AN: Sorry about the long delayed update. Here is the final chapter.

Reach for that star. No matter where you are, it will be. Just believe in...you and me."

Settling down on her couch with a freshly made martini in hand, Karina sighed as she picked up the TV remote and pressed the power button. As it powered up and sound filtered into the room, Karina reflected on how different it was to finally have a place of her own. For years, due to lack of financial stability, Karina had been living with her parents, worried that she would never amount to anything or make it out of their home to provide for herself. But finally she had gained employment in an excellent court reporting firm and had moved into this apartment a little less than two months ago.

Karina sipped on her drink as she flipped through the channels in search of something to watch, choking suddenly when she passed by a news station and saw Face and Hannibal's faces staring back at her. She quickly backtracked and turned up the volume slightly, leaning forward in eager anticipation.

Had the A-Team been caught? Were they in prison? Perhaps they were finally getting a chance to tell their side of what had happened in Baghdad?

Karina's heart pounded as the on-air reporter delved into the story, clearly retelling it from earlier in the day when the story had first been reported. She was saying that the A-Team had finally been caught and had gone to trial a little over a week ago, though it had been kept quiet due to the media frenzy that would follow the news of it. The jury had come back just that afternoon with a verdict of not guilty and the four men involved had their discharges changed from dishonorable to honorable.

"Thank god," Karina whispered to herself, a warm feeling spreading through her at the thought of the men who'd saved her over a year ago finally being free and clear as they always should have been. She wondered if they would re-join the military or continue traveling the country to help people from being bullied.

And then a more pressing wonder occurred to her. Would Murdock seek her out like he said he would? Did he even still think about her? She'd never been much of a memorable woman to any other man; would Murdock be different? He'd said so, but she hadn't had even a single word from him since they'd parted.

A sudden light knocking at her front door made her jump. Fortunately she'd already finished off her drink five minutes ago, so no sticky alcohol spilled onto her. Muting the television, Karina stood to her feet to answer the door. Or at least see who it was knocking on her door at ten o'clock at night.

Peering through the peephole, Karina gasped in shock. Her heart suddenly began to gallop in her chest and with notably shaky fingers, she began to undo the locks on the door.

Pulling the door wide open, Karina smiled widely at Murdock, who appeared nervous and unsure as he stood in the doorway, hands twisting together in a gesture of his uncertainty. He was staring at the floor, but as soon as he heard the door squeak open, he looked up with wide green eyes.

"I..." he began, but she cut him off by throwing herself into his arms.

"I wasn't sure if you would ever come," she mumbled into Murdock's collar.

Murdock brought his arms up to wrap around her waist, holding her tightly to him.

"I thought you'd forgotten about me."

Murdock pushed her a foot away to stare steadfastly into her eyes. "I could never forget about you. I can't believe you would even think that."

Unable to hold back anymore, Murdock jerked her back against his chest and smashed their mouths together, allowing for no give and take as he plundered her mouth ruthlessly. He'd been hungering for the taste of her and the feel of her in his arms for the last year and some odd months. He craved her desperately. She was an addiction he hadn't known he'd needed until she'd walked out of his life.

Suddenly Karina pulled back, right hand sliding down his jaw, over his Adam's apple, to come to a rest over his erratically pounding heart. "I have something for you," she whispered softly.

"How can you have something for me when you couldn't possibly know when I would show up? Or if you thought I had forgotten about you?"

Her smile lit up the darkness of the room and made his stomach flip over. "Magic," she replied, slipping her right hand into his left and guiding him down the hallway to the first door - the only door actually - on the right. She paused at the doorway, pressed her index finger to her lips, and said, "Ssh."

Murdock obediently remained silent as he followed her into the dark bedroom, stopping only when she stopped. He followed her adoring gaze down, down, down to a white cradle where a tiny baby lay sleeping stomach-side up.

Murdock's jaw dropped and he nearly fell over in shock, barely managing to control his limbs as he realized that if he fell, he'd either fall on the baby or crash loudly into the wall, thus waking the baby up.

"Well, not exactly magic," Karina whispered, watching Murdock's face transform from shock, to realization, to awe, to unfettered adoration. "I named her Faith. After all, you always told me you would find your way back to me. You told me to have faith."

Murdock's gaze shot up, eyes boring straight into hers.

"You...you..." Murdock stuttered, at a complete loss for words. B.A. would be astounded as he was always trying to find ways to bring Murdock to speechlessness so he wouldn't have to listen to his ramblings. "I...I wasn't aware you would be quite so literal about it."

"Actually, her full name on her birth certificate is Faith Amelia Murdock."

Tears were actually forming at the corners of Murdock's eyes as his gaze constantly swept from Karina to Faith and back again. "After my favorite pilot."

"Well, I'd love to say that's what that was, but it's pure coincidence. I just liked the way the names seemed to fit together."

Murdock jerked Karina back into his arms, burying his face into the crook of her neck as he held her tightly, whispering "thank you" over and over again.

"I should be thanking you," Karina replied when he pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. "She kept me company while I waited for you to return to me." Her gaze fell to the cradle and once again she smiled adoringly. "To us." She looked back up at him. "You're the one who gave me a true gift before I left. I know she was conceived on that last night. I just know."

"I love you," Murdock murmured before slamming his mouth down over hers once more. His hand combed through her hair, tugging ever-so-lightly as she opened her mouth to him.

"Come on." Karina grabbed his hand again and started to tug him out of the room, leaving the door open, to the room directly across the hall. That door remained open as well even as she fell back onto the mattress, hand clenched tightly in his T-shirt. "Make love to me. It's been so long."

Nodding, Murdock joined her on the bed. Clothes were removed with haste, but the touching, caressing, exploring, and re-familiarization of each other's bodies lasted much longer, neither wanting the moment to end sooner than it had to. Karina was shy about letting him see her under light due to the stretch marks over her breasts and the bottom of her stomach, but Murdock purposely took extra loving care in those areas, telling her how much more beautiful they made her. They were signs of how she had once sheltered a wonderful life inside her.

He also took the time to trace the faint white scars on her back, his lips trailing slowly down each mark that had been lashed against her skin all that time ago. No one would ever touch her or hurt her or generally go near her ever again.

Gasps and moans filled the room, declarations of love uttered between almost every other moan. They shattered blissfully in unison, but held on long after the tremors ceased.

Still panting somewhat harshly for breath, Karina scooted up along Murdock's naked chest to rest her head over his heart, her fingers twining through his chest hair. "It's funny," she said, "not even five minutes had passed after I learned about your trial on the news and you were knocking on my door."

Murdock chuckled as he lazily ran his fingers through her now-tangled hair. "I've always had good timing that way."

They lay there in comfortable silence, slowly starting to drift off, when the sound of a tiny cry echoed through the apartment. It was soon followed by louder, more insistent cries that nearly made Murdock's eardrums burst they were so high-pitched.

"She's hungry," Karina said as she stood. She grabbed her robe from where it lay, tossed haphazardly on the floor from earlier in the day, and pulled it closed around herself. "You go on to sleep. I'll go feed her. These early morning feedings she usually doesn't need much."

"Uh-uh. I wanna see this. Maybe when you're done I can...I can hold her?"

Karina smiled warmly at Murdock's obvious nervousness and uncertainty. She reached out to run the palm of her hand down his stubbled cheek. "Of course you can. Put your boxers on and leave your shirt off. Skin-to-skin contact is best for young infants. She can connect to you better that way."

Nodding, Murdock followed her into the nursery, watching with fascination as Karina flipped on a small light next to the bassinet before reaching in, cooing soft endearments as she picked Faith up. Murdock couldn't help laughing at how furious Faith seemed, her tiny face scrunched up and red as could be. But he had never seen anyone more beautiful.

Smiling, Karina took a seat in the rocker on the other side of the room, pulled the top half of her robe open, and pressed Faith to her breast. After several frustrating struggles, Faith finally seemed to latch on and the crying stopped.

"Does that hurt?" Murdock asked, twisting his hands as he continued to stand near the doorway, hesitant to venture any further.

"It felt weird at first, but...no. It still feels weird. And I get sore, but it's not really painful. Now, if she gets her teeth in while she's still nursing, that will be painful."

Comfortable silence descended over the room. After only about fifteen minutes, Faith pulled away and began to wriggle. Karina closed her robe as best as she could, grabbed a burpy cloth, and laid it and the baby over her shoulder. She stood to her feet as she gently patted Faith on the back, murmuring more nonsense words and bouncing her up and down until finally two little belches were heard.

Murdock began to get nervous again as Karina approached with the baby outstretched. "I...don't know if I'm ready."

"You never are until you actually hold them. Come on, baby. She wants to meet her daddy."

Those were the soothing cadence words Murdock needed to hear. Forcing himself to calm down before he gave himself an apoplexy, Murdock cautiously reached out and accepted the tiny squirming human bundle. Faith's eyes met his and every fear Murdock'd had vanished in an instant. Her eyes were wide and blue and she was looking at him without any fear of her own. As though sensing, as though just knowing instinctively, that he was her father. How did babies do that? How could they be so smart right off the bat?

"She's been waiting for you too," Karina mumbled sleepily as she pressed her face to Murdock's shoulder to stare down at their daughter.

Murdock giggled as Faith's mouth stretched wide in a yawn. "Why are you so tired?" he asked her. "I bet you've been sleeping all day, haven't you? I'll have you know I just got off a redeye flight not two hours ago. I should be more sleepy than you."

Faith turned her nose up at that and Karina and Murdock laughed, briefly startling Faith, who jumped and stared back at them as though they were the odd ones.

Murdock lifted Faith up to his face and pressed a long, loving kiss to her little smooth forehead. One of her hands touched the bottom of his chin and she seemed to jerk back in surprise, unused to rough stubble.

"Daddy has a hairy face," Karina told Faith. "You'll just have to get used to that. He's a big ole Sasquatch."

"Hey!" Murdock protested, though it held no vehemence.

"You wanna change her diaper?" Karina asked. "I've got to do that before she goes back in the crib."

"Um, what if I do it wrong?"

"That's how I felt. I still feel like I'm not doing it right. But she hasn't gotten diaper rash yet, so... Why don't you just watch me and then you can take the next one?"

"Okay. Seems fair."

Murdock was quiet for only a minute as he watched her expertly execute the removal and disposal of the used diaper. "I'm sorry I wasn't here."

Karina's head shot up. "You have nothing to be sorry for, James. How could you have known? I didn't know for a long time. And I certainly would have told you if I knew how it was people got in contact with you."

"I was planning on coming sooner than tonight, but things just got..."

"James. I know. I understand." Without taking her hand off of Faith's belly, Karina leaned up to kiss Murdock. "You're here now."

"And I'm stayin'. I ain't ever leavin' you ever again."

"That's what we like to hear."

"Wait till Face and them finds out about this. They'll go bonkers. Especially Bosco; grumpy mud-sucker he may be, but he's definitely got a soft spot for kids."

"Let me go first," Murdock instructed Karina the next day as he adjusted Faith in the baby Bjorn wrapped around his chest. "I have got to see the looks on the guys' faces as I saunter up with a baby."

Laughing, Karina readily agreed. "That's fine. I've got to grab her diaper bag anyhow."

Swooping in for a quick kiss, Murdock turned and walked to the outdoor restaurant patio where he could see Face, Hannibal, and B.A. waited at a six-person table, drinks and appetizers already in front of them.

"You started eatin' without us?" Murdock faked indignity as he stopped in front of the table, inwardly laughing at the stupefied expressions on all of their faces as they stared up at him. "That's so rude. I know we was runnin' late and all, but as you can see, we couldn't just pick up and go as quickly as we would have liked."

"Fool, whose baby did you steal?" B.A. demanded, the first to find to his voice. "I mean, what are you doing with a baby?"

Karina strolled up behind Murdock then and wrapped her left arm around his waist. "Baby's mine, Bosco." She and Murdock remained quiet for a minute, allowing the others to process that information. She watched in amusement as realization dawned and all of them began speaking at once.

"Murdock's a father?"

"You mean that crazy fool actually procreated?"

"Somehow, this doesn't surprise me. You were always meant to be together and the baby is solid proof of that."

Grinning, Murdock glanced down at Karina and leaned down to kiss her again.

Karina soon found herself being embraced first by B.A., then Hannibal, and lastly Face, who wasn't at all afraid to slip one hand down to squeeze her ass firmly. Murdock immediately pulled her away and glowered at his best friend.

"Mine," he murmured, grip tightening around Karina's waist.

All eyes returned to Faith, who was starting to stir against her father's chest.

"Boy or girl?" Hannibal asked, eyes suspiciously misty as he watched Faith squirm.

"Girl," Murdock replied, right arm clutching her close to himself. "Named Faith."

"How old is she?" B.A. asked, fingers itching at his sides to hold her. He'd always loved kids and despite who this little girl's father was, she would certainly be no exception.

"She just turned three months old last week," Karina informed them. "You wanna hold her? I can see that you do."

B.A. couldn't verbally respond, so he just nodded.

Carefully, Karina helped Murdock unstrap Faith, who squawked indignantly at being manhandled, and then she carried the still wriggling infant over to B.A., who gently took her into the cradle of his left arm. She was small anyway, but being in B.A.'s gargantuan embrace, she looked absolutely tiny.

An undignified giggle left B.A.'s lips when Faith huffed and just stared up at him, eyes wide and curious. He mumbled some baby words under his breath as he tickled her stomach, big grin spread across his face.

"Wow," Karina whispered. "B.A. felled by a girl weighing no more than nine pounds. Who would have thought it?"

"Me next," Face said. "Come on, B.A, stop hogging her."

Chuckling, Murdock turned to Karina. "You mean four former Rangers felled by a little girl."

Karina and Murdock took their seats as Faith was cautiously passed from one man to the next until she was finally back in Murdock's arms. He rocked her back and forth as he held her, pausing only to put in his food order, and then resumed, this time with song.

Halfway through their meal, Face's eyes shifted and he noticed, for the first time surprisingly, Karina's breasts pushing heavily against her tank top. Naturally, of course, they were bigger than they had been before, filled up with milk for Faith. He tried to turn his gaze away, but each time she shifted, more of her cleavage was exposed. Face had, at heart, always been a breast man.

Face jerked when he felt a hard kick to his shin. He looked up and caught Murdock's narrowed gaze. He just smirked in return and straightened up, but he forced himself to keep his gaze focused more on Faith than her mother's breasts.

"Are you guys staying here or planning on moving elsewhere?" Karina asked as they stood up from the table and headed for their separate cars.

"Oh, I think we'll stay here for awhile," Hannibal replied, grinning widely as his eyes fell on Faith. "You two may need a helping hand once in awhile."

Smiling brightly, Karina leaned up on her tiptoes to plant a chaste kiss on Hannibal's cheek. "I'd love for you guys to be here. I love you all." She pulled back to tilt her head questioningly. "But what about your lady friend?"

"Oh, Hannibal already has that worked out," Murdock replied. "He plans everything down to the last detail."

Hannibal's gaze flicked to Faith once more. "Well, not every detail, obviously. But my Sharon has already sold her condo and is moving out here into a small, one-story house with me. Face and B.A. will be staying in an apartment until they decide to move on."

"If we decide to move on," Face corrected him.

"What about jobs? Are you still going to help people?"

"We most certainly will, but nothing too violent-like. Especially now that Murdock has a daughter who will need him. Whatever jobs we do take, we will have to take that into consideration in determining what Murdock will be capable of doing for us."

"I'm glad. The world needs the A-Team."

They all parted once they reached their vehicles and once Faith was strapped into her car seat, Karina wrapped her arms around Murdock's waist and tilted her head back to peer into his lovely green eyes.

"I suppose you expect to be moving in with me then?" she teased, fingers scratching along the small of his back through his shirt.

"Well, I wasn't gonna push you that fast when I got here, but now that we have a child, it only makes sense, don't it?"

"As long as you continue not snoring at night, I suppose I can tolerate having you around permanently. It'll be nice to have someone to cook for me."

"Cheeky." Murdock grazed her lips with his own briefly. "I love you. Seriously."

Giggling, Karina caressed his cheeks with her palms. "I love you too. Seriously. Now let's go home."

Thank you for sticking with this story to the end and for putting up with any errors or unrealistic details that may have been in there along the way. I enjoyed writing this very much and hope everyone enjoyed reading it.