It was another false alarm and Evelyn O'Connell was beginning to wonder if their baby was ever going to make its entrance into the world.

For the third time in a week, Rick took her to the hospital because she was sure the baby was coming and for the third time in a week, he brought her home because it wasn't time yet. It was a phenomenon that sometimes happened with first time mothers and it was happening with regularity to Evelyn and she was bloody well sick of it.

A mere ten months after Rick and Evelyn O'Connell had said their "I Do's", there was a baby on the way. They hadn't planned on it happening so soon, but as they learned from Hamanaptra, things don't always happen the way one expects them to.

After returning from Egypt and settling into her parent's house, Evelyn obtained a position at the British Museum. Her responsibilities were as a librarian, with a specialty in Egyptology and she worried that she would lose that position when she found out that she was going to have a baby. But the curator told her that she would be out of sight of the patrons and wouldn't be unsightly to said patrons the farther along she got.

She took exception to being called unsightly because the way her husband looked at her, she certainly didn't feel that way.

So, after the third false alarm Rick brought her home and no sooner were they in the house that she began to cry. It was a horrid thing to do to him, but at nine months along and counting Evelyn was tired. And as much as she loved Rick, she was peeved at him for getting her in the position she was in.

"Evie honey, please don't cry." He put his arms around her as best he could and held her.

"I'll cry if I bloody well want to. This is all your fault anyway."

"As I remember, I did have some help from you." He told her and she could sense that he was trying not to laugh.

She stepped out of his embrace and frowned at him. "Well I'm glad you find this so bloody amusing because I certainly don't."

"And you're starting to sound like your brother."

"So what if I am?" She was in no mood for his attempts to lighten her spirits. "He is my brother after all."

"That's true. Have you seen him recently?" He sounded concerned.

"Not since before you took me to the hospital." She saw the concern on his face and her frown deepened. "Rick, what is it?"

He sighed. "I'm not sure. It just seems to me that the farther along you've gotten, the more time he spends out of the house."

She knew he was right. "I don't know why though, it's not as though he lacks for privacy. That's exactly why he took the guest apartment upstairs so he could come and go as he pleases." She touched Rick's arm and looked at him with concern of her own. "Do you suppose we've been making him feel as though he isn't a part of this?"

That got him to laugh and that finally got her to smile. "Maybe we've been making him feel too much a part of this."

"How can that be? He's going to be an uncle to this little one here." She asked.

"Exactly, an uncle. Evie, Jonathan isn't exactly a family man and you've always known that. And it's possible that he's feeling a little trapped by all of our talk about the baby and fixing up the nursery and picking out a name."

She hadn't thought of it that way. "I just didn't want him to think we had forgotten about him."

"I know that honey, but maybe at this point he wants to be forgotten." Rick took her hand and smiled. "You've had a bad day, haven't you?"

She nodded and smiled back.

"I figured that. I've heard you use bloody more times today than in the entire time that we've been married."

Evelyn laughed and she could feel her good mood beginning to return. "Now I understand why Jonathan uses it so much. It's been the perfect word to use today."

"It sounds like you could use a warm bath and some hot tea to put this day behind you." Rick observed.

She sighed. "It sounds heavenly actually. Would you make me some tea while I go draw a bath?"

"I'll make it just the way you like it." He grinned before he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Evelyn in turn put her arms around his neck and held him as close as she could. "What ever did I do to deserve you?" She asked as she felt his arms move around her expanded waistline.

"You saved my life Evie, in more ways than one." He answered and kissed her temple. "Come on; let's get you upstairs."

She nodded as he let her go and headed upstairs with her.

"Rick?"

"Yeah?"

"Does it matter to you if it's a boy or a girl?" In the previous nine months, Evelyn never asked him and she didn't know why it was so important now.

He took her hand as they reached the top of the stairs and stopped her. "The only thing that matters to me is that you'll be all right."

"I know, but that wasn't my question."

Rick nodded. "I know that and to tell you the truth, it doesn't really matter. Though I wouldn't mind if it were a girl."

It wasn't an answer she was expecting. "Really?"

He smiled at her. "Sure, why not? A little girl as pretty as her mother and just as headstrong."

"I thought all men wanted sons to carry on the family name and all that."

He shrugged his shoulders in response. "Some probably do but you're what matters the most to me, not whether our kid is going to be a boy or a girl."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." And he leaned over and kissed her.

Evelyn put her arms around his neck and held him as close as she could as she kissed him back. It was then that she knew that the baby was truly on the way because her water broke. She stepped away from him only far enough to look at him. "Rick."

"What is it?"

"This is really it."

"Evie..." She could hear the doubt in his voice and she nodded.

"I know, I know. False alarms and all that but this isn't a false alarm, my water just broke."

He looked absolutely stunned. "This really is it. Are you all right?"

"I feel fine for the moment, but I'd like to change before we go to the hospital."

Rick looked as though he was about to panic. "Are you sure you have time for that?"

She headed down the hall toward their room. "Well, time or not I'm not going like this."

"Evie."

She ignored his protest and changed her clothes as quickly as she could while he looked for her suitcase. She couldn't help but smile and when she was ready, touched his arm. "It's downstairs, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Are you ready?" He asked her as he took her hand.

"More than ready." She squeezed his hand and they headed back downstairs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She was so calm about the whole thing and he felt like hell.

He wondered if it was an English thing to be so stoic or if it was just his lovely wife. After going through the last week thinking the baby was coming and being told it wasn't time yet, Rick knew that she was anxious and tired.

The contractions began in earnest as he drove her to the hospital and though she didn't say anything, he could see from the look on her face that she was having a hard time.

As he drove through the busy London streets, he reflected on how much his life changed in the last year. Never in his wildest imaginings did he ever think that he would have a wife or a new baby coming and the fact that he did made him smile.

He glanced over at Evelyn and her eyes were closed while her hands rested on her expanded form. She was breathing deeply and trying to relax.

"Does that help?" He asked her as he looked back at the road.

"A little. It's more about concentrating on something else to keep my mind occupied." She admitted.

"I'm sorry."

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "What on earth for?"

"That you have to go through this."

Evelyn reached over and touched his arm. "Thank you darling. I keep trying to think ahead a few hours when it's all over and we have a little girl or a little boy to hold in our arms. That actually helps the pain not seem so bad."

Rick smiled back at her. "You're one tough broad, Evie."

She laughed at the word he'd used the first time they met. "Broad."

He laughed with her as they finally reached the hospital. He helped her out of the car and they walked inside to the admissions desk. The nurse glanced up and sighed. "Back again are we?"

Rick frowned at her. She was, as his wife would say, being too cheeky by half. "Her water broke."

"Well, now we're getting somewhere aren't we?" She replied and stood up. She motioned for a wheelchair to be brought around and Rick helped her to sit down.

He didn't want to leave her, but he wasn't allowed to go with her. He held her hand for a moment before he leaned over and kissed her. "I love you Evie."

"I love you too." And she smiled. "Don't look so worried Rick, we'll be all right."

"I'll be right here." He promised as Evelyn was wheeled away. After she had disappeared around the corner, he was directed to the waiting room. "My brother in law should be coming any time now. Could you let him know where I am?"

"Certainly, sir."

"Thanks." And when he found the waiting room, he sat and waited.

It wasn't long before Jonathan showed up and had a look of absolute panic. "How's Evie?"

"She's fine. We haven't been here that long so you might as well make yourself comfortable. It's probably going to be awhile."

"I'm really going to be an uncle." Jonathan said in wonder and he smiled.

"Ready or not." He quipped.

"What about you Rick? Are you ready to be a father?"

He laughed. "I haven't really thought about it. I didn't think I would ever get married and then I met your sister. And I sure as hell never thought I'd be a father."

"Well with Evie to help you, I don't expect you'll muck it up too badly."

"Thanks Jonathan."

They settled in for the duration and waited for word on how Evelyn was doing. Rick lost count of how many hands of poker he and Jonathan played before a nurse came in to tell him had finally become a father.

"How's my wife?"

"She's fine Mr. O'Connell and she came through it like a trooper. You have a son." The nurse announced.

"Good show, old boy." Jonathan clapped him on the back.

"Can I see Evie now?" He wanted to know.

"Not just yet. She's had a very busy night and we'd like her to rest for a spell. If you'd like to see the baby, he's in the nursery."

He shook his head. "I'd like to be with Evie when I do."

"All right sir. May I offer my congratulations." And she turned around and walked out of the room.

Rick looked at his brother in law. "You can go see him if you want. I don't mind."

Jonathan grinned. "I think I will. Do you want to know whom he looks like?"

He shook his head. "I'll wait until Evie and I can see him."

"Fair enough." And he walked out of the waiting room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It wasn't until late that morning that Rick was finally able to see Evelyn.

He walked into her room and found her sitting in a rocking chair by the window. He couldn't remember when he'd seen her look so tired and he wondered what it was that she'd gone through to give them their son. "Evie?"

She smiled at him. "I guess I can finally call you Dad."

He walked over to wear she sat and crouched down in front of her. He took her hands in his and smiled back. "And I can call you Mom."

"Have you seen him?" There was a look of such contentment on her face and Rick felt himself falling in love with her all over again.

He shook his head. "No. I wanted to wait for you."

"I think you're about to meet him." Evelyn said as the door opened and he turned to see a nurse walk in with a small bundle in her arms. He stood up and waited next to her for the nurse.

She handed the baby to Evelyn and he leaned over to get a look at his new son. His eyes were squeezed shut and he couldn't tell who the baby looked like.

"I think he looks like you." The new mother commented as the nurse left them alone.

Rick couldn't see it, but then he was only a few hours old. "We never did decide on a name for a boy, or a girl for that matter."

"Well you won't let me name him after you. And I can't think of another name I want."

He sighed. "Evie, he has to have a name."

She laughed. "What would you suggest then?"

He couldn't think of anything.

"Rick, if you don't want him to have your name what would you think about Alexander Richard?" She suggested.

That was something he thought he could live with. "Are you sure about that?"

"More to the point, it is all right with you?" She looked at him curiously.

He rolled it over in his mind and the more he thought it over the more it began to grow on him. He nodded. "Alexander Richard it is."

"Thank you darling. It's a wonderful name." She smiled back. "And in honor of his new name, I think it's time you held your son."

He wasn't too sure about that but Evelyn didn't give him a choice in the matter when she handed Alex to him. "He's so small."

"Not from my perspective." Evelyn laughed softly.

"Sorry hon. But you know what I meant." Rick apologized to her but couldn't take his eyes off the baby.

"I know what you meant." She said to him.

He glanced at her in her rocking chair as she smiled at him and knew that whatever lay ahead for him and his family, it would never be as exciting as the morning he held his newborn son, Alexander Richard O'Connell.