Note: As always, thanks so much for the reviews! ❤️This is the last actual chapter of this story, but I plan on doing an epilogue, so there will be a little more. :) I still have Truth Is A Whisper to finish up and will be posting a story that begins right after season 10 soon. I actually have a decent amount written, but I made a deal with myself that I need to finish my current two first...we'll see how long that rule lasts now that this one is about wrapped up! Hope you enjoy.

One month later

It was a little terrifying how quickly it had happened. It was like one minute they were all heavy emotional and sexual tension, friends afraid to cross a line again all while dealing with the oh-so-slight complication of a baby on the way. And the next she lived in an oddly comforting world in which he had a toothbrush at her house and her morning coffee order had doubled.

She'd worried for months that they would be forcing something for the sake of the baby, that the pressure to become a family would cloud their judgment and relentlessly hover over their relationship. Instead she found herself lost in weeknight dates and his warm body next to hers as she fell asleep on the couch to a movie flickering on the television, almost forgetting they weren't just a guy and girl enjoying each other's company until a sharp kick from beneath her skin startled them both.

And this past week – her last in Seattle to fulfill her contract with the FBI and pack up her temporary home – she had missed him. Maybe it was because her energy levels seemed to be dropping by the day and she was starting to get really uncomfortable, and he was so quick to help plus he seemed to have this relaxing, calming effect on her. Or maybe it was because she was beginning to realize just how she felt about him and the week apart had really solidified it.

Because when her eyes found his in that busy airport this time, she really felt like she was coming home. Not just to her house and her things and her own bed like normal, but home – where he was, where she'd be taken care of...although she didn't need that at all but she did kind of like it.

He was grinning by the time she'd made it to him, one hand immediately slipping into her hair and then cradling her jaw, one landing on the side of her belly. She could practically see the relief in his eyes at the sight of her, which simultaneously warmed her and made her want to roll her eyes.

"Hi," she said, smiling and surprising him a little when she melted into his touch, leaned into him, and rested her head against his chest. "I missed you."

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her as hers settled around his middle. "I missed you, too," he admitted, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and lingering there, taking in the smell of her shampoo. "You okay?" he asked, because she seemed a little more ready to curl up into bed with him than tackling the to-do list he knew she had ready for when she returned home. And that was very unlike her, especially when it was only six in the evening on a Thursday.

"Yeah." She sighed into his shirt and closed her eyes, reveling in the comfort. "Just tired...and achy." She shifted her weight onto her other side and he felt her straighten, changing the angle of her spine.

The movement was discreet, but it had his fingers slipping beneath the strap of the backpack she'd taken as her personal item to stuff as much as she could into it. "Can I take this?"

She surprised him again by easily letting him slip it from her shoulders, eager to get the weight off her back. "Thanks," she said as she watched him transfer it onto his back, already feeling much lighter.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked, eyes dancing over her body like she was about to go into labor any second. She'd let him help her without a word, which made him nervous.

"I'm fine," she assured, giving him that same look she'd given him just before she'd taken off on her departing flight, a similar amused smile creeping across her lips. "You were right there when my doctor said it was perfectly fine for me to fly, and look, I'm good. We're good. I'm just tired."

"Okay." He gave in, throwing his hands up defensively. "Although I'm pretty sure your doctor said you were right on the cusp of when they recommend not flying but you 'should be fine.' Not to mention you're so pregnant you had to get a note to give to the airl-"

She silenced him by pushing up onto the tips of her toes and pressing her lips to his. "You're sweet but you're gonna drive me crazy," she told him as she pulled back. "Natalia told me you were a wreck all week."

"I may have been a little on edge," he admitted, leaning down after her to press his lips to hers – something he was still infatuated with being able to do, especially after a week apart. "Can you blame me? My very beautiful, very pregnant…" Luckily he stopped there before the word tumbled off his lips.

She raised her brows, expectant eyes waiting for him to continue as a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Your what?"

That was definitely a conversation they hadn't had. They'd agreed to just see where things went, and a follow-up conversation hadn't really seemed necessary amid secret smiles and shared homes.

He chuckled at his subconscious slip, ducking his head and running a hand over his buzzed hair before he attempted to redirect their attention by grabbing her actual carry-on and beginning to walk toward the exit. She followed, slipping her hand into his free one and squeezing his hand to draw his eyes back to hers, which were still waiting for him. She wasn't letting him off the hook.

He sighed, completely rephrasing before he spoke again. "You two were thousands of feet up in the air and she could come any day, so yeah, I think I had a right to be a little concerned."

Calleigh actually laughed, temporarily trading her amusement over his Freudian slip for amusement over his overreaction. "You know I'm probably gonna be pregnant for like four or five more weeks, right?"

"You don't know that," he said, ever hopeful.

"I'm mentally preparing myself," she told him as they crossed over to the parking garage, the Miami heat hitting her the moment they'd stepped outside. After making their way down an aisle and around a corner to find his car, she opened the trunk once he'd popped it open and helped him settle her luggage in.

"Can we stop for food?" she asked as he led her to the passenger side, a smirk curving one side of his lips.

"I've got chicken marinating at your house," he said, and she smiled at him making good use of that key she'd given him already. It was mainly so he could join her if he worked late enough that she'd gone to bed, or to bring things over to the baby's room while she was gone, but she definitely didn't mind him using it to ensure she came home to a home-cooked meal.

He pulled the door open, but she stepped toward him instead, looping her arms around his neck. "You're amazing, you know that?" She urged him down to her until she could press her lips to his appreciatively.

"I don't, so I'm gonna need you to tell me that again." His eyes were playfully alight as he rested his forehead against hers for a moment, gazing back at her.

Laughing softly, she shook her head against his and rolled her eyes before returning them to his to study him amusedly. "You almost called me your girlfriend," she pointed out, and it didn't take him long at all to realize she wasn't just teasing him. It was a bit of a question, too.

"Mmhmm. He smiled against her lips, capturing them again with his. "I did."

"I mean," she began, her fingers playfully trailing over the back of his neck. "You're not wrong."

Grinning now, he ran his hands down her sides, settling at her waist. "So we're together," he said, eyes dancing between hers. "Dating…"

"And having a kid together," she added for accuracy's sake - though these days that detail brought a little more excitement than panic to her chest, and a smile to her lips.

"Right," he said, watching her playfulness with awe. "Simple and easy."

"Super simple."

She smiled at the ridiculous backwardness of it all, tilting her chin up to seal that decision with a lingering kiss to his lips.

A few weeks later

As far as Miami days went, this was a pretty perfect one. The sun was shining, yet it wasn't too hot, especially for June. That was in part due to the tropical storm brewing off the coast, sending a few clouds and a refreshing breeze their way.

Calleigh and Eric had opted to grab a quick lunch from their favorite takeout stop and then spend the majority of their break strolling around Bayfront Park. Since she'd stopped running, she seemed really committed to walking this baby right out – and he was pretty convinced she was going to do just that, especially now that the baby had "dropped" and her walk had taken on just a hint of a waddle.

She was still surprisingly graceful, and now that she'd ditched her blazer in the car, his eyes took in the way the long green maxi dress clung to her curves. Turning, she smiled at him, wishing she hadn't left her sunglasses in the car when she had to squint a little to block out the bright sun.

"Still not in labor," she said, quick to assume he'd been checking on her yet again. He'd grown even more protective now that they were two days from her due date, and she was pretty sure that half the times he dropped by ballistics these days were completely contrived.

Angling herself toward the ocean and letting the breeze blow her hair back, she smoothed it into her hands and wrapped a hair tie around her hair into a bun.

"I wasn't even thinking about it," he insisted, laughing when she looked at him disbelievingly. "I was just thinking you're very pretty."

"Hmm." She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, smiling when she felt his fingers against hers, their hands weaving together.

"Did you look at the gun from the Arnold case?" he asked, changing the subject to distract her.

"Yeah, I found some trace inside the magazine and sent it to Natalia. She might have results by the time we're back."

"I knew you'd find something the tech missed," he said, a knowing, amused smile spreading across his lips. He glanced over at her again, fully expecting a similar smile to grace her lips, but instead she was looking at the ground wistfully.

"I wish I could've fired it," she said, her lips finally turning up mischievously. "That gun was beautiful."

Eric chuckled. That gun was also a high-powered rifle, one that far exceeded the government-approved sound threshold for pregnant employees to test fire. And the way some women dreamed of sushi and wine while pregnant was the way Calleigh longed for high-powered weapons.

"Soon," he promised, squeezing her hand. And then he felt her hand go oddly slack in his, almost like her whole body had tensed and she'd involuntary released her hold on him. When his eyes darted up to hers, he caught the very slight furrow of her brows and nearly indistinguishable grimace that passed across her face as she kept her eyes on the ocean.

"Calleigh…" he questioned, halting their slow walk and moving closer to her. "Was that a contraction?"

She pulled the inside of her cheek between her teeth, chewing on it contemplatively. "Just a little one," she assured, tugging his hand to resume their pace. But he wasn't having any part of that, instead standing frozen still with wide eyes as she was left with no choice but to come back to him.

"We need to go to the hospital," he insisted, raising his brows.

She shook her head, sighing as a frustrated breath escaped her. "They're just off and on. It could still be days, or weeks."

"They?" he clarified, watching the tiniest bit of guilt underscore her features.

"I may have had a few this morning."

"And you're just now telling me?"

She tilted her head in response, an all-at-once sweet, amused, and annoyed smile gracing her lips. "Gosh, I wonder why."

She tried to get him walking again, finally succeeding in tugging him into a slow stroll again now that he was eager to prove how calm he could be.

"I thought you were a pro at this after your sisters," she teased, because he'd acted like the experienced one – right up until she'd hit the full-term mark and all rational thought had gone out the window. He'd started overreacting every time she'd stretched her back because it was hurting or got up in the middle of the night.

He nodded, knowing he fully deserved this and now able to admit that this was just slightly different than when he'd calmly spent the first six hours of his sister's labor with her at a family function before she'd gone to the hospital with her husband. Somehow it felt less easy to relax and trust in the human body and doctors and modern medicine when Calleigh and his own kid were on the line, when so much of the responsibility was on them.

She practically watched that realization wash over him as they walked, his eyes on her despite the rather breathtaking view of a storm brewing far off the coast behind her. His hand tightened on hers, his thumb rubbing over her own.

"It's a little different now," he admitted, eyes meeting hers meaningfully. She smiled knowingly, understanding the full meaning of his words as his eyes danced between her and their entwined hands.

It was different now - and not just for him. It was different for them than it had been just a few months ago, when there was attraction, deep friendship, and budding feelings mixed in with this baby. Now there was so much more. She knew things had changed, knew that things were continually deepening, every time she caught him looking at her like he was now - like he had his future in his hands every time he held hers. And with every lingering glance at work, every supportive touch or slow morning spent together, it only grew.

"Yeah," she agreed, lips curving into an emotional smile as she watched her fingers tighten around his. "It is."

/~/

The layout room was covered in charred furniture, wood, and metal – the remains of the first level of a single family home in Coconut Grove. Eric and Ryan were poring over the pieces with magnifiers, hoping to find traces of an ignition source, whoever had been in that house, and hopefully their arsonist-turned-murderer. Eric was so engrossed in what he was doing that he had no idea Calleigh was in the hallway until she'd poked her in, smiled, and said "hey" to Ryan.

When Eric looked up and greeted her with a smile, she looked between the two of them and asked him, "You got a minute?"

"Yeah, just a sec," he said, figuring she needed to update him on a case or ask him a quick question. He momentarily returned his attention to scanning the remainder of the board he was holding, completely missing the way Calleigh's hand gripped the door handle tightly and nervously.

When he finished that section, effectively finding nothing useful, he set it aside and snapped his gloves off to join her.

"What's up?" he asked as she held the door for him and he followed her into the hall. Now that his attention was fully on her and he was actually out in the hallway with her, he realized something was off. The green dress she'd been wearing earlier was long gone, replaced with the blue top and black leggings she kept around in her locker in case a mess at the lab necessitated a change. And she pressed a hand against the wall like she'd need it for support, letting out a deep, calming breath at his question.

"I think maybe my water is breaking."

He looked at her for clarification, but he didn't really need any when a moment later her fingers tightened against the wall and she leaned into it. He was surprisingly calm as he took her free hand, her fingers immediately curling tightly around his as she waited for the pain and tension to stop.

"And that's happening every…" She glanced at the silver watch on her wrist, giving herself a moment to do the math. "Seven minutes now."

Swallowing hard, she breathed out now that she easily could and searched his eyes. She'd been completely convinced this would be a long process and she'd be like all those other women waiting long past their due dates and spending days in labor. Of course this kid had other plans, and it made a little shock and panic course through her system that had their roles completely reversing: Eric calm and level-headed, her a little more stressed than her quietness was letting on. But he could tell.

"Okay." Eric nodded, running his fingers soothingly along her forearm. She leaned into him, needing a moment as she rested her head against his chest despite the fact that they were in the busy hallway at work. He ran a comforting hand down her back as he asked, "You gonna let me take you to the hospital now?"

"Uh huh."

/~/

Calleigh woke to complete silence and a dim hospital room, a stark contrast to the chaos of the day. She'd drifted off for the first time that night, and she somehow felt like she'd slept surprisingly deeply due to her sheer exhaustion and also like she'd gotten no sleep at all. Practically as soon as she'd blinked her eyes open, she was searching the bassinet positioned next to her bed, a wave of panic crashing over her upon finding it empty. She pushed herself up a little more quickly than her sore body was ready for, Eric's voice on her other side stilling her though it was too late.

"Hey, I'm here," he reminded her, slowly reaching for her arm. When she'd turned onto her back enough to take in the sight at the other side of her bed, she suddenly understood what people meant when they claimed their hearts stopped. Because hers had surely at least skipped a beat as she took in the sight of him slightly laid back in the reclining rocking chair, their daughter tucked against his chest with her arms splayed out, a fluffy yellow blanket pulled over her back and his hand gently supporting her.

"Sorry, she started to squirm around and I thought I'd try to keep her from waking you up so soon," he said, glancing down to find the baby still soothed back to sleep.

Calleigh slowly shifted from her back onto her other side to face him, a tired, emotional smile curving across her lips as she took them in. She could get used to this, and the words had almost bubbled up to her lips but his amused smile saved her from that dangerously implicative comment.

"You were about to go all mama bear on a nurse, weren't you?"

"A little," she admitted. "I thought they'd taken her to that damn nursery after we told them not to."

Instinctively, her eyes drifted over that baby for the hundredth time that night. Eliza Marisol Delko.

She'd suggested the middle name a few weeks ago, and Eric's heart had practically crumbled for a number of reasons before her eyes as he wrapped her in his arms – because it was more than he could even handle to have his daughter named after Mari, and because Calleigh knew and understood enough and wanted to offer. He'd pressed his lips to her temple and mumbled "yes." It was all too fitting. Mari was kind of the reason this baby was even here, kind of the reason that they were together now rather than stumbling around for whoever knew how many more years of awkward tension and stunted feelings. Mari had been the only thing that could render him broken enough that he'd give in and just need to feel.

The last name had been harder. Eric had suggested hyphenating. It wasn't like they were married – and even if they had been, that didn't mean her or this baby would have his last name. Neither of them were particularly traditional. But Calleigh had wrinkled up her nose at hyphenating, not wanting their poor kid to grow up with a mouthful of names. And then the past few weeks had really sold her on Delko, with Eric's mother offering to help with any childcare they needed, his whole family practically adopting her in without question, and his sisters promising to sneak in whatever she wanted for breakfast tomorrow when they came by the hospital.

His family was every bit as amazing as he claimed they were, and she wanted her daughter to be a part of and named after that – a family that was sure to play a huge role in her life rather than Calleigh's own mess of a family.

She was feeling even more sure of that decision as she watched the two of them, taking in Eliza's tiny features. Although her newborn skin might change a little, she definitely had a mix of their tones, her skin lighter than Eric's but definitely with hints of his caramel. Her light brown hair and dark green eyes could change, but Calleigh didn't mind either way. She was perfect, and though this moment – and these past nine months – were completely unexpected and unplanned, she wouldn't change any of it.

"Do you want her back?" Eric asked softly, noticing the way she couldn't stop taking her in.

"No," Calleigh said softly, leaning into her pillow even more as she settled in on this side. "She seems happy and I'm enjoying the view." She reached her hand out and laid it over his chair, not having to wait long at all before he threaded his fingers with hers.

Drawing them to his lips, he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand and let his eyes draw over her. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just sore," she assured, her tired eyes growing heavy as she watched them.

"You should get back to sleep while you can." Eric glanced down at Eliza to search for any sign of her waking and Calleigh's eyes followed his to the baby again, completely forgetting his suggestion as she began taking her in all over again. His thumb then smoothed over Calleigh's – a gentle reminder – and she smiled apologetically as her eyes drifted back to him.

"I don't think I can," she admitted, gaze pointedly drifting over the two of them: Eric's muscular arm performing the delicate task of holding Eliza to his chest, his hand resting softly over her back; the way her lips pursed in her sleep, already reminding Calleigh of Eric. Despite knowing that sleep would be hard to come by for months to come, she just couldn't bring herself to stop watching them and close her eyes. Her body was buzzing with a strange, comforting excitement and warmth. "I'm so in love with this," she said, awe and pure honesty in her eyes as they returned to his, making his heart knock against his chest. "With both of you."

Eric's fingers tightened around hers, wishing for just a second that he could press his lips to hers right now and then quickly realizing he wouldn't change a single thing about this moment: their daughter sleeping on his chest, Calleigh looking at them like that, her being the first to break and admit how she felt after weeks of that word silently but definitely guiding their lives.

"I love you, too, Cal," he said softly, melting away the last of her dwindling concerns over work and IAB and their relationship.

It was strange how things had shifted. Her work had always been the most important thing in her life, the one good cause she could throw herself into no matter what was going on in her life. It was still an important part of her life, but it had nothing on the two people in this room with her right now. Because this right here she wouldn't trade for anything.