Authoress' notes: Okay well this took far too long. The Epilogue will reappear shortly. I hope you all enjoy this. Thanks for the wonderful reviews everyone!!!! I should be adding another piece to "All Kinds of Family" as well. Have a wonderful day and enjoy this part!!!

Hello Sofia

Dom's POV:

I walked into the quiet house around ten that night. Leon had stayed in the city to grab a couple beers and pick up a girl. I rolled my eyes at his recent attitude and closed the front door.  The lights of the deck lit up the back of the house like a beacon. I could hear the girls talking quietly as I continued down the hallway. It was strange to think that soon I would be a father.  I didn't know if I was ready for this; I've never wanted to talk to my dad more than now. I could make out Jen's voice now, she was using her calming-motherly tone, probably trying to make Letty relax.

" This is what I love about the storm season." Jen was explaining. " I love watching the storms dance on the ocean. I can be in awe at its destructive nature and not feel guilty about someone's home being destroyed."

" You're not a fish." Letty laughed.

" I'm sure any fish can handle this and if not than it's survival of the fittest." I heard Jen shift in her chair. " You still having contractions?"

" Nope. They quit an hour ago." Letty sighed. " I just wanna have this baby. At least than I could look at it."

" You just called the baby, it, wait 'til I tell Dom."

" Watch hell hath no fury like a pregnant woman with raging hormones."

" I'm shaking over here." Jen replied dryly. " Ed probably knows that the nursery it's done yet."

" What else could we possible do to that room? We've even got the birth room ready. For the love of god, I've never been so prepared in my life."

Jen laughed. " What about the rocking chair?"

I wish I see what they were doing out there, but before I could walk out Letty started talking again.

" I know its dumb, but I remember this story Bella used to tell us about before Dom was born: She and Tony were real poor and she wanted a rocking-chair so bad she could taste it, but they didn't have any money. Anyways Tony shows up one night after work with three handmade rocking chairs, one for the nursery, one for their room and one for the front porch." Letty sighed.

I could remember my mother telling that story sitting in that rocking chair on the front porch as we celebrated my 13th birthday.

" He made them?" Jen asked.

" Oh please, Tony was as good with wood as I am. No, he made a deal with some guy: Tony would fix his cars for free if he made the chairs for Bella."

" That's sweet. Have you thought of a name for the baby if it's a girl?"

" Sofia." Letty paused and drew a long breath. " Dom's mother's real name; she was the only mother I really knew. I miss her."

Letty had taken the words out of my mouth, but I was about to give her the shock of her life.

" Good evening ladies." I smirked as Jen chocked on her sip of wine.

" Ass." She coughed.

" Hi baby." Letty smiled up at me and wrapped her arms around my neck as I knelt to kiss her. " Miss me?" She smiled.

" Always." I kissed her quickly and helped her stand. " I have something to show you."

" What?"

" Come with me."

" Why?"

" You'll see." I led her back into the hallway and whispered. " Close your eyes."

" And how am I supposed to follow you with my eyes closed?"

" Trust me." I took both of her hands in mine and after she arched her eyebrow suspiciously, she shut her eyes. I guided her into the front gallery where I'd left her present. " Okay you can open your eyes."

She blinked a few times in shock and managed a small squeak, before tears trickled down her cheeks.

" Hey, don't cry." I whispered to her and kissed her forehead than her cheeks.

" Where did you find them?" She wondered aloud as she walked over and touched the first rocking chair.

" The first three I found at a flea market a month ago, they weren't in fantastic shape so I stored them at Rico's and fixed them up." I explained.

" They're so beautiful." She smiled broadly before reaching the fourth and her face froze. She touched the carving on the headrest and started shacking. " How did you get this here?"

" Brain. He told Mia it vanished off the porch, because she would've known why I wanted it and I knew you wanted to keep Ed a secret. He took it apart and shipped it to Rico's." I was grinning broadly as I watched her smile again.

" Next time you talk to him tell that bastard all is forgiven." She laughed, before touching the carvings gingerly. " To: Sofia, From: Anthony; May 1977. To: Letitica, From: Dominic; May 2002."

I saw Jenny start up the stairs with Corpus on her heels. She leaned against the railing and looked down at us.

Letty sat down in the rocking chair and sighed. " Okay Ed, we're all ready for ya!"

Jen warned, " Be very careful about saying things like that."

Letty stuck out her tongue. " What's the worst that could happen?"

Letty's POV:

I started pace ten minutes ago; my contractions had started again and laying down hurt like a mother. Ha. Ha. I'm so funny. I thought humorously as I opened the door to Jen's room. I stood in the doorway for a few minutes before a muffled voice informed me.

" If your contractions aren't regular or becoming closer together, aren't at least 40 seconds in length, aren't becoming more painful, don't start in your upper abdomen, and moving doesn't help; then go back to bed you are in false labor again." Jen moved under the covers.

I started thinking. " Two outta four?"

" Go back to bed." Jen growled.

" I thought you were morning person."

" Not at three a.m." Jen picked up her head and pushed her hair away from her face. " Go bother Dom this is a future daddy thing."

I scowled. " He's out like a light. I don't wanna wake him up; he's exhausted."

Jen's expression softened a bit. " Okay get over here and sit down."

" No, sitting is bad; it hurts. I'm more comfortable walking." I argued. " But my back's still driving me nuts."

Jen sat up a little straighter. " Your back huh? Where at in your back?" She yawned and blinked her eyes.

" My lower back; feels like I leaned over too long." I explained watching her expression.

Jen arched her eyebrow. " Which two did you match?"

" I…" I started before grinding my teeth at another pain in my back. I felt like someone jabbed me in the back. I took another couple deep breaths before it passed.

" 50 seconds; were the other as long as that?

" I think so, it felt like it, but its my back not my stomach." I explained.

Jen crawled out of bed and walked over to me. " Radiates down through here?" She moved her hands along my sides and across my pelvis.

" Yeah." I answered as a thunder rattled the windows.

" It's getting worse?" She questioned me.

I nodded, " Yeah that's why I came in here I wanted to know what I could take for it."

" Did you know that contractions can feel like back-pain?" Jen took my wrist and started taking my pulse, something I had just gotten used to over the past few months.

" Nope." I rolled my neck and sighed.

" Does moving help with the pain?"

" Not the sharp ones."

Jen's eyebrows shot up and she folded her arms over her chest. " Well it sounds like we are in for the main event."

I bit my lip, " Are you sure?"

" Yeah." Jen nodded. " And if walking helps we'll walk."

" Don't we want to call Rosemary?" I suggested.

Jen shook her head, " First we're gonna make sure you're in labor and if you are; we'll call her." The wind gusted outside and started whining eerily. " Are we in for a late one?"

" Another hurricane induced storm?"

" Could be." Jen's face looked troubled. "Come on momma, let's go check the weather."

Jen and I went down the stairs, but I had to stop halfway down and take another couple breathes as the pain hit again.

Jen was sitting at her laptop looking over the satellite photos. I saw her expression darken as she looked over the pictures. " Son of a…" She trailed off and bit her lip. " I've got to wake 'em up." She stood up and shook her head.

" What the hell is going on?"

" You are going into labor and the late hurricane is heading up the gulf coast in the water, which means we are gonna get hammered with wind and rain." Jen looked at me and I must have been making quite a face since she instantly calmed on the outside. "It'll be fine don't worry."

" Easy for you to say." I folded my arms over my chest and started pacing again.

Jen went and got the phone. She was talking in Spanish to Peter's mother telling her to keep Morgan with them until Jen came and picked him up and warned her about the incoming storm. She went up the stairs and came back down a few minutes later with Dom lumbering behind her.

" You weren't supposed to wake him up." I complained.

" Can't move the bed on my own." Jen told me as the front door swung open.

I looked down the hall and saw Leon stumbling in the hallway. Jen clenched her fists then took a deep breath. " I'll be right back." She walked over to Leon and announced. " Time to sober up." She grabbed his wrist and dragged him upstairs.

I winced at the yelling and crashing that was going on up there. Then I looked at Dom. " Morning?" I tried to smile, but the pain hit again.

Dom grabbed my arms and let me dig my nails into his arm. " You okay?" He whispered.

I managed to nod, before sighing as it passed. " Jen thinks I'm having the baby. And which bed are you moving?"

" Yours; she wants us all down in the basement in case the storm hits hard."

I nodded understanding as Jen reappeared.

" He's enjoying a nice shower." Jen pressed her hands against her face and slid them down. " I've got shitty luck." She started towards the hallway.

" Where are you going?" I barked.

Jen grabbed her coat. " Rosemary is terrified of storms; she won't drive in them. I have to go get her."

" Hold it." Dom interrupted. " Jen, you are the only one here with experience. I can go get her."

" No!" Jen and I barked at him simultaneously. I continued, " I need you here with me."

" Then who's gonna go get her?" He asked.

" I will." Leon muttered from the stairs.

" You're drunk;" Jen growled. " You can't speak Spanish and you don't know where you're going."

Leon's POV:

My ears were still ringing from the screaming match that Jen and I got into, before she relented and wrote down the directions to Rosemary's home.  It made more sense for me to go anyway, since Letty needed Jen to be there and wanted Dom stay with her.  I was driving Jen's 4x4, trying to keep it on the road as the wind brew junk in front of me and rain pelted the windshield.  I rounded the corner and noticed a white van tipped over on its side with a tree smashed through it.  I stopped the 4x4 and called out against the wind trying to see if anyone was there.  A flash of black caught my attention as a nun started climbing out the passenger window.

" Are you okay? Is anybody else in there?" I helped her down to the ground and jumped as her green eyes met mine.

" Just me and I'm okay. Thanks for asking Leon. What are you doing out in this storm?" Mary shielded her face from the rain and wind with her robes.

" I'm going to get the midwife for my friend. She's having a baby." I explained, before cringing at the sound of the bus scraping against the road and motioned for her to get into the car. " What the hell were you doing out in this storm?" I asked her as she slammed the door closed.

" There's a family that lives in a shack on the beach…"

" And you're the happy little volunteer that went to save them." I snapped unintentionally. " How you people here about these things at four in the morning?"

" The wind." She sipped back me.

" What is that poetry or something?" I was pissed off and I didn't want to deal with her.

" No I heard the wind blowing things against my window." She scowled, " Where are we going?"

" Remember midwife, friend, baby?"

" Which midwife?"

" Rosemary something." I fought the wind as a turned the corner to find the road blocked. " Shit!"

" There's another way around. But it'll take a little back tracking." Mary pulled the hood off her robe and threw it in the backseat. She ran her fingers through her hair and shook some of the water out of it. " If you back track about a mile to the main road you can pick up a little trail that'll take you straight to the highway that Rosemary Martins lives off from. But its pretty harsh; can this thing handle off road?"

" It will." I gripped the wheel and reversed the jeep.

Mary braced her hands against the roof and door of the car trying to keep upright. "We better hope so, I'd hate to have to get out and push in this weather."

" Well you can pray us safely through."

" Why are you angry with me? I haven't done anything to you."

" I'm not angry." I slammed on the brakes.

" Then why do you keep snapping at me?" Mary pulled the rest of her nun outfit off and threw it in the back too. Now she was wearing jeans and t-shirt.

" I'm not." I defended.

" You're as bad as a child."

" You lied to me." I tried the gas, but we didn't move.

" No I didn't." Mary argued. " When do you think I lied to you?"

I stepped on the gas again but all I got was spinning tires. " Shit!" I yelled and slammed my fist on the dashboard. I tried it again and got the same result. I heard the door opening and looked up to see Mary getting out. " Where are you going?"

" Too see how bad we're stuck." She left the door open and paced to the back. After a minute she leaned back in and hollered over the wind. " It's not that bad. If I push, the tires should roll. Count of ten." She slammed the door and ran around the back again.

I counted to ten then slammed the gas, the tires popped free and the car lurched forward. I stopped again and climbed out of the car. Mary was face down in the mud puddle we'd been stuck in. " Mary! Mary! Are you okay?" I pulled her up and looked at her.

" I'm fine, just dirty."

" Are you sure?" I wiped some of the mud from her face. The wind and rain was washing the mud off fast.

" Yes, I'm fine. I've been through worse." She rubbed her thumb over my cheek.

" You sure?" I blinked my eyes and leaned in trying to get a better looked at her.

" I'm sure." She smiled and turned my face towards hers.

I leaned down and kissed her before I knew what I was doing. She responded fast wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing her body against mine. She moaned as my tongue forced its way into her mouth, and then I pulled away fast. Damn-it to all hell; I am not allowed to do this. Isn't there some cosmic law against this kind of thing?

" We can't do this." Those words sure sounded foreign coming out of my mouth.

" Why?" She asked mystified.

" Why? You're a nun!" I screamed at her.

" Not really." She started.

" What? You take off the uniform and you're not a nun for a few hours! What kind of twisted shit is that?!?"

She grabbed my shirt and jerked me down to her level. " I'm not a nun." She kissed me hard against the lips then looked at me again. " Leon, listen very closely: I am not a nun. I am hiding from some very bad people who killed my parents and I testified against." She kissed me again. " Not a real nun."

This time I kissed her; and damn it felt good. " Holy shit!" I pulled away from her again.

" What now?" She asked, pushing her soaking wet hair away from her face.

" Letty! I forgot all about her! Shit! Come on; get in the car!" I pushed her towards the car and hopped in myself.

Mary buckled her seatbelt and braced as we took off, " Is Letty your friend that's having the baby?"

" Yeah and she'll kill me if I don't get Rosemary there in time."

" We've got twenty minutes at least until we get there." Mary told me and squinted out the windshield. " Get ready to turn left up there."

" Okay. Can I ask you something?"

" Sure, fire away." Mary grabbed her cloak and wrung her hair out unto it.

" How did you get down here? In that place?"

She laughed. " Don't make it sound so awful it really isn't." She ran her fingers through her hair. " I was ten when my father racked up debt with the wrong people and couldn't pay. They were from the Russian Mafia; they broke into our house in Detroit. My mother hid me in the closet and wrote a fake note about me being at a friend's house." She drew in a deep breath. " I watched them shoot my parents. Later the police came and a detective found me. I didn't really have any extended family, so the state took over my care. They made me testify against the men that killed my family. So the state placed me in witness protection but the mafia found me. Thankfully I got out alive. So when I was eleven the state sent me to a convent in New York. I hated New York; I was miserable.  So the Catholic Church sent me here to Mexico. I didn't know Spanish and I wasn't even Catholic, but they took such wonderful care of me. I was free to leave last year when I turned eighteen, but I didn't know where else to go so I stayed here and taught school."

" What's this road?"

" Oh that's the turn off to the highway, good catch.  Let's just hope it isn't flooded over."

Dom's POV:

I could hear Jenny running around upstairs looking for more candles as I turned the wrench against the rusted metal of the generator. Letty was trying to breathe through the pain and keep track of the contractions.

" Where the fuck is Leon? He's been gone for three hours." She complained as Jenny thundered down the stairs.

" Probably lost." Jenny sighed and looked at me. " How's the generator coming?"

" It's not." I scraped my knuckles against the metal.

" Need a pair of pliers?" Jenny produced one from her pocket.

" No I need a hammer." I kicked the generator in frustration. It roared to life and lights flickered, than came on completely.

" That was impressive." Jenny nodded, before kneeling by Letty. " How are ya doing, sweetie?"

" Fucking perfect. I feel like I'm gonna split open." Letty grunted.

" Let me see." Jen checked Letty over then patted her head. " Two more centimeters, sweetie."

" What! How long is that gonna take?" Letty tried to get more comfortable.

" Hopeful longer than it takes for Rosemary to get here. I love you, but I don't want to deliver your child." Jen huffed and took off up the stairs.

I walked over to Letty and took her hand in mine. " Is there anything I can do?"

" Just stay here; Jen's scaring the shit out of me running all over the place."

I kissed her forehead. " Everything'll be alright."

" Trust you huh?" She managed a half-cocked smile, but her eyes betrayed her fear.

 " Yeah trust me." I gave her hand a squeeze. " We'll get through this."

" I'll get through this. You'll get out with a broken finger, if I'm feeling especially vicious."

" You're gonna break my finger??" I looked fearful. " That's it give me my hand back."

" No way bastard, you did this too me and you ain't leaving me now."

The door slammed upstairs a myriad of Spanish and English came floating down the stairs.

" I have never been so happy to hear that crazy woman's voice." Letty exclaimed.

Letty's POV:

It's funny how life goes. I mean, I'm street-hard girl, been through Hell and back, but this tops every adrenaline rush I've ever had. I'm looking down at my newborn daughter, her tiny face peaceful as she sleeps against my breast and I've never been so calm and scared all at once.  The pain seems to have vanished and I barely remember it all.  I'm trying to remember why I screamed all that shit at Dom. Did I really tell him to castrate himself? I'll have to apologize, when he reappears. Jen's been taking pictures of Sofia and my goofy ass grin…Oh my God. Hello Sofia, you're here. You're real. Okay I'm glad I'm just thinking all this shit. I'm starting to sound like a fucking retard.  But since no one can hear me. Sofia, you are so amazing. You look like me, but you have your papi's nose. You are only 7lbs and 20 ½ inches of person. You're so small and helpless I swear I'll never let anything hurt you. I love you, Sofia.