A/N: This is a companion piece to Girl After My Own Heart. We got to see Reese and Cali having some daddy and daughter time. Now we get to see Carter and Cali having some mommy and me time.
This picks up the following morning after Girl After My Own Heart. As always, I hope you enjoy!
Precious Child Of Mine
It was just after 8 AM when Carter slowly opened her eyes. She looked at the monitor to find Cali still sound asleep. She watched her baby as she remembered the night before or rather the wee hours of the early morning when Reese climbed into bed.
Carter stirred the moment Reese climbed back in bed. She opened her eyes after he reached over and turned the baby monitor back on. She looked at the monitor then the alarm clock.
"Cali's still sleeping" she asked groggily, thinking her baby had been asleep for the last 6 hours.
"She woke up 2 hours ago" Reese said. "I changed her" he continued before Carter could ask why he did not wake her. "Fed her and she's been hanging out with her old man. She told me she was going to take a 4 hour nap" Reese snuggled even closer to his wife. "Now go back to sleep."
"Thanks honey" Carter whispered as she laid her hand on the arm that was hooked around her waist and quickly drifted back to sleep.
Carter began to stretch as she realized how refreshed she was. For more than 3 weeks now, she had not been able to sleep for more than a few hours here and there. Neither Cali nor her body would cooperate. They were insistent on depriving her of much needed rest.
But last night, after her 8 o'clock feeding, Cali promptly fell asleep.
Carter was stretched out on the chaise lounge. She had the nursing pillow in her lap. Cali was cradled in her left arm, her tiny lips still attached to her mother's nipple.
Carter was so comfortable. She was so exhausted. When she saw Cali's eyelids slowly close, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She did not know how much time passed before she heard Reese's voice.
"Want me to get her?" he said quietly as he sat down on the chaise lounge next to Carter's out stretched legs.
Carter opened her eyes and slowly lifted her head. She found Reese looking at Cali and running his finger along her cheek.
"Yeah" Carter said. "She looks good and sleep."
Reese positioned his hands to take Cali. The moment he began to pull her away from her food source, Cali, eyes still closed, began to suckle.
"Guess she's sleep eating again" Carter laughed.
"She's got some bottles in the refrigerator" Reese said as he watched his sleeping daughter suckle. "I can feed her."
"That's OK. I got her" Carter replied as she looked up at Reese. "Go on and finish what you're doing for Finch."
"You sure" Reese looked at Cali for a second more then looked at Carter.
"Yeah" Carter gave him a smile.
"I can take her" Reese insisted.
"I got her" Carter asserted again. "Now go."
The stare off began.
I can take her… I got her now go… Really I can take her… Really I got her now go…
Reese was about to open his mouth but Carter beat him to it.
"Go" she commanded again.
Reese held her gaze a moment more before he leaned down and kissed Cali's cheek. He lifted his head and placed a chaste but sweet kiss on Carter's lips.
"I can take her" Reese tried once more.
"Get back to work slacker" Carter teased.
Reese looked down at Cali once more before getting up from the lounge.
After Reese disappeared, Carter leaned her head back again. She closed her eyes and waited for Cali to finish her sleep eating. At some point, Carter felt Reese taking Cali from her and heard his whispered go to bed. Only half awake, Carter mumbled something as she snapped her nursing bra closed. After laying the nursing pillow to the side, she slowly got up from the chaise lounge and headed straight for bed.
And that is where Carter stayed for the next ten hours.
Carter continued to lie in bed until she heard Cali begin to fidget. She turned off the monitor and eased out of bed hoping she would not wake Reese. She went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. After pulling off her headscarf, Carter unwrapped her hair, put it up in a clip and headed for Cali's room.
"Good morning Sunshine" Carter smiled down at her baby as she reached into her crib. "Did you have a good time with daddy last night" Carter said as she lifted Cali to her lips for a kiss.
Cali blinked at her mother then gave her a smile.
"I take it that mean yes" Carter laughed as she took Cali over and laid her on the changer. "You need a diaper change little lady" she said as she squeezed Cali's diapered bottom.
Carter undid Cali's sleeper and opened her diaper.
"Mommy's baby is stinky!" Carter laughed as she turned up her nose at the whiff of odor that floated up her nostrils.
After Carter cleaned her up and outfitted her in a fresh sleeper, Cali was lifted from the changer and cradled her in her mother's arms.
"Ready for breakfast" Carter asked as she turned and walked out of Cali's room.
As if Cali understood her mother, she immediately turned her head toward Carter's breast.
"OK booga bear" Carter cooed. "Let mommy get us settled."
Carter made her way to the tv room and the chaise lounge she and Cali occupied the night before. She picked up the previously discarded nursing pillow and sat down. After getting comfortable, Carter positioned the pillow just so and situated Cali in her arms. She lifted her top and unsnapped her bra.
"There you go" Carter said as steered her breast toward Cali's opened lips.
Cali eagerly took her mother's nipple and began to suckle. As Cali ate, Carter started into her eyes. As she did the night before with her father, Cali returned the favor and stared back.
With each suckle, Cali was pulling at the heartstrings of her mother. If it were possible, each suckle made Carter fall more in love with her daughter. Carter had gone through this before and yet it all felt so new. The love she had for her firstborn was the same as she had for her newborn and yet it felt so different.
Taylor had been a total surprise and Cali… she was an even bigger surprise.
Carter cried, literally cried when the results of her box test came back. When she dried her tears, Carter concluded the test had to be faulty. It had to be. Reese did not use condoms but she was on the pill. The test was faulty. It had to be because there was no other explanation for the + sign staring her in the face.
Carter went in search of every brand of home pregnancy test known to woman.
Clearblue, e.p.t., Fact Plus, First Response, Answer Early Result Pregnancy Test, Accu-Clear, Clear choice, The One Step Be Sure. She bought them all. Each one betrayed her.
Positive… Positive… Positive... Positive… Positive… Positive… Positive... Positive...
Damn the man in the suit. This was his fault. He was to blame, him and those damned faulty pills.
She determined to sue. She would sue the doctor for prescribing them to her. She would sue the pharmaceutical company for churning out a defective product.
"Danm it!" she exclaimed as she threw the tests in the waste basket one at a time.
"Danm it!"
"Danm it!"
"Danm it!"
"Danm it!"
"Danm it!"
"Danm it!"
"Danm it!"
Carter could not do this… not when she was… mature in age. Not when she was past all this.
She was past morning sickness, protruding bellies, swollen feet, uncomfortable sleeping. She was definitely past labor pains. She was past all things baby.
To her horror, Carter was being escorted back to the starting line… and she burst into tears again.
Carter smiled as she continued to stare at her suckling baby. She mentally laughed at herself as she recalled her initial reaction to the surprise she now held in her arms.
She balked and balked and balked. She cried and cried and cried.
She wanted to commit cold blooded murder when, after his shock wore off, Reese could only smile. It took a bit longer for her shock to subside. When it did, Carter gave in to the joy of having a baby with the man she loved. Then the memories began to flow.
As it was with Taylor, Carter knew that it would be the little things that reminded her of the wonderful gift of motherhood, the little things that made it all worth it.
Holding Cali as she suckled… Watching as she learned to crawl… Watching as she learned to make new noises… Watching as she took her first step, as she learned to walk… Watching as she learned to talk… Kissing her boo-boo and making it all better… Treasuring a drawing of scribble her tiny hands created and proudly presented… Treasuring the first time she wrote her name… Hearing her count to ten, hearing her recite her ABCs… Hearing her say Mommy, I love you… Watching her achieve milestones… Watching her grow into a wonderful adult…
Carter could not regret the oops! that was Cali. She was an oops! Carter would gladly do over and over again.
The little oops! in her arms belonged to her. The little oops! in her arms belonged to Reese. This beautiful, precious little oops! in her arms belonged to them.
Carter bent her head and placed a loving kiss on the cheek of her little oops!.
"Mommy is so happy you came" she whispered.
Tears welled up in her eyes as Carter touched the cheek she just kissed. She loved this precious child of hers. In quiet moments like this, she would always be acutely aware of just how overwhelming a mother's love could be, just how overwhelming a mother's love was.
Minutes passed then Carter heard water running.
"Daddy's up" Carter told Cali as she wiped her eyes.
Several moments later, Reese came walking down the hall from their bedroom.
"Morning" his deep voice sounded.
"Morning" Carter looked up from Cali and watched as Reese walked over to them. "Did you finish what you were doing for Finch" she asked as Reese sat down next to her on the couch.
"Yeah" Reese said as he stretched his legs out in front of him and leaned back on the couch. "I'm going to meet with him later today" Reese said as he turned his head to watch his baby eat. "What time did Cali wake up?"
"About an hour ago" Carter replied. "She said she had fun hanging out with her old man."
"Of course she did" Reese smiled as he continued to gaze at Cali. "She's daddy's girl."
"Thanks for getting up with her last night" Carter looked down at her nursing baby.
"You slept good?"
"uummm humm" Carter sighed.
Several minutes passed as Carter and Reese watched their baby.
"You hungry" Reese finally asked.
"Cali's done" Carter said as she pulled her baby away from her breast. "I'm treating you to breakfast this morning" she continued as she handed Cali to her father.
Reese took the baby. He settled her on his shoulder as he kept his eyes on Carter.
Reese watched as Carter snapped her nursing bra closed. He watched as she pulled down her top. He watched as she got up from the couch. He watched as she walked past him.
Reese's eyes drifted to Carter's derrière. He wondered when he would get treated to something else.
"How long before we can start fooling around again?"
Carter looked back over her shoulder at Reese. She saw the grin on his face. She saw his eyes on her ass.
"Take care of your baby while I make breakfast" she snorted.
Reese let out a humorous humph. He continued to grin as he turned his attention to his other lady.
"How about omelettes with hash browns" Carter called from the kitchen.
"Sounds good" Reese called back.
Carter opened the refrigerator and pulled out all the ingredients she needed. She cracked the eggs and put on the hash browns. Cutting up the veggies for the omelettes was next. After she finished the veggies, Carter looked over to Reese and Cali on the couch.
He was still leaning back with his long legs stretched out in front of him. Cali was laying face forward on his chest. They were watching the cooking channel.
Carter told Reese he was going to spoil Cali if he held her all the time. Reese did not care. It was his job to spoil his baby girl. Carter knew she was going to have to break Reese of that. She also knew she probably had little chance of succeeding… but still she smiled.
Her first baby was a grown man now. He was on his own. He was doing well. She was proud of him.
And now, she was starting over.
She began again when the man in a suit walked into her life.
He became her partner. He became her friend. He became her lover. He became her husband.
Then he gave her Cali.
Instead of one precious child, now she had two.
Once upon a time, she and Taylor had each other and needed no one else. Now, as she watched her husband and her new baby, Carter was once again reminded why she was glad that man, that man in the suit invaded her life.
He gave her 2 more reasons to need. He gave her 2 more reasons to love.
Reese, Taylor and Cali… the precious loves of her life.
What more could she ask for?