I slowly open the door to Penny's apartment, allowing her in first. I shut the door and lock it "you'd think after being in the hospital I wouldn't be tired but I'm exhausted," She sighs.

"You should take it easy," I remind her as I place her bag on her kitchen counter.

"Xander I know," she chuckles, "and yes I have the week off work, don't worry," she tells me.

"Well sorry if I worry, you are the mother of my child and you were held hostage and,"

"Xander," she says and turns to me. She gives me a small smile, "I get it, I'm sorry, you do have every right to worry," she nods as she sits on the couch, I walk towards her and sit down.

I watch as Penny slowly rubs her stomach and I can't help but imagine what she would look like with a bigger stomach "we should figure out something or whatever," I say slowly. Penny folds her legs under her and grabs a blanket.

"I asked Dr. Green for any good OB/GYN's and gynecologists we should book an appointment because I'm still worried," She tells me.

"Okay," I nod. Might as well getting used to the nodding along and agreeing with her. "I'll be there, I promise. I'm not working as much because our guy is out of state, or so we think," I tell her.

"I'm not worried that you won't be there, I'm just worried in general," She confesses. I grab onto her shoulders and pull her back onto the couch.

"Penny, breath, we've got this okay. We'll figure out everything as we go," I assure her and she nods. "How about we start slow, you go shower and I'll make lunch,"

"You don't have to go in today?" She asks shocked.

I chuckle and tuck her hair behind her ear, "Pretty I'm all yours today and whenever you need me," I muse. She swats my hand but stands up.

"Please don't make a mess in my kitchen," She says.

"You're talking about a mess in your kitchen when that," I point behind me to her messy art section, "is messy?"

"I'm an artist," she waves me off, "don't judge,"

"I would never," I shrug and wink at her. She rolls her eyes but walks away anyways. I sigh and walk towards the kitchen, opening up a few things to see what I could make. As I begin to pull out a pot to make some pasta my phone rings.

"Grandma hello," I say as I put the phone between my shoulder and ear.

"Dear, you haven't called me in months, where the hell have you been?" She demands. I let out a dry chuckle.

"Sorry, ma'am you know how busy I've been with this new case and well the wedding," I tell her.

"Speaking of the wedding how was it?" She asks me. I go on to tell her about the wedding and how smoothly and beautiful it was. I definitely let out the part where I got a girl pregnant because even if she was miles away from me she could easily kick my ass and my grandmother and maybe even Penny were the people I would admit to being scared of.

"Oh god could you imagine me with a huge ass stomach?" Penny exclaims loudly.

"Who was that dear?" Grandma asks clearly hearing Penny's voice.

"Uh no one grandma, I've gotta go. I'll call you later," I tell her "bye love you," I say quickly and hang up.

"Shit sorry," Penny mumbles embarrassed as I pocket my phone. I chuckle.

"It's fine, come sit, I made pasta," I tell her. I watch her slide onto an island stool and hand her a bowl of pasta, I take in her after-shower appearance, her blonde hair looked darker after a shower. She was wearing an oversized grey hoodie and honestly, she couldn't look hotter right now.

"Who was that?" She asks me grabbing her fork.

"My grandma, yelling at me because I haven't called her in a while so she was yelling at me because I've been a bad grandson," I tell her leaning on the counter across from her.

Penny chuckles, "she seems feisty,"

"She is," I nod, "you two could definitely kill me if it were the three of us in one room," I nod and she smiles.

I stare at her as I clasp my hands together, "what?" She asks me "you're scaring me," she says. I shake my head.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about how I should've been there when you were throwing up," I tell her.

Penny stops and lowers her fork, "you wouldn't have known, I mean I didn't even know," She tells me.

"I know, but still I honestly wish I stayed that day after the wedding, stay with you," I say.

"You were called into work Xander," she chuckles.

"You can't tell me you've wondered what would've happened if I did stay," I raise an eyebrow at her. She stares at me and shrugs. I chuckle. I glance behind her at the new art piece she was currently working on.

"So what we're you working on?" I ask, she hums. "Your new art piece," I confirm before pushing off the counter and towards her art easel.

"Oh I don't know, I woke up one morning really early when I was uh throwing up, and just started painting," She tells me. I lean back on the back of her couch and stare at the painting.

"It's beautiful," I tell her as I cross my arms. She hums in response walking towards me.

"I personally don't think it's my favorite but," she shrugs. I hum as I stare at it.

"I love it," I confess and look at her and she gives me a smile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What's up with you?" Dave suddenly asks appearing at my desk. I jump at my desk and close my tab. I don't need him seeing what I've got on my screen, looking up the best baby books.

"What?" I ask, scrubbing my jaw and leaning forward on my desk. Dave chuckles and settles down into his chair. The bullpen was a bit empty considering it was afternoon.

"What's up?" Dave repeats as he sips on his coffee. I blink and nod, leaning back in my chair and swivel in my chair.

"Yea I'm fine," I nod.

Dave chuckles, "doesn't look like it, wanna talk?" He asks.

"Uh Nah, I'm good. Just tired," I shrug.

"Well there is a thing called sleep," he reminds me.

"Yea I know, I've just got stuff going on personally," I shrug and sit up. Dave nods slowly.

"Well whatever it is you can always talk to me," he says and I nod. My phone rings and I grab it, answering immediately.

"Hello?" I question opening a file that was sitting on my desk ready to start on some paperwork.

"Xander?" Penny asks.

"Pens?" I question sitting up, "you okay?" I ask quickly.

"Yea no I'm fine, don't worry, you can breathe" she chuckles. I let out a sigh. "Our appointment is for tomorrow," she tells me.

"Okay, what time?"

"Ten," she replies.

"I'll pick you up,"

"We both know your gonna end up on the couch, Xander you should get some real sleep in your bed. I don't want you to continue being exhausted, I mean you've just ridden off the whole terrorist attack wave."

I smile, "I thought it was me that was supposed to be worried about you," I tease clicking my pen.

"Haha, I just don't want you to overwork yourself and be completely out of it when the baby arrives," She deadpans,

"Okay, but I'll pick you up tomorrow." Before she could respond I hear chatter in the distance. "Where are you?" I question her.

"Uhh the grocery store, I was craving peanuts," She says slowly.

"Peanuts?" I ask slouching in my seat, "don't make the baby a peanut addict now,"

"I'll eat whatever I damn please Xander Phillips," She tells me.

"I could've picked up whatever you needed,"

"I'm capable of getting in my car and driving myself to the store Xander, my god. A woman gets pregnant and she doesn't become unreliable," she huffs.

I chuckle, "okay, fine," I muse, "just text me when you get home yea?"

"Okay," she sighs. "Bye," she mumbles and I mumble back a bye before ending the call. I throw my phone onto my desk lightly and glance up at Dave, who was already starring.

"So you got someone pregnant?" He asks with a smirk. I realize I didn't have the quietest conversation just now.

"Fuck off," I grumble standing up and grabbing my empty coffee mug.

"Oh come on!" Dave chuckles, "tell me everything! I wanna know, from all the sex details to how you found out!" He yells after me, I shoot him my middle finger as I walk away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well I mean people are gonna find out so who cares if your team finds out?" Penny questions. The two of us were in the waiting room for the ob-gyn or something, I honestly don't know.

"I mean, it doesn't but I would've at least wanted to wait a bit," I shrug and she chuckles.

I lean back and throw my arm over the back of her chair, "how do you feel?" I ask, "good?" I ask.

"Yeah, I don't get a lot of morning sickness as much, just feeling tired and the weird cravings are real if you just know," She tells me. I smile.

"Other than that?"

"I'm fine Xander," she nods and I nod again.

"Penelope Valentine?" A nurse calls and we stand up following the nurse now.

"I hate my full name," Penny mumbles to me, I chuckle placing a hand on her back.

"Yea join the club," I tell her. We enter a room and the nurse guides Penny onto the table thing, I settle down on the chair beside her as I watch the whole process.

"So first?" The nurse asks as she gets whatever she needs ready.

"Uh yeah, kinda unexpected," I say, she gives us a gentle smile. She explains how the process is gonna go from the gel to the screen.

I stand up slowly as the nurse rubs the gel on Penny's stomach. A hand slips into mine and I glance down before looking at Penny. I give her an assuring smile.

"Ready to see your baby?" The nurse smiles at us.

"Yes," Penny breathes out. We turn to the screen and Penny gasps squeezing my hand.

The nurse smiles back at us, "is it okay not to hear a heartbeat?" I question quickly.

"Perfectly normally," The nurse says "we can usually detect a heart better near the ten to twelve-week mark, you are currently at the eighth week so everything is okay, the baby looks good," She assured us.

She gives us printed out pictures of the sonogram and we begin to talk about our next appointment and what we can expect then.

Afterward, Penny and I were sitting in my car, "I think I'm gonna make like a scrapbook or something,"

"Did you see that on Pinterest?" I question turning over and reversing out of my parking spot. She mumbles a maybe and I chuckle.

"Wanna grab an early lunch?" I question her.

"You don't have to work?" She asks.

"Nah, you're stuck with me today," I smirk at her as I pull out of the parking garage. She sighs but agrees nonetheless.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ed hands me a beer and I thank him, "so how's the whole," Ed begins looking at me and then Penny, "baby thing?" He questions.

I swallow my beer and I shrug, "I mean it's going, it's definitely a learning curve. I mean neither of us has no idea what's going on," I say and he nods. I lean back on the counter and Ed does the same on the counter across me. From this angle, I could see Savannah and Penny talking on the living room couch.

"I mean it's going well, I guess" I shrug.

"I still can't believe you two fucked," Ed muses before taking a sip of his beer. I roll my eyes at him.

"Yea I know, I remember the punches," I muse, and Ed smiles at me.

"But anyway, it's different between you two. Obviously, the constant flirting and bickering are still present but I see a different side of you two and it's kinda pleasing," He sighs. I glance at Penny as she laughs at something Savannah must've said.

"So how does it work between you two?" Ed asks.

We never really made a routine it kinda just flowed. Whenever I didn't work late, I picked Penny up and we had dinner and when she fell asleep I left. Whenever I did work, mostly on outstanding paperwork Penny and I talked on the phone until she did fall asleep.

"I don't know man," I sigh, "it kinda just does?" I say in a questioning tone. Ed nods slowly and suddenly I glance away just to see Penny stand up and rush out. I quickly put my beer down and follow her.

Savannah quickly stands up "don't worry, I got it," I assure her. Savannah nods as I rush down the hall.

"Pens?" I question knocking on the door and opening it up. Following into the normal routine I quickly fall behind her and grab her blonde hair, sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

I rub her back and lean forward on my elbows as Penny pulls away "you good?" I ask as the door opens. Penny nods and places her head on my knee as she grabs for toilet paper.

"Sav grab some water?" I ask her and she nods rushing away.

"Pens talk to me," I demand softly tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I'm fine, I'm good," she nods. Savannah comes back and I grab the bottled water. Uncapping it I hand it to Penny. She takes it willingly.

"Damn Alex, your good at this," Ed teases me as he leans on the doorframe.

"He's used to it," Penny grumbles as she moves around and leans back on the tub I was sitting on, I rub her shoulders.

"Want a toothbrush Pen?" Savannah asks and Penny nods.

"What usually helps calm the stomach?" Ed asks.

"Green tea," I tell him and he nods walking away. I reach down and grab Penny's hands and helping her up, she stumbles a bit "space feet," I mumble to her and she reaches up and swats me.

"Shut up," she grumbles and I smile. "I just threw up because of your child," She reminds me.

"Oh, it's just my child?" I tease her as she walks over to the sink.

"It's just your child when I'm in pain, other than he or she is a perfect human being," She smiles at me and I roll my eyes. Savannah stops back in and hands her an extra toothbrush before taking her to leave. As usual, I lean back on the bathroom counter and cross my arms as she brushes her teeth.

"I guess this is the only time I can tell you this but I've got another mission," I sigh. She eyes me quickly "California," I tell her and she nods slowly.

"We leave on Wednesday and I'm not sure when I'll be back," I sigh. It was true, I had no idea when I'd be back and that worried me.

"Xander," she says and I turn to her, "you're doing that worrying thing again," She reminds me.

"Because I am worrying," I tell her, "I could be gone for weeks,"

"And I'll be okay," she says straightening up. I sigh and push off the counter. "Xander," she says placing a hand on my bicep, "we'll be fine," she assures. I nod slowly. She flashes me a smile and I couldn't help but soften under her gaze.