Hey babes! Back again with a new story for ya! This one was very fun to write and it's super fluffy, and I'm so glad I was able to get it done. The plan for this particular story was a little different, but then it morphed into this idea, and I'm totally okay with that. I'm sure you guys will be too.

Enjoy!

Rolling onto his side, Mac breathes deeply as his eyes slowly open, bringing him out of the peaceful slumber he'd been enjoying. He squints a little against the sunlight filtering into the bedroom through the curtains, taking a second to let his body wake up a little more before he gets his day started. Once he steps out of the bedroom, that's when the natural chaos of a normal day starts. Sometimes before he even steps out of the room, but lately he's been pretty lucky. Though, that's less to do with luck and more to do with good parenting.

Flipping onto his other side, Mac scoots forward on the bed and slides an arm around Riley's waist, his hand resting comfortably on her pregnant belly. He presses a kiss to her bare shoulder, his lips lingering against her skin, wanting to hold her for just a moment.

On any normal night, he and Riley would be curled up against each other, her back to his chest and his arm wrapped around her. When she's this far into her pregnancy, though, she prefers not to have him curled around her in case she has to get up to pee or needs to shift constantly to get comfortable. Naturally, he misses having her in his arms at night. But it'll all be worth it in just a few more days.

Leaning up and over his wife, Mac presses his lips to the side of her belly, whispering, "Good morning, kiddo."

Reluctantly leaving his wife's side, Mac climbs off the bed and shuffles over to the bathroom. He goes about his morning routine and then makes his way out to the rest of the house. A yawn escapes as he walks, his brows furrowing slightly when he checks the second bedroom and finds both the bed and the crib empty. But then the tell-tale sound of Saturday morning cartoons coming from the living room drifts toward him and he keeps making his way through the house.

Approaching the kitchen, Mac's jaw drops open and he stops walking when he sees the mess in front of him. Cereal is spilled out over the counter and the floor, a few droplets of yogurt are on the countertop, the utensil drawer is pulled out, and one of the kitchen stools is pushed right up against the counter.

"Ellie," he calls out, his eyes locked onto the mess. Seconds later, two pairs of feet hit softly against the hardwood, getting closer to him. He turns when they stop, finding his one-year-old and four-year-old daughters watching him, still dressed in their matching red plaid pajama sets. "Does either of you want to tell me why there's a mess all over the kitchen? And why Cassie is out of her crib?"

"I helped her," Ellie says with a proud smile. "She was gonna cry but I don't like it when she cries."

Mac smiles. "Well, you were being a very good big sister, Ellie, but next time you need to wait until me or mommy come and get her, okay? You're only four, and one of you could have gotten hurt. Do you understand?"

"Yes, daddy."

"Okay, now that we've got that one settled, I'm assuming you're also the culprit behind the mess in the kitchen?" he asks, raising a brow.

Ellie nods. "Yeah. Cassie was hungry so I got her Cheerios and yogurt. But not milk 'cause it was too heavy."

"Alright. Well, I'm glad you didn't try pouring the milk and making it an even bigger mess." He shifts on his feet and lets out a breath. "So, since you're both here, you can help me fix all of this before mommy sees it."

"Before mommy sees what?"

Mac's head swivels toward the hallway, his eyes going wide when he sees Riley shuffling toward them, one of his red flannels adorning her body and falling loosely over her belly. "Hey, Riles."

"Hi, mommy!" Ellie shouts excitedly, bouncing a little on her feet and moving closer.

Riley smiles softly, running a hand over their daughter's head when Ellie hugs her legs. "Hi, baby." She turns her attention back to him, shifting a little on her feet as she rubs her other hand over her belly. "Want to tell me what I'm not supposed to see?"

Mac sighs, stepping aside to let her get a better view of the state of the kitchen, smiling sheepishly. "I guess the girls didn't want to wait for me to get breakfast for them. I was gonna have them help me clean it up before you got out of bed."

Riley's eyes drift down and she laughs quietly. "Looks like Cass is already helping you out with that."

Mac follows her line of sight to see Cassie crouched down by the counter, picking the Cheerios up one by one and eating them. He chuckles, turning around fully. "Are those Cheerios good, Cass?" He steps closer and easily lifts her off the floor, settling her on his hip and brushing her hair out of her face. "You know, eating stuff off the floor isn't very healthy." He presses a kiss to her cheek and smiles. "But you're pretty cute, so I think I'll let it slide this time." He turns back to the rest of his family in time to see Riley's face pinching together as she rubs at her lower back. "Girls," he says, lowering Cassie back to the floor, "why don't you two go back into the living room and finish eating, okay?"

"What about the mess?" Ellie asks curiously.

Mac smiles. "Daddy will take care of it."

"Okay. Come on, Cassie." Ellie grabs her little sister's hand and then guides her slowly back into the living room, talking softly to her as they go.

Once the girls are out of earshot, Mac steps closer to Riley, resting one hand on the side of her belly and the other on her back, taking over rubbing circles into her muscle. "You okay?" he asks, bending his head just a little.

She nods, looking up and leaning into his hold. "Yeah. I just wasn't expecting this part to be as painful as it is."

"I didn't think Braxton Hicks contractions were supposed to hurt like this," he says, nothing but concern taking over him as he pulls Riley a little closer to get a better hold on her back.

She lets out a breath. "That's because they aren't."

Mac's eyes go wide in realization, his hand stilling. "What? Riley, you need to tell me these things when they happen."

"I know. But it started happening last night after you were already asleep and I didn't want to wake you. Early labor with both the girls lasted a couple of days, so I should be fine for a while."

Mac sighs. "You may think you have time, but every pregnancy is different."

Riley's gaze narrows just the slightest. "Yes, Mac, I'm well aware of that, considering I'm the one who actually went through all of it."

He pulls his lips in tight and nods. "Right, I know. Is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?"

She lets out a breath. "Well, I'm probably gonna take a bath later to relax, but right now, if you're offering, I wouldn't be opposed to some cuddling on the couch."

"What about the mess in the kitchen?"

She shakes her head. "You can clean it up later."

Mac smiles, leaning down to kiss her hairline. "Later it is, then. Come on." He grabs one of her hands, lacing their fingers together on instinct, and guides her toward the living room.

The sound of whatever cartoon the girls are watching greets them as they settle themselves on the couch, Mac sitting up against the back with Riley next to him, leaning as far into his side as she can get. Their arms are wrapped securely around each other, Riley's head resting comfortably on his shoulder. Mac's eyes flutter closed as he lets out a breath, holding Riley as close as he can get her.

"Cuddle pile!"

Mac opens his eyes in time to see both girls quickly approaching the couch, though Ellie's moving a little faster. He's grateful that their eldest has enough sense to leap onto the couch itself instead of his or Riley's lap, a wide smile on her face as she stands up and leans against his shoulder.

"Me!" Cassie shouts, gripping the edge of the couch cushion and doing her best to pull herself up.

"I got you, Cassie," Ellie states, crouching on the cushion and leaning over to grab her sister around her arms and lift. "Come on. I got you."

Mac smiles as he watches the interaction, his heart swelling with pride, not for the first time, at seeing his eldest daughter be so helpful. It's such a small thing, but it doesn't stop him from experiencing a Proud Dad moment.

Next thing he knows, Cassie is plopping herself down in his lap, looking up at him with a smile. "Hi, daddy."

He chuckles. "Hi, Cassie." He turns his head when he feels his other daughter leaning against him again, finding her sitting down and curling into his side much like Riley is. He drops a kiss to the top of her curls, smiling when she shifts to get closer. "My three best girls cuddled up with me on the couch," he remarks. "I don't know how it can get any better than this."

"I do," Ellie speaks up, lifting her head a little with a smile. "The new baby."

Mac smiles at his daughter's words. "You know what? You're absolutely right. Are you gonna give your baby brother tons of cuddles as soon as he's big enough?"

Ellie smiles and nods. "Yeah. And lots of kisses too."

"Well, I'm sure he'll love all the cuddles and kisses from his big sister."

Ellie just smiles and then rests her head back against him.

Realizing that his other daughter has been uncharacteristically quiet, Mac glances down and smiles at the sight he's met with. Cassie is fast asleep, still sitting in his lap but her upper body is draped over Riley's pregnant belly.

Riley cracks an eye open when he attempts to move Cassie off of her. "She's fine, babe."

"You're sure?"

"I wouldn't have let her if I wasn't." She takes a deep breath, her face pinching together. "The contractions suck, but not enough that having Cassie lying on me is any more uncomfortable."

"Okay." He leans down and presses a kiss to the top of her head. "Let me know if you need me to move her, though."

"I will." Her face relaxes and she closes her eyes again, letting out a small puff of air.

Leaning back into the couch, Mac holds his family close and lets out a content sigh. He loves his girls, all three of them taking up his entire heart in a way he never knew was possible. And he knows that his heart will only grow—metaphorically of course—once his son is born. He's beyond excited to finally get to meet his son and make them a family of five. In the meantime, he's content to just bask in this quiet moment with his girls, one of the last calm moments they'll have before all the chaos that comes with a new baby. But it's a chaos that he's very much looking forward to.

.

.

.

Hours later, well into the middle of the afternoon, the house is relatively quiet. Cassie's taking a nap, Riley's relaxing in the bathtub, and Mac is sitting on the living room floor with Ellie, using the set of K'Nex for kids that the four-year-old got for her most recent birthday. The two of them play with the construction pieces at every available opportunity, on whatever surface will allow them the space they need to create.

"Daddy?"

Mac looks up from the small animal he's building with the snap pieces. "Yeah, Ellie?"

"I wanna help mommy with my baby brother."

Mac smiles. "How exactly do you want to help?"

Ellie shrugs, grabbing two pieces and snapping them together. "I dunno. I wanna help."

"Well, I'm sure mommy would love for you to help her after your brother is born. He's going to need a lot of help."

"'Cause he's a baby," Ellie says, grabbing another piece. "And he can't do stuff like me and Cassie. But I can do more than Cassie 'cause I'm bigger. I'm four," she emphasizes her words by holding up four fingers.

Mac nods. "Yes, that's very true. You're more independent than Cassie because you're older."

Ellie's brows furrow slightly and she tilts her head. "What's…um...what's in—ina—inapendant?"

"Independent," he gently corrects her. "It means that you don't need mommy and daddy to help you all the time with stuff. You can do it by yourself."

"Like breakfast."

Mac chuckles at the reminder of the mess from earlier. "Like breakfast. Cassie can't do that all by herself yet. And the new baby definitely won't be able to. Are you going to be the best big sister ever and help your baby brother?"

Ellie grins. "Yes!"

Mac laughs, reaching out to grab Ellie's waist and pull her into his lap, tickling her sides as he peppers kisses all over her face, making her squirm.

Ellie giggles as she moves around, dropping her toys to try and tickle him back.

Mac doesn't let up in his tickle assault against her sides, his smile widening every time his daughter lets out a loud belly laugh. He peppers more kisses all over her face as he tickles her, curling his body over hers to hold her in his lap.

"Daddy, daddy, wait."

Mac stops tickling her, sitting up a little to look at Ellie lying in his lap. "Yes?"

She reaches up to place her hands flat on his cheeks, looking him directly in the eyes. "Daddy I love you so so much."

Mac's heart swells. "I love you so so much too, Ellie."

"How much, daddy?"

He raises a brow. "How much do I love you?"

"Yeah."

Mac lets out a breath. "Oh, I don't know. I don't think I can put it into words. How much do you love me?"

Ellie smiles. "More than mommy does."

Mac's eyes go wide playfully. "You love me more than mommy does? I don't think that's possible. Mommy's loved me a lot longer than you have."

"But you're my daddy. So I love you lots more."

"Well, I don't think I can argue with that logic," he says with a smile, shifting his daughter so she's sitting up in his lap. "Can I get a hug to go with that amazing declaration?"

Ellie grins and then stands up on his thighs as she throws her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly but not enough to hurt.

Mac happily wraps his arms around his daughter, holding her close and pressing a kiss to her hair. He craves moments like these with his eldest, hating how fast time seems to move sometimes. It's almost as if in a blink of an eye she went from being his precious newborn daughter to an almost entirely independent child starting to figure out who she is. He's excited for her to find that out, but another part of him just wants her to stay his baby forever.

"Hey, Mac?"

Turning his head and pushing Ellie's curls out of his vision, Mac smiles when he sees Riley standing just inside the room, fresh out of the bathtub and wearing one of his flannels again as well as a pair of his sweats. His smile falters when he notices that she has one hand resting under her belly and the other gripping tightly to the back of the couch. "Riles? Is everything okay?"

She swallows thickly. "It's time to go to the hospital."

Mac's eyes go wide. "You mean…?" He jumps up when Riley nods, Ellie's faint protests ringing in his ears as he sets her on the couch. He lets out a heavy breath, running a hand through his hair. "Okay. Uh, we need to call your mom—"

"She's already on her way to watch the girls. Is the hospital bag on the car?"

Mac nods. "I put it in there last week. And I made sure to double-check it a few days ago, make sure everything you need is in it. Let me go change and then when your mom gets here we can go."

Turning down the hall, Mac rushes toward their bedroom, immediately crossing to the dresser. He quickly changes out of his sweatpants and into a pair of jeans, switching out the t-shirt he'd been wearing all day for a clean one. He grabs his phone off its charger, sliding it into his pocket as he makes his way back out of the room.

Returning to the living room, he lets out a breath as he stops in front of his wife. He rests a hand on her lower back, rubbing gentle circles there just like he did with the previous two pregnancies.

"You really think we can handle a third kid?" he asks.

Riley gives him a look. "If you didn't want a third one you should have said something nine months ago. Or not have dressed the way you did the night he was conceived."

Mac smiles. "Yeah, well, I don't exactly remember you complaining. In fact, you were very enthusiastic."

A slight blush creeps up her cheeks but then she winces. Her eyes close tightly and she switches her grip from the couch to his upper arm.

Mac just keeps rubbing circles into her back, wishing, not for the first time, that he could do more for her. He hates seeing her in pain.

Seconds later, there's a knock at the front door, pulling his attention momentarily away from Riley. He glances off to the side, finding Ellie standing up on the couch, her eyes wide with concern as she looks at Riley.

"Is mommy okay?"

Mac smiles gently. "Mommy's fine, your brother just wants to come and be a part of our family now. Can you go and open the front door for me, please? It should be Nana."

Ellie gasps excitedly and then leaps off the couch, her tiny sock-covered feet padding against the hardwood.

Focusing his attention back on his wife, Mac rubs his hand a little harder. "Breathe, Riles, just breathe."

She looks up at him with a narrowed gaze. "What do you think I'm doing, Angus?"

He opens his mouth but quickly closes it again, choosing simply to nod in response.

"Mommy! Daddy! Nana's here!"

Mac looks over his shoulder to see Diane entering the living room with Ellie sitting on her hip. He lets out a breath. "Diane, hey. Thanks for coming over so quickly. Cassie's still napping so she'll probably be confused when she wakes up and Riley and I aren't here. But if you find a way to distract her, she'll be okay."

"I can deetact her, daddy," Ellie says with a smile.

Mac chuckles. "Distract," he gently corrects. "And I know you can."

"Hey, babe? What happened to us leaving when my mom got here?"

He looks at Riley, his eyes going wide. "Right, sorry. Let's go." He quickly steps away to slide into his shoes, kisses Ellie goodbye, and then he's guiding Riley out of the house.

After he helps Riley get settled into the front passenger seat, he circles around to the driver's side, climbing in and starting the engine. He reaches across the center console to grab his wife's hand, squeezing gently and smiling when she looks at him. "Let's go meet our baby."

.

.

.

Mac winces when Riley's grip on his hand tightens yet again. He stays quiet, though, knowing full well from past experiences that the pain in his hand is nothing compared to what Riley is feeling, even with the aid of an epidural. The only thing that will be leaving his mouth throughout the entire delivery process are words of encouragement.

"We're done after this one. I mean that. No more pregnancies."

Mac glances down at his wife as she lies back in her hospital bed, her grip on his hand now a little looser. "You're sure?" he asks carefully, knowing that she doesn't always think straight right in the middle of labor.

Riley nods, swallowing thickly. "I'm sure. I am not going through this again. Three kids is plenty."

Mac nods, knowing it's best to just leave it at that for the time being. "Okay. Whatever you want, Riles." He drops a kiss to her hairline, his eyes closing just a little when her grip on his hand tightens again and her breathing gets heavier.

A minute later, her grip loosens. "I know it's worth it once the baby gets here, but I really hate this part."

More minutes pass and Riley's irritation grows with each second that goes by. Mac does his best to help her through every contraction when they hit, but there's only so much he can do. If he could completely take her pain away during all of this, he would. He felt the same way when she had Ellie and Cassie too; he hates seeing his loved ones in pain, especially if he can't do anything to alleviate it.

And just like with the last two births, time is almost nonexistent for him. In the back of his head, he knows that quite a bit of time has gone by, simply by the ache he feels in his feet from standing. But he also hasn't been paying attention to any clocks since he and Riley got settled into the delivery room. The last time he checked the time, it was early evening, but chances are very high that it's much later now.

For Riley's sake, he hopes the baby is born soon.

"Alright, Mrs. MacGyver, you're officially fully dilated, time for baby boy to start making his way into the world."

Mac looks down at Riley at the same moment she looks up at him. He smiles widely, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You've got this, Riles. Time to meet our son."

Time slows down after that.

He stays dutifully at Riley's side the entire time, letting her maintain a death grip on his hand every time she pushes. He continues uttering words of encouragement in her ear, his eyes brimming with tears with each second that passes, bringing him closer to meeting his son.

In his mind, he can hear the doctor speaking, but just like with the previous two births, Mac's only focused on his wife's well-being. They'd both been worried, naturally, when she got pregnant so soon after having Cassie, but so far everything's been okay. And he prays that it stays that way.

"You're doing great, Riley," the doctor praises. "On the next contraction, I need you to push as hard as you can."

Mac steps a little closer to Riley's bedside, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of her head. "He's almost here, Riles. We're so close, you can do this," he says, giving her hand a small squeeze of reassurance, though it's quickly overpowered by her tightening grip.

In what feels like a lifetime, but also no time at all, a piercing cry rings through the room. Then their son is placed on Riley's chest, his tiny arms moving in the air as he cries. The sound of a newborn crying is something he is all-too-familiar with after witnessing the birth of both his daughters. But the sound is also completely unique to this new baby. And it's incredible.

"Hi there," Riley says with a watery laugh, holding the boy as close as she can get him. "I'm your mom."

It's like the floodgates open in that instant, tears rolling down his cheeks and blurring his vision. He drops a kiss to Riley's temple and then focuses his attention on his son. "Hey buddy," he says, placing a hand on the baby's back and smiling. "It's so good to finally meet you."

Later, once the three of them are settled into a recovery room, Mac finally checks the time. It's mid-morning, mere hours since his son was born. It's amazing. His son is amazing.

"I know we've done this twice already, but it still doesn't feel real that he's here."

Riley snickers. "Trust me, babe, if you went through what I did, then it'd feel real."

"Oh, I believe you. You're amazing for doing this three times." He drops a kiss to the top of her head. "I promise I won't make you do it again."

She tilts her head back to smile at him. "I appreciate that. I love our kids, but I am not going through another birth." She lets out a heavy yawn, leaning her head against him. "I almost forgot how tired I get afterward."

He smiles. "It's well deserved. Take a nap if you want," he says, carefully taking the baby from her and placing him back in the bassinet. "I know it's almost visiting hours, but I can text Bozer and have him let everyone know to come back later."

Riley shakes her head, breathing deeply as she sits up a little. "No, that's okay. I'll take a nap later. Everyone's probably on their way or already here, and I'm dying to see the girls."

"Okay." He settles himself back on the side of the bed, wrapping an arm around Riley's shoulders and pulling her close. "I know it might be a little cheesy to say, but I think our family's complete, Riles. You, me, and our three beautiful children. It's exactly how it should be."

Riley looks up at him with a soft smile. "It is a little cheesy. But I know what you mean."

There's a soft knock on the frame of the door before either of them can say anything more. They both turn toward the doorway, smiling when they see their friends and family standing there.

"Daddy!" Ellie shouts excitedly, and then darts into the room, making a beeline straight for him.

Mac manages to sit up and catch the girl, settling her in his lap and hugging her. "Hi, Ellie. I missed you."

Ellie pulls back after a moment and looks at him. "I missed you so much, daddy. And mommy too. You were gonna for a long time."

Mac smiles, brushing her curls back. "I know we were. But we had to be gone for a long time so that your brother could be born safely."

Ellie gasps. "He's here?"

"He is. Do you want to meet him?"

Ellie nods with a wide smile. "Yeah."

Mac stands from the bed and crosses around to the other side where the bassinet is. He holds Ellie at the right height so that she can see the baby. "Say hi to your baby brother."

Ellie leans forward in his arms, gripping to the side of the bassinet. "Hi. I'm Ellie." She leans forward more, presses a kiss to the baby's forehead, and then sits back up and looks at Mac. "I wanna see mommy now."

Mac chuckles. "Okay. One mommy, coming right up." He steps over to the bed and sets Ellie down on the mattress, smiling when she crawls across the bed and curls herself into Riley's side. He lets out a breath and turns his attention to everyone else as they're entering the room and gathering near the bed. "Hey, guys. Glad you all made it."

"Like we'd miss this," Ashley speaks up, hiking Cassie up a little higher on her hip. "We're all very excited to meet the new baby. Right, Cass?"

The corners of Cassie's lips pull down into a frown. "No."

Mac sighs. "Yeah, I was worried about that. Hey, Cass, wanna go cuddle with mommy and Ellie?"

Cassie just nods and stretches her arms out to him.

Mac smiles, stepping forward to gather her in his arms and then carry her over to Riley's bed. He sets her down, reminding her to be gentle, and then watches as she curls up against Riley's other side. He turns back to the others. "Okay, I'm sure you're all more than eager to see the baby."

"Of course we are, Blondie," Matty says. "So get a move on."

Mac chuckles, moving back to the bassinet. He carefully lifts his son with practiced ease and walks toward the group again. "Alright, here he is. The newest addition to the MacGyver household."

"I'll never get over how cute of babies you two make," Leanna remarks, stepping closer to get a better look. "He's beyond adorable."

Mac smiles proudly. "Thanks."

"Any chance you're gonna tell us the little guy's name now, or do we have to guess what it is?" Jack questions from his place with Diane next to Riley's bed.

"Yeah," Bozer agrees. "You did this with Ellie and Cassie too, not telling us their names until they're born. It's very mean."

Mac chuckles. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Boze." He lets out a breath, glancing over at Riley. "You want to tell them? Or should I?"

She smiles softly. "You can."

He nods, turning back to the group. "His name is Wyatt Henry Macgyver. His middle name is after my grandfather." He lets his eyes drift over to Jack, watching as the realization and recognition start to form in his eyes. "And his first name…"

Jack swallows thickly, his eyes glassy as he looks between them. "That's gotta be a coincidence, right?"

Riley shakes her head. "Absolutely not. You've always been there for me, even when I didn't want you to be. And you're one of the best men I know."

"Well, that, and you tried to get us to name both Ellie and Cassie after you, so we figured we'd give you a win."

The room laughs at Mac's words, though Jack domains silent. His gaze never leaves the baby, a smile on his face the whole time.

"Do you want to hold him?" Mac asks.

Jack looks up at him and nods. "Yeah."

Mac carefully transfers the boy into Jack's waiting arms and then moves toward the bed. He picks Ellie up and sets her in his lap as he settles himself next to his wife. Ellie curls up in his lap but leans sideways so she can still be close to Riley as well.

His eyes drift over to their friends and family all gushing over the baby in Jack's arms, just like they all did when Ellie and Cassie were born.

Ashley is talking animatedly to Desi about how cute Wyatt is, the other woman just smiling lovingly at her wife. Diane is standing right beside Jack, leaning into him as she admires her grandson, Elwood standing close by, but not too close, to also see the baby.

Bozer and Leanna are smiling as they look at the baby and talk quietly to each other, no doubt reminiscing about when their son was born a little over a year ago. Russ and Matty are admiring the baby as well, though they both remain silent with smiles on their faces.

"Hey, Mac?"

He looks down at his wife, absentmindedly rubbing a hand up and down Ellie's back. "Yeah?"

She smiles softly at him. "Happy Father's Day."

Mac beams, leaning down to press a lingering kiss to her hairline, thinking about the early hours of the morning when his son finally made his way into the world. His due date hadn't been until tomorrow, but today, Mac has never been more grateful for his kids not adhering to their due dates.

A very happy Father's Day indeed.

So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below.

Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!