This chapter involves the first flashback in a long time! And… it has to do with Grace and Wayne's unborn child. :)
Disclaimer: Not mine.
"What about Wyatt?" Teresa suggested. "That's a good name for a little boy, don't you think?"
Elise, Kimball, and Wayne all nodded in agreement.
"It's a good name," Grace replied. "But it's pretty popular."
The Rigsbys, Chos, Corbins, and Jane were all crowded around the table after dinner, discussing possible names for Wayne and Grace's child. Since it was too soon to tell if it was a girl or a boy, it was a pretty long conversation.
"I like the name Hanna," Wayne said, casting a glance over at his wife. "But Grace doesn't."
"It's just… too popular!"
"Sweetie, every name is too popular for you."
"That isn't true!" she argued. "I'm not saying common names aren't good names. In fact, there are some well-known baby names that I'm quite fond of."
"Like what?" Ben asked her.
"I like the name Maya," Grace said. "And Gabrielle, Gabby for short. I like Taylor, for a boy." She shrugged. "But I also like names that not a lot of people have heard before."
"I get what you're saying, Grace," Jane chimed in.
She smiled gratefully at him. "You do?"
He nodded. "My wife was that way," he told her. "She wanted a name that everyone else would say, 'What a unique name.' She even had a name picked out before our daughter was born. Then, when she had the baby in her arms in the hospital, she looked up at me and said, 'She's a Charlotte.'" He smiled. "It was the name I wanted."
The whole room was quiet. It was the most they'd heard him speak of his family at once.
After he realized he'd said too much, he cleared his throat. "You know, Grace. In Vermont, I knew a man whose wife had just had a baby boy. They named him Brodie." He shrugged. "I liked it. Unique, but not so uncommon that people would think it was weird."
Grace and Wayne looked at each other.
"I like it," Wayne said.
"Me too." Grace looked over at Jane and smiled. "Thanks, Jane."
He smiled back, nodding.
While the rest of the group dove back into conversation about baby names, Jane silently sat back in his chair, half-listening, as his mind wandered into another flashback.
"What about Ella?" he suggested, taking a sip of his tea.
Angela shrugged. "It's pretty," she admitted.
"But you don't like it."
"I do," she said. "What about Kyla?"
Today had been the day that they'd gone to their appointment and ended the suspense. They were having a little girl, and were now back to arguing about names.
"I don't know," he replied. "Mia?"
"It's cute."
He nodded. "Yes. It is."
"What was the name you mentioned earlier? The one you really like?"
"Charlotte?"
"It's popular," Angela said. "But I like it, too." She paused. "A woman that I work with has a brand new niece named Shiloh. I thought that was kind of cute. Different, but not too different."
"Shiloh. Like the beagle?"
"No. Just Shiloh."
He pondered that for a moment.
"You don't like it," Angela assumed.
"I do, actually," he confessed. "I can picture us with a little girl named Shiloh, can't you?"
"Yes, I can." She beamed.
"I'd say that Shiloh is definitely on the table." Patrick smiled, leaning forward to kiss her lightly on the lips.
"How about Aubrey?" Elise proposed.
"I like it a lot," Grace admitted. "And I have actually thought about it." She glanced over at the little Corbin girl playing with her toys on the living room floor. "But it's really close to Avery."
"Not necessarily," Teresa insisted.
"Aubrey and Avery," Ben tested. "They're similar, but not too similar. Besides, who cares? They aren't sisters."
"True," Grace said. "The only thing is… Wayne doesn't like it."
Everyone looked at Wayne.
He held his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry. I just… don't really like it."
"Yeah, me either," Kimball said.
"Okay. So far, what do you guys have on the table?" Elise asked.
"For boys: Lane, Beau, and…" Grace glanced at Jane. "Brodie."
"I like Beau," Teresa offered.
"What about girls?" Ben asked.
Wayne spoke up. "Lilah and Skylar."
Grace looked at Jane again. "Hey, Jane. What was the name your wife wanted?"
"Until the day Charlotte was born, she had her heart set on Shiloh."
"You didn't like it?"
"I did," he replied. "I actually grew very fond of it. She was the one who decided the name should be Charlotte instead."
Wayne looked over at Ben and Teresa. "What were the alternatives you guys had? Instead of Avery?"
"If it were a boy, we would have named him Liam," Ben replied. "Had we not picked Avery, it would have been Camille."
Grace huffed, leaning back in her chair. "This is so hard."
Teresa smiled. "Well, honey, you're less than two months along. You have time."
Grace nodded. "Yeah. But still."
There was a long pause, and Ben finally spoke up. "We're the godparents, right?"
"What?" Grace and Wayne both said together.
"Teresa and I. We'd be legally responsible for your kid if anything were to ever happen. Right?"
Wayne's lips twitched.
"Actually," Grace said. "We haven't decided yet."
"We're one of the choices, right?" Ben asked.
"Of course," Wayne told him.
"Well, what about us?" Kimball wondered. Elise nodded.
"Yes," Grace replied.
"I should be going," Jane said loudly, as an escape from the awkward tension in the room.
"We haven't even gotten to dessert yet," Grace said.
"I know, but it's late." He smiled, standing up from the table. "Thank you for dinner Grace. Wayne." He nodded at them. "It was nice seeing you all."
"Jane. When are you leaving?" Kimball asked.
"Friday."
"Will we see you before then?" Grace asked.
He nodded. "Probably."
"Good." She smiled. "Goodnight, Jane."
"Goodnight," came a chorus of voices.
"'Night, guys." He turned and headed toward the front door, twisting the knob and letting himself out into the fresh air.
He was about halfway down the walk toward his car when he heard Grace's front door open and close behind him, and the sound of footsteps hurrying his way. "Jane, wait!"
He turned around.
Teresa stopped when she was right in front of him, smiling. "Hey."
He laughed out loud. "Hi there."
They stood there for a long time, drowning in the silence between the two of them, listening to the far-off crickets in the neighborhood. Lisbon looked down at her feet. Jane kept his eyes on her face.
"Can I help you?" he asked slowly.
She looked up again. "I just…" She bit her bottom lip. "Just… you better not leave without saying goodbye."
Even without saying it, he knew that she left off a certain word on purpose. She left off again. You better not leave without saying goodbye again.
Jane smiled. "I won't," he whispered. "I promise."
Teresa hesitated before saying, "Personally, I think you should stick around."
"Oh, I would, but it really is getting late and-"
"No," she interrupted him. "I mean stick around town."
He crossed his arms across his chest. "Why?"
She glowered. "You want me to list off the reasons?" she asked sarcastically.
He beamed. "Yes, please."
She rolled her eyes, but smiled. "The team just… hasn't been the same without you," she admitted.
"You haven't replaced me?"
"You were a consultant."
"A damn good one, at that."
Teresa laughed, continuing with her list. "Ben likes you. He likes your sense of humor, and he is fascinated by your skills. And… I'd like you to get to know Avery." She paused. "And I know that Grace and Wayne would absolutely love to have you around when the baby arrives."
"I-"
"You missed their wedding, Jane. Cho's, too. And mine. You missed the birth of my little girl." She shrugged. "I think it'd be nice if you were here when the baby comes."
He stared at her. "You don't think I feel guilty about everything I missed?"
"No, no! I'm sure you do!" she defended. "I'm… just saying. We could easily get you your job back."
He didn't say anything.
Teresa took a step backward. "Just say you'll think about it. Okay?"
He sighed. "Okay. I'll think about it."
Her face lit up. "Thank you." She bid him goodnight and turned to rush into the Rigsbys' house.
"He's thinking about it!" Teresa exclaimed when she burst into the room.
Grace shrieked, jumping up. "Really?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes!" Teresa grinned.
"What did you say to him?" Cho asked.
"I told him that we could get his job back, and that it would be really nice for him to be around when the baby comes."
They all stared at her.
She shrugged. "It came to me. I don't know! I was just trying to get him to stay!"
"So… he's thinking about it?" Wayne grinned.
"Yes!"
"That's so great!" Ben chimed in.
She smiled gratefully at her husband. "Really?"
"Of course!" He smiled back. "I'd like to get to know him."
"Let's hope he stays," Grace mused.
"Yeah," Teresa said, secretly crossing her fingers behind her back. "Definitely.
Will he stay? Or will he go? ;) Thanks for reading! Please, review! :D
