A/N: I knew you guys would hate me for that cliff hanger. So, here's your update. Story is headed for is conclusion soon I think. I have sequels and side stories planned.

Aaron was the only one still wearing his Kevlar vest and much to Penelope's horror he jumped in Tabby's path rather than focusing on reaching for his gun. In those few short moments before she heard the all too familiar sound of gun fire an entire life flashed before her. She saw herself and Aaron and Jack playing on the swing set at their new house. She saw their wedding, Emily in a dusty lavender dress out to here pregnant and walking down the aisle with Rossi. She saw Christmas and Easter, the forth of July barbeque and labor day weekend lazying about in the pool.

It ached to see those things because in the present what she saw was so radically different. Aaron, taking the bullet marked for Tabby and what she didn't see was where he was hit. It could have been an arm or shoulder, it could have been his head or hopefully his vest. She prayed over and over again that it was his vest.

She tried to get to him but one of Morgan's strong arms hooked around her front and forced her back into the corner, effectively paralyzing her in this fight. In hindsight she would see there was nothing she could have done, her being actively involved would have made nothing but more chaos in an already blurred situation of consistent action of the parts of her friends but at that moment she was enraged. She needed to be useful, she needed to tend to her husband. Instead, all she could do was shimmy behind Derek and try to make out the blur of a scuffle taking place with Napoli.

Reid had one of his long arms around his waist, the other trying to arrest both of his arms while JJ tried to pry the gun from his grip. But that proved futile.

The second shot rang out.

Penelope could see the streaks of blood instantly pool on Emily's left side and from behind she had no idea what exactly happened. The third shot rang out but only hit the wall. Emily had once again been the intended target but she had already fallen to the floor.

'This can't be happening' it was all she could think. She was pleading with reality to be playing a trick on her. This melee was too surreal and she was too powerless to stop any of it. Everyone seemed in shock when Emily had collapsed.

Napoli took that second of shock to elbow Reid in the solar plexus, rendering him a quibbling mess on the floor trying to catch his breath as Napoli jumped over him and headed for the hall intending to regroup as JJ had pulled his shotgun away from him and he only still wielded the small revolver in his hand.

Just as he got to the doorway Alicia tackled him around his waist from behind.

The fourth shot.

This one hit outside the room, to the doctor standing far back and in the hall having been caught in the middle of this when he came to deliver and update on Rossi's condition.

Penelope had a spilt second to think 'great, I'm never going to know about Dave'. When she noticed Morgan hovering over Hotch and in front of Tabby and herself protectively. He had his gun aimed at the target but didn't have a shot. It didn't make much sense to Penelope for a few seconds until she realized what he was doing. He was the last line of defense and he was literally making a wall of his body in front of the women he cares most about.

Despite being tackled to the ground, Napoli was able to squirm out of Alicia's grip and turned around so that he was half in the hall and half still in the room, deciding he would need to end this now and pointing his weapon directly at her head. It was a brief moment where she could make out all the scars on his face and neck from what she supposed was that IED that Derek had told her about. Like that mattered, his finger was beginning to pull on that precious piece of metal called a trigger.

The fifth shot blew half his head right off.

-Criminal Minds-

"Not the way I envisioned waking up next to you after that kiss." Rossi groaned as he took in his roommate laying in her hospital bed in their dim room, apparently counting the spots of the ceiling tiles above. She was so focused and he was sure it was to combat insomnia. She was always the worst insomniac he ever met. Worse than Emily, and that is saying something.

Tabby was flooded with relief at hearing his voice. She almost jumped off her bed to hug him but a tugging in her shoulder reminded her that was probably not a good idea. Also, she didn't want him knowing just how bad it had been for him yet, that was for Emily to tell. So she went for levity. "Mmm I'm quite sure that if we weren't both hit by a bullet we would be paying for that with our lives courtesy of one Miss Prentiss."

Rossi chuckled. He always loved her ability to swallow her emotions and make a joke. They always kept up with one another. "True. Speaking of which, taking bullets now Tabby? So much for the 'glorious pacifism which constitutes the bureaucracy' huh?"

Tabby smiled remembering that particular pillow talk conversation. It was after an extensive self-defense lesson which ended with several orgasms on each side over the next five hours. "Hey, I had to do something to get me some street cred."

Rossi howled in laughter. Leave it to Tabby to take this in stride. "God, I'm glad to see you alive."

Tabby managed to turn her head to him and look him in the eyes. She was tearing up in relief. "You came closer to the end than me."

Rossi furrowed his brow. He wasn't sure what to make of that and his pain meds were still making him a little fuzzy. He looked around, wondering where Emily was. He needed her. He loved her and he was surprised and disappointed she wasn't the woman he saw when his eyes first opened. "Where is everyone?"

Tabby sighed. "They are all giving their statements. Emily put up a huge fight over it but the local LEOs were pretty insistent that it needed to be done right away because of how everything went down. It's going to take a while, a lot happened in this very room. Stupid what's-his-face came shooting up in here too. "

Rossi took a good look around the room; sure enough he could see a bullet hole in the wall space between their TVs. "He dead?" He wasn't quite ready to ask for details, if he knew Napoli is dead then he could relax.

Tabby was sure that she would be haunted with that image for decades. It's not the first time she has seen someone die in front of her eyes. But it is the first time she saw anyone pull the trigger that way. JJ held a sense of control over her. She was executed in her movements, entirely professional despite the situation. "I believe JJ will have a much easier time of finishing her psychological recovery from the Carter incident having taken out this particular unsub."

Rossi felt a great deal of pressure leave his shoulders. Regardless of how much better JJ had begun to seem, she still had moments where she would be caught in inaction or simply look terrified. Like an incident with a ketchup bottle earlier in the weekend. "How'd it happen?"

Tabby licked her parched lips trying to recall the blur of activity. She described how he showed up, what he said, how she saw Hotch had take the bullet meant for her, tried to jump up in bed but Hotch's weight was crushing her. "It was so fast, seconds really. One shot, two shot, three shot four… all from that jackass. Then, boom. JJ had already grabbed his shotgun from him and the second he was about to shoot my sister, you remember Alicia. Anyhow, the second he was about to do it bang! Half his head was just a big hole and admittedly JJ looked totally badass standing there with the smoking gun, literally."

"I missed all the fun." Rossi remarked morosely. He was never comfortable when something like this went down with his team and he wasn't there to take care of them. Hotch is the team dad but he's at least the team uncle. "And everyone is ok?"

Tabby gave a good examination of his face. He seemed so much happier over all, even in the grim hospital lighting, when he is with Emily. Together they are less miserable personalities; they bring out the silliness and the happiness that has always rested just under the surface of each of them. But his outward physical appearance was intolerably pale. And she could see the stupid bull headed guilt rising in him for not being there… like he could help it! Men. "Emily was grazed but already got treatment. She and everyone else are fine. Except one of your surgeons. He's getting treated now for GSW to the chest courtesy of the jackass. I hope he's alright. But, You um." How do you tell someone they died twice?

Rossi felt under the microscope at her examination and found himself petting his face to feel for marks or wounds. When he got to his neck and felt the bandages he looked to her and with more force insisted she tell him what happened. "I need to know. I realize you think Emily should tell me but I need an idea!" He was not a man used to panic, but at the moment he was wondering exactly what had happened. All he remembered was the warmth and sweet taste of Tabby then blinding white.

Tabby gulped as she took that released of emotions in. She realized at that moment something changed between them. They were advancing into a real friendship, not some amalgamation of an acquaintanceship with significant sexual undertones. "The bullet impacted at the bottom of my skull and a large chunk of shrapnel imbedded into your neck. They had to do all sorts of things for you to repair arteries or whatnot. I am still shady on the science but you…" she tried her hardest to stifle her sniffles. Up until twenty minutes ago no one knew if he would live or not. "Your heart stopped twice on the table Dave." Her lips were quivering and she didn't care. "You lost almost half your blood." She bit her lip until it drew blood to keep from outright sobbing in front of him. "I was trying to protect you."

"Tabby." Dave began to implore at seeing her tears. There is nothing worse for a man to see than woman in tears. "Sweetheart. I'm alright. You know Italian men, too bull headed to die like that. But why the hell did you do all that?" Damn fool of a woman! He admired her so much for what she did, she did save him. She did save Emily and his child, everything important in his life, other than his friends. And she is one of them.

Tabby took him in, using her super psychologist skills to assess what exactly that set in his lower lip meant. He never did it before but he was about to scold her. She was wondering who would do it first. She's sure that Derek is going to have his have at it soon, then make sweet, sweet love to her the second she gets clearance from the doctor. She was definitely looking forward more to that scolding than this one. "I saw you with her. You looked the couple in love, which makes me so happy to see by the way. But Napoli would have seen it too and it just snapped, especially when I saw Henry running to you. Dave, you could have been a family, a perfect target and I saw the fucking red dot!" she's never going to be able to handle any sort of red dot again without mentally picturing the back of Emily's shiny brown head. "I just, had to."

He took his chance to really look her over. She looked like crap to be honest. Her skin was almost transparent in its pallor. Now, she was always alabaster but not where she looked sickly. "It hit your skull?" suddenly he was petrified at what damage she might have. He hadn't seen her move anything other than her neck. He was begging, literally begging that she didn't have permanent brain damage. He knew for a fact that for Tabby it would be a fate worse than death.

"Yes. And I see that look Dave." It was finally her turn to scold. "Stop worrying. I can move, it just takes a hell of a lot of concentration because of the swelling and Hotch falling on me. He's only bruised by the way. We got a real break back there." She wondered when exactly being shot up in a hospital became a break but she decided if she was going to be with Derek she would have to get used to mortal danger as a part of life.

"Where'd you go there Tabby?" His voice held some amusement. Tabby would often make a habit of getting lost in her own thoughts, staring off into space and forgetting anyone else existed.

"Huh?" she was merficully jarred from picturing Hotch at her door telling her Derek was fatally wounded. "Anyhow, apparently where it hit was that thick part of the base of my skull and its more dense than usual for a woman my age." She saw the smile threatening on his face. She rolled her eyes. "Go ahead, say I'm hard headed."

Rossi's stitches protested the guttural laughing he bellowed out, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. She always knew exactly what he was thinking. He really hoped that they would be good friends from here on out.

"Well, this is a happy room. Maybe we should do co-ed roommates more often." Kathy, good old nurse Kathy from when Emily was in her coma. "Now Dave, don't make seeing me a habit." She warned as she checked his monitors.

Tabby chuckled. Because of all that happened in here earlier the hospital administrator decided to keep Dave and Tabby together even though the FBI agents claimed the threat was over. She had a surgeon shot and wanted to contain any more sort of risk possible to just one room. So, Dave spent only ten minutes in the recovery room, having come up here to come out from his anestisia. During that time Emily and Derek explained to her all about how Dave had taken care of the nurses when he stayed with Emily and how Kathy had been his favorite. "That's a plus of being in hospitals. You get familiar with the staff."

Dave rolled his eyes. "When the hell did you become an optimist?"

She shrugged, then winced at the pinch the action gave her shoulder. "When I got shot in the head, apparently."

"You two have quite the dry sense of humor." Kathy shook her head side to side, amused and checked over Tabby's bandages. She had heard all about what happened with the shooting in the room and when the two nurses originally assigned to them backed out she stepped right in. These were both brave people who were hunted through no fault of their own other than that they tried to help people. "So, Tabby. You seem to have yourself a good burning chunk of chocolate love." Kathy was quite fond of poking fun of the agent's love lives. That man fawned all over her until he was almost forcefully pulled out of the room by the local PD.

Dave watched the smirk rise on his ex's face. She was so happy with him, he was sure that it was only a matter of time before yet another FBI woman felt a ring slide on her finger. "Oh, trust me. She's got him wrapped around her little finger."

"Dave." She admonished playfully. "I have him wrapped around all of them."

A familiar deep chuckled rose into the room. "That's only because you only bake for me. I do all the cooking in the house." Really, she refused to even try for him. Since their first flirting session he's always been curious at just how a woman that can make a cake which melts your bones can be so horrible on the stove top.

She bit her lip shyly. "It's for your own good. I don't want to burn us out of house and home."

Emily snorted. She heard all about that fire when Dave insisted on trying to teach Tabby how to make grilled cheese. It's the reason he still keeps a fire extinguisher around for when she gets her own cooking lessons. "You." She pointed to Dave. "Need to stop getting into trouble and getting shot."

Kathy watched Derek sit a bit on Tabby's bed and offer her water while Dave petulantly protested with Emily. "Hey Princess, from what I hear you got shot today too. And mine was only the shrapnel."

"Yes." Emily teasingly argued as she sat at the edge of his bed and stroked through his dark hair, looking him over and over. "And mine tore a little skin. Your's almost killed you, twice."

He shared a quick glance with Tabby which told him to act a little surprised. He complied and added "Well honey, I'm not dead. And while we are at it, when was the last time you ate?"

Kathy shook her head amused as she left the room, she remembered their little arguments about putting her on an eating schedule all too well from when Emily was discharged.

"Uhg." Emily moaned. "PG has been force feeding me all sorts of stuff. I swear to God if you have been giving her lessons in the art—"

Reid's chuckled broke her thought as everyone else piled in. Jessica had just left and the parents reclaimed their sons and brought them to visit. "Emily, he sent a memo to everyone on your requirements. He even printed mine and mailed one copy to the office, another home."

Emily looked back at Dave who had a proud grin on his face. "You brat! If you weren't in this hospital bed I would just—"

"Kiss me." He accused but she complied as if it were an order.

Aaron pulled Pen close to him and gave her a sweet, thankful kiss that she was just there. That's all he needed. Jack looked around to see Reid doing just the same to JJ and Derek pecking at Tabby's lips. "Adults." He shrugged at Henry's questioning look.

"So," Aaron cleared his throat. "Local PD are pretty anxious to wrap this up. They want your statements and I have to do yours for the bureau."

"No." Tabby broke apart from Derek's kiss. "The local PD can do it at the same time. And I want Strauss."

There was a universal gasp about the room. "But, why Tabby? Usually the unit chief would handles this."

Tabby's tone became oddly official. "You may take Agent's Rossi's statement. As for me and Strauss, I have my reasons and they will serve us all. Please Aaron, I am trusting you to set this up."

He narrowed his eyes but got the hint. She was up to something and she meant it when she said it would serve all of them. So, reluctantly he let that bit of control escape him and agreed.

-Criminal Minds—

"Tabby has the right idea with her fear of snow. That was simply awful!" Emily moaned, more pissed that she and Derek and even Alicia were kicked out of the hospital for the night. It seems administrators don't take kindly to having the walls shot up or doctors needing surgery because of their presence.

"Em, we'll go back first thing in the morning. The roads will still suck but we got there before in worse conditions and we didn't have the luxury of taking our time then." Morgan was also pissed but determined to follow Tabby's command to relax with his friends and take care of Emily.

"Well, I for one am glad my son is so smart." Garcia cooed at Jack as she carried some paper bags to the coffee table with paper plates. "If he hadn't pointed out that our resident baker and resident cook were out of commission we might not be eating tonight if we didn't stop at Wendy's."

Reid was especially grateful for that. "I am starving. Emily scarfed down my whole lunch."

Emily shot him a death glare. "First I don't eat enough, then I eat too much. I can't please you people." At the surprised looks around her she sighed and rolled her eyes. "I was kidding Reid. I'm just really hungry now. The doctor said my morning sickness is likely to turn into incredible hunger when I'm not stressed. Which, I mean I am but at least I know Dave is ok."

There were nods all around. That hour between being shot at and hearing that Dave was in recovery and coming up to the room was tense and not just because Emily was being bandaged up and Tucker Napoli's head was being scraped off of the floor. Everyone was thinking about it, but decided it wasn't exactly something you want to talk about in front of the boys, or when eating.

So, conversation turned to nice topics such as getting details from Derek about his relationship with Tabby. Garcia was of course the most vocal. "But, wait. On Valentine's you said it was the 'big third date' with some girl."

Morgan's characteristic ear to ear smile broadened a bit. "Well, even if we were close," close being a euphemism for sex for the boys' benefit. "since we met I hadn't really had many opportunities to bring her out on a real date. That was the third and the night I told her I loved her."

"Awww." All three women happily sighed together. "Derek," Emily pat his hand. "You are too sweet."

Reid shook his head playfully. "Never thought I would see the day."

"The day for what?" Morgan quirked an eye brow. He knew Reid never did think that he was capable of having a real relationship. He flashed back to their conversation after the whole Lila thing.

But Reid wasn't anywhere near that thought process. Out of no where he reached his long arms behind the sofa and the next second the snow ball impacted on Morgan's chest.

Soon the boys were jumping up and down and clapping as French fries and ketchup packets were being tossed between the two. Morgan and Reid always had a brotherly relationship and times like these it really showed as Morgan held Reid in a headlock threatening a noogie if he didn't put down the soda ready to be thrown in his face.

"Alright you two, clean up now and I won't have to tell Dave what a mess you made in his precious cabin." Emily's tone was stern and maternal.

Penelope gave a good little chuckle as Aaron pulled her onto his lap, teasing her ear lobe with his lips. "You know I can't control myself when you do that." She nearly begged him to stop but he just chuckled and kept doing it until Jack tugged on his leg.

"Daddy. Go do adult stuff in your room."

JJ led the laughter of all the adults at Jack's gentle scolding of his parents. "Jack, you want to sleep in the fort again tonight? I think we could all convince Uncle Spencer to teach us his super s'mores recipe.

Hotch loved watching that excited light pick up in his son's eyes. "Jack, no more than three marshmallows tonight. Are you going to need to sleep with us later on?"

Jack shook his head no adamantly and dismissed his parents with a shew of his hand. "Go, take mommy to bed. She looks tired."

Well, that was enough for Aaron. After an exhausting day he wanted nothing more than to be close to his fiancé again and wasted no time in simply lifting and carrying her off to their bedroom.

"Aaron!" she hit his arm playfully when he loomed over her and pinned her to the bed. "I wanna do something first." She almost couldn't get it out with the way he was kissing down her neck and unbuttoning her shirt. God he was hot.

He drew his brows together. "If you are distracted by something else right now I am obviously not doing my job." And so he fondled one of her more hidden erogenous zones, the back of her thighs. He discovered this morning while undressing her and just like then she started a deep moan of anticipation.

Damn this man and his super human love making skills! "Sta-stop." She gasped her hand aimlessly trying to reach out for something.

Hotch finally relented but with a large smirk on his face. "Alright, what's so important?"

Penelope had to scoot herself to the other side of the bed to keep from pouncing on him before she could pull up the voice messages on her cell phone. "Well, three things."

Aaron sighed a little annoyed but shifted from his stance kneeling on the edge of the bed to sitting fully next to her. "Alright. Get on with it before I lose my control again."

"Stop saying things like that! Every time you mention losing your control because of me I get wet almost instantly." And bold, apparently.

Well, that is an ego boost if he could say so himself. "I'll have to keep that in mind. Now, tell me what's going on." He used what Penelope referred to as his 'Hotch' tone.

She smirked. "I got two calls. The first isn't good news but not horrible I guess either. The state has to open a case because there is officially a complaint filed against us by Haley's parents." She noticed his anger starting to build so she hurried to finish. "But. The social worker is one JJ is familiar with and while she won't cut us slack in the investigation she does know what motivations brought it on so that's good for us."

Aaron nodded, not totally relaxed but accepting that this was going to happen no matter what he said or did now. All they could do was be the healthy and happy family they are and follow their lawyer's advice. "And the next thing?"

This she was happy to share. "House is all ours. We could move in tomorrow if we wanted."

"That," He lunged at her and pulled her under him trailing kisses over her lips, cheeks, chin and eyebrows. "Is great news."

He was going to bring her under the spell of seduction if he didn't stop now. "And one more thing."

Aaron wasn't stopping, he was too turned on at the moment and yanked off his pants and underwear, his T-shirt still on. She would just have to say whatever it is right now. She complained that he always told her important things right before sex, she should understand why now… the connection is so deep. "What's that?" he asked between kisses over her rapid pulse point.

"I'm ovulating."

"Oh God!" He gruffed out, ripping her pants and underwear right off her. "Making me lose my control woman!"

Of course, she got wet just from that and was ready that second when he thrust into her willing, more like begging, body, the two still fully clothed waist up but needing to get down to business.

-Criminal Minds-

Dave had long ago given his statements by the time Strauss made it to the hospital. He was surprised the shrew actually came in with this weather. The BAU offices were deemed to be closed tomorrow since the blizzard was still in high effect and there would be no power to the building until Tuesday at the earliest.

That's why he told everyone to go back to the cabin. Even Emily and Dave were told to leave after visiting hours. The hospital administrator was watching them like a hawk and enforcing all the rules when it came to guests. So, while everyone else returned to his sanctuary he was left sharing the bed next to Tabby when a local detective and Strauss came in. He refused to use the title 'director' in his head, Tabby's temporary replacement earlier this year really screwed up with the title change. She was even more insufferable now.

She walked in and the moment she noticed that Rossi was sharing the room as well her face fell. Rossi couldn't help but snicker behind the curtain that Tabby had her pull around her bed. Everyone knew he would be listening in anyhow, but it at least gave the illusion of privacy.

"Assistant Director." Strauss greeted formally. Tabby was happy to see she was off her nerves having been called in by name. Let's just say Tabby is the reason Strauss was forced to cancel two days' worth of work last week. "How are your injuries?"

"Ms. Strauss. I am fine. Please," she motioned to a chair on her right. "Take a seat. I would like to get started right away."

Dave chucked under his breath at Strauss being called 'Ms.' It must have gone up her ass sideways. He had to calm and finally did as he listened to a very clinical account of what happened, what Tabby was thinking when she kissed him.

"I'm sorry, you kissed him?" Strauss was shocked. As far as she knew Tabby shunned human contact.

Tabby gave her a stern look that Dave was actually able to imagine because her voice matched it. "Erin, please. Focus." She loved scolding Strauss like a child. She was well aware that the older woman despised her success at such an early age. Usually she doesn't take a great deal of joy in scolding others but she would shamelessly admit that she was vicious once crossed and Strauss crossed a few too many lines as of late.

Sometime later the detective spoke in his gruff voice. "Well, I think that is all I need. Thank you for your cooperation Director. As of tomorrow morning I will consider the matter fully closed."

"Excellent." Tabby's smile even held through her voice. "And truly, thank you for taking care of this so efficiently. It is difficult to heal when things are hanging over my shot out head." She was pure charm and she knew it was working.

Detective Miles's smile was still visible from when he left the room.

"Erin, please sit." Tabby asked/commanded when the older woman made to leave.

Reluctantly Erin returned back to her seat. "May I ask why you chose me for this?" She, for once, wasn't indignant. She was actually genuinely curious. It seemed a very odd request.

"Because I needed a reason to speak with you. I do not want you thinking I have forgotten our last conversation nor do I wish you to think that in my absence you may run amuck with your teams. I have spoken with the general director and he has agreed with my assessment of your work in light of those special circumstances I will avoid mentioning considering the identity of my roommate. So, in fairness to you I will simply state that as of this moment you are under partial suspension of your duties." She didn't give pause when Strauss's face instantly reddened in anger. "You may function normally however all of your disciplinary privileges are revoked until I can devise a solution to this problem. If, for any reason one of your teams has cause to dispute any of your reasoning in regards to a case you shall turn it over to a third party to adjudicate. You will receive a list of viable candidates for the post in your email in the morning."

Dave was pretty sure he was about to have a heart attack. What the hell! Strauss is in massive trouble and no one knew about it. His mind went all over the board on what it could be. He momentarily wondered if it was personal but then remembered that the general director signed off on it and Tabby took her job far too seriously to let even her love of Morgan get in the way of it. She was thoroughly moral.

"Erin." Tabby called with some concern. Just because she can be vicious does not mean she is unkind. "I want you to understand that I am withholding this incident from your record including the partial suspension for the time being so long as all of these guidelines are adhered to. None of us are perfect, but we must arrest the situation, for your own good, until a solution can be found."

Strauss nodded in a grateful manner. She knew full well that Tabby was coming down easy on her with that. "Thank you, Ma'am." It really ground her gears to have to add that title to her but she was a subordinate as much as she disliked the fact.

"Erin. You may call me Tabby, always." Dave smirked, he knew what she was doing. Delivering a sting and then soothing it with kindness was her trademark. It's exactly how she got this position in the first place. It builds the perfect sense of leadership, authority with a mix of loyalty building compassion. She managed to allow Strauss to feel less under her thumb but made it clear she was doing it of her own will. 'You may' is giving permission which clearly marked this as a privilege so long as Erin Strauss was in Tabby's good graces. And from the sound of it, Tabby is doing Strauss a big favor with the records thing.

After a sharp inhale Strauss stood and nodded as she pulled the curtain back, ignoring Dave's slight sly smirk. "Why were you even there at the time?" She almost regretted asking when it came from her mouth. She knew full well it was not her place to ask if Tabby was becoming chummy with her subordinates.

But Tabby simply beamed superiority and confidence. "Some of us care for the welfare of those beneath us." It was non-committal, insulting, and perfect. A good reminder of how forgiving she was being considering she could just toss Erin out on her ass if she wanted.

Strauss made a hasty exit and the second she was gone Dave turned to Tabby with another good fit of laughter which was once again interrupted by nurse Kathy. "Tabby, doctor Marlin will be in any moment to speak with you. Would you like me to take Dave away for privacy?"

Judging by the smile on the woman's face Tabby didn't exactly feel scared so she just shook her head. "No, he knows my big secrets anyway."

The mousy brown haired doctor poked her head in. "Ms. Katz, or Tabby I am told?"

Tabby grinned. It always disarms people. "Yes, thank you. You have news?"

The doctor also asked if it was ok to say this in front of Dave, stating it is pretty personal but continued once she got the go ahead. "Well, Tabby. Some of your lab work has come in. You are slightly anemic."

"Oh." She furrowed her brow and looked to Dave who simply shrugged. He didn't understand why that was important either. And it had been a long day, both were already sliding under the covers with dropping eye lids.

The doctor smirked because she loved news like this. She sat a bit on her bed, sure her patient would have a tad of energy reserved for this. "The reason for the anemia is the big news. You're pregnant."

Tabby could feel her jaw drop and simply nodded with her mouth open as the doctor told her she would give her first prenatal examine tomorrow considering her surgery and whatnot.

"Tabby." The doctor grinned taking in Tabby's expression. Her patient was obviously overjoyed but shocked. "Congratulations."

Tabby could feel her smile build at the corners of her mouth as happy tears poked down. She didn't expect this but lord did she want it. She was pregnant. Pregnant with Derek's baby. "Tha-Thank you."

Dave snickered and offered his own congratulations as he yawned closer to sleep. "I can't wait to see the look on Morgan's face. He's been talking about fatherhood a lot lately."

Tabby couldn't be happier if she tried and made for one last bout of levity before she too collapsed from exhaustion. "Dave. Don't you dare say anything to Emily or to Derek before I do."

"Wouldn't dream of it sweetness. Now get some damn sleep." He began to mutter under his breath as sleep took him under. "I can't believe I have two pregnant women to worry about now."