"Don't worry about coming back to work after the appointment, Aaron. Director Shepperd already called and told me that anything left over can be finished on Monday. Enjoy your weekend!"

He nodded to Carri before she left his office, and slowly packed up his briefcase. It was odd to be alone in the office once more, since Dave had been cleared to return to the field that Monday. It had been good for the team, because they were finally up to their full complement, but he missed having another person there with him. Letting out a soft chuckle, he shook his head and threw his trench coat over his arm as he left the office, giving Carri a small wave before he left.

There was an enormous feeling of anticipation for this appointment, because Erin's doctor had been pleased with how much her blood pressure had gotten under control the last time. He knew that his wife was wishing for even better news, because she wanted to be able to go places again. And he wanted her to be able to have more freedom, since he knew she was chafing at the enforced extended bedrest. Penelope happened to be in the hallway as he pressed the button for the elevator, and she gave him a thumbs up as he stepped into the car, and Aaron nodded as he allowed a small smile to cross his face before the elevator doors closed.

During the ride back to his house, Aaron thought about the other thing that would be confirmed at this appointment. It had been a foregone conclusion, in all their minds, that Erin was having a girl, since she was so adamant about it, but there hadn't been any real way of knowing that for sure and for certain. It was one thing to have the genetic test tell them the sex of their baby, it would be quite another for the ultrasound to reveal to them how their baby was growing and developing. That thought put a little more lead into his foot, as he suddenly wanted to be home with his wife and get her to this appointment.

Georgia and Erin were outside on the lawn, sitting on the bench that Georgia had bought with the first advance for her novel, and he gave them a small wave as he parked the car, leaving it idling as he approached them. "I cannot wait to see pictures of the scan, Mother! I'd say enjoy the appointment, but I know that there's an awful lot riding on what the doctor says today."

"That sums it up perfectly," Erin said as she held her hand out to Aaron. He quickly took hold of it and helped her to her feet before leaning in and giving her a soft kiss. "All right, we have thirty minutes to get to the office, and I know that the traffic has been a little bad today, as there was an accident on our route. Before you ask, yes, I do keep track of things like that, darling."

He chuckled a little as he waved to Georgia before leading Erin to the car, ready to help her into the passenger seat if she needed the assistance. Erin gave him a slightly displeased look before fastening her seatbelt, and he took the hint by going over to the driver's side and getting behind the wheel. There was so much that he wanted to say to Erin on the ride over, but every word seemed to die in his throat. He didn't want to jinx anything by speaking out of turn, before they knew anything, and it seemed like Erin felt the same way, as he noticed that she kept looking at him, her mouth opening as if to say something, before she closed it and smiled instead.

Finally, they arrived, and he parked in the closest spot to the door before going around to the passenger side and helping his wife from the car. They walked arm and arm into the doctor's office, and he smiled to the receptionist as they approached her. It had been easy to become friendly to her, since it felt like they were there every day. "Is it that time already?" she joked, and he nodded as she tapped away on her keyboard.

"Hopefully, we get good news that says we can go at least three weeks between visits," Erin said as she took the clipboard from the receptionist's hand, giving her a wobbly smile before heading over to the seats. Aaron followed after her, barely getting settled in when the door to the back opened and their usual nurse appeared, giving him a sheepish grin as she gestured for them to follow her. "I didn't even get a chance to fill any of this out, Ashleigh."

"I very much doubt anything has changed too dramatically in the last fourteen days, otherwise we would have seen you much sooner. Though I'm certain that Aaron can work on filling it out while we do your vitals."

Erin nodded and handed the clipboard to him. Hurriedly, he picked up the pen and began to check all the boxes as the two women went through the usual routine. He managed to fill everything out by the time that Ashleigh was done with Erin, and then they were headed back into an exam room. "I was wondering if we could get pictures of the baby this time? Jack has been asking to see what his little sister looks like, and I want him to have something tangible to hold onto when we tell him about how she's growing."

"That is entirely possible, Erin. I'll try to make certain that the baby is presenting her best side to us, too."

Erin nodded as she took a seat on the exam table. "Thank you." She looked at Aaron and gave him a nervous look. "And now comes my least favourite part right now," she murmured as she slipped off her cardigan and held out her arm for the nurse to take her blood pressure. Aaron held her hand lightly as he watched the numbers change on the machine, and it was so good to see that her numbers were finally in the normal to minimally elevated range.

"I don't want to get your hopes up, Erin, but I have the feeling that you'll be getting rather welcome news when the doctor comes in. Now, lay back on the table, and I'll send the ultrasound tech in to conduct your scan."

Erin did as told, and Aaron took a seat on the free stool before wheeling it over to her side with his feet. "Did it really look good?"

"I think so, but like our nurse said, we have to wait for Doctor Heth to give her seal of approval."

She nodded as she pulled up her blouse, shivering a little from the cool air. Instantly, he was on his feet once more, picking up the thin paper blanket that had been laid on the end of the exam table and spreading it over her lower body. "You always take such good care of me, Aaron."

"Just like you take good care of me. Now, do you want to stop and eat in a restaurant before we head home or pick something up for everyone?"

"I don't think I'll be able to wait showing off pictures of Vanessa, honestly. I could order something on the drive home, so that we can meet the food at the door."

"I like the way you think," he replied as the ultrasound tech entered, an easy smile on her lips.

"Erin! You've started to pop already!"

"I'm hoping that Nessa measures large, since I would hate to think that I'm having surprise twins," she replied laconically, and the tech giggled as she took a seat on the other stool, dragging the ultrasound machine over to their sides before picking up the gel and rubbing it between her hands for a few seconds before spreading it out on Erin's bump.

"We would have noticed twins much earlier than this if you were truly having a multiple pregnancy." The tech placed the wand on Erin's bump and began to run it over her skin. The comforting whoosh of the heartbeat filled the air, and Erin's grip on his hand tightened as she teared up, gazing at the monitor with anxious love. "She is certainly a strong little mover, isn't she? Have you felt her much?"

"I'm only just starting to," Erin replied. "I'm waiting for the bigger motions so that Aaron and Jack can experience the feeling, too."

The tech nodded as she hummed a happy tune beneath her breath as she continued the scan. "All right, I can start pointing out features of your daughter if you'd like." Aaron nodded, and the tech gave him a wide grin before using the cursor to point out Vanessa's spine and her hands, and the very clear evidence that she would be the sister Jack had prayed for all those months ago. Erin was in tears by the end of the scan, and Aaron also found himself tearing up to be told that their daughter looked perfectly on track for her gestational age, and that there didn't appear to be any abnormalities with her development.

"All right, I'll go and print off pictures for you while Doctor Heth discusses the scan with you in greater detail," she said as she wiped the remaining gel off Erin's bump before getting to her feet and bustling out the door.

As soon as they were alone once more, Erin turned to him and gave him a shaky smile. "She's so beautiful," she breathed out, and he nodded. "I'll admit that I was holding my breath until this scan, because I was so certain that something was going to go wrong. But the closer we inch to viability, the more confident I feel about everything."

"That is exactly what I love to hear, Erin," Doctor Heth said as she entered the room, handing Aaron a thin envelope, which he knew contained the pictures of Vanessa. "Now, I know that this is the appointment that you've been waiting for, and I have to say that I am most pleased with the results in your blood pressure. Whatever you've changed in the last two weeks has worked wonders."

"My oldest daughter moved in, and has been helping out a lot around the house. Not that I was exerting myself, I was following your orders, but there's something soothing about having her near me. Does that progress mean that I can have a little more freedom?"

"Tentatively, yes." Erin let out a small squeak of pleasure, only for Doctor Heth to give her a dark look. "That does not mean that you're to have free rein, Erin. There are still limits, and I don't want you to overexert yourself, as then you'll be right back in the situation you hated so much. And to keep you in line, I want you to continue taking your blood pressure three times a day and send the results to me at the end of the day. If I think that things are getting out of control again, you'll be limited in what you can do. Am I clear?"

Erin let out a frustrated breath before she nodded, and Aaron tried to swallow the chuckle that was fighting to escape her lips. "You can say it, Aaron," she bit out, and he nodded.

"I am glad that our doctor is more stubborn than you are, darling. Because I know that you would try to wheedle your way into doing too much, if Doctor Heth didn't have a backbone of steel." The doctor nodded, and Erin rolled her eyes a little before nodding as well, stroking her bump gently as the exam wrapped up. He was just glad that they had received good news, and he hoped that this would continue for the rest of her pregnancy.