A/N: Swearing in this chapter

A/N2: I have no medical expertise so just go with it ok?

Hotch's rare good mood was ruined when he overheard a conversation between Prentiss and a colleague. He was making himself his second- no third cup of coffee. She must have just come back from her lunch, and was washing out a container. She was so close to him he could smell her perfume.

"How was your date on Saturday?" Agent (Robell?) asked her.

"You know Gina, we really hit it off. I had a great time. He took me to that little Italian restaurant on F Street."

"This is the second date right? Wow, I can't believe you scored the cutest diplomat. I'm so jealous."

Emily beamed, and he hated it. She leaned closer to Robell and he barely caught the 'third date tonight'. They shared another laugh and finally he had enough. He just wanted to squash her happiness.

He turned to her and just when she looked him square in the eye he snapped, "Agent Prentiss keep your personal like at home. This is a professional office not the playground." And stomped back to his office.

Emily stomped back to her own desk, viciously grabbed the phone and started calling her contacts in Maine. There could possibly be a serial rapist amongst a New England town. Not a case she wanted to spend most of her time with. She looked around the bullpen, glaring at Hotchner's office. Every day that man grated her nerves. What was up with him? Reid gave her a sympathetic grimace but it wasn't like he was going to step in the line of fire for her. She wasn't going to ask for that yet. She wondered vaguely what David Rossi, the new superior, would have to say about his former protégé's behaviour.

She heard Morgan answer his personal cell phone, and his voice jump an octave. He dashed into Hotch's office where she distinctly heard him say "Lexi's in the hospital". Hotch must have given him the okay to leave. Morgan left everything but his coat as he raced out of the office.

As Hotch stepped out of his office and watched, Emily simply could not resist. "So much for keeping our personal lives out of the office."

He simply looked down at her and said "Finish what Morgan was doing today, Prentiss."

"Fuck." Doing her work plus Morgan's was definitely going to screw with her evening plans. Still, hearing that Lexi could be in the hospital worried her. She couldn't blame Morgan for leaving. She could blame Hotch for being an ass.

Instead of complaining about it (like she had been planning on) she texted Adrian that instead of dinner, they should just go drinks tonight. She wouldn't be done work until at least 10 o'clock now.

*~*

He never expected to get this kind of phone call. It sent his heart pounding furiously in his chest and every terrible scenario running in his head. Was she in a car accident? Was she attacked? Did some random piano fall and hit her while she was walking down the street? The only information he had was from her inane best friend Casey.

"They just took Lexi to Sibley Memorial. I don't know who to call but since you're the father, I figure you better know. Oh—I gotta go. Get here as soon as possible."

He had not realized until this moment (he was stuck in traffic and trying to not break any speeding laws, why hadn't he taken a cruiser and put the lights up?) how much you could care about someone. Or how much he secretly wanted to be a father. Not that he was used to the idea. But he had envisioned having a little boy to teach T-Ball and later football. All that fun parenting stuff. And of course Lexi had always been in that picture; especially since he was given the ring. He had decided he would just wait until she was ready.

He parked his car in a no-parking zone not caring if he got towed. It was the closest to the emergency room. At the desk he nearly shouted her name. The unimpressed nurse looked him up and down and looked at her computer.

"Emergency room 14. Follow me." She was incredibly slow moving. Finally she pointed to a curtain that said '14'. He burst in shooting questions.

"Whats going on? Are you alright? Is the baby alright? What's wrong?"

"Are you done yet?" Lexi quipped, raising herself on the bed. She was dressed in a hospital gown and her hair looked a little tangled but she seemed otherwise unharmed. Casey stood beside her fiddleing with her cell phone. The word what? was on his lips.

"I fell down a few steps at work. This is just a precaution." She explained.

"That's it?" He staggered to the chair. So it wasn't a real emergency. "And the baby?"

"The doctor said she would be back with a sonogram machine to double check."

"Plus it looks like you might have a broken ankle." Casey put in. "Do you want me to call your mom?"

"No. You weren't even supposed to call Derek."

Casey rolled her eyes. "How did you fall?" Derek asked.

"She was carrying to many records. Slipped in her heels. You made an awful racket Lex."

Lexi scowled at her friend. "Thank you for that riveting recollection. But it's nothing serious."

"A broken foot isn't serious? Good luck with her." Casey laughed at her own joke, then miraculously realized she really didn't belong in the room. "Well I'm taking off. Keep me posted. And Marianne told me to tell you that you can take off as much time as you need."

"I won't be taking anytime off Case!" Lexi called after her.

"We'll see about that Ms. Chellos." The doctor, he assumed, said as she entered the curtain room. Derek stood up and shook her hand. "Hello, I am doctor Bryne. Lexi's obstetrician. I'm assuming you're the father." Derek nodded in agreement.

"Well good to finally meet you. Alright, I will just set you up here." The doctor pulled a machine up beside her. Within a minute another grainy black and white image appeared. This time he could hear the strong and fast 'thump thump' heartbeat. His hand unconsciously gripped Lexi's and he sat closer to her. They hadn't been this close since before. It was magical.

Then it was over. "Well everything seems normal with the baby. You would be about 15 weeks. Pretty standard development. A healthy baby." The doctor determined.

"Now about that ankle. It's your left one right?" Lexi hissed when the doctor examined it. "We'll send you down for an x-ray just in case. I don't believe you've broken it. Maybe a hair fracture or a bad sprain. Either way we'll see what the x-ray says."

He went down with her to see the x-ray. When they got back to the room the nurse had made a video of the sonogram. Since Lexi already had one, Derek got to keep this one.

"I saw no broken bones or fractures on your ankle. That means it's a sprain. And a bad one." Another doctor, Dr. Bradley said when he finished looking at the x-ray.

"I'll bandage it up in a few minutes. I'm sorry but you'll be on crutches for at least two weeks." He informed.

"Great." She commented. Derek felt very bad for her. Lexi was the type of woman who always was moving around. A sprain would certainly hinder her.

"Do you live alone?" The doctor inquired.

"No, I have a roommate. But she's out of town for the month."

"You should look into someone staying with you for a while. Just in case anything was to happen. You ankle would be much more likely to actually break with a sprain."

Derek had a brilliant idea. "You can stay with me." He offered.

"No, that's not necessary. I'll be fine on my own." She said stubbornly.

"I'll let you both discuss it." The doctor bowed out.

"Why won't you stay with me?" He demanded.

"No, it would be too weird Derek."

"Don't you trust me?" She huffed a laugh. "Right. It's funny you should talk about trust. Weren't you the one who accused me of sleeping around?"

"Alright, so that wasn't one of my finest moments. But I've been trying to make it up to you. Let me help you." He implored. It was an exciting thought. He wouldn't have to annoy her by calling every night; she would already be at his apartment.

"I don't know." She sighed. He could tell he was wearing her down.

"You won't even be able to drive yourself home Lex." He pointed out.

"So? I'll take a cab." Why did she always have to be so stubborn? He growled to himself.

He tried a more aggressive tactic; she just rolled her eyes again.

"Can you just try it at least? I'm putting myself out there for you-"

"Oh poor baby." She laughed.

"Well?" He would stop bothering her after this.

She sighed dramatically. "I suppose there's nothing wrong with trying. Until I feel better that is. Don't go all possessive on me."

Derek smiled. "Great."

It would great weeks; long enough to make her see that it could work.

*~*

So a big thank you to everyone who reviews/alerted or favorited (is that even a word?) it means a lot to me to find that people are actually reading this. By now I pretty much know where I am going with this story, but any helpful comments or suggestions are always welcome and will be taken into consideration.

Happy Monday everyone!