It was obvious that Caleb was getting antsy, was more than ready to just take back control and give them both what they were so desperately wanting. However, that wasn't what Claire had in mind, not tonight. Caleb had given her the best gift imaginable - that of a child - and, for that, he deserved more than just a little undivided attention from her.

Claire could almost feel him squirming as she made him wait, delayed his pleasure just a little, while leaving him in absolutely no doubt as to what she had in mind, what she was going to do for him. She loved it when Caleb allowed himself to be as vulnerable as a man could be, entrusting his cock to her mouth, knowing that the only thing on her mind was to give him pleasure. He wasn't known for showing his vulnerabilities, but, the longer they were together, the more of his true self he willingly shared with Claire.

Right now, she had him exactly where she wanted him, his mind only on one thing, and she was going to take him all the way to the edge, until he couldn't think any longer, and he gave himself over to the sensations. She didn't expect anything in return, and just wanted the man she loved to know how much she adored for him, and that she would do anything for him.

Caleb relaxed as she took him all the way into her mouth, and he pushed himself as far in as he could manage. Claire loved hearing him get vocal, and, the closer he came to his release, the louder he got. It wasn't hard to tell that she had brought him right to the edge, and he was mere moments away from his orgasm. Now wasn't the time, though. She had far more in store for Caleb yet.

Caleb was openly frustrated, though, as she stopped, and he pulled her up, kissing her hard and insistently, and she almost melted, almost gave in. It was so damn tempting to let him take over, but that would defeat the entire purpose of what she had started. The kiss ended almost as suddenly as it had begun, and Claire watched with pleasure as Caleb walked backwards into the bedroom, never dropping her gaze.

She laughed as he almost fell backwards onto the bed, teasing the hell out of her as he stroked his dick. "Hold that thought, sailor," she said, reaching behind her and unhooking her bra, letting it fall to the floor as she took a few steps towards the bedroom. Then came her shoes, then another few steps, then her scrub trousers, before she was standing in front of Caleb wearing nothing but her panties, her small bump rounded in front of her. She fleetingly ran a hand over it before hooking her thumbs in the sides of her underwear and pulling them down.

Claire stepped out of the pool of cotton at her feet and took the final step forward, placing her hands on Caleb's shoulders as she straddled him. Slowly, she began to lower herself down onto him. "Is this what you want?"

Caleb didn't let his hand stop running up and down himself even as Claire told him to stop, he was near enough at a point where he wasn't going to be able to stop anything. The pleasure he was feeling was running through his body almost like a fever, burning him up, leaving him with nothing but vocal gasps for air.

He watched as Claire seemed to almost do some sort of strip tease for him, he knew it wasn't intentional, knew that wasn't what she had set out to do, but damn if he didn't enjoy the show as she made her way over to him. Clothes completely strewn across the floor now, mixed together, just how their quarters always should be.

Once she was completely naked, he took a second to look over her, it might have only been a few days since he'd last seen her, but looking at her now, drinking the sight of her in, even as he stopped touching himself, was a sight to behold. He knew people would say that woman that were pregnant would 'glow' and although he couldn't exactly see that, it was like he was looking at her in a whole new light. Like there was something extra there, and he found his hands reaching out to touch her, any part of her.

He sucked in another breath, let it out in a whoosh of air, as she straddled him, they never really had sex this way, he felt the heat build up in him once more, he found his hips rising to meet her even before she had began to lower herself. His hands found her hips, trying desperately not to pull her straight down onto him.

Everything seemed to be coming down to this point, he watched as her body moved, as though everything was happening in slow motion, her hands going to his shoulders almost holding him pinning him to the bed so he couldn't take charge. His hands scraping across her sides, fingers raking across her skin lightly, even as his body moved of it's own accord again, Claire was driving him crazy and he was loving every minute of it.

“Claire,” he said, voice breaking, “Ae.”

Damn he wanted everything, answered her question, he wanted everything she was offering in that moment, he'd take it all. All his thoughts, his feelings, every nerve ending came down to the woman who was straddled across him, not moving just teasing him to insanity and he couldn't' do a damn thing about it.

Well he could, he could move them in one swift move, have her on her back in a second, but there was something. Something completely intense about what she was doing to him, he found his hands trying to make a trail up to her breasts, them gently glancing across her stomach as they did so, and that made him shake with pure anticipation.

"Naughty, naughty," grinned Claire, as Caleb continued to tease himself. If he wasn't careful, it'd be over before they had even begun, and then where would they be? While this time was all about Caleb, all about his pleasure, Claire still wanted more than to just bring Caleb to climax. She wanted him inside her, to feel him, to be one. They had been apart for four days, the longest they had been separated since they had become a couple, and she needed to just be with him again.

His eyes didn't leave her as she made her way across to him, shedding her clothes as she went. He finally stopped arousing himself, and Claire leaned in for a soft kiss, just for a moment, even as she was straddling him, which seemed to take Caleb's breath away.

Sometimes, she wondered why they didn't do this more often. While taking control in the bedroom wasn't necessarily something that came naturally to her, when it did happen, it was exciting as all hell, and Caleb seemed to be in agreement. The ragged breaths that the man was taking were testament to that, and, even as she filled herself with him, Claire leaned in to press herself against him.

Caleb's hands were everywhere, and Claire responded to his muttered "yes" in Māori by grinding herself slowly, slowly down onto him, taking him as far inside as he would go. "Yes," she replied, leaning in and kissing him, her lips and tongue exploring, tasting, teasing. She grazed her teeth across his lower lip, even as she started setting a rhythm with her hips, her hands using Caleb's shoulders for purchase, taking some of her weight.

"Kei te aroha au i a koe," she murmured, dropping the words into Caleb's mouth. The feel of her hard nipples rubbing against Caleb's chest was arousing her, and she wanted more. She needed to reach her own climax with him. "Touch me, Caleb, please... touch me."

Caleb couldn't help laughing slightly as Claire told him off, oh he could definitely be a lot naughtier if she wanted him to be. He wasn't above teasing not only her, but himself as well, even as he forced himself to stop. The last thing he wanted was this to be over, really before it had even really gotten going, despite the blow job that had nearly brought him completely off, he could wait, he'd wait for Claire.

Damn if waiting for her wasn't completely hot, as she seemed to almost pool out of her clothing as though they hadn't even been being held up by anything but air, then she had straddled him, her body so close yet so far from him. He wanted to feel every inch of her, wanted to taste, touch, see, bury himself in her and just stay there forever, of course the easiest one to rectify was the seeing part.

He let his eyes roam over her body, there was definitely more to her now, and now he knew the reason why, damn it made him even hotter. Then she very slowly, almost painfully slowly lowered herself onto him, he gasped out her name, as his hands went to her hips, fingers digging in slightly as she set an agonizingly slow pace.

Caleb dug his feels into the bed, raising his knees very slightly – not enough to topple her over- but even that he felt like he was even further inside her than ever. Then she started laying kisses on him, her body rubbing against his, the friction driving him crazy, his pace matched hers perfectly, completely in-sync with her, slow, steady, perfect.

He wanted to close his eyes, to let Claire make him topple into that amazing place of orgasm, but he didn't he just watched her, watched her face, her body as she seemed to work herself into more of a frenzy. The flush that spread across her body making him smile, as he hitched his hips in a slight angle, he did that to her, caused her to loose inhibitions like that. Damn if he wasn't proud of that, his hands were squeezing against her hips as he thrust up into her, almost as though every part of him was in time with Claire.

Then she began to beg, he felt his own breath catch in his throat, damn that voice that tone he would give her anything. But well turn about was fair play, she had teased him with a blow job earlier, and a dirty look crossed his face, as he used every bit of stamina he had left he stop moving, just let her continue to rock against him.

He leaned up slightly, his body pressed even more tightly against hers, as he whispered in her ear, “Touch you....where...ah...do you want me to touch you? Here?” he asked, voice but a puff of air against her ear, as his hand trailed from her hips to the inside of her thigh, not moving, just resting there.

Thumb making small circles, as he added, “Or this?” before dipping his head, laying open mouthed kisses against her shoulder, trailing from her shoulder, to the top of her chest, down, slowly, very slowly, never breaking eye contact with her.

As he took one of her breasts into his mouth, kissing, teasing, licking, tasting the sweat and what was just the pure taste of Claire as his hips gave their own little jerk. This was hot, he felt his own face turn bright red, he had something in mind he wanted to do, to say in that moment, and it was either going to make this whole experience a lot more damn hot and driving them both insane or it was gonna dowse the flames licking at them.

Pulling away, he planted kisses against her neck, before leaning back slightly, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “You could come just like that, perfect...ah....writing against me,” he said, voice husky with desire, as he moved very little. This was almost killing him, but damn if it wasn't hot, as the hand that had been drawing circles on the inside of her thigh travelled up higher.

Resting his hand against the swell of her stomach, with her body pressed against his there would be a little pressure, not enough to hurt, but enough that she'd feel it, as he smirked at her, his own face turning bright red with the concentration of not moving.

“Knowing that am the only one that did that to you,” he added, kissing the top of her breasts again, this time trailing the kissing back up to her neck, biting a little, before whispering in her ear, “Managed to give you the....ah....one thing no one else can. You can use me however you want, I'll watch, you'd like that right? Me watching, as you squirm against me, as I fill you up, you being perfect.....damn....being perfect for me.”

He wasn't sure who was getting off on this more, him or Claire, he would never normally fill the space between them with dirty talk. It wasn't usually something he did, but there was something about finding out that she was pregnant with his child, the fact it had been four days since he'd last been with her, that made him feel brave like he'd never done before.

Claire was feeling ridiculously turned on. While she wasn't normally the one in control in the bedroom, taking the initiative today had definitely paid off. She'd never known Caleb so fired up, couldn't remember wanting - needing - him this badly, and she knew that when they reached their climaxes, it would be explosive for both of them.

Claire felt the tension in Caleb's body as she lowered herself onto him, and moaned softly as his fingers dug into her hips, the moan growing deeper as Caleb dug his heels into the bed, changing the angle of penetration. She threw her head back, biting down on her bottom lip for a moment, before leaning back in to kiss him again. She was tempted to increase the pace, to speed things up, but delaying their orgasms would make it so much better when they finally let go.

Once more, Caleb changed the angle, thrusting up into her, meeting every downward push of hers with equal intensity. Claire felt as though every inch of her skin was on fire, and the only thing that could soothe it was Caleb's touch. Still, just the feel of his body against hers wasn't enough. She needed more, something to tip her over the edge towards her own climax.

Caleb's expression as she begged him to touch her, to give her what she needed, was just about as filthy as they came, and she could tell that he had something in mind. He was going to repay her for teasing him, for stopping him coming by ending the blow job. His words set her on fire again, and she shivered with anticipation as he asked her where she wanted him to touch her, even as his hand slipped from her hip to her inner thigh.

"Oh," she breathed, waiting for his fingers to move further, to give her what she needed, but they maddeningly stayed where they were, just shy of being far enough up her inner thigh to make a difference, to start sending her over the edge. He never broke eye contact as he made another suggestion, trailing kissed down her shoulder, her chest, before taking an engorged nipple into his mouth, sucking, kissing, licking. Her breasts were larger than they had been and Claire could feel a heaviness to them that hadn't been there before as Caleb gave them his full attention.

"That's... a start," she murmured, her breath coming more quickly, almost ragged now. She was getting desperate, and as his hips jerked up, she ground down onto him, needing him to touch her there, between her legs, give her the release she so desperately craved now. Instead, he pulled back slightly, catching her gaze again, even as his hips stopped moving, letting Claire do all the work.

"Caleb," she moaned, her voice pleading, even as he told her what he wanted. The thought of doing whatever she wanted to him, while he just lay back and took it, had its appeal. However, Claire wasn't sure it would be enough for her, not that night. She filed that away for future reference, though. "I... will never... use you," Claire replied, unable to stop the rhythm she had started, even though Caleb was doing his best to stay still. She needed him, she needed this, and she moaned again as his hand moved from her inner thigh to her belly.

His words, although somewhat possessive, turned her on beyond belief, and Claire loved the mental stimulation Caleb was giving to her, even if he was withholding the physical. He didn't usually talk dirty to her - they never usually needed it - but today... fucked if it wasn't turning her on beyond belief. In answer to what he said, Claire ground down on him again, her hands still on his shoulders, as she increased the pace a little.

"And... and what if I... need a little... help to come," she said, her voice deep and husky, her eyes full of a heady mix of love and lust, even as she leaned in, letting her breasts press against Caleb's chest as she kissed him deeply. Pulling back from the kiss, she reached down between them, sliding his hand from her belly to between her legs. "What if... I needed... you to touch... me... there? Is that... allowed?

The dirty talk had been a risk he knew that, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew it was a risk when he had started talking, when he had teased her with just his words even as he lay there filling her in every way possible. There had never been a need for such talk between them in the bedroom, sure there had been the odd one or two lines, sometimes in English other times not, but not to the extent that he had just done.

But it seemed to have worked, as Claire all but ground herself down on him, he couldn't help dropping another litany of his own curses, her name into the air, if she kept that up it was going to be over a hell of a lot quicker than he wanted. Especially as the warmth that was surrounding him seemed to be squeezing him just right, if Claire picked up the pace the night would effectively be over for him at least.

It might have started out as Claire making sure that he knew she loved him, might have been a moment to reacquaint themselves with one another after four days apart, and damn if he wasn't enjoying himself at every moment right now. But it was beginning to get less about one persons pleasure, and more about them seemingly becoming one person, especially considering the fact they way she felt against him had him moaning every moment now.

It also seemed the teasing wasn't going to stop between them, as she all but pleaded his name into the night air around them, damn if he didn't want to just push her onto her back, find that very nice angle that would have them both begging the other to finish first. But he didn't, he let her continue on with her rhythm, even as he seemed to join in, his body moving with hers as fluidly as possible.

If there was one thing that still amazed Caleb to this day, was that no matter how many times they had sex, no matter where they had sex, they managed to end up coming together in exactly the same rhythm. No matter what else was they were doing, it was there dance, there dance that no one else got to see.

He felt his breath catch as Claire said she'd never use him, he felt something twist in his chest at them words, if was more coherent without a writhing she-devil on his lap, he would have commented back on that. But he didn't he just reached up to kiss her roughly, it was all tongues and teeth clashing together, as he poured everything he had into that kiss, before letting himself fall back against the bed.

Her hands on his shoulders were almost like anchors grounding him in the here and now, even as heat began to build and build and he was almost at his own point of begging once more. To get her to do anything she wanted to him, to just let his world collide down into that one small moment of feeling nothing but Claire, of not knowing anything but Claire.

Caleb felt his breath get caught in his throat again, as Claire said she needed help to come, damn if that wasn't what he was put on this Earth to do. To make sure this absolutely positively amazing woman in front of him came completely undone, by his hands alone, he also couldn't help it if he gave a small twist of his hips as she brought her body down on top of his again.

Her body almost teasingly rubbing against his, he wanted to hold her close in that moment, lay as many kisses on her as he could get, even as she seemed to sit up straighter, taking his hand leading it down to where they were basically joined.

"Definitely allowed," he whispered, his voice roughed as he moved his hips, his fingers finding exactly the place she wanted him to touch.

Sure he had made her climax this way a few times before, and not just with his hands either, but never when he was already inside of her. His other hand found it's way back to her breasts, playing with her nipples, the smile deftly wicked on his face, even as he found his own thrusts into her body picking up speed.

"The question is...." he said, sucking in a breath, trying to control himself again, even as he slowed his fingers down, "How fast? Slow?" he asked being so slow she'd hardly be able to tell if he was moving, "Or fast?" This time he added a bit more pressure, his fingers running circles right on top of her clit.

He leant forward trapping his hand between the two of them, his hips pushing into her even quicker, as he kissed at her neck - he really couldn't get enough of kissing her neck when they were together - before nibbling on her ear, tongue tracing the edge of it, as he whispered, "You have to....ah....be precise."

Claire's own strangled moan joined Caleb's curses as she pressed herself down onto him, wanting as much of him as she could take. They had been apart for too long, as far as she was concerned, and she hoped they were never parted that long again. Still, it was all part of the job, and it was nothing that Claire had control over, but, especially with a baby on the way, all she could do was hope that the separations were minimal.

All thinking about their separation fled out of Claire's mind, however, as their hips continued to meet in delicious synchronisation. Despite their outward differences, they were in perfect sync in so many ways, and in the bedroom was the least of those ways. Still, Claire had never been so in tune with anybody else, and to be able to light one another on fire sexually the way they did was immense, as far as she was concerned.

Right now, Claire's only focus was Caleb, and the feelings they were eliciting from one another. She ought to take control more often, if this was going to be the result, and, as though to punctuate that thought, she nibbled at Caleb's lower lip while pushing down more insistently with her hips. She barely noticed that a low, drawn out moan was emanating from her throat as she and Caleb came together as one.

Every inch of her body seemed to be in fire, and Claire couldn't get enough of the man she loved in that moment. As she told him she'd never use him, Caleb seemed to stop for a moment, and, instead of verbalising his response, kissed her hard and intense, all tongue, teeth and lips, tasting one another, needing one another, Caleb almost desperate to get his feelings across to her.

Claire fell forward as Caleb flopped back onto the bed, leaning over him with her hands still on his shoulders, her heavy breasts brushing his chest again, even as she leaned back, pulling him back up to a sitting position. Claire kissed him again, slower this time, telling him everything she needed him to know, tasting him, pulling him into her, and vice versa. "I love you," she murmured, her voice falling into his mouth.

She gasped sharply, though, as he bucked his hips in response to her telling him she needed him to help her come. She wasn't about to let Caleb take control, though, not yet. She led his hand down to where she needed it, and Caleb's fingers found their target, pausing in delicious anticipation ase Claire writhed against them, his full length inside her anchoring her to him.

One hand played with her clit, his deft fingers teasing her with expert dexterity, the other toyed with her breasts, and Claire moaned, a long, slow, sensual moan that spoke of her ever increasing arousal. She wasn't far off her climax now, and pushed herself against Caleb's fingers, grinding downwards to feel as much of him as she could.

His words went almost unnoticed, even as he changed the pace of his fingers and demanded that she tell him how she wanted it. Claire was beyond words now, and simply picked up the pace with her hips, her lips meeting Caleb's in a fierce, demanding kiss. She couldn't verbalise what she wanted any longer, and felt the first shudders of her climax take her over. "Caleb," she cried, her voice rough as she felt her internal muscles clench, pulling Caleb as deeply inside her as she could. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, pulling him close, and she finally let the waves crash over her as she gave into everything that Caleb made her feel.

The 'I love you' was completely lost as he kissed her back just as gently, he didn't need telling, he knew, although he always loved hearing her say that to him. It made him feel...well loved he supposed, if he was a little bit more coherent, could form more than two words together by this point he would have told her he loved her back as well.

Instead he carried on showing her, in his touches, in the filthiest looks he could give her, in the attention on every part of her body he could get at. He was going to show her, and by the noises she was making as hands made deft work of driving her crazy, he couldn't help the smirk as he leant in to the kisses, there was just something that connected him to her when they were like this.

Completely in-sync with her, for two very different people, he didn't think he would ever get to feel this, to love someone as much as he did Claire, to be able to drive her completely insane at just his touch, his voice and well if it was driving himself crazy in the process well he wasn't going to be complaining about it.

If his own pushes into her body, that warmth that surrounded him so completely, was starting to become more erratic, to push them both over that edge, then he wasn't going to stop it. Especially once he'd added an extra helping hand to get Claire off, he smiled into the open mouth kissed he placed on her neck, he would never get tired of seeing that, of knowing he did that to her.

As he felt himself near that edge, he wasn't holding back now, his cries of pleasure probably deafening in her ear as he moved his hand from her breasts to her back almost as though he was trying to pull her closer to him. He felt as Claire tipped over the edge first, squeezing around him so tightly, he didn't think he could breath, as he lost himself to the sensation, just riding the wave of pure pleasure that Claire had managed to burn in him.

He really wasn't aware as he came inside of her, holding his breath, mouth against her shoulder, dropping open mouthed kisses there, as he panted through the rush. Damn four days apart was far to long, but if he got to come home to something like that, he was going to be going away more times, he didn't dare open his eyes for a moment. Content with just sitting there, letting his breathing try to return to normal, he wasn't sure if he had blacked out with the intensity of what she'd done to him for a moment there.

Caleb knew he didn't want to be parted from her, even as he carefully moved them so they were laying facing each other, side by side, it wasn't that Claire was heavy, but he didn't feel like he was able to keep them both upright in that second. He felt himself slip free from her, but still kept her close, even if he wasn't completely joined with her, before he finally opened his eyes and looked at her.

The pure blissed out face of his wife, damn he could never get over seeing her like that, had never actually imagined he'd ever get to see her like that and it still took his breath away every time. Even after all the years they'd been together.

“You good?” he whispered, voice hoarse.

He always asked that, always, there had never been a time when he hadn't asked that, and he didn't think he was going to change that any time soon. His hands were still tracing feather light patterns across her body, not enough to get her going again, but enough to keep them connected a little longer, even as a shiver ran down his own back.

Claire was molten as Caleb lowered her onto the bed, before lying to face her. She felt heavy, and sated, and a smile was etched onto her lips. The combination of having missed Caleb over the last few days, the fraught moments in the infirmary, and the need to show Caleb just how she felt about him had bubbled over into intense, passionate lovemaking, lovemaking that said everything each of them wanted and needed to say to the other.

Now, just lying here in the afterglow, watching Caleb as his fingers traced lines across her growing body, his face and body flushed, glistening with sweat, probably much as her own was. She reached out and traced the backs of her fingers down Caleb's cheek, almost in wonder at the man lying next to her.

While she had been far from a virgin when they had gotten together, she had slept with relatively few men, and, as such, had limited experience. Caleb had been an eye opener for her, and had brought her pleasure in ways she had never dreamed possible. Even now, after almost two years together, they were still able to surprise one another, to elicit these sort of explosive reactions from one another, and it was something that Claire had never dreamed she would have in her life.

"Oh, I'm good," chuckled Claire, her voice soft, husky and slightly shaky. "How about you?" It amused her that Caleb still felt the need to "check in" with her after they had made love, as though her reactions hadn't been indication enough that she was "good". They hadn't been together long when she had asked him about it, and he had admitted that it was something he had asked his one night stands, to make sure they were going away satisfied. She had thought that it was a habit that would have died by now, but still he felt the need to keep asking her. Her answer had never changed, though.

Tangling her legs with Caleb's, Claire nudged herself a little closer to him on the bed, her face serene, her eyes sparkling as she leaned in for a soft, slow, tender kiss. It didn't last long, and she gazed at Caleb for a long moment, before stilling the hand that was still tracing patterns over her body, and moving it to rest on her bump.

"Thank you," she said simply, laving her fingers with his as their hands rested on her belly. She didn't think she needed to explain any further. The man she adored - her husband - had given her the greatest gift that she could have ever asked for, the one thing she had thought she could never have. The next months and years were going to be one hell of an adventure, and she couldn't wait to experience it all with Caleb at her side.

Caleb let his eyes fall closed for a second as Claire ran a hand down his cheek, more than anything the past few days he had missed just her touching him. It seemed he had come back as some touch starved person, and that was just within four days of being gone. Of course it wasn't just her touch he had missed, he'd missed just being able to tell her the silly things that had happened during the day, even when their shifts didn't work out right, they'd make time to have a quick chat.

He let out a small sigh, as his breathing seemed to finally return to normal, damn the woman could make it like he'd run a marathon, but a very nice, pleasant one. He was definitely up for letting her take control more, especially if it got them both results like that, he couldn't remember the last time he had been as turned on as he had been or how hard he had actually come.

Caleb had never expected his relationship with Claire to be as explosive as it was, sure he had expected there to be lots of sex, he didn't have a damn high libido for nothing, but he hadn't quite expected Claire to near enough keep up with him. He just hoped that in the coming months, with her pregnancy that it didn't dwindle off, he wasn't sure what he would do, if he couldn't touch her in some way or another.

Opening his eyes again, he smiled softly at her, returning the kiss whole heartedly, even as she took his hand and placed it on Bump. He felt his heart skip a beat, it had been one thing to touch the small swell of her stomach through clothing, it was a complete different feeling when it was just her skin. Part of him couldn't wait until he felt the child inside of her moving, felt a glimmer of excitement start to bubble away as he realised that in a few short months he'd be feeling his child.

Eyes shining, he looked from her stomach to her face, smiling brightly at her, even as he pressed another kiss to her, this time on her nose, before answering the question, "Fine," he offered a small shrug, "Should go away more often if that's what I get when I come home," he joked quietly, voice still not up to talking much louder than a whisper.

He wrapped his own legs with hers as she moved closer to him, he wanted to stay in this moment, not move, let the Bump grow between there entwined hands, and just let the world, the galaxy, just pass on by. When she thanked him, he didn't have to ask what for, he knew, read it in her face, in her eyes, in the way she seemed to tangle there fingers together even tighter.

Caleb had never thought of being a father, had never wanted to be a father, then he'd met Claire, but had been told it was going to be impossible so had shoved the thought away. He didn't need to think on it, there were enough children in the Pegasus galaxy that they could dote on, not to mention Claire's own rather large family. He had never thought on it another day.

Until several hours ago in the infirmary, when he'd come home from a mission and his whole damn world seemed to get tipped on its arse. He'd been terrified at first, truly all he'd wanted to do was run from this massive commitment, wanted to bury his head in that damn sand and then find the nearest warm body he could. Except he'd taken one look at Claire, one look at how truly scared she also was in that moment and he wanted to make sure she never looked like that again.

Then he had opened that door in his mind, the one that he had shut, thrown the key away to about becoming a father and took a look at it. Sure his job wasn't exactly safe, he could end up in the infirmary tomorrow and that would just be from walking to the Mess, but the more he looked at himself, at how much he'd grown since he'd been with Claire and he wanted that. He wanted to be a father.

There was a flicker of excitement that seemed to grow in his eyes as he looked at her and said, "So if that's my returning home gift, what do I get for doing the one thing we never thought possible? I mean I knew I was good, but damn E hoa wahine, I must be bloody amazing!"

He was joking, there was nothing but laughter in his voice, a return to normal for them both, something that even the amazing sex they'd just had, hadn't quite done. Besides if there was a small bit of pride in his voice that he'd managed to get Claire pregnant when Tama hadn't, oh there was a small part of him that wanted to rub it in the blokes face. Tell him exactly what he'd managed to do and Tama hadn't, but he kept them thoughts to himself, under close lock and key.