Almost a year ago Jeffery was standing in the exact same spot also trying to prepare himself to comfort a different woman giving birth. Eleven months prior his daughter was minutes away from giving birth to Max and he was wondering how to ease her into a premature birth while the man she loved was missing in action. Today he was trying to figure out his place beside his ex-girlfriend as she gave birth to their son as her new love sat beside them. Although the three of them would be in the delivery room he knew it was a concession that neither Reva or Josh particularly wanted to make. It was his child but he felt as if he were an interruption to their lifelong love affair. Having Mel was the only thing that kept the situation bearable for Jeffery. Things were simple now but after today his life was going to get unbelievably complicated. Reva seemed to agree that he deserved equal access to the baby but how would that work in real life. Weekend visitations with a five day old infant did not seem like a feasible plan but how else was he going to make a lasting imprint on his son. Jeffery took a deep breath as he tried to push this thought to the back of his mind. Witnessing the birth of his second child was one thing that he needed to be in the moment for and all other worries would have to wait. As he pushed open the door he was again confronted with his apparent displacement in his new family.

Reva was lying in the bed with her eyes closed moaning as she gripped Josh's hand. The other man was wiping her brow with a wet cloth and whispering soft words into her ear. That should be his job. By right he should be the one to help her through this time Jeffery thought but then just as suddenly thought of Mel and was conflicted. Reva was the first woman that he ever had a mature relationship with and he could not help but feel disappointed how everything ended. She left him in the middle of the night for a long ago childhood sin without ever trying to accept that he'd changed. Yet he knew that regardless of the reasons what they shared would have never lasted. Reva loved Josh and they had been drawn together for as long as either could remember. Jeffery's love would not have changed that. But aside from the disappointment he felt no bitterness because of his new life with Mel. Mel, who accepted an impossible situation but who he would not have ever won had he not gone through the humbling loss.

"Could you please come in the damn door and stop looking at me like that!" Reva barked still without opening her eyes. Josh looked up in in relief and grinned.

"Its good that you're here. Reva's been looking forward to cursing you since the contractions started ten minutes ago." Jeffery spent the next two hours making snack runs for Josh and ice runs for Reva all the while wondering how he could convince not to come to the hospital first thing in the morning. They had been at the local movie theater catching the latest thriller when his cell phone went off. In quick succession both Reva's and Josh's numbers flashed across his Iphone. He didn't waste time returning the call once he got the text message of the dancing baby and went straight to the hospital.

He and Mel had gone out to celebrate getting their client's coerced confession tossed out of court. It had been weeks since they'd just had an evening to themselves to relax and enjoy each other. Work had been hectic as usual and then there was the stress of expecting the baby at any moment. As a result they had stayed as close as possible to work or home. But tonight an innocent man might be granted freedom and a dinner and a movie seemed the perfect way to acknowledge that.

A young couple was buying tickets as Mel and he tried to decide which movie to see when he was jabbed from behind. Turning around expecting to hear an excuse from a clumsy teenager Jeffery was surprised to be confronted by a mask of anger. "Found another woman to fall for your lies I see" Stephanie said with evident malice in her voice. Springfield was a very small town but Jeffery had somehow been able to avoid having any conversations with the courthouse clerk and his former date. The firm's paralegal did most of the filing and communications necessary to his cases. His busy schedule severely limited his interactions with the community so of course the moment he decided to get out he would run into her. "I guess somethings never change" she went on to say.

The eyes of the man Jeffery assumed was her date were stretched wide with shock. He was silent and kept swiveling his head between Stephanie and Jeffery trying to decide what the appropriate action would be. The line behind them and the people staying at the counters were engrossed in the unfolding drama. Mel was surprisingly sedate that is until the younger woman made the mistake of shoving Jeffery again calling him a "conniving son of a bitch." Then Mel pulled Jeffery behind her and put her hand on her hips and turned to the girl. Mel would never be considered physically intimidating but Jeffery had stood on the other side of the lawyer when she'd decided she'd had enough. He could tell that Stephanie was having a similar reaction to the sharpened stare.

"Listen to me carefully. I don't care what issues you had with my boyfriend but I suggest you get over them quickly."

"You don't" Stephanie said trying to regain her momentum.

"If you value your job at the courthouse I suggest that you grow up because if I hear of you harassing or putting your hands on him again I can promise that you won't have it another day." With that she again pulled Jeffery but this time it was towards the movie counter. Jeffrey could hardly believe that the other woman was going to let the scene end that easily but he refused to even look back until they were in their seats. The previews were showing by the time he was calm enough to reach over and take Mel's hand to thank her. He did not get the words out before she was kissing him and he forgot everything except the comfort and blessing of having the woman in his life.

It was not the first time that Mel had staunchly defended him when he did not think he deserved it. A few weeks ago on one of the few free days that they had together the couple was dropping Max off at Ava's office after a day at the park. If it were up to him he'd never walk into the Beacon again but Ava and Olivia had an important meeting, the nanny had an appointment, and Remy was at school taking a test. He was the next name on the babysitting list and if their schedule conflicts gave him a chance to spend a few hours with his grandson then it was a good day. Looking over his shoulder trying to keep an eye out for Natalia the three of them made it to Ava's office without incident until they walked through the opened door.

Max was sleeping in Jeffery's arms and Mel was walking beside them holding his diaper bag. The boy was relatively clean considering they'd spent an hour at the park and another at Company eating lunch. Buzz had insisted that the boy have a huge scoop of chocolate ice cream after he'd already eaten a few ketchup laden French fries. He'd had a change of clothes and a few wet wipes across his face but Jeffery could not help feeling a bit nervous when Ava walked forward to take her son away and he realized that Natalia was standing beside her.

"Did you tire him out so badly that he's going to be sleeping the rest of the day dad." Ava laughed quietly as she carefully took her son out of Jeffery's arms. Jeffery looked over to see Natalia pasting on an obviously fake smile but that was okay. Their relationship would never be what it had been but it had drastically improved since Max's surgery. The woman did not scowl at him as soon as he entered the room and did not ignore him if she was forced to stay. Natalia was making an attempt to be polite and even cordial to him. She did not seem morally affronted each time he was in her presence. It was evident to anyone that knew the woman even a day that there an unnatural coldness in her treatment of him but it was no longer hostile so Jeffery counted it as an improvement. Yet a flash of the lingering anger surfaced when Natalia went to kiss Max's face as she went to pass out of the office.

"What happened to his face?" Natalia all but growled out with her eyes flashing at him.

"What?" Both Mel and he said as Ava gasped and turned the boy around. Then they all saw the four or five fine scratches across his nose and another two marring his cheek. They were red and the skin was a bit puffy around them but it didn't appear that Max had been concerned about them because they'd never heard him cry out in pain.

"Were you even watching him?" Natalia accused before Mel interjected.

"First of all we were both watching him. He's an eleven month old little boy who gets into any and everything that's not nailed down. Of course he's going to get a few scratches so unless you are going to stick him in some kind of magic protection bubble when he's with you this won't be the last time you see him with scratches." There was barely any heat in his girlfriend's response but the three adults could tell that Mel was not going to back down from any confrontation today.

Since Mel learned of the bad blood between Jeffery and Natalia he had been had trying to get Mel to back down from her usual straightforward demeanor as far as Natalia was concerned. Not only did Jeffery still feel some guilt about his actions at San Cristobal all those years ago as well as his behavior at that suite a few months ago but he was worried that pushing Natalia away would backfire on him. He might have been the parent that Ava first bonded with but now she was fiercely loyal to Olivia and Olivia was bonded to Natalia. Not only did Natalia have her relationship with Olivia but Emma considered the woman as her second mother and Ava loved Emma more than imaginable. There was no way that Jeffery would ever win if he demanded that his daughter chose. Not that he wanted her to but the realities were harsh and he had to accept his place in Ava and Max's lives.

A month ago Natalia would have responded with abrupt hostility but now she blinked her eyes rapidly and adopted an abashed expression. "You're right. He's going to have accidents. I guess I'm just a bit overprotective" she said to Mel and then turned to Jeffery and apologized before taking Max out of Ava's hands to take him to the nanny upstairs. Everyone was pleasantly surprised and since that time he and Mel had been spending even more time with his daughter's and grandson's extended family. It still was not a warm or even friendly atmosphere but it was no longer intolerable for everyone.

He was thinking about how much Mel had given to their relationship when the message came through. It might be many hours before the baby arrived and there was no reason for Mel to wait around too so he dropped her home before he made his way to the hospital. They had been watching the monitor and Reva's expressions for several hours before Josh requested a soda and Reva wanted her zune from her car. The entire trip had lasted no more than twenty minutes but by the time he got back to the room everyone was gone and a nurse was rushing him towards the operating room.

Just before the sun broke the horizon Collin O'Neil was born. Reva and Josh were in the recovery room waiting to be taken back while Jeffery stood outside the hospital nursery watching the nurses care for his son. The conditions had been totally different from the other time he'd witnessed a birth but he was still struck with the same joy and wonder. It was as if his heart instantly enlarged just to accommodate this new life. "Dad!" he heard and saw Ava running up the hallway with flowers in her hands and balloons bouncing behind her. "Dad!"

The two of them stood hugging as they made faces at the newest member of their growing family. He was not looking forward to when they moved the baby back to Reva because then he'd be extraneous again. He was determined to enjoy this time with his two children. "Where is my other baby boy?" Jeffery asked his daughter.

"Oh my God do not ask. That boy is going to drive me crazy." Ava laughed as she rolled her eyes. "I had to practically wrestle him to the ground to get him to take his medicine. As soon as I put his breakfast in front of him he decided to throw it and his sippy cup as far as he could. Thankfully I hadn't put milk in his cereal yet. That was the best part of the morning."

"He's still not feeling well?" Jeffery asked concerned. It had been almost two weeks that the little boy had been feeling badly.

"Let's just say that he is finally growing into his Spencer attitude. After I cleaned up that mess he started screaming to the top of his lungs for his da-da, his gran-gran, his Tal-ya, his D-Ann. His anybody that wasn't me so I left him with Diane while I came to see my new baby brother. But I have to say that he has been getting better since we realized that he's had a bad ear infection." Eventually Collin was ready to be fed and he gave Ava the directions to Reva's room while he called Mel and assured her that she didn't need to come until at least a few more hours. It was awkward enough with him and Reva and Josh in the room another lover would not be the best answer right now.

Three days later Reva and Collin were at home and he was finally finishing up the baby's room. The two empty cribs looked weird along with all the toys and baby paraphernalia but he wanted his son and his grandson to feel at home when they came to visit him. He was figuring out how to work the diaper jinni when he heard the doorbell ring and a couple of minutes later his name was yelled from the living room. As he turned the corner he spotted Max stomping towards him and Ava and Diane standing at the door laughing with Mel as they watched the boy amble.

"What brings you guys by. Not that I mind at all." Jeffery laughed as he scooped up the grinning baby. The ear infection was over and his sunny disposition was again recognizable.

"Do we need a reason to come by dad?"

"No of course not. I just thought you guys would be busy getting ready for this guy's birthday party." He said as he kissed the three women in his life. "Did you need any help getting your backyard set up with everything?" Just as he finished the sentence he noticed the three women passed. "What?" he asked before a foul scent filled the room. "Gee Sus. What are you feeding this guy?"

Scrunching up her nose Diane pulled Max from Jeffery's hands and responded "I think that's my cue" and Mel took them both towards the back of the apartment. "So what's up?" Jeffery asked again now more than sure something was going on. His daughter was biting her bottom lip and had one of her most bashful smiles. This could only mean trouble. "Ava" he growled.

Ava responded with "Its not my fault." as a preface to her statement. Taking a deep breath she just spit it out. "The party has been moved to the farmhouse."

"What?" Jeffery said with some asperity. "What? Why?"

"Well"

"Let me guess your attention hog of a mother could not stand the fact that Max's first birthday was going to be anywhere except her on turf and pitched a fit until you gave up all your plans to appease her." He huffed getting more annoyed by the minute. His life was complicated without a doubt. He had complications on his complications. Was it too much to ask for him to spend his grandson's birthday at a neutral location where his ex-wife's girlfriend did not an unfair advantage? If it were up to him it would have been at a park or at Remy's but he could deal with his daughter's home. Now he was going to be spending several hours in the home of a woman that still might shank him if given a chance. True his relationship with Natalia had reached a détente but sitting on her sofa eating birthday cake was a bit of a stretch.

"Dad calm down. Diane bought an antique book that had silverfish in it. We have to get the house fumigated and the farmhouse is the only place big enough." Fuck a duck.