Coleen collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. From what seemed like far away, she heard a baby wail, and it brought her back to herself. "Caitlin!" she cried out, and felt her mother on one side bend close to her.

"She's crying, love. She's going to fight," Maura said softly, and Miriah squeezed her hand. It had been a long night, and just a few minutes ago, just before dawn, Coleen had pushed one last time and her baby was here. Coleen closed her eyes against the tears, but they came anyway. She was still trying to figure out what to ask when Mags brought her some juice and some pills.

"Here, hon. You did it, she's here!" Mags pushed the bed controls to sit her up and Coleen's hand shook when she tried to take the cup. Maura grasped it and guided the straw into her mouth, and the rush of sugar helped Coleen to focus on what her aunt was telling her. "Thanks to the Cathar DNA that you have, she was a little more developed than we had thought. She's just got some warm oxygen going to her right now, and some fluids. She opened her eyes for a few moments, but for now, she's stable and being well cared for. Okay?"

Coleen nodded, tremors racing over her body. Muscles she wasn't even sure she had shook with fatigue, and she fought to keep her eyes open. "I want to see her," she croaked out, her screams having taken her voice hours prior.

"You need to rest for a bit first," Mags said. "She's in the intensive care unit right now, and I can promise you, if any little thing changes, you'll hear about it." All Coleen could do was nod agreement, she had no energy to argue. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

Maura saw Mags face and took hope. "She's really holding her own?"

Mags nodded. "She's a Jorgan. Stubbornly refusing to relinquish anything." Maura grinned at that, and Miriah giggled. A peace settled over them then, and they left Coleen to rest.

Corso had spent the night in the lobby, and Aric had joined him there as labor had progressed. They had dozed off and on, and now the sisters found them sipping caf from the nurses station. Aric stood as they came out and related the news. "Caitlin. I love her already," he said. "When can we see her?"

Maura put her arm around her husband and explained what was happening with the baby. Corso pulled Miriah into his lap and rubbed small circles on her back. She was so tired she rested her head on his shoulder and yawned. "Let's get you home and in bed," Corso whispered.

"I normally really like it when you say that," she said with a smile, "but I'm sleepy."

"Then sleep you shall have," he said, standing with her in his arms. She put her feet on the floor, hugged the new grandparents, and they set off for home.

Lana had gotten a message from Corso late the evening before, and figured the boss would be trying to rest today, so she took her time going into the office. Nico had taken her to dinner at the cantina, and told her that he was with her on the adoption. We don't need to be married to give this child a good home, she thought, and smiled. If she could manage to get things done in an orderly fashion today, she was going to sign the adoption papers. She'd agreed to give the little girl some time to get used to the idea, and knew it wouldn't happen immediately, but she had hope. Caitlin, she mused. Beautiful name. I'll have to get down there sometime today, too, she thought. She had just turned her office light on when Nico caught up to her. He pulled her close for a kiss and when they had to breathe, she pulled back with a brilliant smile. "Now, I'm not complaining, but what did I do to deserve such a pleasant good morning?" she asked.

"We need to decide something," Nico responded. "If we're going to raise this child, she needs one place. We don't need two apartments, so we need to figure out the best place and move there." He looked at her anxiously for a few moments, and saw when the logic won out.

Lana nodded. "You're right. I know, you're right, but are you sure?" she asked.

Nico nodded. "My place is bigger, but it's pretty much a bachelor's apartment. Yours is prettier but the rooms are smaller."

"I like the idea of being closer to work," Lana said.

"Good," Nico grinned. "I'll get my ratty old stuff out, you can bring whatever you want, and we can decorate the child's room together." He hugged her then, and she felt joy suffuse her, her force aura flaring brightly. She decided that she'd just go over and sign the papers, then catch up to the quartermaster about moving furniture. He walked with her to the elevators. "Lana, thank you for letting me do this with you," he said softly, and saw her smile

"I couldn't do it without you." He kissed her cheek and let her go, watching her as she walked away, and probed his heart for doubts, finding none.

Miriah heard the priority alert on the holo and sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She had thrown on one of Corso's shirts, but nothing else, and slowly got up to answer the call. Corso slept on, and she briefly wondered if he was okay, finger combing her hair and then hitting the receive button. She was not surprised to find Vowrawn on her holo, but he was definitely surprised to see her.

"Commander, it seems I've called at an inopportune time," he said, but the interest in his eyes was unmistakable. "I wanted to tell you that I have the person responsible for the video that's been making the rounds in custody," he stared, but she laughed and he trailed off as she tossed her ebony mane, letting it land in waves around her shoulders.

"Emperor Vowrawn, I couldn't possibly care less what happens to them. In fact, I was telling Lana that I should send you a thanks. That video that you unearthed sent us more soldiers than we have room for," she replied, taking her bottom lip in her teeth and striking a pose that would have made Corso crazy. "I do believe that they're very interested in keeping me safe and happy."

"I...uh…you're welcome," he stammered out, and she turned half lidded eyes to his. Neither said anything for a moment, and Vowrawn seemed to shake himself a bit to focus.

"Here's another little bit of news for you." Miriah was suddenly the Commander again, her demeanor instantly one he recognized. "You may find some of your worlds a little poorer, as they've been instructed to forgo business with the Alliance. See that you help them out. We won't be." She had made her way to the transmission button and quietly clicked it, seeing Vowrawn's look of surprise as his image winked out. There, she thought. That ought to make him think a little. She giggled to herself and made her way back to Corso's side, wanting a little more sleep before she returned to the office and med center. As she drifted off to sleep, she briefly wondered where Lana had been that the call had been sent to her home, but she let it go when Corso pulled her close, his scent and warmth reassuring her and she relaxed again.

Aric dozed in a chair beside Coleen's bed. He'd gone down to see Caitlin, and laughed when she balled her little fists up and cried until one of the nurses swaddled her again. His arms ached to hold her, to smell her, and welcome her to the Alliance. All in good time, Mags had assured him, and he'd returned to Coleen's room. She had been sleeping most of the day, but he knew it was normal. He'd sent Maura home to rest a few hours ago, and when she returned to them both sleeping, she made her way down the hall to see if she could at least look at her new granddaughter. She saw Mags on her way back and hugged her fiercely.

"Mags, thank you so much for staying with us last night, you must be exhausted yourself," Maura said.

"I'm heading home, just wanted to let you know that Caitlin is definitely doing well. It should only be a few weeks until she's home with Coleen." Maura's face dropped.

"Weeks?" she said weakly, grabbing Magdalane's arm.

"Mo, she was very early. She still had a good bit of growing to do, and right now, she can't regulate her body temp, she can't suck for very long. Her lungs are good, which is encouraging, and she doesn't seem to have any issue with formula. But she needs to gain some weight and stay infection free for a bit. I'm guessing three to four weeks, if all goes well." Maura felt tears start and Mags just hugged her.

"Does Coleen know?" she asked, and Mags nodded.

"I spoke with her a little bit ago, when Aric had gone to see the baby," she said, leading Maura to a chair in the hallway. She was drying her eyes when she saw Theron, and noted how pale and thin he looked in the hospital bed.

"How's he doing?" she asked Mags and got a shrug.

"As well as expected. Not as good as Coleen, but not bad." Mags was reluctant to talk about her patients, and Theron was no exception. "Go, be with Coleen. She needs you now."

Maura nodded and stood, and met Aric as he came out of the room. He hugged her close, and she rocked with him, always more solid when they were together. "She's beautiful, isn't she," he whispered.

"Coleen or Caitlin?" she teased, but saw his face transform with love and happiness.

"Both," he replied, and hugged her again.

Torian nudged Caly, who was practically under him. "Sweetheart, your datapad is going nuts," he said softly. Caly sat up, dazed from sleep and absently reached out to grab it from the nightstand.

"Oh! Coleen had the baby. The rest are responses to the cookie video I posted yesterday," she said, and turned her surprised face to his. "Over four hundred!"

"Wow, my holo star wife," he teased, but kissed her upturned face. As usual, their innocent kisses turned torrid, and Caly let her datapad slide to the floor, still hearing the chime every few seconds. I don't care, she thought, as long as I have Torian, I've already got everything.

Miriah woke the second time to hear Corso in the shower, and decided to join him. She had just gotten to the door when he pulled her inside, taking his good morning kiss. When they parted, he grinned at her, his hands in her hair. She squirted liquid soap in her hands and proceeded to wash his chest, her fingers lazily following the contours of the muscle. She heard his breathing change as she wandered lower, and wasn't surprised when he pinned her to the back tile, bending to kiss her neck, their wet bodies sliding over each other. When they finally emerged and were wrapped in towels, Corso planted kisses on her neck as she combed her wet hair. "Did I hear you on the holo early this morning?" he asked, and saw her grin in the mirror.

"Yeah, Vowrawn woke me up, said exactly what Lana thought he'd say, too." She leaned back into him. "I thanked him for the new recruits, and told him he needed to supplement the planets he'd instructed to not trade with us." She shrugged, and he thought for a few minutes, sitting on the vanity bench with her.

"You just got out of bed and answered the holo?" he asked, and met her eyes in the mirror.

"I did. I finally flustered him," she said with a grin. "Don't worry, he saw only my head." Corso was still for a few moments, then lifted her hair and kissed her neck.

"Okay then, he's on my list," Corso teased, but in the back of his mind, he knew that Vowrawn would not go away so easily.

Lana finished with the paperwork, signing her name with a flourish and eagerly pressing her thumb against the datapad. The director of the facility smiled at her and told her to take her time. Lana entered the room she'd been in every day for three weeks now, and smiled as the little girl in the corner glanced over her shoulder and turned to look at her. Lana approached her and sat beside her on the floor. "What's your name?" she asked. The child looked past her, and Lana didn't miss the slight fear in her eyes that flickered there briefly.

With a voice both rough and soft, the child replied, "Tali" Lana could have wept then she was so happy but she didn't want to frighten her daughter.

"Well, Tali, my name is Lana." She waited a few seconds. "I've got something really special to tell you about." Lana waited and was rewarded with Tali's gaze. "I'd like it very much if you'd come to live with me. Your decision, of course, but I can promise that you'll have your own room and everything." Tali just stared at Lana, long minutes where hope faded by degrees in Lana's heart. Lana's smile dropped. "It's okay, Tali. You don't have..." her words were interrupted by the little girl's impact with her body, her frail arms around Lana's neck.

Coleen put on the protective gown and mask and washed her hands twice. She made her way shakily to the rocking chair beside the clear plastic world that held her baby. The nurse there took a blanket from the warmer and wrapped Caitlin up until only her tiny face showed, and placed the bundle in Coleen's waiting arms. The baby opened one eye at her mother, who immediately felt tears leak from her eyes. Keep fighting, love, Coleen thought, and cuddled the infant for as long as the nurse would let her before making her way back to her room, her heart so full of love that she fell asleep easily.