Nick rolled over in the bed, his body restive, his mind so agitated with thoughts he knew there was no hope he was actually going to get any sleep despite the fact he'd just finished a tiring night of work. He didn't know why he was here, he knew he shouldn't be, but he hadn't been able to help himself. She and Greg had only been broken up for three months or so and now here he found himself, lying clad only in his boxers, sunk deep in the sheets of her bed beside her, having come here straight from work, telling everyone else the most contact he'd had with her were brief dialogues on the phone to make sure everything was going all right with the pregnancy.

Not that they'd been sleeping together. At least not this time. The first time he'd talked to her right after she'd broken the news to Greg, he'd come over that night, and well, the facts were he just couldn't seem to control himself around her, especially after she'd told him she believed she still loved him. But that had been months ago. Now they spent their early mornings snuggling, spending quiet moments together before they separated to do their own things, her disappearing to the studio, him going to the lab where he was finding it harder and harder to avoid Greg, to get past the discord he'd caused within the entire team.

They weren't a couple again, Easton had made sure that Nick was aware of that. They were just the close friends they'd always been, he was just her companion, her pillar of support as she attempted to sort out the broken jigsaw of a puzzle that was her life. Nick didn't care what he was to her, as long as it meant spending time with her, seeing her pregnancy take shape, hearing her voice, being Greg to her, since he knew that was who she was really wishing was lying beside her each morning. He would hear her, tucked away in the living room, dialling and redialling Greg's number, soliciting him to talk to her. He felt like a loser, yet daily he'd show up, ready and willing to take on whatever role she wanted him to.

Shifting again he took in the sight of her lying on her back next to him, her chest rising and falling with every breath. He reached his hand out and ran it over the round mound that was her now seven month expectant belly underneath the thin fabric of her sleep t-shirt and she stirred, opening her eyes and smiling sleepily as her gaze met his. Rolling himself so he was half-on top of her, he grazed her lips with his, tucking his arms under her back and lifting her lightly to him. She kissed him in return, but made no move for anymore physical affection.

"Why are you awake?" She closed her eyes again, settling in his arms.

Nick let his eyes scan the length of her, mentally trying to force his erection to weaken itself. "I couldn't sleep."

She altered her body so that now her face was nuzzled against his chest. "Well try to, cause I want to," as she said this a small smile played on her mouth.

"Hello?" a female voice rang through the apartment.

Nick felt Easton's body tense and her eyes snapped open.

"Hello, Easton?" the voice came again, followed by footsteps that sounded like they were coming from the foyer.

Nick watched inquisitively as Easton almost seemed to launch herself from the bed, grabbing her purple, fluffy bathrobe from the floor and throwing it on.

"Stay here," she stipulated. Before Nick had a chance to respond she was out of the bedroom.

As Easton padded down the hallway, she could pickup the sound of luggage wheels on the foyer marble floor, and she was silently praying it wasn't who she knew it was going to be.

Rounding the corner, she came face to face with Greg's mother, Elise Sanders, standing just through the elevator, followed by Greg's father, John Sanders. They each had a rolling suitcase with them, and Easton felt her blood pressure rise. She had known before everything had happened with Greg that they had been planning on coming for a visit, but since she and Greg had split, she had figured he would have cancelled the get-together. He obviously hadn't, and Easton wondered if Greg was even aware that they were in town from California.

"Oh, we've woken you. I knew we should have come later," Elise fussed as she reached and hugged Easton, patting her tummy. "Pregnancy looks good on you, sweetie."

Easton's cheeks flared. "Thanks, Elise."

John hugged Easton as well. "Looking beautiful, as usual, my girl," he told her, kissing her hair.

Easton just squeezed him back, afraid of opening her mouth.

Elise looked around slightly expectantly. "Well, where is that scientist son of mine?"

"He's uh, not home from work yet," she lied. "But come on in." As she led them into the den, she glanced over her shoulder, wondering if Nick would know to stay in the bedroom until he was able to slip out unseen.

Elise pulled a small, blue package from her purse and handed it to Easton as they settled onto the couch. "For you, from Nana and Papa Olaf. She's set you're having a boy." As Easton took the parcel from Elise, she winked. "Nana's psychic, you know."

Tearing the wrapping from it, Easton felt her voice catch in her throat. Inside the box was a toy wooden train that looked like it had seen better years, but Easton knew exactly what it was. The train had belonged to Greg's maternal grandfather, Papa Olaf, and had been a treasured toy when he'd been growing up in Norway, and it had then been a favourite of Greg's, and now it had been passed to their child. Or Nick's. Her eyes grew wet as she gently put the train on the coffee table.

"Sweetie, I know its ugly, but you don't need to cry over it," John joked.

Elise smacked her husband on the knee. "Of course if you don't like it, we can keep it at our place for when you come to visit with the baby."

Easton shook her head. "No, I love it."

There was a bump that came from the entrance, and Elise startled.

"Gregory, is that you?" she called, and Easton was afraid she'd find out how wrong she was.

Her tongue tied, Easton watched helplessly as John rose to his feet and meandered back to the lobby.

"Nick?"

"Nick?" Elise repeated, looking at Easton questioningly.

Nick appeared in the parlour, back with John, his cheeks pink. "Elise, good to see you!" he said, leaning down to hug Greg's mother.

"What are you doing here? Is Gregory with you?"

"Uh, no, he had some stuff to tie up at the lab, so he's still there," Nick concocted, glancing at Easton from the corner of his eye. Her face had gone pale. "He just asked me to swing by and make sure Easton was OK, since he was running late."

Elise and John seemed to buy Nick's lame excuse, and Elise moved on the couch, patting the spot next to her. "Well, then, why don't you come sit, stay awhile? Of course, if that's OK with Easton."

"That would normally be fine, but I actually have to get to the studio," Easton fibbed. She corralled the Sanders' up off the couch and back toward the hall. "Why don't you two go enjoy some of the sights, maybe get some breakfast? Give Greg a call, I'm sure he'll be eager to see you ASAP. Then maybe we can have dinner tonight?"

She was hoping Elise wouldn't opt to just relax at the apartment as Greg's parents looked back and forth between each other, seeming a little bewildered by Easton's uncharacteristic behaviour.

"You know what, that sounds like a much better idea then sitting around the apartment," John said finally. "I'm a little cramped from being on the plane anyways."

Easton breathed a sigh of relief as Elise leaned in for another hug. "We will see you this evening, then, OK, hun?"

Easton nodded, as John pressed the button for the elevator.

"And Nick, I'm sure you want to go home and get some sleep," Easton pushed.

Nick nodded, not quite meeting her eyes. The elevator doors opened and all three of them climbed in, and Easton waved bye, knowing that once Greg's parents found out the real reason why he wasn't there this morning, it was probably going to be the last time she'd ever see them.