Emily slept all day and woke up close to midnight. She had never slept so much since she came to DC. That was saying something. She felt more restless then rested. She staring blankly at her ceiling figuring it was way too early to get up. Maybe she would get up a little earlier and go for a run. Have a coffee, read the paper. Take the long way to work.

Ah, work. She thought lacing up her sneakers. After forcing herself to wait at least until sunrise; nay a little bit before sunrise, she left her condo. She wanted to be in Lincoln Park when it rose. She did a slow jog. The air wasn't humid yet, it was almost cool.

It wasn't that she didn't want to go to work. She loved her job. She loved helping people; making society a better place to live. It was just the stress that burnt you out. She had only had the job six months and was already feeling it. She wondered how Morgan, Reid and Hotch did it day in, day out.

Hotch had ruined his marriage. Morgan had gone from woman to woman (she speculated) and now was head deep in a dysfunctional relationship and a baby on the way. Reid, well Reid was dealing with his own problems. She wondered if he even had time for a girlfriend. How did the FBI expect them to have lives?

The sunrise was beautiful and had a very calming effect on her. She did calm well. Prentiss' were calm, composed, and always courteous. They never lost their cool. Well, almost never. Emily had never seen her mother lose it in public. Her own private house was a different story. Especially when a young, rebellious Emily Prentiss snuck out from underneath her own security detail.

Now that she was calm she could think properly. She should do this more often. Morgan was wrong, Hotch was wrong, Lexi was—pregnant. She did not understand what it was like to work with such headstrong men. She would get over it. They all would, in time. Men always had a hard time admitting their mistakes. Her own father had said those words. Plus she had hope that everything would turn out okay.

*~*

A few days after their fight, Lexi actually called him. She refrained otherwise and if she did her tone was clipped and she was always 'busy'.

"Do you have my black duffel somewhere? I can't find it."

"I don't know off hand but I can check."

"Will you? Thanks." Wow she was being nice for a change. He found it mixed in with his travel bags.

"Yeah I got it."

"Okay I'll come by and get it."

"That's alright I'll bring it to you." He offered, just wanting to see her.

"Oh, okay."

He pulled up beside her car, noticing all the boxes in her car. What the hell was she doing? He thought knocking on her door.

"Come in." She called, and he entered a very messy living room. Paper and boxes where everywhere.

"What are you doing?" He asked dumbfounded. He found her in her bedroom packing clothes into another duffel bag.

"I'm moving back to Richmond."

"What? Why!?" She couldn't move back to Richmond. That was 2 hours away. How was he supposed to see her?

She took the black duffel bag from him and started packing that. "I'm gonna move back home for a while. My roommates Fiancé's moving in, in a couple weeks. I don't wanna be here."

"What about me?" He said.

"Not everything is about you." She reminded him sarcastically.

"I know that, but how am I going to see you?"

"I don't know. You'll have to come down to Richmond for the birthing classes."

"I thought we were doing that here in DC? Why are you moving so suddenly? Is this to punish me?"

"Oh, good god Derek!" Okay, wrong thing to say. "I am so tired of fighting with you."

He fidgeted with the zippers of a stuffed bag. "Can't you stay in the city?" He pleaded, trying not to sound weak.

"No." She sighed heavily. She did look tired. "My parents have already gotten my room ready and are expecting me."

"What about your job?"

"I can transfer to Virginia State. They are looking for someone to help run their research department. It's actually a better position than College Park."

How could he change her mind? She would not live with him and now he wished he had not overreacted with Emily. "What about one of your other friends? Casey?"

She laughed. "Casey is a great friend but she's not living with material. And there is no one else I would want to. I'm only going to live with my parents until I find a place of my own probably after the baby's born."

"I thought we would be living together by then." He said honestly. She did not answer him; just continued to pack. This was really going to happen. She was really leaving. Was this how Hotch had felt when his wife left? Likely not since Hayley had left for good. That was a marriage ending. This seemed just as serious . He would not be Hotch. That man never left his office now. He was going to dig himself into an early grave.

"When are you going down?" Maybe if he conceded to this, she would reconsider after her parents drove her crazy. He knew if he had to move back in with his mother she would no matter how much he loved her.

"As soon as I'm packed. But then I have to come back and clean up."

"I can help." She regarded him suspiciously. "Why?" She asked.

"I'm just as tired of fighting as you are. I want this to work somehow." She still looked suspicious but she let it go. "Alright. You can take that out to my car."

"Your car is too full; You'll be in an accident. I can put it in my car."

"You'd do that?"

"Sure. I can drive you back, help you clean up and then drive you home."

"That's like 6 hours of driving."

"I know. I like spending time with you." Lexi relaxed a little bit but didn't say anything else.

Derek finished packing his car full of her things. If only he was moving them to his apartment across town. But he knew when he was beat and she was not going to budge. He would have to work on it.

She drove her car and he followed behind in his. On the way he thought, what would her parents think of him? Would they be angry that he had practically pushed their daughter out of DC. He was not planning on telling his mother or sisters. He would be as vague as possible. He wondered how much Lex told her parents.

He was in for another surprise when he pulled into her parents driveway. Her mother was just as charming as the last time and Mr. Chellos was just as silent. They unloaded the two cars, stayed for ten minutes and then left in Derek's car.

"So how we gonna work this?" He asked turning onto the I-95.

"Work what?" Lexi was flipping through a magazine.

"Your birthing classes, prenatal appointments. All those."

"Well, the classes I signed up for are on Fridays, seven something to nine. I think the Lamaze woman's name is Rachel Nielson. My next prenatal visit is next week on Wednesday at 1."

"We just went to one." He pointed out.

"That was the prenatal appointment for this month, but I have another ultrasound next week to see what sex the baby is. I could do it next month but I don't want to wait. Did you bring any food?" She asked suddenly.

"No but I can stop and get some if you want." Anything to extend their time together.

"What do you want it to be?" He asked after a while.

"The food?"

"No, the baby?" He had not put much thought into it, but he almost always pictured himself with a baby boy. A son. His son. Or daughter. It did not really matter which one it was, he would be just as happy with a healthy baby girl.

"It makes no difference." Lexi echoed his thoughts.

"Man." He said all of a sudden.

"What?"

"Sometimes it just really hits me, you know? In 4 months I'm gonna be a father."

"The baby just hits me. All day and all night. It kicks really hard." She joked, patting the swelling bump.

"Can other people feel it on the outside?" Other people, being himself of course.

"I don't know. I don't really let people touch my stomach. Try it." She guided his hand across her belly but he didn't feel anything. "Maybe some other time." She said.

"So your appointment is when next week is wednesday right? I have to be there if your going to find out."

"Well we might not be able to, I can see if I can move it."

"Could you?" He was driving into Washington now.

"Yeah. I want you to be there to."

They cleaned up her old apartment and through whatever was left of hers into his car again. They ordered in Pizza and ate it on the way back to Richmond. It was so late that evening that Lexi's mother invited him to spend the night; on the couch. He was pretty tired and in the end he agreed. After her parents went to sleep, Lexi tip-toed down into the stairs and pulled Derek by the hand into her bedroom. It was well worth it because her bed was so much more comfortable then the sofa. The best part was getting to wrap his arms around her stomach.

He was delighted to feel the little jabs flickering against her skin that night. He kissed her goodnight again and settled down to enjoy feeling the baby for the very first time.

*~*

Reader participation day! I have not decided if the baby should be a boy or a girl, so I may be easily presuaded if you review which one you want. All you have to do is review, which takes a few seconds. Please do because I love input!