I am stunned at the kind words I've received from this story. I'm sorry for the long delay in updating and I promise to try to do better, but real life with work and classes has been over whelming.

Once again, characters are not mine. Unfortunately! Now on with the story.

Previously:

She nodded and I sat back onto the bed with her again. She snuggled her head onto my shoulder, as I wrapped her in my arms. I realized then and there that I was no longer worried about my bad ass image. I had always taken my duty to my country seriously, and there was a certain thrill of the hunt when I went into the wind on missions. As I looked down at Stephanie lying in my arms, I realized that I was ready for the next chapter in my life. I was ready to let someone into my life and my heart. I was ready for forever.

Carols POV

I was awakened by the glimmer of sun through the windows to Babe's hospital room. I looked over to Stephanie as she slept. Her hair was wild around her, and she was still hooked up to an IV and fetal monitor. I stretched lazily on the small cot that the nurse had placed in the room for me. I let myself think back to the past two weeks. It was hard to believe that it was merely two weeks ago that I had returned from the mission. While it wasn't a combat mission, it still was important. I was glad when Silvio finally returned yesterday, along with Lester, and the takedown had been a success. With Stephanie still on bed rest, and still in the hospital, we have had plenty of time to talk about our relationship and the future. I knew that I loved her with all my heart and soul, and I desperately wanted to ask her to marry me. But I didn't want her to feel like I was just marrying her because of the baby. I have had the ring for her for months. I had it designed myself and picked it up on one of my trips to Miami to see Julie. Julie has been ecstatic about the baby, and we have talked or emailed daily. Stephanie has brought light into my otherwise dark existence. I don't think she realizes how important that she is to me.

I hear Stephanie mumble "Good morning Batman."

"Morning Babe. How did you sleep? How are you feeling?"

"Okay I guess. I told you to go home and get some rest."

"Babe, I'm fine. I don't want to be away from you unless I have to be. Tank is taking care of things at Rangeman, and I will attend those meetings that are absolutely necessary."

"Well, at least go home to shower and change. You need a change in scenery. I know you must feel like a caged bird. God knows I do."

"Babe, I know it's hard to stay in the hospital. But it's for the best. Just think about our little bambino! "

"I know, Carolos, that's why I've tried really hard not to complain about it. I still find it hard to believe that we're really having a baby. The past two weeks have been a whirlwind!"

"I know Babe. But you're happy, right? You want this as much as I do?"

"Yes. I'm not going to lie and say I'm not scared. But I think we'll do fine. As long as we're together. What about you? Now that you've had some time for things to sink in, are you nervous? Scared?"

"Yes to both. But it's a good nervous and a good type of scared. I'm getting a second chance to do all the things I never got to do with Julie. And I'm going to get to do those things with the woman I love. "

I pulled Stephanie into my arms and scooted onto the bed with her. This was not the time, nor the place that I had wanted to propose. But something just felt right about the intimate moment that we were sharing.

"Stephanie, I've seen some really bad stuff in my life. And I never thought I'd open myself to love and let anyone inside the walls I built. But then you came along. I want to spend the rest of my life raising babies with you, building dreams and futures with you, and growing old with you. Will you marry me?"

I pulled the diamond that I had been carrying around in my pocket out of my jeans. The look of shock on Stephanie's face was evident and tears started to fall.

"Carlos, I…."

"Before you say anything Steph, please know that this is not just because of the baby. I bought this ring in Miami several months ago. If you say yes, and I pray to God that you do, I am not going to rush you. And although I'd love for us to marry before the baby is born, I am going to leave the date up to you. But I want you to know that I am ready to give you my whole heart. My contract with the government is over, and I am ready to have a future. I'm not a perfect man, and I know that I have built walls that are hard to get around. But I'm asking you, begging you, to be the one that does it. Please be my wife. "

Stephanie sat there for a few seconds looking deep into my eyes. For a split second, I was worried that maybe I had been too hasty and scared her. A lot had happened in the past few weeks. I had never been so completely open with anyone in my entire life. Time seemed to stand still as I looked into her eyes.

"Carlos, I would love to be your wife. Yes, I will marry you. But I want to wait until after the baby is born. I don't want everyone thinking it was just because of the baby."

I nodded my head in understanding as I pulled her into a deep kiss. She said yes! She agreed to be my wife! Our kiss turned passionate, and I pulled her to me even tighter, willing the moment to never end. I could stay wrapped up in her arms forever!

We pulled apart and I slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.

"Do you like it? I had it made for you."

"Carlos, it's perfect. You're perfect. I don't know how to tell you how much you mean to me."

I pulled her to me once again, and kissed her softly. Our lips brushing each other softly and tenderly. No words were needed as we sat there lost in the moment.

Later on in the day, Lester came by to see Steph.

"Hey Beautiful! Fancy meeting you here!" he said, as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Lester, you big nut! How are you?"

"I should be asking you the same thing? Are you feeling ok? How s the little babe doing?"

"I'm good. I am going stir crazy being in this bed all day long. But otherwise, good. I'm trying to get Carlos to go home for a while. He's been here practically nonstop for the past two weeks. Can you talk some sense into him?"

I sat there as they continued to talk about me as if I wasn't here. When did I lose my bad ass image? I finally interrupted their conversation.

"Babe, would you please stop worrying about me? Tell you what. Since Lester is here, I'll go home and shower and change. I'll check on things at Rangeman and be back without an hour or two. How's that? Lester, do you mind staying until I get back?"

"Not at all Boss. That will give us some time to catch up alone!" Lester waggled his eyebrows for flirtacious effect. I growled and bent over to kiss Babe.

"If he gets out of hand, call me." I smiled as I said it and she nodded while chuckling.

I hesitated as I walked out of the hospital and went to the Porsche that had been parked in the lot for me. I had a strange feeling that something was off. As if something bad were going to happen. Maybe I had been hanging around Steph too long and my spidey senses were in overdrive.

I made the drive to Haywood and parked in the garage. I fobbed myself up to seven and stripped and showered. I dressed in jeans and a button up shirt, and then made my way down to the control room. Tank was in the hall when I stepped out of the stairway.

"'Morning Ranger. How's Steph?"

"About the same. She's doing good but is going stir crazy. I don't know how much longer she can take being pent up in that hospital room. The only thing that is keeping her sane and in the bed is worrying about the baby. "

"How are you doing?"

I do my best to give him my patented blank face stare. "I'm fine. What do you mean?"

"Cut the crap Boss. You know what I mean. You've been with her night and day for two weeks, only coming back to check on things and shower and change. I'm sure you've not slept well, and you have to be stressed too. You've just found out you're having a baby. And Steph, well, she could have died if Bobby hadn't have found her when he did. I just meant how are you handling the stress? Can I do anything for you? For Steph?"

I let out a long sigh. Yes, me, Ricardo Carlos Manuso sighed. I hadn't really allowed myself to process all of the stress I had been under. And I certainly had not allowed myself to think about the day that Bobby found her in the apartment.

"Thanks Tank. I'm really okay. I just want her and the baby to be healthy and safe, you know? I wasn't there when she needed me. So I want to be there as much as I can now. I asked her to marry me this morning."

Tank looked up at me with a huge grin. "About damned time you pulled your head out of your ass!" He hit me on the back and shook my hand, pulling me into a side hug. Tank was one of my best friends. No, probably the best friend I had, besides Steph.

"Thanks man. I appreciate it."

"She actually said yes? I mean, you two have never been the best at communicating and talking about future plans. "

"She did say yes. I'm still having a hard time believing it too. But she wants to wait until after the baby is born. I'd prefer to do it now, but I won't push her or try to make her do something she's not ready for. I've done that enough already. I don't want her to think it's just because of the baby. It's not. I bought the ring months ago. I want whatever part of her she will let me have. I can't imagine….Tank I can't imagine my life without her."

Tank bellowed a loud laugh. "What's so funny Tank?"

"Just you two! Two people who can't communicate worth shit, two people who both had a fear of commitment, two people who pride themselves on not needing anybody….and well, now you are the two people who are absolutely, perfectly made for each other! "

He's right. I hate to admit it. As much as I would like to think that I don't need anyone in my life, and in my heart, I now know that I am hopelessly and unconditionally dependent on Stephanie's love. It's like air for my soul.

We were interrupted by my cell phone ringing. I looked at the display and it was Santos.

I answered it on the first ring. "Santos, what's wrong?"

"Boss, you need to get back to the hospital. Steph's water just broke. And she's having some strong contractions."

I could hear Steph in the background moaning and screaming. "Is she ok?"

"Boss, just get back here now. She's calling for you."

"On my way!"

Tank looked nervously at me as I was heading for the stairs. He was right behind me. "What's going on Ranger?"

As we ran down the stairs I explained. "Steph's water just broke. I left Santos with her while I came back to shower. I've got to get back to her."

I was sprinting towards the Porsche, when Tank took the keys from me. "Man you are in no condition to be driving."

I didn't argue. He was probably right. I slid into the passenger seat, and pulled out my phone. Brown answered on the second ring.

"Brown, Steph's water just broke and she's contracting! I'm on my way back to the hospital. Can you meet us there? I'd like to have you there just in case the baby is delivered. So one of us can stay with Steph and one can go with the baby."

"On my way."

My mind was racing a thousand miles a minute. Would the baby be delivered today? Would they be able to hold off labor again? Was Stephanie going to be okay? If something happened to her my world would end. And what if the baby didn't make it? Could we handle that? I didn't even want to allow myself to think about that. Tank interrupted my internal ramblings.

"Man she's gonna be fine. Don't worry."

"Easier said than done. I just don't know what I would do if I lost her, Tank."

"Well, you're not going to lose her. You two have had your head in your asses too long. The big man upstairs has to see that. You've just started living. It's gonna be just fine."

So right then and there in the Porsche, with Tank crammed behind the steering wheel, racing through the streets of Trenton, and me in the passenger seat, I prayed. I begged God as I had never begged before. 'Please let it all work out. Please take care of Stephanie and our child. I know I've never been a religious man, but if I am ever going to be worthy of anything in life, please let me be worthy of them. Please allow them to live, so that I can live. Without them, my life has no meaning.'

I looked up to find Tank pulling into the hospital lot. Before the car was in park, I opened the door and jumped out. I sprinted into the hospital and raced up the stairs to the maternity floor. There were people going in and out of Stephanie's room, looking slightly panicked.

As I got closer to the room, I heard Stephanie before I saw her. Her scream could be heard in the hallway, and I ran into the room. As I entered, I found Stephanie already in stirrups. She was panting and crying. I ran to her, trying to take the whole scene in.

"Carlos….iit…it hurts! I'm…. I'm scared!"

"Ssssh….Quierda. Everything is going to be just fine. Don't worry. I'm here now. "

"My water broke …..and….and there's blood. They think the placenta has detached and….."

Just then Stephanie's doctor walked in, while putting on a gown and gloves. Nurses were bustling around in the corner, and Lester had stepped behind the curtain near the door.

The doctor moved with efficient ease, but I could see that he was concerned. He spoke quietly but with authority and seriousness.

"Stephanie, I need you to listen to me. Your water has broken, and there's a lot of blood as well. I think the placenta is abrupting completely, and we may need to deliver the baby now. There's no time to wait. Your room here can be used as a delivery room, so the nurses are getting everything set up just in case. I am going to check you to see if you are dilated. Just relax."

The doctor moved towards the end of the bed, and inserted his fingers to check Stephanie's cervix. Normally I would have had a shit fit, but all I could think about was holding it together for Stephanie. Stephanie moaned and shifted as he checked her, gripping my hand tighter and tighter.

"It's ok Steph. I'm right here. Squeeze my hand all you want. "

She was crying in earnest now, huge tears were dripping from her face. I used the hand that was not currently in Stephanie's vice to wipe the tears from her face, and kissed her forehead. She was moaning from the pain as he checked her.

The doctor finally finished up and whispered something to the nurses. Everything seemed to speed up around the room after that. I spoke up first.

"Doctor, what's wrong? What's happening?"

"Stephanie's fully dilated. The baby has to be born now. But when I checked her, I felt a foot. The baby isn't in the correct position since it is so early. We are going to have to do a c-section. It's too dangerous to try to deliver the baby vaginally with it being so premature. Stephanie has had several rounds of steroids to try to mature the baby's lungs. But I am worried about blood loss since she lost so much back when she had the partial abruption. The nurse will bring some scrubs in for you if you'd like to accompany her for the operation. Stephanie, would you like him with you?"

"Yes, please!"

I looked into her eyes, and pulled her to me, trying to give her strength for what might lie ahead. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away, Babe!"

Everything seemed to happen at super sonic speed. In the midst of the whirlwind, Bobby arrived, and Lester went to the waiting room with Tank. I pulled the doctor aside quickly to ask if Bobby could accompany us into the delivery since one of us would be with Steph and the other would accompany the baby. He had already been briefed on the nature of our work, and said as long as Stephanie agreed, she could have two people with her in the delivery room.

"Babe, Bobby is going to go into the operating room with us. Someone will need to go with the baby to NICU, and I don't want you left alone, okay?"

She nodded while tears still flowed. Bobby stood on one side of the bed, while I held her hand and stood on the other.

"Bombshell, just look at it this way. You get to meet your baby today. It's going to be his or her birthday! Just hold onto that positive thought!"

Stephanie nodded, and bit her lip. A contraction gripped her, and she screamed. "Oooooowwww! It hurts! There's too much pressure! I need to push!" She breathed heavily and blew out her breath in short puffs. A nurse quickly walked up beside Bobby.

"Stephanie, listen to me. You can not push. I need you to breathe in through your nose, and pant the breaths out through your mouth. Whatever you do, do not push. The contraction will end in just a second."

The nurses and doctor were rolling her bed out the door as Bobby and I still held to Stephanie's hands. We were heading for the elevator, when Stephanie screamed again. She shook her head, trying to pant through the pain. She gripped tighter on my hand. "It's….not….ending…".

I didn't understand what she was saying. "What is it Babe? What do you mean?"

"The contraction…It's….not …ending. Something's wrong. Something's happening …"

The nurse looked quickly towards the doctor, and to the other personnel who were pushing the hospital bed towards the elevator. The doctor stopped them and lifted the sheet to look underneath. "Shit! Push the bed back into the room! Hurry!"

Stephanie looked at me frantically, and I quickly asked "What's going on? Why are we going back?"

The doctor was hurrying into a new pair of sterile gloves. Bobby was tying his gown in the back. Nurses were hurrying to break the bed down into delivery position and place Stephanie's legs back into the stirrups.

"Because there's no time. The baby is coming now. The foot is already out. Stephanie give me just a minute, and I'm going to have you push."

"I….can't wait….I….have…to…push!"

I moved closer to Steph's face. "Stephanie, Babe, look at me. You can do this. You are the strongest person that I know. Breathe Babe. Take deep breaths. Just hold on for a second or two longer. Think about our baby, and how special it's going to be to hold him."

"Him? Cccarlos…..you think…it's a boy?" She managed to say through the pain.

"Babe, I think whatever it is, we will love him or her more than imaginable! Just concentrate on not pushing, Babe. Just a few more seconds!"

The doctor had finally gotten everything into position. "Stephanie, push your chin down, hold your breath, pull your legs up and push for me. Push for a count of ten. One…..two…three…four…" the doctor counted.

Stephanie pulled her legs up and I held one and Bobby held the other. She strained and pushed until the doctor finally counted to ten. She blew out a long breath and relaxed back onto the bed.

The doctor spoke up "Ok. Good one. With the next contraction, I want you to push again."

A nurse handed me a cool washcloth to wipe Steph's face with. I looked at her, smiling. "You're doing so good Babe. Just relax. You're doing it, Steph!"

"Carlos, I feel another contraction coming. They are coming so fast!"

I looked to the doctor at the foot of the bed for guidance. "Good Stephanie, do the same thing again. Push!" And he started the counting over.

Stephanie pushed and the doctor only made it to a count of seven. "Stop Stephanie! Breathe through the contraction but do not push. I'm going to deliver the shoulders and head, and I need to turn the baby."

Stephanie panted heavily and I looked down to see the baby being delivered. I wasn't prepared for what I saw. The baby was tiny and the color was pale and ashen. As the doctor maneuvered the tiny body, he instructed Stephanie to push again. She did and the rest of the baby was delivered. Stephanie cried out, as tears ran down my face. I didn't try to stop them as they flowed and clouded my vision. All I could think of was the tiny baby that was part of me and part of Stephanie. I loved it already, and it wasn't even a minute old.

The doctor moved quickly, allowing me to cut the cord, as he said "It's a boy!" He then handed the baby off to a nurse who placed him in a warmer in the corner of the room where the NICU staff waited. Stephanie interrupted my thoughts as I watched the staff take over the care of our child.

"Carlos, go with him! Why isn't he crying? What's happening?"

I got up and rushed over to our son as I watched the medical staff work quickly on him. They rubbed him to stimulate him, and were trying to suction his airway. He made a slight cry and my heart soared! The NICU staff worked quickly and efficiently, and were soon ready to head to the nursery with our son. "Mr. Manuso, we will be taking your son to the NICU nursery. You can follow us there and get a report from the doctor after he's been evaluated."

I looked over to Stephanie. The doctor was still working with her, and Bobby was still holding her hand. Stephanie met my gaze and nodded. "Carlos, I will be ok. Go with our son. Don't let him be alone. Bobby can stay with me."

I quickly kissed her. "Babe, I am so proud of you. You were so strong and brave. I love you!"

"I love you too Carlos. Go! Make sure he's going to be ok!"

I rushed from the room, quickly following the staff as they rolled the small isolette containing my son into the elevator. My eyes never left my son as he was lying there connected to all sorts of wires and tubes. I've never felt so happy, yet so helpless, in all of my life. There, in the elevator, I prayed once more. I thanked God for the miracle of my son. And I prayed for strength for him to fight in the days ahead.