Title: "Love, Nonetheless"

Rating: very low T

Genre: family

Character(s): Tasha and Adam, majorly, with the rest of the family and some OCs in the minor

Pairing(s): Adam/OC, Donald/Tasha

Summary: He was terrified, that much she could see. She knew at that moment that what he needed was a mother to let him know that he wouldn't be alone—and that love is the key. (Red Letter Series company fic. One-shot.)

Note: As mentioned in the summary, it's an offshoot from the series. It references the events in the final chapter of Catch and Release. It could possibly stand on its own, but there are references here and there that may be a bit confusing if you're not very familiar with the characters (especially the OCs) in the series. :)

Just to digress here a bit: there were a few guests who had expressed interest in what will happen to the characters (particularly Darwin, Echo, Fielder, and Leo) or just what will happen to everybody. Unfortunately, since you weren't signed in, I can't respond to you. If you're reading this, please feel free to leave me a message on my PM inbox for any questions. I'd be happy to give you answers! I know that's been almost half a year ago, but if you're still interested I'm still game.

With that done, please enjoy this story!

Tasha scanned the long hallway ahead for any glimpses of him. Fortunately, she had been to this hospital before, and that gave her some knowledge of how to get around. However, the familiarity was starting to fade as she wandered towards a different wing of the building. She was not to the point of asking any employee for help yet; she was still confident that she could do this on her own.

She smiled at a few visitors walking by as she turned the corner. Reaching the stretch of waiting booths, she checked each, one by one, to see if he was there. Four empty booths later, she found him. Adam was sitting on a chair, hunched over in his seat while the television in front of him, surprisingly, was off. He seemed antsy, nervous, and scared, and those were evident through the way that he barely even noticed someone was watching him.

Tasha smiled. She understood the overwhelming rush of emotions going through him right now. She had been in that situation before, after all.

Still, she couldn't believe it. Her oldest son was a father. That fact had yet to cease feeling surreal. It didn't even seem like it had been very long since he got married to the love of his life. She could still remember the preparations and the stress that accompanied their nuptial. She also remembered how happy the young couple looked that day and the tears of joy that she shed when she realized the night after the wedding that one of her children had actually began a new chapter in his life.

But, she guessed, time and perspective were just different when one was a parent.

She couldn't honestly say that this happy occasion really surprised her. Adam and her daughter-in-law, Ayanna, had told her before they bought their house that they wanted a sizeable home so that their children and Linux, the now seven year-old Siberian husky, would have a place to move around in, so she knew they had plans. Although, from the way both husband and wife worked hard at their jobs, everyone in the family thought that the two would put having a family off for a few years until they were both established.

Though the thought of having grandchildren thrilled her and Donald, they were supportive of their decision and didn't put any pressure on them. Plus, they realized that Adam and Ayanna were still young. They were just in their early twenties, so there was no rush. They could enjoy each other's company for now.

So, for a while, she and Donald were content with just watching as all of their children did some more growing. Chase was beginning to take some responsibilities in the company under the guidance of their father, all the while strengthening his relationship with Torrance. Bree, on the other hand, had begun making business ventures of her own. It hadn't been long since she had pitched a plan to both her and her father, and both of them had agreed to be her backer for the small business she wanted to start. Both Bree and Chase, like Adam, had time to live more normal and stable lives now, especially since the load of keeping the world safe had been halved due to the other existing team, and that afforded the young woman the luxury of making actual plans for her future.

Leo, meanwhile, had been living independently for years now. He was barely ever in town anymore – barely ever in the country, actually – because he had been traveling all over the world with his best friend. He still worked at Davenport Industries as a hacker, but he was also busy with leading his own team on missions.

It still made her a little sad whenever she thought of how far he was now from her, but she knew it had to happen. It was a part of growing up.

Maybe that was why she and Donald were so happy when the four of them came over to watch the big football game with them months ago. The house was filled with laughter again and loud conversations and playful bickering. It was just like old times. Really, all they were missing that day were Ayanna and Torrance.

After Leo clarified that Torrance wasn't coming until later on that night, they asked Adam where his wife was. They didn't think any of it when he said she wasn't feeling well. They expressed their concerns, and Chase even asked him why he was there when he should be with his wife (to which Adam said that Ayanna insisted that he still go), but the subject didn't linger for long.

Soon enough, however, the truth came out. During a commercial break, Donald and Chase began telling the rest of the family about different unexpected things they had been running across during the construction of the new Davenport Industries test facility in Arizona. That resulted to Bree recalling a few bumps she and her brothers had encountered during their missions. Everyone got a few good laughs out of that.

After they had all settled into silence, Adam thoughtfully chimed, 'I guess I don't really have any unexpected things happening at work. There was last month when Dave told me he messed up some important files. That gave me a scare.' He sighed contentedly after a short-lived chuckle. 'Yeah. I guess that wasn't as surprising as when Ayanna told me Thursday night that she was pregnant.' He pointed to one of the bowls as he said, 'Leo, can you pass me the chips? …Leo?'

When Adam looked up from the bowl to see why his brother was not moving, he realized that everyone was staring at him. He looked back at them, unsure why they were fixated on him. 'What.'

'You…you said Ayanna's pregnant?' Donald had repeated, a big grin forming on his face.

Adam nodded. 'Yes.'

'Really?' Chase asked.

'Yeah. She told me she's about two months in,' Adam answered, still seemingly lost.

'Do you know what that means?' Donald asked loudly, shooting up from his seat. 'I'm going to be a grandfather!'

'And I'm going to be an uncle!' Chase cheered.

'Adam, congrats! That's good news!' Bree told her brother. 'Do you and Ayanna need help with anything?'

The big game was easily and quickly overshadowed by that revelation. Everyone had erupted into cheering and planning and offering the young soon-to-be parents assistance.

The news of a baby brought the family closer together. The first few months were filled with check-ups and weird cravings (which Ayanna said Adam had a worse case of than she did). Her daughter-in-law visited them often, too; visited her, specifically, because the young woman needed advice on many things. They were lost in a whirlwind of preparations for a while, and that made it easier to forget how quickly time passed. The next thing Tasha knew, she and Bree were hosting a baby shower for Ayanna.

Then, just a week afterwards, just last night, they received a phone call from Adam telling them that he and his wife were on their way to the hospital because the baby was coming.

After ten hours of hard labor, Adam and Ayanna's little girl was born.

Tasha continued to observe her son from where she stood. The anxiety racking his whole body seemed foreign. He wasn't even this nervous hours ago. He was confident and excited for the coming of his child. However, according to Ayanna, that changed once he saw his daughter. He smiled, but he was evidently scared. When the doctor asked if he wanted to hold her, he politely refused. That was why she worried so much when he left after the nurses helped settle them back into the room.

Tasha had assured her that Adam probably just needed something. To allay her anxiety, she told her that she would go look for him before leaving her, her newborn daughter, and her father.

She didn't lie when she said her son needed something. Adam was terrified, that much she could see. Right now, he needed someone to help him understand the conflicting thoughts clashing in his brain.

She walked into the booth then sat at the chair opposite him. She smiled when he looked up at her, his eyes tired and his shoulders weighed down by something heavy and unseen. "Hi, sweetheart," she said.

He forced a small smile on his face. "Hey, Ma," he said, his words lacking their usual enthusiasm.

"How are you holding up?"

He expelled a breath. "Okay," he said. He chuckled before adding, "Much better than Ayanna. That took a while. She did a good job."

"That she did," Tasha agreed.

"Is Robin still in the room?"

"Yeah. He's spending some time with his daughter and granddaughter right now."

"Is he mad at me?" Adam asked anxiously.

"I don't think so. I have a feeling he understands," Tasha assured him.

Adam said nothing. He only looked down on his shoes pensively. The silence seemed to last a while, until he smiled. "She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he said, his eyes lightly watering.

"Your daughter?"

"Yeah," Adam nodded.

"Yeah, she is. She's adorable. Got it from Mommy and Daddy," Tasha agreed. "Honey, you should be with her. You should be with your wife and your daughter."

"I know. It's just that…" he shook his head, "I just – I'm just scared of holding her. She's this little, perfect, beautiful thing, and…I don't want to hurt her. She's so fragile, and what if I hurt her?"

"Adam, you're not going to hurt her."

"No, you don't understand. My arms and my hands, they're used to crushing things. I don't know how to deal with someone as delicate as her. I mean, we've had those plastic babies in school, and it was okay, but this time it's different. It's my daughter."

"Ayanna and I will be there, sweetheart. Plus, you'll learn how to hold her properly quickly. You're her father. Instinctively, you'll know how to do this."

"What if I can't help it? What if a bug or even the Triton app suddenly activates and I… I don't want to put her in danger."

"No such thing will happen. Remember? That app has been removed from your system. And no one will activate it because the only person who would do that has been in jail for years. As far as bugs, you have Torrance, your father, and your brother checking your chips on the regular." Warmly, she patted his knee. "It's gonna be okay," she said encouragingly.

Adam didn't meet her gaze or return her smile. For the first time Tasha heard the fear he really felt when he asked quietly, "What if she hates me?"

She frowned. "Hate you?"

"I'm not the best man she can have as a father," Adam said. "I'm not smart like Chase, or very rich like Mr. Davenport. I'm not even business-minded, like Bree. I'm not smart, and I know that. I just work at a Customer Service in a company that would soon be run by my younger brother. Her mom, on the other hand, is going to be a lawyer soon. What if she's embarrassed because of me? I don't want her to grow up and feel awful about herself because all she got for a father was me."

Tasha watched with a broken heart as Adam leaned forward and sighed. Though she understood how he felt, it was still difficult hearing it come out from him, especially since, out of all her children, he seemed to be the most sure about himself and was the most confident. However, she knew things change when a child comes into the picture. She knew this because she and her first husband experienced it when their son was born.

She smiled warmly at him. "Honey, I see why you feel that way, and I understand, but there's so much more to being a parent than your status or what you have," she said. When he looked up at her, she continued, "Let me ask you this: do you love your father?"

"Mr. Davenport?" Adam asked. "Of course."

"Why?"

"Because he's my dad," he said thoughtfully.

Tasha shook her head. "It's more than that, baby," she prompted. "What is it about him that you love? What has he done to earn that from you?"

Adam sat up as he pondered over it. "Um, well, I love him because he took care of us. He gave us a place to stay and then food to eat. He bought us clothes and toys. He worked hard for us. He cared a lot. He still does."

Tasha nodded. "Yeah. You love him because he loves you. He's loved you from the start," she said. "Adam, as a father, that's the best thing you could give your child – your love. Love includes everything you just mentioned: providing for her, giving her what she needs. It even includes making the tough calls, like disciplining her even if it hurts you. It's a lot of work, sweetheart, but you know what? That's the best you can do for her. Not a lot of children have the gift of having a father that cares because not many men are brave enough to take up the hard job of being a good dad. Show her you're different. Show her you're brave. One day, she'll grow up and realize, just like you had, that she loves and respects you because you care so much about her."

A small grin pulled at her lips. "As far as your job description, honey? Come on. Being a manager at the Customer Service department is not your real job. You're a superhero. How many kids can say that about their parents? If Ayanna could, she would be bragging to everyone that her husband has superpowers. Just imagine how your daughter would feel like knowing that her dad does amazing things regularly," she said.

Slowly, a smile came to Adam's face. "You really think she'd like that?"

Tasha raised her brows, smirking.

Adam grinned to himself, that thought creating much hope in him. "I'm starting to realize how stupid I've been to feel embarrassed of you guys when I was a teenager," he commented later. "I think I'm spooked right now because of that."

"You're starting to realize now that your father and I will be getting our revenge through your children, aren't you?"

Adam laughed. "Yes, I think so," he said. Sincerely, he told her, "I'm really sorry. If I ever said anything that hurt Mr. Davenport's and your feelings, I'm sorry."

Tasha nodded. "Okay," she said.

Adam took a breath then released it. "Ma?"

"You ready to go back and see her?"

Adam nodded.

Tasha stood up, her oldest son following suit. "Okay. Let's go," she said.

They engaged in a small conversation as they walked back to where the mother and child were. Adam related to her the events that led him and his wife there at the hospital. Apparently, he had just finished cooking dinner for both of them, and as he was plating their food, Ayanna, notably frightened, told him that her water broke. Tasha laughed with her son when he mentioned how upset his wife was that she had 'messed up' one of the relatively new dining room chairs and how frantic he had been in grabbing all the bags they had packed in preparation for this day.

Through the grin, Tasha could see that her son was still nervous – but it was the kind that resulted from bubbling excitement.

When they reached the room, they stopped. They found Donald gently rocking his granddaughter in his arms, a watery grin on his face as he spoke so gently to her. "Did Robin leave?" Tasha asked as Adam made his way to his wife's bed.

"No, he just left to get some coffee," Donald said, not taking his eyes away from the little girl.

Tasha drew closer, chuckling in amusement as she saw how taken her husband was with his grandchild. This baby's gonna be so spoiled, she thought.

"I'm not gonna be leaving you with no space, am I?" she heard Adam quietly ask Ayanna.

Ayanna shook her head. "There's plenty of space," she said. She scooted over.

Adam was hesitant at first but soon gave in. He sat next to his wife, both of them adjusting until they were both comfortable.

"Adam, you ready to hold her now?" Donald asked his son.

Adam stared at the infant for a moment. Then, he nodded with a smile.

Donald made his way towards his son, and then carefully lowered the child. Adam positioned his arms, listening as his wife gently coached him. It seemed to scare him when the baby moved, as if he had done something terrible, but he eased once both he and his daughter were comfortable. He smiled down at her as his eyes searched her face, marveling at the tiny creation he now held close.

Tasha, like her husband, smiled. Watching them, they realized: their son now had his own small family.

Discreetly, she blinked back the sting of tears in her eyes as she thought about that.

"I don't think Adira fits her anymore," Ayanna told her husband in a hushed tone.

"No?"

"No," Ayanna said. She glanced at her daughter then at her husband. "I think she's more like an Abigail."

"Abigail," Adam repeated.

"Yeah. It means father's joy," Ayanna said.

Adam nodded, watching his daughter closely as she stirred. "Yeah. Okay," he said.

"Adira can be her middle name," Ayanna said. She tilted her head. "What do you think?"

"I love it," Adam replied, smiling at his wife before giving her a kiss.

"Abigail Adira Davenport. It has a nice ring to it," Donald said.

"Triple A!" They all looked at the door and saw Leo standing there, holding a small flower arrangement with a grin. "Adam, Ayanna, Abigail? Did you guys get it?"

"Hey," Adam said with a light laugh. "That was fast. How come you're here so early?"

"Yeah. Aren't you, Chase, and Torrance supposed to be in Barcelona?" Donald asked.

"Well, we were, but we decided to fly in a bit earlier since everything's ahead of schedule. Again. Good timing, too. I got Bree's voicemail when we got out of the airport. She told us it's go time."

"Where's your brother and Torrance?" Tasha asked.

"Chase had to make a short stop at the company to finish some paperwork, and Tor met with Atkin to straighten out a few things at the IT department. Since I can't really be seen roaming around, they just told me to go." Leo shrugged. "They're probably on their way now, though."

"What about Bree? Where is she?" Donald asked.

"At the parking lot," Leo replied with a laugh as he made his way towards Ayanna. "She picked me up from the house, and she dropped me off so she can park." To his sister-in-law he said, "Hey, Ayanna. These are for you."

"Thanks," Ayanna said as she appreciatively looked at the flowers placed on the table beside her bed.

"Parking?" Adam repeated.

"I don't know, something about her being a normal aunt today," Leo said with a wave. He grinned as he looked down at the baby in his older brother's arms. "Is that my niece?" he asked, making his way towards their side. He gazed at her then said, "Aw, she's so cute… Yep. You've fought androids and battled all kinds of bad guys before, but the real fight's gonna be with the boys that will be going after your daughter."

Adam's eyebrows quirked. "Well, if they know what's good for them…"

Donald, Ayanna, and Leo laughed. "Right. If they know," Leo agreed.

Tasha watched happily as the conversation went along. Hearing their laughter and seeing their smiles filled her with so much joy. They were all there, her family, and with them was the new addition that would sure make their lives a little more interesting. She just hoped that one day, her granddaughter would know how much she was loved by her parents and the family she came into.

She hoped that one day, Abigail would know that they would all be there for her.

The trilogy that was supposed to follow this would have taken place about a few months after the events in this story. In there, it would've shown that Abby's favorite uncle (favorite person, really) is Chase. She likes aunt Bree, and she loves her grandparents. She doesn't like Leo. XD

If you've seen grammatical or any other kinds of errors or typos, I'd appreciate it if someone kindly points them out to me via review or PM so I can make changes. Thank you!

Reviews and comments are welcome!