"Will, I love you, it will be okay. It will all be okay."

"No Son, it won't be okay. How is this so easy for Gabi? How can she just give away her child? I don't know if I can do this anymore; I just don't know if I can."

"Will pleeeeeaaase, please don't do this to me. All I've ever wanted is to be a mother. I love this little girl. I want to be her mom; I already feel like I'm her mom. Please don't take this away from me."

McKenzie's words snapped Will out of the defunct state he was in. He turned around and stared into McKenzie's pleading eyes. Tears dripped slowly down her beautiful, pale cheeks. He so badly wanted to call it off, forget this adoption process had ever happened, but he knew he couldn't do that to this desperate woman. She wanted his baby. She wanted to give her an amazing life. She wanted to love her and hold her and be a mother to her. Will knew he could never offer that life to his little girl. He knew she deserved more than some 19 year old kid, pretending he knew how to be a father, while balancing school, a boyfriend, and a mess of family issues. He felt bad that he had put her through this hell of wondering if he would change his mind, so he wiped his eyes and bowed his head.

"See you all next week to sign the papers."

Two weeks before Gabi's due date Will met up with Pete and McKenzie at the agency to sign all of the official paperwork. He had been thinking very hard about whether the adoption would be closed or open. Pete and McKenzie said they would be fine either way. Will thought it would be much harder on himself to watch his daughter grow up, but at the same time, he wanted, no needed, to know she was safe, healthy, happy. He wanted everything for her. He had sort of devised a plan, a plan so that he could be part of her life without her ever knowing he was anything other than a family friend. He hated the idea of lying to her, but deep down he knew this was the only way he would be comfortable letting two practical strangers walk out of the hospital with his baby in their arms.

"So let me get this clear, you want an open adoption, but you don't want your identity ever revealed to your daughter?"

"That's right, I think it's best if she just believes you are her parents. I just want to be able to see pictures of her and be a small part of her life."

"I think, I think that is okay with us."

Pete looked on at Will with a sorrow in his eyes. He felt bad for the kid. He wanted to be able to share when the baby took her first step or when she went to her first day of kindergarten. He wanted Will to feel included. McKenzie was surprisingly okay with the idea as well. Will had thought it might take some convincing to get her to go along with his plan, but instead she just smiled and nodded at the suggestion. They decided that Will would be a part of the baby's life. They would play him off as an old student of Pete's whom he had become very attached to. Will would get at least a monthly update, and it would be up to Pete and McKenzie's discretion as to whether he was invited to birthday parties or other functions. He was satisfied with this. For the first time since visiting the adoption agency he felt like he could breathe. He signed his name on the dotted line of the countless papers. He tried not to cry as he scribbled his signature over and over again. As he signed the last paper, McKenzie let out an audible breath she had not even realized she was holding. She beamed as she thought of bringing home her daughter in just a short amount of time. She knew Gabi would sign the papers without a problem, and she felt at ease, contented.

"Thank you, Will. Thank you... We did have one question for you."

"Ok."

"Umm… did you have any names in mind for her?"

Will had tried to push that thought far from his mind. He had tried not to even think about names because that just added another level of attachment that he didn't want to have. Before finding out Gabi was pregnant, he had always thought about having children someday. He and Sonny had even talked about the prospect of a family, and Will always wondered what they would name their children. They made a list once of their top five favorite names. They never showed each other the list, they each just hid it in a small box and decided that when it was time to start a family, they would pull out the box and compare the names they had chosen. Will thought about the girl's names that he had written on that paper. None of those names fit. They were all names that he had chosen for his child with Sonny. In that moment, Will knew that he was finally coming to grips with the fact that this wasn't his baby; it wasn't their baby. She belonged to Pete and McKenzie. She was theirs now, and as much as it hurt him to admit that, he was finally happy and at peace.

"No, she's your daughter. I think you guys should be the ones to choose her name."

One week before Gabi's due date Will got a call from Gabi in the middle of the night. She said her water broke and she was having contractions. Will woke Sonny from his restful slumber and they quickly drove to Gabi's house to take her to the hospital. On the way, Sonny called Pete and McKenzie to let them know that they were going to be parents soon. The excitement and panic in McKenzie's voice must have been audible from space, as she screamed and cried and laughed, thanking Sonny for calling to wake them.

Gabi got checked into the hospital and was beginning to move along nicely. Pete and McKenzie arrived about 30 minutes later; they talked with Sonny in the hallway while Will sat with Gabi in her room. The tension in the room was unbearable as Gabi screamed in agony and Will did his best to offer her support and patience.

"I hope this has all been worth it for you, Will, to give up this kid that you fought me to keep."

"Gabi, not now."

"Give me the papers. I want to sign the papers now because as soon as she is out of me, I want out of here. I don't want to see her. I don't want to see you. I just want to get back to my old, normal life."

For the first time since all of this began, Will saw hurt and pain in Gabi's eyes. Her eyes glassed over as she squinted back tears and writhed in pain. He wondered if she was scared of seeing the baby and loving her. He wondered if she had any regrets, but he would never know because within minutes she had signed the papers and was fully dilated. Gabi didn't want anyone in the room when the baby was born, she had yelled when Will offered to be there to hold her hand, so he retreated to the hall like he was asked. Outside, Pete and McKenzie sat holding each other. A baby bag sat next to their chairs and McKenzie clutched a stuffed pink rabbit. As Will walked out of the room he saw Sonny sitting quietly in the corner by himself. Will had asked him not to tell anyone the baby was being born tonight. He couldn't handle the pressure of having anyone else there. He stared at Sonny from afar. Sonny looked sad or maybe just tired, either way, Will felt terrible about putting Sonny through all of this over the past few months. He would do anything to take it all back, but obviously, too late for that. Will wrapped his arms around Sonny's shoulders as they sat waiting. They could hear Gabi's screams from inside the room. Pete and McKenzie glanced up every few minutes. It seemed as if they wanted to say something but never did. After more than two hours of listening to Gabi screaming and crying they all heard what they had been waiting for, silence, then the sound of a crying baby. Will stood up and paced in front of the door. He couldn't wait to see her, feel her. The doctor came out a few minutes later holding a baby, swaddled in a light pink blanket.

"Will, Gabi said she didn't want to see the baby. Do you want to see her and hold her?"

"YES. Yes, please give her to me."

The doctor transferred the infant into Will's arms. Sonny rushed to them and held Will from behind as he stared into the baby's perfect blue eyes. Will let out light sobs as he swabbed her cheek lightly with his thumb. Pete and McKenzie looked on with tears in their eyes as well. Neither Will or Sonny could pull their eyes away from the little girl. She had dark locks on her tiny little head. Her bright blue eyes matched Will's perfectly and her little button nose had Will written all over it. In their private world, they forgot anyone else existed, Pete and McKenzie included. Will's sobs had turned into out and out bawling as he let Sonny hold the little girl. Sonny smiled down at the infant as he rocked her lightly and patted her bottom. Will crouched in front of Sonny and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"God, she's beautiful isn't she?"

"She's perfect, Will, absolutely perfect."

Will turned to Pete and McKenzie. He held his arms out to McKenzie, seeing the tears streaming from her eyes. They embraced for what felt like several minutes. Will wasn't ready to hand the baby over, but he knew the longer that he and Sonny held onto the little girl, the harder it would be to give her up permanently. Will returned to his boyfriend's side. He leaned down and picked up the baby. He kissed her on the forehead and breathed in her fresh, brand-new scent. Sonny and Will looked into each other's eyes. They nodded, each showing that they were ready to introduce the baby to Pete and McKenzie.

"McKenzie, Pete, I'd like to introduce you to your daughter…umm…"

"Lillian Wilhelmina."

"… Lillian Wilhelmina, meet your parents."