"…and that was the last time I played the Little Drummer Boy at church," Derek said as he smiled at his Baby Girl. They were just finishing up supper after a late Christmas shopping spree and he was regaling her with stories of Christmases past.

A commotion caught his eye and he looked up to see Erin Strauss stand up from the table she was sharing with Rossi and turn to flee the restaurant. Even from a hundred feet away, he could tell she was crying and a small spark of anger flared up in his chest. "Was that Strauss?" she asked lowly as they watched the woman storm out.

"Yes, it was. Who do you want? Her or Rossi?"

"Rossi. If he hurt her, he needs to be reminded of the consequences." A feral smile graced her lips and he did not envy Rossi a bit in that moment.

"All right, sounds like a plan." He laid some money down on the table to cover their bill and tip and then got up and jogged over to the door of the restaurant. "Did you see which direction the crying blonde went in?" he asked the maître 'd.

"I believe she turned to the left, sir," the man said, looking him up and down.

"I'm not the one who made her cry," he said shortly as he opened the door and turned in the direction offered. Ahead of him, he could see Erin stalking down the sidewalk, occasionally swiping at her cheeks, and he jogged to catch up to her. "Erin!"

He watched her stiffen, pausing for a moment before walking on. His long legs gave him an advantage, and soon he was at her side, reaching out and taking hold of her shoulder, stopping her. "Please, just leave me alone."

"I can't do that, Erin. You're shivering." He shrugged out of his jacket and placed it around her shoulders before wrapping his arm around her waist, holding her close. A man on a bicycle blew past them, splattering them both with slush, and this caused her to break down once more.

Turning into him, she rested her forehead against his chest as she sobbed and all he could do was hold her close, rubbing her back as he maneuvered them underneath an awning. "He doesn't want to be a father, Derek. And I can't be a single mother at this point in my life."

"Mary was a single mother," he murmured in her ear and she gave a watery laugh.

"And Joseph raised another's child. Though I don't think an angel of the Lord is going to speak to any man in my life and say 'Look, I know this is going to be hard, but Erin needs you to help her raise a baby so she doesn't get an abortion.' It doesn't quite work like that these days, I'm afraid."

"There's always adoption."

"True, but you sort of bond with the fetus over the course of forty weeks." She pulled back from him to look up into his eyes. "I don't know what to do."

"Come home with me tonight, then. I'll give you shelter for the night." Her eyes welled up once more as she nodded. "It's not much, but at least you won't have to deal with him or the outside world for one night."

"That sounds wonderful, Derek." Trustingly, she slipped her hand into his and let him lead her over to his truck. "Will Ms. Garcia be able to get home?"

"She drove separately from me, she tends to go a bit overboard when it comes to Christmas gifts." Once more she nodded before stepping closer to him, as if she needed the contact. And he supposed that she did. Stealing a glance at her stomach, he could just make out the gentle rise of a baby bump and he felt his throat clench as he struggled not to give in to his own emotions.

He helped her up into his truck, his hand caressing her stomach before he closed the door. Through the window, they locked eyes and he saw the flicker of a smile pass over her face. Pulling out his phone, he quickly texted Penelope before getting in. She's pregnant and he doesn't want it.

"I hope you live close by, Derek. I'm suddenly not feeling all that well." Looking over, he saw how pale she looked and he nodded, turning the car on and pulling out into traffic. Thankfully, his apartment was close to the restaurant and they arrived in eight minutes. She waited for him to help her down and he let his hands linger around her waist once she was on the ground. "So, this is home."

"It is. Momma was hoping I would settle down and find a house where I could raise her grandbabies. I'm forty, you know, and she thinks I should have had a family by now."

"It's hard to have a family with the life you lead. Your spouse has to be really understanding and forgiving. Which Alan was, I thought, until I found out about his mistress." She didn't seem to realize that she was being open and honest with him as they walked up to the stoop of his building. "And you know about David. I wish that things could have been different between us, I really do. I just never planned on getting pregnant at forty nine. My babies are grown and starting families of their own. Oh, god, Derek, I want this baby."

He could tell she was crying once more and he bundled her up close as he opened the door and led her over to his elevator. As soon as they were safely inside, he hugged her tightly and she sobbed against his chest. Feeling his phone buzz against his thigh, he pulled it out and looked at the display. I'm going to kill him then. You might not be able to stop me.

Sighing, he tapped out a response. I won't let you go to jail for that, Baby Girl. Kevin will kill me in return if I let that happen. I think I'm going to marry her and give the baby a father. Is that stupid?

Her response came moments later. Derek Morgan, that is the most insanely sweet thing I've ever heard come from you. If she lets you do that, I'll be the best man, okay?

Everything seemed right with the world when he got that response from her and he smiled as he shoved the phone back in his pocket. He rubbed his hand up and down her back as her sobs lessened. The doors opened and he led her over to his door, quickly unlocking it and letting them in.

"Thank you for doing this, Derek." He smiled at her as he closed his door, locking it behind them. Clooney ran up and began to sniff at her and she stepped back into his arms. "Is your dog friendly?"

"Very." She nodded and reached out her hand, letting Clooney smell it before she petted him softly. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Water would be nice, please." He grinned as he watched her take a seat on the couch, Clooney jumping up and laying possessively on her lap.

"He likes you," he called out as he filled two glasses with ice and water. "Usually he doesn't warm to new people this quickly. It must be a sign."

"A sign of what?"

"That you were supposed to come here," he replied, grinning as he handed her a glass. She blushed a little as she accepted it, sipping at it before setting it aside on the table next to her. "Clooney, down!"

His dog jumped down and he sat next to Erin, resting his arm around her shoulders as he turned on the television. Her phone began to ring, since he didn't recognize the ringtone as one of his, and she sighed deeply. "That would be David."

"Would you like me to answer?"

"No, I'd just like to forget he exists for the night."

"That can be arranged. Give me your phone." She handed it over and he quickly declined the call before turning the ringer off and shoving it in his pocket. "Now, is there anything that you'd like to watch?"

"The Polar Express. You know, I remember those places shown in the movie and the book. My grandparents used to live in Grand Rapids and so we always went to Herpolsheimer's to see their Christmas window displays." A gentle smile spread across her face and he nodded as she cuddled close to him.

Flipping through Netflix, he quickly found the movie and let it begin to play. Derek knew the exact moment when she began to cry, since he could feel her tears dampen his shirt. He just rubbed her arm as they continued to watch, not wanting her to feel like she had to explain every last detail about her feelings to him. That would come later, he knew.

When the movie had finished, she turned in his arms, and he could feel her studying his face. Looking down, he smiled at her and she gave a small smile back. Unable to stop himself, he leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. A soft sigh washed over his face and he stroked her cheek as they continued to stare at each other. "I'll be your Joseph."

She drew in a sharp breath and looked down at her stomach, covering it with one hand. "I won't trap you, Derek. You deserve to find love and be happy."

"And this child deserves a father who wants them."

"You don't love me."

"But I respect you and your strength. Marriages have been built on less. Marry me. Let me give your child a stable home."

She looked back up at him, tears pooling in her eyes. "Sleep on it, Derek. If you still feel the same way in the morning, we'll talk about it." He nodded and kissed her once more. This time, she pressed her lips against his, as if offering the promise of what was to come.

"Let's get you to sleep now, Erin. We're going to have a lot to talk about in the morning." She nodded and let him help her up from the couch. Together, they went into the bedroom and she took a seat on the bed, watching him pull out one of his sweatshirts from the dresser.

Derek came back to her side and handed over the sweatshirt. "Thank you."

"You are most welcome, Pretty Lady. May I undress you?" She blushed bright red and gave him a small nod, letting her arms fall to her side as he knelt on the floor in front of her. Slowly, he slipped the buttons from their holes, pushing apart the fabric of her blouse to bare her smooth skin to his gaze. The blush continued down her chest and he smiled. "I'm not going to press you to do anything tonight, you know. I wouldn't do that to you."

"I know," she whispered as she slipped her arms from the sleeves, handing the blouse to him. "I'm going to have to get new maternity bras. I got rid of all of those years ago."

"You must look beautiful pregnant," he murmured as he reached out to cover her stomach with his hand.

"If you find a beached whale beautiful. I'm so pale that you can see every vein on my stomach and since I have such a tiny frame my stomach just explodes out. Though Alan always liked the effect of pregnancy on my breasts. Even if it did make my back ache something awful to carry around that much extra weight while I breastfed." She reached behind her back to unclasp her bra, drawing it off her body.

Derek could only just stare at her chest, not sure of what she was offering in that moment. Feeling her eyes on him, he looked up into her face and found her smiling wryly. "I'm sorry," he stammered.

"Don't be. They seem to have that effect on every man in my life. Would you hand me the sweatshirt now?" He nodded and held it out, the back of his hand brushing against one full breast. He could feel her nipple tighten and it took every ounce of willpower that he had in his body not to cup her breast, tweak her nipple, ravish her on his bed. She tugged the sweatshirt over her head and then stood, letting him unzip her skirt and pull it down her legs.

While he turned and changed into lounge pants and a t-shirt, he heard her pull back the covers on the bed and crawl in. By the time he joined her, she was fast asleep. The obvious trust she displayed touched his heart deeply, and he slipped in next to her, spooning his body around hers and placing a protective hand over her stomach. "I'll do my best for them, Erin," he whispered in her ear before he let sleep claim him as well.