July 18


Jake pulled his car into the parking lot. Slamming the car door, he ran across the street and into the building. "Hold the elevator!" he yelled, watching the doors shut. "Figures," Jake mumbled, starting up the stairs to the fourth floor. He came out of the stairway and saw Monica and Alex standing in the hallway. He ran over to them.

"Sir," a nurse scolded, "please walk in the halls."

"Sorry," Jake apologized walking past her. "I came as fast as I could. Everything okay? Where's Donovan?"

"On a flight back from Washington." Monica answered, leaning her head against the wall.

"Hey Jake, " Cody laughed, walking out into the hallway, "nice shoes."

Jake looked down and realized he had a slipper and one gym shoe on. "Where the hell did I get a slipper?" he asked.

Monica and Alex started laughing. "How is she?" Alex asked Cody.

"Don't know. And you can't make me go back in there." Cody said seriously.

"Why not?" Jake asked, "You agreed."

"No, I lost the draw." Cody corrected.

"You told Donovan you would check on her when he was in Washington." Jake laughed.

"I did and look what happened," Cody complained, "he's going to blame me."

"He's not going to blame you." Alex laughed.

"Yes, he will." Cody said.

"Cody, Donovan's a reasonable man. He can't blame you." Monica laughed, "it's not like her water broke."

"It did." Cody confirmed.

"What?" they said in unison.

"It broke when I was there. I'm scarred for life. I need therapy." Cody said sinking into the chair.

"But she has two months left." Jake said, counting the months on his fingers, making sure he was right.

"Yea, hello," Cody sneered, "tell that to the kid. Should I tell her to squeeze her knees together and pray the kid will stop?"

"Excuse me," a nurse said, interrupting them, "Ms. Abernathy is asking for you."

"Oh no, I'm not going back in there." Cody swore, "You can't make me."

"Cody, be a man." Jake said, "Just hold her hand until Donovan gets here."

"No, she almost broke my hand when a contraction hit. I'm not going back in there," he said, showing them his still red hand.

They couldn't help but laugh.

"Fine, I'll go." Monica sighed.

"Good, have fun." Cody smiled, happy he didn't have to go back in there.

"But, you're going with me." Monica said pulling Cody out of the chair and into the room with her.

"Help me!" Cody squeaked, trying to grab onto the doorframe.


"Look, she's sleeping," Monica laughed.

"Don't let her fool you," Cody said.

"Cody?" Elizabeth asked, opening her eyes. "Where's Frank?"

"He's on his way Elizabeth." Monica answered, sitting down next to her, "Can I get you anything?"

"The Epi man?" Elizabeth tried to joke as a contraction hit, "The doctor said I can't have drugs. Too far along. So much for the first baby taking its time"

"Hey beautiful," Jake smiled walking into the room, "Donovan just called. His plane landed and he should be here in twenty minutes."

"How is he getting here?" Elizabeth asked as another contraction hit. Jake flinched as he saw her suck up the pain. "Shall we place bets to see if he gets a police escort here?"

Jake couldn't help but laugh. She was in pain and she could make jokes, but their was no way in hell he was getting near her to grab his hand. "Actually, I can just see him taking a police car and driving it here with lights and sirens." he laughed.

"Excuse me, but I need to see how far Ms. Abernathy is dilated. You can wait outside," the nurse said.

"Thank God." Cody said, making a hasty exit.

"Cody, when you called Donovan did you tell him Elizabeth's water broke?" Alex asked. For a man who was about to become a father, he sounded very calm on the phone.

"Uh, in not so many words." Cody said, avoiding eye contact with Alex.

"What did you tell him?" Jake asked.

"Cody? What did you say?" Monica laughed.

"Elizabeth didn't want him to know. Think about it." Cody started to explain, "Donovan in Washington, finding out she's in labor, what would he do?"

"Cody has a point. Donovan would go insane and take everyone with him." Monica agreed with Cody's reasoning.


"Ms. Abernathy is fully dilated. Is her fiancée here yet?" the nurse asked.

"He should be here any minute. Is there anyway the baby can wait?" Cody asked.

"No," the nurse laughed, "but Ms. Abernathy has asked for you to be with her until her fiancée arrives."

"Me?" Cody asked, surprised, " No way, Jake you go."

"Sorry pal," Jake laughed, pushing Cody into the room, "she asked for you. Besides, I already had my wrist sprained, I don't need it broken."

"I'll get you for this Shaw!" Cody yelled as Jake closed the door.

"Jake, that was cruel." Alex laughed.

"You want to go in there?" he offered.

"Hell no." Alex and Monica answered.

"Jake, what's going on?"

They turned a saw Donovan running down the hall. "Sir, please do not run down the hall." a nurse scolded. Donovan muttered an apology and walked towards his team. They started laughing.

"Where's Elizabeth? What's going on?" he asked.

Jake, Alex and Monica were looking at each other, seeing which one wanted to break the news to him. Jake was about to break the news to him when the nurse came out of the room. "Ah, you must be the daddy," she smiled, "your young friend needs some air. Too much for him to take."

"Cody's in there with Elizabeth?" Donovan asked, "Why?" They could see the worry in his face.

"Ah, well, it seems.." Jake started to say.

"Come on Daddy," the nurse smiled, handing Donovan scrubs to put on, "this baby doesn't want to wait."

"Baby?" he asked.

"Yes. She's fully dilated." the nurse confirmed, leading Donovan into the room.

"I'm free!" Cody replied, sneaking out of the room.

"Is she okay?" Alex laughed, hearing Elizabeth yelling at Donovan.

"I think so, but she swore that she's never letting Donovan near her again." Cody laughed. "She also mentioned something about him learning to sleep with one eye shut."

They started laughing at Cody's comments. This was something that they were going to remember. Something that Donovan had no control over, not even himself. It made him seem a little human.

Monica looked up and saw Donovan standing in the doorway. "Everything okay, boss?" she asked. He looked a little worse for wear. If it was anyone else, she would swear he looked like he was going to faint.

"Fine," he replied, "I need some ice." He was shaking his hand. It hurt like hell.

"See, I told you she can hurt." Cody laughed.

"At least she didn't hit you again." Monica laughed.

"I was waiting for that." Donovan smiled, "I stepped back when she took a swing."

"DONOVAN! GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE!" Elizabeth screamed in pain.

"Jake? Cody?" he asked.

"No way." Jake said walking backwards, hands up, "I'd rather face Sonny Walker."

"No." Cody said, "She scares me."

"Me too." Donovan agreed going back into the room.

"I'm sorry," a nurse started to say, "you need to wait in the waiting room."

"Come on, let's go get the newest Donovan a teddy bear." Alex laughed, heading for the gift shop.

"How about a cap gun?" Cody laughed.

"What makes you think it'll be a Donovan?" Monica laughed.

"Twenty bucks, it's a boy." Jake bet.

"Fifty a girl." Alex upped.

"I'll bet a hundred Donovan passes out." Monica laughed.

"Good bet, but if he did, we wouldn't know. He'd threaten everyone in there so we wouldn't know." Cody laughed.


***************************************

Four hours later

Alex and Monica were attempting to sleep in the waiting room chairs. Cody was flipping through the stations trying to find something on TV. Jake was sitting in the chair, tossing the teddy bear around.

"What is keeping that kid?" Cody muttered.

"Trying to teach you patience." Donovan laughed.

Jake dropped the bear when he heard Donovan speak. Cody turned the TV off and knocked Monica's feet off the chair to wake her up. Alex stood up, giving Donovan a look over. She shook her head and laughed. Donovan had the sappiest grin on his face. Eyes beaming with pride. And she couldn't wait to ask him why he has a bandage on his forehead.

"Well?" they asked in unison.

"What?" he smiled, enjoying the torture he was giving them.

"Boy? Girl? Lizard?" Cody asked.

"Lizard?" Monica asked Cody.

"Yea, an old Bill Cosby thing. Never mind." he laughed.

"How's Elizabeth?" Alex asked.

"She's doing fine. She's sleeping." Donovan smiled, "Would you like to go see?"

"About time." Jake muttered.

"Hey, Donovan, what happened?" Alex asked, motioning to his forehead.

"Don't ask." he growled.

"Pay up Cody." Monica laughed, sticking her hand out.

They walked down the hallway to the nursery. The nurse smiled when she saw them approach the window. She turned to get the baby ready.

"So, which one is yours?" Alex smiled, she loved looking at all the babies.

"Come on, boy or girl?" Jake asked, wanting to know.

"You betted on the sex of my baby?" Donovan laughed. "What was the bet?"

"I said boy. Alex said girl." Jake replied.

"I got a hundred for your passing out." Monica added.

"How do you know Elizabeth didn't punch me?" he asked.

"You would admit to that." she retorted.

"Well, here's the answer to the bet." Donovan beamed as the nurse turned around with his bundle of joy.

"Can you believe that?" Monica laughed.

"How sweet!" Alex cooed.

"Someone I can teach my wisdom to." Cody smirked.

"You know Donovan," Jake laughed, slapping him on the back, "only you can make sure we can't win a bet."

"Do you have names picked out?" Alex laughed.

"Yes." he beamed, "Daniel James and Rachel Ann."

"Now we have to go buy another bear." Cody laughed.