Rock A Bye baby chapter 3

Disclaimer - see ch1

Vin/Ez - slash folks

Thanks so much for all the support ( especially Marie - your comments meant a lot ) Hope you all enjoy this latest offering.

The guys get to meet each others little darlin's and we start to see differences in parenting style!

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Evie Travis was nervous. Which was silly because she had met all the men of Team 7 several times…and it wasn't as though the babies were real. Nevertheless she fretted about how the very macho men would react to sudden parenthood. She knew that Chris would have a hard time, or, conversely, bury his feelings completely and pretend that none of his past memories were connected to his present feelings. She knew this because it's probably what she, herself, would do. And she had been fortunate enough to have her Stephen in her and Orrin's lives a lot longer than Chris had poor Adam. Losing a child was never easy, and never natural. But she knew that Buck would be there for him, and Vin if the taciturn leader would let him. No her greatest worry was for their seventh, their black sheep as Josiah liked to call him. Her worry was for Ezra Standish.

And if asked, and Orrin had done just that, many times, she really couldn't give a logical reason. It wasn't as though the chestnut haired and green eyed southerner in any way reminded her of her Stephen, they were chalk and cheese in both looks and personalities but somehow the sneakiest, most aloof and independent of the seven carried with him an aura of vulnerability that she couldn't ignore. And she couldn't explain why she seemed to be the only one to see it. But she did, and somehow she also knew that this task would prove either impossibly difficult, after all he had been selected as the lone parent…and hadn't she had a few choice words for her husband over that selection. Or he would rise to the occasion and convince everyone yet again of his impervious nature. But she wouldn't be fooled and she saw more than a couple of 'I just happened to be passing by, Mr Standish' visits in her calendar. And he wouldn't say it but he wouldn't be fooled either…and that was how they played their game.

Her ears picked up a stuttering, spluttering engine. Definitely not the Jaguar. The vehicle made a last coughing gurgle which was followed by silence.

Ah, Mr Sanchez…punctual as usual.

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Ezra P Standish was nothing if not resourceful. It was obvious that time would not allow him to shop before attending his afternoon engagement, not with two babies and their accoutrements in tow. So he did what any normal, needful and time disadvantaged parent would do,

He called Georgio.

Less than ten minutes later Ezra was hanging up his phone with a sigh of satisfaction. He checked that the babies were sleeping peacefully, a rare occurrence in his own babyhood if his mother, Maude, was to be believed, and waited for his delivery, taking time to thoroughly review the users manual. He knew that he could rely on Georgio to supply his needs without question. He made himself a little private wager, however, that his request for a complete baby outfit suitable for a ten or so week old girl and another suitable for a similarly aged boy would have caused the unflappable man to at least raise an eyebrow. But Georgio was used to strange requests from one of his best customers.

Upon moving to a new city the first thing on Ezra's to do list was always to find the best delicatessen (with a delivery service), nearest Starbuck's and the best quality menswear store. In Denver's case the best menswear store was a part of an old independent department store and he had taken great pains to get to know the floor manager there. It garnered him a better service and created less fuss when he needed to make strange sartorial requests for his undercover assignments. He had found an excellent helper in Georgio, one might almost call him a friend if Ezra believed in such things as friendships…though he had been revising his opinion on that subject since joining Larabee's team. He paused in his reading to smile at the thought of Georgio venturing from his own hallowed halls of Armani ( no relation despite the shared first name ) to the children's department on the next floor down. It would almost equal the time he had been sent to obtain the floor length evening gown he had needed for the Wicks case.

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"What do you mean 'it clashes'. It's a dummy, Dummy; how can it clash?!"

Chris was at his wits end already with his so-called easy going partner. First the insistence that they both read the manual, well the simplified one, thank God for small mercies. His argument that it only needed one of them to know how to plug in a diaper not going down too well. He immediately cut off the memory of a similar argument with Sarah over diaper changing not going so well either. And now, as if Mommy dearest hadn't already gone all Stepford he was unhappy with the baby's outfit.

"Should change your name to Ezra" Chris muttered…..very quietly. He'd already had the lecture of not waking sleeping simulacrums and Vin had that stubborn mule like look. The one that wouldn't take kindly to insults, no matter how friendly.

"Heard that."

"Damn ears of a cat…with the brain of a mule in between them."

Vin ignored the comments. Nothing wrong in being alert or single minded. And he couldn't see what was bad in being likened to Ezra. The man was smart and attractive; and HE would have seen why the garment wasn't suitable immediately.

"The baby is blond and the dress is yellow…and the shades clash. She needs something…dunno, pale green or blue maybe." Vin wasn't sure where all these feelings were coming from; he was perfectly aware that the baby wasn't real; but he also knew his own mind and his own heart and this time his heart definitely had the upper hand.

"Blue is for boys."

"Sexist."

Chris did a slow count to ten and then watched in exasperation as Vin grabbed his car keys and left him to watch the baby while he nipped to the nearest WalMart.

Sarah used to do a lot of that too.

The baby began to cry as soon as the jeep headed down the drive. Chris sent the infant a classic Larabee glare before stalking to the kitchen for a strong black coffee. And no, the baby's wails did not increase at the look on his face; not at all.…absolutely not.

Five minutes later the onboard little non-compliance LED flashed red before blessed silence filled the house.

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"Hurry up Buck we're gonna be late for the Travis' tea party." JD jiggled Junior as he fed it it's computerised bottle. It was something that he was sure he'd seen his Mom do with his younger cousins when she was babysitting them. He didn't realise how long it took to successfully complete the feeding task however. He peered closer at the bottle. He would have to look on the net to see if he could find out more about the technology. It was obvious that the bottle recorded the temperature of the milk and the time taken in feeding. The temperature control would be too difficult to alter but it shouldn't take more than a tweak or two to reduce the preset timer.

"Hell kid, didn't you know that mothers are supposed to be late…it shows they put their offspring first." Buck emerged from the bedroom as he finished buttoning his shirt, plain in deference to the occasion…plain neon orange that is.

"Only thing you put first is your…."

"Hey!" Buck interrupted with a broad smile and a waggling of both his index finger and his eyebrows. "No adult talk in front of Buck Junior"

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"Thank you for the prompt service" Ezra thanked the courier and presented him with a handsome tip…it always paid to keep on the good side of service providers. Within moments he had swapped the basic, serviceable yet undeniably dull plain white outfits for a pretty pale blue dress, bootees and matching knitted jacket with little white flowers for Victoria and a darker blue outfit with a heart motif for Ethan. He would have to do something special for Georgio as a thank you…the man had a wedding anniversary coming up soon which should provide ample opportunity.

Vin returned from his shopping trip with more than a little trepidation. Chris had to be left with the baby eventually but perhaps it was too soon.

"How was Alice?" he asked as he slipped her into a summery pink dress adorned with little white teddy bears, and a white jacket with lace trim.

"Thought you didn't want to be sexist…pink for a girl?"

"Not to use pink would be reverse sexism."

Chris shook his head. He thought he knew how his sharpshooter's mind worked….obviously not.

"So, how was she?" Vin asked again.

"Fine, no trouble. Quiet as a mouse."

"Good" Vin smiled and Chris felt a momentary twinge of guilt.

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"Oh Josiah, Nathan! He's so realistic! Evie couldn't resist the urge to take hold of the little fingers and gasped as they curled around her larger digit.

Josiah chuckled. "Well they've certainly got the sound of a real baby down. He's got a set of lungs on him that would rival a Swiss yodeller."

"How have things gone so far"

Now that was a question that, Orrin reflected, he wouldn't mind an answer to. This project was a double edged sword from his point of view. If his men failed then they would face mandatory psyche evaluations and they would make his life hell. On the other hand if they passed with flying colours then he would be forced to roll out the idea to his other teams. Team three could barely look after themselves let alone an infant. They would be in therapy until they were drawing their pensions.

"Things are going fine Mrs Travis" replied Nathan with a nod as their host insisted on being called Evie. "The instructions are pretty clear and we've gotten a book on baby psychology to give us an edge."

Evie raised her eyebrows. You need psychology books to raise babies now? In her day you needed a knowledge of how to protect, feed, change and bathe them, and an infinite amount of love and patience. Well, that and a little psychic talent with the ability to be in at least two places at once. The rest you learned as you went along. She didn't say anything though. Everybody had their own way.

Buck and JD arrived squabbling as usual with Buck insisting that with more ladies to give his attentions to he shouldn't have to perform baby sitting duties and JD shamelessly playing the 'too young for the responsibility' card.

Evie shook her head fondly. Despite his image she was convinced that Buck would make a wonderful father if he ever actually settled down, and she wasn't sure that it was fear of losing a child like he had seen Chris do that prevented his commitment. She just couldn't see him being a good parent to what he obviously regarded as a toy.

Hot on Buck and JD's heels came Chris and Vin, and the atmosphere became just a little more tense at the strange look on their leader's face. The tension soon turned to puzzled amusement as the reason for that 'look' became clear.

Chris moved out of the way of his partner as the lanky long haired agent bustled past with the crying infant. He was immediately corralled by the other men as Evie homed in on her first sight of an active needy simulacrum…and it's doting parent. She smiled as he allowed her to help with the diaper change and explained the process , laughing at her comments of how lucky he was not to have a fully biological specimen.

Chris stood in a semi circle of his men, his friends, brothers even….the people who liked and trusted him. So why were they looking at him like his partner's obvious and sudden insanity was all HIS fault.

"Chris?" Josiah's voice had that calm quality that annoyed everyone so much. The one that he used when trying to persuade a bad guy not to shoot…which usually wound them up so much that they ended up running for cover as the bullets flew. Or trying to coax Ezra to stay in the hospital or at least to climb back in from the window ledge and let the nice nurse replace the catheter and I.V.'s.

"Don't blame me" Chris snarled as Evie admired the new pink dress and made Vin blush a fetching shade of pink himself.

"You mean he's been like this from the start?" Buck's surprise was shared by the others. Like their leader they had always figured Vin for the archetypal loner.

"Yep." replied Chris. "Took one look at it and he was gone. Even named it after his mother, Alice."

"Don't know why you're all so surprised" piped up JD. At their puzzled expressions he clarified his statement. "Vin loves kids. Look at all that time he spends with the kids in Purgatorio."

"But these" Chris waved his hand toward the other babies "aren't real."

"Yeah, but Vin can't turn who he is on and off. If he's the nurturing sort with kids on a regular day to day basis it's going to be automatic. Makes sense" Nathan's support of his statement made JD swell with pride but his next comment had them all looking at him askance again.

"Bet Ez'll be the same."

"Kid, quit while you're ahead" Buck chuckled.

"Yeah JD. I know that Ezra does some fund raising for the hospital but I'm sure that's just some tax dodge. He's a good man but the only one he really cares about is Ezra P Standish."

JD hadn't expected anything else from Nathan, who despite his admiration for Ezra's skills was not enamoured of his lifestyle, or at least what he perceived his lifestyle to be. But he shook his head at the agreement of the others.

"Speak of the devil" Josiah announced as they all heard the smooth purr of the Jaguar XF's V8 engine heralding the arrival, fashionably late of course, of their seventh.

Evie cast a glance at her husband as the sound of the car's engine died away. She bit her lip to stifle the mirth that always threatened when he reacted to that sound. She hated to remember the time a few months earlier when it hadn't been certain that Ezra would survive the three bullets that had been pumped into him at the bust from hell. The only good parts of that time were when they were given the news that he and Vin would make full recoveries; that and the sight of Orrin's face as Ezra presented him with a requisition for a new car to replace the wreck filled with holes sitting awaiting the attentions of a crusher. With a written agreement to replace new for old and like for like as part of his contract Orrin had no choice to replace the aging, top of the range for it's day Jag with today's equivalent. All ninety thousand dollars worth. Poor Orrin, she mused and then, with the rest of those gathered she gasped at the sight in the now open doorway.

Chris was the first to react, and contrary to his normally grim stoicism he reacted by bursting into immediate and unrestrained laughter. Josiah and Nathan took a little longer than Buck and JD but were undoubtedly the loudest, and even Orrin managed a few sniggers. So Ezra was grateful for the two sympathetic reactions he did get, as both Evie and Vin dashed across the room to help with the two carriers and the large baby bag.

"Heck pard what did they do to ya?" Ezra felt a warmth infuse him at the concern in his friend's voice and Evie's warm glance as she relieved him of Ethan's carrier made him miss Maude for some inexplicable reason.

After the initial reaction which earned them twin glares from Vin and, to their chagrin, Evie the men gathered round the two new babes.

"Not identical then?"

"Hardly, Mr Wilmington" replied Ezra as the brown haired and blond haired babies wriggled endearingly and pursed little sleeping lips. "Especially since one is a boy" he indicated the brown haired child "Ethan Patrick" and the other a girl, Victoria Rose."

The others immediately 'introduced ' their offspring at which Buck queried "If it's a girl why's it in blue? See, Vin's is a girl and it's in pink."

"Don't go there Buck" warned Chris but Ezra was already defending his colleague's choice, much to Vin's delight…he'd known that the other man would understand; they often saw things the same way though they got there by different routes.

"Ah am sure that Mr Tanner's choice of colour was made purely on the basis of what suited his baby. He is no more constrained by tradition than am I." Ezra was glad when he'd heard of Vin's personalization of his infant's attire. It made him feel a little less isolated. He turned to a gratefully smiling Vin. "Indeed Mr Tanner that is a most fetching garment… I feel that I may have to re-appraise mah opinion of that particular store."

The others backed away slowly, as if facing a coiled snake, a drugged up perp or Nathan wielding a herbal tea as the two grown agents proceeded to regale each other with their experiences to date. Crazy; the both of them were crazier than Daffy Duck on speed. JD gave his elders an 'I told you so' smile.

"Mr Tanner" Ezra enquired in a low, just between us, voice as they sat down to a sumptuous spread laid on by Evie with the tongue in cheek comment that 'mothers have to keep their strength up'

"Yeah Ez?"

"I was wondering what you were planning to do with any extra garments and accessories you may have purchased at the end of this trial?"

"Hadn't really thought Ez, give them to some charity I suppose. Why?" Vin kept his voice low to match Ezra's. When he was talking sneaky like this he was usually planning a prank or about to do something nice that he didn't want people knowing about…though why he didn't want his friends knowing when he was doing something nice he couldn't figure. Then he remembered Nathan's attitude to the hospital fund raising and thought perhaps he did get it after all. Either way he felt a strange pride that this most private and shy of men would take him into his confidence.

"Well Ah happen to know of a women's refuge that would be welcoming of any good quality baby clothes. The poor ladies often arrive with very little in the way of possessions due to a hurried departure from the abusive home."

"Sounds like a fantastic idea Ez. I'm in." The smile of gratitude; the innocent genuine smile that showed off the gleaming gold tooth and made the jade eyes duck under the long dark eyelashes made Vin almost shiver with delight. It was the rarest of expressions that the normally poker faced southerner allowed himself and Vin was astounded that he had coaxed it out to play.

Ezra was delighted that Vin was supportive of his request. It was so rare that his requests were not treated with suspicion or ridicule and Vin was probably the only person other than his mother who would see the genuine wish to help another human being lurking inside his convincing, though fake, self serving shell. Of course his mother would have given him a lecture about looking after number one…just before a car load of brand new items arrived anonymously on the refuge's doorstep. His mother's cold shell only being a little more genuine than his own.

At that moment a plaintive wail could be heard coming from the lined up row of baby carriers on the floor by the couch. Nathan craned his head to see which one was the culprit. At that moment another wail added itself to the not so musical sound. He grinned.

"Your two Ez." The rest of the men breathed sighs of relief as Ezra got to his feet thanking Evie's foresight to provide a cold buffet. Both Evie and Vin also stood and moved to follow but Vin waved her back.

"You've done enough for us already ma'am. I've got Ez's back."

Evie watched as Ezra blushed at the support of his friend and Vin blushed simply because Ezra had.

'I'm sure you have Mr Tanner…I'm sure you have. Just as I'm sure that Ezra has yours. I just don't think that either of you realise exactly what you have yet.' Evie thought with a smile.

'This project might result in some of the seven getting in touch with more than just their feminine side' she conclude her private thought with a chuckle, ignoring her husband's puzzled glance as she went back to her meal. One eye on the two tough agents as they fussed happily over the now gurgling babies.

TBC

A/N Hope you enjoyed. I love it when our boys get all shy and adorable.