A/N: As a little reminder, Jason, Annie, Brian, Joey and Paul are Stan and Karen's kids. Lucy is Jimmy's girlfriend from WO. Don't confuse Annie with Tommy's daughter, who's also an Annie (Annabeth). I guess it was their mother's name?

Chapter 1: Surprise Visit

The line clears up in front of them and Lisbon sighs quietly, the light pitter-patter of her foot coming to a stop. People are in a hurry to close all their businesses before the first dawn of the holiday arrives. There are shopping bags waving around, children shrieking, and Christmas decorations covering every inch. The usual hustle of the city has doubled up, but so have her impatience. Why is it that clinics are always more congested during holy days? She never understood.

Jane turns to her slightly, his eyes a warm caress. Unruffled happiness emanates from every acre of his body. She's gotten so much of his happiness this past month, she thinks it can make up for all the years of pain. He wraps her hand with his and moves over to lean on the counter.

"Hello, we have an appointment with the radiologist". His voice carries an ease and contentment like the sight of a puffing chimney in a cold winter.

"Name?" asks the receptionist, not looking up from her computer.

"Aah", Jane turns to glance at her, a smile ghosting over the corner of his mouth, "Jane", he says, still looking at her. She purses her lips, caught in the playful gleam of his eyes. It's still pleasantly surreal that they both share the same name now. At least on paper. Between them and among their co-workers, they're still Jane and Lisbon. She loves his first name, but whenever she tried calling him Patrick, it sounded strange to her, distant—which is weird, considering first names usually bear a sense of intimacy. But he's Jane. Her Jane. Warm and familiar—and full of smiles these past months.

As soon as the woman gets busy with typing, his attention shifts to the little Christmas tree that decks the counter. He beams at it with childlike wonder, then turns to her with a grin. She smiles, shaking her head. He starts picking at a gold angel ornament. Few seconds later, the receptionist raises her head from her computer to throw him a glare. He instantly lets go of the bauble and opens his palms in peace. As soon as she looks away, he lifts his eyebrows in mockery. Lisbon bumps him on the side. He glances at her once, his features instantly put into order.

"Have you done any ultrasound scans before?" asks the woman then.

"No, that's the first", Lisbon answers in a brittle voice. She licks her lips and tucks her tongue between her teeth. The woman types a little more, then prints a sheet of paper. "Third floor on the right", she says, handing over the form. Jane takes a quick look at it, before drawing his attention to his wife. His eyes grow soft. He brings his lips close to her ear.

"Everything's gonna be fine, I promise", he whispers.

She exhales through her teeth. "When this is over, I'm gonna eat two whole bowls of ice cream", she says, more to herself than to him.

"I'm gonna see to it personally", Jane concurs, gently pushing her toward the elevators.

The appointment has been scheduled for weeks, but her nervousness set off only yesterday night. She had to wake up Jane and ask him about his first experience with Angela. It didn't make things any better that they had decided to keep the gender a surprise with his first wife, so he basically had no clue. She has no idea what to expect. What if the sound waves affect the baby? What if she's allergic to the lubricating gel? What if it harms the baby? She recognizes her fears as irrational—so many women have undergone the examination; Grace said it was harmless. What's wrong with her? She's never been so sensitive and emotional and utterly vulnerable. She always had control. It's almost like the life that's growing inside her is changing her whole view of the world. And it bewilders her. She doesn't know whether she's more scared or more... excited. She feels so unstable.

"I can't believe we're gonna know his gender in any while from now", she shrieks out loud. They're alone in the elevator, which gives her an extra sense of freedom.

Jane gives a quiet, hearty laugh.

She looks at him, narrowing her eyes. "What?" Her voice flirts with hysteria.

He carefully fixes his features. "Nothing... Just, you said his gender. Kind of deletes the whole meaning of what you said, don't you think?"

"See?" she bursts. "Another sign that he's a boy. For once, you have to accept that your psychic skills are not valid here", she says, picking up from their long-term argument about the gender.

Jane sighs. "There's no way with you, woman", he complains.

She furrows, her lips puckering in a pout. She realizes that she's behaving like a frenetic woman, changing moods with the minute.

"Tell me what you are so nervous about, because I'm sensing this is about more than just the procedure", Jane says then.

She presses her tongue on her teeth, his question catching her off guard. She draws her eyes to herself.

"I don't know. Everyday he grows more inside me and inside my mind. Now he's gonna become even more real, because I'm going to see him finally and—" she stops herself before her voice can reach higher notes.

Jane rubs his thumb on her hand. She meets his gaze in the confined space of the elevator. A warm glow seethes in his eyes.

"I know", he murmurs. Sigh, "I know".

Heads turn in annoyance, as a wave of noise ripples across the airport baggage claim area. A large family—four kids, a man and a woman with a baby carriage—push through the endless line of people stacked at the moving belt, wreaking havoc at their wake.

"Sorry, sorry…" Stan apologizes, cradling little Joey at his side, his eyes darting around, searching for their luggage. "We're in a kind of hurry".

An old man raises his walking stick, scowling at him. "Hey, get back in the line!"

Stan pats his back. "How you doing, pops? Whow, you might wanna lower that thing down. Someone could get hurt". He moves onward, leaving him behind.

"I'm gonna call the security!" the old man shouts after him, though his protests are barely audible in the hustle.

Jason and Annie hop like springs at their father's side, filling the place with their happy giggles. Karen creeps along behind them, rummaging the belt with her eyes, while holding Brian and rolling Paul's pram. Stan suddenly sticks his head out of the row to make contact with his wife. "Karen, I found them!" he shouts for almost all the airport to hear. Jason and Annie shriek victoriously, thrusting their fists in the air. "Sorry", Stan mumbles again, as he breaks the line to retrieve their suitcases. His wife scurries to help him, burbling her own sorries on the way.

"Here kids, hold these". Stan gives each of them a small bag to carry. "Alright, we haven't forgotten anything, have we?" He looks at the moving luggage, while Karen checks their bags.

"No, everything's here", she breathes.

"'Right". Stan throws a last glance toward the people in the line, "thank you, sorry for the inconvenience".

They all start toward the exit, taking the rumble with them, oblivious to the lingering stares on their backs. Jimmy and Lucy meet them halfway, loaded with candies and other goodies from the duty-free shop. Jimmy licks a spoon full of chocolate, cheeks rosy and eyes shining.

"Jimmy!" Stan protests, as he sees his brother. "Where were you? We've been looking for you! What are all these?"

"Come on, brother, we can't visit Teresa with empty hands", Jimmy mumbles with a full mouth. "What time did Patrick say they would be at the clinic?" he asks then.

"They are there now!" Stan answers.

"Wait, should we buy balloons or something?" Jimmy asks.

"Oh my God, that's a perfect idea!" Lucy exclaims.

Stan looks at her with a frown, then turns back to his brother. "I think balloons are for when she actually gives birth to the baby".

"Yeah, but she's going to find out the gender. Still a big moment, bro", Jimmy defends. Lucy nods as if to second her boyfriend's opinion, her eyes sparking with enthusiasm.

Luminous, palpable shapes pulsate on a black screen, as a cold, sticky substance spreads on her tummy. Her eyes, her senses, her mind — are all focused on the miracle that unravels in front of her. The motion stops on her belly, the particles of dust seem to freeze in the air – as if to capture the moment in their geometry – and her fingers are squeezed tightly into a fistful.

There's a form in the shape of an almond nestled at the center of the screen, throbbing. Slowly. Rhythmically. Like a breathing bubble of life.

"Congratulations", says a modulated voice, "You're gonna have a boy".

The nurse utters the words as if they're routine to her, and Lisbon knows—she's not the first woman to sit on this black canvas and have her belly ultra-sounded, nor is she the first to have her husband accompany her. Yet, she can't imagine her emotions being sorted under that same category—despite common logic, she's the first woman that has ever felt them.

And she has no idea how to control them.

"My baby—He-he looks so small. Is-is that h-his heart?" she chirps incoherently, tilting her head and sticking out a finger. Despite her convictions about the gender, she can't wrap her mind around the fact that her little stirrer is actually a 'he'. A person. Flashes of a little boy with bouncing blond curls and wide blue-green eyes cram her thoughts. A little Jane running around her house. Her heart can't contain her emotions.

"Yes, ma'am", the nurse answers mechanically.

Lisbon's lips mold into a perfect circle. "Jane," she presses into her husband's palm under her fingers, her eyes never leaving the screen, "look how his heart is beating. So tiny", she turns to the nurse, fear clenching around her heart, "Is that normal?"

The woman nods, her tight blond ponytail flipping. Relief courses through Lisbon's chest. The nurse's eyes focus above Lisbon's head.

"You can try with the probe if you want", she says, raising her voice.

Lisbon turns around toward her husband. She realizes midway that she hasn't heard a reaction from him. She shrivels for a fraction of the second, before her gaze lands on him.

Jane's eyes contain the light of the cosmos, gleaming in all the possible colors of the spectrum; his features are stretched; his lips crack his face in half. She's only ever seen a similar expression on him when she had first announced the news of her pregnancy one and half of a month ago. Only now it's multiplied.

She slightly strokes his hand with her thumb. "Jane", she whispers. He turns to her, but his eyes barely leave the sonogram. When she meets his gaze, she feels like she can sip the entire universe out of it. She wonders in that moment, whether the amount of pain he has endured in his life has also increased his capacities of happiness. At the same time, she can't remember ever seeing him more sad than she can see him happy now. The world fades away, as it seems to do when she looks into his eyes. For a moment, the thought that they've made it possible for this little creature to come to the world—that they are going to be his parents—is the only thing that matters. Soft giggles fill their mouths. Jane's eyes thin into slits, his hand tightens around hers, and she squeezes back.

"I'll give you some time alone", says the nurse, before she slips out of the room.

It is quiet for a long while. Lisbon's hand rubs on the leather canvas, as she moves to cup her husband's cheek. His flesh is like cool velvet under her fingers. Jane covers her hand with his and leans in to place his forehead on hers. He takes in a deep breath and then his entire chest relaxes. They both close their eyes. There's no need for lengthy expressions of love or gratitude—it's all there, radiating from their touch.

Jane pulls back, his face returns to normal, but the spring of wonder still quietly shimmers in his eyes.

"Our son", he croaks, as if he's trying the word on his lips. Another wave of pure joy crosses his features. Lisbon feels like she's tightly connected to the muscles on his face.

"I told you he was a boy", she throttles. Another round of quiet giggles. Her shoulders rise, as if to contain her happiness.

"I should never doubt a mother's instinct again", Jane quips in a sober voice. Her breath catches, as he looks to her bare stomach, his expression growing serious.

"Hey, son", he whispers. Tears gather in her eyes. He reaches for the probe, his lip curling in concentration. He takes the gadget in his hand and starts moving it across her belly. And then, in front of her eyes forms the image that she will live to remember till the last minutes of her life—her husband smiling at the first sight of their son, murmuring words of love, while his hands skim over her bare skin. The cool liquid produces a tickling sensation on her skin and suddenly, she snorts with a laugh. Jane's hand freezes on her stomach, his head flicking toward her. His horrified expression fuels her laughter even more; tears, welled in her eyes from joy, now spill down her cheeks from exhilaration.

"I'm – sorry", she says among cackles.

Jane shakes his head. "I can't believe you, woman. I'm trying to form a connection with my son here and you start laughing, you get tickled. How come you didn't get tickled when the nurse used the probe on you? I hope you see how unfair this is", he rattles on, waving a finger in front of her.

"It's not my fault you make me ticklish!" Lisbon protests.

"Oh, now I'm making you ticklish."

Lisbon widens her eyes, lifting her shoulders. Obviously.

"You mean if I touch you here", Jane dabs two fingers at her waist; she folds in half, laughing; at the same time, craving growing inside her. "And here…" Jane continues in a soft voice, caressing the cavity above her tummy. The laughter slowly dies in her throat. Her gaze slowly travels from his long fingers up to his face. His eyes are darkened when they meet hers. It does nothing good for her crazy hormones.

"You know what?" she starts, breathing heavily, "I think two times are not enough in the mornings. We have to add to that number", she states.

"Honey, it's not gonna be enough no matter how much we add to that number. Your pregnancy has made you extremely hormonal", Jane counters.

Lisbon frowns. "You're saying that as if it's a bad thing for you", she accuses him.

"Oh, believe me, you make me the happiest husband ever—I think I've proven that adequately in action—but I'm starting to get a little worried about my potency. You're wearing out my stamina", he admits.

She simpers. Patrick Jane questioning his abilities in bed – that's something new to see. She pats his waist, wrinkling her nose. "I think you're enduring just fine", she whispers sotto voce.

"Thank you, it's always good to know", he returns in the same manner.

His ogle says it all – Wait till we get home.

The nurse jams the door exactly in that moment, rushing into the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but there is a group of people out at the reception demanding for me to let them see you. I don't know how to handle them and they're stirring the peace at the clinic. I told them I would call you, they're saying they're your family", she explains out of breath.

Lisbon stares at her wide eyes, the flocks of hair hanging out of her ponytail, unable to process what she's just heard. Her eyebrows slowly draw thick, her blood pressure rising. She draws her gaze toward Jane in desperation. She finds him looking at the floor, rubbing his old brown shoes on each other.

"Jane?" she asks calmly. Jane slowly raises his head, arching his eyebrows in question. She narrows her eyes, "Why am I getting the impression you're not surprised?" She tries to keep her voice down.

Jane opens his mouth to say something, but it is too late – his expression has confirmed her suspicions.

"You knew about this!" she realizes.

He raises his palm. "I—" he starts to defend himself.

"You've got some serious explaining to do!" she says. She looks desperately at the mess on her tummy. The nurse scurries to her side.

"Here let me help you clean that", she offers.

"They called and said they'd come. I-I couldn't stop them", Jane defends, lifting his shoulders.

"You told them about the scan!"

"Well, I didn't think they would actually come at the clinic!"

The nurse starts wiping off the sticky liquid off her tummy with large paper towels, which she disposes of in a plastic bin next to the bed.

"Why are they even here?" Lisbon bursts.

Jane bites the inside of his lip. She stares at him, her look gradually becoming a glare.

"Okay, I promised I would keep it a surprise till they come, but I'm thinking now your brothers—and me—are probably gonna need our lives..." he mutters. His gaze levels hers. "It's for Christmas". She furrows. "They want us to spend the holidays together in Chicago", Jane further explains.

She blinks, disoriented. "And they've come all the way to Texas to tell us?"

"Well, you can see exactly why if you judge from your reaction now", Jane tells her. "They didn't trust you'd come if they just called, so they've come to fetch us themselves".

"That's ridiculous", she fumes. The nurse finishes off and she leaps out of the bed, fixing down her blouse.

Just then, the entrance bursts with loud shrieks and foot clatter. Lisbon freezes with her back facing the door.

"Heeey!" she hears Jimmy's voice. Child giggles flit around the room. She slowly turns around. Her nieces and nephews pour into the room, instantly hurling themselves at her. Jane hurries to stop them, before they can reach her.

"Hello", he chants, picking Annie up in his arms. The girl starts playing with his locks.

"Hey, Teresa!" Stan greets her with a goofy smile, standing under the threshold.

"Hi, sis", Jimmy follows next to his brother. They're both holding pink and blue balloons. His girlfriend — Lucy, if Lisbon recalls right — inches through the entrance and starts screaming happily.

"Congratulations! You're gonna be a boy's mother!" She runs around the bed to pull her into a hug. "And I am going to be his aunt!" Lisbon's hands fly clumsily around her.

"The nurse told us the news", Jimmy explains. "We didn't know beforehand, so we bought both pink and blue balloons — Lucy's idea". He smiles apologetically.

Her brothers step inside the room; Stan's wife, Karen, follows, rolling in a pram. She takes her turn greeting her. Suddenly, the room is crammed with people and little devils running around.

"Paddy!" Stan exclaims, walking to Jane to pat his back. Jane regards him warmly, shifting Annie to his side.

"How you doing, man?" Stan asks, then, leaning in, "Thanks for keeping it a surprise". He can still be heard across the room. Jane returns the gesture, smiling.

"You're welcome, but I don't know how well that's gonna serve you. Your sister isn't a fan of surprises", he says.

Stan gives her a moderate look, his smile flickering a little. "You don't say", he says through gritted teeth.

"Stan", Lisbon struggles to sound pleasant, "what are you doing here?"

Jimmy answers instead.

"We thought we'd spend Christmas together this year. Just like old times, remember?"

"We called Tommy, too, but he didn't answer", Stan fills in.

Lisbon's gaze flickers between both of her brothers. They both stare at her like eager puppies waiting to be fed.

She thrusts a hand in the air, "Couldn't you just have called me, too?" She instantly realizes how rude she's just sounded, but it is too late to take her words back.

The happy looks on her brothers' faces falter. Jimmy shifts his weight awkwardly. Side glances flit toward her from the women in the room. Guilt overruns her. At the same time, her anger rises, because she knows she wouldn't have to feel guilty if they hadn't put her in this situation in the first place.

"Whow!" Jane scurries to save the situation. He puts her niece down and walks to her side. His hand lands gently on her back, the other rubbing her arm. "What she means, Stan, is that she is surprised to see you here. Excuse her little aggressive tone," he hides his mouth behind his palm, "Pregnancy hormones", he whispers loudly. She throws him a glare. Jane clears his throat. "I mean, you understand", he says in a clearer voice, waving at her stomach.

"Yeah, of course", Stan answers, his smile creeping back on his face. The joyful mood returns to the atmosphere once again. She's so relieved, she wants to press her husband against a wall and thank him in her very own unique way. The thought that she'll have plenty of time with him later calms her nerves a little.

Jimmy looks at her seriously then.

"The truth is, sis, we know how you tend to avoid this kind of thing. So this time we thought we'd keep you to your word!" he chirps. Lisbon forces a smile. "We really hope you'll want to come at your own will though", Jimmy hurries to add in a sober tone.

It's her turn to talk once again. Jane rubs her back reassuringly. She sighs, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Guys", she starts. "I'm really moved by the gesture —really— but... I can't, I-I don't know if it would be good for the baby to be engaged in hectic activity right now, such as travelling across country and staying in hotels—"

"Who said anything about hotels?" Stan interrupts her. "You're going to stay at our house, of course".

"At your house?" she exclaims. "I mean, is there enough room?" Her gaze weighs on their five children.

"There's always room for the family", Stan claims. His words seem to serve a double purpose—stir her emotionally. They don't fail.

She shakes her head, "I don't know, I—you shouldn't have come all the way here!" she blurts frustrated, unable to hold her temper.

"I see", Stan mutters, lowering his gaze. "Look, we'll let you think about it. We'll be staying at a hotel overnight. If we don't receive an answer till tomorrow morning, we'll understand". He turns to the rest in the room, the lines on his face suddenly looking deep and tired. "Come on, folks! All out!"

One by one, they all exit the room, taking all the hustle with them. As the white surroundings stare empty at her once again, she doesn't know how to feel. All she wants is to be sheltered in the safety of her home.

The nurse, who's been watching their squabble in awkward silence, smiles politely at her.

"I'll print the sonogram for you to have", she says, instantly getting herself busy.

Lisbon sighs and leans her head back onto Jane's shoulder. He brings his hand to her head, stroking her hair and shelving her side bangs aside.

"Ice cream?" he asks softly into her ear.

She smiles. He always finds the right thing to say.

"Those are magic words", she chants, deliberately picking a phrase out of his vocabulary.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I know I have to update my other stories, but I blame it on Christmas — I felt warm and cozy (and I wanted to write a Christmas Jisbon story since last year!). No case in this one, just fluffy/angsty situations. Will probably be a few chapters. Would love to hear your thoughts.