Seventh Day in Heaven

Most people agreed that you could never hold your newborn 'too much' or 'spoil' them. The outside world was a new and scary place for them. Being in someone's arms made newborns feel safe. It didn't matter what anybody told them neither Calleigh or Eric was going to hold Nevaeh less. As for Calleigh getting things done around the house once she was on her own with Nevaeh when Eric returned to work the new mother thought the baby bjorn that Alexx had given her at the baby shower would come in handy.

Besides finally meeting her daughter, Calleigh was glad ro have the pregnancy over for another reason; she could have her beloved café mocha again, even if it was limited because she was breast-feeding. For eight months Calleigh didn't know how she hadn't killed her husband. If Eric was around he wouldn't let her have the caffeinated drink and if he saw her with it, he would take it from her. The chances of her killing him for this prior to their pregnancy were about seventy percent; the chances of him being murdered for it during her pregnancy were a hundred and ten percent.

Eric had lucked out only because there was just too many witnesses around.

"Good morning, sweetpea," Calleigh said picking up her daughter from the bassinet, kissing her nose and cheeks. "We're going on a little trip this morning."

Calleigh was never a morning person but ever since the baby had been born she couldn't help but wake up with a smile hearing Nevaeh at the foot of the bed.

The couple were taking the baby to the lab to introduce her to everyone this morning. After she nursed their baby, Eric offered to get the baby dressed and ready while Calleigh took a shower.

"And I'll even buy you a café mocha on the way to the lab," Eric told Calleigh with a grin.

"Aren't you sweet," Calleigh said with a smile.

"Your toes are so teeny tiny," Eric cooed to his little girl as he put a pair of pink socks on her feet.

He had dressed the baby in a tiny pair of blue jeans and a white t-shirt with pink lettering that said 100% Angel. Eric had had this shirt specially made the week he and Calleigh found out they were having a little girl.

"Don't you look pretty," she said to Nevaeh when they were ready to leave. "Daddy's very good at picking out your clothes."

The Miami weather was very warm that day, even the newborn didn't need much clothing. Tucking a blanket securely around his daughter in her carrier, Eric smiled. He thought the t-shirt was very fitting.

"You are an angel, aren't you, princesa?" He said, kissing her forehead.

The family came at a good time; Yelina Salas had dropped to talk to Horatio and Rick Stetler was out of town. The couple had known since before their baby was born that Yelina had helped run her mother out of town. She had sent them a congratulatory e-mail when Horatio had told her the news. Today would be the first time the private investigator would see the girl.

"She's a doll!" Yelina said.

Eric smiled.

"You wanna hold her?"

Stupid question.

Yelina smiled watching the baby's big chocolate brown eyes study her.

"You look like your daddy," she said to the baby in her arms. "Sorry Calleigh."

Calleigh laughed.

She cornered Ryan when he sat on the break room sofa. Frank was holding Nevaeh. Calleigh told Ryan that holding a baby wasn't rocket-science and not anything to be afraid of. He had to get over it.

"Put your arms like this," she said, positioning Ryan's arms. "Frank, the baby."

Frank obediently put Nevaeh in Ryan's arms.

Ryan was fine for a moment.

Then it happened.

Nevaeh sneezed. A tiny baby sneeze. Most people would have said "aww! That's so sweet!" Ryan's reaction was different, and amusing to those watching.

"What was that? Is she okay? Is she supposed to do that?" Ryan asked, trying to stay calm so Nevaeh wouldn't start crying like the last time he held her.

"A sternutation," Alexx answered him.

"A what?" Ryan asked, his eyes getting big.

"A sneeze, Wolfe," Eric said, rolling his eyes. "And yeah, babies can do that."

"How's being a mommy so far?" Natalia asked Calleigh.

"Good. She's a good baby. She lets us get a little bit of sleep," Calleigh replied with a smile. "Eric's awesome with her."

Both women looked over at Eric who was across the room holding his daughter, feeding her a bottle while talking to one of the female lab techs. This woman's sister was pregnant and she planned to be with her sister for the baby's birth.

"Were you there? What was it like?" Asking Eric if he had been present for Nevaeh's birth was a rhetorical question and he knew that.

"It was incredible," Eric said, emotionally, looking down at his daughter. She was drinking contentedly, making the sweetest noises he ever heard. "No. It was beyond that. I can't put into words what it was like when I saw her for the first time and heard her cry."

Before the three left the lab Frank gave them a gift he said he thought was appropriate for the baby since Horatio was her godfather, a pair of baby sunglasses. Putting the shades on the baby's face Calleigh thought her daughter looked very cute.

"We're going to have to take your picture with those," she said to the baby.

"You look like a little rock star," Eric told Nevaeh.