"Wonder what they're doing." Valera smirked. Calleigh rolled her eyes and continued shopping.

"Getting into trouble." she replied.

"How do you get into trouble at Toys R Us?"

The radio filtering through the store suddenly turned off and the shoppers were greeted by the manager.

"Will the wives of Eric Delko and Tim Speedle please come to the bike aisle?"

"Oh jeez." Calleigh muttered.

"They act like five year olds." Valera sighed as they walked over to the bike aisle. Calleigh couldn't help but smile. Eric and Tim were sitting next to each other of the floor, a Santa hat draped over Tim's left eye. A pair of bikes lay next to the best friends in a wrecked heap.

"Mrs. Speedle, Mrs. Delko... I do hope you know you'll have to pay for the bikes." the manager said. "Usually we condone this type of act from the children but... from two grown men..."

"Baby shopping is boring." Tim whined. "If your wife was pregnant and she and her best friend were running around Toys R Us you'd be riding the bikes and crashing into each other too."

"Honey why do you have a hat on?" Calleigh asked.

"And why do you have a bump on your head?" Valera asked, looking at Eric.

"Well um... see..." Tim pulled the hat off, showing a nasty bruise beginning to form around his eye. "Eric had decided to do a wheelie on his front tire and flipped over the handlebars. He kicked me and bumped his head."

"Then the bikes went out of control and knocked down an aisle of Star Wars toys." Eric added.

"Well his did. Mine killed a bunch of Barbies." Tim corrected.

"Oh lord." Calleigh sighed. "I am so sorry. My husband... he... has a short attention span and gets amused by the stupidest things, including his best friend."

Eric looked highly offended and looked at his wife for assistance. She just shrugged, totally in agreement with Calleigh.

"They will pay for the bikes and help clean up the aisles." Calleigh finished.

"But honey..."

"But nothing. Sweetie if you want to act like an idiot, fine. Don't do it in public. Now help this poor young man clean up his store before I arrest you two for irresponsible behavior."

"Cal, that would be like reckless driving or... or... or..."

"Well... if you think about it, we were driving pretty reckless." Eric smirked.

---------S/C---------

"It hurts. My eye hurts." Tim whined. Calleigh ignored him and tried to sleep. "Calleigh, it hurts."

"You should've thought about the consequences when you got on that bike. You are going to be a horrible example for our child." she said. Tim moved closer to her and wrapped an arm around her.

"No I won't. Look at me. I turned out stupid. I don't want our kid to be like me. I'd feel bad for him."

"Her."

"Him."

"Her."

"Him."

"Will you shut up?" Calleigh snapped, moving so she could see him. "What's wrong with a girl?"

"Nothing."

"Then why the big fuss over having a girl? You don't want a girl?"

"It's not that." Tim turned red and rolled away from his wife.

"I think it is." Calleigh said, sitting up. She literally dragged Tim back over to her and forced him to answer her.

"It isn't! It's just... I know how it works!"

"Know how what works?"

Tim sighed and sat up, running a hand through his already messy hair.

"Say we do have a girl... yeah she'll be a daddy's girl. She get's older, around 3-10 age. Says, "Daddy I want a hug or watch the demented cartoons the world has made for me to watch." So I will agree. Then she'll come to the 11-18 age and slowly we'll be drifting towards you as her favorite parent. But still, there will be the things that she wants me to do. "Coach softball. Come to my cheerleading tournaments," which I will totally disagree with. Then she'll hit puberty and all we're going to hear about are guys. Then she'll start... being a teenager and you two will be having little talks when you think I'm not listening and then she'll get into a fight with me and curse me off to you. Then she'll get her license and it'll be, "Dad I need the car." But I won't let her. By this time I will have her under house arrest and she'll never be able to see any other living being besides us. Then she'll get to 19-25 age and be going to college and I'll think about what she's doing and wonder if she's doing drugs or drinking or having sex or any other wild things we did back then. And I will not get any sleep those four years."

Tim paused for a minute, watching his wife for any reaction. She had an amused look on her face btu didn't say anything.

"Then she'll come home one Christmas and have some punk with her and he'll try to be nice to me but I will secretly take him out back and murder him and chop him up into tiny bits and pieces and set his remains on fire."

Calleigh laughed at this.

"I can see you doing that."

"And then she'll meet someone new and he'll be okay. Then they date a while and he comes here and says, "Mr. Speedle, can I call you Tim? It's about your daughter. No I'm not breaking up with her, quite the opposite. Can I marry her?" Then I'll just stare at him and you'll have to come and take me away before I do anything drastic. Finally I'll say yes because you forced me to and then she'll be engaged."

"Isn't that what you said to my father?" Calleigh asked.

"Shush. Then a year of planning a wedding will come and then that horrid day will come..." Tim smirked. "A boy is easier to take care of."

"Oh because the only thing you'll teach him about is sports, food, and sex right?"

"Of course."

"Tim," Calleigh started, "you are a typical father."

"Why?"

"Afraid of losing their little girl. We don't even have a little girl yet and you still are afraid."

Tim shrugged.

"I'm going to sleep. Good night." he leaned over and kissed Calleigh, then her stomach. She rolled her eyes but smiled and quickly went to sleep. Tim didn't go to sleep as fast. He watched Calleigh sleep and smiled slightly, thanking God that he was given a second chance.

--------S/C-------

Tim winced as Calleigh gripped his hand tightly.

"Ow..." he mumbled. Calleigh looked over at him and Tim gave an apologetic look. "Honey, I think you broke my hand."

"I can bet you that it's not as much pain as I'm in right now."

"Calleigh, just one more push." her doctor said. She gave a small sob and shook her head.

"I can't."

"Baby, you can." Tim reassured, brushing his lips against her knuckles. "Please? For me?"

"For you? You son of a bitch!"

Tim bit his lip, trying not to laugh.

"You did this to me."

"Fine, then for you. Because I know once the baby is here you're going to want to more shopping. Not to mention you want to see her."

Calleigh nodded and squeezed Tim's hand tightly as she pushed. The couple both had relieved looks on their faces as they heard a baby cry.

"It's a girl." the doctor exclaimed, setting the baby on Calleigh's stomach.

"Wow..." she mumbled.

"I know." Tim said, an awed tone in his voice.

"Where's she going?" Calleigh asked worriedly as the nurse took their daughter. She smiled sweetly.

"Don't worry. Just going to get her cleaned up and weighed." she replied.

"Oh..." Calleigh looked up at Tim, who was craning his neck to watch the baby. He gave up when another nurse moved in front of his daughter and looked over at Calleigh.

"I love you." he leaned down and kissed her tenderly.

"I love you too." Calleigh kissed him back. "Baby, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Tim smiled as the baby was brought back over. "Is she okay?"

"Mhmm. 7 lbs. 12 oz. 19 3/4 in. long." the nurse said. "Ten fingers, ten toes."

She set the newborn down in Calleigh's arms and Calleigh sighed happily. Tim felt tears spring into his eyes as he watched the two of them. Calleigh scooted over and Tim sat down next to her, his arm going around her shoulders.

"She's tiny." he mumbled, his other hand reaching out towards the baby. He stroked her cheek softly, causing her to open her eyes slowly.

"She looks just like you." Calleigh murmured, peeking under the pink cap. "Dark hair, dark eyes..."

Tim nodded and stifled a yawn.

"Baby, you look tired."

"I feel tired." he admitted.

"Go home."

"No. I'm fine."

Calleigh smiled and shook her head.

"Go home."

"I'll go get some coffee." Tim reasoned. He kissed Calleigh's forehead and climbed off the bed.

"I'll be in a regular room soon so don't come up here looking for me." she called as he walked out.

----------S/C--------

Tim stopped by the gift shop on his way back from the cafeteria and looked around. He smiled, spotting a teddy bear on one of the shelves. He grabbed it and a bouquet of flowers sitting near the cash register.

"That all?"

"Yeah..." Tim nodded, then looked up. Margaret smiled at him and began ringing up the items. "You..."

"Me." she nodded. "I see you're better."

"I got shot in my shoulder. I'm fine."

"Yeah you are. Are you both happy?"

"Yes."

"Good. I hope we won't have to go through this again."

Tim shook his head. He did not want to lose Calleigh or their daughter. Margaret handed him back the bear and flowers.

"$10.50." she said. Tim pulled out his wallet and paid.

"Thanks." he mumbled. "Not for this but... for back in September."

"You're a lucky guy Tim. Not everyone gets another chance. Don't take them for granted."

"I'm not."

--------S/C--------

When Tim got back up to the maternity ward, he walked over to the nurses' station.

"Can I help you?" one of them asked.

"Um... I'm looking for what room my wife is in." Tim yawned. "I'm sorry."

"Long night?" the nurse sympathized. Tim nodded. "What's the last name?"

"Speedle."

The nurse typed for a few seconds and nodded.

"Yeah she's down here. Room 417. I saw your daughter. She's beautiful."

"Thanks." Tim smiled, walking down the hall. He entered Calleigh's room and saw Alexx sitting there. "Great. I'm gone twenty minutes and I'm being replaced."

"I could never replace you." Calleigh smiled, leaning up for a kiss. Tim relented and placed the roses on the table.

"For you." he said, pointing to them.

"They're beautiful honey. Thanks."

"No problem." Tim smiled, sitting next to her. "I'm glad you're here though Alexx."

"Why?" she asked. Tim looked over at Calleigh and she nodded.

"We've decided that we want you to be the baby's godmother and... we've decided to name her after you." he replied.

"Guys, this... oh wow. I... thank you ." Alexx smiled, tears coming to her. "So they'll be two Alexxs around?"

Tim laughed and shook his head.

"No. Her real name is Alexandra but it'll be Ally." he explained as Calleigh handed him Ally. He paled for a second and stared at her.

"You haven't held her at all." she said. Tim nodded and stared down at his sleeping daughter. His thoughts drifted back to his conversation with Margaret in the gift shop. He would never take his little girl for granted, not ever.

"She's amazing." Alexx smiled. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Thanks." Calleigh smiled.

"Oh!" Tim tossed her the teddy bear. "That's for her but I don't think she's old enough for it yet."

Alexx's cell phone went off and she sighed, seeing who it was.

"The master calls." she muttered. "Horatio needs me at a crime scene. If he asks for you, I'll tell him you're busy Timmy."

"Thanks Alexx." he smiled as she walked out. He sighed and looked at Calleigh.

"What?" she asked.

"Do you think that people get second chances?"

Calleigh thought for a minute and nodded.

"Do you think they deserve them?"

"If they're the right person. Why? Did you screw up and get another chance at something?" she teased. Tim nodded. "Well then you definitely deserved whatever you got."

"Yeah I got you two." he smiled.

the end