Red had stayed with him through the long hours of waiting.

He had eventually talked Danny into going home long enough to call Sandra's parents to tell them what was happening and to let Rafe and Evelyn know that she'd finally gone into labor. He had also suggested that he get some sleep and promised to call when he heard anything.

Danny agreed to go home to make the calls, but didn't want to be away that long. So instead he told his friend that he would take a quick shower and be back.

It didn't take him long to get back to the house and the first thing he did after he'd gotten in the door was to go to the telephone and call Sandra's parents. Her mother picked up the line on the other end and asked how her daughter was doing.

"The last report I got from the nurse was that she was doin' well and that things were progressin' the way they should be. After everythin' that's happened to her, I want this to be as easy for her as possible."

"Spoken like a good husband." Margaret O'Connell told him. "Sandra's a strong girl Danny and she'll come through this in fine shape."

Danny nodded even though he knew his mother in law couldn't see it. "As soon as she has the baby, I'll call you."

"Don't worry about calling us right away. Call after you've had a chance to see that baby of yours and spent some time with them."

"All right."

He didn't hear anything on the Ohio end of the line for a moment. "Danny, Sandra's father and I want to thank you for being so good about staying in such close touch with us. It's been hard not being there for her while she'd gone through this and the frequent telephone calls and the letters and pictures you've sent has made us feel a part of all this."

"It's been hard on Sandra too. And as much as she's disliked havin' her picture taken through all of this, she's done it so you wouldn't feel left out." Danny explained.

"Well, I know you have other telephone calls to make so I'll let you go. Just give my little girl a big hug and a kiss from her dad and I and tell her we'll be out as soon as she feels up to it."

"I'll tell her." And after they said goodbye, he hung up. The second call he made was to the McCawley's and it was Rafe that picked up the line. Danny gave him the news and within seconds he had Evelyn next to him asking how Sandra was. "She's fine as far as they've told me, but it's goin' to be awhile. I just came home long enough to call her folks and you before I grab a quick shower and get back there."

"Give Sandra our love and we'll be out as soon as she wants us." Evelyn told him.

"Thanks Evelyn, I'll tell her." They said goodbye and after he put the receiver back in the cradle, he walked back to the bedroom to take a shower.

In short order he took a shower, ran a brush through his hair and got back into his dungarees and loafers. In deference to Sandra's earlier comment he put on a casual shirt over his skivvy shirt and put his flight jacket back on before he headed back to the hospital.

When he walked back into the waiting room he saw two nervous fathers to be pacing. Red had a flight manual open on his lap and seemed to be in deep concentration.

"Hey Red." He greeted his friend as he sat down next to him. "Any word?"

Red closed the manual and shook his head. "Nothing. Did you call Sandra's parents?"

He nodded. "They told me to call them after I'd had a chance to see her and the baby."

Red grinned at his friend. "How many times have we been here?"

Danny laughed. "It's like a second home, ain't it?"

"The only difference this time is that it's not Evelyn having a baby and we don't have the rest of the gang here."

"Don't I know it. But you're here and it means a lot to me."

"Come on Danny, where the hell else was I going to be?"

They grinned at each other as Danny took his jacket off and settled in to wait for some news.

While they waited, the two other fathers talked Danny and Red into a game of poker and it was while they were playing their second hand that the nurse finally came for Danny.

"Captain Walker?"

He turned toward the door and she was smiling at him.

"You have a new baby."

He glanced at Red. Danny felt his face flush and his heart stopped for a moment before he stood up and headed to the door. "How is my wife?"

She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She and the baby are both fine and she wants to see you."

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"She wants to tell you that Captain, so why don't you follow me and I'll take you to her." She told him as she walked out of the room. He followed close behind and he began to really understand how his best friend must have felt as he was taken to his wife.

The maternity ward was quiet and the lights were low. Curtains were drawn around the occupied beds and he heard the soft voices of husbands talking to their exhausted wives. The nurse stopped suddenly at one of the beds and told him quietly, "Here she is. I'll leave you alone for a moment and go get the baby."

"Thank you ma'am." He smiled at her as he drew back the curtain to step inside the cocoon of privacy. Sandra was still and her eyes were closed. She also looked so tired and he wondered what it was that she had been through. "Honey, are you awake?" He whispered to her.

She had a smile on her face before she opened her eyes. "Hi." She whispered back. "Why don't you sit down?"

Danny frowned. "Are you sure it's all right?"

Sandra patted the edge of the bed. "It's all right."

He sat down gingerly and tried not to move the bed too much. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine Danny and we have a daughter."

Mama had been right. "A girl."

"You're not disappointed are you?"

"Hell no honey. I'm just tryin' to get used to the idea that we have a baby."

"And here she is." The nurse said as she returned with a small bundle in her arms. She handed the baby to Sandra but the new mother shook her head.

"I've already had a chance to hold her. Her father should have a chance."

Danny looked at her. "I don't know about this Sandra."

She laughed softly. "Danny, you held Ev and Rafe's children when they were babies. This is no different."

"Like hell it ain't. They weren't mine." He objected, but to no avail because the nurse handed the baby to him anyway. He looked at the small face and he saw Sandra.

"She looks like you." She told him.

"Not me. She's as pretty as her mama."

"Her mother looks awful." Sandra sighed.

"Her mother looks beautiful." And he leaned over; mindful of the baby he held and kissed her.

"Liar." She smiled.

"No. Just happy you came through this." He grinned as the baby yawned. "She's had a busy day too."

"Danny, what should we name her? We'd already decided to name her for Anthony when we thought she might be a boy, but we never did agree on a girl's name."

He looked at Sandra and looked at the baby. "Well, we could call her Ann. How 'bout that?"

"What about your mother's name? We could call her Rachel." Sandra suggested.

"We could. But since namin' her for Anthony was somethin' that was so important to the both of us, what would you think about Ann Rachel?"

She seemed to think about it before she smiled. "Ann Rachel Walker." She repeated. "It's a nice name Danny and I think it's a good name too."

He grinned. "All right then, Ann Rachel Walker it is." And he looked at his new daughter. "Annie, I'm your daddy and your mama and I are very glad you're finally here." He told her before he leaned over and kissed her newborn cheek.