A/N: First off, I'd just like to thank everyone who has given me these amazing and encouraging reviews! You've been so amazing! This is the last chapter, of the "Everwood: Season" series. I may or may not write another "Everwood" fanfic. (I'm still considering freak4web's question about writing a Madison & Ephram fic; I haven't decided yet.) kursk: You're very welcome and I'm happy that you enjoyed the details. auggy1984: Thank you so much for sticking with this story, it means a lot! Cap'n Keira Sparrow: Aww, you have such sweet reviews. Thanks! Ashley: Really? lol I didn't know that. What an odd coincidence.. Thanks for reviewing! muse-of-the-fairies: I'm so happy you enjoyed the previous chapter! I hope you like this one just as much! flsoutherngirl: Really? Wow! That is such an awesome thing to say! Thank you, that makes me feel really good! Divagurl277: Thanks for your wonderful enthusiasm! colorado2: And last but certainly not least, thank you bunches for reviewing and giving me your honest thoughts, without being rude about it. That's really an awesome quality! By the way, I'd like to inform you that I'm dedicating this last chapter (the "series finale"), to you! I sincerely hope that everyone will really enjoy this last chapter!
4.22 Happily Ever Abbott
----December 23, 2015----
"I can't wait to see Grandpa Andy and Grandpa Harold and Grandpa Rob!" 11-year-old Kellner Brown, Kelly for short, burst out. She turned to her younger half sister, of 3 days. She had long blonde hair like her Mother and dark brown eyes like her Aunt Delia, which also happened to be her Grandmother Julia's eyes.
"And Grandma Nina and Grandma Rose and Grandma May!" 11-year-old Julia Brown giggled. Her green eyes, like her Mother, twinkled with excitement and her long brown hair was pulled into a wavy pony tail; she had hair like her Aunt Delia and her Grandma Julia.
"I bet they'll have awesome presents!" Kelly and Julia said at the same time.
28-year-old Ephram Brown glanced at his daughters, that were seated in the isle across from him. "Girls, you know that isn't the only reason we're going home, right?"
Kelly and Julia each made a pouty face, it was good too, because they had perfected it for 11 years. "We know." They said, in unison. Not only were the girls close in age, according to their birth dates, but they had an extremely close sisterly bond.
28-year-old Amy Brown nudged her husband, Ephram. "Shh. Let them have their fun. You know presents aren't the only reason they want to go to Everwood. My parents will be there, Bright will be there, Delia will be there, and even Madison's parents will there."
Ephram rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know." He leaned in and kissed his wife, who was also the true love of his life. "You're beautiful."
"No I'm not." Amy said. She brushed a strand of loose hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "You said that the last time I was pregnant too."
"And I meant it." Ephram replied.
Amy grinned and placed her hand over her 9 month pregnant belly; she was due any day now. She really shouldn't be traveling, but she'd been going back to Everwood for every special holiday, since she moved to New York, and she wasn't going to stop this Christmas. She and Ephram had been thrilled when they found out she was pregnant again and this time they would be ready for a child. When they'd told Madison and the girls, they had been just as happy.
32-year-old Madison Kellner, who was seated behind the girls, glanced at Amy and Ephram. She still loved Ephram, but not romantically. She was very close friends with Amy as well. Over the years the 3 families had seemed to merge into one large family; her side of the family, Amy's side of the family, and Ephram's family. The 3 sets of grandparents had accepted both girls, even though Kellner wasn't the Abbotts' blood granddaughter and Julia wasn't the Kellners' blood granddaughter, as their grandchildren. "It's too bad they don't have separate rooms on this plane, because you two need one." She said, with a wink.
"Oh, I know. With the way Ephram is, it's amazing that we don't have twenty kids by now." Amy joked.
"Oh, don't I know it." Madison smirked.
"Hey! I'm not that bad." Ephram tried to defend.
"Not bad at all." Amy replied, then kissed Ephram on the lips.
"Ewwww!" Kelly and Julia exclaimed, from the opposite set of seats.
"Please buckle your seat belts and prepare for the landing. I hope you've enjoyed flying United Airlines." The Pilot's voice rang through the intercom.
"Girls, get buckled." Madison repeated.
"Okay Mom." Kelly replied. She quickly buckled her seat belt and then instinctively reached over and buckled her younger sister's belt too.
"I could've done that." Julia complained.
"I know." Kelly replied, with a wink.
----15 Minutes Later----
"Kelly! Julia! I've been here forever waiting for you two!" 23-year-old Delia Brown gushed, as he gave a bear hug to each of her nieces.
"You look really pretty Aunt Delia!" Julia said.
"I like your purse." Kelly commented.
"Look who it is! My two favorite nieces!" 29-year-old Bright Abbott called, from behind Delia.
"Uncle Bright!" Kelly and Julia exclaimed.
Delia turned around, her face slightly red. "Hey Bright." She smiled weakly.
Bright smiled back. He'd always liked Delia, but there was a big age difference so he'd never acted on it.
"It's nice to see you again." Delia said, as she held out her hand.
Bright shook Delia's hand. He hadn't seen her since last Christmas, when he'd flown in from Los Angeles, where he now lived. "Yeah, me too." He kneeled down next to Kelly and Julia. He, like the rest of the family, had accepted Kelly just as much as Julia. "How are my two favorite nieces?" He said, as he gave them each a big hug.
The 2 sisters giggled. "We're you're only nieces, Uncle Bright!"
"Oh yeah, that's right.." Bright laughed. "Hey, I've got some great presents for you!"
"Really?! Where?!" The sisters said in unison.
"They're at Grandma Rose and Grandpa Harold's house."
Kelly and Julia pulled their pouty faces. "Can we open them early?"
"If it's okay with your Dad." Bright replied. He stood up, just as Ephram walked over. "Hey Man, how are ya these days?" He gave Ephram a slap on the back. "I heard you're expecting a new member of the family? Mom has been gushing to me about it over the phone for weeks!"
"Yeah. Amy's due any day now."
"Really? Boy or girl?"
Ephram winked. "We know, but everyone else will have to wait and find out."
Bright rolled his eyes.
Andy Brown and Nina Brown came up, strolling their 3-year-old twins; Harold Brown whom they called Harry for short and Ruby Brown which they named after Nina's Mother. They had gotten married 4 years after Amy, Ephram, Madison, and the girls had moved to New York. The twins however, had been very unexpected, especially due to Nina's age. The pregnancy went off perfectly though. Andy did feel it was odd to have his granddaughters be older than his youngest children. "Ephram, I'm so glad to see you again!" Nina said, as she gave her step son a hug. "We all missed you very much!"
"Well, we missed you too, Nina. The girls really missed your chocolate cakes." Ephram replied. He kneeled down next to the stroller. "Hey you two! You've grown so much since I last saw you!"
Ruby and Harry giggled.
Ephram pulled out 2 lollipops and gave one each to his youngest half brother and half sister. "Enjoy!" He stood back up. "Is Sam here too?"
Nina nudged Andy, who was standing next to her. "Hey! How about Bright, Delia, Kelly, Julia, the twins, and I go find Amy and Madison!"
Bright and Delia nodded. "Yeah, great idea Nina!"
"Why?" Julia asked.
Kelly looked confused too.
Delia scooped up Kelly and Bright grabbed Julia. "Because!"
Then the group headed off the other way, leaving Ephram and Andy alone.
"Hi."
"Hi." Andy replied, awkwardly. "Merry Christmas."
"Yeah, you too."
"How long are you staying?"
"We go back after New Year's."
"And I heard you're expecting a new baby?"
"Mhmm." Ephram mumbled. He twiddled his fingers. He turned away. "I'm going to go find Amy now."
"Yeah, yeah. Good idea." Andy said quickly.
Ephram hurried off.
----3 Hours Later----
"Dad! Dad! Dad!" Kelly and Julia yelled, as they jumped up and down at Ephram's feet.
Ephram glanced down at his daughters. "Yes?"
"We wanna know if we can open Uncle Bright's presents early! He said we can if you say we can!"
"Well...."
"Pleeeeeeeeease?!" The girls begged and put on their most angelic faces.
Amy and Madison walked up. "Come on, Eph."
Ephram glared at Madison and his wife. He turned back to his daughters. "Okay, fine. But just Uncle Bright's gifts."
"Thank you!" Julia giggled.
"Thanks Dad!" Kelly said. She took her sister's hand and pulled her away.
----5 Minutes Later----
"Look what Uncle Bright got me!" Kelly and Julia shouted, as they ran up to 3 adults.
Madison kneeled down. "What'd he get?"
"A box of nail polish! Isn't it cool, Mom?" Kelly asked, as she held up her present.
"Me too!" Julia exclaimed proudly, as she held up her present.
"Wow, girls! These look really nice! Did you thank Uncle Bright?"
"A huh." Julia replied.
"Yep!" Kelly replied, as she beamed. "Julia, let's go paint each other's nails!"
Madison bit her lower lip. "You know what.."
"What?"
"We should probably go talk to Grandma Rose and ask her to help us find a good spot for painting nails." Madison took the free hand of each girl and glanced back at Ephram and Amy. "I'll take them to find Rose and then I'll help them paint their nails so we won't have any...."
"Colorful stains." Amy filled in.
"Mhmm." Madison replied, as she led the girls away.
----December 24, 2015 (Christmas Eve)----
Bright was sitting next to Kelly and Julia. "So, are you two excited about the new baby?"
Kelly and Julia exchanged looks.
"Yeah. But Mom and Dad can change the diapers." Julia replied.
To emphasize Julia's point, Kelly plugged her nose. "Yeah, what she said." She and Madison no longer lived in the same house with Amy, Ephram, and Julia but she did live only a few blocks away. Her parents had equal custody of her, so she spent one week with Madison and then the next week with Ephram; she had her own room at both houses.
A few laughs echoed through the room.
"Speaking of the new baby...."
"We're keeping the gender a secret." Amy replied, as she laid her hand over her stomach. Her rings, engagement and wedding, glittered from the blinking lights on the Christmas tree. Suddenly she gasped. "Oh...oh my!"
"Amy! Amy, what's wrong?" Ephram asked, as he placed his arm around his wife. He heard the clock chime 8:00 P.M.
"I think...I think the baby's coming!" Amy exclaimed.
"Oh my gosh! Okay, we'd better get her to Denver!" Rose announced. She grabbed her car keys from a hook on the wall. "I'll take Amy and Ephram."
"But what about...."
Madison cut Ephram off. "I'll get the girls ready and we'll be there as soon as we can. Now go!"
Ephram helped Amy out of the house and Rose followed.
"Good luck!" Everyone else called, before the door shut. As soon as they'd heard the car pull away, they jumped from their seats and sprang into action.
----
"Oh Ephram, this seems like deja vu." Amy said, as she placed one hand on her swollen stomach and the other hand into Ephram's hand.
"Except we aren't teenagers anymore." Ephram replied. He used his free hand to rub his beloved wife's back. "Breathe." He whispered.
Amy took a few deep breaths and squinted her eyes in pain and then locked her hand around her husband's hand, until her knuckles turned white.
Ephram bit his lower lip, as he tried to ignore the shooting pain from his hand. Eventually he tasted a drop of blood and then he felt Amy's hand relax. He licked his lip and continued to rub Amy's back. "Are you okay, now?"
"I'm having my baby in my Mother's car, Ephram! Do I look okay to you?!" Amy snapped, as another contraction hit. Her breathing became ragged.
"Shhh. Shh..." Ephram cooed. "It'll be okay. Everything will be fine." He reasoned. "Just breathe."
"You try breathing!" Amy flamed, with a scowl. She screamed out in pain.
"Amy, sweetheart! We'll be at the hospital before you know it. Everything will be fine!" Rose said, from the driver's seat.
----
"Is Amy gonna be okay, Mom?" Kelly asked, as she gazed up at her Mother.
"Of course." Madison replied. She ruffled her daughter's hair. "And we'll see her very soon." She grabbed two puffy coats from the closet and quickly dressed the girls.
Julia wrinkled her nose. "It's hot."
"It won't be once you step outside." Madison reasoned. To further emphasize her point, she waved her hand at the window. A thin layer of frost covered everything in sight.
Kelly rolled her eyes. "When are we going?"
"As soon as I find my keys." Madison replied. She dug through her purse for a good 5 minutes and then moved onto her coat, for the second time.
Kelly shrugged and dug into the pocket of her new Christmas dress and pulled out a key ring, full of keys. "You mean, these?"
Madison spun around and her jaw dropped open. "My keys!" She snatched them from her daughter's hand. "You've had them the whole time and you didn't tell me?"
"Well....you didn't ask." Julia jumped in, at her older sister's aid.
Madison wanted to grab at the sides of her head right now. Kids! She thought, with an exhausted sigh. She grabbed her purse and hurried Kelly and Julia towards the door. "We're leaving!"
"We'll be there as soon as we can!" Delia called back.
"I'll tell them, if I see them." Madison replied, before shutting the door behind her. She quickly got the girls into her car, buckled them, too the driver's seat, and drove off.
----
"Do you have a ride?" Bright asked, as he made his way up to Delia.
Delia blushed and wrapped a wool scarf around her neck, hiding part of her face. "Why?"
Bright shrugged. "No reason. I was just going to offer to take you, if you didn't."
"That sounds like a reason to me." Delia replied.
Bright turned away. "Well, it sounds like you have a ride, so...."
"Wait!" Delia replied, without thinking.
Bright spun around. "Yes?"
"I..I think it would be better for the environment if we went together, you know. Less car exhaust." Delia said. God, that sounded so lame! She mentally scolded herself.
Bright smiled. "Well, good. I mean, for the environment." He pulled Delia's coat from the closet and handed it to her. "It's cold outside."
"Yeah. Thanks." Delia replied, as she snuggled into her coat. She stopped and stared into Bright's eyes for a moment. He's so.... She began to think.
Bright leaned in, as if in a trance. His lips were centimeters from Delia's.
"Are you two ready?" Andy's voice suddenly spoke up, as he turned the corner, into the room.
"Yet?" Harold complained, as he turned a moment after Andy.
Bright quickly brushed Delia's cheek with his fingers. "There you go, eyelash gone." He said, quickly.
"Oh, uh, thanks. I hate it when those things get in my eyes!" Delia replied, following suit. She felt a tingle run through her body. She wished that she could feel Bright's hand on her cheek, again.
Harold frowned. "Eyelashes? You're worried about eyelashes when you're new niece or nephew is coming into the world?" He walked over and smacked Bright's head, then pulled his coat out of the closet. "Hurry up."
Delia quickly grabbed her Father's coat and handed it to him. "Here Dad. We'd better get going."
"Right." Andy replied. He narrowed his eyes at his daughter. He had a weird feeling that someone just wasn't as it seemed, but he quickly shook it off. My new grandchild is coming into the world right now. Get a move on, Andy. He mentally yelled to himself. "Thanks." He kissed his daughter on her forehead. "Are you taking your car?"
"No...Bright's giving me a ride." Delia replied.
Andy's brows furrowed.
"We figure the less cars the better. You know, less parking spaces to find, and all." Bright jumped in.
"Right. Well, have a safe drive then. I'll meet you at the hospital, I guess." Andy replied, as he moved his eyes from Delia to Bright and back.
"Yep. At the hospital. Love you, Dad!" Delia said. She gave her Father a hug. "Bye, Mr. Abbott!" She said, with a wave.
"Good-bye, Delia." Harold responded. He narrowed his eyes at his son. "Hurry up, Bright." Then he turned and left.
Andy gave a small wave to Delia and Bright, then followed Harold.
An awkward silence passed between Delia and Bright, for a few moments. Then Bright shrugged. "I guess we should go."
"Yeah. Yeah, you're right." Delia replied. She glided past Bright. "I'll meet you outside."
"Okay." Bright replied, as he watched her go. He ran his hand through his blond curls and sighed, then hurried off in the direction of the living room.
----
"Ahhhhh!" Amy roared, as she was being wheeled into the delivery room.
Ephram quickly put on a mask over his mouth and hurried in. He took Amy's hand and spoke softly to her. "You can do this, honey. You've done it before and you know what a beautiful miracle you brought into this world."
Amy squeezed his hand tighter, as beads of sweat dribbled down her crimson red face. He hair was met and it stuck to her face. She screamed again and dug her nails, unintentionally, into Ephram's hand.
Ephram squeezed his eyes shut and his entire body stiffened, as his wife's nails pierced his flesh, leaving small wounds. Luckily, her nails hadn't drew blood. "Breathe, Amy. Breathe." He said, as calmly as he could.
"Come on, Mrs. Brown. You can do this!" Dr. Alicia Dillan said. "Things are going great. You should only be in labor for a few more hours. Five at the most."
Ephram felt his hand being squeezed to the limit, again. A few more hours. He thought, as memories filled his mind.
----Flashback----
"Ephram Brown!" Amy screamed, at the top of her lungs. "I'm going to kill you for doing this to me!" She raged. Her face was red and sweat poured from her forehead. "Get your ass over here right now!"
Ephram ran to Amy's side. "I'm right here!"
Amy grabbed Ephram's hand and squeezed, until her fist looked white. "Aghhhhh!" She wailed. Her face squinted in pain.
"It should just be a few more hours from now." Dr. Aimsley assured Amy.
"A few more...Agghhhhhh!" Amy screamed and gripped Ephram's hand again. "Hours?!" She roared. "Ephram Brown, you're never going to...Ahhhh!"
----Flashback----
Ephram's flashback ended, as he was pulled back to reality, by his wife's horror movie type scream. He looked at his hand, which was ghostly white now. He could barely feel it. "Amy! Amy, I'm here. You're going to be all right. Everything will be all right!" He kissed Amy's cheek. "We'll get through this together."
"Together? Together?! I'm the one in pain!" Amy raged, as she smacked the bed with her free fist.
Ephram decided that mentioning his hand right now, would only fuel the flames, so he kept his mouth shut.
----
Madison, hand in hand with Kelly and Julia, made her way to the front desk of the hospital. "Hi. I'm need to know about Amy Brown." She said, as she looked at the Nurse.
"And your name?" The Nurse asked, without looking up. She was an elderly woman, not very personable, and had thick rimmed glasses that made her look ever the meaner.
"Madison Kellner." Madison replied.
"Relation to the patient?" The Nurse inquired, as she typed something into her computer.
"A close friend." Madison replied.
"I can only give information out to blood relatives." The Nurse replied, coldly.
Kelly and Julia, who were shorter than the counter, exchanged looks. Julia walked over to a vacant chair and pulled it to the desk, then got up onto the chair. "Hi! I'm Julia Brown. My Mom is Amy Brown. So, tell me where my Mom is."
The Nurse frowned. "Do you have proof that you're Mrs. Brown's daughter?"
Julia glared at the bitter old woman. "I want to know where my Mom is!"
"If you're going to yell, I insist you leave this hospital!" The Nurse retaliated.
"Julia." Madison said, softly. She wrapped her arms around the 11-year-old and gave her a long hug. "Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this."
A few tears spilled down Julia's cheeks. "But I want to know if my Mom's o..okay.." Julia whimpered.
"I know. I know." Madison replied. She patted Julia on the back and softly lifted her off the chair and placed her next to Kelly. "Kelly, can you put the chair back, please?"
"Yes, Mom." Kelly replied. She grabbed the chair from the waiting room and pulled it back to the original place. She wandered back over to her Mother and younger sister. "Why won't they tell us about Julia's Mom?"
"Because they've got a corn...." Madison stopped herself in mid sentence. "It's complicated."
Kelly crossed her arms and frowned. "It's stupid!"
"What is?" Bright asked, as he walked up behind Madison.
"Uncle Bright!" Julia said, as she wiped her tears away with her sleeve.
"Hey!" He leaned down and wrapped his arms around his niece. "What's the matter?"
"That mean woman won't tell us where Mom is." Julia said, as she waved her hand at the desk.
"She doesn't believe that Julia is really related to Amy." Madison replied.
"She wants 'proof'." Kelly said as she tried to imitate the Nurse's voice and make a disgusted face at the same time.
"Does she?" Bright asked. He scooped Julia into his arms and pulled out his wallet and slapped it on the table, revealing his I.D. "Hi. Bright Abbott. Amy Brown's older brother." He rubbed Julia's shoulder. "I'm sure that if you look up her file, you'll find mine and Julia's names there."
The Nurse glared at Bright. She grabbed the I.D. and scanned it with her eyes, then she placed it back on the table. Finally, she stood up, walked over to a filing cabinet and pulled out a manilla folder. She flipped through a few papers, examined a few, then put the folder back. She sat down again, typed something into her computer, and then looked back at Bright. "Mrs. Brown is currently in the delivery room and won't be expected out for another few hours. Once she's released, she'll be in room two-hundred-fifteen." She adjusted her glasses. "You'll have to take a seat in the waiting room and wait for any additional news from the doctor."
"Thanks." Bright said, sarcastically. He grabbed his wallet and stuffed it in his pocket and then put Julia back on her feet. "What do you say we all go take a seat?"
"Where's Aunt Delia?" Kelly asked.
"She had to stop by the restroom. She'll be in here any moment." Bright replied. He took both girls by the hands and led them over to the waiting room.
"Bright! Madison! You're already here!" Rose cried happily, from across the room. She hurried as fast as her legs, and open cup of steamy coffee, would allow.
"Where've you been, Mom?" Bright asked, curiously.
"I've been waiting in a God awful line, to get a simple cup of coffee." Rose said, with a roll of her eyes. "Are you the only ones...."
"Mrs. Abbott!" Delia exclaimed, as she rushed over to the small group. "How's Amy?"
"She's still in the delivery room and Ephram's with her." Rose replied. She took a long sip of her coffee.
Kelly and Julia jumped to their feet and gave Delia a hug.
Delia smiled and sat down, next to Bright. "I hope things are going well."
----
"I'm going to kill you for this, Ephram!" Amy raved, as her body convulsed.
Ephram brushed away the wet hair from Amy's red face. "Just breathe, honey. Like we were taught in the classes."
"I don't want to breathe! It hurts too much! I just want this baby out of me!" Amy exploded. Then hot, salty tears formed in her eyes, and she began to sob. "I want this to be over with!" She savored the few precious moments in-between the contractions. It was like being in the exact center of a tornado; nothing in the exact center of a tornado was harmed, but everything outside the center was complete chaos.
Ephram wiped Amy's tears away with his fingers and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you."
"I love you too." Amy whispered. "But it hurts so much."
"But you're strong. You can do this. We can do this." Ephram replied, as he gave her hand a light reassuring squeeze.
Amy sniffed. "I don't think I can."
"I know you can."
"But.."
"No buts." Ephram replied, calmly but sternly. "Just a while longer and then we'll get to see our beautiful new baby. The baby that we created out of eternal love for each other."
Amy bit her lower lip as she listened to Ephram's words and she took a few more deep breaths and then felt another contraction coming on. "Oh! Oh God!" She screamed, as she grasped Ephram's hand again.
----
"Have we missed much?" Edna Harper asked, as she padded up to the group with her husband, Irv Harper.
"No Mother. We're still waiting for Amy to get out of the delivery room." Harold replied.
"I see." Edna replied, gruffly. "Nothing more than that?"
Andy shook his head.
"Damn doctors. They're always so vague." Edna stated, with a wrinkle of her nose.
"Mother!" Harold snapped, taking offense to the comment, since he just happened to be a doctor himself.
"Well it's true." Edna replied. She waved her hand at her son. "I know first hand."
Kelly and Julia were quietly giggling, behind Harold. Their Great Grandmother always had a funny way of expressing her love for her son.
"Did you call Linda?" Harold asked.
"Yes, actually." Irv replied. "She said she'd take a late flight out tonight and she should be here by noon or later tomorrow."
"It'll be nice to see her again." Andy commented, as he remembered fond memories of his and Linda's relationship. He cared for her a lot, but they both knew that it was never meant to be. He was with someone he really loved now, Nina, and they had two children together.
"It's unfortunate that she can't visit more often." Rose added. "Harold misses her terribly."
"Rose!" Harold grumbled.
"Oh, Harold! Don't deny it. We both know it." Rose replied, then took another sip of her hot coffee.
"Mom?" Kelly asked suddenly.
"Yes?" Madison spoke up.
"Will we go home tonight?" Kelly asked, as her eyes began to blink. It was a sign that meant she was beginning to get tired.
"We'll see." Madison replied, softly.
"What if we don't?" Kelly asked.
"What do you mean?" Madison questioned.
"If we don't go home, will Santa know where to deliver our gifts?" Kelly asked.
The adults exchanged looks.
"Of course!" Andy replied. He knelt down next to his granddaughters' seats and took hold of each girl's hand. "Santa always knows where to deliver gifts and he always knows where everyone is."
"Really?" Julia asked, followed by a yawn.
"Really." Andy confirmed.
"That's good. 'Cause I wouldn't want him to get confused." Kelly replied, then yawned herself.
----11:55 P.M.----
"It's crowning!" Dr. Dillan called out. "Come on, Amy! A few more good pushes and you've done it!"
"I can't!" Amy screamed. "It's too painful!"
"You can! Come on, Amy! Do it! Push!" Dr. Dillan said, firmly.
Amy let out yet another ear piercing scream, as she gave another push. "It's too much!"
"Push!" Dr. Dillan repeated.
"You can do it!" Ephram encouraged. "Come on, another good push!"
"I can't!" Amy cried.
"You can!" Ephram contradicted.
"No! Please!" Amy begged.
"Push, Amy! We've gotten this far! Just a little more! One more good push!" Dr. Dillan replied.
Amy took a deep breath and squeezed Ephram's hand until both her hand and his went white and then she put all her strength into one final push.
Dr. Dillan grabbed a white blanket and the room fell silent, except for Amy's breathing. The clock on the wall chimed Midnight. Then a blasting cry filled the room. "Good job, Mrs. Brown." She walked over to the table and cleaned off the newborn and then wrapped the child in a clean blanket. "Congratulations, you have a healthy baby...."
----
Julia and Kelly were fast asleep. They looked like little angels. Julia had her head leaning on her older sister's shoulder and Kelly had her had gently resting on Julia's head. Both in awkward positions in the waiting room chairs.
"It's already Midnight." Rose observed.
Harold was tapping his foot, impatiently. "When are they going to come out?" He asked aloud, to nobody specific.
"When it's time." Edna quipped.
Irv placed his arm around his wife's shoulder's. "I'm sure they'll be out soon."
Dr. Dillan walked out of the hallway and into the waiting room. "Is anyone waiting for the Brown family?"
Rose quickly stood up and waved to Dr. Dillan. "Over here."
Dr. Dillan smiled and walked over to the group. "Hello. I'm Doctor Alicia Dillan." She held out her hand.
Harold was the first to grasp her hand. "Harold Abbott. Is my daughter okay?"
Rose walked over and shook Dr. Dillan's hand as well. "He means, is everything fine?"
"You must be Amy's Mother."
"Rose Abbott." Rose introduced.
"It's nice to meet you." Dr. Dillan replied. She laced her fingers together. "Yes. Everything is perfectly fine. You're daughter just delivered a healthy baby boy."
"I told you it would be a boy!" Harold said, as he glanced at Rose.
Rose lightly swatted Harold. "When can we see them?"
"Right now, actually. Just follow me, if you would." Dr. Dillan replied, as she turned and walked back towards the hall.
Madison slightly shook Julia and Kelly. "Girls."
Julia wrinkled her nose and opened her sleepy eyes. "I don't wanna go to school..." She mumbled.
"Julia...Wake up, dear. It's time to go meet your baby brother." Madison replied.
Julia's eyes shot open. "Mom had the baby?"
"Yep." Madison replied, as she stood up.
"And it's a boy?" Kelly asked, as she rubbed her eyes.
"Right."
Kelly frowned.
Madison took the girls' hands and lead them towards the hallway.
----
"Right here." Dr. Dillan said, as she motioned to a shut door.
"Thanks." Rose replied.
A few feet away, Harold and Andy were walking towards the door. "No, they'll name him after me." Harold replied.
"'Harold' isn't a name fit for a baby." Andy said, stubbornly. "Any grandson of mine would do much better if he were named 'Andrew'."
"We don't need my grandson getting picked on at school now, do we?" Harold quipped.
"Would you two cut it out?" Edna grumbled from behind the bickering doctors.
Rose opened the door and smiled as she saw Amy sitting on the bed, holding a tiny baby wrapped in a blue blanket. "Hey there, sunshine."
"Hey, Mom." Amy said, softly.
"You look exhausted." Rose commented.
"I feel exhausted." Amy said, dryly.
"It was a long night." Ephram spoke up.
"Daddy!" Kelly and Julia yelled, as she burst into the room.
"Morning, girls!" Ephram said, as she bent down and greeted his daughters.
"Morning?" Julia asked, skeptically. "It's still night."
"It's after Midnight." Ephram replied, as he motioned to the clock. "You baby brother was born at exactly Midnight."
"Does that mean he was born on Christmas day?" Kelly asked.
Ephram laughed. "I guess that would be right, wouldn't it?" He asked, as he peered at the other people in the room.
"What a special little guy." Rose said, as she walked over and gazed down at her grandson.
"We're special too." Kelly and Julia piped up.
"Of course you are!" Rose said. She walked over and gave Kelly and Julia a hug.
Andy and Harold made their way to the bed. "See, he looks like an 'Andrew'!" Andy protested.
"Look at the face! He's a 'Harold'!" Harold retorted.
Nina's face grew grim. "I highly doubt we should be arguing in here. Amy just went through a lot and she's doesn't need bickering while she's trying to rest." She grabbed Andy's arm. "Out!"
Rose, following suit, grabbed Harold by the arm. "Nina is absolutely correct. Leave the room, if you want to continue this silly argument."
"But..." Harold protested, which only earned him a death glare from his wife. "Fine..." He muttered and he took a seat, quietly, on the other side of the room.
"Andy?" Nina asked.
Andy quietly took a seat on the opposite side of the room.
"Have you thought about names?" Enda asked, curiously.
"Actually, we have." Ephram replied, as he took a seat by Amy. "We've decided that his first name will be 'Abbott'."
"What about his middle name?" Andy and Harold jumped in, at the same time. Both earning glares from their respective spouses.
"We've thought a lot about that." Amy continued. "We wanted to do something to honor someone we know, like we've done with Julia."
"But we also didn't want to cause any hard feelings between any family members." Ephram added, as he looked from Harold to his Father.
Amy gently rocked her son. "So we decided his middle name will be...."
The room grew silent as everyone awaited Amy's response.
"Irv." Amy finished. She smiled at Irv.
"Irv?!" Andy and Harold burst out.
"That's it!" Rose said. She grabbed Harold by the collar of his white shirt and pushed him out the door.
Nina grabbed Andy by the ear and pushed him out the door.
"Wait!" Andy and Harold called out, as the door shut in their faces. Then they heard a small click and knew it was locked.
"This is your fault, you know." Harold grumbled.
"My fault? You're the one who thought he looked like a 'Harold' and had to sing it to the world!" Andy snapped.
----
"You know, you don't have to." Irv replied.
"We want to." Ephram said.
"You've always been such a caring and considerate person. Not to mention, a good grandfather." Amy spoke.
"And we felt that it was a good choice." Ephram finished.
"I don't know what to say." Irv replied.
"You don't have to say anything." Amy said.
"Would you like to hold him?" Ephram asked.
Edna nudged her husband forward.
"Of course." Irv replied.
Ephram gently took Abbott from his arms and laid the tiny child in Irv's arms.
"He's beautiful." Irv complimented.
"Thank you." Amy said, with a smile.
"No, thank you." Irv replied, as he gazed at his great step grandson.
----1:00 P.M.----
The door of the Abbott house creaked open slightly. "Hello? Anyone home?" Linda Abbott called, as she walked inside. She shut the door behind her and brushed away a strand of red hair from her face. "Hello?"
Kelly and Julia raced into the room. "Great Aunt Linda!" They exclaimed.
"Julia! Kelly!" Linda greeted, as she knelt down and hugged both girls. "My, you're so big now! How are you?"
"Good." Julia replied.
"Okay." Kelly said.
"Where is everyone?" Linda asked.
"In the living room, cleaning up wrapping paper." Julia replied.
"Oh! You better go tell them to stop!" Linda said.
"Why?" Kelly asked.
"Because, I have presents for everyone, in the car!" Linda exclaimed.
"Cool!" Kelly burst.
"And besides, without wrapping paper, we can't shred it up, and have a whole made confetti war!"
"Confetti war!" Julia and Kelly giggled with excitement. Linda had taught them how to have a confetti war when she'd come to visit a few years ago, on Christmas.
----1 Hour Later----
Linda fell backwards onto the couch, landing next to her brother.
Harold snorted. "You always were the one for mess." He plucked a piece of glimmering Christmas paper from his sister's hair and stood up. "Mother, where did you set the vacuum?"
Edna waved her hand, ignoring her son's question. "Linda, I'm sure you'd love to see the baby. Why don't we go now? Rose, May, and Irv are all ready over there with Ephram and Amy."
Linda's smile brightened. "You know, I'd really like that!" She stood up, motioning for the girls to come to her.
"Yes, Great Aunt Linda?" Julia asked, as she twirled a strand of her rich brown hair.
"Do you want to stay here with Grandpa Harold, or go with me and Great Grandma Edna, to see your little brother?"
Kelly and Julia exchanged looks with the people in the room. "Let's go!"
"Unbelievable!" Harold exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air.
Linda's eyes skimmed over the paper covered room. "Have fun, bro!" She winked and then headed out the door with her Mother and the girls.
"Kids these days!" Harold grumbled, as he grabbed his Dirt Devil.
----6:00 P.M.----
"I've got the camera!" May smiled, as she walked into Amy's hospital, meeting her 'extended family'.
"I'll hook it up." Robert offered, as he took the camera from his wife and began to attach it to it's stand. "Why don't you guys get into position for the family picture?"
"Thanks for doing this." Amy said, as she exchanged soft smiles with Madison's parents.
"It's no problem, really." May said, as she admired her new grandson, or at least that was the custom with this unique group of families. "He really is a beauty." She commented.
Amy laughed and gently stroked her son's tiny face. "Yes, yes you are, Abbott Brown."
Abbott blinked his tiny hazel colored eyes; they seemed to be a greenish-brown color, a mix of Amy and Ephram's, and he'd inherited his Mother's honey colored head of hair.
Ephram gently picked Abbott from Amy's arms.
Amy leaned forward and May took her hand, helping her from the bed. Amy was dressed quite nicely, she'd done it special for the occasion.
"We're almost ready." Robert informed, as he adjusted the camera.
Ephram took position in the center of the room, holding his son in his arms. "Come, gather round." He said, as he motioned his head at the rather large group of people in the room.
Amy took her place left of Ephram, while Madison took her place to Ephram's right. Julia stood half in front of Ephram and half in front of Amy, as Kelly did the same, between Madison and Ephram. Rose, Harold, May, Andy, and Nina took their places behind the young adults. Andy and Nina each had a twin balanced on their shoulders; Harry with Andy and Ruby with Nina. Bright and Delia stood just a little ways behind and to the left of Madison, holding hands. Sam stood just a little behind and to the left of Amy, next to Linda.
"Everyone ready?" Robert asked.
"Yes!" Came the unanimous reply.
"Then let's do this!" Robert said, cheerfully. He walked over to the group, taking a stance next to his wife and near his daughter, then he gently placed his finger on the button that would activate his camera. "On three, everyone."
"Three, two, one!" The group chorused, then a bright flash filled the room, and moments later a small picture began to emerge from the brand new and very high quality camera.
Robert walked over to the camera and took the picture. It was still white, as the picture was still forming. He brought it over to the group, who eagerly gathered around the photo, as it slowly came into view. Within a minute or so, it was clear.
"It's perfect." Ephram announced, as he examined the picture. Everyone was in the shot, it was clear, and the lights were just right. "A perfect family photo."
"Can we see?" Julia and Kelly asked, as they reached for the picture. "Pleeeease Grandpa Rob?!"
Robert laughed and handed the picture to the girls; his granddaughters, blood or no.
"It's so pretty!" Julia commented, as she and her slightly elder sister made their way onto the bed and admired it.
"Yup!" Kelly grinned. Then her brow furrowed. "Wait a minute, do you see that smudge, Julia?"
Julia squinted her eyes, as she eyed the corner of the photo. "Yeah, what is it?"
"Oh no! Girls, please say you didn't get your finger prints on the picture!" Ephram begged, as he walked over to the girls and leaned over them, with Abbott still in his arms. "Where is this 'smudge'?"
Julia and Kelly, without touching the picture, pointed to the corner of the picture.
Ephram's eyes squinted, as he stared. "What the...."
Amy walked over to her husband and took her son. "What's wrong?"
Ephram took the picture from his daughters and held it close to his face, then a small gasp escaped his throat.
"What?" Amy asked, again.
"No way.." Ephram whispered, as he seated himself on the bed, in shock.
The families slowly gathered around, all looking at the picture.
"What's going on?" Nina asked.
Ephram's hand trembled, as he held up the picture of the group, and pointed to the 'smudge'. "It's...I think it's..."
"Grandma Julia!" Kelly and Julia exclaimed, in unison.
"I thought that smudge looked familiar." Kelly replied, smartly.
"But I thought it was a face before you did." Julia countered.
"Whatever." Kelly said, with a flip of her blonde hair.
"But how did Grandma Julia get in the picture?" Julia asked, bewildered.
"She always did have a strong will." Andy said, as a smile crossed his lips. "And she loved her family."
Everyone gathered around their perfect picture and stared at the 'smudge'. As they all looked on, it was clear as day; a faint apparition of Ephram's late Mother, Julia Brown, stood in the corner of the picture, with a glowing smile of love and joy upon her face. A small breeze rustled through the room, touching everyone.
"I knew that Everwood would bring our family together." There was a pause. "Thank you." The soft whisper of Julia Brown Senior's voice, floated through the air.