She prays that, in her sixth month, this is the last time she's ever bedridden during her pregnancy, and she prays that this is the last time she considers her arrangement with Dex temporary.

Kristina rests on her side, wrapped up in his sheets. Her head throbs as her breaths come out in heavy, ragged spurts. She erupts into a coughing fit, her nose congested as she tries to inhale air. Dex rushes around the corner, a glass of water in his hand.

"Hey," he drops to one knee, a hand on her upper arm, "Krissy, hey."

Her body shakes as she glances at him. He wraps his arms around her gently, helping her sit up against his headboard. Her hands shake as she holds the glass, taking small sips.

"Ugh…" she clears her throat, "thank you."

"Do you need some more cough syrup?"

"No," she hiccups, "I took some an hour ago."

"It's not working," Dex frowns, sitting on the edge of his bed, "You've been like this for a few days now. I think we should get you checked out."

"Why? It's just some coughing and a stuffy nose."

"Sure, but it's not just you who's affected."

"She's fine," Kristina runs a hand down her stomach.

"How do you know?"

"I just do. Call it a mo-" she stops herself, "Call it an aunt's intuition."

"Is that a thing?"

"It is for me."

"I…okay," Dex let out a giggle, "I still think you should see someone."

"Okay," Kristina nods, "but I don't think we need to go to the hospital."

"Is there someone I can call?"

"Try-" she coughs a few times, loud and rough, "Try Amy."

"Okay," he swipes through her contact list, placing the device to his ear. It rings a few times, more than he wants it to.

"Hello?" Amy asks curiously.

"Hey, Amy, it's Dex."

"Oh, hey! What's up? Is Krissy okay?"

"Uh, no, not really," he looks at her, watching her slide down onto the mattress, curled up on her right side, "She's sick."

"What? Oh no! How sick is she?"

"Coughing fits, congestion, difficulty breathing," he gently rubs her leg when he sees her shake, loud, rough coughs leaving her mouth, "It seems like a nasty cold, and she's fine, but I'm worried about the baby. Do you think you're able to look her over?"

"Are you guys coming to the hospital?"

"No. She doesn't want to."

"Well, crap," Amy sighs, "I'm pulling double duty today," Dex winces before his ears perk up, "Oh, but TJ isn't! I think he's off today!"

"Oh, thank God! I'll give him a call! Thank you, Amy!"

"Yeah, of course!" she chirps, "Before you hang up-"

"Yes?"

"Besides her illness, how have things been since Krissy's all but moved in with you?"

"Moved in?"

"Yeah. I mean, she's stayed over there almost every day for the last week or two. I barely ever see her at home. Not that it's bad or anything: she freakin' loves you!"

"She does?"

"Yeah! The way she acts with you, speaking highly of you and literally being around you all the time, is a way she hasn't acted around anyone else in a few years. You make her really happy."

"Oh," a warm smile spreads across his face, "well, she makes me happy too."

"Alright, so I'm bringing the rest of her stuff over…when, exactly?" Amy laughs, "I'm kidding! I'm kidding. Tell Krissy I wish her well and I love her."

"Will do. Thank you again, Amy, I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome," the line goes dead. Dex swipes through the list until he finds who he's looking for. The device rings a few times.

"You've reached the voicemail of TJ Ashford. Leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"TJ, hey," Dex begins, "it's Dex. Listen, Kristina's sick. It's not bad enough that she needs to go to the hospital, but if you're not busy, do you think you'd be able to come by and look her over? We're at my place, which is the complex on the corner of Charles and Quartz, Apartment 34. Let me know. Thanks."

He lets out a heavy sigh, gazing sadly at Kristina. Her eyes are shut, eyelids smooth and relaxed to match her current breathing pattern, a hand loosely resting on her bump. He quietly gets to his feet, kissing the side of her forehead and taking the empty glass off the nightstand. There's a knock at the door as he crosses by his sofa, and an overwhelming sense of relief washes over him when he sees the man on the other side.

"Dex," TJ nods as he walks in.

"Thanks for coming," the man closes the door, then pointing to his bedroom, "She's in there."

"Got it," TJ nods as Dex disappears into the kitchen to refill the glass. The doctor turns the corner, smiling at the woman in bed. He gently shakes her leg as he sits down, "Hey, Kristina."

"TJ…?" she slowly sits up, devolving into a coughing fit seconds later, "What are you doing here…?"

"Checking on you," he takes a seat by her on the bed.

"Dex called you?"

"Yeah," he gives her a once-over before pulling out an electric thermometer. The device hovers in front of her forehead as he looks for a temperature, "98.9 degrees: no fever."

"That's…" she rubs her eyes, "good."

"Well, you sound congested and you're prone to coughing fits. Symptoms suggest it's just a cold, which won't affect the baby at all."

"Good," she lays back down, a hand on the side of her stomach. TJ frowns at her as Dex walks in, placing a full glass of water down on the nightstand.

"Is Kristina okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, it's just a cold."

"And the baby?"

"She's fine too; this won't affect her at all."

"That's good," Dex sighs in relief, "I'm glad."

"See?" she gives him a tired smile, "I told you."

"Yeah, you did," he smiles and laughs.

TJ glances between them, a shared smile on his face before standing up, "Well, Kristina, how're you feeling?"

"Like I need some sleep."

"I think we should give her that," he looks at Dex.

"We absolutely should," the man nods. TJ walks out of the room as Dex pulls the comforter up around her body. He squeezes her hand for a moment before leaving, gently closing the door behind him.

"Thanks again for coming, TJ," Dex takes a seat next to him on the sofa, "I really appreciate it."

"Of course. Kristina's family, and this could have affected my daughter. I'm glad it's not," TJ reclines against the back cushions, "You're doing a bang-up job, man."

"I'm just her bodyguard."

"...Sure."

"What?"

"It's just…the way you two interact, it gives me the impression that it's more than just you being her bodyguard."

"Dante thought the same thing."

"Maybe he's onto something," TJ sits back up, "I mean, it's clear you guys are into each other. Why not just…be a couple?"

Dex doesn't respond, looking away.

"Look, you've been by her side this whole time, you've gone above and beyond to take care of her, and you haven't batted an eye at all her quirks and flaws, especially since pregnancy kind of turned all that up to eleven. It just seems to me like you love her."

Dex stares at TJ head-on, "...She means a lot to me."

"And you mean a lot to her."

"That's what I've been told."

"Because it's true," TJ leans in slightly, "What's holding you back, dude?"

"It's…complicated."

"How?"

Josslyn's face flashes in his mind for a brief moment, and he subconsciously realizes just how little they've talked since their fight on his birthday, "I can't really explain it."

"Oh," TJ frowns, leaning back against the cushions. The men sit in silence for a beat, with Dex occasionally looking at the closed bedroom door. TJ follows his gaze but remains quiet. He eventually breaks the ice, "So…how long have you been in town?"

"About a year and a half or so."

"How do you like it?"

"It's a nice place. Most of the people I've met here are nice, and there's a lot to see and do."

"What have you done and seen since you got here?"

"Well, I've been to Charlie's Pub, the Metro Court pool, Kelly's, Perks…and that's about it."

"Really? Dude, you haven't even scratched the surface of things to do here. There's festivals that go on in Rice Plaza, art exhibits at the Jerome Gallery and The Chuck, bowling at the PC Lanes. Ooh, there's actually a hatchet range a few blocks up from where you live."

"Wait, really? That sounds like a lot of fun!"

"It is! I've gone with some coworkers to blow off steam. It's a blast. I should take you sometime."

"That would be great, thank you."

"What did you do for fun in your hometown?"

"Anything and everything, really. I'm from Malibu, so obviously, there was the beach, and there's also a massive arts scene. I didn't get to do too much, though. There was…a lot going on in my life growing up, and I haven't been back there since I enlisted in the army."

"Would you go back at all?"

"Maybe. If I had a good reason to, I might. I'm happier here."

"I'm happy you're happy here. It's a pretty good town," TJ smirks. Dex mirrors his expression, "and it's got some pretty good people," the doctor glances at the closed door, "You know, you should take Kristina out sometime. I think she'd love it."

Dex glances at the closed door. A few ideas pop up in his head, and he mulls them over as the men sit together in silence. Eventually, the sound of TJ's phone vibrating in his back pocket catches their attention.

"It's Molly," he says, standing up, "I should head home."

"No, yeah," Dex joins him, "go. Thank you for everything."

"Of course," TJ opens the front door, taking one last look at the man, "and hey, I stand by what I said earlier. You and Kristina like each other; take that next step and make it official."

Dex stays silent, watching his front door close behind TJ. He remains in place until his ears slightly twitch at the sound of his name, "Dex…"

He turns towards his bedroom, Kristina's voice just barely passing through the wood, "...Dex…?"

"Coming!" he answers, opening the door and walking in. Kristina's flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling. He crawls onto the bed, lying next to her, "You okay?"

"Yeah," Kristina says, "I just wanted to see you."

"Aw," he smiles, "How'd you sleep?"

"Meh. One day my naps will last for more than an hour."

"I hope so."

"Where's TJ?" she pokes her head up and tries to look around.

"He had to go."

"Oh, so it's back to just you taking care of me?"

"Hey, I've been doing a pretty solid job."

"I know," she giggles, "and I'm grateful. And this one," she lays a hand at the top of her bump, "is grateful too. We're lucky to be in the care of someone so compassionate."

"You're both very welcome."

Kristina turns her head, smiling at him. Dex looks her way with the same expression. She takes his hand in her and rolls onto her left side, her attention undivided. They lay in the silence for a moment or two, drinking in each other's gazes.

"How did I get so lucky?" she asks softly.

"You say that a lot," he responds in kind.

"Because it bears repeating. You've been so good to me and I…I just don't deserve it. If being a barista or chef doesn't work out as backup jobs, being a doctor or nurse will, because you really, truly care about your patient."

Dex tenses up, frozen in place as flashes of Josslyn's dorm room surface in his brain. Part of him isn't sure of why, and he's not able to mentally pivot away. The heat from his fever somewhat seeps into him, the subsequent delirium making him dizzy. He lies flat on his back, eyes fixated on the ceiling as Kristina continues talking.

"I mean, you make sure I get the care I need if you can't handle it yourself."

He gulps, his body still, hot and aching as if he's back there. He feels sweat tinge his skin as he replays the times he saw Josslyn stand there and scramble, the times he was in and out of consciousness, unable to even stand for more than a few seconds. All he had was water to keep him going, and he realizes just how grateful he is that her mother stepped up and got him what he really needed. It all makes him feel like throwing up.

"You respect my boundaries, you understand the word 'no.'"

His mind jumps further back, disoriented on the gatehouse couch while Josslyn drilled him for his injuries and his silence, refusing to let him fix things on his own. His side tingles as he recalls how often she tore away and prodded at the fresh scar, doing her best to provide him with a few stitches in a less-than-stellar way. He's not sure what's worse: refusing to let him clean and stitch his own wound, something he's done before, or refusing to let him get help that wouldn't involve the police.

"You never try to control the things I do for any reason."

The hospital was out of the question, but Sonny wasn't. Losing his phone bit him in the ass in more ways than one, more ways than he ever expected it to. All he needed to do was call or text, something Sonny would readily see and spring into action on. Instead, he lied there, at Josslyn's mercy, as all he got to do was send an email that could've been easily ignored. And then what? What then? What if neither Sonny nor Carly came to his rescue, getting him out of a situation that was rapidly getting worse?

"And you definitely don't put me in positions where I'd be sick or hurt."

That does him in, and he feels his body shudder. He lets go of Kristina's hand and rests it over where his gunshot wound was, the stitch sturdy enough under his shirt. Bile rises in his throat as he recalls every single agonizing moment he festered in that infection, festering in the 104-degree fever his supposed caretaker inflicted upon him. It wasn't like he didn't tell her how to do it, he informed her that the needle needed to be sterile, but that fell on deaf ears as she instead harped on what happened and the Sonny of it all. He's not sure whether to cry or scream or throw up, but he's sure that, good intentions or not, he almost died at the hands of someone who put their vendetta about his well-being, and that thought sticks with him as time passes by.

"Dex," Kristina's voice is soft, taking his hand again. She observes his expression, "you okay?"

He doesn't say anything, lying still as he ruminates further on the rabbit hole he fell into.

"Hey," she turns onto her left side, gently shaking his shoulder. He finally looks at her, immediately relaxing. Her hand travels to his chest, resting directly over his heart. His gaze is one of mystified wonder as he stares at her, eventually leaning in for a tender kiss, his hand resting on the back of her head, fingers in her hair. She kisses back, staying put for a moment before pulling away, ducking her head down as she coughs.

"Sorry," he says sheepishly.

"Don't be," she responds, clearing her throat, "I'm sorry you're probably going to get sick."

"I'll be fine."

"Mhm," she hums as he turns onto his right side, the pair lying parallel to one another. Her eyes sparkle as a warm smile spreads across her face, "Thank you."

He tucks some hair behind her ear, "You're welcome."

"No 'just doing my job' remark?"

"Not appropriate."

"Are you okay? You seem kind of…off right now."

"Yeah, it's just…" he takes a deep breath, "I was thinking about something."

"Care to fill me in?"

"What you said reminded me of a situation I was in, where someone I…liked tried looking after me. I thought it was okay and clearly I got better, but the more I think about it, the more I realize just how bad things were. I'd never treat anyone like that."

"Never."

Dex's smile goes from ear to ear, staying put before he moves in for a kiss. It's tender yet passionate, a hand cupping her cheek. He attempts to pull her closer, to practically swallow her whole in the moment, but she retreats, winking at him as she lies flat on her back. He watches her relax, eyes fluttering shut as she takes a few solid breaths. He remains on his right side, eyes still fixated on her before he feels himself drifting off.

Hours pass by before Kristina wakes up again, instantly inhaling through her nose. One nostril's free of mucus, which only highlights the annoyance and slight uncomfortably of the other being congested. She looks to her right and sits up enough to finish off the glass of water, searching for the cough syrup she thought was nearby.

"Hey, Dex, where-" she stops when she sees his sleeping form next to her, eyelids free of creases and peace present on his face. She softens at the sight, running a gentle hand through the side of his hair, his soft breathing making her heart skip a beat.

"Oh, Dex," she coos, her fingers gently gliding past the coiffed dirty blonde hair. She mutters his name gently, her tone practically melodic before she abruptly stops, a kick against the center of her stomach.

"Hi, baby girl," Kristina whispers sweetly, "everything's okay. I'm here," she stares down at the young man, grabbing his hand and lifting it ever-so-slowly to rest on her bump, "and so is Daddy."

Dex snuggles his head further into the pillow as Kristina sandwiches his hand between her torso and her own hand. She gazes at him lovingly, "Your dad is a good man, a wonderful man," she takes a deep breath, the words tumbling out, "I love him and-" she stops when she feels the baby kick against Dex's palm, "clearly you love him too. He's taken such good care of us…which makes all of this so much harder."

She takes another deep breath, doing her best to keep it together. She lays Dex's hand back down, watching him shift and turn away from her. Her hand runs across her bump while her eyes remain on Dex. Though she's not sure who she's saying it to, or if it's to them both, she knows that it's the truth: "I love you."