It was 2 o'clock in the morning as the phone rang, awakening Jess rudely out of her dreams. She wanted to snap at the caller but as she spotted it was Becker, her mood performed a volte-face.

"Becker, is something with Bounty?" She questioned full of worry.

"I think so. She is walking around the whole time, from one room to another, chasing me away from her and then coming after me and whining. I think she is in pain." He answered concerned.

"Stay there, I'm coming." She replied and hang up. Mentally slapping herself for saying it. Of course he would stay there, it was his place after all. Shaking the thoughts off she turned out, brushed her teeth, dressed herself and scurried out of her flat.

It didn't took long and she stood there, in front of his flat, ringing the bell. Becker opened the door as if he was waiting behind it, leading her inside and directly to Bounty, who was now walking around in her basket.

"Hey my girl. How are you?" The FCO questioned gently and kneeled down, caressing the dog's fur and scratching her behind the ear to calm her down.

Bounty only whimpered, hastily wagging with her tail and laying her head onto Jess' knee. The woman moved with her hands to the abdomen, placing her hands onto the moving belly.

"Poor thing!" Jess pitied the dog and stated to Becker. "I think she is in the delivery. How long has she been like this?" She questioned.

"A couple of hours. Two, maybe three." The Captain replied in a calm voice, now that Jess was there, he could lose his worry a little.

"I think it's better we take her to a vet. Just to be sure." The FCO suggested concerned.

Becker nodded, grabbed the whole basket, including Bounty, and followed Jess to her car. It was really good with her as guiding person, she told him "step up" or "step down" when he had to take a stair, "even" when he reached the floor, told him the direction he had to turn and the suggested distance he had to walk, which was mostly right. If they weren't in such a concerned situation he would have teased her about what a good back-up guiding dog she made.

During the ride, Jess had called the vet so they could directly walk into the treatment room. The vet took another sonograph and saw that it was only one big puppy that laid in a breech presentation. He decided to make a Caesarean and sent Becker and Jess out of the room.

The little woman hold the large hand of the soldier to soothe him while they waited. Twenty endless minutes later, the door went open and the vet called both back into the room.

Mummy and puppy where thank god all right. Bounty laid in the basket, busied with licking her baby. It was a really big baby of nearly two pounds. Which was probably because of the baby's daddy that the vet suggested as a Mastiff. A really cute mix because the baby looked like Bounty with a wider mouth, and its fur colour was black and brown.

"A Mastiff?" Becker stated averse to the info. "Hopefully it has its intelligence from Bounty." He added and Jess slapped him slightly on his arm. She shouldn't have give him a book about "The intelligence of dogs". Becker had studied the list with great interest and therefore knew that Mastiffs were the eighth-stupidest dog-breed.

With some advice of how to treat Bounty because of the surgical scar for the next days and some tips for her and the puppy, Becker and Jess left the practice.

Home again, both sat in front of the basket, which was standing on its old place. Bounty was licking and caressing her baby, and Becker and Jess kept watch that neither of them was picking on the bandage, luckily it was only one baby so it still could drink on her upper dugs.

Jess described in every little detail what Bounty or the baby, which still hasn't any name, did. Here and there she squealed with delight at the picture in front of them, but said instantly sorry, because Becker couldn't watch it.

"Um, Jess. Thanks again, for everything I mean. For that I could call you in the middle of the night and you came immediately and for helping me through that." Becker thanked her sincerely.

Jess smiled at him, and was once again sad that he couldn't see. "You're welcome!" She answered and stroke him gently across the arm. "Awwwweee, that was sooo cute. I wish you could have seen it." She stated as she looked back to Bounty, but immediately regretted it. "Oh I'm so sorry, Becker." She apologised and hide her blush behind her hands.

Becker chuckled deeply. "No problem, Jess." He assured her and wrapped his arm around her, taking her into a hug. "With you at my side, it's almost like I can see again." He appended and placed a light kiss on her head.

Jess blushed deep red, fixing her eyes on the dogs, to concentrate herself and not freak out at his hug and his kiss. Unfortunately she also saw what the dogs did.

"Ugh!" She commented, followed by a disgustful "Oh, yuck!" She turned her head, burying her face into Becker's chest as she stated. "I wish I were blind." Snuggling herself deeper into him she added. "Sorry, Becker."

The soldier laughed loud out. "What did happen?" He asked and hugged her tighter.

"Believe me, you don't want to know, unless you want to throw up. Oh, and just a hint, please don't let Bounty lick your face or hands for the next couple of hours."

Becker laughed deeply again, he had read both books, Jess had bought him about dog pregnancy and puppy breeding and he almost could imagine what Jess had seen. He wrapped his other arm around her and with one flip he positioned her right onto his lap, hugging her from behind.

"You know what?" He questioned, his breath tickling her ear.

The surprised and stock still sitting woman replied. "What?"

"Marianne said she would dump me if I would keep the baby. And I know you love dogs as well. So, do you want to have the puppy?" He questioned, his chin resting on her shoulder, awaiting the answer.

Despite the urge for her to shout 'Keep it! Keep it!' so that Marianne would drop off the radar, she answered with bright sparkling eyes. "I would love to!" Kissing him on the cheek to thank him for the offer.

"So, what do you gonna call it?" He questioned further, totally relieved that it was her who would raise the baby, instead of a complete stranger. And with a big wide grin on his face because of the kiss.

"Well, the vet said it's a boy. Sooooooo, I'm gonna call him -" She thought about it some seconds and said. "Marshal."

A/N: I hope you have enjoyed the little story.

Please review and let me know what you think.

:o)