Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Remember me? Has it really been six months since I updated? Sorry I haven't been writing. I miss you, too. I'm trying.

This chapter is dedicated to a good friend who lost her mother last week. I wish I could go camp on her couch with a few bottles of wine and help her during this time. Instead, I'm posting a chapter for her. I have been thinking of her and hoping she has good support through all this.

Thanks to VanillaOrchid and MJ for giving this a look-see. I'm sure many others have read it over the months I have struggled, and I don't mean to forget you. Everyone in our little Facebook Zorro Group has been wonderfully supportive as I struggle through this nightmare we call life. All mistakes are my own.

January 27, 1825

zzz

Diego lifted the plate of apple pie high in the air as he swept into the bedroom, eager to present the treat to his wife. He frowned when he saw she was still asleep. Looking down at the ice cream melting all over the pie, Diego changed the plate to his other hand. A piece of pie weighed a ton after an hour with the ice cream machine. He was exhausted.

Guess Victoria was, too, though she hadn't gotten out of bed all day. Diego brushed a lock of hair back from her face and he bent to kiss her cheek. Yesterday had been hell for him, too, though. Victoria had called him all manner of names, but his father and the midwife had not been able to drag him away.

He heard the tiniest sound – a yawn. Diego quickly set the forgotten pie on the dresser and peered into the bassinet at the tiny human sleeping there.

Yesterday they had made a baby. Granted, Victoria had done most of the work. Diego smiled at the startling grey eyes which looked back at him, and he warily touched baby Isaac's cheek. Diego's hands twisted together nervously and he reached to pick Isaac up, but then he changed his mind. Isaac was barely bigger than his own hands … what if he dropped the baby?

"You won't break him." Victoria curled on her side to watch Diego fidget. "Where did you go?"

Diego sat on the edge of the bed, barely glancing at his wife because he was so captivated. Isaac had kicked and squirmed under the blanket until one tiny fist was visible. Diego brushed a thumb over the tiny fingers, intimidated that his hand was so much bigger.

Tiny. He was using that word a lot today. He hoped Isaac grew fast. Right now he looked so tiny. Helplessly tiny.

"Diego?"

Diego shook himself and looked at his wonderful wife. He pressed a lingering kiss to her lips and combed his fingers through her hair. "Thank you."

Victoria chuckled and stretched her arms, letting out a groan at how her body ached.

"Oh, where did I go…" Diego remembered her question and jumped up from the bed to bring her the plate. Luckily all the ice cream wasn't melted. She'd appreciate he'd worked hard to make her something yummy. She'd been eating a lot of ice lately, so Diego hoped she enjoy this. "I got you some pie and made you some ice cream."

"You've been gone that long?"

Diego helped her settle against the pillows and grinned at her frown. "You missed me?"

Victoria pushed him away with a knee, but he crawled over her to snuggle into her lap. "You didn't seem to like me very much yesterday."

She moaned around the spoon as the cold cream melted on her tongue. "You can have the next baby."

Diego wrapped his arms tighter around her. "I would if I could, but that's not how it works." He glanced over when Isaac started to cry. "We'll be busy for a while anyway with this one."

"Yeah, like I'm ever going to let you touch me again." She pushed him away. "Pick up the baby, Diego."

Diego sat back on the edge of the bed so he could see Isaac, his little face starting to turn red with the effort of crying. "Finish your pie. He wants you, anyway."

Victoria lovingly kicked him off the bed, but Diego just stood there staring at the infant. The longing in his eyes nearly broke her heart. Did he know she was afraid, too? "Father showed you how to hold him yesterday. He didn't break you when you were a baby."

When Diego still didn't move, Victoria helped him pick up the baby safely. Diego smiled when Isaac calmed down, the baby's soft breathing soothing Diego in turn. "He's so tiny."

Victoria laughed again, without humor. He wasn't so tiny yesterday.

Diego glanced up, saw her arched brow, looked towards her lap, and paled. "Let's not think about yesterday."

Victoria shook her head at her hopeless husband as she savored the last bite of apple pie covered in melted ice cream. Setting the plate aside, she gathered her pillows and tried to get comfortable before she held her hands out for her hungry son.

"Just take him."

"Diego…"

It was a long moment before Diego looked away from his son. He nodded toward the baby he was holding so stiffly against his chest. "Come on. I don't want to drop him."

"Diego, you can't be afraid of a little baby."

Diego felt his ears turn red. "It's easy for you. You've been holding babies for months. Forever," Diego whined. "Everyone wanted to tell you what to do. No one told me what to do."

Victoria shook her head, unable to hide her smile. "Your father talked to you."

"Just take him. I've never held a baby."

"Diego, sit down."

Diego glanced up again, then nodded. Sure, he could do that one little thing. He sat down gently, but Isaac started fussing again. "What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything. Babies cry. But he's hungry, so hand him over."

Diego leaned closer, but didn't move his arms to let go of the baby. Victoria reached for him, trying to give Diego confidence … but Victoria suddenly forgot everything she had ever known about babies. Her own hands hesitated now, and she felt like the worst mother in the world as she watched her son cry.

A knock sounded from the other room, and both new parents were relieved when Alejandro entered with a vase of flowers from the garden. He set the vase on the nightstand and chuckled at their terrified expressions.

"After all you've been through, you're afraid of a little baby?"

Diego looked at the wailing infant in his arms. "He's not little, he's tiny. He's so frail. What if I hurt him?"

Alejandro bent to take his grandson into his arms. "He's a tiny version of you. You survived, I'm sure he will, too." Alejandro cooed and smiled at the newest De la Vega. "What's wrong? He's just hungry."

He saw Victoria sitting surrounded by pillows, obviously ready to nurse. Not too reluctantly, he handed the baby over to mama. The boy had a set of lungs on him!

"Stop worrying. Don't shake him. Don't flip him upside down or throw him into the air." He laughed at Victoria's horrified expression as she cradled Isaac close, for a second forgetting her fears about squishing the baby. "Support him. He's not that big. Hold his head. Hold his body. Right now he's easy. He doesn't do much. Wait until he gets bigger."

"Can I do that?"

Alejandro swatted his own son.

Diego covered the part of his arm which had just been abused. "See? That didn't hurt. I can handle that. Can I wait until Isaac is bigger?"

"I meant when he gets bigger he's harder to hold. He'll run around and get into trouble. Now all he does is sleep and eat."

"How is this helping?"

Alejandro smiled at his daughter-in-law. "You'll do fine. Do you really need some help right now?"

Victoria flushed as Alejandro raised an eyebrow. Turning to leave, Alejandro wished them luck. When he got to the doorway, he paused to watch his family. Diego cradled Victoria's cheek and kissed her lightly, helped arrange the blankets, and lay down beside his wife. Alejandro wiped a spec of dust from his eye, wishing his wife was here to see their grandson.

Zzz

Author's Note: I am not a mother. The parents in our Facebook group have been immensely helpful as I try to write about pregnancy and parenthood. Hopefully I do alright. And oh, I'm posting this chapter early. It was supposed to be posted after some bonding over Isaac Newton, thus the name.

Let me know how I did with this first kid chapter. I updated the Notes for Ch1, mentioning that the mature version of this story will be on AO3. Chapters will have the same titles and dates, but will not match (this is chapter 5 on AO3).