AN: Thanks for all the reviews! This is such a different fic from what I usually write, so your reviews really encourage me.

Chapter 3

Tristan's arms were wrapped around Rory's midsection, lightly stroking her large tummy where the baby- the child they created together- was growing, developing, coming to life.

"You have never looked more beautiful than you do now." He whispered, leaning to her ear.

Rory shot him a look that clearly showed she thought otherwise. "Uh huh. So you're turned on by what exactly? Is it your T-shirt, your pajama pants, or my bunny slippers that make me stunning?" She asked him, now grumpy and unhappy with her weight. At eight months pregnant she didn't exactly feel like Miss America.

Her husband just grinned at her, planting a light kiss on her lips. "It's everything about your pregnancy."

"Yeah, the swollen ankles are just so attractive."

"You were a knock out before. But now, your hair is shinier, you glow. And the fact you're carrying my child? Now that," He paused, leaning over to kiss her again, before continuing to speak at a quieter tone, "Is just damn sexy."

Rory smiled at her husband. No matter how miserable she felt, he was always there to make her feel better. She knew he would be a wonderful, loving father to their unborn daughter.

She snuggled deeper into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his arms around-

"DADDY! DADDY!" Rory woke up suddenly, hearing the terrified screams coming from Mary's room. Jumping up she darted to the hallway, towards her daughter's room.

She arrived at the room just behind Finn. The little blonde angel laid screaming and crying in her room, her arms flailing about, her legs kicking.

"I want daddy!" She yelled, sobbing.

Rory felt her own tears run down her cheeks as she sat beside her daughter, scooping the child up in her arms. After Mary had a nightmare Tristan was always the one to comfort her. He was always the one to rock her back to sleep, and reassure her.

The little girl balled her hands into fists, fighting her mother. "NOOO! I want DADDY!" She screamed, her face now red and wet from the tears.

Finn sat on the other side of the bed, feeling helpless and lost as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. Mary wasn't a very strong or large child, but she was scared, and she wanted her daddy. Rory had no choice but to let go of Mary once her struggles became more violent. A little foot almost hit her stomach, and she couldn't allow anything to happen to her unborn child.

Finn realized that Rory couldn't handle Mary on her own, so he scooped the child into his arms, ignoring her screams as he held her arms back and rocked her gently.

The child continued to fight for some time, sometimes whimpering, sometimes screaming, sometimes all out howling, until eventually the sobs simply wracked her body with no cries coming out. She fell asleep in Finn's arms some time later, still crying, and sucking her thumb.

Rory looked on at the two, hating herself for not being able to comfort her own baby. She blamed herself, not knowing who else to blame. She knew she had to do something to make things easier on Mary. Somehow.

The night had been exhausting and draining for both Rory and Finn. They both needed sleep. They were physically and emotionally exhausted.

"What should I do?" Finn asked Rory, looking up at the woman sitting across the bed from him.

"Lay her down. I'll sleep in here tonight with her." Rory replied sadly. Her heart ached for her daughter. She knew Mary missed Tristan, but she didn't realize her daughter was in this much pain. It pained her to not be able to do anything to help the girl.

Finn nodded, trying to let go of Mary and tuck her into her little bed, but the girl would start to wake every time he let her go, and she would hold onto him, whimpering.

Finn and Rory exchanged a helpless look. Finally, Finn lay down with Mary still in his arms, on his chest. He gave Rory a sad smile and she joined them, stroking her daughter's hair as tears ran down her own cheeks. Slowly, she allowed sleep to consume her as Finn lay beside her, holding her daughter in his arms.

-GG-

Finn woke up a few hours later with a terrible pain shooting through his neck and his back. He groaned. "I'm too old to be passed out wherever I am…"

He was used to years upon years of drunken nights filled with passing out wherever he was. In his time he woke up in some pretty uncomfortable- not to mention awkward and embarrassing- places. Through his life he woke up to find himself laying in many different beds with many different women. Of course, this was generally accompanied by an intense throbbing in his head and a need to get away from the female- or females as the case had been a few times- that he spent the night with.

This Friday morning was different from every other morning in his life. Yes, he woke up to find a woman next to him in bed. Yes, he was in pain. This morning however, he awoke to find his best friend's widow lying next to him with her daughter sprawled on his chest. This morning, his pain was not from a hangover. He should have known better than to try to sleep in Mary's tiny toddler bed all night. He and Mary alone would have been squished, but with Rory in the bed too there was barely an inch of free space. Certainly no room to move around.

Years later when Finn would look back upon his life, he would realize that this one morning in particular was the turning point for everything. In a way, it was the first morning of the rest of his life. Of course, that wasn't something he would understand or even realize for quiet some time.

He glanced over and realized Rory was waking up. She blinked a few times, trying to figure out where exactly she was, and how she got there. He would know exactly when she figured it out and completely woke up. Every time she woke up, there would be that moment before absolute awakening, when her mind was still hazy. In that moment, she would have Tristan back. The nightmare wouldn't be real. But then, as she finished waking up, the sparkle in her eyes would die. Her face would fall. Her breath would catch. Finn believed she honestly had trouble keeping from doubling over in physical pain.

"Did she wake up at all?" Rory asked, her voice laced heavily with sleep as she glanced at her daughter.

Finn shook his head. "She's dea-" He stopped what he was about to say. 'She's dead to the world.' "She's out like a light." He finished weakly, giving Rory a small smile.

She reached over to squeeze Finn's hand. "Thank you. For being here. For being you. I really do appreciate it. I don't know what we would do without you." She whispered, running her hand through her baby girl's blonde hair, feeling the silky texture so like the child's fathers.

He nodded, finally removing Mary's tiny limbs from him and laying her gently onto her pillows. Tip toeing softly and very, very slowly, he made his way out of the bedroom with Rory following him. He noticed she was also limping.

"Not quiet the most comfortable night, love?" He questioned, trying not to laugh at Rory's pained expression.

"Ha ha." She muttered, narrowing her eyes, "You don't exactly look ready to run a marathon."

"Face it, we're getting old." He replied dramatically, shaking his head in mock sadness. Looking at the kitchen clock as he went straight to the coffeemaker he realized it was Friday.

"Your doctor's appointment is today." He informed Rory, to which she nodded as she grabbed the herbal tea.

"God, I miss coffee." She remarked, smelling the heavenly liquid.

"I miss alcohol." He replied bluntly, not realizing what he said. "God, I'm such an id-"

"It's ok." She whispered, shaking her head. "We all miss a lot. Nothing's the same. Nothing will ever be the same." Rory shrugged. "We just have to try to survive I guess."

Finn nodded and grabbed his coffee, joining her at the table where they sipped their morning beverages in silence, their thoughts weighing heavy in the room.