AN: I'm on a roll, now ;-) Here's a little family fluff for you, with more still to come!
Maddie sat alone in her hospital room, cradling little Carrie in her arms as she rocked gently in the rocking chair. She studied the baby's face, taking in every detail her large blue eyes fringed by long dark lashes, her tiny button nose, her ruby red lips from which her pink tongue intermittently poked out. The new mother smiled when the tongue emerged again, brushing her index finger along the silky softness of Carrie's cheek, thanking God for the millionth time since the birth that she was okay.
She leaned down and kissed her daughter gently, continuing to rock slowly and just hold her, never taking her eyes off what truly was a little bundle of joy.
"Hey babe," Danny grinned as he entered the room, striding quickly over to his wife and kissing her happily. "And hey baby girl," he greeted Carrie, pressing his lips tenderly to her little forehead. "How are we doin' this afternoon?"
Maddie's smile widened. "She's doing better…heart rate's normal, oxygen level's close to normal, and her breathing is getting easier, too."
"Good," he replied, relieved. "Any chance we can take her home today?"
She shook her head and sighed. "I wish we could, but the doctor says she needs a few more days in the incubator with the oxygen mask, just to be on the safe side."
He nodded his head. "Then we'll be safe. No sense messin' around with her health."
"Exactly." She looked back down at the creature in her arms and smiled again, feeling tears form in her eyes. "Look at her, Danny…she's…"
"…beautiful," he finished, kneeling down beside the rocking chair. "Just like her mother."
Carrie reached out a tiny fist, searching for something to grab onto. Danny laid a hand on her stomach, just wanting to touch her again to make sure he wasn't dreaming, and her little fingers wrapped themselves around one of his. She squeezed as tightly as her day-old muscles would allow and Danny melted.
"She's quite the charmer, too," Maddie smiled, wiping at her tears. "Just like her father." She shifted positions in the chair and handed the baby to him. "Here—I got to hold her for nine months. Why don't you hold her for a while?"
His grin returned as he took Carrie carefully from his wife and rose, his eyes riveted to his daughter.
Maddie slowly pulled herself from the rocker despite Danny's protests, and crept a few feet to a softer chair that would be easier on her battered body. She watched her husband situate himself in the vacant rocking chair, adjusting the blanket Carrie was wrapped in and settling the baby in his arms, and discovered more tears pooling in her eyes.
Hearing her sniffle, he glanced up and caught the expression on her face. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she shook her head, wiping at her eyes. "My wonderful husband is holding our healthy baby girl…" She sniffled again and laughed, brushing a few more tears from her cheeks. "…and my hormones are all over the place…"
Danny chuckled. "I know."
She leaned across the empty space between them and swatted his knee. "Next time, you're the one who's getting pregnant."
He grimaced, remembering the aches and pains, the mood swings, the hot flashes, the swollen feet and hands, the fatigue, the contractions, and the traumatic birth he had witnessed. Then his eyes met Carrie's and he smiled again, winking at her. "Mommy's funny, isn't she?"
Only a few minutes later, the doctor appeared to do one final exam and sign Maddie's discharge papers. Finding everything satisfactory, he handed her some medical literature on postpartum care for her body and wished them good luck.
Danny remained seated in the rocking chair with little Carrie as Maddie climbed out of her hospital bed for the last time and carefully walked to the bathroom to change into the street clothes he had brought for her. It took ages for her to cover the short distance, and he started to get up to help her.
Maddie waved him back down in the rocker. "I'm okay, just a little sore."
"You sure you don't need some help?" he asked, torn between assisting his wife and holding his daughter for a few minutes more.
"Nope, I got it. Besides, you'll have three or four days to carry me around the house before our little girl comes home. Sit with her."
It took her some time, but eventually Maddie got herself dressed and ready to go. When she began to gather her things together, though, Danny stopped her.
"I'll do that," he insisted, handing Carrie back to her. "You just sit down and relax."
They exchanged places, Maddie lowering herself into the rocking chair and taking the baby while Danny moved around the room packing her belongings. He rang the call button one last time, signaling one of the nurses to come for Carrie.
"All set?" the nurse asked as she entered the room.
Maddie nodded. "I think so." She leaned down and kissed her daughter, willing the tears not to flow again.
Danny slid his arm around her and brushed a hand over the baby's head, smoothing her already thick, dark hair. "Bye darlin'," he told her softly, his voice cracking a little. "You'll be comin' home soon, and we'll be here every day to visit until you do."
He helped Maddie out of the chair and kissed their baby, smiling as his wife hugged her gently and kissed her, too. The nurse stepped forward and took Carrie from her parents, holding her for a moment for the last few good-byes.
"We'll take good care of her," the nurse promised with a smile.
Maddie nodded, her eyes watery. "I know."
"And we'll be back tomorrow to see her," Danny added, clearing his throat.
The nurse smiled again and nodded, laying Carrie in a portable incubator and wheeling her out of the room toward the nursery.
The new parents stood and watched her go for a moment before Danny wrapped his arm around his wife and led her out the door, turning in the opposite direction their daughter had just gone.
"She'll be okay," he told her, trying to convince himself as much as Maddie. "And Shayla's waiting at home for you."
That made her smile. "Shayla Messer."
He kissed her hair as they walked, grinning happily. "Sounds good, doesn't it?"
"Well, here we are," Dantrell smiled as they reached the Messers' apartment building.
Shayla led him into the lobby and smiled back. "You sure you don't want to come up? Maddie would love to see you."
He shook his head. "No. If she's resting I don't want to disturb her. Besides, I'm over here so much anyway I'm surprised you guys aren't sick of me yet."
"Never!" Shayla laughed. "We would never get tired of having you around." Her gaze shifted off into the distance and a teasing twinkle shone in her eyes. "Then again, there was that one time…"
"Ha ha ha," he replied with a smirk. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."
She patted his shoulder as he turned and left, then focused her attention on the bank of mailboxes along the wall. Finding the correct key on her key ring, she popped open the little door that was marked "Messer" and pulled out the pile of envelopes inside.
Shayla sorted the mail as she rode the elevator to her floor and entered her apartment.
"Shayla? That you?" Danny's voice called from the master bedroom.
"Yep," she called back, wandering down the hallway. Her parents' door was open, so she peeked her head inside. "I brought up the mail."
Maddie lay in bed propped up with several pillows, a chemistry book open in her lap, Danny stretched out on his side next to her.
"Hey sweetheart," she smiled. "How was school today?"
Shayla grinned. "I was the star attraction—everyone wanted to know how you and Carrie were doing."
Danny laughed proudly. "Did you tell 'em their perfect?"
"Actually, yeah," Shayla nodded. "I did." She plopped down on the foot of the bed, keeping two large envelopes and tossing the rest of the mail to her father. "And I was instructed to bring pictures tomorrow…or else."
The two adults chuckled at that, a similar threat having been issued to Danny from the Crime Lab personnel.
They chatted a few minutes more, listening to Shayla detail the rest of her day at school and describing the happenings at home and at the lab. Every few seconds Maddie would glance over at the two envelopes her daughter held, her eyes flickering up to the young face with curiosity.
Finally, Maddie couldn't take any more suspense. "Honey, aren't you going to open your mail?"
Shayla glanced down at the large envelopes, her smile wavering. "They're both from colleges I applied to."
"But they're both big…big means you got in, right?" Danny grinned.
Shayla giggled. "That's what they say."
"Well, open 'em up and find out!"
She laughed again and tore into the first envelope, pulling out a cover letter with a blue and gold seal printed on the top, scanning the page nervously.
"Well?" Maddie prompted.
"'Dear Ms. Green'," Shayla read, not even noticing the use of her recently discarded name. "'We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the University of Michigan…'"
"Aaahhh!" Maddie squealed, leaning forward and throwing her arms out in spite of the textbook still in her lap.
"Wait, there's still one more…" Shayla reminded her, her smile becoming more confident. She ripped open the second envelope with gusto and removed its cover letter. Her eyes flashed over the orange and blue logo imprinted at the top and searched for the magic words. "'…the University of Virginia would like to welcome you…"
She didn't get any further. "You got in to both schools!" Danny exclaimed, springing up from the bed to join in the hugging.
Shayla laughed and wrapped her arms around her parents. "I got in to both schools!" she echoed in disbelief.
"We'll add these to the letter you got from City College," Maddie grinned, kissing her daughter on the forehead.
"…and wait for the one from NYU," Danny grinned, squeezing her tightly before releasing her.
"We don't know they're gonna let me in," Shayla cautioned.
Danny's smile softened as he took her hand in his. "I know, I know…we'll have to wait and see. But I'm proud of you no matter what NYU says."
The smile she beamed back at her parents was the best thank you she could give them. Then she quickly broke the sentimental moment. "I have to call Dantrell…"
Kissing Maddie and Danny, she bounced off the bed and danced into the kitchen looking for the phone.
"Now you're sure you don't mind having the crib in your room?" Maddie asked her oldest daughter as the girl carried her little sister into the apartment building.
Shayla shook her head. "Of course not. There's no room in that little bedroom of yours, and I'm more than happy to share."
"She'll be waking up ever couple of hours," Danny added, tightening his arm around his still-sore wife as he helped her walk, "so you won't be getting much sleep. Maddie or I will come take care of her, but she's gonna wake you up."
"There's only a couple more months until school's out, and it won't matter how many times I wake up in the night during the summer." She gazed down at the baby in her arms and smiled. "Besides, I'm her big sister. It's my job to help look after her, and I'm happy to do it."
That night she got her chance. Carrie awoke in the wee small hours of the morning, fussing but not yet crying, her tiny fists balled up in frustration. Lying in her bed ten feet away, Shayla heard the baby moving and blinked open her eyes, keeping still to see if she might go back to sleep on her own.
Carrie began to whimper, but Shayla continued to wait. She had been instructed by her parents to try to get as much sleep as possible and to let them worry about the baby, so she squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face in her pillow. The whimpering transitioned into the beginning stages of crying and Shayla climbed out of bed, turning on the small lamp on her nightstand. Maddie and Danny had already each been up twice that night, and there was no reason either of them should be disturbed again. She padded softly over to the crib and pulled the blanked back from Carrie's face.
"Hey darlin'," she grinned, using the term of endearment Danny had reserved for his youngest daughter. "What's the matter?"
Carrie's eyes squinted in the new light and the crying receded for a moment, but her little hands were still clenched and her feet kicked in aggravation. Her face scrunched up and she took a breath, getting ready to turn on the tears for real.
Shayla slipped a hand inside the crib, caressing the baby and brushing a strand of her thick hair from her forehead. Carefully, she lifted Carrie from the crib and checked her over, looking for anything that might have made her uncomfortable. Finding nothing, she decided her sister was probably hungry and quietly carried her into the kitchen in search of a bottle.
A few minutes later, Shayla seated herself in the rocking chair Dantrell had built so lovingly, rocking gently in the silent living room as she held her sister. The baby drank eagerly, her hands patting the bottle occasionally as she stared up, eyes fixed on Shayla.
"That better darlin'?" she asked. "A little food and a little family always make me feel better, too."
As if in response, Carrie reached out and patted the bottle again, this time grasping onto one of Shayla's fingers and holding on.
Shayla leaned down and kissed her little sister, smiling softly. "I love you, too."