1A younger version of Tim in a suit walked in.
"Nice to see you Tim." he said. "You must be Calleigh."
"And you must be Andrew." she said. "Nice to finally meet you."
"Same here. I heard Mom ranting I figured you must've been home." he said, looking back at his brother.
"Its so sweet," Tim smiled, looking at his wife. "My mom is yelling so I must be home."
"You know what I mean." Andrew muttered.
"Yeah I do. Anytime I'm around she gets pissed."
Andrew sighed and ran a hand through his unruly hair.
"So how was your dinner? I hope it was better than mine." Tim said.
"My future in-laws are a pain." Andrew replied.
"Really? I thought they were good friends with Mom and Dad. They don't strike me as people to deal with pain in the asses. Oh they must because they are pain in the asses."
"That was mean."
"You didn't hear what they said to me."
"Not my fault you secretly got married and didn't tell them." Andrew spat.
"Oh so she's still going on about it?" Tim asked. "How many people has she told now and what has she said? That I'm a bum and I ran off and eloped with a girl I knew for a week?"
"I only caught the tail end of it. Look I didn't come here to fight with you. I heard you were home so I decided to come say hi." Andrew eyed his brother's attire and his sister-in-law's flustered look. "Nice boxers."
Tim glanced down and smirked.
"I'm glad your home. Calleigh it was nice meeting you." Andrew said. "I'm sure I'll see more of you. And um... congratulations on your marriage and the baby."
"She's talking about that too? How her grandchild will be the devil's spawn?"
"Well it must. I mean... your its father." Andrew smirked. "But then again its got some of Calleigh so it shouldn't be half bad. Good night."
"Night." Tim led his brother out and shut the door and turned the lock.
"He's not bad." Calleigh said. "He's actually very sweet."
"Not as sweet as me." Tim grinned, walking back over to the bed.
"Well you have your moments." Calleigh winked.
S/C----
Tim laid awake that night, watching Calleigh sleep peacefully. She didn't deserve to be in the middle of this. He sighed inwardly and silently got out of bed, hoping Calleigh didn't wake up. Tim watched her for a few more seconds then left the room and walked down into the kitchen. He was shocked to see a lone figure sitting at the counter.
"What are you doing up?"
"I should be asking you the same." Jonathan replied. "I don't sleep much anymore."
"I couldn't sleep at all."
"Oh. Well sit down."
"I don't want to intrude."
"You're intruding on my loneliness and that's a good thing."
Tim smirked slightly and joined his father at the island.
"You got to forgive your mother Tim." Jonathan said after a bit of silence. "She only wants you to be happy."
"Well I am Dad. I really am." he said honestly. "I love her, a lot."
"I can tell and as for your mother saying Calleigh doesn't love you she's outta her mind."
"I don't listen to Mom so don't apologize for her."
Jonathan gave a small smile.
"She's a good kid Calleigh."
"Yeah." Tim nodded, smiling at the thought of his wife. "She's something else."
"Tim, your mom... she was so afraid for you when Samantha died."
He took a sharp intake of breath, hearing that name.
"She didn't want you making some stupid mistake." Jonathan went on. "Apparently she finds this to be some stupid mistake."
"Its not Dad."
"I know that. Just give her some time. Soon she'll be shouting with joy at the fact that she's going to be a grandmother."
"Wish I could believe that."
Jonathan gave a long sigh.
"Tim, she loves you even if she doesn't show it. She's happy and proud of everything you've ever done, including Calleigh and the baby." he said. "And as for me... the shock has worn off and I'm happy for you two. You'll be a good dad."
"Now that I really wish I could believe." Tim snorted.
"I thought the same thing when you were born. Believe me Tim, once that kid is in your arms you won't have any worries." Jonathan smiled, standing up. He clapped his son on the shoulder. "Don't stay up too late."
"I won't."
"You know, I think your mom doesn't want you to mess up."
"What are you talking about?" Tim asked.
"She wants this to last for you not like me and her."
"Dad I didn't mean that before."
"But it's the truth. We rushed into marriage and this is how we turned out."
"Why don't you leave?"
"Because I've been married to her for so long and she's my best friend Tim. Even if the feelings I once had for her aren't as strong as they once were, I know they're there." Jonathan said and walked out of the kitchen. Tim stared at the doorway and sighed. Forget food. He was going back to bed. When he walked back into his room, Calleigh was awake and sitting up, her back against the head board.
"Its not nice to leave me alone." she teased. "Come here."
Tim obeyed and sat next to her.
"Where did you go?"
"The kitchen. I was hungry."
"Did you eat?"
"Actually no. I got into a conversation with my father instead." Tim said, looking deeply into Calleigh's eyes. He found it odd that he could look at her for just a second and feel hypnotized by her blue eyes. "Do you think we rushed getting married?"
"Baby, I tell you every day I do not think we got rushed it at all." she replied, resting a hand on Tim's rough cheek. "What is all of this doubting about all of a sudden?"
"I don't know. My parents did what we did and they're unhappy. I don't want to end up like them. I don't want to be fighting every night because we can't decide on something simple. I want to be like how we are now for the rest of our lives. Sometimes I wonder if my parents just stayed together for me and Andrew. God Calleigh, there is not one memory I have that doesn't involve my parents fighting. I don't want to be like that. I don't want the baby to have to go through that. I think that's why I was an unhappy kid."
"No I think its because you're a homebody and don't like being bothered by anyone." Calleigh smiled. "Honey, listen to me. I don't want to be like my parents either. God knows I don't want to. You've seen how they are and it scares me everyday that we may be like them. I want the baby to have a better childhood than I did and I know that he or she will because we're not like our parents at all. We've seen their mistakes and we know not to make them. Anything else buggin' you?"
Tim sighed and nodded. He really didn't want to tell Calleigh his fear of becoming a father because she'd think that he didn't want the baby and that was so far from the truth.
"I... I don't know if I can be a good father." he muttered.
"Oh please. Tim, I've seen you with Alexx's kids. I've seen you with Ray Jr, and I've seen you with Madison. I've also seen you with kids from cases. You are terrific with them. Why would you even think that?" Calleigh asked.
"Because... I... I don't know."
"Tim, honey the baby isn't even here and you treat it like gold."
"Yeah that's cause its not here." he said. "What if I can't be that dad that puts his kids before everything else? What if it doesn't like me? I hated my parents growing up. I didn't want anything to do with them. I don't want that to happen with the baby. I want to be close with him or her. I don't want them thinking they have to hide things from me to please me. We've just seen what that can do! I mean I'm 30 and I'm still horrified of my parents!"
Calleigh would laugh but could see how upset this was getting her husband.
"Tim..." she said softly.
"What?"
"Didn't I just say we're going to learn from their mistakes?"
"That's not their mistake. This is my mistake." Tim mumbled.
"Honey, every night since we found out about the baby you sit here and talk to my stomach. You buy the baby presents already. You're already a wonderful father and we've still got seven months to go until he or she comes." Calleigh said. "And don't you think that I'm not freaked out about becoming a mother?"
"Yeah but you're a girl and you know how to handle a baby. I don't."
"Oh. I'm a girl so that automatically makes me know how to have a child? God are you biased! We're going through this together. I'm not a one person team. You helped me make our child and you will help me raise it. And Tim," he looked up at his wife and she grabbed his hand of his lap and put it on her stomach. Tim stared at Calleigh's waiting blue eyes and then down at her stomach, where their hands were lying, entwined in each other.
"I know what you're going to ask." he said. "Calleigh, you have no idea how happy I am. I mean, we made a baby and that's the best thing in the world besides being with you. I love you two so much it scares me sometimes. I just... the thought of being a father freaks me out."
"Well don't worry about it. You're going to be a wonderful father and the baby will love you." she yawned. Tim pulled them both down into a lying position. "And if its a girl you'll spoil her rotten because she'll be a Daddy's girl and she'll be under house arrest until she's thirty and if its a boy you'll get him into sports and girls and all that stuff..."
Calleigh nuzzled her forehead against Tim's neck and her eyes drooped.
"I love you Tim."
"I love you too Cal." he smiled, holding her tighter against her. "You're my whole world you know that? You and our baby."
"Mhmm. Good night."
"Night."