Written for the het_bigbang on on Livejournal. Thanks to Karlamartinova for beta-reading.

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"Weird setting to talk about a case." Keith chuckled, but didn't bother losing any time, and went to seat in front of Newman, casually; Georgie looked at him- really looked at him for maybe the first time- and understood what she used to see in him: Keith was easy on the eye, there was no denying it, but mostly, he was… easy. He wasn't high-maintenance. Didn't expect her to be either. Their paths had crossed when they were looking for nothing more than a little fun and some companionship, and that had been it all.

He still acted casual, but she immediately noticed that he had slightly changed his look; he wasn't "picture-perfect" any longer, no high-couture suits, just polo and jeans. He even sounded less arrogant; he seemed… happy, and at peace. With himself, and life in general.

(She could understand that. She felt the same as well, after all.)

She guessed his family was to blame for that. His ex-wife, Valerie, was doing a good job with him. Making him a good man yet again. As much as possible, at least.

She hoped she wouldn't ruin everything for him. Because, as silly as it could seem, she still cared about him.

She also hoped that he wasn't going to ruin everything for her- for them. Not now that she and Chris had finally come to an understanding of their feelings, and choose to walk that path that was called life together.

"That's… not why I asked you to come here?" Georgie nervously tapped her fingers on the tablecloth, and her voice was so low, her tone so unsure, that even her affirmation sounded much more like a question.

"I guessed so." Keith chuckled, his ankles crossed under the small table; he tilted his head to the side, looked at her with sincere curiosity, and then smiled, shaking his head a little. "I guess that congratulations are in order?"

Georgie gasped, and suddenly blushed, as her eyes fell on the ring on her left hand- it was small, old and simple- a yellow gold band with a small diamond in the center with two small pearls at its sides- and yet she thought it was perfect, much more beautiful that many other bigger things she had seen.

Chris paced the garden of the NCIS NOLA headquarter, and kept readjusting his jacket and his tie, checking every minute the time.

"Didn't know you had court today…"

Chris turned as he heard Georgie's voice, and welcomed her with a bright smile that enlightened his strong features and a light, quick peck on the lips; three months old Caitlin, as beautiful as a cherub in her white and light pink onesie, was in her stroller, deep asleep despite the loud music filling the busy streets of New Orleans, and he petted her nose with his index, tenderly.

He sat at the wrought iron table, and couldn't stop looking at the baby in awe, feeling like she already belonged there, that she felt at easy and in tune with the New Orleans life-style.

"I got you coffee. The good stuff you enjoy." He poured her the thick, dark liquid into her pink, girly cup, and chuckled. "You are allowed to one cup a day, after all."

"Special Agent LaSalle, are you trying to bribe me?" She pouted, giggling like a schoolgirl, sipping the warm liquid and moaning at closed eyes. "Because, this? It will get you anywhere you want…"

"Always knew that I should have offered you a cup on day one, instead of even refusing to shake your hand…" He chuckled, completely understanding her innuendo- and appreciating it; it had been three months since Cait's birth, after all, which meant that soon he and Georgie wouldn't have to restrain themselves any longer.

She snickered sipping the hot drink, and tilted her head to the side, looking at her partner cautiously; she lifted an eyebrow, taking in his whole appearance.

"You know Chris, I do feel a little… under-dressed." A V-Neck lavender sweater, simple jeans and running shoes- that was how she had gone to meet him.

"Nah, you look fine. Although I wouldn't mind if those killer heels of yours were to make an appearance again- this time preferably outside of the public eye."

They both laughed, then Georgie sobered, her eyes falling yet again on her yawning baby. "Seriously, thought, what the hell is going on?"

"My rent expires next month. And I don't want to renew it." He paused, waiting for her to catch up, which, from her face, she just did; she knew it was an excuse, that it was actually a white lie, as Christopher actually owned his apartment- or at least, that was what Pride had told her-, but she knew why he was doing it. It made her smile. It made her happy.

Of course, she could also understand why he didn't want to have to deal with that place, as Savannah had died there. She even had never been there herself- and Chris was rarely if never home himself. And that had been going on longer than they had been involved.

She was pretty sure that soon Chris would phone his "pal" up north and hear if he was still all right with selling- that place was big enough for the three of them, after all.

"You are staying in New Orleans, I'm practically her father, I'm already at your place most of the time and, even living with you, I would still be in the Quarter. It's a done deal."

She groaned, letting herself fall on the chair in a very inelegant way. "I don't know, Chris. It's been just a few months…"

Chris tsk-tsked, shaking his head with a devilish grin. "I'm sorry, did I ever let you believe that you were going to have a saying in this? Because from now on, I'm taking charge when it comes to our relationship."

Without giving her time to reply, he grabbed her left hand and slipped a simple and tasteful jewel on her ring finger, not even bothering proposing with words.

She sighed dreamily and exaggeratedly, studying her new acquisition from afar. "Oh, well, I guess you'll do. You may even be the take-charge kind of man I've been told I needed in my life."

They both laughed, and toasted with their coffees.

"You and LaSalle set a date already?"

She cleared her voice, his seemingly innocent question bringing her back to reality. The mirth in Keith's voice was starting to make her feel a little uncomfortable, but also mad and annoyed; Keith had immediately jumped to the (right) conclusion that the man in her life was none other than Christopher LaSalle; Keith had known all along that Chris was feeling something for her, and he hadn't bothered to take a step back.

Nope- instead, he had gotten her into bed. Just to break up with her at his own convenience.

(Her sister was right. She was really, really bad at this whole dating and relationships things.)

"Guess you aren't moving back to LA, then…" He chuckled shamelessly, and she started to see red.

(Fun fact: she wasn't even sure whom she was madder with, if him for being so casual around her, or herself for having been in a relationship with him.)

She wasn't there to talk about her love-life or her sudden engagement (a thing of just the evening before), nor to chit-chat about whether she was going back to LA or not.

She was there to talk about her –their – daughter.

Someone Keith even didn't know of.

She had to come clean, if she wanted to fully move on with her life. And she had to do it now.

She took a big breath, and bit her lips; she was so nervous- so scared and worried- that she was scratching her own cuticles.

"I gave birth. It's a girl. Caitlin Anne. She is three months old." She paused, cleared her throat and sipped her water, waiting for his reaction. None come- he simply looked at her quizzically, like he was trying to understand why she had called him there to talk about her daughter.

"Yeah, I've heard someone saying that you were on maternity leave. That's why you and Chris are going so fast, right? I mean, I know that nowadays you don't have to be married to have children, but in the eyes of the law- and in our line of work especially- a marriage certificate can comes handy."

Easy on the eye? Check.

But definitely not the smartest guy in the room.

"Keith, the baby isn't Chris'- it's yours." She stated, talking slowly and underlining the words, as she was talking with a child.

In a fraction of seconds, she saw every kind of expression, and emotion, on his face; he was pale and confused and panicky and then definitely worried and scared.

"I…. I can't… I mean, I've never wanted to be a father, and besides, there's Val to think about, and you've got Chris and…"

She rolled her eyes, not even bothering to listen to half of the things he was mumbling, more to himself than to her.

He wasn't asking what she felt or thought.

He wasn't even bothering to ask her about the girl she had just told him he had fathered.

"Keith? If you'll allow me…" She sneered, her voice matter-of-factly like she was with a perp, and he finally stopped ranting.

She handed him over a yellow folder filled with legal papers, and saw him quickly going through them; she smiled, a bit cynically, sad, and softened a tiny bit.

"You don't have to sign them now. You can go over them with a lawyer if you want." She played with the engagement ring, then looked back to Keith, who seemed as lost as never before. "I know you don't want children, Keith. And I'm not going to impose… this upon you. Besides, Cait already has a daddy, and we have more than we actually need."

Money, he correctly guessed, but didn't bother saying at loud.

Keith paused, skimmed over the papers. "Dear ol' Chris always wanted to be a dad eventually. Loves being around children…" He paused, then, he lifted his eyes from the legal lingo and smiled at her. "… And he seems to love you. Must be terrific for him."

She nodded. There was nothing else she could add to that. It was all true- even Keith had understood it. Saw it before they did- or at least they decided to admit it.

"Listen, I think that I'll go through them with my lawyer, but, I don't think there will be any issues. I'll get back to you maybe next week or so?"

She simply nodded, he did the same and he just went away, as calm and controlled as she remembered him to be; and that's when she knew: they would have been all right. He would have signed the papers, because he already knew it was the right thing to do and because Keith Trevor had always knew that fatherhood wasn't in his genes.

"Everything all right?" Georgie was awakened by her reverie when she heard Chris' tender voice, his soft touch upon her shoulder; she smiled and titled her head in his direction, smiling at the perfect picture he and her daughter made.

Their daughter, she corrected herself as Chris sat at her side, Cait in his arms, peacefully asleep without a care in the whole world; Cait didn't have his name (yet), but they all knew how he felt; one day, soon, Keith would have signed the papers where he promised to never claim any rights on her, and then and only then Chris would have formally adopt Caitlin. The little girl would have grown up knowing only one father- her papa, the one who had been at her mama's side since (almost) the beginning.

"Yeah." She smiled, leaning over his shoulder, tenderly caressing with one finger the little head full of dark curls of her daughter. "Yeah, we are all right."