He runs, panic and fear coursing through his veins. He doesn't even wait to take a cab- running keeps his mind occupied, and its just a 10 minute distance anyway.

He takes a deep breath when he finally reaches the hospital, tries to calm himself. He won't be of any use to Alex this worried.

He thumbs through his inbox, taking note of the room number David had texted. Taking two steps at a time, he makes his way towards the room.

---

"Stop worrying, David. I am fine." 

The first thing he notices entering the room is all the strange tubes connected to Alex, who is telling a very nervous looking David to quit worrying.

"I just worry, okay." Once the nurse leaves, David sits down in the chair next to her bed, and takes Alex's hand in his, "I was- I was scared. About you. About this baby. About everything." Taking a deep breath, he looked up at Alex, his gaze finding hers, "I can't help it, you know."

"Everything's fine, okay. Look, why don't you do one thing? Go check with the doctor when can I leave? I hate hospitals!" She makes a face, and Matt knows David will give in. If not because he thinks Alex is fine, he will do it just to appease her.

It's only when he gets up that David notices Matt standing in the doorway.

"Aah. Thank God, you are here. Can you stay with her while I go talk to the doc? I'm just worried if anything-" he shakes his head as if to expel that thought, and Matt can see David is just as worried as he is; probably more. "Can you just stay with her? I'll see what the doctor has to say."

It's a silly request. Alex is his best friend. The woman he loves. And even if god himself asked him to stay away from her, he wouldn't.

"That's what I am here for", Matt answers distractedly, and without waiting for David to say anything, moves to Alex's bedside and sits in the spot David had just vacated.

The way Alex is staring unfocused at the window doesn't escape his notice.

"Heyy, baby bird. Where'd you trip this time?" he tries to make light of it all, just to get her to talk. She just glances at him once and then looks away.

Casting a glance at the door, Matt moves in a little closer. Angling himself so he can look at her eyes, he softly asks, his voice devoid of any laughter- just pure concern for her, "Alex?"

That's all it takes.

She looks at him, and he can see the thin film of the tears she has been holding back. She is biting her lip, a telltale sign that she is desperately trying to be strong- hold on to any last strand of strength.

"Hey, hey", his voice soft, Matt immediately surges forward. A hand gently cradling her face, he wraps his other arm around her. Strangely reminiscent of the way she had clung to him when she had first discovered her pregnancy, Alex brings her free arm around him, clutching him.

He doesn't know how long they stay like this, but he waits. He just tightens his arms around Alex, holding her as she sobs in his shoulder. The fact that its just tears and no sound- it is enough for him to know how terrified she must have been.

"I'm scared, Matt. What if anything happens to the baby? What if I lose her?" Her head is against his shoulder, and he can feel her tears soaking through his shirt. Turning his head, he presses a soft, comforting kiss against her neck.

"Shhh. Its okay. Its all fine now. You are okay; the baby is alright. Nothing is going to happen, okay?" he whispers, a soothing murmur in her hair.

Without lifting her head, she answers, the wobble in her voice breaking his heart, "But you don't know that, Matt. Anything could happen."

He moves slightly- to look at her. Her eyes are closed, and he knows she is trying to calm herself. Cupping her face in his hands, he softly strokes her cheeks with his thumb, brushing away the tears. "I'm here. I promised, didn't I? I would never let anything bad happen to you or this baby? Remember?"

She opens her eyes the tiniest bit. Looking at him through the haze of tears, she nods imperceptibly.

"But you can't promise s-", she begins, her voice a mere whisper- scared to even voice her thoughts. Matt stops her, bringing a finger to her lips.

"I promised, and I am going to do whatever it takes to follow through. Now hush, and scoot over."

She looks at him, confusion written all over her face. But at least the tears have stopped. This he can work with.

"Well, you can't be taking the whole bed by yourself?! a) You are too tiny for that, and b) I can't sleep on the floor. And, before you protest, c) I'm staying with you."

She blinks at him, and makes space for him without much protest. She stares at him, as he climbs in next to her. "So you're staying?"

He mentally congratulates himself on being able to suppress the smile that threatens to take over his face, because he knows how scared Alex is, and how much his presence is a comfort to her right now. He taps her nose lightly, and smiles when she crinkles it, looking at him in surprise, "Well, that's what I said, didn't I?"

Toeing his shoes off, he makes himself comfortable on bed. As soon as he lays back against the pillow, Alex moves closer to him, and curls against him.

She is still sniffling when she rests her head against his shoulder. Bringing his arm around her, Matt traces soft and soothing patterns on her arm.

"I was so scared, Matt", she softly admits, "What if anything happened to the baby? What if I lost her? I know I was confused when I first learnt about the baby, but after several months of feeling her grow- I don't think I can let go. I want to see her more than anything else I have ever wanted."

He continues to trace patterns on her arm as she lets out everything she had been holding in for past few hours. She takes a deep breath when she finally stops. "My brave, brave girl", he mumbles in her hair, dropping a kiss there, "I regret not being there with you. I am so, so sorry." He kisses her forehead as she tightens her arms around him.

-x-x-

Ensuring his shoes don't make a sound, David moves away from the door. He makes his way towards the front desk- to tell the receptionist that Matt would be staying with Alex for the night.

"But, sir, we cannot allow him. This form", she waves the form he had filled earlier that evening when he had brought Alex there in his face, "lists you as the father, and doesn't list any other family member. We can only allow family members to stay."

"Well, list him as a family member, then. He is family!"

She is still uncertain. "But, sir--?"

"I donate huge sum to this hospital every year! Make this exception for me!" David insists, adding a bit of a glare and slightest amount of Scottish temper, and hopes its enough to intimidate the staff.

Apparently, it is. The nurse agrees, "Okay, sir. What should we list him as?"

He does a mental calculation of how much he'll have to pay by way of donation to keep this all confidential- there would be hell to pay for if any of this got to Alex. Coming to a decision, he shrugged a bit, trying to act nonchalant, even as it hurt him a bit, "List him as 'Father'."

The nurse looks at the form, and gives him a quizzical look. "Well, a baby can't have two fathers, obviously! Scratch my name, and put his in! It's only for a night anyway."