Nick knew, deep down, that he should wait until a little bit of time had passed before taking some time off from the job. But he wanted things settled between himself and Samantha well before the kid was born. If she wasn't going to be agreeable to working things out long distance, then he was just going to have to force the issue with her. Two days after the exchanging of texts that got him nowhere, Nick was boarding a flight to Florida. He didn't try contacting Samantha to inform her of his plans, Nick just booked a flight, planning on showing up at her door. In his mind, she'd have to talk to him then. Discuss and work everything out where his kid was concerned.  Travel bag in hand, he had made reservations at a local hotel, but Nick wanted to talk to the woman first. Catch her unexpectedly before she might be able to find out he was in town. Knocking on the door of her apartment, Nick took a step back to wait for the door to be opened. He had managed to sneak into the building along with one of the residents, which was lucky for him as he knew that if he announced himself at the door, Samantha would not buzz him up. With other attempts of trying to talk with her failing, Nick was of the opinion that this was his last option. The knock at her front door was certainly not something that was expected. Sure, her brother and his wife would come around every so often, but for the most part not a lot of people knew where she was. She needed a break from everything that was New York, and sadly that included the people. There was too much for her to do, and too much for her to worry about. She already had one pregnancy that ended badly, and the last thing she wanted was another. She was intent on making this one as stress free as possible, and she knew that would never happen if she was still at home -- between her job, and Nick, and all the questions she knew would come when people found out who the father was, she just couldn't do it. Part of her felt guilty that she was keeping that from Nick, he was after all her child's father, but in the long run she knew that she was doing them both a favor. She needed to move on with her life, and so did he. Even if he wanted to be a part of the baby's life, she knew he didn't want anything to do with her. They were never friends, and short of sleeping with the other, they never got along either. She knew all of that would be very hard to ignore when it came time to caring for a baby. Maybe later on that was something they could work through, but it wasn't something she wanted to think of at the moment. She'd been so intent on proving to him that he'd been wrong, and if she told him the baby was his, that it was, that she completely ignored what could happen when he got that proof.. and now there they were. She knew she made a mistake, and she should have waited until after the baby was born. Turning off the TV, she reluctantly pushed herself off the couch and made her way to the front door. She'd passed on seeing her brother earlier that day, and she really hoped he wasn't trying to drag her out by coming to see her instead. Not bothering to look at who it was, almost positive that it would be him, she opened the door. "I already told you ---" she started, only to stop herself short when she saw who it really was. It was certainly not someone she had expected to see. Turning around once more, she made her way back to her previous position on the couch. She had so much to do, she really didn't have the time or energy to deal with what she knew was coming, but she also knew it would be pointless to even try. Pushing her hair out of her face, she turned to look at Nick with a shake of her head. "What are.. " Sighing softly, she changed her question, "How did you find me?". Nick started getting a bit antsy when the door didn't immediately open to him. Glancing at his watch, then down the length of the hallway, Nick was starting to reconsider his decision in coming all the way here. Was he pushing it too hard and fast, being insistent with wanting to be part of his kid's life. The child hadn't been born yet, so maybe he should be giving Samantha that little bit of space she was demanding. All those thoughts, though, were vanquished the moment the door was opened.  Hearing her voice before actually seeing her, his eyes shot to the door as it was opened. "And hello to you too, Samantha." He grumbled under his breath, when the woman turned away from the door, back into her apartment. "If you're going to try and hide from someone, you should learn to do a better job at it." He said, walking into the place, closing the door behind him. "You're looking good." He offered then, making his way over to the living area of the apartment. It probably wouldn't do him any good, Nick most likely wasting his breath on trying to be friendly, but at least an attempt was being made.. She was too exhausted to actually fight with him. She didn't want to fight with him. When she came to Florida she did it in the hopes she'd be able to leave everything behind and not have to think about it until after the baby was born. It might have been selfish of her, and deep down she knew that it was, but she was terrified of the way things could go if she didn't put a distance between all her problems back in New York. "I wasn't hiding.." She said in a tone she knew he wasn't used to hearing from her. It was calm, and almost resigned to the fact that she was going to have to face everything she was trying so hard to avoid. "Now I'm thinking I should have taken my brothers offer.." She laughed a little at her current situation. Turning back to look at Nick, who had finally made his way into her apartment, she gave him a small shrug of her shoulders. She wasn't really angry at him, not anymore. Truthfully, she didn't even know what she felt at the moment. Somehow that scared her more than being angry. She'd had time to think, and process everything.. so many memories and feelings from years before coming back to hit her in the face. She couldn't go back to New York; she couldn't go through having to face her friends back home.. especially the ones she'd made when she was still with the NYPD. They knew what she'd gone through, and they knew why she'd left.. and she was sure they'd worked with him at some point or other as well. Those questions and comments she couldn't face just yet.. even if they were only meant as a joke. Shaking all those thoughts from her head, not quite wanting to relive any of them while he was sitting there with her, she let out a breath, biting down on her lip. Turning her attention back to him, she was at a loss as to what to say. There was so much to say that she didn't know where to start. "So.." She attempted, but failed miserably at starting what she knew they had to talk about. Instead, she simply said, "I guess the results weren't what you expected, huh?" It felt a bit awkward to him to actually be there with neither of them hurling harsh words at each other. That had really become their custom back in New York, when they weren't hitting the sheets. Now it seemed like they might actually be able to have a civilized conversation. "I'm sure your brother would have loved me showing up at his door." He mused with a slight smirk as Nick drew a mental picture of that scenario.  Leaving his bag just inside the door, Nick paced the room a moment, deciding not to take a seat on one of the pieces of furniture, but rather he walked over to the window to cast a glance out it. "I was really sure it wasn't mine. Actually convinced myself that the kid you're carrying didn't have a drop of my blood." Nick admitted in that moment. "I'm still having a hard time digesting it all, but that's of no consequence now." His gaze turned away from the window, Nick now looking over in Samantha's direction. "He's my kid, Sam. And I'll be damned if I let you cut me out of his life." He directed at her, not in a harsh or angered tone, but eerily an even, calm one. "We've got to figure this all out, before the kid is born." For the first time since she could remember, Samantha laughed an actual real laugh, the humor of that scenario not lost on her. "Yeah.." Her brother would have been thrilled . Shaking her head of that thought, she brought herself back to the matter at hand, watching him as he made his way across the apartment. "I'm not going to say that you're wrong.. Hell, Nick.. I can't say that you're wrong. I know we have to figure this out." Pushing her hair out of her face, she looked over in the direction of the window where he currently stood. She spent too many nights since she first got to Florida looking out that window, just thinking about what she should do. Apparently he was trying to do the same. She honestly couldn't say she ever got an answer, though. They couldn't pretend there was nothing going on, but at the same time, they were hardly ever capable of being in the same room without starting a fight. Part of her wanted him to yell, scream.. do anything that would remind her of why she left, and why this was all a bad idea. It was easier to be angry and not have to face anything than to have a calm Nick in front of her who was actually trying to talk. "I know it wasn't fair of me to try and cut you out.." She admitted, even though it felt like someone just punched her in the stomach with how hard it was for her to get those words out. "..I just didn't think it would make a difference what the results were.." While that wasn't 100 percent true, she really didn't think he'd try so hard to try and get them to talk about their situation. As hard as she tried to stay angry at him, she just couldn't. She hadn't made it easy for him, though, and she knew that was her fault, but once her defenses had been put up it was very hard for her to change her mind. The fact that he was there in front of her, that made it different. She was in a different state of mind than she'd been the last time she saw him, and she couldn't just ignore him anymore. "So, what do you want to do Nick..?" She asked, trying to at least reach some kind of truce. "I want you to come back to New York." He told her in all honesty. He wasn't asking her to move in, to live with him until the child was born, and then afterward. That was asking too much in his mind. Of both of them. They both had to make concessions now, with a new life soon to be brought into the world, and their lives. "Living thousands of miles about is just not going to cut it." He wanted to be an integral part of the child's life. And that would not happen if he lived in New York and Samantha lived in Florida with his kid.  "We can work something out, whatever might be best for the kid, but that will only happen back in New York." He tried to rationalize to her. "I know I can be an ass most of the time, but I really want this to work. I'm willing to make the effort for the kid." It was only then that Nick worked his way over to the couch, sitting down then with a little bit of space separating them, looking over to her then. "It's not going to be easy," of that he was certain, especially considering the type of relationship they had had in the past, "but it's worth a try, don't you think. For the kid's sake." He said, hoping Samantha would agree with him, or at least admit that she'd take it all into consideration. She nodded her head, listening to him talk. He sounded like a different person, and she wasn't sure if she was nodding her head in agreement or simply acknowledging the fact that she was listening to him. "Why do you have to make sense, Nick?" She didn't want to go back to New York, at least part of her didn't.. In a way she did, everything she knew was there, but at the same time, all the bad memories and the people that reminded her of them were still there. It was different to bump into someone from a life so long ago when you didn't have a pregnancy being thrown in their face. Not that she needed to explain it to them, she was an adult after all and fully within her rights to do as she pleased.. but, if she was honest, she felt guilty about it. "It's hard to explain.." She let her head fall back against the couch, her eyes coming closed as she tried to make sense of all the thoughts going through her mind. "I'm being a chicken shit, truththfully.." She finally admitted to him, not sure if it would even make sense if she said it out loud. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to have to see someone on an almost daily basis and not be able to forget just how royally you screwed up their lives and yours...?" If she was being honest, she might as well be completely truthful about why she was so against going back, at least for the time being. "I was engaged once, and pregnant.. and that all went to shit because I always put the NYPD before myself.. now I get to see him everyday in the hospital when I take someone in.. do you have any idea how what that's going to be like now that I'm pregnant?" There. She'd said it.. it wasn't something she ever imagined telling him, but she was emotionally tired, and she needed that out of her system. Changing the topic, she opened her eyes, tilting her head to the side to better get a look at him. "The baby is a he, by the way.. found out a few days ago." Nick sat there, listening to what Samantha had to say. Hands clasped together as his arms rested on his legs, his gaze focused down toward the floor at his feet. Being truthful to himself, Nick had no idea what the woman's past experience might have been like, though he did try, silently, sympathizing with her. "Honestly? No I don't know what all this will be like for you. But don't you think it's worth trying to make this work for the kid's sake." Nick glancing over the woman's way as he spoke. "I'm not asking you to move in, or anything. Just come back so we can both be part of our child's life." Maybe as things progressed he might offer the option of them living together to form a little family unit for the kid, but right now, that wasn't much of a thought to him. "A boy? Wow." He responded with a faint smile. That kind of made the whole situation a little bit better. He would have welcomed and loved a little girl, but a son. That little fact made him a little bit happier. "I'm really going to be a father." He stated, as if he were really fully accepting all that in that moment. Samantha had been so focused on doing this thing on her own, that she really had never even contemplated the idea of what it would be like if somebody else were involved. He was right, she didn't think she'd be telling him that just yet, but she knew he was. Their current situation had nothing to do with just them, or the way they felt about the other. There was a bigger picture that needed to be looked at, and he seemed to be more focused on it than she did. Pushing herself off the couch, she made her way over to the sliding glass door at the other end of the room. It was beautiful outside, but she did miss New York. She loved her brother, and she was glad she'd gotten the chance to see him again after so long, but deep down she knew that wasn't her home. "I guess I just still feel guilty.." She shrugged her shoulders, her eyes focusing on the children playing outside. "We can't make it work like this... I know." Laughing a little at the idea of them living together, she turned back to look at him, leaning back against the wall as she did so. She was certainly glad that wasn't something he'd suggested. Granted, it would be easier for the child, and yes, they were being civil toward the other -- something she wasn't quite sure how to take -- but, she knew that wouldn't be an arrangement they could pull off.. not given their history. Not at the moment, anyway. "Yeah.." She added, almost in a whisper. "It almost makes it more real, doesn't it? She continued. It certainly had for her. It was different when it was just an idea, but when it was something you could imagine more clearly, there really was no avoiding it anymore. "Definitely going to be a father, Nick.. whether we're ready for it or not.." He watched her, silently, when Samantha uprooted herself from the couch, and then when she wandered over toward the rolling glass door on the opposite side of the room. Their past relationship had been a disaster. The only thing that had been good about, great in fact if Nick was pressed on it, was the sex.  Living together was not an option. He knew that. They hadn't been able to manage that in the past with the relationship they had had, and Nick felt it would be recycled in the present if they attempted to make a try at it. There'd be constant fighting and bickering, something he was well acquainted with from their past, and that wouldn't be good for the kid. But at least with them both living in the same city, the kid would have two parents who would be an active part of his life. "It still kind of just sinking in, Sam." He admitted to the woman who was carrying his child. His son. "So I'd be lying if I tried convincing you I was ready for all this. I'm not, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to be the best father I can to this kid of ours." This wasn't about just her any longer. She had a son to think about, and as odd as it sounded, there was someone else who wanted to be a part of that kids life. If she'd had a say in things that might not have been the way things would have happened, but she had to make the best of it.. her child's well being depended on it. She knew what it was like to grow up without a mother, she didn't want her child to grow up without a father in his life -- however odd her relationship with him might be. "You're right..." She said, moving back from the glass door and toward the couch where Nick sat. They only had a few months to figure things out, and the longer she stalled the harder it would be for them later on. "It wouldn't be fair for our son to have to grow up with only one parent.. not when you're trying to be a part of his life." It would be different if she had no option, but she couldn't lie to herself, and she certainly couldn't tell her child she'd chosen to keep his father out of his life -- whatever her relationship with him was like shouldn't be as important as giving their son as normal a life as possible. "I do miss New York..." She said, caving without really saying so. She knew she had to go home; she couldn't really hide out in Florida. Sooner or later she would have to face reality. Looking over at Nick from her new position on the couch, she gave him a small smile, an actual real smile -- one that she wasnt used to be directing at him. That "meeting" of theirs was certainly not going the way that she'd expected it. "I can't lie Nick, I'm not used to the idea of it either.. I should be, but I'm not.." She would be lying if she said she was used to the idea of being pregnant, with his child much less. Granted, she'd had more time to get used to it -- she'd been the one going through the pregnancy itself, feeling everything, but a baby was not something she'd planned for at that point of her life. "This baby needs to grow up with as normal a family as possible.. even if that is us.. whatever us is.." She knew he was right -- she needed to go back home. It was something she needed to do for all of them. "We're definitely not going to be the traditional family." Nick voiced, finding himself in agreement with Samantha assessment of how their life would be with a child to raise between them. "But he will have two parents in his life." Not the picture perfect family unit, but at least both parents involved were willing to compromise on things for the benefit of their yet-to-be-born child.  Nick pushed up from the couch then, with a bit of reluctance, to stand. "Thanks for not slamming the door on me when I showed up unannounced." He offered in gratitude to the mother-to-be. She could have done exactly that when she opened the door to him, but thankfully she hadn't. They might not have been able to work things out if Samantha had done that. "I'll be in town until tomorrow morning." He told her then, mentioning the name of the hotel he was registered at for the night. He might be of the opinion that there was not much more to discuss at the moment, but he wanted the woman to know that he'd be available until the next morning if Samantha decided she had more she wanted to talk with him about. "Oh, I thought about it.." She admitted. She really had, but where was that going to get her? Another fight? They had so many of those, and nothing ever got accomplished. While she had not been looking forward to talking to him, she was glad they had gotten it out of the way. In all reality, she knew if he hadn't shown up at her door, they never would have worked anything out. She was nothing if not stubborn, and she knew she would have never seeked him out again. "Honestly, I never expected you to show up here.. as weird as it sounds, though, I'm glad you did.." She knew her son would need a father, and she had to give him credit, he was at least trying. "..most people wouldn't have.." Oddly enough, and unlike their last visit, She wasn't rushing him to go. In fact, she didn't mind him being there. "Okay.. I'll give you a call if anything.. if not, I'll see you soon-ish.." It was weird with them -- they had bad days or really good days, she hoped that day was an indication they could find a happy medium.. one where they could at least get along without finding themelves hitting the sheets. "I'll go back.. it might just take me an extra second.". She laughed a little as she watched him get up again, not in any hurry to push him put the door. "I'm not quite looking forward to that drive.. I didn't think I'd have to make it again.." She'd had no plans to go back home before, but now it was different. "Gotta talk to the chief.. hopefully my job is still there.." She added, wondering how long she'd really be able to stay on the job. "To be truthful, I never thought I'd be flying all the way out here to try and talk to you." It was the last time they exchanged texts that Nick found himself finally manning up to everything. Samantha had not gotten pregnant all on her own. Half that responsibility fell upon him.  "You need any help moving back into the city, give me a call. Okay." He offered to the mother of his soon-to-be born son. Hopefully they would be able to reach some kind of happy medium before the kid was born. Have more then just a semblance of a civilized relationship. "I think he'll more then welcome you back." He said, trying to be positive for her. While they hadn't always gotten along on a personal level, Nick had always been of the thought that Samantha was good at the job she did.  "Thanks for not slamming the door in my face, Sam." Nick offered to her, before he turned to make his way over to the door. Hopefully further interactions between them would mirror this visit. That they could talk rationally without throwing harsh, hurting words back and forth at each other. "Slamming the door in your face wasn't going to get us anywhere.." She shrugged her shoulders, not quite sure what else to say to him. That really had been the reason why she hadn't done so -- it really wouldn't have gotten them anywhere but back at square one. Since she first found out she was pregnant, and once he'd gotten the proof he wanted that he was the father, that really was the only time they'd made any progress. Her pride and her temper weren't going to be of much use there, and if she didn't push them to the side then, she knew she never would. "It was only fair, I suppose.. you did come all the way down here." He really had surprised her when he showed up at her door. She wasn't quite sure yet if it was a good surprise or not, but at least they'd gotten a few things out of the way and had actually acted like two adults who were in that situation together. "If we're being honest..? I figured you would have dropped the whole thing after our last conversation.. I never expected to see you again, really." It had been selfish on her part, but she really had believed that was what he wanted, and she wasn't the type of person to push a baby on someone -- much less one to ask for help when she was capable of doing it on her own. "I'm glad I didn't.. at least we found out we're capable of talking without you calling me a bitch or me calling you an asshole.." She laughed a little of that, thinking back on more than a few of their conversations. They'd never really tried being nice to one another. "I hope so.. I love that job as much as I did being a cop once upon a time.." She paused for a second, thinking back on how much she missed it at times, but how hard it would be for her to ever do it again. ".. ask my old partner.. I was an idiot.. I pretty much lived there." She continued as she followed him toward the door. They could do this.. or at least, she hoped they could. "I think I'd be bored stupid if I didn't have my job to go back to.." Everyone back the station knew she had a tendency to act rashly at times; they knew just as easily as she'd left she'd want to come back again. Her boss had given her that time to figure things out, and she was sure if she asked, it really wouldn't be a problem. "I should be fine, but yeah.. I guess I can give you a call if I need the help." She wasn't sure if she was ready to do that just yet, but she at least appreciated the offer. "I guess I can put you to work.." She laughed, somewhat making light of the situation. She was definitely seeing a side of him that she wasn't used to, and she knew she'd have to meet him halfway if they wanted to make it work. "I might be able to do that." "I debated with myself for a whole two minutes before deciding to make the trip out here." Nick admitted to her then. Before, the baby had been just that to him. A baby that Samantha was caring. A baby he was sure, or at least had convinced himself, had been sired by another man. Due to their past history, Nick just wasn't wanting to take on that kind of responsibility. When it had been confirmed that the child was indeed his, that way of thinking had changed for him. "Well... " he started with a bit of hesitancy, and a brief run of a hand through his hair, giving the woman a bit of a sheepish smile, "I am an asshole, some of the time." Nick not afraid to admit that to Samantha. It was one thing she knew all too well about him.  "Most cops are married to the job, Sam." He pointed out to her as he walked toward the door. He was a prime example of that. Nick spent most of his days at the station, and very little time in his own apartment. He had almost forgotten what 'free time' was, or felt like. And he could sympathize with her on being lost without having 'the job' to go to on a daily basis.  Nick listened to what Samantha was saying, as he reached for the door handle, opening the door then, but not yet stepping out into the hallway. "I mean it, Sam. You need anything, you call me." He said in all seriousness, even though it had registered with him that the woman was trying to make light of things. "I'll talk to you soon." Hopefully. He thought as he stepped out into the hallway. "A whole two minute debate, huh?.. I've had a harder time picking out shoes.." She joked, the stress of the whole situation melting out of her body. There was still some there, but not as bad as it had been when she first got to Florida, and certainly not as bad as it had been when she'd first found out she was pregnant. For the first time ever she was actually grateful that he had ignored what she'd asked of him. Smiling a little at his admittance of being an asshole at times, she couldn't help but laugh. They both knew that was what their relationship was like -- it was as if they enjoyed pissing the other one off. "Oh, I know.. I was actually married and having an affair with it at the same time." It was something she had come to accept about herself -- she was a workaholic, there was no changing that. Even then, as a medic, she found herself spending the majority of her time at work. She knew she would have to change that once the baby was born, but she also knew herself, and she knew she'd be working as far into the pregnancy as was physically possible. Unless she was told otherwise by her doctors, she'd probably be on the job until the baby was born. Leaning against the door as he walked out, she smiled a little, giving him a small nod. "I will.. I'll let you know once I'm back in New York." Closing the door behind her, she let out a small sigh of relief, glad things had not turned out the way she'd played out that day in her mind. He was proving her wrong, and she for once, was glad.