A Rocky Start

"Her name is Brexley Marissa Grant!"

"Madam President."

"NO! It's important that you know her name!"

"You need to calm do..."

"Do not tell me to calm down!" Olivia screamed. Hot tears mixed with smudged mascara were sliding down her cheeks to form black lines of agony and fear. "You wouldn't tell a man to calm down, so give me the same courtesy! Please!"

"I apologize, ma'am. We are doing everything that we can." The nurse patiently explained.

"Why are you in here talking to me then and not working on her?" Olivia demanded through her tears. "Why?!"

"Because I am a nurse not involved in the care of your..." The young man paused a moment before continuing. "I'm sorry. Brexley. I'm not involved in the care of Brexley."

Olivia gave a bitter laugh and glared at the nurse before turning her head to stare at the door of her hospital room. It was killing her that she couldn't get out of her hospital bed and pace the floor, but she wouldn't be able to feel her legs right now anyways. She was scared, pissed off, and more exhausted than she had ever been in her life. And on top of that, she didn't know any more than she did five minutes ago.

She was trying to remain calm. To keep some form of kindness and patience about her when dealing with the hospital staff on the maternity floor. Being the President, they would remember how she acted and treated them. But try as she may, her efforts were in vain right now. The situation was extremely serious and time was of the essence. Her daughter, Brexley had stopped breathing a few moments ago.

Olivia had gone into labor the afternoon before while Fitz spoke to a group of college students at Georgetown University about women's rights. She assumed the pain was Braxton Hicks and continued reading briefings alone in the Oval. When they failed to stop an hour later, Olivia started to believe that the pains could be more than false labor. The President didn't panic. She put the briefings down and calmly called Tom into her office and asked him to get in touch with Fitz's detail, making sure he was aware that it could be a false alarm.

She had already had two false alarms, and felt like a fool each time for believing it was labor. Doctor Lane explained that most mothers experience false labor, and that it was better to be safe than sorry. She was very good at calming Olivia's fears and making everything seem normal. She was definitely in the right field of work.

Getting in touch with her husband had been the hardest decision for Olivia. He was gaining traction with his passion for women's rights and had been asked to speak on the topic at several events, both nearby and in other states. People were taking notice of the First Gentleman as being a man of action, and not just someone riding the coattails of the first female President. The press was giving him high praise for the words he spoke at these events, and the crowds were growing in size because of it. Speaking engagement offers poured in daily for him to do more of the same. Olivia didn't want to take him away from his work, but he would not be happy with her if she didn't alert him to what was going on with their unborn daughter. So, she had Tom make the call.

She had been taken to Walter Reed Medical Center and admitted immediately. After fourteen long hours of labor, it stalled completely. By then it was determined by doctor Lane that her patient needed a cesarean. Twenty three minutes later, the President had finally become a mother. Brexley Marrisa Grant weighed seven pounds eleven ounces, and measured twenty inches long. She was perfect in every way, and both mother and baby were doing beautifully.

Fitz kept his eyes on his daughter once he knew for certain that his wife was perfectly fine. He took her from the nurse, once she was wrapped snugly into a hospital blanket, and showed her to Liv. He held her close to his chest, looking down at her in pure wonder that she was actually his. He counted all of her fingers and toes so he would be able to give his wife a full report on that once she came out of recovery. Until then though, he was enchanted by every little movement and sound she made. In the blink of an eye, Fitzgerald Grant was head over heels in love with his daughter.

After Olivia came out of recovery, she was anxious to hold her baby. Brexley was wheeled into the presidential suite from the comfort of her little bed. She had on a pink hat and was wrapped up snugly in a blanket as her eyes were taking in her surroundings.

"I knew she'd be little, but she's really tiny." Fitz marveled as he handed the infant to her mother. "She fits into one of my hands. That's crazy!"

"Hi my beautiful little love. I'm your mommy." Olivia cooed. In a voice filled with wonder she told Fitz, "I still can't quite believe I'm a mom!"

"It didn't really hit me until I was holding her. It's one thing to think of being a parent when your baby isn't born yet, but the moment you can physically touch them everything seems to change."

"I understand that. I'm kind of jealous that you got to hold her before me."

"You should be. We made big plans. Didn't we Brex?"

She giggled at him and then winced. "Don't make me laugh. It hurts."

"Sorry." He watched her holding Brexley for a long moment. "You're a natural with her, Liv. She's a very lucky girl to have you for her mother."

"Please don't make me cry either." She warned as a tear fell down her cheek. "Tell me you're as happy as I am right now."

He swiped his thumb across her cheek to erase the tear, and sent her a smile. "I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life. We have a beautiful little girl who will grow up to be a badass just like her mother."

"She's perfect." Olivia kissed her daughter's soft forehead. "We have our happy little daydream."

"Both of my girls are perfect. I love the two of you more than I ever thought possible."

"We love you too. Don't we, Brexley?"

A few hours and dozens of photographs later, Fitz kissed the top of Olivia's head. "I'm going to grab a cup of coffee. Do you want anything?"

"I am perfectly content right now. Aren't we, Brexley? Yes, we are." She cooed, not taking her eyes off the beautiful infant in her arms.

Fitz leaned down a little further and kissed his daughter's cheek. "I'll be right back."

"We're not going anywhere, daddy." Olivia replied.

He rushed into the room like a blur moments later. "Liv?"

"Fitz!" she held her arms open from her spot on the hospital bed, and he rushed into them.

"What happened? I was gone less than five minutes!" He no sooner had the styrofoam cup filled with coffee in his hand than Secret Service had him running full speed back to the Presidential suite where they had just left.

"I'm so glad you're here. It's Brexley."

He held her tight. "What do you mean? What is going on with her? Where is she?"

Olivia tried to explain through her tears. "She stopped..." Deep breath. "...breathing. And in two seconds there were like...five doctors surrounding her. Working on her. I couldn't..." She sobbed. "I couldn't even see her. And then they took her away."

"Have you gotten any updates?"

"A nurse just came in to tell me what I already knew. It's very frustrating and I want to see my baby!"

"Hey! When they know something. they will tell us, okay?" He didn't want to tell her that he was freaking out too. It wouldn't help things, and he knew Olivia was worrying enough for both of them. After the physical and mental ordeal she had just been through bringing Brexley into the world, he could be the strong one right now.

She nodded. "You're right. I know you're right, but what if she..."

"No!" He pulled out of her arms and looked her in the eye. "We are not doing that! Guessing what might happen or could be happening isn't productive. And it doesn't change anything. She has a little bit of both of us in her, and that makes her a fighter. We will stay positive and wait for news on what is going on with her. Alright?"

She nodded repeatedly but didn't speak. She couldn't for fear she would break down again.

"Madam President? Mr. Grant?"

Olivia looked expectantly at the woman in a white physician's coat who had been her obstetrician for the entirety of her pregnancy. In a voice filled with hope said, "yes? Please tell me you have news?"

"I do. Your daughter is okay, Madam President."

Olivia sobbed and Fitz felt her body sag slightly against his. He held her tighter. It was time for answers. "Where is she?"

"She's in the nursery."

"What happened to her?" Olivia asked.

"Babies are surrounded with liquid in utero. When they are born vaginally, their bodies go through a squeeze as they travel through the birth canal, eliminating most of that liquid still in their lungs. When babies are born by cesarean, they just don't get that squeeze so they have extra fluid to deal with. Many develop a 'juicy' sound as they breathe, cough up the extra liquid, and some, like Brexley, have difficulty breathing, or stop breathing altogether."

"Oh my god!"

"It's a problem that sometimes happens with cesarean newborns, Madam President. We have given Brexley some oxygen to make sure she's getting enough and we are keeping a close eye on her. Right now, she is breathing on her on her own just fine, but we will monitor her in the nursery for a little while to make sure she stays that way."

"Will she have any long term issues due to this?" Fitz asked. He knew Olivia's mind was full of one thing. Getting her hands on their daughter. The dad and the fixer in him wanted answers.

"I have every reason to believe that she won't, Mr. Grant. It's very encouraging that she's breathing on her own right now."

"When can I hold her?" Olivia sniffed.

"Let's give her a little time under observation, to make absolutely certain that she is still breathing without any complications. I know how anxious you are to hold her, and that will truly be the only thing that will calm your fears, but we will take excellent care of her in the meantime, Madam President."

"Thank you." Fitz said. Doctor Lane left the room, leaving the First Couple to process what had just happened. "You heard her, Liv. Brexley is going to be fine."

Olivia broke down in his arms.

"Are you alright?" Fitz got into the narrow hospital bed beside her. His arm came around her and she curled into his side.

She shook her head back and forth repeatedly and laid her head on his chest.

"I bet that was a terrifying thing to witness up close. You cry as long as you need to, okay?" He murmured. "I'm not going anywhere until we are all released from this place to go home."

Olivia ended up falling asleep, along with Fitz's arm. He lay there without moving, stroking her hair as she slept. He had just dozed off himself when his phone rang. Retrieving it from his pants pocket as quickly as possible, Fitz looked at the face of it and saw that it was Huck. He rolled his eyes. He probably already knew their daughter's name and was calling out of curtesy. "Hello?" he whispered.

"Hullo?" Huck whispered back.

"What?" Fitz whispered impatiently.

"Why the hell are we whispering?"

"Liv is asleep on my arm."

"Oh. Sorry. You got a kid yet or what?"

Fitz grinned before he even realized he was doing it. "I do. She is perfect too."

"She must take after her mother." Huck decided.

"Asshole!" Fitz whispered, trying to sound intimidating. He couldn't help the soft tone of his voice when talking about Brexley. "She does though. She is perfect in every way, just like Liv."

"Is she asleep too?"

"No, she's in the nursery. Liv had a bit of a scare with her a little while ago. She stopped breathing, and a bunch of doctors rushed into the room and worked on her, and then took her to the nursery."

"Is she ok?" Huck was grabbing his keys to come to the hospital.

"She's good. She's getting some oxygen just to make sure there aren't any issues, but she's breathing on her own. They just want to give her some time."

Huck dropped his keys and sat back down. "Good. That must have been scary as hell."

"I don't know. I wasn't here."

"Where were you?" Huck demanded.

"Getting coffee." Fitz told him on a yawn.

"You keep your ass in that room or I'll be coming down there and kicking it."

"Stop it. You're scaring me." Fitz said, rolling his eyes. "Do you want me to send you some pictures?"

"I've already seen pictures of her online." Huck teased.

"What? Where?! I will sue their fucking asses off for posting pictures of my..." He was still whispering, but his voice had an angry bite to it.

"Dude! Calm down. I'm just kidding." Huck said with a chuckle.

"You're dead when I see you again."

"Oooooh, scary! What are you gonna do? Wrap me up in a blanket?"

"Shut the hell up! You'd better be glad that Liv is asleep or I would..."

"Is that Huck?" Olivia asked groggily.

"You woke her up! You fucking asshole!"

"Let me talk to him." Liv said, holding out her hand.

There was no use to argue with her, Fitz knew. He wordlessly handed her the device and listened to her talk to him as if he was her interior designer. "Heyyyy, Huck. How are you?"

"I'm pretty good." He replied shyly.

Fitz rolled his eyes at the absurdity of it all.

"You and Harrison are officially uncles now, and Abby's an aunt. You'll have to come to the White House to meet your niece once we've been released to go home. All three of you." Olivia told him.

"Kay." Huck mumbled.

Olivia dropped the phone and gingerly sat up the moment the door of her room opened and she saw her daughter being wheeled in. Brexley was wailing at the top of her lungs.

"Huck, I'll call you back later." Fitz said, keeping his eyes on Brexley.

"Look who wanted to come and see mom and dad."

Fitz sat up as Liv brought the bed to an upright position. The nurse picked up their unhappy infant and handed her to the President. Olivia brought her daughter close to her face, kissing both cheeks as she cradled her in her arms. Brexley immediately stopped crying and looked up at her mother with big eyes. Fitz was amazed at their interaction.

"What's all the fuss for my love?" Olivia cooed. The world was a much better place now that she had her daughter safe and sound back in her arms.

"Momma has the magic touch." the nurse commented with a smile.

"Has she been crying long?" Olivia asked.

"No, ma'am. Just the last few minutes. It's time for her to eat, but she wasn't taking a bottle from any of us. I think she was missing you."

"I act like that when I miss her too, Brex." Fitz told the newborn. It got him a chuckle from the women in the room. He touched her open fist with his large finger, and began grinning like an idiot when she grabbed it and held on.

"Has she had any trouble breathing?"

"She hasn't. I'm sorry you had to go through that, Madam President. I'm sure it was beyond scary to see. She's been doing a super job breathing all by herself. Haven't you, Brexley?"

"Thank you so much." Fitz said.

"Here's a bottle. Let's see if you can work that presidential magic and get her to drink some of it."

The three adults practically held their breaths as Olivia slid the nipple past Brexley's lips and gums. The infant latched on immediately and began to suck as she looked up at her mother with bright blue eyes. "That's momma's girl." Olivia told her with a smile.

Fitz leaned his forehead against his wife's, and watched their daughter eat. "You are amazing, Liv."

"She is amazing." Olivia told him. "I haven't counted her fingers and toes yet. We'll have to do that after she's done. She'll probably be passed out by then and won't mind as much."

"I counted her fingers and toes earlier."

"You did?" Olivia asked, surprised. "When?"

"When I was holding her right after she was born."

"And?"

"Ten perfect tiny fingers and ten perfect itty bitty toes."

They watched in silence as their daughter started getting heavy eyed. The sucking motion on the bottle was slowing down. "I think Miss Brexley is about to nod off."

"You might want to change her diaper first, ma'am." The nurse suggested. "Once they are asleep, sometimes they get cranky about being jostled."

"Good idea." Olivia agreed.

"I'll change her." Fitz offered. "You fed her. I'll change her."

"Fine, but next time you feed her and I change her. Let's keep it even."

Fitz pecked his wife's lips. "Deal. Hand her over please."

"You're gonna have to burp her first, Fitz." Olivia reminded him.

As gently as humanly possible, Fitz lifted his tiny daughter to his shoulder and began patting her back. She smelled so good and her skin was so soft. In no time she burped. A cute little sound that made him chuckle. After she had given a few more burps, Fitz laid her down on the hospital bed and smiled down at her. "Look at our little baby burrito, Liv."

"We make pretty babies." Olivia said, laying her head against his shoulder. "Let's get her dressed too while we're changing her diaper."

"Good idea." Fitz unwrapped his daughter from the blanket she was tucked snugly into. He grinned at her bare belly and leaned down to put a kiss on it. "Let's get you changed so you're dry and warm, Brex."

"I'm going to let the three of you spend some time together. Make sure you keep up with her diapers. If they are wet or dirty and when you change her. You can write it on the dry erase board on the wall. If you don't need anything else...?"

"I think we're fine now. Thank you." Olivia answered with a smile.

"If you do need anything, or she has any issues at all, press the button beside your bed and we'll be right here." She walked out the door, leaving them to get to know their baby.

Olivia watched her husband very carefully remove the tiny diaper. He cleaned her skin and put a diaper on her, being mindful of her umbilical cord. Once that was done, he went to get the hospital bag Olivia had packed a month ago. She handed him something pink from inside and he started the process of putting it on her.

"You're gonna be so warm and cozy once I get you dressed. You'll be able to sleep for hours." Fitz told her. Brexley looked up at him with her little tongue poking through her lips. It was the most Fitz thing she could have ever done.

Once he got the snaps done up, he picked her up and kissed her cheeks before settling her into his arms. She looked so tiny in his humongous hands. "Hi, beautiful. Are you ready to take a nap with your daddy now?"

"Fitz?" Olivia said.

"Hmmm? He answered absentmindedly.

"Are you monopolizing time with my baby?"

"No, I'm monopolizing time with our baby." He corrected.

"Fitz!"

"Liv, this is daddy daughter time. I don't make the rules. Brexley does." He settled back against the bed and closed his eyes, a completely content man.

"You are a sneaky man, Fitzgerald Grant."

"I love you too." He answered with a grin.

Two days later, the three of them were released from the hospital. Olivia showered and got herself dressed and ready for the day while Fitz fed Brexley and dressed her in a beautiful little floral print dress. It was a gorgeous June afternoon, so blankets weren't really needed. Still, he draped one over the car seat to block anyone from getting a peep of their infant before they were ready for them to.

Olivia stepped out of the bathroom and started putting the rest of her things into her bag. Fitz watched her silently for a moment as she slowly moved around the room. When she was close enough to him, he reached his hand out and touched hers. "Come here for a minute."

"I thought you wanted to get out of here?"

"I do, but sit with me for a minute."

Olivia gingerly sat down on the narrow bed she had spent too much time in during her stay. Her arms came around his neck and they held each other. "This is nice. We haven't had time to just sit together like this in a long time."

"I agree wholeheartedly. It's really nice. Mmm, you smell good." He nuzzled into her neck, just enjoying the quiet moment. "You look beautiful by the way."

"You don't think this is too..."

"No." He said, cutting her off. He didn't want her belittling her dress or her body. "You look absolutely perfect."

She smiled and held him a little tighter. "Is she awake?"

"Let's see." Fitz and Olivia peeked down into the bassinet to check on their daughter. "Lots of parents say it, but we really do have the cutest baby in the world. And she is still out like a light!"

"Let's take our cute sleeping baby home." Olivia told him.

Fitz carried the car seat as he walked beside Olivia, who was being pushed outside in a wheelchair, per hospital protocol. Secret Service escorted the First Family out of the hospital and into a waiting black car. There were a few members of the press waiting behind a barricade, anxious to get the first pictures of the new baby. Undeterred from achieving their goal, they continued snapping pictures of the trio until they were safely tucked into the car and drove off.

In the car, Brexley continued to sleep while her parents discussed the plan for arrival at the White House for the millionth time. "Liv, I know how this works. I've handled things like this before."

"You haven't handled it for your own family before, Fitz. It's different." She didn't know why she was feeling overprotective of her daughter, but she was just the same and Olivia didn't think that would change much over the next eighteen or so years. Fitz held his palms up in surrender.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Truce?"

Now she felt like shit. "I'm sorry. My hormones are all over the place and I didn't mean to take it out on you."

Now he felt like shit for calling her out on it. He sighed heavily. "I think some level of insanity is to be expected. We've just spent two days in the hospital where, I don't know about you, but I slept like absolute shit. We are learning what her different baby cries mean, we've been deprived of your chef's magnificent culinary skills, and both of us have been living out of a suitcase. It'll be nice to be home."

Olivia grinned at him. "I hate to sound like Abby right now..."

"Then don't."

"But did you just call the White House home?"

He grinned at her before leaning closer and pecking her lips. "I told you, being married to you has it's perks."

"Being married to you has perks too." She informed him with a grin.

"It does? Would you care to elaborate on some of them?"

"In six weeks I'll spend a few hours showing you exactly what they are."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

She held his hand. "I love you."

"I love you. Are you ready to do this?"

Olivia nodded. "They are going to love her."

The car slowed and then came to a stop at the South Portico. Fitz got out of the car first and held his hand out for his wife to take. She slid across the seat and cautiously exited the car. It took her a little longer to accomplish due to the pulling on the incision on her lower belly, but she finally made it. Fitz led her around the sleek black car and reached inside the now opened back door to get their sleeping bundle of joy.

Grabbing the handle of the car seat, and being very careful not to wake her up, Fitz held Olivia's hand as the three of them made their way into the White House with Secret Service in tow. They were greeted with happy smiles and kind greetings by staff members who were glad to have the First Family back.

Cyrus was at the podium in the briefing room addressing the press corp when Olivia and Fitz came to a stop at the door just outside. Hearing little noises, but not crying, Olivia peeked behind the blanket covering up Brexley. A chuckle escaped her lips.

"What's she doing?" Fitz wanted to know.

"Momma's baby knows she's about to have the entire press corp taking her picture."

"Let me see her too."

Olivia pulled the blanket down, completely uncovering Brexley. The infant blinked several times and squinted at the bright lights.

"Everything she does is so damn cute, Liv."

"I know, right." Olivia grinned. "I know we talked about keeping her in her car seat, but let's take her out so they can really see her."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yea. It will be a while before they see her again. Let's let them get a good look at her."

He set the car seat on the floor and watched Liv take Brexley out of the seat. She pulled her baby up to her face and inhaled deeply. "Nothing smells better than new baby smell."

Fitz chuckled at his wife. She was right though. He pulled the statement he was about to make from his right breast pocket. When he heard Cyrus winding down, he opened the door for Olivia. The press immediately got to their feet as camera shutters began clicking non stop while the First Family stepped to the podium. Olivia kept Brexley facing away from the news hungry group on purpose, but smiled at them as she stood beside her husband.

"Good afternoon, everyone." Fitz began. "We know you all want some pictures of our daughter, and we are going to give you an opportunity to take some, but we want to show her to you without the blinding flashes. To just let you see her with your eyes instead of through the camera lens. Can we all agree to do that?"

No one disagreed.

Olivia smiled at them and brought the newborn from her shoulder. Cradling her in her arms, Olivia said, "This is Brexley Marissa Grant. She was born on June second at six ten. She weighed seven pounds and eleven ounces and she is absolutely perfect in every way."

Brexley blinked at all of the faces looking back at her and then sneezed. There was a collective 'awwww' from the room followed by soft chuckling.

"She's beautiful, Madam President."

"How long were you in labor?"

"Where did you get her name?"

"Is she always so quiet?"

Fitz held up his hand. He wasn't about to let this room get out of control with their newborn present. "Alright. We'll answer your questions as long as Brexley is happy. You can go ahead and take some pictures and then we'll get to them."

He expected to be blinded by flashes. He'd mentally prepared for it. But they were fairly respectful and took photos of Liv and Brex for the next minute. They kindly asked Fitz to join them, and he complied with that request, happy to be closer to his family.

When the flashes began to slow down, Olivia kissed the top of her daughter's head and handed her to Fitz before taking the podium. "Thank you all for being so compliant with our requests. Go ahead with your questions."

Hands flew up and Olivia called on and answered their queries as quickly and factually as she could. "Jon."

"Where did you get her name?"

"Honestly? A Google search. Phillip."

"How long were you in labor?"

"Fourteen hours. Any of you who have kids, make sure you tell your children's mother that she's a rock star because she is! Susan."

"Where did you get that cute dress that she is wearing?"

"It was a gift from one of the associates at Grant and Associates. Ron."

"How are you finding motherhood so far?"

Olivia glanced at her husband and the two of them exchanged a smile that was captured by one of the reporters. "It's only been three days, but they have been the most joyful, scary, inspiring, amazing days of my life. I love being a mom. Rachael."

"I have a question for Mr. Grant. If I may?"

Olivia nodded and took a small step to the right so Fitz could answer it. "How does having a daughter affect your stance on women's rights?"

"That's a great question, Rachael. Before Brexley was born it was important to me that women have the same rights and freedom as men. That they get paid the same amount for doing the same job, that they are respected as human beings and not treated as sexual objects or looked down upon as less than men. Now that I am a father, all of those things are even more important to me."

He looked down at his daughter lovingly, completely aware of the flashes going off to capture the moment. "I want my daughter to be treated fairly and to be paid what she is worth – not a penny less than a man who does the same exact job. And any man who thinks about treating her less than a princess is going to have a bad day. The President and I intend to raise her to be a strong, intelligent, fearless, well rounded woman who will speak up for herself."

The women in the room applauded. Most of the men nodded. A few were put off by what the First Gentleman had just said. Fitz smiled, but took mental notes of who they were for future reference. Glancing down at his daughter's red face, he chuckled. "I hate to cut this short, but this fearless little girl needs a diaper change."

Chuckling filled the room.

"Thank you all again for being so respectful. We really do appreciate it." Olivia said with a smile. "Have a great evening."

The three of them headed up to the residence, chuckling at Brexley's perfect timing. They veered off at the nursery and went to the changing table. Brexley gave a little yawn as her daddy changed her diaper. "Somebody is ready for a little nap."

"That makes two of us" Olivia yawned.

"Are you in much pain right now?"

"It's there, but it's not terrible."

"A little nap is a great idea. I could definitely use about an hour of sleep in my own bed."

"It's settled then!" She agreed.

When Brexley was clean and dry again, Olivia scooped her up and nuzzled close to her. "Let's get a bottle and lay down for a while. What do you think of that plan, my love?"

Brexley gave another little yawn.

"She even yawns cute, Liv." Fitz opened their bedroom door and closed it once they were inside. He took Brexley from his wife and fed her while Olivia brought the bassinet closer to her side of the bed and took off her shoes. He burped her after she had taken an ounce of milk and then fed her the other ounce.

Comfortable with their new routine, Olivia took Brexley from Fitz and burped her while he took off his shoes and jacket and turned down the bed. She laid the baby into the bassinet, covering her with a thin blanket. Brexley was out and Olivia was way past ready to join her in the land of Nod. She laid down beside her husband, settling her head in the crook of his arm. Both parents were asleep in seconds.

Fitz was the first one to wake up a little over an hour later. He lay there enjoying the silence for a few minutes. Turning his head, he watched Olivia sleep. He knew she was exhausted after the last few grueling days in the hospital. She could sleep as long as she wanted.

A familiar little sound had the proud papa smiling big. Very carefully, he got out of the bed and went around to the other side. There in the bassinet, Brexley was wide awake looking around. She was trying to get herself free from the blanket her mother had covered her up with by moving her arms and legs. The moment she saw her daddy her little pink tongue poked out between her lips.

"Let's get you out of there, beautiful girl." Fitz whispered. He picked her up, cradling her head in one of his large hands and her bottom in the other one. "Come on. Let's let mommy sleep a little longer."

Fitz carried her into the living room, shutting the bedroom door closed behind them, and sat down on the sofa with her. His feet came to rest on the edge of the coffee table and he set Brexley in the crook of his lap. The two of them stared at each other until his phone began to ring.

Retrieving it from his pocket, Fitz rolled his eyes and slid his finger across the screen. "Why do you always call me at the most inopportune times?"

"You sleeping again? Jesus, you're getting lazy."

"Shut up. I'm not sleeping. I'm enjoying a moment with my daughter while Liv sleeps."

"Perfect. Me, Harrison, and Abby are signing in downstairs."

"You're here already?"

"Dude, it's four. That's what time Liv told us to swing by earlier."

Fitz sighed. Alone time with Brex was over. "Fine. But please ask them to keep it down so Liv can sleep a while longer."

Ending the call, Fitz turned his attention back to his daughter. In a soft voice he told her, "you're going to meet your uncle Huck today. I'll buy you a car if you spit up on him. Yes, I will."

He would swear that she grinned at him.

"That's daddy's girl." he told her proudly.

The trio of associates made their way upstairs, quietly chatting with each other. Fitz didn't get up to greet them, but stayed where he was. He knew they were about to take Brexley from him for a little visit, and he was going to keep her close for as long as he could.

Abby got to them first and immediately started in with the cutesy noises with her hands stretched out. "Ohmygoodness! Look at her! She's beautiful! Gimme her!"

"In your dreams." Huck quietly stated. He held out his arms and waited for Fitz to hand the baby over.

Fitz gave the tough guy an impatient look, but complied with his unspoken demand. "Be very careful with her."

"Shut the hell up. I know how to handle babies." Huck never enlightened the new father about exactly how he knew how. Instead, he settled her into his arms and immediately sat down, giving her a smile. "Hey, Brexley. You're so tiny and cute."

Brexley looked up at him, seeming to be mesmerized by his voice.

"You look just like your mommy. That's a good thing, because your daddy is ugly."

Harrison and Abby turned away and quietly chuckled.

"Are you gonna come work with us at Grant and Associates? I think you'll be very good at what we do there." Huck told her.

"How in the hell is she gonna be good at being a fixer?" Fitz asked with exasperation. "She's three days old, dumbass!"

"She's already got you handled." Huck said, not turning to look at him.

"Oooooh!" Harrison said, laughing.

"That's a solid burn." Abby agreed with a chuckle.

"Both of you, shut the hell up!" Fitz ordered.

"I think you need a leather jacket. Just like Uncle Huck. Would you like that?" The tough guy asked her.

"Absolutely not!" Fitz declared.

"Okay, you've had your two minutes, Huck. Give me a turn to hold her." Abby demanded.

Huck shot the redhead an unhappy look, but gently handed over the baby.

"Awwwww, you really do look just like your mommy, little one!" Abby told the newborn, as she ran a finger over her little cheek. "Her skin is the softest thing in the world. And she smells soooo good! Someone really should bottle that amazing baby smell."

"Cute kid." Harrison stated, giving her a quick glance. He had zero interest in holding the baby. But he knew how to do his part in asking questions and acting interested. "How's life as a dad?"

"There's a lot to learn, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it."

"This makes me want a baby of my own." Abby cooed as she swayed back and forth looking down at Brexley.

"You want a baby?" Harrison asked doubtfully.

"You're swaying too fast with her, Abs." Fitz warned, watching her like a hawk.

"The last thing you need is a kid." Huck informed her.

"Seriously." Harrison agreed.

"You're jostling her and the nurse warned us about that." Fitz tried. He needed to get Brexley away from the crazy redhead.

"How are you gonna have a kid? You forget to feed yourself half the time. It's why you look like a stick figure."

"Holy shit! She does look like a stick figure!" Harrison agreed, nodding. "You can't have a kid anyways. You don't have a guy."

"Abby, please slow down before she throws up." Fitz said a little more firmly.

Abby held the newborn's head against her shoulder. An angry look covered her face and she hissed out as quietly as possible, "shut up! I'm not swaying too fast, orrrrr forgetting to feed myself, and if I want to have a baby, I can get artificially inseminated! Boys are stupid, huh?"

"Nope!" Fitz said, carefully plucking Brexley from her crazy aunt's arms. "Don't tell my daughter that I'm stupid!"

Abby sighed. "Fine. I..."

"Because Brexley's daddy is the best in the West, huh? Yes, he is." Fitz cooed.

Harrison's eyes got big, he pointed to his boss, and mouthed to the other two, "best in the West? What the fuck?"

Huck shrugged.

Abby thought it was really sweet to see Fitz as a dad. He was a natural with her. "Sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"What's with all the noise?" Olivia asked. She was rubbing her eyes as she came out of the bedroom.

Fitz pointed at his three associates. "You're all fired for waking her up!"

"Actually, yours was the loudest voice. Something about the West. I don't know. It's fuzzy."

Harrison began to laugh. A glare from Fitz had him turning the laughter into a coughing fit. "Sorry. Allergies are bad this time of year."

Olivia chuckled and said, "hi, Harrison" before going to her husband. She took the infant from his arms, in spite of his very unhappy expression. Pecking his lips, she said, "you really are the best daddy in the West."

"Damn straight."

"Now. Catch me up on everything I've missed the past three days." Olivia told the trio, before sitting on the sofa.

A/N - Several hours after our first baby was born she stopped breathing. One minute she was fine, the next there were lots of people surrounding her, tipping her upside down - doing whatever to get her to breathe. It was beyond scary & emotional. As I've shared with you all before, all of my babies were born via cesarean & that was the reason the doctor gave me for why she stopped breathing. That was a couple of decades ago & while things may be different in hospitals now, it's what I know, so it's how I wrote it.