They arrived back in the lounge, saw everyone was still there, somehow crowded into the tiny room. Like popes in a Volkswagen, Meredeth was fond of saying, Esposito thought; he had no idea what the hell she meant but it always made him laugh. The little ones were all lined up like little Q-tips on the floor - Honey-Milk had managed to procure some blankets and a couple of medium sized cots so that the siblings were all doubled up with each other. He could see Castle had worked his usual magic and the table instead of being covered with crayons and papers and colouring books held salads and pasta and chicken sandwiches.

They were all still there, was all he could think, even his mother who had to be up early for the bakery. Even more interesting was the addition of Alexis with Shane Weaver.

'When did you get here, Lex?' he asked numbly, sitting down with Tessi in his lap.

'About fifteen minutes ago, I was in an exam tonight and my next one isn't until next Monday, so I can be here for a day or two if you need me,' she replied, her own blue eyes showing signs of weeping. 'How is Meredeth?'

'So far so good,' Esposito started, then stopped when Robina Mazzara came back in, temper snapping.

'I don't fucking believe this. Sorry, Javi,' she added as an afterthought when she saw Tessi on his lap, wide awake. 'I'm going to kill them, then strangle them, then kill them again!'

'Daddy, Robina said a bad word,' Dell hissed indignantly.

'Yes, I heard him, my little language police,' Ryan chuckled, then shifted his son's weight on his lap. 'Who are we talking about?'

'Tessi, Dell, cover your ears.' When the children had done so and their parents clamped their own hands overtop, Robina exploded. 'Those stupid fuckers down at TMZ somehow managed to get pictures of Meredeth in the ICU and are saying that she's in for a full-body plastic surgery so she will look right for her part in Spring Awakening.'

'How is that possible?' Beckett asked, appalled.

'Ugh, I don't even want to know, but is there any way we can talk to

Esposito looked at Beckett and Ryan and could see they all had the same thought. 'I've got an in with someone in top-notch private security, Robina.'

'Who?'

'Victoria Russo.'

'Don't know her, but if you say she's good, I trust your judgement, Javi,' Robina agreed. 'You have her contact info?'

Esposito fished into his wallet, gave her the card that had Victoria's information on it to her without a second thought, then looked at everyone. 'Thank you all, guys, I know I - we - wouldn't have gotten through this tonight without you.'

'We are here for you, whatever you need us to do, even if you just need a hug,' Dell said staunchly, and came over to sit beside Tessi and Esposito. 'Tessi, do you need a hug?'

'Yes, puh-lease Dell.'

He leaned over and wrapped his arms around her, making an 'mmmm' noise as he squished her close. 'There you go.'

'Mooshes too.'

'Okay.' Dell pecked her cheek, making them both blush a little at the ooohs from their parents. 'Mama, can Tessi have a sleepover at our house?'

'Actually Dell, she's going to be staying with Nessa's grandmother tonight,' Andrea told him, then spoke directly to Esposito. 'My mother lives the closest to the hospital, so it's easiest for you to get here from there.'

'What about Arturo?'

'We'll take care of him,' Alexis volunteered, holding Shane's hand tightly in hers. 'We'll stay at your place in Chelsea and make sure that everything stays working there.'

'Thanks, Lex.'

'My mother is expecting you,' Andrea added, and in the style of any mother worth her salt, began to take one of the empty containers and fill it up with food. 'Plenty of pasta and everything left here.'

'Daddy, may I puh-lease have a sandwich?' Tessi rubbed her tummy, learning far too young just how much energy the body sapped through worry and stress. 'I am feeling suh-nacky.'

'Yes, a small one, but we're going to go to Agnes' house to eat, okay?'

'How soon?'

'Soon, my princess.'

Tessi nodded, thumped her head against her daddy's shoulder. 'I want Mami to get better very very soon.'

As it was the sentiment shared in the room, no one said anything for a moment. Then Dave piped up with something no one else had been thinking about. 'Hey, we should be focusing on the positive of this night. Meredeth is pregnant again, you guys are having another baby!'

'Thanks Dave, but until I know Meredeth is okay, I don't even want to think about that part of it,' Esposito said with a small smile.

'Understandable.'

Harvey walked into the room then, looked at Esposito. 'Javier, a moment?'

Esposito nodded, set Tessi on the chair and then stepped into the hallway with his wife's OBGYN. 'So what's the story, Harvey?'

'The baby's vitals are holding strong, very strong. It's still too early to say anything definitive but at this point the baby is going to make it. There will be a lot more monitoring than Meredeth had even with the twins, because her body is trying to adjust her hormone levels without the ovary.'

'But she'll still be able to safely have the baby?'

'Again, too early to say for certain, but at this point Meredeth will be able to choose whether she will deliver with a push birth or a c-section.'

'Thank you, James,' Esposito replied using the doctor's given name. 'For everything. I know I was an ass earlier, and-'

'You don't owe me an apology. I have three daughters, Javi, and my wife had to have an emergency hysterectomy after having the last one. I understand your stress. But you've got a great network and don't let Meredeth or yourself be too proud to lean on them.'

'We're not. Not on this one.'

'Are you planning on bringing the kids to see Meredeth?'

'Yeah, about that, I had an idea.'

When he was done with the doctor, Esposito simply slumped against the wall and dragged a hand over his face. It had been a hell of a long day and he just needed to go home and sleep. He wanted the bliss of sleep to just take it all away for a few hours; he realized it was time to go home.

Walking back into the lounge Esposito looked at them all with profound gratitude. 'Thanks for everything you guys, but I've...I need some sleep. I have to talk to the twins in the morning.'

'Sure. Okay, troops, let's roll out.' Cam, who'd been so quiet he was nearly invisible the whole night, got to his feet with his cane. 'Lance Corporal Ryan, on your feet.'

Dell, who knew this routine well, was on his feet and giving Cam a little salute. 'Yessir, Lieutenant.'

'Round up the PFC's and privates, and see they follow special forces orders, oo-rah?'

'Oo-rah, sir!'

Esposito burst out laughing at the sight of it. 'What the hell is that?' he asked, watching Dell go over and gentle wake the children up, letting them know it was time to go home.

'A little thing we've started doing. Dell's the oldest and likes being in charge, so I started calling him Private, and he's had to move up in rank with good deeds done for the little ones. He's at Lance Corporal now and he is very excited to be treated like a man.' Cam rubbed his cane against his leg where his knee was itching. 'Rosie is determine to outrank him since she's the oldest girl in our clan.'

'Lieutenant George!' Dell stood back in front of him, heels together and arms straight at his sides. 'All troops are assigned to their special units. Awaiting next orders, sir!'

'At ease, Lance Corporal, you are to report to the Irish Gunners Fifty-Sixth Regiment and await further co-ordinates there.'

'Aye, sir!'

'Dell, you wanna let me in on that?' Esposito asked him, and Dell shook his head.

'A good soldier never reveals his position to the enemy.'

'But Esposito is special forces, he's a warrant officer, like your CO, remember?' Cam teased him.

'Oh, right.' Dell turned to Esposito. 'See, I'm the Lance Corporal in charge of the little kids who are the troops, and their mamas and daddies are the special branches of our little army.'

'Ah, I understand.'

'I am a puh-rivate, Daddy,' Tessi said sleepily. 'We going home?'

'We're going to Agnes' house, since it's closer to the hospital than our house.'

'What about Artie?'

'Alexis and Shane are looking after him,' Esposito reassured her; Tessi's first and last love may have been Dell Ryan, but her baby was her dog, as from the moment Tessi had come home from the hospital he'd devoted himself to her. 'He's probably very worried about Mami too.'

They all started to file out of the lounge, and Esposito waited until they were the last ones with Andrea, who was saying good-bye to Daniel as he was on the night-shift with Meredeth.

'Anduh-rea?'

'Yes, sweetie,' Andrea replied as they stepped onto the elevator.

'Does your mami have orange juice in her 'figerator?'

'Absolutely, and she also makes great oatmeal.'

'Trini and Leo like oatmeal, but not meal.' Tessi shook her head. 'It is way too mushy.'

'How about bagels?'

'Toasted with honey?'

Andrea smiled. 'Sure you can have that.'

Like most who'd suffered a major shock, Esposito didn't remember getting from the hospital to Agnes' apartment. One moment he was on the elevator and the next he was in her kitchen, with Andrea leading Tessi into the nursery where there was a trundle bed set up for her and the twins.

'You look like you could use a quart of bourbon,' Agnes commented dryly, 'but since the strongest stuff I have in my cupboards is cough syrup, how about a Coke?'

'Just water, Agnes, I've got way too much caffeine in me as it is.'

'Well, whenever your ready, the pull-out is all made up.'

Esposito glanced over, saw the wide sofa had its hideaway bed all set with sheets and pillows for him. That she'd already gotten things ready to make him feel so welcome during a stressful time nearly set him off once more. Instead he drank the ice water with lemon she offered him.

'Thanks, I appreciate this. I, ah, don't have fresh clothes for the morning.'

'I'm sure a quick call can fix that. Bathroom's across from the nursery.'

Esposito found it, hung his clothes neatly on the towel hook on the back of the door. When he made his way back into the living room, crawled onto the bed, he'd just turned over on his side to sleep when he heard the sounds of little feet approaching. Rolling back, he saw not only Tessi but Trini and Leo too. They were all holding hands and looking scared.

'What is it, guys?' he asked.

'Tessi say Mami sick. She in ho'pital,' Trini said with a tremble in her voice.

'She gotta ge' bedda,' Leo added.

'Daddy, can we stay with you tonight?' Tessi asked.

'Of course.'

Moving to give them enough space, Tessi lay on one side of her father with her stuffed Crush while Trini took the other side and Leo squished in beside her. All their fingers pulled the light sheet up and over all four of their bodies, and Esposito reached over to turn out the light.