"I don't know how I can be so exhausted," Erin said as she collapsed on the bed, staying up at the ceiling. Derek could see the smallest baby bump push out the fabric of her sweater, and he grinned as he joined her on the bed, resting his hand there. "I don't know if it's the baby, or the act that we've been entertaining so many people for the last two weeks, but I am so glad that everyone is going home tomorrow, and we can settle into the house proper once more. If you still want to be there instead of here."

"I do. I even decided which room would be perfect to turn into a nursery for our little one, and I cannot wait to start working on it between cases. Now, I don't know who will help us, but I think that we can go slow and easy in moving our things over to the house, since it's not like we have to be out tomorrow. My lease doesn't run out until July."

Erin laughed as she nodded. "If I wasn't so tired, I'd pack up a few bags of clothes to bring with us tomorrow. Unless you'd like to do that?"

"I would love to do that for you, Pretty Lady." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "So, we're both driving tomorrow, since I have to take my family to the train station, while you have to take your parents to the airport."

"Right." He got off the bed and went over to the closet, taking out three bags. Opening the smallest one, he filled it with their undergarments, since he knew that that would be the easiest thing to take care of. "I'm still a little in awe of the fact that our families managed to arrange travel that leaves at the same time. I would have liked to have seen your family off."

"And I'd've liked to see your parents off, too. I really like them."

"They really like you, too."

He looked at his wife, giving her a wide smile. "Did you doubt they would? There are few people who can resist my charms. I mean, I even won you over, and that was after you slapped me!" He gave her a broad wink, and Erin shook her head as she smiled.

"You did not deserve that slap, Der. I was so scared, and covering that fear up with anger, which is why I just unloaded on you that evening. And yet, you were still kind to me, and didn't just kick me out when we arrived at the facility. It was hell there."

He swallowed as he thought about the dark, dour, place that Erin had been left at to fight her way back to sobriety. "I didn't want to leave you there, if I'm honest. It felt like a heavy place."

"Sometimes it has to be that way, in order to make us well once more. Though I can't say that I'm making better choices these days. This little tagalong speaks to that full well." He shook his head as he finished packing away their undergarments, zipping the bag closed before exchanging it for the next larger one. "What?"

"That is not a bad choice, Erin. That is a new life that you're choosing to share with me, even though you could have carried on with things alone. You're strong enough to stand on your own. You didn't really need me. But you decided that we could fit together and make a life with each other work, and you've given me the most precious gift anyone ever has – the opportunity to be a father."

He blinked back tears, watching Erin sit up, tears making silvery tracks on her cheeks. "I love you," she whispered as she held out her arms. Derek dropped the clothes in his arms haphazardly into the suitcase before going to her side and taking a sit on the edge of the bed. It didn't surprise him when she threw her arms around his waist, holding him close as she quietly cried. "I know how quick this all happened, I know that so many people will view it as absolutely insane, but allowing you to be the father of this baby may just turn out to be the best decision I've made in far too long."

Derek stroked her back lightly as the storm of her tears quickly passed. "I think that it will end up to be the best decision I've ever made, too, Erin. I love you." He pressed his lips to the crown of her head. "Now, let me finish this packing up so that we can get to sleep."

Erin nodded as she gave him a soft squeeze before releasing him and snuggling back against the mattress, her eyes never leaving him as he stood back up and began to fold the clothes he'd dropped in order to comfort her. It didn't take long to finish that task before he filled the other bag, nearly emptying their closet. Satisfied with that progress, he zipped the last bag before setting them next to the door in order to easily grab them in the morning. Turning back to the bed, he smiled to see that Erin was fast asleep, curled on her side with her hand resting on her baby bump. Shaking his head, he went over to her side and began to undress her, knowing how uncomfortable she'd be sleeping in the clothes she'd chosen for the day. Once she was only in her underwear, Derek went and pulled out a soft flannel nightgown, somehow managing to get her dressed in it before he stripped off his own clothes and stepped into pyjama pants, pulling them into place as he made his way back to the bed and climbed in next to Erin, quickly joining her in slumber.

Their alarm went off far too early the next morning, and he groaned as he reached out and turned it off, turning back into Erin's arms as he tried to go back to sleep. "Der, we have to get up, work won't wait for us to laze around." He smiled against her lips as she kissed him before climbing out of bed. He yawned and sat up, watching her go over to the closet and pull out the one suit he'd left in there for her. "I'm going to shower and then have some cereal for breakfast."

"I'll be ready shortly," he replied as he settled back into the mattress, feeling the heaviness of sleep trying to pull him back under. Hearing the bedroom door close, he tried to fight against the sleepiness that threatened to drag him into unconsciousness once more, and finally sat up, throwing his legs out of the bed and standing, stretching and yawning before padding over to the closet and taking out the set of clothes that he had left there. By the time he had made it to the bathroom, Erin was putting the finishing touches on her makeup, and he grinned at her reflection as he set his clothes on the counter before shedding his pyjama pants and boxers, stepping into the shower and turning it on.

"I'll make us coffee, too," she called out before leaving the bathroom, closing the door to hold in the warmth of the shower. He hummed happily as he washed his body, knowing that it was going to be odd to jump back into work after spending two weeks with their families. And it would be so difficult to not worry about Erin when he was out in the field, since they were still three weeks away from leaving the most dangerous portion of her pregnancy.

Trying to clear his head of morbid thoughts, he once more began to hum the song that had been in his mind that morning as he finished washing up and then turned off the water. After drying off, he hurriedly dressed and groomed himself for the day before heading out to the kitchen. True to her word, Erin was seated at the table, a bowl of cereal in front of her. "We're probably going to be a little late today. There's a little bit of ice on the sidewalk."

"Did you fall?" he asked, pausing what he was doing to turn and look at his wife. "Erin?"

"I skidded a little, but Clooney was able to keep me upright. We'll take your truck today?"

He nodded, trying not to overreact to her proclamation, before pouring himself a large mug of coffee and taking a seat across the table from her. "If you think that's best, yes. Are you going to feel comfortable driving it home if we head out on a case?"

"I've driven larger vehicles before, Derek. Your truck will be easy." She winked at him as she finished up her cereal. "God, I miss coffee. Thirty one weeks until I can drink it again."

"I thought that you could have a little throughout your pregnancy," he asked as he sipped from his mug.

"I can, and I already have had my daily cup. But it's easier to have something in your cup other than water at some of the meetings I have to sit through. Some of the people like to drone on, and since I always get so tired due to growing another person inside, I feel like I'll fall asleep at the worst possible time. I don't want to embarrass myself."

"I'll have Garcia look up if there's anything you can eat that would help keep you awake, then. She always has other searches running for us in the background."

"Because she knows how to get fast results. Though I do hope that you're not abusing her skills, Der." She arched an eyebrow and he shook his head, grinning. "Good. I'd hate to have to be the heavy and politely request that she focus on purely her own work."

He nodded, chuckling softly as he finished his coffee while she ate. "All right, Pretty Lady, are you ready to head to work?"

"Not really, I'd love to spend more time at home, with just you, but I'm not ready to retire just yet. We still have to catch this jagoff that's replicating your previous cases."

Derek tried not to laugh at her words, since he knew that she was correct, they had to catch that bastard, but it was hearing Rossi's word drop from her lips that amused him. She seemed to notice that he was not as serious as he should be, as she narrowed her eyes at him, as if begging him to share. "Sorry, I just didn't expect to hear Rossi come from your mouth, when you're married to me."

"What? Jagoff?" He nodded. "He stole that from Lexie and me. He used to use much more colourful language out in the field. Lexie had to goad me into coarser language. You've just spent two weeks with my parents, you know why I was a bit more genteel."

"This is very true," he replied as he pushed away from the table, pouring the rest of his coffee into a travel mug before filling it with more coffee. "Here, let me help you."

"I'm not a porcelain doll, Derek. Not yet. Please let me do as much as possible for myself while I can. Once I progress further in this pregnancy, when I'm fat and ungainly and have lost my sense of balance, then you watch over me like a hawk. Please?"

He watched her blink a few times, as if she was trying to control her emotions, and nodded. "I will do my best to keep that in mind, Erin." Her smile was a little wobbly as she shrugged into her coat, wrapping a scarf around her throat before buttoning the coat. "This might not be the best time to ask this question, but I was thinking about how Jayje is also pregnant, and there's so much stress associated with our jobs. Have you ever lost a pregnancy?"

"You're right, this isn't the best time for that question," was her quick answer as they went out the door, his arm firmly around her waist as they rode the elevator down and then went out to his truck. "But yes, I have known loss, three of them. Which is how I know to take care of myself and what my limits are. Don't think I didn't notice that look you gave me when I told you that I skidded on the ice this morning. Like I said, I'm not made of glass."

"I know, I just want to make certain that I'm taking the best care of you that I can."

"And you can do that by trusting me. I know that you have trust issues. Anyone who has been through what you have been through would have them. But I'm your wife, the woman you love, just as I love you. We have to have a foundation of trust if we're to raise this baby together. Please?"

Once more, he could see that she was close to tears, and he nodded as he stopped them by the passenger door of his truck. "I will work on my trust issues. Do you think that you can let me hover over you as a small compromise?"

"Don't push your luck, my love. But I will try to be a little malleable. And we will talk about the losses when we have time to really talk about that. I know that it will make me cry, and I don't want to be weepy at work. All right?" He nodded before leaning in and kissing her softly. "All right, let's head in to work, and make it a good day." Again he nodded, stealing another kiss before going over to the driver's side, his heart a little more at ease with things between them.