After the nurse had checked her vitals and left, Calleigh leaned forward and wrapped her fingers around the edge of the exam table. Being here with him was just as comforting and awkward as she'd anticipated, with him seeming equally committed to both respecting her privacy and making sure everything was okay. But once the nurse had left, a less than comfortable silence settled between them. They were out of distracting topics to talk about – work, the lab, Seattle – and were left with only the here and now: them, here, this baby.

"Got any preference?" Calleigh asked, finally meeting his eyes.

"No," he admitted, leaning forward on his own chair in the corner, overwhelmed by the prospect of either. "Healthy," he then added a moment later. "Both of you."

Something about being in a doctor's office surrounded by medical equipment was reminding him of all the risks and complications.

"So far so good," Calleigh assured him with a smile, though her eyes lingered on him, taking in the magnitude of his concern for her.

A soft knock interrupted their gaze, both of them focusing on the door as the doctor walked in.

"Hi, Calleigh," she greeted as she breezed in, setting a clipboard down on the counter before she realized there was another person in the room. "Is this Dad?"

Calleigh's eyes widened as they fell on him, her brows raised with a little surprise as she let the new title for him settle in. He was even more shocked than her, only able to stare back at Calleigh with an emotional gaze that made her nerves flutter.

"Yeah," she said softly, smiling at him in a way that sent his heart racing before she returned her attention to the doctor.

"I'm Dr. Walsh," she said, turning and extending a hand to Eric.

"Eric," he said, recovering and smiling a little sheepishly. "Nice to meet you."

As Dr. Walsh scanned Calleigh's chart again, she asked, "How's it going?"

"Good, I think," she answered. "I actually feel pretty great...not nauseous anymore."

Dr. Walsh smiled. "Second trimester is magic for some people. No pain, heartburn, cramping?"

"Nope."

"Still running?"

"Yeah, a couple miles a few times a week," she said, catching the way Eric tilted his head at her from the corner of the room. She met his gaze, giving him a "what?" look as he challenged her.

"By 'a couple' she means eight," Eric clarified, concern beating out his original plan to sit back and observe.

Calleigh sighed. "Once a week, and closer to the pace I used to run half-marathons. The other days I run three or four miles."

Dr. Walsh's eyes danced between them, an amused smile fighting at her pressed lips as she sat down in front of the ultrasound machine. "And you feel fine after?"

"Yep," Calleigh said confidently.

"It's totally fine to keep running while pregnant," Dr. Walsh assured. "Especially since you were already a runner, and your vitals look great. Just don't push your pace or distance right now and listen to your body. Ease up if you start to get achy after."

Calleigh nodded, watching as the doctor pressed a few buttons on the machine.

"What'd you decide about finding out the sex?"

"We definitely want to know," Calleigh answered with a glance toward Eric.

"I have to record a bunch of measurements, which will be a little boring, so do you want the fun part before or after?"

"After?" Calleigh suggested, looking at Eric for confirmation. "Save the best for last. Can you run us through everything, though?"

"Sure." Dr. Walsh smiled as she prepped the machine, asking Calleigh to lay back against the inclined table and lift her shirt slightly.

Although the setting was completely innocuous, Eric couldn't help but let his eyes flicker to her bare skin. The last time he'd seen her, the muscles of her soft but toned abdomen had tensed and rippled beneath his touch. Now the ridges were barely visible, concealed by the rounding of her stomach that was still noticeable even when she'd leaned back.

Though he'd heard it on video before, he was completely unprepared for the sound that began filling the room the moment the transducer was pressed to her skin: a strong, fast, thudding beat that made his own race a little faster. He stepped closer instinctively, both their gazes glued to the screen as images blurred until the doctor found the angle she was looking for: a profile shot nearly from head to toe, though it kept blurring as legs and arms moved.

"He or she sure is active in there," the doctor quipped, adding a few notes to the screen and recording a couple measurements. As she walked them through what she was doing, checking the brain, heart, and major vessels, Eric had stepped close enough to see that he was leaning into the exam table, his hands resting atop it a comfortable distance from Calleigh.

He was oddly quiet, she thought, his eyes completely fixed on the screen until the doctor cleared the final check on her list and assured them everything looked perfect. Because that was when Calleigh gently ran her thumb over the back of his hand, silently checking on him and drawing his eyes to hers. He smiled at her but it didn't quite reach his eyes, his gaze instead full of emotion as he stared back at her. His hand wrapped around hers and she swallowed hard, thrown off kilter by the intensity of his gaze and the way his palm kissed hers.

Being here hadn't been a question for him. He'd needed to be here with her today, and he'd done it without pause or thought. But he hadn't realized how hard it would be to be here with her, someone he was falling harder for by the day, and hear how perfect the tiny life they'd created was. They were together but not together for this, and it stung a little as the moment began to feel a bit incomplete.

All of that was temporarily forgotten as Dr. Walsh said, "And now the fun part," moving the transducer around again until a smile spread across her lips.

Calleigh's hand tightened around Eric's and his eyes danced between her and the screen.

"Well, that's definitely a little girl you've got squirming around in there," Dr. Walsh finally said, pointing to the screen before turning to take in two equally stunned faces.

"It's a girl? You're sure?" Eric asked, unable to take his eyes away from that screen as she found another profile view and froze it.

"I think you mean she's a girl," Calleigh corrected, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she followed his gaze.

"I'm sure," the doctor confirmed. "And everything looks great. She's right on track for 19 weeks and three days. About halfway there. I'll give you guys a minute and someone will meet you up front to schedule for next month."

As she left, Calleigh's eyes shifted from the screen back to Eric, whose hand had gone completely limp in hers until she squeezed it softly, bringing him back to life as he finally managed to take his eyes off that screen. She sat up as he met her gaze, searching her eyes.

"We're gonna have a daughter," he said in awe, trying to let it sink in.

"Yeah…" Calleigh said, a little disbelievingly, a little dreamily. "How do you feel about that?"

"Good." He smiled, then shook his head, feeling his heart racing in his chest. "Terrified. My nieces are trouble. I can't say no to them."

Her lips curved into a smile as she stared back at him. "It'll be totally different, you'll figure it out."

He wanted to tell her he had a feeling it would be worse, because if she looked anything like Calleigh he would be a goner, but he couldn't without filling the room with tension.

"How about you?" he asked instead, untangling his fingers from hers and touching her arm supportively before he thought better of the contact. "You good?"

"I'm good," she assured with a smile, nodding as their eyes captured each other's attention. Yet again, he was amazed by how calm and composed she was, taking this all in stride with a calm demeanor and open mind. "Just trying not to think about 4 months from now…"

"One day at a time," he said, but it was more of a question, his voice inflecting at the end.

She closed her eyes and sighed before looking at him again. "One day at a time."

As Eric added the last spices to a simmering pot, Calleigh watched on, her stomach practically growling at the aroma filling her house. It was ropa vieja, his mother's special cuban beef, and she'd begged him for the recipe after he'd brought it to a MDPD potluck a year ago. She thought he'd forgotten, but he clearly hadn't because he'd offered to make it for her, chuckling at the way her eyes had lit up.

It had a few hours to go, though, and after helping him clean up in his wake, she pushed herself up to sit on the counter across from him.

"So does this mean you're gonna give me the recipe now?" she asked, eyes sparkling playfully as he turned around to face her.

He moved to the counter next to the stove and leaned back against it as he wiped his hands off on a towel.

"It's a secret family recipe," he said, shrugging. His hands were tied; he was sworn to secrecy by his mother, and not even his weakness for Calleigh Duquesne could make him break that oath.

"So you're gonna make me wait it out and get it from our kid one day?" she teased. She was completely joking, but as she held his gaze she felt the moment shift. The slightest banter over a family recipe had been like ripping the bandaid off to expose the sensitive and raw nature of their complicated relationship.

She was one of his closest friends and coworkers. He trusted her with his life and many of his secrets. He felt both comforted and on edge whenever she walked into a room, and he was pretty sure the depth of his feelings for her went far, far beyond attraction or even a crush. He'd gone to her after Mari because he'd needed to feel alive and know that there were still pure and beautiful things in this world. And now, because of that night, they would have a daughter together. But she still wasn't family...at least not really. Not technically.

"Sorry." She bit her lip, and he was a little surprised she'd actually acknowledged the shift between them. And then, sensing the connection between the two, she pointed out, "You were quiet today."

Eric nodded, placing his hands on the counter behind him and leaning further against it. "Just thinking…"

Calleigh waited, but he didn't continue. "About?"

"Everything," he admitted, sighing. "I'm excited, Calleigh. I really am." She knew he wasn't just saying that; he'd flown all the way out here for a day and a half to be here. She'd experienced how protective and caring he was; she'd seen the flash of excitement and disbelief in his eyes when they found out they were having a girl. "I've always wanted kids. I just...thought it would be different when it happened."

"I know," she admitted sadly, holding his gaze with sympathetic eyes.

"The whole nine yards, you know...fall in love, get married, buy a house…" He scoffed a little as he shook his head. "Not even in that order," he admitted. "Just...together."

Calleigh pressed her lips together, rolling them a little as she contemplated her words. She wasn't as traditional as him...in fact, she was a little jaded from her own childhood and family, but she knew. She just didn't usually think about it, let alone admit it.

"I know what you mean," she finally said, averting her eyes. And he suddenly realized that her calmness, her acceptance of all this chaos wasn't just that. It was a reflection of his own turmoil, and maybe, he realized because of her avoidance of his gaze, she secretly wanted some of those things, too. Maybe this was as far from how she wanted to bring a child into the world as it was for him.

He watched her bite her lip – and then her expression completely changed as she sat up, hand flying to her stomach. His brows immediately furrowed and he stepped closer, searching her features.

"Is something wrong?"

"No." She shook her head, eyes absentmindedly dancing around the room as she paused for a moment with her hand pressed to her stomach, completely still and silent until a smile crept across her face. "I think I'm feeling her move."

His eyes immediately softened and he instinctively moved toward her, then stopping short and hesitating before he got any closer.

Calleigh watched him, smiling sadly as she said, "I don't think you can feel it." But after studying him for a moment, she reached for his hand before she had second thoughts, heart beginning to pound against her chest as she pressed his palm against her abdomen.

The gesture surprised him, and he swallowed hard as his hand curved against her stomach. Flashes from months ago filled his mind despite trying to ward them off: the curve of her hip, his fingertips running over her soft but toned stomach, all gone now to make room for what they'd created. She felt completely different now, the small but noticeable bump of her stomach pressing against his hand, but she made his heart race just the same – if not a little more, given what was happening between them.

She'd intended to move her hand away from his, but instead she hadn't managed to let go yet, her palm resting over the back of his hand as they both waited, her eyes flickering over his features for any sign of recognition. But as the moments ticked on without change, her heart began to race faster and he made the mistake of meeting her eyes this close.

She'd thought she could deal with this, she really did. She thought she could separate the two – letting him touch her for the sake of including him and letting him try to feel the baby move versus him just touching her – but she couldn't. His touch was an emotional trigger, and she was completely unprepared to deal with the consequences.

"Eric," she breathed out as her fingers slipped between his from behind. "Thank you for coming, for being here for her…" She was searching for more words, but there simply weren't any.

"I wouldn't miss it," he said honestly, staring back at her.

And as she watched his eyes trace over her face, over the blonde hair that tumbled down her shoulder, she put her own fears and reservations aside long enough to see a flash of what Sarah had seen. He wasn't just here because of the baby. And he wasn't just having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that this was all happening with someone he wasn't involved with; he was completely gutted because he wanted her – wanted the chance to see what would happen if they let their hearts and hands do as they pleased. He'd tried to tell her that a long time ago, and she was an idiot if she thought it would just disappear, especially now.

Heart calling the shots today, she laid her hands against either side of his neck, cradling his warm skin in her palm. Pulling both him closer to her and herself closer to the edge of the counter, she leaned in, paused to let her eyes flicker between his and his lips, and gently captured his lips with hers.

Caught off guard, he laid a hand against the countertop to steady himself, the other pressing more firmly against her abdomen. After a soft, short press-and-slide of her lips, she pulled back a little to meet his eyes, gauging his reaction. He could only stare back at her, eyes dancing over her lips, her green eyes as he stood frozen. But as a smile tugged at the corners of her lips and she pulled him back down, he let his body follow his dreams. His hand moved to her waist, pulling her closer as her hands moved to his shoulders and guided his mouth back to hers. His other hand found her thigh, palm pressing against the denim of her jeans and feeling the warmth of her skin radiating from beneath. As his lips melded with hers, the slow burn of desire rose within him and began to rival the knocking of his heart against his chest.

While before they were drunk on grief and need, the night a surprisingly memorable blur, this was slow, calculated, like the first time as his hand abandoned her thigh to tangle into her blonde hair. His senses were heightened and he was aware of absolutely everything, every movement, every little sound and touch.

Her hand trailed down his chest, feeling his heart pounding against her palm for just a moment before her touch landed on his abdomen, feeling his muscles ripple as he shifted his weight and then relax when he leaned against the counter, into her. She wrapped her arm around his waist then, pulling her body flush against his at the edge of the counter and tilting her head slightly to change the angle. Her mouth crashed against his deeper, pulling kiss after kiss from his lips.

How perfect she felt against him was an unfortunate catalyst for the warning bells in both his heart and mind. He couldn't do this again – fall for the warmth of her skin and mouth against his, the clenching of his heart every time her heavy green eyes met his, get lost in an all too real dream of soft blonde hair and creamy skin – only to have it all taken away when she inevitably distanced him again.

He needed her to be sure, and he knew that she was anything but.

Eric slowed his lips against hers, brows furrowing with regret and confusion as his lips lingered against hers. He finally managed to do one of the hardest things he'd ever done and he pulled back from her, resting his forehead against hers. But as his eyes flickered open and he glanced down at her body flush against his, he knew without a doubt that it was what he had to do.

It would be so much worse this time to have it all taken away. Because not only would he be losing her again after knowing just how amazing they were together; he would also be losing the possibility of something he realized he desperately wanted with every milestone of this pregnancy: the chance of a future with her, a family with her.

He let her hair slip from his fingers and returned both of his hands to the cold marble counter, needing to put some space between his hands and her tempting skin.

Shaking his head against hers, he asked, "What are we doing?"

"I don't know," she said honestly, pulling away from him to meet his eyes. But her hands glided over his chest to rest at his shoulders, which was doing very little to help him stay away from her.

"What are you thinking?"

She smiled up at him sadly, her eyes already apologizing. "That I really don't want to be thinking," she admitted, knowing it wasn't what he wanted or needed to hear. But it was honest, which was all she could give him.

"Calleigh," he warned, sucking in a deep breath, his heart racing. "This can't be like last time…"

As he searched her eyes, he absolutely knew he couldn't do it again, couldn't just walk around knowing how incredible it was to be with her, how incredible they were together, but convince himself it could never happen again. And then live in uncertainty knowing there were obviously moments her guard would be down and his heart would soar only to come crashing back down again.

"I like you, okay?" he said, spelling it straight out for her. "I'm attracted to you. I like how good you are at your job. I like that you're brilliant and and kind and sassy," he continued, drawing an uneasy smile from her lips. "I like that you're not easy to figure out, and that you challenge me." She watched him and bit her lip, overwhelmed by how he could be so open and sure.

They stood in silent chaos for a moment before he asked, "If there's even a chance that we have feelings for each other...don't you think we should try?"

She took in a deep breath and looked away, not knowing how to answer that.

"We're about to have a kid together, Calleigh," he reminded her, disbelief in his eyes.

"I know." He didn't have to remind her of that; she thought about it almost every waking minute, and worried that both of them could be making decisions based on that, based on the temptation to force themselves to be more to each other than they would have been otherwise. "And I don't want this to be about that," she said, expressing one of her many fears.

"It's not," he assured her. "For me it's not… And if we don't figure this all out, it's gonna get even more complicated."

She closed her eyes, taking in a lungful of steadying air as she nodded only in understanding. But her silence ceased to promise him anything, and he knew it was because she couldn't. This was a moment of weakness for her, whatever that meant. She either didn't know how she felt about him or didn't want to find out, wasn't willing to risk what they had or jeopardize their work for what they could potentially be to one another.

As the realization swept over him, he began a war against his conscience, torn between giving in and pushing the bounds of whatever happened between them and hoping for the best, hoping he could change her mind, and knowing that he had to protect his heart from a crippling defeat he wasn't sure he'd bounce back from.

"I can't," he finally said regretfully, meeting her eyes and catching the moment she realized how much this was breaking him. With emotional eyes, she watched as he touched his hand to the small bump of her stomach again and leaned in, pressing his lips to her cheek, unable to resist showing his affection for her, for both of them like this, when it might be the last time. And then she watched him disappear down the hall, her heart relieved and broken all at once.