I meant to have this up a while ago but the hurricane kind of messed up my plans. Everything is back up and running now, so let's get this show back on the road. Thank you so much for the reviews and feedback. Enjoy!

Rick stared helplessly at the double doors in front of him, the frantic voices of the doctors still echoing in his mind as they had wheeled his wife into the operating room just minutes earlier. He had wanted to go in with them, but with both the baby and Michonne being in distress, the doctors needed to perform an emergency c-section quickly without any distractions in order for both of them to survive. Without Rick.

He felt his heart beating in his ears the same way it did an hour ago when he returned home from dropping the kids off at school and found Michonne passed out on the kitchen floor, a small pool of blood underneath her. Sweat formed around his temples as he thought about what could have gone wrong. Tears pooled in his eyes when he realized he could possibly lose his wife and baby, two of the four most important people in this world he vowed to protect every day for the rest of his life.

He failed again. Just like he did with Lori.

He couldn't lose anyone else. After Lori's death, he had gone into a downward spiral, the guilt from the issues during their marriage eating him alive day in and day out. It was Michonne that had brought him back, who led him to the happiness he so desperately deserved and showed him what true love really was. She accepted his children as her own, left her world travels just to settle down with them to be a family.

She was his everything. He couldn't lose her.

His breathing grew rapid as he thought about Carl and Judith. They were away at school, unaware of the current events, not knowing what was happening to their mother and baby brother.

They couldn't lose another mother.

He slowly reached for his cell phone in his pocket, only to find that it wasn't there. He must have left it on the floor after calling 911.

The tears streamed down his cheeks as he ran a hand through his sweaty hair. Everything was spiraling out of his control and he wasn't sure if he could take it...

Rick flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Shane standing behind him with a concerned look on his face, still dressed in his paramedic uniform. He had been on standby when he received the call that ordered an ambulance to his best friend's address, his adrenaline pumping as he and his crew quickly made their way with Shane silently praying for everything to be okay. He had experienced this before with Lori and couldn't bear to see Rick and the kids go through the heartbreak again.

"Hey, brother," Shane said softly as he squeezed Rick's shoulder, letting him know that he was there for him. "Why don't you take a seat while we wait for some news." It sounded more like a statement than a question.

Rick shook his head, the tears continuing to fall. "I- I can't, Shane. Mi-Michonne... she needs me. The kids need me." His mind felt foggy, still trying to make sense of all that was happening. "Carl and Judith- they have to know. I have to tell them. Just in case.."

"Listen, man, the doctors are taking good care of Michonne. They're doing everything they can. Maggie is in there with them. She's the best damn nurse in this hospital and if there's anyone you can trust, it's her. Just take a deep breath, man. Breathe. She needs you. That baby needs you. I can't have Michonne waking up and see that you're not by her side. You gotta stay here with them." He gave a nervous chuckle. "I'll break your legs if you tried to leave. You know that right?"

Rick's hands shook as he rubbed at his tired eyes. "I need to make sure the kids are okay."

"I already called Sasha and told her everything. She said she'll take care of the kids. No need to worry. I'll stop by there later on and check in on them, but they're in good hands."

Shane placed his free hand on Rick's other shoulder, forcing him to look him in the eye. Rick looked back at him through red-rimmed eyes and a pained, watery gaze. He was alert, though hanging on by a thread. They couldn't have him lose focus. Not now.

"They need your strength right now, Rick. Don't worry about anything else. You have the hard part; just leave the rest to us. We got you."

Rick nodded as Shane pulled him in for a hug, the whimper he had been holding back finally breaking loose. Memories of the last time he stood in the exact same spot seven years ago flooded his mind, the feeling in the air creating a strange sense of deja vu. Shane was right. He had to stay strong for the kids. For Michonne. For the baby. For himself.

"Okay," he whispered, pulling away. "Okay."

Carl grew frustrated with every minute and hour that passed, his legs growing tired with the consistent pacing back and forth he did in his room. Sasha had picked him and Judith up from school five hours ago and they still had yet to hear from Rick concerning Michonne and the baby's condition.

With the uncomfortable silence and worried tension in the air, they all dealt with the lingering circumstances in their own ways. Carl retreated to his room and threw darts at the dartboard mounted on the wall, his helplessness and frustration aiding each off-centered throw. Judith clung to Sasha, scared of losing another adult close to her and having her life potentially change again. She had been so young when Lori died, barely even a year old, but Carl remembered everything as if it had happened yesterday. And he would not wish or want that to be something for his sister to experience.

Needing some fresh air, he threw the remaining darts in his hand on the nearby nightstand and opened his bedroom door. The delicious smell of baked chicken wafted through the hallway from the kitchen, causing his stomach to grumble. Sasha was doing the one thing that made her feel calm when in situations like this- cooking.

Carl made his way down the hall but immediately stopped just outside of Judith's cracked bedroom door. He could hear her talking in a low voice. To who? He had no idea.

"Judes?" he asked as he opened the door. He frowned slightly at the sight of her. She was kneeling beside her bed, her back towards him. "What are you doing?"

He could see that her hands were clasped in front of her face as if she was-

"Praying," she said, never moving from her position. "I'm praying for Mommy and the baby."

Carl's face softened and his heart clenched at his little sister's innocence and thoughtfulness. The Grimes family were never really a praying family but were well aware of how to do it, thanks to their family friend, Father Gabriel.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked as he walked over to her. Once she gave her consent, he kneeled beside her and clasped his hands together, ready for her to lead the way.

Judith turned to her brother, her big brown eyes wide and desperate. "Will this work?" she asked. "Will praying help bring Mommy and the baby home?" She hoped so; she was determined to bring them home soon.

Carl gave a small shrug, a sympathetic smile on his face. "It doesn't hurt to try." He failed to mention that he did the same for Lori years ago, only to have her slip away from their lives forever. But he couldn't bear to break it to her and he knew that Michonne wouldn't want him to either.

"Let's try," he said with more confidence.

Judith smiled, her face brightening for the first time since they got home. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. Carl did the same. "Dear God..."

It had been a long couple of hours, but the newest member of the Grimes family was here. Four pounds, five ounces. Small, yet strong, like both of his parents. He was a fighter, his hands already balled up into tiny fists that dared anything to come at him. He was early with a few lung and breathing issues, according to Maggie, but he would be fine. Just a short stay in the NICU under the watchful eye of the doctors and nurses and he could go home to his siblings. He would fit in just fine.

Rick smiled as he peered down at his son, his eyes glossing over the baby's features to see which parent he looked like the most. After an ultrasound they had months ago, Michonne was convinced that he looked like Rick, pointing out the prominent nose and lips. But as Rick looked down at their creation, he realized that she was wrong. He looked like her. She was right about the lips- he was all Grimes' there- but the nose, chin and the rest of his facial features all belonged to Michonne. Baby Grimes just needed to open his eyes so they could see his eye color.

She wanted him to have eyes like his father's. Those pretty blue eyes.

Rick wiped at his eyes. They felt swollen and irritated now from crying so much, but he couldn't seem to stop. He hadn't cried this much in years.

The baby's chest rose and fell with each breath. He wore a blue knit cap, the color striking against his pale skin. He was stuck inside an incubator surrounded by tubes and machines, a sight that Rick imagined would be scary for the little one.

But he was there. He would always be there for him.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered, placing his hand inside of the incubator to gently rub the baby's fist. "I'm here. I got you."

Rick's mind drifted to Michonne, his eyes closing so the tears would not start again. Not now. "We finally narrowed down the name choices for you last week," he said. "You weren't supposed to be here for another month, so we figured we had more time to make an official decision."

He paused. The baby's hand moved slightly so that his small and delicate fingers were wrapped around Rick's index finger as if giving him the strength. He had his mother's strength.

"Hold tight, Andre. This is only the beginning."

A/N: If anyone is wondering about the title, it's from Hamilton's "Dear Theodosia." The last part of the story should have reflected the song more, but I believe it took a mind of its own haha.