A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews, girls! I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and I'm having fun writing it!

Chapter 2

"Daddy!"

"Hey, Princess!" Rafe smiled as he watched Katrina run to him, her braided pigtails flying out behind her. When she reached him, he scooped her up in his arms, and then gave her a scowl. "Whoa! You smell like a horse!"

Katrina laughed. "Gus let me help him in the stables!"

"Oh yeah? Well that would explain it," Rafe said as he put her down.

Rafe headed toward the car, and Katrina followed him.

"Yep. I helped him feed the horses! And I got to ride Cookie!"

"Well it's straight into the bathtub for you when we get home!"

"Yeah, because I stink! But that's okay because it's not like I got stinky on purpose!"

Rafe laughed. "What else did you do today? Did you have fun with Nana?"

"Yeah! We had teatime! And we used her fancy cups and I didn't even drop it! Then I played in the attic and it was a lot of fun but then Nana made me come out because she said it was a big mess in there!"

"Well it sounds like you have a great day."

"Can we go to McDonalds?" Katrina suddenly asked.

"Not tonight, Princess. Mommy's going to cook us some lasagna."

"Oh boy! I love lasagna!"

"And Mommy and I have a big surprise for you too."

Katrina's eyes widened with excitement. "OOO! What Daddy?"

"You'll have to wait and see!"

"Is it something for my birthday?"

"Hmm, well I guess it could be a birthday surprise. It's really big news. You'll be really excited when you hear it."

"Tell me Daddy!" Katrina jumped up and down. She loved surprises!

Rafe laughed. "Nope. Not now." Rafe opened the car door and Katrina climbed into the back seat. "Buckle up."

"Bye, Gus!" Katrina called out, waving goodbye to Amanda's stableman.

"Bye, little miss!" he called out.

Rafe waved to Gus, then got into the car himself. He checked the rearview mirror, making sure Katrina was strapped in, then started up the car.

"When will you tell me the big surprise?"

Rafe smiled. He had to have known if he brought up the subject now, it would be all he'd hear about on the way home.

"Tonight. We have to wait for Mommy."

"Where's Mommy?"

"Mommy's at the grocery store picking up some things."

"Will she be home when we get there?"

"Maybe."

"Then you'll tell me!"

"Then we'll tell you," he promised.

As Rafe walked down the hallway, he could hear Katrina splashing in the tub, singing to her heart's content. Rafe smiled. She would always sing when she was happy.

"Hey, Daddy! C'mere!"

Rafe poked his head into the bathroom. "Yes, Princess?"

"Is Mommy home yet?"

"Yes. She's getting dinner started."

"What's the big surprise!"

Rafe laughed. "I can't tell you yet!"

"But you said you'd tell me as soon as Mommy got home!"

"Well Mommy's busy cooking dinner right now, and you're busy taking a bath."

"No, I'm done!" Katrina started to reach for her towel.

"Uh uh, get back in that tub!" Rafe laughed. "You just got in! You're not clean yet!"

"Yes I am, Daddy! I scrubbed behind my ears!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Uh huh!"

"Did you wash your sweaty armpits?"

Katrina laughed. "Yes."

"Did you clean the lint out of your bellybutton?"

Katrina laughed again. "Yes."

"Did you wash your stinky feet?"

Katrina laughed even harder. "Yes!"

Rafe gave her a look. "No…I don't believe you! Let me see the bottom of your foot."

Katrina stuck a foot out of the tub and showed her father.

"Just as I suspected. A dirty foot! Someone's been walking around outside barefoot again."

"Oh, um, I forget to clean the bottoms!"

"Well you better scrub them! That's the dirtiest part of your whole foot!"

Katrina grabbed her soapy sponge and began scrubbing away.

"Did you wash your hair too?"

"Mommy has to help me with that, 'cause I can't do it by myself yet."

"Well what does Mommy do?" Rafe asked as he sat next to the tub and grabbed the kid shampoo and conditioner bottle.

"Mommy puts the soap in my hair, and then she puts water in that cup over there and rinses it all out."

"Okay, I think that sounds easy enough," Rafe said as he squirted some shampoo on his hand and began to make a lather.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"When I get finished when my bath, then you'll tell me the big surprise?"

"We'll see," Rafe said, knowing he better hurry up washing her hair before he had to make her wait any longer. He was looking forward to telling her the good news too.

"Okay, close your eyes. Let's rinse the soap out." Rafe got out the cup and filled it with water.

"Wait. I gotta lean my head back. Don't get water in my eyes, okay?"

"I won't," Rafe promised, as he rinsed the suds out.

"Are ya done, Daddy?"

"We're finished!"

"Yay!"

Rafe begin to reach for the tub stopper.

"I wanna do it!" she begged. Katrina grabbed the rubber stopper and laughed as the water began to funnel down the drain.

"Come on, let's get you dry," Rafe said, holding out a towel and wrapping Katrina up in it.

"Now will you tell me the big surprise?" she asked as she stepped out of the bathtub.

"Go get dressed! Then we'll tell you!"

Katrina squealed in delight, as she ran out of the bathroom and down the hallway, still wrapped in the oversized towel.

Rafe laughed as he watched her run out.

"Just a warning," Rafe said as he walked into the kitchen, seeing Alison put the lasagna in the oven. "Katrina's bouncing off the walls waiting to hear the big news."

Alison laughed. "Well it's perfect timing. Dinner is in the oven and that gives us plenty of time to tell her. Let's go to the living room."

Rafe followed Alison into the living room. Moments later, Katrina came running to them, dressed her pajamas.

"I'm ready!"

Alison laughed. "Baby, did Daddy not comb your hair? It's going to be all knotty!"

"Tell me the big surprise, Mommy!" she begged, ignoring her mother's question.

Rafe smiled at her. "Her hair is the last thing on her mind at the moment. She wants to hear the big news!"

Alison patted the couch, and Katrina took a seat.

Rafe smiled at Alison. "You tell her."

"Tell me! Tell me!" Katrina begged.

"Sweetie, do you remember at Christmas when Santa left you that very special note?"

Katrina eyes grew wide. She remembered it. "Are we getting a baby?"

"Yes, sweetie! You're going to have a little baby brother!"

"Oh wow! Will he be here tonight!"

"No baby, I'm afraid he won't be here tonight."

Katrina looked disappointed. "Tomorrow?"

"No, but you know what?" Alison asked, smiling.

"What?"

"I can tell you where he is."

Katrina smiled brightly. "Where?"

"Right here," Alison said, putting her hands over her stomach. "He's growing inside of my belly."

Katrina's jaw dropped in shock. "WHY? Did you EAT him!"

Rafe and Alison tried to hold back their laughter, but it was quite impossible.

Alison regained her composure. "No sweetie. That's just where babies grow! They grow inside of the mommy's tummy."

"Oh."

"You see, that's why my tummy is starting to get a little bit bigger. It's because the baby is growing inside. And the bigger he gets, the bigger I'll get too."

"You know what?" Rafe said, smiling at his daughter. "You were once inside your mommy's belly too."

Katrina laughed. "Nuh uh!" She didn't believe it.

"You were!" Rafe said. "And sometimes, I would put my hands on your mommy's tummy like this, and you would kick me!"

"I was never THAT small!" Katrina declared.

"Well you may not believe it, but it's true. You were once a tiny little baby, and you were so small that you could fit inside me. And now, another baby is growing inside of me, and he'll stay in there until he's ready to come out."

"When will the baby come out? Will he come out in time for my birthday?"

"Afraid not, Princess. It's going to be a few months. But do you want to see him?"

Katrina jaw dropped once again. "I can SEE him?"

"Sure. Just a minute." Rafe got up, walking over to the television to set the ultrasound video up.

Once the video began to play, Katrina was completely mesmerized.

"Do you see him, sweetie?" Alison asked.

"I see a cute little baby!"

"That's him. That's your baby brother. His name is Gabe," Alison told her.

Katrina looked up at her mother and smiled. "Does this mean that I'm gonna be a big sister?"

Alison smiled. "It sure does. And being a big sister is a really important job. It means you'll get to help out Mommy and Daddy more, and you'll have to teach your little brother things and play with him."

"Wow! I can't wait 'til Gabe gets here! We're gonna have so much fun!"

Alison smiled, giving her daughter a hug. "We sure are, sweetie."

Rafe joined in, kissing Katrina on the forehead, and then Alison before pulling them both in for a hug.