A/n This was a prompt from the wonderful redbadges on Twitter :) "Jisbon (you can choose who) is worried about their child's first appointment with the doctor."

/

Worries and Paediatrics

It is a chill which wakes him. During the winter season her body heat is especially important to him but that may be because it is more obvious when it isn't there. They're not quite moved into their new renovated home yet, him hitting a few snags during the remodel setback the deadline and now his focus is on their son who arrived into the world just a few days ago. He is perfect and a delight, the couple already are getting used to the altered sleep schedule. However, Jane doesn't believe it is a crying baby which waked her – he would have heard the sound too – but something else playing on her mind. He noted how unsettled she was when they climbed into bed tonight and peeling open his eyes, he does make out her outline in the dark, stood over baby Ollie's bassinet.

He starts to lift up, the rustle of the sheets causing her to turn around, a frown resting on her features which he mirrors. "Is he awake?" He whispers to his wife who moves away from the snoozing boy with a shake of her head. "Are you alright?" He asks as Lisbon get back into bed, but she doesn't snuggle close to him despite his open arms and instead props herself up against the pillows. "Is this about tomorrow?" She sighs in reply and confirms his suspicions.

Tomorrow is the first check-up since the birth a few days ago and even though things have been going great so far and they have no reason to believe that there are any problems, she is still apprehensive. "It is silly, I know." She defeatedly admits and he immediately disagrees whilst reaching for her hand to entwine their fingers soothingly.

"It isn't." He softly murmurs. "Is there anything I can do to put your mind at ease?"

Teresa appears to deliberate this, and he spots that she does think of something but then is reluctant to say what it is. Their eyes fleetingly meet before she swiftly averts her gaze, not knowing whether she can say it, but he gives her hand an encouraging squeeze in attempt to urge her on. She takes a deep breath and fully focusses on him once more before quietly uttering, "Can you remember Charlotte's first appointment? What was it like?" He understands why she was reluctant in asking. They may be married now and practically joined at the hip, but this topic is always tough to broach. He isn't in the same extent of pain that he was some years ago, moving on has helped, but his heart does ache at the mention of either Angela's or Charlotte's name.

"I do." He begins by saying, knowing that now isn't the time to spiral about the death of his family when his new family have become his priority. He doesn't want her to fret about something which isn't worth fretting about. "We were as nervous as you are right now." He candidly reveals with a small smile in memory, recollecting how they were actually late to their appointment because of overly stressing about things that weren't stressful. They were young, very young and by no means assured about how to live a normal life. "But it was fine. In fact if anything, it made us realise that we were doing an okay job." She seems to relax as he talks, his low tone lulling her into a sense of security and this time when he invites her into his arms, she takes him up on his offer and shuffles into them which he caringly wraps around her, so his hands rest on her still slightly swollen belly.

She calms under his touch, the gentle rise and fall of his chest almost hypnotising her but at least it causes her own breathing to settle. "I have read so many books." She tells him; however, it is unnecessary because he has seen her doing so and the stack of literature grew and grew throughout her pregnancy, nearly as quickly as her bump. "I know it is all routine, but I can't help but think of what if…?"

"It is unlikely that something is wrong but if there is, isn't it better to find out now so we can try and sort it?" It worries him too of course, he doesn't want anything to be wrong with Ollie, but he knows that if there is, that they will do everything in their power to fix it.

Lisbon hums at this, agreeing but she cannot help the queasiness bubbling at the pit of her stomach. "What if they ask me questions which I do not know the answer to? They will think I am a bad mother."

"You are not a bad mother." He is quick to say and delicately plants a kiss on the top of her head. "We are doing this together and I'm sure between us we will have all the answers." He tries to appease her but the silence which follows is almost deafening and a part of him considers that he can hear her brain and all its overthinking. Jane decides that talking her through what may happen tomorrow is the best way to make her feel better. He knows her all too well and recognises that if she has all the information available, she tends to start to think rationally – even with the added complication of baby brain. "They will probably ask us about his feeding and to that we say that he's being breastfed and how often that happens."

"I think it is going okay."

"I think so too." He concurs and kisses her hair again, the action making her eyes squeeze shut in satisfaction. "They will ask about how often we are changing him and what we find in his diaper-"

"His poo is green, is that normal?" She panickily questions even though she knows that this is all okay. A new mother though sometimes needs constant reassurance and while her husband is pretty good at that, hearing it from a medical professional will definitely help her.

"It is, but you can ask tomorrow." He suggests and is met with quiet again, so he pushes on. "They will also ask about his sleep patterns and we can tell them that the kid is a wonderful sleeper and is allowing his parents to get plenty of rest." It probably won't last, but for now they will relish that. "They will weigh and measure him without his clothes on so we should dress him in something that is easy to get on and off."

"His little legs are so wiggly… I don't know how they are going to measure him."

He lightly laughs at this, remembering her dismay when she was trying to dress him for the first time. It took many attempts, not helped by him being stood at the side of hospital room, doubled over at the sight. She glared daggers at him but in reflection it was quite funny. "It is their job. I am sure they know the best way to keep fidgety infants still enough to measure them." He perceives from her starting to pitch into the conversation that she is beginning to relax and realising his tactic of talking her through it is working, he continues, trying to remember details of his first appointment with his daughter. "They will then carefully check him over like his head and collar-bone and hips-"

"But he is so fragile."

"They will be very careful with him, I promise." Patrick tightens his grip on her, hoping to provide her some additional comfort. He thinks he can detect that although her heartbeat is elevated, it is definitely lower than it was previously which he takes as a win and reason to relax himself. "After examining his reflexes and taking his pulse, he will be good to go. There aren't even any vaccines at this appointment so he will unlikely get upset. You saw how good he was when Cho visited us, he didn't mind being picked up and held." She smiles at the image that he's now put in her head.

Cho came to her house a matter of hours after they arrived home with a large bouquet of flowers for her and a plush toy duck for Jane Junior. She wasn't expecting him to be so eager to hold the infant and it briefly made her sad that he isn't a father himself, but then she appreciated what a good uncle he is going to be, and that sadness dissipated. He stayed for less than an hour, not wanting to intrude but also asking if there was anything that he can do. It is not like he really has the time to play Uncle or godfather, a role that they've decided he will share Rigsby whilst Grace will be godmother, but despite the busyness that his senior role at the FBI brings, he is keen to be a part of the young boy's life. It has also reinforced to Jane that Lisbon's safety is important to the bureau so that when she eventually returns to work, he can trust that she will make it home in one piece. "That's true." She mutters, now seeming to be much more okay than she was just minutes ago.

"It won't even take long." He resumes in assuring her when a new thought hits him. "And then there are your checks-"

"I don't care about that." She cuts him off, making him release a sharp exhale in slight frustration.

"I do." He replies, hoping that means something to her and when she doesn't argue he believes it does. "Plus, I think they should have a look at your stitches. They're still looking a bit angry."

"Okay Doctor Jane."

"I mean it. You don't want to get an infection." And now it is his turn to get anxious and she distinguishes the slight tremor in his voice straightaway.

Teresa slowly turns in his arms, still feeling a bit sore from childbirth but also wanting to comfort him in this moment. In the darkness of the room along with their close proximity, it is difficult to make out his features so instead she settles on nestling her face into his neck, sensing his pulse point against her lips. She lovingly kisses there a couple of times although it is so light that it's like her lips are ghosting his skin – it tickles – but also bring him relief if the minute parting of his lips is anything to go by. "I love you." She quietly mumbles against his collarbone, just loud enough for him to hear it. Her softness has him smiling and finding her chin with his long fingers, tilting her face up so that he can capture her lips with his own.

"I love you too."