A/N: This chapter is so fluffy that I'm almost ashamed to have written it, but, I mean, who doesn't love fluff, right?

Chapter 9

When Kuki got home from the hospital, it was late. She waltzed into the house, surrounded by a bubble of pleasant, baby-filled thoughts. Kuki let her hand fall across her small bump. Only four and a half more months. She could sing, she was that excited.

It had been a long day, though, and it felt like hours ago that she had sat at Emi's T-ball game. Kuki longed to fall into bed, curl up against Wally, and sleep-in until noon the following day. Although, she couldn't seem to remember the last time Violet and Emi hadn't waken her up by eight on a weekend.

Kuki twirled a piece of ebony hair around a thin finger as she climbed the carpeted stairs of their home. Wally and the kids had probably been dropped off a couple hours ago. She hoped Wally wasn't asleep yet. When she entered the blue-walled master bedroom, she found that Wally was already asleep. Max was splayed across his father's chest, his head tucked beneath Wally's chin; his favorite place to sleep. One of Wally's arms lay protectively across the baby's back. Kuki could see her only son's tiny body rise and fall with Wally's even breaths. They had identical facial expressions when they slept, mouths slightly open. Kuki let out an almost silent giggle.

Next to Wally on the bed were three small lumps that gradually decreased in size. With careful steps, she tiptoed over to the bed and squeezed herself in, still dressed. A smile etched its way across Kuki's face as she snuggled herself between the sheets.

Violet, the smallest of the three lumps, rolled over and placed her small hand against Kuki's arm as if, even in sleep, she could feel her mother's presence. Within minutes, Kuki's light eyes drifted closed. Her dreams were filled with three dark-ponytailed little girls, a blue-eyed baby, and a man whose smile never failed to make her melt.


Patton had insisted on taking Fanny out for a celebratory ice cream after leaving Rachel's. She was certain he had only made such a stupid suggestion because the team had won in triple overtime and he was teetering on the edge of drunkenness. But as she sat on the bathroom floor of the Uno household, listening to his voice through the door, she had to admit, ice cream sounded delicious. And the newly pregnant woman was ravenous.

Fanny sat on the metal chair in the ice cream parlor and devoured not only her own ice cream, but most of his as well. She looked at Patton skeptically; he would usually be upset about that. The dark-haired man was staring at her. "It's impolite to stare," she stated.

Patton smiled. "Only if you don't know the person." He stood up and grabbed her arm. "Let's go home."

Fanny looked longingly at the many tubs of ice cream, but eventually followed him out the door. Patton always drove fast. His lead-foot had yet to get him into trouble, though. Fanny knew that someday all the illegal activity would catch up with him. They flew down the mostly empty streets, making it to their small house in minutes.

"Don't move," Patton warned when he'd killed the engine in their driveway. He opened his door and ran around the car. Fanny rolled her dark green eyes as he then opened the door for her. Patton moved into the doorframe of Fanny's Jeep, making it impossible for her to exit. He placed his large hand on her thigh, just below the edge of her skirt. The hand moved up her leg until it threatened to become less than appropriate. With his other hand, her husband toyed with her curls; this whole time bringing his dimpled face slowly nearer to hers. When their lips met, it wasn't soft or careful. That wasn't how Fanny or Patton did things.

His fingers clutched at the fabric covering her back with need. Her fingers scraped through his thick, black hair. Fanny's other hand grabbed the shift behind her as Patton pressed his weight against her. His hands moved from her waist, back down to her leg. Patton traced a path down to the top of her boots, rubbing the leather between his fingers. "What do you say we get you out of these boots, baby?"

All the usually volatile red-head could do was nod, still taken back by the sudden force of the kiss. Definitely not careful, at all.

Later when they were in bed, however, Patton was uncharacteristically careful as he rolled up the hem of her shirt with fumbling fingers. Fanny lay completely still when the digits traced their ways across the flat plain of her stomach. She held her breath, not wanting the moment to end. And then, with more tenderness than she would've guessed was hidden in her burly husband, he placed his ear against her belly. Fanny knew he couldn't hear anything, or feel anything. But she wished she knew what Patton was thinking as he lay so close to where their baby was. She ran a hand over his hair, letting her fingers tangle. Fanny could not think of a single feeling better than letting him fill her with love. She used to be able to think of tons; but, as she let herself picture the two of them starting a family together, tumbling blindly into a uncharted territory, Fanny figured that love was really what she needed.


Hoagie stood with his forehead pressed against the cool glass of the nursery window. It was late and Abby thought they had gone home a while ago. But, on his way out, he had passed this window and, honestly, the new father just could not resist the idea of seeing Raine one last time before he left. Hoagie knew he needed to get Augie home. The kid was exhausted, and had finally fallen asleep, draped over Hoagie's shoulder. A position that the four-year old had more or less outgrown, Hoagie soon figured out.

A matronly nurse walked over and stopped by Hoagie's side. "Which one's yours?" she asked politely.

And Hoagie just couldn't help but let a humongous, proud smile shine on his face as he said, "Her, right there, Gilligan. Raine Henrietta Gilligan."

"A beautiful name," the nurse said. Hoagie nodded his unruly-haired head in agreement. "What about this little one? He looks bushed." She gestured to Augie.

"Oh, yeah, well he's had a pretty long day, I guess." Hoagie blushed, embarrassed.

The nurse smiled as if she knew something he did not. "Your wife told me to come and look here for you. Apparently she knows you pretty well. She says, and this is a direct quote, that you better get that kid home before Abby does something about it."

Hoagie laughed, a smile playing on his lips. Abby still wasn't in much of a position to "do something" about anything. But, he said goodbye to the nurse and headed to the elevator with Augie snoring on his back. Besides, he'd be back first thing tomorrow morning, or Abby would probably do something about that.


Nigel climbed the front hall staircase of his home, still relishing in the events of the day. What he had said to Rachel earlier had been completely true. That day had been one of his best birthdays. There were no false pretenses of perfection. The day was so very filled to the brim with everything he loved about everyone he loved.

When he reached the top of the stairs, Nigel noticed that the door to his right was open, even though Palmer had been sent to bed hours ago. He took a quiet step into the room and, through the dim glow of a night-light, discovered his wife kneeling next to the bed that held their son. He was about to approach her when she spoke. "Mommy loves you, Palm." She brushed his silver blonde hair away from his face with shaky fingers. Nigel almost felt unwelcome in this moment between a little boy and his mother who would do anything for him. He ran his own hand over his bald head, letting out the breath he'd been holding.

Rachel's head snapped up, looking away from the little boy who lay before her and instead at Nigel. A radiant smile shone on her face. Nigel hadn't seen what happened to make his beautiful wife's face light up in this way. But, he found he could do nothing else but nod his head at her. Letting her know that whatever it was, she was right in thinking it.

After pressing an unbelievably tender kiss, a kiss only a mother could give, to the their only son's forehead, Rachel came to meet Nigel in the doorway. She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Things are going to get better," she whispered. More to herself than to him.

Again, he nodded. Rachel had yet to be wrong about anything as far as he knew. And then she pressed a love- filled kiss, a kiss only a wife could give, to Nigel's lips. "You know, in this light, you look pretty old, Nigel." She grinned.

Nigel pulled her closer to him, making a trail of kisses down her neck. "It's nice and dark in our bedroom. And, I do believe I owe you an apology for something I said earlier. Something about Lifetime movies, perhaps?"

A giggle threatened to spill from the woman's lips, but before it could, her husband's hand was placed over her mouth as he swept her into his arms, carried her to their bedroom, unceremoniously dumped her on the bed, and proceeded with his 'apology'. Rachel's brilliant smile never once left her face.

This was, in Nigel Uno's opinion, a perfect ending to the imperfect first day of his 32nd year.


A/N: Ohhhhh guys! The last official chapter! I might cry! I loved writing this story so much and I loved the wonderfully nice reviews I got on each and every chapter! This is one of the very few longer things I've ever written and finished so thanks for sticking it out with me. I'll have a short little, one-year-later epilogue up soon. And I already have a plot for a sequel/companion laid out! So again, thank you all!