She's fine. The doctor's expecting a full recovery."

"And? What aren't you saying?" Greg pressed, sensing there was something else that had Sam on edge.

"Boss, she's fine, I swear," Sam insisted.

"Okay, then what's up with you?" Greg asked.

"Nothing, I…I'm just trying to think long-term about things. When I'm ready to talk about it, I will, okay?"

Greg stared at him for another beat or two before relenting. "Okay, fine, get out of here."

Sam jumped up as if his pants had caught fire and made his escape, leaving Greg to wonder just what it was the younger man wanted in the long-term.

"Knock, knock," Natalie chirped as she poked her head in the door.

"Natalie. Come in," Jules said, smiling at the blonde because that was what people always wanted to see when they visited someone in the hospital. A smiling face to back up the fact that they were alive.

"I was on my way to work and I wanted to see if you needed anything," Natalie said casually.

"You got a job?" Jules squealed. Just last week Sam had complained that he suspected his sister had no intention whatsoever of doing that very thing.

"I got a job!" Natalie confirmed gleefully. "I was going to let the cat out of the bag last night but you kinda stole my thunder… " She gave Jules a mock-glare which Jules returned. "So, anyway, you are looking at Jest Enjoy's newest event consultant."

"Sounds fancy."

Natalie smirked. "It's supposed to." Then she caught the glint on Jules's hand and let out a shriek that she immediately tried to muffle with the back of her own hand. "He did it already? You said yes? You're going to be my sister-in-law? Ahhh! Oh!" She covered her mouth again for a split second before asking excitedly, "Can I plan the wedding? And the reception? And…oh! I'm so excited!"

Mouth hanging open, Jules dizzily watched Natalie flit around the room. It was a couple of seconds before she realized it was her turn to speak, a few more seconds before she could think of what to say. "Natalie, Sam and I…we aren't engaged…"

Natalie eyed the ring. "I don't think my eyes are deceiving me…"

Jules uncomfortably slid her right hand over her left. "I'm thinking about it," she hedged.

"You told him maybe? Maybe? Jules, come on…even I can admit my brother's a catch. And he is crazy about you. And you're crazy about him, too, I can tell. Why wouldn't you say yes? It's not like you have to sneak around anymore!"

"It has nothing to do with how I feel about Sam," Jules said steadily. "I love him and I know he loves me, but that doesn't mean we can just ride off into the sunset. Our bosses would never let us stay on Team One if we got married. We're already pushing it as it is."

Natalie folded her arms. "Yeah, actually, it is about how you feel about Sam. Do you love him enough for a job that probably has a crappy salary not to matter or not?"

"It's not that simple…"

"Why not?" Natalie demanded, putting her hands on her hips. Clearly, she was offended by Jules's reticence. "It's a job. This is Sam we're talking about here. Really, Jules…" she huffed. "I need to get to work. Don't think too long, and, for the love of God, don't make a really huge mistake."

For once, Jules wasn't sad to see Sam's sister go. Natalie didn't know what she was talking about. Of course she loved Sam more than a crappy paying job, but that wasn't all the SRU was. It was her, Sam, Spike, Ed, Greg, Raf… She thought of Lew, who should have been a part of that list for a long, long time. Who should have gotten married and had kids someday. Who thought he would right up until the instant it took for that future to disappear. No pretty dresses. No honeymoon spent extreme hiking on remote trails with no outhouses. No brown-eyed kids with unruly blond hair. Wait. Those weren't things Lew wanted… "Well I'll be damned," she murmured to herself, twisting the ring back and forth on her finger.

After dealing with one call on top of the other, Team One returned to the barn to change, get their stuff, and head home. For once, Greg was leaving at the same time as the rest of the team, since he had a son to see, and was in the locker room bantering with the other guys. All except Sam, who'd been pensive all day. It hadn't shown in the quality of his work, but everyone could tell he had something on his mind. Most of them chalked it up to what happened to Jules and left him alone about it. Greg was pretty sure it was more than that, but he still left him alone. Spike knew it was more than that because Natalie had called to rant and rave and declare she was disowning Jules if she picked the SRU over 'The Ring'…but he left it alone, too. As he had told Natalie, it was their lives. It was up to them to make it work. As logical as he'd thought he'd sounded, he'd had to spend a good fifteen minutes talking her down so she wouldn't go back to the hospital to browbeat Jules into eloping.

"I do believe this is the first time in a while I've been able to be home to help with dinner in a while," Ed declared. "See you gentlemen on Monday. Oh, hey, Greg? I'm sure Sophie would want me to tell you that you and Dean are welcome to stay for dinner."

"I just might take you up on that, Eddie, my friend." The original plan was just to pick his teenaged son up from the Lane house and continue on his way home, but he was tired and could cook for Dean, as well as Marina, tomorrow as planned.

"Hey! Where's my invite?" Raf demanded as he shut his locker.

Ed smirked. "Sorry Raf, guess you didn't hear. There's a seniority threshold for eating at my table…the three of you ain't hit it yet."

Spike scoffed. "He's lying, I've eaten at his place…he just doesn't like you like that."

"Not cool, man, not cool," Raf shook his head. "Alright, guys, I'm out. Have a good weekend."

"You, too," Greg said as he and Ed followed him out.

Spike started to follow suit, but he hesitated at the door, teetering on the edge of tossing his on advice out the window. "Ah, screw it," he muttered under his breath. "Hey, Sam? I know it's none of my business but I've never seen you or Jules as happy as you have been, so I've gotta say…don't let her go without a fight. If it comes to that, I mean. Make it work." With that, he made his exit.

Sam scratched the back of his head. He'd been grappling with how to make it work all day. And how was it that, now that Spike was seeing his sister, he always seemed to be in his business? Okay, not always. Just lately. It was probably Natalie's fault.

Jules was determinedly trying to recreate the Eiffel Tower out of bland chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas when the aroma of mandarin chicken and other, equally delicious, scents tickled her nostrils. She looked up with her eyes lit up by a brilliant smile and looked at Sam. "I have never been so happy to see a takeout bag in my life!"

"Well, I aim to please," Sam responded as he settled himself into his chair and moved her plate out of the way. "Nice craftsmanship."

She scrunched her face up at him. "Whatever, I was bored."

They bantered comfortably over dinner and Sam told her about the calls they'd gotten that day. Once the food was gone, they sat in uncomfortable silence while each waited for the other to broach the hot topic. Suddenly they both burst into speech at the same time.

"So, I've been thinking about it and I…" Sam began.

"I think we should look at this…" Jules started.

"Me, first," Sam insisted, taking a deep breath. "I've thought about this all day. I know how much the team means to you…"

"Sam—"

"…that's why you walked away the first time. And you'd think I would have learned after that…"

"Sam!" Jules was horrified. Was he taking it back now? Was that even allowed? He told her to think about it. That made it her call…and this wasn't it!

"…but I've worked it all out now. If you say you'll marry me…" He paused and took a deep breath, then let that breath out in a whoosh of words. "…I'll leave Team One. You can stay."

Jules deflated a little, the indignation slipping right out of her. "Really? You'd leave the team for me?"

He nodded, looking distinctly unhappy about it. "Yeah, I would. For us. I should have a long time ago if that was what it took."

Jules pressed her lips together so they wouldn't tremble, then she shook her head. She even managed a slight laugh. "Braddock, you sure know how to give a girl heart palpitations. For a second there you had me thinking…never mind. I just hope you didn't turn in your letter of resignation yet, because Sarge might have a full blown heart attack if he loses us both…"

Sam tilted his head to the side, hardly daring to think she meant what he thought she did. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, you aren't the only one who's had a long day to think things through, and I've come to the conclusion that you and me, we can be our own family. You me, and any kids we have. I'm thinking two, but I'm open to negotiation. And I was thinking that I would leave when the kids started coming anyway, so it would just be happening sooner rather than later. You guys already need to find a replacement for me, so that'll be that. Oh, and while we're talking about my thoughts…" She flashed the ring on her finger and arched an eyebrow. "Right about now, I'm thinking you should take this off for like two seconds, ask me properly, and then slide it right back where it was."

Sam tried not to laugh as he said, "I love you." Gaining control of himself, he slid the ring off her finger. "Should I get down on one knee, too?"

"Uh-uh, I might pop my stitches twisting my head. You can come a little closer, though," she prompted, patting the bed.

He obediently sat on the edge of the bed. "Okay, here goes. Jules… I love you. It wasn't instantaneous like love at first sight or anything like that. The longer I knew you, the more familiar your strength, beauty, integrity, and compassion became to me, the more I could feel myself falling until I found myself deeply and irrevocably in love with you. You've made my life full when I didn't realize it was half-empty. You've healed me when I thought I was damaged goods. You make me feel like I can conquer the world, but only if you're standing beside me, supporting me, loving me. You're it for me. So, Julianna Callaghan, will you marry me?"

"Ugh, you're gonna me go all girly and cry," Jules lamented, sniffling a little. "Yes, Sam, I will marry you." She returned the kiss he leaned over to give her, then waved her hand. "Okay, now give me my ring back." The both laughed slightly as he slid the ring back into place and kissed the back of her hand.

A/N: Writing this chapter made me happy. Just had to put that out there. Peace.