James watched his wife, Catherine, on the operating table. Sweat dripped down her tired face. To him, she was still as beautiful as the day they had met and glowed more so even now. Linda looked at him from over her burgeoning belly, their eyes locked as she bit her lip. There was pain, an immense amount of it as she whimpered and let out a yelp. Her face grew red. Muscles trembled from exhaustion, but they still were urged to continue. Every breath and gasp pushed her further towards her goal: the birth of their child. They had been so excited about this moment. The anticipation only reaching its fevered pitch in the few short hours of her delivery. Even Catherine's son, Andrew, who had barely reached his teens awaited anxiously outside the door for the new arrival.

The place they were, wasn't the safest, nor the cleanest location to be. It was hardly ideal for the adults that were working there, let alone a newborn and young child. He didn't know how he was going to pull off his experiments, and there were dangers with that as well. And what of Catherine? She was going to need time to recover. That would slow the group down, if only temporarily, but the attacks by the mutants that were happening almost daily and the spats him and the Brotherhood were becoming more and more heated. He knew that they needed the protection, but the Elder was at his wits end throwing his people to their deaths, just for a boondoggle. This day alone had started with casualties that made Elder Lyons making a personal appearance to the lab. Three initiates had died in a morning skirmish with the mutants.

He had to get it to work. He wanted a future for his blossoming family, for the world he was bringing them into. His objectivity and idealism had come with a high price and few results that always fell short of his expectations. Always maybe's and almost's.

"James?" Madison muttered. Her stern voice snapped him back to the present situation. "I'm ready on my end."

He felt the impromptu delivery nurse lean over his shoulder. He felt like he was being smothered by the researcher behind him The surgical mask didn't help matters, nor his building emotions at the arrival of his child. He was a doctor and this wasn't his first delivery he'd performed, but this was a special circumstance. He felt foolish where he sat, nervous over his wife's condition and how this had been such a strain on all of them for that matter. They weren't exactly young anymore and the disease that they were constantly in contact with made him apprehensive to start, more so in the fact that Catherine refused to stop working when they had found out she was pregnant. It made her work harder, just like it had for him.

James nodded slowly and placed his hand on Catherine's thigh and gave her a nod. He tried to tune out the muffled screams of agony and focus on what was coming: a child. His child. Someone he'd been waiting for for months. The child was a blessing. The team worked harder, they were more at ease. It gave them something to work for. This baby was their rallying cry. It made the demands from Lyons easier to endure, but that would soon be coming to an end if he didn't get his work done.

He held out his hands as the small, thin body slid into them. Madison, stood off to the side and gently took the newborn from its father. James smiled. His heart raced with pride. "I love you, darling."

"I love you, too," Catherine replied. She lay back on the gurney, her hand draped over her still swollen abdomen. "What is it? What did we have?"

James peered over Madison's shoulder. "It's a girl! We have a daughter!"

He looked at her wrinkled fingers. Five on each hand. Five toes on each foot. Tender pink skin and a tuft of black hair adorned her head. Large black eyes stared up at him. She was perfect. He placed his finger in her hand and she gripped it tightly. He knew that it was only a reflex, but the physiological signals were irrelevant. She was here. In the same room.

James shot Catherine a pleased look. His eyes welled with tears as Madison placed their daughter in his arms. He was anxious. Afraid. Joyous. So much juxtaposition to be felt and he revelled in it. He approached Catherine and showed her their new creation. She let out a small chuckle; a look of contentment crossed her face.

"Madison? Would you have Andrew come in?" Catherine asked with a faint smile.

Madison silently nodded and started for the door. Within a few moments, Andrew was beside them. He eyed the infant curiously and then murmured,"hello."

"Have you picked out a name for her yet?" Madison asked.

"Lucy," Catherine replied breathlessly. She held her hand out to touch her daughter and shuddered. James turned his attention now to his wife. "Something's wrong." Her eyes rolled back into her head and then the first alarms sounded.

James jumped from his stool and handed the baby to Madison.

"Get them out of here! Now!"

He was beside his wife, confused by what was happening. His eyes shot up to the jury-rigged monitor and saw the slightest tremor on the screen. He started CPR. "Come on, Catherine! You can do this!" Sweat beaded on his brow as he worked. The alarms continued to whine. He wanted them to stop. Just shut up. He needed to save his wife.

"MADISON!" he screamed. Within seconds, she was by his side a look of fear danced wildly behind her eyes. "Charge the paddles! NOW!"

Madison grabbed for the defibrillator and handed them to him. He ripped the gown down from his wife and placed them on her chest. The high pitched squeal as it charged couldn't mask the constant trilling from the heart monitor. It beeped that it was ready. He prayed to himself that it worked. Ordered Catherine to fight. He couldn't do this on his own.

James pressed the button to discharge and the room went black.

"No! No!" he yelled through clenched teeth.

A large explosion overhead, shook the ceiling, spilling dust and plaster on top of them. There was no sound, no monitors or alarms. Just the heavy footsteps running down the hallway towards the outer doors of the lab. He turned on his Pip-Boy's light and shined it down on Catherine. He continued to do chest compressions.

"James?! Stop" Madison pleaded, her voice cracking.

"I can't. She can't- ." James argued with new tears dripping down his cheeks.

Madison placed her hand on top of James's and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"She's gone. Let her go," Madison cried.

James's hands slipped to his side. He started to shake. Anguish wracked his body. This had been just another tally point to add to his ever growing list of failures. Trepidation meandered through his mind like a worm through an apple. He looked toward the darkened doorway, still ajar and knew that Andrew was on the other side. He didn't know if the boy had heard everything, but that didn't matter. How was he going to explain to Andrew that his mother wasn't going to come back? And now he had Lucy here. He didn't know what to do and the lack of answers had left him beside himself. He was going to have to raise these children by himself.

He shook his head and slowly drew the sheet over his wife's face. He stared at the faceless shape for what felt like an eternity and questioned where things had gone wrong. His shoulders slumped. He couldn't say good-bye, not then. He needed to tell Andrew.

He led Madison and himself out of the delivery room and removed his mask. He shined the light down the hall. It was empty. He was thankful that in the darkness he could hide his attempt to dry his eyes.

"Sir?" a man's voice uttered from behind him.

The two scientists turned and saw a soldier standing in the hallway with a small bundle in his arms. They walked towards him, James more hesitant than Madison. Each step drew him closer to reality. He could never forgive himself and he hoped that Andrew would forgive him as well given time.

"Thank you, Knight Colvin," Madison remarked flatly.

The young man examined both of them and then at the newborn in Madison's arms. James looked the man in the eye. He could tell he was at a loss for words. James's jaw clenched. Condolences would have made it worse. You can't say sorry. You don't know, he thought as he placed his hand on the Knight's shoulder to relieve him.

"What are we going to do now? About the Project? About the Brotherhood? About this baby and Andrew?" Madison interrogated.

James didn't say anything, nor did he take offense to Madison's harsh tone. He understood. All of those questions had to be answered, in due time. Right now, he had to learn how to live with his daughter and live without his wife.