Evelyn woke early because of two things. It had been four years since she and Rafe had made their wedding vows to each other and she thought she might finally have gone into labor. She'd had several false alarms over the last two weeks, as she had had with Sarah and began to wonder if this baby was ever going to make its entrance into the world. At six a.m., however, the newest McCawley seemed to decide it was time.

Their lives were going to change again once she had the baby, that only being one event. Rafe's enlistment was finally up and he'd told her when he'd come home the night before that his commanding officer had submitted the paperwork that would make him a civilian again. As he'd told him a few months before it would take at least a month for the final paperwork to come through and then Captain Rafe McCawley would be free to take his family home.

Evelyn sighed as she felt a contraction come. It wasn't bad, but she knew from experience that they were going to get worse and she was going to curse the day she ever met Rafe McCawley. She smiled to herself because she remembered doing that very thing when she'd had Sarah.

She also knew, however, that it was going to be awhile before she would have to go to the hospital and she didn't want to unduly alarm the children or her husband.

It was too late for that. Rafe already suspected what might be happening because he'd felt Evelyn tossing and turning during the last couple of hours. He knew better than to say anything to her because she'd been through it already and she knew when she'd be ready.

Barbara was back in Hawaii and this time Martha had come with her. After Evelyn had gone through a week of false labor, the girls had talked the head nurse into letting them come back on emergency leave and they'd been with her since.

She finally gave up trying to go back to sleep and struggled to sit up. She sighed again as she sat up against the headboard and put a hand on her large form. "Hurry up will you?" She whispered and heard Rafe laugh softly.

"Honey, you know better than I do that the baby will come when it's ready and not before." He told her quietly as he sat up next to her and took her hand. "Are you feelin' all right?"

"Rafe, I think this is it."

"Labor?"

She nodded. "This is different than the last couple of weeks."

"Could it be another false alarm?"

"It could be. I'll know for sure in the next few hours." She looked at him and smiled. "Are you ready for this?"

He grinned. "I guess I have to be. Are you?"

"I guess I have to be." She repeated and then laughed before she put her head on his shoulder. "I just want the baby to be all right."

"I know you do honey, so do I." He said and kissed her.

It wasn't long before the kids were awake and making their usual noises. Rafe and Evelyn got up and dressed to take care of the kids and have breakfast. As they helped the children eat, Rafe looked across the table at his wife and smiled. "You do know what today is don't you?"

"Of course I do. Did you honestly think I'd forget?" She smiled back as she helped Sarah put a spoon of oatmeal in her mouth.

"I thought with everythin' that's been goin' on, you might have forgotten."

"And who forgot last year Captain?" She teased.

"I didn't forget Mrs. McCawley, I couldn't get to a telephone." He joked back. "Besides, I couldn't stop in the middle of a mission because I needed to call my wife on our anniversary, could I?"

"This coming from the man who said he'd do anything for me."

That got him to grin. "Well, almost anythin'." He amended.

The children watched their parents during the exchange. They were still too young to understand what was going on, but they knew that their parents were smiling at each other. That always made them smile.

As was his habit, Danny knocked on the front door before letting himself in. Rafe had told him long before that he didn't need to stand on that formality in their house and to just let himself in. It was something that Danny was never comfortable with, so he compromised.

"Hey McCawley's." He said as he came in and sat down next to his godson and ruffled his hair. The boy always liked it when he did that and grinned at his godfather. "Ya'll know what today is?"

Rafe and Evelyn smiled at each other. "We know." He told his best friend.

"We're goin' to the beach for a picnic." He said with a smile.

They'd completely forgotten about that.

"For your anniversary." He finished before he started to laugh. "You didn't think I'd forget about that did you?"

Rafe looked at Danny. "I don't know if that's such a good idea Danny."

"Why not? We had it all planned when we found out Barbara and Martha were comin' back. What's the problem?"

Evelyn looked at Rafe for a moment before she looked at Danny. "I think I'm in labor."

He hadn't expected to hear that even though they'd told him she was due at any time. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine for the moment, but it's just a matter of time before we know anything for sure."

"Well it's up to you two, if you feel like goin' Evelyn."

She looked at her husband. "What do you think Rafe? You feel like taking your pregnant, possibly in labor, wife to the beach?"

He sighed. "If my pregnant, possibly in labor, wife wants to go how can I say no? Just let me know when it's time."

"You know I will."

So it was settled.

It was a happy group that gathered at the beach later that day for a picnic and all eyes were on Evelyn, and she knew it. She also knew by that time that she was most definitely in labor. As they had gotten a picnic lunch together, gotten the kids ready and walked to the beach, the contractions had not let up and were getting progressively stronger. It would be awhile before she would have to go to the hospital and wanted to enjoy what might be their last trip to the beach. They probably wouldn't have time once the baby came and had to start packing up their home.

Rafe, Danny and Red had the kids down at the water's edge while the girls stayed with Evelyn. She had tried to tell them they didn't need to hover, but Barbara and Martha had been gone through most of this pregnancy and they didn't want to leave her alone now. "Why don't you girls go splash around in the water? Nothing is going to happen right at this moment and to tell you the truth, you're making me nervous." She looked at Sandra to help her out, but she was just as nervous as the other girls were.

As he played with his children near the water, Rafe kept looking up the beach to check on Evelyn. She seemed calm about the whole thing and he figured she wasn't ready yet. He sighed and looked at a concerned Danny and shrugged his shoulders. There was nothing he could do until she gave him the word.

A couple of hours later however, something changed in what Evelyn was feeling and she knew it was time to go. This McCawley suddenly wanted out and let their mother know it in no uncertain terms. They were in the middle of eating what Evelyn had packed and she felt the baby turn, as it had been throughout the early afternoon and move down. This was it and was she ever ready. After all of the waiting and worrying, she and Rafe were finally going to see their new baby.