A/N: Alright, you can categorize this as a sequel to Just Like That, but it works on its own, too, seeing as there is no real connection to that story except for the name of their baby. Also, this story is 98% fluff, but there is a little bit of Hurt in there, because it's realistic.

Anyway, please enjoy this little piece! I have a lot more planned in my head, but I have no idea if I will ever publish the ideas. Here you go!

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

'Took us a while'

He loved seeing her be pregnant. From the moment she had told him, she had glowed, but even before that, he had to admit that there was already that specific glow to her. He had just been so caught up with other things to notice. As soon as he knew, he saw the little signs that should have told him long ago - the sudden food cravings, the nightly visits to the bathroom to pee while she usually slept like a baby through the night, and the fact that she had pulled a face when he had prepared her favorite dish the week before.

She cherished everything that showed them that there was a small wonder happening, right there in front of them, still safely tucked away in her womb, and she didn't complain once. Even when she was abruptly awoken almost every morning due to nausea, she didn't utter one bad word. He held back her hair and helped her clean up, wanting to show her she wasn't alone in this. He felt helpless, but hoped that her hormones would settle down soon.

~...~

He loved her belly that was slowly swelling every day, and he liked to believe that he noticed every single inch that it gained, but he knew that was impossible. He enjoyed admiring the beginnings of their baby, his face close to her belly, their hand entwined.

He treated her like a princess and she didn't complain, even though he had expected her to. Perhaps she knew she had all right to be a queen for a day, but then for nine months, as she was protecting their little one. He took her out to dinner, making sure she ate properly, and dressed up for her, feeling like her prince, supporting her even though she didn't need it.

She was tired often, but she was a soldier, carrying on even though he could tell her shoulders were angled down.

"Sit down, my sweet," he told her once, and she had instantly protested, not wanting to put the task at hand down.

He stood in front of her, placed both of his hands on her upper arms, and gently guided her to the couch, and no matter how much she was fighting it, she let out a sigh of relief when she could put her feet up, her hands underneath her slightly swollen belly. He finished what she had been trying so hard to do, and when he was done, sat down beside her. He wasn't surprised to find her napping.

He slipped beside her, one of his hand covering hers, and he looked at his beautiful woman, knowing he was blessed to have these moments with her, still. He had been with her for months now, but it still felt as though it had only been yesterday that he had confessed his love to her.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him, kissing his lips softly.

"It's okay to let me do all the work," he whispered, "you're working hard enough as it is."

He asked her what she wanted him to do so she could take a nap in their bed, and he made a mental note, making sure to finish everything and have her coffee at the ready when she would wake.

~...~

The first official ultrasound had been emotional, with him almost breaking down when he saw the tiny hands and feet, and he couldn't wait to hold this little wonder in his arms, pamper them endlessly. She, on the other hand, wanted to cherish these long months, and she sat on the couch often, her hands on her belly, and he accompanied her, both of them looking at the swell of her body where their baby was slowly growing.

He looked up at Teresa, his lips against her belly as always, and she smiled at him, one of her hands in his curls.

"I love being pregnant with you," she whispered, her free hand rubbing her stomach, "you can take however long you need."

He smiled. "I can't wait, though," he whispered against her belly, "I want to hold you, little one."

She returned his smile, running her hand through his curls.

And he loved listening to her explaining why she loved being pregnant.

"When you read to my belly, knowing that you're the best father our baby could ever wish for. Watching the baby move in my belly at night when you take a shower, no doubt wanting you to be beside us. I finally have actual cleavage." That made him laugh, and her belly shook when she joined him. "The little baby hiccups. Looking as you prepare our cabin, thinking about the future filled with family vacations, recitals... And I always have somebody with me to keep me company. Even when you are at work and I lay in bed fighting a nap - I always have someone I love close to me."

And of course, after learning how good she felt due to her pregnancy, he would allow their little one to make them wait.

~...~

He knew she loved being pregnant, and when her morning sickness had finally passed she fully got to enjoy it. She floated around the house, joyful, and even though the hormones got the better of her from time to time, crying at the littlest things, she enjoyed her current state of life.

She danced with him, confirming why he loved her so much, and she involved him in her pregnancy, showing him how blessed she felt to be carrying their baby.

~...~

When she finally gave birth, it was the first time he wondered if he was ready to be a father yet, ever since he had learned of her pregnancy. Images of Charlotte flashed before his eyes, her blonde curls bouncing around her face as she lived her small life, that would never be extended anymore.

Yet as soon as he held their newborn baby daughter, all of his doubts left his mind, and the only thing he wanted to do was dedicate his life to this little girl, operate at her beck and call. He already felt bad for the man or woman who would break her heart in the hopefully very distant future.

"Little Mirai," he whispered, as he changed her into the first of many diapers, Teresa standing behind him with her arms around his waist, "I can't make any promises, and you'll probably think I'm a horrible dad at one point in your life. But I will love you, for as long as I possibly can. I promise."

~...~

She was the best mother she could be for their child, showering Mirai with love and adoration. She had trouble, however, finding that fine line between providing Mirai with love and taking care of herself.

Her eyes struggled to open when Mirai let her hunger be known, and she was moving herself to get up, but he gently pushed her down, pulling the covers up so she was tucked in.

"I'll get her," he whispered, kissing her forehead, "you stay right here."

Mirai calmed down a little when he stepped into her nursery, but it wasn't enough to make her stop crying entirely. He picked her up carefully, treating her as though she was a little live porcelain doll, and he admired her beauty, still so tiny, barely a week old.

"Let's make an agreement," he whispered, not being able to pierce her little sobs. "You will let Mommy sleep throughout the night, and I will buy you a pony if you ask for it. Or that expensive toy car that you want. You name it."

The girl opened her eyes, looking at him, her hands swinging around her in her need to get some food inside her, but she calmed down a little more, and he got the feeling his words hit her.

She was only a week old, Patrick Jane, you can't make compromises with a baby.

Teresa slowly sat up, her entire body still aching and tired. She smiled and reached out her arms, and as he put Mirai in her arms, he slipped her nightgown off her shoulder from one side.

Following that night, Mirai only woke up once during the night, so that both her and her mother could get their well-earned rest.

~...~

Teresa sometimes worried that he would compare the sensations of having Mirai as their daughter with Charlotte, but he had no way of showing her that he knew both experiences were completely different. It made him feel a little helpless, because showing her that he loved Teresa Lisbon was one thing - showing her this was another entirely. He just hoped that she knew how much he loved both of them, and let that do the talking.

One time, Mirai kept crying, despite Teresa having nursed her and made her burp, following all the usual steps, the little girl wouldn't stop. Teresa walked into the bathroom as he was still showering, tears in her eyes.

She was tired, she needed to sleep more, but she wouldn't accept the naps she usually took throughout her pregnancy. Perhaps she felt a lot more responsibility now that their baby was here, and he wasn't supporting her enough.

He got out of the shower, not even bothering drying or putting on clothes, and he took Mirai into his arms, telling Teresa that she should lay down for a while. She wouldn't budge, wrapping her arms around her body.

He checked everything he could, smelling her diaper, lifting her to see if any of her clothes were on too tight, and even lifting her upper lip to see if she was teething already, even though he knew the possibility of that happening was small, she was still too young for that.

He couldn't find the source of her tears, so instead he reverted to the only thing he knew was near guaranteed to make her smile - he gently danced around the room and swayed her, rocking her back and forth.

Her cries lowered to small sobs, and he supported her head, planting a small kiss in her dark curls.

"There you go, that's it," he whispered, hoping his voice calmed her down further. Soon enough, he was standing in the bathroom with a quiet baby in his arms and his crying wife in front of him.

She stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around him, their beautiful daughter in between them.

"I don't know what came over me."

"I do." He brushed her hair out of her face. "You need to sleep more. Let me do all the hard work. Loving a baby is hard enough as it is, without you tiring yourself out."

For the first time, she listened to him, putting Mirai in their crib and then taking her well-deserved nap. He saw she looked way better when she awoke.

~...~

After that moment in the bathroom, she was doing better, being able to ask for his help when things got too much for her. She started to enjoy being Mirai's mother as much as she enjoyed being pregnant with her, and it made Jane feel good, to look at her being so happy. She deserved that much, after having been his saving for so many years.

Mirai was doing well, too, with her parents loving her so unconditionally, she had enough space to grow and develop - she was a healthy, happy little girl.

Her parents loved each other, too, and it provided a safe environment for all three of them. Jane found himself looking at Teresa in admiration often, wondering when he had gotten so lucky to be beside her. Especially with their daughter between them, he knew there couldn't possibly be somebody who was more happy than he was.

She was lovely growing up, her first steps cheered on by her mother, her first words by her father, every little positive thing she did was followed by compliments, and it made her the bubbliest, happiest little girl he had ever laid his eyes on.

And she was their daughter, the combination of her mother's good looks and his wits, the first thing people saw were her dark curls and clear green eyes, the first thing they heard was her putting them back in her place, pointing out the flaws of people's plans, or the ridiculousness of their words. Having grown up in a shower of positive energy and compliments, she was able to pierce through people's insincerity, knowing whom she could trust and whom she could not.

She sat down next to him once, she was barely three years old, and looked at him, indicating she wanted to ask him a question.

"Daddy, boys can wear dresses, right?"

"Yes, they can. Most of them decide not to - but if they wanted to, they could."

She nodded, thinking over his words, letting them sink in. Then, she made his entire week by uttering the following words; "Daddy, you wouldn't look good in a dress - it's not your style."

~...~

She was adorable to her mother, looking up to her, as she should. Jane knew he wouldn't be able to ever top the love this little girl felt for her mother, and he didn't even want to. He and Mirai were even when it came to Teresa Lisbon - both knew that she was the most important person in their life.

He saw she had been baking something in the kitchen, and he had stayed close just in case she dropped something or would hurt herself.

"What are you making?"

"It's a secret."

"Oh, alright."

She reached for a cup but her arms weren't long enough, so he lifted her in the air and she grabbed it.

"Is it for me?"

"No. Mommy."

"Oh, okay then."

When she was finished, she showed him proudly what she had made. He smiled at her, even if he had to resist taking it off the plate - it was for her Mommy, so if something were to happen to it, there would be no living with her afterwards.

He witnessed as she brought it to Teresa, who was reading a book on the living room couch.

"Mommy, I made you lunch. Here's a cupcake."

Teresa put down the book and looked at what their daughter had prepared for her. She got an instant smile on her face, as she always did when Mirai was concerned.

"A cupcake for lunch? Shouldn't we eat something healthy first?"

Mirai shook her head, her dark curls flying everywhere around her face, bouncing against her shoulders, and she sat down beside Teresa, handing her the plate.

"The healthy food is for the mans. The womans eat cupcakes."

And Teresa laughed so hard tears were streaming down her cheeks, as Mirai almost force-fed her the cupcake. Even Jane liked how this girl thought sometimes.

Teresa settled down eventually, taking a few bites of the cupcake, before she leant over and whispered something in Mirai's ear. The girl nodded, got up and returned to the room with both of her hands behind her back.

"I got you something," she stated, and he was surprised, but accepted the little package she handed to him anyway. When he opened it, he saw that there was a bracelet inside, one with her favorite beads and her name spelled out. Mirai. He took it out, cherishing it already, and motioned for her to put it around his wrist. When she couldn't do it, he sat down on the couch beside Teresa and she did it for him.

He couldn't help but look into her eyes, so incredibly grateful for every moment he got to spend with these two amazing girls, every minute a blessed one.

~...~

Her dark curls always registered before anything else, and it always left a lasting impact on everyone she crossed paths with.

Her enthusiasm radiated out of every pore, her joy to live almost contagious. People were blessed if they got a chance to meet her in person.

If they went out in public, people would look their way, and he knew that had more to do with her happy giggles that filled the entire room than anything else. They would sometimes ask whose child she was, and he felt love spread through him, body and soul, when he could say with 130% certainty that she was his.

"Mine. All mine. And she is definitely a Jane."

~...~

He loved looking at her as she entertained herself.

She was an easy child, finding something to keep her busy in anything, whether it was drawing or singing, dancing, watching TV. She was always so focused on the task at hand, her tongue between her lips for maximum concentration.

"I'll be a princess when I grow up, Daddy," she would tell him sometimes, handing him a drawing that didn't really represent anything, but he always gave it a nice spot so he could look at it.

Most of all, though, she liked laying on the couch beside him, sometimes to take a nap, other time to just talk. And for him, it was his favorite pastime, to look at her, to see the resemblance she bore to her mother. She, too, liked napping on the couch beside him.

Often, it would just be the three of them on the couch, Mirai in between her parents, babbling about what happened at school, or they would read her favorite books. Jane would sometimes look at Teresa, dark curls blocking his view from time to time, and he caught her smiling at him, feeling as happy as he did, he knew.

No matter what happened, he wouldn't give up this for the world.

A/N: The name Mirai is Japanese and means 'future'. I have no idea where I got it from, but I really liked it, and I thought it fits their new life, only focusing on the future instead of the past.

Anyway, let me know what you thought in a REVIEW, thank you, and see you next time, hopefully!