Andddd now this is complete! Hope you enjoy. Stay tuned for a new story in the future. :)

-Epilogue-

Six months later

Calleigh and Eric quietly pushed the door open to Calleigh's home, met with dim light, the flickering of the television highlighting the walls, and the low chattering of movie characters emanating from the living room. As Eric shut the door behind him, he glanced at the clock on the hall table – 11:17 p.m. – and smiled at Calleigh. Quiet was good. Eliza could be a hellion when she woke at this hour, and while they'd left her in experienced and capable hands and they weren't overbearing at all, they'd been crossing their fingers she'd at least hold out until they got back.

Eric let his hand fall to the small of Calleigh's back, eyes instinctively dragging over her in that black dress for the millionth time that night. They were generally either put together for work, in active clothes for working out, or dressed in casual attire for days off, and there was just something about Calleigh, now his girlfriend and the mother of his child, in a tastefully low cut black dress and heels with tumbling blonde curls, darker make-up, and red lips that had him aching for her even more than usual. He had the sudden thought that if he were in charge, he'd definitely suggest that the Miami-Dade Police Department host a donor appreciation gala more than once a year, if only so he could see her like this a little more often.

As they made their way down the hallway and into the living room, they were even more relieved to find only Eric's oldest sister awake, her eight and ten year olds fast asleep on either side of her on the couch.

"Hey, I didn't even hear you guys come in," Christina greeted softly, pushing herself upright a little bit more. "How was the gala?"

"It was good," Calleigh answered, immediately glancing at the baby monitor sitting in front of Christina.

Christina smiled knowingly, pushing herself forward enough to hand the monitor to Calleigh. A smile spread across Calleigh's lips as she tilted the screen towards Eric and they both took in the sight of Eliza passed out in her signature position: on her back, arms and legs spread out, face turned away from them.

"She was pissed when you guys left, but she settled down," Christina told them. "She thinks Ella is hilarious," she added with a glance at her youngest, curled up into a rather awkward but apparently comfortable position.

"She went down okay?" Calleigh asked, and Eric noticed her eyes lingering on the monitor. Calleigh was adorably protective of that baby; they both were, really, and five hours had somehow felt like an entire weekend away.

"She was a little fussy at first, but she took the bottle just fine," Christina assured.

"Told you she'd be fine," Eric said, giving Calleigh a playful look that had her smiling in return. He'd been trying to convince her for weeks to finally take up his family's babysitting offers so they could go on a real date – literally their first without Eliza given that Calleigh had been pregnant when they'd started actually dating.

"Soooo the gala?" Christina asked again, wanting details now that they'd gotten their status check on the baby.

"It was beautiful," Calleigh finally offered up. "Food was amazing. Donors seemed happy."

"She got buzzed off a glass of wine," Eric continued teasingly, earning him a push to his arm that hurt a little more than he was going to let on.

"Oh come on, I've barely had a drink in like a year and a half."

"She's been keeping your kid alive," Christina pointed out. "You're not allowed to tease her for that."

"Thank you." Calleigh motioned toward her emphatically.

Christina smiled, eyes drifting between the two of them and noticing the way her brother's gaze lingered appreciatively on Calleigh as it so often did.

"I should get these two home," she said, glancing at the sleeping children on either side of her.

"Thank you so much for coming," Calleigh said gratefully. "Let us know if you ever need help with them."

"Thank you, and it's no problem. We love spending time with her."

"You want me to get Aaron in the car?" Eric asked, nodding to the older of the two.

"Yeah, if you don't mind."

Calleigh watched on as Eric picked up the boy, an amused smile gracing her lips because he had recently become a pro at moving sleeping children and apparently the skill carried over to kids half his size. She followed them to the door, holding it open for Eric with Aaron and Christina with Ella, giving Eric's sister a careful hug before she left. She watched them in the driveway for a moment, but gave up quickly to rid herself of her heels and retrieve the baby monitor from the living room.

She studied the screen with a smile as she walked back into the hallway and then climbed the stairs, tempted to peek into their daughter's room across from hers but knowing it would probably be mere minutes before Eliza would wake anyway. Instead she walked into her room and unclasped the delicate silver bracelet from her wrist, tucking it into her jewelry box. She was unfastening her diamond stud earrings by the time Eric's reflection appeared behind hers in the dresser mirror before her, his arms wrapping around her waist from behind.

"You look amazing," he murmured as his eyes found hers in the mirror, though it wasn't long before his gaze drifted lower, trailing over her curves outlined and emphasized by her dress.

Laughing softly, she laid her arms over his and watched as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, pressing his lips to her skin. She turned her head to the other side, acquiescing, her blonde curls tumbling further over her other shoulder.

"You told me that already," she pointed out. "A couple times – not that I mind."

"Well I mean it," he mumbled against her skin, pulling her a little tighter before his hands trailed to her hips. She'd worked hard to pass the police department's physical fitness tests and requalify for field work just a few months after giving birth, and as an added bonus her body was slowly but surely looking a little more like her pre-baby one.

Right now, however, he was a little too caught up in the slope of her collarbone, his lips leaving delicate kisses there as his hands smoothed over her hips. Calleigh turned in his arms and his mouth eagerly traded skin for lips, capturing hers like he'd been wanting to do all night. His fingers brushed through her curls, threading through her hair to cup the back of her head as his mouth melded with hers.

His other hand pressed into her hip, urging her to take several steps back towards the bed as she laid her palms over his chest.

"She's gonna be up any minute," Calleigh whispered against his lips, slowly kissing him back anyway.

He let out a noise of protest as his hands traced over her curves, skimming over her back before toying with the zipper of her dress. "Maybe she'll start sleeping through the night tonight." Grinning at the ridiculousness of his own words, he gently tugged the zipper, pulling it down and letting his fingers glide over the newly revealed skin.

"And miss a feed? Have you met our kid?" She laughed, resting her forehead against his chin as she reveled in his touch.

Eric chuckled, thinking of their adorably chubby baby across the hall who could be pretty serious about her food. His fingers trailed over Calleigh's upper arm as he wrestled with his options: don't stop and push their luck, or wait until they wouldn't be interrupted until morning. Closing his eyes, he placed a kiss to the crown of her head and sighed, lulled by the way her fingers had settled at the base of his neck and begun smoothing over his skin.

Tempting fate, he let his hand creep back to her bare back, knuckles dragging over her spine as his lips found hers again. He tilted his head to kiss her deeper, urging her down onto the bed as his fingers tangled into her hair again. But just as he'd set a knee onto the mattress, the all-too-familiar piercing cry of said demanding baby rang through the air. He pressed one last kiss to her lips and smiled as he met her eyes.

"Told ya." She glanced at the monitor she'd left on the dresser, squinting just enough to see a very awake, very squirmy Eliza trying to move around in her crib.

"I want to see her, too. I'll bring her to you," he offered, laying a hand over her shoulder to tell her to stay put.

As Eric disappeared from the room, Calleigh pushed herself further up the bed until she was propped up with pillows and the headboard behind her. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she could just barely make out Eric and Eliza on the monitor, watching their daughter's little arms reach up for Eric as soon as she could see him.

Calleigh's smile only grew as he returned with Eliza tucked against his side, her upset cries fading to a few grunts as she outstretched her arms toward Calleigh now. Eric smiled as he handed her over, fully aware of the way Eliza's legs and arms began excitedly kicking for Calleigh as they got close. It could've had something to do with nursing, so he tried not to take it too personally, but their daughter sure seemed to be particularly attached to Calleigh so far.

He didn't mind at all, and it was especially adorable during moments like these when Calleigh was smiling like she was over their surprise baby he hadn't been sure how she'd adjust to.

"Hiiiii, baby girl," Calleigh said softly, hugging Eliza to her chest and pressing her lips to her chubby baby cheek, earning her a bit of drool across her own cheek.

Eliza screeched in response, enthusiastically grabbing for Calleigh's whole face and gnawing at her chin. With their faces so close to one another, Eric could really see just how much Eliza's features were beginning to mirror Calleigh's. As a newborn, she'd had his coloring and indistinguishable baby features, but now her hair was fading to a dark blonde, Calleigh's face shape and smile were emerging beneath all that baby fat, and her eyes were strikingly green – though with darker hues. Although everyone swore she was a mix of them, all he could see of his own genes right now were her darker caramel skin and full lips.

"I think she missed you," he noted as he climbed into bed next to Calleigh and studied them, watching her balance their overzealous daughter while she easily slipped the shoulder of her dress that he'd already loosened down. He smiled as she expertly settled Eliza in to nurse, eyes dancing between the two of them as Eliza's tiny hand splayed across Calleigh's chest.

Calleigh caught him staring and met his eyes, smiling as she gently scooted towards him and leaned into his body. He pressed a kiss to her shoulder in response, his hand curving around her thigh.

"You're amazing, you know that?" he asked as he took her in again, all done up with her nice dress falling off her shoulder, baby at her chest – like something out of his wildest dreams before he'd even had the chance to dream it.

"You really like that word tonight," she pointed out playfully, gaze lingering as she looked back at him. "You're pretty great, too, you know…" She smiled, thinking of how he'd begun pretty much single-handedly cooking for the two of them, switched his gym schedule to lunch or the evening so she could go in the morning, and in general was pretty incredible with this baby they loved so much.

Just then the buzz of his phone against the nightstand stole his attention and he reached over to retrieve it.

"The guys are trying to play basketball tomorrow morning at Gordon Park," he said as he scrolled through the message.

"Go," she urged, bumping her shoulder against his as he settled in against her. "Hey, what time? Maybe we'll come with and I'll take her for a run."

"Nine. Ooh, we could get brunch at Oliver's after."

"Mmm, pumpkin pancakes and cinnamon butter," Calleigh said dreamily. "That'll get me through my run."

Eric chuckled and shook his head, but soon he was sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"What?" Calleigh asked, brows furrowing in concern.

"My basketball shoes are at my condo," he remembered aloud. Calleigh held his gaze knowingly, attempting a supportive smile. And Gordon Park was right across the bay from her house, meaning he'd have to drive at least 20 minutes roundtrip out of his way before they even headed to the park.

As Eliza made a particularly loud grunt, Calleigh glanced down at her, noting the way her eyes were growing heavy again. Then Calleigh looked up, a bit of an amused smile creeping across her lips as she took in her bedroom that had a not-so-surprising amount of his things scattered about it: his watch laid across the side of her dresser she'd let him take over, a glimpse of his shoes and shirts in the cracked open walk-in closet visible, his ties hanging on the back of a doorknob. And she knew downstairs was a similar story: his field kit sitting next to hers in the hall, issues of diving magazines sitting in the magazine rack beneath a table in her living room, his protein powder and a bunch of cuban cooking staples filling her pantry. She was a little surprised there was anything left at his condo, now that he mentioned it…

"Eric," she began softly but seriously, supporting Eliza as she shifted and turned into his body a little more. "Why don't you just move in with us?"

At the intensity in his eyes as he caught hers, she smiled and glanced around the room pointedly. "I mean, you kind of already live here...but for real."

He smiled at that, following her eyes to take in their intermingled things throughout her bedroom before he returned his gaze to Eliza – and then finally to her.

"Are you sure?" he asked seriously, his thumb imploring her for the truth as it ran back and forth over her thigh. "This is your place." He knew how much she loved this house, and it had been just hers for so long.

"It could be our place," she said so softly, sweetly, and easily he found himself resting his forehead against the side of her head to be closer. "Or we could get our own place…"

That both made his eyebrows raise in surprise and a grin spread across his lips. Moving his hand, he placed his palm over the bottom of Eliza's foot, feeling her press and kick against him in response. Soon those little feet would be running around, and it wouldn't hurt to have a big, grassy yard for her to toddle around in...

"It's not too soon?" he asked, needing to double-check because just nine months ago, Calleigh hadn't even been sure they should date.

Laughing softly, she nodded to the baby in her arms. "I think soon is a relative term here."

Smiling, he slipped his hand beneath her chin and guided her lips to his. "I'll start packing."

Turning his head, he took in their now sleeping baby in Calleigh's arms, her little chest rising and falling, lips parted, one hand tucked beneath her chin. As far as accidents went, she was a pretty great one.

"Want me to put her back down?" he offered, and Calleigh carefully transferred Eliza to his arms. "Don't…" he began, pressing another kiss to her lips. "Move."