May 10, 2022
Looping her arm through his, she pulled him toward the swing set. "Come on, 'Los!" She looked back, a smile on her face as she pulled him around and pushed him into one of the swings. "Quit pouting and swing! You don't even have that big of a bruise, it's actually cute. You got hit by my sister... It's ok."
"I don't wanna swing..." He mumbled, poking his bottom lip out further. "I just wanna lay in the floor of your room and pout some more."
She grinned, rolling her eyes. "You shouldn't have started with her, I warned you... Now swing with me!" She sat down on the swing beside him. "I'm about to pop, I won't get to swing anymore once the baby comes."
"I'll get you a swing set and strap Carlos Jr onto my chest and you can swing to your heart explodes from so much happiness!" He looked at her, still pouting at her.
Roni just rolled her eyes. "She loves you... You just fucked with her too much. I told you to leave her alone. When Vee's girly time is here, it's no joke, she's mean as shit. Don't worry though, she hit Vic too... He asked her if he could get her a tampon and she decked him." She smiled at her best friend. "Come on, they have sno-cones! I'll get you a red and blue one."
"Sno-cones!?" Carlos looked at her. "I want all red… No blue. I take it back, I want red and pink. Red is cherry and pink is watermelon!"
She laughed, pulling him out of the swing. "Well come on, they might sell out if we don't hurry!" She looped her arm through his again, slowly rubbing her very round belly. "I think Im gonna get a blue raspberry, watermelon and green apple one."
"They better not run out… I'd be so sad!" He shook his head as they made their way towards the vendor. "Blue raspberry huh? Interesting."
Roni shook her head. "Don't even ask where that came from... You know I hate blue."
"The baby! He's already making flavor decisions! He's going to always have a blue mouth from eating all blue raspberry candy!" Carlos frowned. "He's rebelling against us already."
She laughed, rolling her eyes. "He's probably mad because you called him Carlos Jr... He knows that's not his name." She rolled her eyes again before looking at the vendor. "One red and pink, one blue, pink and green please." She smiled at the man as she reached in her back pocket for the money only for her hand to be slapped away from her pocket by Carlos. "What? I have to pay..."
"I'm not letting you pay for it… I got it." He pulled out his wallet and passed the man his cash. "Don't try that again. It'll always end with me paying! I'm always gonna treat you and who knows, maybe next time we'll be buying Carlos Jr. one."
The brunette beauty shook her head. "Quit it... I can pay for my own things, 'Los!"
"Not with me." He shrugged. "Just let me do this…"
She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm pregnant not broke, Carlos... I can buy my own two dollar sno-cone!" She shook her head, accepting the sno-cone from the vendor. "Thank you..." She turned to look at Carlos again, sticking her tongue out at him. "Thanks, 'Los." She kissed his cheek.
"Welcome." Carlos smiled. "Sno-cones were a good idea… I'm so smart."
She grinned, pulling him toward a row of slides. "Come on, come on... let's slide... If I can even fit in those things."
"You're still small enough for slides." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled. "If you weren't pregnant, I would challenge you a game of lava monster or something. I was king of that game, never touched the ground and never got touched by any monsters."
She looked back at him as she started laughing. "Seriously? You didn't ever play me though so..." The brunette took a bite of her sno-cone only to have it drop out of her mouth and hit her stomach. "What the hell? That was so mine!"
"It has it's own gravitational pull." Carlos covered his mouth. "It's amazing!"
Veronica rolled her eyes. "This is my sno-cone, not his! He didn't ask for his own! Shit, he just needs to stay in the womb... Asshole."
"Maybe he's gonna run away and wants to hoard snacks." The young man chuckled. "When I tried to run away, all I did was pack snacks and boxers."
"Two days til Vic's birthday, I have to hold off... He better not try to come out before the twelfth." Roni shook her head. "Vic will cry if he can't his birthday with the baby."
"That's so cute but I don't think babies just wait." Carlos started to climb up the slide only to slide back down. "You better have Vic talk to the kid about staying in the oven two more days."
The brunette shook her head. "I don't think that's an option anymore, 'Los..." She looked down at the puddle beneath her. "What a smartass..."
"Oh shit!" He tossed away his sno-cone and moved towards Roni. "Okay, okay. Stay calm, I'll get you to the hospital… What hospital? Let me call Hanna! She can meet us there with your bag! Okay, Carlos Jr. is on the way… You feeling pain yet?"
Roni continued to stare at the puddle on the ground. "I peed on myself... That's what that is... He's not trying to come out yet. I'm not ready for this!" She shook her head. "CARLOS... I'm not ready for this yet. I don't know what to do!"
"First off, just breathe." Carlos moved and scooped up the brunette. "We'll get you in the car and head to the hospital… You can do this, I'll be with you if you want me in the room. I'll coach you through this! We can do this, I have faith that your instincts will kick in."
The brunette groaned, burying her face in his neck. "Go to the nearest hospital, please, Los!" She shook her head again, starting to feel contractions. "Please call Daddy!"
"I'm going!" He loaded her into the passenger seat and buckled her seatbelt before pulling out his phone and pausing. "I need his number!" He got into the driver's seat and looked at the brunette. "Pass me your phone, I'll call him."
She shoved her purse at him. "It's in there somewhere... I need my Mom so bad right now! Why didn't anyone tell me labor was a bitch? This is ridiculous!" She shook her head, holding her belly. "He's an ass... this is not necessary, 'Los."
Carlos found the phone and scrolled through the contacts, locating Happy and hitting send. "Just breathe, I don't know. Someone told me that pressing on the lower back is supposed to help… Come on Hap, answer the phone!"
"Yeah, kid? I'm kind of busy right now." Hap's raspy voice flooded the speaker.
"It's Carlos! Roni is in labor right now! We're on the way to the hospital." He blurted out. "She wanted me to call you!"
"Son of a bitch... Did you call Hanna? Where are you now?"
"No, she is my next call… Um, we are halfway to the hospital. We're headed to Memorial because it's the closest." He looked at Roni and frowned.
Roni snatched the phone from the man beside and put it to her ear. "I'm having a fucking kid, why is this a two hour discussion? Drop everything and come help me... This is not cool!" She growled into the phone. "Are we joking right now? Meet us at the hospital!" She ended the call and handed the phone back to Carlos. "You have to make sure Vee and Vic are there too, 'Los! Please, please?"
"Yeah." He nodded and dialed Vee's number. "No time to talk, Roni's in labor… We're headed to Memorial, gotta go, see you there." He exhaled before making the same call to Vic. "Do you want me to call your mom so she can talk to you on the phone until she gets to the hospital?"
Roni turned and looked at him. "I'll love you until the end of time if you do that for me..." She nodded her head, inhaling a deep breath.
"Hanna it is." Carlos glanced down at the phone and called Roni's mom. "Hey mom! It's Carlos! Roni is in labor and she wants you to talk to her right now!" He passed the phone to the brunette and smiled.
"What? Carlos? Oh god... I'm in Charming. Babe, Veronica, baby?"
"Mom! Why didn't you tell me it would hurt so damn bad?" Roni groaned and shook her head. "I need you with me mom."
"Ok, I'm on my way, your Daddy just called me. Where are you going? I'll be right there..."
"Memorial because it's the closest to where we were." The brunette shook her head and gritted her teeth through another contraction. "I'm never doing this again."
"You're fine, baby, just breath, don't try to suppress the contractions, it'll hurt more. Just breath through them. I'm on my way... Uncle Koz is bringing your brother and sister. Can you try to hold off until I get there?"
"I don't know, this kid has plans of his own." Roni shook her head, trying to breathe through another contraction. "I'll try to though, for you."
"That's fine, Ron, just take it easy... You're fine, he's not going to kill you. He just wants to be born. Wants to meet you. Where are you at now?"
"We just pulled up in front of the hospital." She sighed. "Please get here soon, I can't do this without you."
"You won't have to, my love." Hanna was suddenly pulling the door open and holding her hands out for her daughter. "Come on, Daddy's here too, come on."
Roni grabbed her mom's hands and smiled as she was helped out of the car. "You guys got here fast… Speeding?"
"He picked me up at the clubhouse on the Dyna... Drove like a damn maniac to get here. He wasn't going to let you do this alone..." Hanna pulled Carlos to her. "Carry her, please. Your Daddy's inside, getting you checked in. It's all ok, my love."
Carlos nodded and picked Roni up. "Let's go… Carlos Jr. wants to make an appearance!"
Hanna followed after the pair. "Did you just say Carlos Jr.? That's what you picked out for the baby, Veronica?"
Roni shook her head. "NO! That's what he picked out! I told him I'm not naming him that."
"Hap! Hi, we need a damn wheelchair." Hanna sighed. "She's hurting bad, where's her room?"
Hap pointed to the ceiling. "Maternity ward. 26- something... Sit her down and lets get upstairs." He kissed his daughter's head when he got close to her. "I was real busy, Ron, you have the worst timing."
"Me?" Roni shook her head. "Tell the baby that! I was trying to hold off until Vic's birthday."
Hap laughed as he walked beside the wheelchair, holding her hand. "I can't yell at the baby, only you. You been around long enough for it... He's fresh to life, I can't just start yelling at him instantaneously."
"I'll kill ya if you yell at that baby for interrupting your day... He's bored, leave him alone. Much like how all your kids got here... Stubborn asses were bored, didn't see you yelling at them so you won't yell at this one." Hanna shook her head. "Well Carlos... guess this isn't what you had in mind for the day, huh?"
"Nope. This is much more exciting than sno-cones in the park." Carlos smiled and shrugged.
Roni looked back, a glare on her face. "You birth him out then! He's bound to be a hundred pounds, the fatass ate everything. Including my sno-cone!"
"That was funny. She took a bite and it fell right out of her mouth and hit her belly." The young man chuckled. "I'm glad I was there for that."
Happy cocked an eyebrow at his daughter. "So your kid that's unborn stole your sno-cone and now he's trying to make his appearance? Interesting... Very interesting. Maybe the sno-cone was that good, huh?" He helped her out of the wheelchair and onto the bed. "Yoou know ya gotta get outta those clothes, right?" He grinned, grabbing Carlos. "Come on, kid, let's go wait for Vee and Vic. Don't have any kids without me, Veronica!"
"I wanted to stay in there with her." Carlos looked at Happy and frowned.
He shrugged. "She's gettin' undressed, you don't need to stay that bad."
"I know but still… I feel bad leaving her." He shrugged.
Happy rolled his eyes. "You think I wanna leave her? That's my kid in there, having her own kid. I don't wanna leave her but she'd kill me if I tried to stay while she's gotta change so we're taking a walk... You thought about how things are gonna be when she has the baby?"
"I thought about it some. I know it's gonna be difficult but I told her I'd help her with the baby whenever she needs me to." Carlos smiled. "I'm pretty good with babies, I'm basically a baby whisperer."
Happy nodded again. "What are you go and tell her that for? You don't have to do that, there's no obligations there..."
"I know that I don't have to do it… I want to do it." The young man shrugged. "She's my best friend, I'm loyal to her and now I'm going to be loyal to her child. Even if people tell me they're not my responsibility. I want to help her when I can."
The older man nodded his head. "All you had to say was you love her and I'd understand it..." He smirked as he looked away from the young man.
"That obvious huh?" Carlos shook his head.
Happy shook his head. "Only to me and my better half, but that's because we watch any and everything. We see it miles away."
"Well, I'm glad you two know. It's a relief." He shrugged.
He shrugged, eyeing the nurse's station. "She feels the same, by the way." He heard his name and he turned to see his wife standing by Roni's hospital room. "What's wrong? She ok?" He moved to her quickly.
"She's fine... Asking for Carlos. Wants you too but only if you'll hold her hand." Hanna shrugged. "Wants to be held so you can pick which does what... They've got the monitors hooked up, she's at about five... Halfway there. Have you heard from Kozik yet?"
Happy nodded. "Not yet, I'm hoping he's close though." He started towards Hanna before looking back and grabbing Carlos. "Smile, you get to go back in there with her kid."
"What'd you say to him, Happy?" Hanna grabbed Happy by his kutte and jerked him backwards. "What happened to him?"
"I had a talk about how Roni may have the same feelings he has… He's letting it all sink in." Happy smirked. "It'll be fine, let him be in there and play dad. It'll make his day."
Hanna hit his chest. "You're an ass, go call Kozik, I'll go cuddle with your daughter, asshole." She shook her head as she walked back into the room and closed the door. "Ok baby, they can't give you any medicine right now but it's coming. You just need to be a little further into labor." Hanna sat down beside her daughter, pulling her close. "Your siblings should be here shortly to aggravate the shit out of you..."
"I can't believe you went through this shit three times." Roni shook her head. "It fucking sucks."
Hanna laughed, shrugging. "After you, I never wanted to do it again but I wasn't left with any other options when Vee came around and then we really slipped up with your brother... He was definitely going to be the last... he was a painful little bastard."
"I'm never doing this again… It's horrible." She groaned. "He's being mean now, he slowed down."
The blonde shrugged. "Your daddy got you three out, you were like clinging to me and he talked to you and poked at you... He aggravated the hell out of you. He was more anxious though. You are just cussing at him, he doesn't want to come out in this environment. He knows you're aggravated though... Carlos Jr., huh?" He glanced at Carlos and grinned. "Very original, baby."
"I have visions of him and I floating around in the pool eating ice cream… I had to name him Carlos Jr. Plus, it reminds me of my favorite burger place, Carl's Jr." Carlos smiled. "He'll come out Roni... I'll get him out." He rubbed on her stomach.
Roni laughed, shaking her head as Carlos moved to lay beside her. "I'm not naming him Carlos Jr... That's so not gonna be his name." She shook her head again, watching Happy walk back into the room with Vee and Vic. "Tell them I need a bigger bed, there's not enough room for everyone. I need everyone to lay with me."
"Name him Victor the Great." Vic smirked at his sister as he sat on the bed next to her. "It'll fit."
Hanna shook her head. "No, she already has the name picked out... I think it's great so hush." She flicked her son's head and she made her way to her husband was standing by the door with Kozik. "Tell Jackson the club needs to be out of commission for a week." She looked back to see Roni wincing in pain, holding onto Carlos' hands as if her life depended on it. "He's doingg pretty good for a best friend..."
"Yeah, a best friend." Happy smirked. "I'll put in the call, hopefully he will have some sense and let us have a week off." He shrugged.
Vic stood up and moved to the couch by the windows. "How long does this normally take?"
"A few hours, sometimes a day or in strange cases even longer." Vee shrugged and looked at Vic. "We're going to be here for a while, I think our nephew might be a little stubborn."
Hanna watched her pregnant daughter carefully. "Go get her some ice chips and a couple popsicles... Get her the grape kind if that's the last resort. Otherwise, go for cherry." The blonde pushed Kozik toward the couch. "Call Juice, he'd hate to not be here for this." She walked back to the bed. "Daddy went to get you some ice and popsicles... I know you're starting to get really hot."
"You're not gonna make Carlos leave, are you?" The brunette beauty looked up at her mother and sighed. "Please, don't, I need him here."
The blonde shook her head. "No, if you want him here. He can stay with you."
"Good... I really really don't want him to go." She murmured, covering her face as she felt another contraction course through her. "This is such a bitch!"
"Man, I wish I knew a good pregnancy joke right now." Carlos rubbed Roni's lower back and sighed. "You're doing good though."
Hanna smiled, sitting at the edge of the bed. "You are, baby, just listen to him. He may be goofy but he's telling the truth... You just gotta keep breathing and relax a little. The baby will be here in no time."
"Hey, Ron, can we record this and put it on youtube? Birth is awesome!" Vic grinned, moving to stand beside the bed, looking down at his sister.
"If you record this, I will kill you." Roni looked up at her brother. "I'm serious Vic!"
He groaned. "We could make some serious money though... You birthing out a watermelon would be awesome!"
"Someone kill him right now!" The brunette shook her head. "All he cares about is money."
"Money's good, Small Fry... Money is the best creation." Kozik chimed into the conversation, shrugging his shoulders when Hanna looked back at him.
Vic shook his head, holding his hand up. "I think you're confusing money with me... I'm the best creation. Just ask Mama." He grinned, finding his way into his mother's lap. "I'll be your best friend and maybe even wash your cars if you let me record the birth."
"Your sister doesn't want it recorded right now… Maybe she'll change her mind but until then, just let her be." Hanna shook her head.
"I hate you so much, go sit over there." Roni groaned, shaking her head as she reached around and pulled Carlos closer to her. "Will you rub my belly?"
Carlos nodded and started to rub her belly slowly. "This is the last time you'll have a belly for me to rub… I'll no longer have a pregnant best friend but a hot mom best friend. I'm excited."
"Are you gonna motivate me to go to the gym for life and look like her? I need to look as good as Mom does." She whined, turning her head a little. "Look at her, please... She had three kids and looks like that. I need that type of motivation." She laughed as Carlos eagerly nodded. "Mama... you need to know something about 'Los..."
"Uh oh, what do I need to know about him?" Hanna irked an eyebrow at her daughter.
Roni looked back and grinned. "He thinks you're super hot..." She laughed, feeling him poke her stomach. "What? You do..."
"Yeah but you weren't supposed to tell her that… Awkward." Carlos rested his chin on Roni's arm. "Just for that, I'm so gonna kick your ass in the gym. No mercy."
Hanna laughed, shaking her head. "Thanks, Carlos..." She stood up and moved to the door when Happy walked back in. "I talked to Jax, he called Kozik... He said to give him a call soon so he can figure out some things. He'll be up here soon." She kissed his cheek. "What the hell took you so long anyway?"
"I made a pit stop." Happy shrugged. "She any closer yet? You know I'm impatient."
Hanna shook her head. "To where? Jerusalem? No she's not, but your son is trying to record the birth. Get him some sense."
"Maybe." He smirked. "You think we can put him back in the nursery and let another family take him home?"
The blonde rolled her eyes. "Hand over the drink... You're so inconsiderate. Maybe I wanted something, ya ass." She laughed, shaking her head. "Not a chance... Look at that kid, way too handsome for any family around here. Plus they'd all know he's yours. Ya can't deny him at all."
"Drink? What drink?" Happy shook his head. "They don't need to see me, you can put him in there… Say the dad changed his mind about keeping it." He shrugged. "We can call him an it right? He's old enough."
Her hands landed on his hips and she dug her nails into his skin. "In your damn kutte, shithead. Hand it here." She smirked, shaking her head. "I kind of like him though, he's fun."
"That's abuse!" He grinned. "Fine, don't drink it all though… He's alright, I think he's going to be a major pain in the ass for at least another decade. If he ever starts dating, I'm going to feel bad for the girl… Carlos is doing a good job keeping her calm. He should have a drink too."
Hanna rolled her eyes. "It's not abuse any other time... Normally, it's something totally different." She shrugged. "Leave it to me and I'll make sure he never has a girlfriend. Doesn't need one anyway, they're all troublemakers." She looked back and smiled at the couple in the bed. "Don't give him anything unless it's water."
"You're roughing me up for a drink. It's abuse." Happy shook his head. "Yes, no girlfriends for him. I will give him a drink after the baby is here."
The blonde beauty shrugged. "I used to be nice then I married some asshole, he taught me to be like this." She kissed his cheek as she moved back to the bed. "Here, baby, have this... These will definitely be your new best friends for a little."
Roni nodded. "This is going to help?"
"He won't like the cold... Eat them by the dozen and he'll think it'll be better out here. Just eat them." Hanna shook her head. "I've been through this a few times, I'd think I'd know a thing or two about labor and children..."
The brunette nodded and smiled. "Thanks mom. That'll explain why he decided to make an appearance while I was having a sno-cone." She started opening one of the popsicles. "Alright kid, let's move it along. I really wanna meet you."
"He's warm in there, why else does he bunch up in a little ball when you eat cold stuff? He does not like cold at all, baby..." Hanna took the plastic wrapper and handed it to Happy. "Go get the nurse when she finishes this, Hap... She might be at a new number."
Happy nodded, looking up at his son with his phone in his hand. "Put it up, Victor Lowman... I'm gonna kick your ass, boy!"
"I'm just trying to document history! This is the fourth generation of Lowman being born! The world should see this." Vic shrugged and smirked.
Happy snatched the phone from his son, handing it to Hanna. "You're a little shit, ya know that? Sit there and shut up." Happy eyed Vee before smirking. "Kick his ass if he tries to get yours, ya hear me?"
"Daddy!" Veronica groaned pushing Carlos away from her. "Make him lay with me, 'Los... Please."
Carlos shrugged and moved off the bed, watching Happy take his place. "Didn't even have to say anything to get him to do that… That's love."
"What's wrong, kid?" He asked quietly, holding her close to him. "Still hurting bad?"
"Yeah." She nodded her head. "I'm also really nervous about it."
Happy nodded, rubbing his daughter's back. "You'll be fine, Ron, I won't let nothin' happen to you, promise."
"I know. I love you daddy." Veronica looked back and smiled at her dad.
He smiled, nodding his head. "Don't get soft of me now, Ron, just having a baby. You're gonna be fine, I'll be here the entire time."
"Baby, I gotta take your daddy for a minute... They need to check you out, see what's going on." Hanna leaned down, pushing the hair out of her daughter's face. "Roll over, baby."
"I hope I'm ready. I just want to meet my son already." The brunette scrunched up her face in pain as she rolled over onto her back.
Happy grabbed her hands and helped the brunette sit up. "If he's not ready then make Carlos dress up like a baby and pretend to be one for a little bit... Give him a diaper and all."
"Ok Ms. Lowman, we can at least say you're getting there. You can get the epidural if you want or if not, then that's ok. It's all up to you." The nurse smiled at Roni as she nodded. "Dr. Green will be in shortly to give it to you then..."
"How fast does it work?" Roni looked between the nurse and her mom. "Super fast, right?"
Hanna shrugged. "It differs, baby... Give it maybe thirty minutes, maybe shorter."
"Hopefully within two minutes..." Vee mumbled, leaning on Kozik's shoulder. "She's vicious..."
"You'd be exactly the same if you were in that position." Kozik looked at Vee. "Be nice."
Vic jumped up and moved to Carlos. "Are you gonna be there to catch him when Roni shoots him out?" He grinned at the older guy. "That's gonna be quite a vision, gotta be."
"They don't just come flying out." Carlos shook his head. "It's more of a pushing him out until the nurse and doctor can pull him the rest of the way out…"
"Well that's boring... Really boring! I was hoping for something more fun." Vic grumbled, shaking his head.
The door opened and Jax, Natalie, Juice and Tig walked in. Natalie hugged Hanna before moving to Roni. "Hey sweetheart, how ya holdin' up?"
"I'm surviving. Thankful for having a somewhat high pain tolerance." Roni offered the woman a small smile.
"Who's gonna be in the room when we do this? Only a select few can be in here when we give you the good stuff then when you start pushing... Who's it gonna be, babe?" Natalie started to pull on the blue scrubs, letting Hanna put the cap on her head. "I hate these things..."
Roni shrugged, looking to Hanna and Happy for answers. "I guess they'll be in here." She looked at Carlos. "Stay if you want to, I don't mind..."
Carlos smiled. "Of course I wanna stay in here with you."
"You sure, boy? I barely wanted to stay with her.. She's mean as hell for more than half of the labors. But let just tell you Roni is worse... You completely sure you wanna witness this?" Happy smirked at the boy beside him.
The young man nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. Wouldn't leave her side for a damn thing."
"Where the hell was he when I needed someone at my side?" Hanna shook her head. "I cursed him out more than half the time. I was right to... It's his fault I was in those predicaments."
Happy shook his head, pushing his brothers out of the room before looking back at his youngest kids. "Nah, you wanted them... I just helped ya out." He wrapped his arm around Vee's shoulders. "Come on, let's go wake up all the babies in the nursery." He grinned at her and Vic.
"One look at your face and the babies will be screaming with terror." Vee stuck her tongue out at her brother.
Happy grinned, pulling Vee closer to him. "At least I raised one of them right! I'll be back in a minute, kid, don't do anything fun with me, Ron." He led his kids out of the room, smirking at his wife.
"Ok, Roni, you're gonna feel a slight pinch, but you'll be fine... It's just me feeling for the baby, making sure he's not upside down. Then we're gonna give you the good stuff if all is here there. Ok?" Natalie smiled as she sat down on the small black chair.
"Alright." Roni nodded as she held her mom's hand. "He better not be upside down."
Hanna shrugged, smiling at daughter. "Eat another popsicle... He might not be liking them too much, baby." She looked up at Natalie. "What's goin on? What's he doing?"
"If she wants those drugs, we need to put them in now... She's close to eight. I'll give it to her in her IV then give it about twenty minutes and she'll be ready to start pushing. Are you good with that, Roni?" Natalie took off her gloves and threw them into the trash, walking to the counter where the syringe was. "I'm gonna get Happy real quick then you'll get the shot, ok?"
"Yeah, ok." Roni exhaled. "Twenty minutes and then I'll be pushing? That's pretty damn quick. He really does hate all this cold."
Hanna laughed. "He's ready to be born... He's had enough of that cramped space, baby..." She kissed Roni's head. "Hey, Carlos, baby, why don't you go see what's taking Happy so long?"
"Alright." Carlos nodded and dropped Roni's hand before moving out of the room.
"Is he gonna cut the cord and help clean up the baby too, Veronica? He seems to have taken on quite a role here..." Hanna eyed her daughter carefully.
"I don't know." Roni shrugged. "I didn't ask him to do any of this, he just wants to do it all…"
Hanna shook her head. "Well maybe you should discuss it before you get those drugs... It's big stuff to do, baby..."
"I want him to do it… I just don't want it to seem like I'm trying to have Carlos replace Mason's memory. Does that make sense? I love that Carlos is excited and wants to help but I don't wanna get swept up and disrespect my son's father." The brunette sighed.
Hanna nodded her head, grabbing Roni's phone and tapping to home button to turn it on. "Just like this picture and all the others, he can only be replaced, if you replace him. Just because Carlos does all these things, doesn't mean he's replacing Mason, baby. I promise."
Roni nodded. "Yeah. I know. I'll never replace him."
"Then it's ok if you want Carlos to be here for all this... He's your best friend and he means a lot to you. It's ok if he's an active person in the baby's life, too." Hanna looked up at the sound of the door opening to see her husband, Natalie and Carlos walking back in the room.
"Veronica, I found your dad!" Carlos swaggered over to the brunette and smiled. "He was scaring patients." He chuckled.
"Happy!" Hanna shook her head. "Could you not?" She kissed Roni's head. "You ready, my love?"
"Yes, I'm ready." Roni nodded. "Drug me up and then let's get this boy out of me."
Natalie grabbed the syringe again and walked to the IV bag. "Ok, Roni, this is it, babe, after this, you won't feel much."
"I'm so ready to feel numb and fuzzy." Roni smiled. "My son will be here soon, I got my family here with me. It's perfect." She squeezed Hanna's hand and smiled at Carlos.
Ten minutes passed and Roni had Carlos laying with her, working through contractions as he rubbed her belly. "He's gonna be here for every little thing..." Hanna murmured to her husband as they sat on the couch. "She said that's what she wants."
"I figured as much." Happy nodded. "At least he wants it just as much as she does."
Hanna shrugged. "They're gonna mess up, Hap... That baby is gonna grow up thinking Carlos is his daddy..."
"I'm pretty sure Veronica will tell her son about Mason but I don't think it'll be too bad for him to look up to Carlos as a father figure… He's not a bad guy." He shook his head. "What would be the situation if she had never met Carlos?"
Hanna shook her head. "No, I'm not saying it'd be a bad thing or he's a bad guy. He's great, especially with her... But she doesn't want Mason's memory to be replaced or anything." She looked at Happy and shrugged. "It'd just be us with her, doing this with her. You'd be in his place, but that's what your job is. Being there for her and Victoria and Victor when they need you."
Happy nodded. "I'll be there when she needs me. So far she's been switching off between the two of us." He looked at his wife and shrugged. "She can't replace his memory even if she tried to. He'll always be in her thoughts and heart. I hate to admit this out loud but Carlos is good for her."
"She can't make up her mind... And that's ok. It's good to have options like this. Sometimes she needs him, sometimes she needs her daddy." Hanna nodded, moving Happy's arm and scooting closer to him. "Are you ready to be a grandpa, old man?"
"Only a matter of time until she's asking for me again." He smiled. "Yeah, are you ready to be a grandma?"
Hanna shook her head. "You're a good father, baby... They're some lucky kids." She smiled, shrugging. "Do I look like a damn grandma to you? I don't think so, smartass."
"No, you look like you're still in your college days." Happy smirked. "How are you about to be a grandma, let alone a mom of three kids?"
Hanna laughed, eyeing her daughter. "Remember all that tequila you'd never let me have because you're stingy? Yeah, that's why I look so good. I'm not a tequila whore like you." She smirked at him. "Don't worry baby, you're still handsome as ever. I stick around for some damn reason."
"So, you're saying I look old because I drink tequila?" Happy pouted. "I see how it is… I think I need a bottle of tequila right now! My wife thinks I'm old but handsome!"
Hanna laughed, shaking her head. "You're gonna be forty-seven, getting old, baby." She grinned but stood up from her spot as Natalie walked back in. "She's ok... Been cuddling with him since you left."
"Natalie, when you're done here. Take my wife to the psych ward because she thinks I'm getting old when I'm just getting better." Happy shook his head. "I'm gonna go be old by myself in the corner."
The brunette shrugged. "Hap, ya know now that ya mention it, is that white and gray stubble?" She smirked at him as she sat back down on the chair.
SOA
"That's gonna be one chunky ass kid, you know that right?" Happy grinned at his daughter as he ran a hand over the baby boy's head full of dark hair. "What's with those blue eyes? That's not very Lowman of him."
"Shush." Roni smiled. "I love his blue eyes. They're gorgeous."
Hanna slapped Happy. "Nothing is wrong with his blue eyes... He's beautiful."
"Please tell us his name already." Vee smiled at her sister. "We're tired of hearing Carlos call him Carlos Jr."
Veronica looked up and smiled. "Vincent Mason Catalano." She looked at the baby again and shrugged. "Vin..."
"Vin and Vic." Vic smiled. "Perfect, my little partner in crime."
Hanna shook her head. "Oh no... You are not allowed to get him into any of your trouble, Victor, he's good. Don't corrupt him." She kissed her son's head once she pulled him to her.
"Shhh, Ma!" Vic shook his head. "Don't call me by that name in front of him… I'm Vic around him."
Roni laughed, kicking at Vic's stomach. "If he wants to call you Victor then he most certainly can... He can do whatever he wants."
"Man." Vic frowned. "Vin, you and me are gonna be thick as thieves… If you call me Victor though, I'll have to call you Vincent." He smirked down at the newborn.
Roni slowly passed the baby to her little brother, watching them closely as her eyes searched for Carlos. "Be careful with him... He's little."
"I'm not gonna drop him Ron." He smiled. "I gotta protect him, always."
Happy grinned, pulling Hanna to him. "Chunky ass baby, you know that?"
"Yeah, he's absolutely perfect." Hanna smiled. "I think Carlos added those few extra pounds, he was always eating and trying to feed Roni."
Vic slowly passed the baby to Vee and shook his head. "Can we talk about how he looks nothing like Ron? Like there's nothing there..."
"This is the one time the Lowman genes didn't triumph." Vee smiled down at her nephew. "He's still handsome, even if he looks like his daddy… Hi Vinny."
Roni looked at Carlos and smiled at him. "You're so quiet... I don't think I've ever seen you this quiet... Kind of freaking out right now."
"Why?" Carlos looked at her. "I'm just letting everything sink in… You just had a kid, you're a mom. I just got another best friend." He smiled at her before kissing her forehead. "I'm proud of you Veronica… I'm also proud of me for not fainting."
She laughed, shrugging. "I don't know, just never see you quiet... You always have something to say. But it's cute, I'm glad you were here." She kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Carlos."
"Oh I have a whole lot to say." He chuckled. "Anytime… I told you before, I'm gonna be here whenever you and Vin need me."
The brunette nodded her head. "This mean you're gonna cuddle in his crib with him when I put him to sleep?" She grinned, watching him sit down beside her. She looked back at Vee to see her sister handing the baby boy back to Hanna.
"Yeah, if I can fit in the crib with him, I'll cuddle with him." Carlos smiled. "Baby Vin is my newest best friend, if you ever need help putting him to sleep and no one else can do it, don't ever hesitate to ask me. Alright Roni?"
The brunette nodded. "Mama, Carlos is moving in... We'll just go ahead and set that up now." She leaned on the man beside her and grinned.
"Carlos is doing what now?" Happy poked Roni's cheek. "Look at me kid."
Roni shrugged. "He's gonna move in, it's only fair. Saves a lot of trips back home too." She nodded. "We can share my room, right 'Los?"
"Um." Carlos looked at Happy before looking back at Roni. "That'd be convenient but I don't wanna impose or move in without your parents inviting me to do so."
Roni looked at Happy before turning her attention on Hanna. "Seriously? You guys would actually care?" She shook her head.
"Probably... A little..." Hanna shrugged, shaking her head. "Is this a serious conversation?"
Carlos shrugged. "I guess it is." He looked to Roni and smirked.
"Do we get a say so in this?" Vic inquired, taking Vincent out of Hanna's arms. "My nephew, not yours." He stuck his tongue out at his mother.
"Why would you have a say in who moves into my room?" Roni looked at her little brother.
Hanna popped Vic's cheek. "Do not... I will cut it out." She shook her head. "Is this a conversation we need to have alone? Or can you and Victoria contain yourselves?"
"I don't care if he moves in, as long as I still get to keep my room." Vee shrugged, laying down on Roni's lap.
Happy grabbed Hanna's chin and turned her to look at him. "This is not up for discussion... He moves in, she could end up pregnant again. No." He whispered as he pulled her to the opposite side of the room. "No."
"I'm not even dealing with this foolishness." Hanna shook her head. "Hap, she won't end up pregnant again. If you don't think they should live together, then we'll tell them civilly."
He shook his head. "I trust him but I don't trust him enough to keep my baby from harm's way yet. That takes time. If she wants to move in though, let's give it a trial run..."
The blonde smiled. "Alright, I'm down for a trial run."
"He better not get in my way of you though. I'll kick his ass." He grinned as he kissed her lips before pulling her back to the hospital bed. "You can stay the first couple of nights, if all goes well then you're welcome to move in... Sound good to you two?"
Roni nodded her head, smiling. "Yeah... It does!"
SOA
"What are you talking about? A sentence?" Happy eyed his brothers as he stood in the waiting room.
Jax slowly nodded his head. "Apparently there was a fucking witness... Naming us. Had the entire story of that event. Even named off Mason."
"Well fuck us. What's Rosen saying?" Happy shook his head. "This is just great. Fuckin' kid has his baby and now you guys are going down for the revenge of his death." The man stood up, moving away from his brothers. "What can I do?"
Opie shook his head. "Nothing, you can't do anything... Just go back in there to your family, man. Don't try to get involved in this, Hap..."
"Yeah, Opie's right. You can't try to make anything right here. Let us do this shit. If you or that handiwork even shows up on the radar, they'll take you down too and Hanna will sneak into Stockton and kill you just for not coming home." Jax shook his head, a faint smiling appearing on his face. "We know you'd only be trying to help but we need you to sit this out with the rest of the guys..."
Happy slowly nodded his head. "Alright, alright... I hear you guys." He stood at the sight of his wife. "Damn, she's like Satan. Say her name and she appears." He grinned as he stood up and started to move to her. "Let me know anything ya can. Jax I'm serious."
AN: On a serious note... I'm going to stop updating the story if I don't start getting more feedback/support.