See the AN in the first chapter for the whole explanation.

For: Spuffyshipper

Prompt: Ryan holds Sophie for the first time

Rating: K+

Music: 'On a Saturday' by Jacob Golden, off the album 'Revenge Songs'

Notes: I really didn't want to do another one for you (no offense), because I haven't done other people's prompts yet, but this one just… I dunno. I just wrote it and it was fun and I love it too much not to post it. So I'm really, really sorry if you've given me a prompt and I haven't gotten to it yet. I promise I will eventually! Also, this doesn't count as 'pregnancy', for those of you keeping track. I'm pretending like I haven't made someone pregnant in a lot of these...

"Baby"

"You do it."

"Why me?"

"Because."

"Because? That's a stupid reason."

"Fine. Because you're shorter and therefore, there's less distance to the ground."

"No. You do it. You're blood-related. I'm just adopted."

"But you're good at sports. You won't drop it."

"She's not an 'it', Seth and she's not a football either. She's your little sister. You hold her."

"Would one of you just take her?" Patrick cuts in with a sigh, holding out the baby swathed in pink blankets. The two boys stare in horror at the bundle. "I do have other things to attend to."

"I'm gonna drop her," Seth whispers again in despair. "You know how I drop things. You do it."

"Where's Sandy?" Ryan responds, eyes flicking to the door, then to Kirsten, asleep in the bed. Sandy said he'd be right back in a minute…

"Probably calling family and friends," Patrick ventures a guess as his gaze goes to the wet spot on the floor that Todd's dutifully still cleaning up. "Could one of you just take her?"

"I'll drop her," Seth continues on, like he's in another world. "I'll drop her and Summer'll realize she doesn't love me and she'll leave me, because I'm a baby-dropper. Ryan, what girl wants to date a baby-dropper?"

"I'll take her," Ryan decides suddenly, feeling his heart leap in his chest wildly. Seth lets out a huge sigh of relief as Patrick slowly transfers the sleeping infant into Ryan's arms. When the shift's complete, he heaves a sigh and leaves the room. "Oh my God," Ryan whispers fearfully. "Oh my God, oh my God."

"What? Is she dead? Is she breathing?" Seth moves close, glancing over his brother's shoulder to get a view of his newborn sister.

"She's fine," Ryan assures, never taking his eyes off her. "She's just… beautiful."

Silence falls over the room as they stare at her.

Sophie Rose Cohen.

"Let me hold her." Seth's voice is soft – shockingly; Ryan's sure he's never heard his brother's voice like that.

"No."

"I wanna hold her," he protests, reaching out for the bundle.

"No," Ryan moves away, still staring down at her.

"I'm her brother, too!"

"You'll drop her."

"No, I won't."

Ryan doesn't answer. Instead, he stands near the window and lets the sun trickle through and make his little sister glow.

"You had your turn, it's mine now."

"Seth, shut up."

"You shut up."

"No, you."

"Oh my God," Sandy's voice comes from the doorway, sounding upset and ashamed. "It's like I have three babies instead of one."

"Ryan won't let me hold her!" Seth accuses, glowering and moving closer to his father.

"He'll drop her," Ryan protests as Seth does his best kicked puppy look.

"I'll take her," Sandy rolls his eyes and moves forward. "Both of you are on probation until you learn to get along."

"Alright, Kid Chino, gimme your best shot."

Seth stands, feet spread apart, hands out. Ryan rolls his eyes and decides to take it easy on the boy – they're family, after all. So instead of his normal throw, he underhands the ball at the taller boy. And – as predicted – Seth makes a fumbling attempt to catch, only to send the thing flying into a bush.

"Ok, that wasn't fair," the dark-haired boy grumbles, glaring.

"Doesn't matter. You're still not allowed to hold her," Sandy calls from the porch and Kirsten starts to laugh.

"It's not fair!" he whines. "Ryan didn't get a test before he held her."

"Ryan," Kirsten starts, suppressing a smile, "isn't known for dropping things and breaking them."

"She's so… wow," Taylor breathes, standing over Kirsten with Summer next to her.

"She looks just like you," Summer adds, pointing at the blonde hair. Kirsten smiles. "Can we hold her?"

"No," Seth mutters from across the room. "No one except mom and dad and special Ryan get to hold her."

"You can wait until we're less paranoid," Sandy explains, "or you can take the test."

"There's a test?"

"Oh, there's a test," Seth cuts in, laughing bitterly.

"I'll take the test," Taylor shrugs.

"You don't even know what it is," Summer protests, but gets another shrug in return. Then she thinks for a second and nods. "I'll take it, too."

"Alright," Sandy moves forward, producing a bright orange and purple Nerf ball from behind his back. "Taylor, you volunteered first."

Kirsten, Ryan, Seth and Summer watch as Taylor looks confused and Sandy determined. He pitches the ball fast, without any warning, and Taylor lets out a squeak of surprise and closes her eyes.

"She's good," Sandy announces and she opens her eyes to see she caught the ball.

"Yay!" She rushes over to Kirsten and tosses the ball to Seth, not even noticing when it bounces off the boy's head. Kirsten just smiles as she hands Sophie over. "Oh, she's so tiny," she whispers when Sophie's safely in her arms.

"Ok, test me now," Summer decides, fisting her hands in her skirt and pulling it up slightly so the ends won't drag in the dirt. She moves out to the grass and waits for Sandy to retrieve the ball. The second he gets it in his hands, he throws it at her – while she's off her guard. Her eyes narrow and she snatches the ball out of the air, smirking triumphantly when Sandy nods. "Alright, Townsend. My turn."

"No fair!" Taylor protests, twisting her body away from Summer.

"Townsend, hand the baby over or prepare to be hurt."

"Even The Bullit gets to hold her?" Seth asks, shock and annoyance radiating off him. "I'm her brother! Her blood brother," he adds with a glare in Ryan's direction.

"He caught the ball," Kirsten shrugs, keeping her eyes on Bullit – just in case.

"She's a beauty. Not that I'd be expectin' any less from Blondie," Bullit laughs, but manages to keep his voice low enough not to wake the baby in his arms.

"My turn!" Kaitlin announces triumphantly, coming into the room and holding the Nerf ball up. Sandy follows her in and shrugs at his wife. Off in the corner, Seth's mouth drops open.

"What? No!"

"Hand her over."

"Alright, squirt," Bullit laughs, shaking his head.

"Not cool," Seth grumbles from the corner, arms folded over his chest. Summer rolls her eyes.

"She's all wrinkly," Kaitlin decides, brow furrowing as she stares down at the bundle in her arms.

"Ok, she just insulted Sophie," Seth points, looking offended. "She doesn't get to hold her anymore."

"Seth's right," Ryan frowns, moving forward and prying his sister from Kaitlin.

"Whatev," Kaitlin rolls her eyes. "I'm going to find my mom." Bullit shakes his head and follows her out, muttering something about nailing Jell-o to a wall.

"Let me hold her," Seth moves forward, but stops when Sandy and Ryan glare at him.

"You can take the test again," Sandy offers, waving the Nerf ball at his son. Seth pouts but moves out toward the back door.

"This should be fun," Summer sighs, following them out.

Ryan stands and watches his sister while Taylor stands by the window and Kirsten looks on.

"I think I'm going to go lay down," she smiles and Taylor moves over to help her up.

Ryan barely pays attention as they leave the room, Taylor scolding the older woman about moving too quickly because she just had a baby. Instead he stares down at his sister, the perfection in his arms. He's never been an older brother. He's been a younger brother, and he's been an adoptive brother, but he's never been an older brother. He hopes he'll do a better job than his did.

"Oh!" Seth's voice sounds from somewhere behind him and he turns to watch his brother come in, arms in the air and a triumphant look on his face. "Look who caught the ball!" Seth gloats.

"After you tripped and knocked over that potted plant," Sandy points out, following his son with a skeptical look.

"I still caught it. The rules say nothing about breaking pottery. You only said I had to catch it, not that I couldn't leave a path of destruction in the process. Now," he turns to Ryan and holds out his arms. "Hand her over."

Ryan quirks an eyebrow at Sandy, who sighs and nods. At the green light, he moves warily over to Seth and transfers the sleeping girl into his arms.

"Holy Moses," Seth breathes, eyes wide. "Take her back. I'm gonna drop her."

Ryan and Sandy both rush forward.

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