A/N: Sorry for the delay! I just had to make sure I had this chapter aligned with the next for reasons that you will read at the end. As always, thanks for reading and reviewing!

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The next morning, he was up early. He had to run to pick up his mom and sisters and grab breakfast on the way back for everyone else. Then, he had to be back in time to help Madeleine set up for the shower.

Leaving Teresa to sleep at this ungodly early hour, he kissed her forehead before leaving.

By the time he arrived at the airport, mom and the girls were already waiting for their luggage.

"Paddy!" Mom opened her arms out for her, and he went in for the hug immediately. "How are you this morning? You look great!"

"Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good. It's a big day! You checked bags for a weekend trip?"

Amanda laughed. "We needed room for all of the gifts!"

"Gifts?"

"Paddy, I'm Charlotte's only grandmother, and she is the first niece whose birth they get to celebrate. Of course, we brought gifts! We even brought a few things for Annie!"

"I'm sure Annie will love that!"

He hadn't thought much about how Annie might react to there being a lot of gifts, mostly addressed to Charlotte. Maybe he should run out and get something for her, too.

After he grabbed their luggage from the carousel, they headed to the car.

Maisie leaned forward between the seats. "So, Patrick, how long have you lived in Sacramento?"

"Oh, for almost 17 years now. Once I left the carnival scene, I moved to Sacramento looking for better opportunities."

"Do you like living here?"

He grinned. "It certainly has its perks. I met my wife here."

"Yeah, are you going to take us to the bar where you met her?"

Amanda laughed. He looked up at her in the rearview mirror. She actually had a joyous expression on her face. She seemed happy today. "Ever since Mais turned 21, she's been wanting to go to every bar she sees."

"That's not true! I just want to see the magical place that brought these two together."

"Well, Maisie, I have to be honest with you. It's kind of a rough place. I was going through some things at the time, and well, she was there hiding out from her fellow cops. While it's our place, it takes a certain mindset to be there."

Mom gasped. "Did you meet at a biker bar, then?"

"Yes."

She laughed now. "That is a nice story the two of you have!"

Yeah, he thought so, too.

Though it was a bit out of their way, he decided to drive them by the dealership. "This is where I work: Jane Luxury Automotive."

"Wow, Paddy, this place is nice! How long have you had it?"

"About seven years now. I became a mechanic after I left the carnival, and I slowly started flipping cars. An old business associate helped me get into the business. I'm still thankful for his guidance."

"Will he be around today?"

"Oh no, he is dead. We co-owned a racing business. Actually, that reminds me I need to check in on that."

"Hmm. Well, that's nice. I'm glad someone helped you find your calling."

He laughed. "Better than Boy Wonder."

Amanda laughed a bit. "Boy Wonder?"

"Yeah, that was the stage name my dad came up with for me."

"Well, your dad had a sense of humor. I think. What does that really mean?"

From the corner of his eye, he noticed mom stiffen. He didn't really like talking about dad, and he was still a sore subject around her for obvious reasons.

Mom spoke up. "It means that people could come marvel at him because he was a boy psychic."

Amanda shrugged. "Not really fair you guys got to be psychics. I can't even see ten minutes into the future."

"Psychics aren't real!' He grinned when he realized that he and mom had shouted that in unison. He looked at mom who held worry in her eyes, but eventually, she returned the grin.

Maisie and Amanda both laughed before Maisie responded. "You say that, but mom always seems to know everything."

"I wish I knew everything, Maisie."

Mom turned her gaze out the window. As much as he was glad they were doing this, getting to know each other better, he also realized that she still got hung up on certain things like not being there for him.

"Always good at spotting things."

He grinned as he replied to that. "It's just a skill, Maisie. It actually comes with great responsibility."

She waved her hands, taking on a sing-songy voice. "With great power comes great responsibility!"

He laughed. "Something like that. It's just that it's easy to misuse something like that. There's a lot of money to be made from people who believe in that."

"Why didn't you do that? You'd be super rich and probably famous!"

He noticed mom turn toward the back seat with a frown on her face. "Not all money is good money, Amanda. I hope we've raised you better than that."

"Mom, I know that. But look at all of these reality tv stars. It's fast money!"

"It is fast money, but it comes at a cost. I chose cars because I liked them. I was good at fixing them. More importantly, no one got hurt when I was fixing them. I think I've done well enough with cars. We live a very comfortable life."

"Did you ever hurt someone?"

"Amanda!"

"What?! I'm just asking an honest question."

"Don't put your brother…"

"It's okay. I'll answer. I did hurt someone. I told a dying girl and her grandmother that an expensive crystal and my guidance would save her. I'm almost certain it didn't."

"Why?"

"Because my dad told me to." Mom grasped the arm rest so tightly that her knuckles turned white "He said I needed to do it, and I was a teenager. I thought it would make him happy. In the end, it just made me feel like shit. I'd made money. My dad even gave me a cut and told me not to spend it all in one place. It was the night I knew I needed to leave."

Maisie huffed in the backseat. "No offense, but your dad sounds like a piece of shit."

"Maisie!"

"What? There's a reason he's not also our dad, too." Maisie did have a point. On both accounts. "Was he happy?"

"I guess so. Like I said, he gave me a small cut before he took off to the card tables with the rest. That was the last I ever saw of him."

Mom turned to look at him. "He left you?"

He nodded. "Well, he took off. A few days later, I took off with Angela. I don't know if he ever came back. I kept touch with Sam and Pete. If dad ever came looking for me, they never said anything."

"Well, Paddy, I'm glad you got out."

She reached for his hand, and he took it. Without a doubt, there were things mom felt guilty about. He could understand that now, and he could also understand how she would never absolve herself of it just like he would never absolve himself of hurting his family no matter the circumstance.

Deep down, he wanted to make her feel better. How could they put this behind them? Because he did get out. He made it.

He glanced at her before sharing a knowing smile with her. "Me too."

Maybe the best way to put it behind them was to build their future. After all, she made it, too.

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When they got back to the house, Annie was already up sitting with Karen and Stan Jr. She was using her hands and face to imitate different animals in an effort to impress her little cousin.

"Hey, Sprout!"

"Aunt Maisie!" She ran into Maisie's arms as she squatted to greet her. It seems they became fast friends on their trip to the soccer field.

"Karen, this is my mom, Patricia. These are my sisters, Amanda and Maisie. Everyone, this is my sister-in-law Karen."

They all made brief introductions as he went to get the door. Madeleine was waiting at the front door. The day was already rather busy, but he was glad to see that Teresa could enjoy a bit more rest.

"Good morning, Patrick." Mimi and Will ran past him to get to Annie.

"Mimi! Will! This is my family!" That made him smile. Things had been rough for her, but she was such a happy little girl, and she took such pride in her family. She deserved to be happy and surrounded by love.

He met Madeleine's eyes. "Well, should we get started? I have a lot of stuff to bring in."

Mom appeared behind him. "Oh, I can help! Hi, I'm Patricia McDonald. I'm Patrick's mother."

"I'm Madeleine Hightower. I'm Teresa's friend."

"Mom, just sit and relax. Have some food. We've got it. We've been planning for weeks. Teresa's uncles will be here in a bit, and..."

Madeleine laughed softly as mom straightened her shoulders. "No! I will not just sit here on my ass and relax! I'm Charlotte's grandmother, and your mother. That means you don't get to tell me what to do on both accounts! Let's go!"

He just shook his head as they both followed Madeleine out to her car.

Madeleine grinned at him as she whispered: "Grandmothers will absolutely do whatever they want. Good luck!"

Once again, he shook his head as they got to work organizing. They were just waiting on Jason to arrive with the floral arrangements.

Eventually, Teresa was back downstairs. She also tried to help. However, Madeleine was able to convince her to sit.

He just smiled at her before he took her in his arms. "You should sit. There are now three of us working on things here. I'm sure it will be fine. Enjoy some time with your brothers and Karen."

She frowned. "I feel like I'm being left out of my own shower."

"You're not. It's a party for you and Charlotte. When it's time, we will bring you outside to celebrate. We're not getting you outside a moment sooner for you to try to work. We've got it covered!"

She kissed his lips. "If you say so. Did you get my blueberry muffin?"

"I did. It's hiding in the microwave." She grinned at him, off to eat her muffin.

Today was not only the day of her baby shower, but he would also be surprising her with the nursery. She'd not been up to see it yet, and he hadn't told her anything about it. He took on that project himself. Now that she was well enough to handle stairs, he wanted to reveal the final product.

The three of them got the decorations up and everything settled before guests started to arrive. Well, more guests. The house was already full of guests here to celebrate their daughter's birth.

Evan and Jason arrived, which was a little interesting. They brought flowers for the event, but they also came in carrying several other large items.

"What is all of this?"

Evan just grinned as mom went out to help Jason with the floral arrangements. "Gifts for the baby! And I got Teresa this amazing chair for the nursery. I talked to the person at the store about, you know, her shoulder. This is going to give her quite a bit of support!"

He nodded along. It was quite the thoughtful gift to be sure.

"Between you and my mom, I'm afraid that we are going to have more gifts than baby! We should've said we don't need any gifts."

"Why not?"

"Well, I have the resources…"

Evan just waved his hand. "Oh please! Little Charlotte is practically my granddaughter! Now, where are Stan and his wife? Can you remind me what her name is? I have a gift for little Stan."

"His wife is Karen, and he is...out there with the kids kicking the ball around. I'll take you out."

He walked with Evan out to meet Stan and Jimmy. Jimmy acknowledged him immediately, coming over to him and giving him a slap on the back. "Hey, Uncle Evan!"

"Jimmy! It's great to see you again!"

Stan wiped his head in a rather exaggerated manner. "Alright, kids. I'm going to take a breather. You've worn me out!"

As Stan approached, he wasn't sure what he should do. Should he stand here while Teresa's family met each other? Should she be out here to facilitate this? Well, technically, they were all his family too.

"Uncle Evan?"

"It's great to finally meet you, Stan!"

"Yeah, same. I've never been out here before!"

"I know. Where is Karen?"

"I'll take you over to her."

"I hope we can have you guys over for dinner one night before you leave…" With that, Stan and Evan were off.

He stood still in an awkward silence with Jimmy for just a moment before he spoke. "You know, I'm not really good at this."

He didn't need to ask to know what "this" meant, but he'd go along with it. "At what?"

"Well, I acted like a real asshole when I was here a few weeks back. I disrespected you in your own house, and look, I'm sorry for that. It's just that when I thought you might be running a game on Teresa, I couldn't see anything but red. I love my sister, and I want the best for her. She doesn't deserve to be surrounded by some jerk. You know, she's vulnerable right now."

"I understand, Jimmy. I love her too, and she's not surrounded by some jerk. I know I probably have my moments, but I'd never do that to her. You're right. She deserves the world."

"It's nice to see her and Annie so happy. I just...don't want there to be any bad blood between us, you know?"

"I know. There's not. I was upset that you wouldn't hear me out. My first wife cheated on me, and I would never put someone through that. I have no inclination to do that to Teresa."

Jimmy just nodded quietly. He assumed that was the end of it until he spoke once more. "Just don't hurt them. I know you don't intend to or whatever, but just don't."

"I won't. I should go check on Teresa and see if she needs anything to get ready before we bring her out."

He clapped Jimmy on the shoulder before taking off. Jimmy was a good guy, and he wanted the best for the sister who'd always taken such good care of him. That was understandable.

Before entering their bedroom, he knocked on the door. "Come in!"

When he opened the door, his breath caught in his throat. She was wearing a floral sundress that flowed over her belly before touching the ground. She looked like a goddess, as she readjusted it. He didn't realize he was gawking at her until she said something.

"Does it look bad? It's a little snug in the top. Damn breasts are still getting larger." She frowned. "Well, at least since I ordered this dress."

"Oh, I definitely noticed them last night. I have no comments or complaints."

She grinned widely, flashing him her teeth. "Shut up! Seriously though, how does it look?"

He closed the distance between them before taking her cheek in his palm. "You look absolutely ethereal."

"I've never had anyone describe me that way before."

"Well, I'm definitely glad to be the first. I just came to check on you and see if you needed any help getting ready. It seems you've done it all on your own."

"Most of it. I was just going to call Madeleine to come help me fix my hair when she's done."

He pushed one of her loose curls behind her ear. "Fix it? It looks gorgeous. I love your curls."

She blushed just a bit. "I was just going to have her help me pin it back so that it's not in my face."

He took her hand, pulling her to their bathroom sink. "Where are your hairpins?"

She raised her brow at his suggestion. "You're going to do it?"

"Of course! I am a man of many talents."

"Sure you are. They're over there, but I can just get Madeleine to come up, and…"

"Nope. I've got it. Now, how do you want it? Just the midsection, or do you want a half up and half down situation at the crown?"

She halfway turned to stare at him. "What? I've been brushing up on YouTube. Who do you think has been doing Annie's hair? I am a girl dad, after all. I have to be prepared to do any type of hairstyle!"

She started laughing at him. "Fine. Half up, half down. You'll need three pins to secure it, and it works best if you bunch and twist…"

"And then, secure. I've got it. Turn around."

Her curls were a little thicker than Annie's, so it was different to work with smoothing them back, but he got them. Then, he secured them just like she said. When he looked at her in the mirror, she was smiling back at him.

"How's that?"

She leaned back and kissed his cheek. "It's great. Thank you."

"Are you ready now?"

"I am."

He took her hand and led them out of their room. Instead of leading her outside, he led her to the nursery and turned to face him.

"Teresa, I wanted to show you the nursery before we go outside."

"I figured that's why we are here."

"Open the door."

When she opened the door, she walked into the room, standing there speechless for just a moment as she took in the room. Over the last few months as she rested and spent her time downstairs, he came up here and worked on getting the room together. Evan and Jason came over when they were in Vegas to set up the furniture for him.

"So, what do you think?"

At first, he wasn't sure what to do with the space. Most of the nursery designs were nice-but they didn't speak to who Teresa was. While the nursery was Charlotte's and he would be active in taking care of her, he wasn't aloof to the idea that she would be spending a lot of time in here. It needed to be a comfortable space for her. Then, it hit him what Teresa loved and what some of their favorite memories as a family had been thus far.

"It's gorgeous." She grinned. "But I can't say that I've ever seen many Cubs-themed nurseries for little girls."

"Meh. If my girls have taught me anything, it's that girls love sports too. I'm sure our little Charlotte will be no exception to that rule in this house. Besides, if you insist on reinforcing tired gender ideas, you'll notice that her name is written in pink and surrounded by daisies. That was Annie's idea."

She laughed. "Of course it was. I love it. Thank you."

She kissed him on his lips. "I'm glad you like it. Shall we go outside for your party? There seem to be a mountain of gifts waiting for you to open."

"Oh. I do like gifts."

She took his hand again, and they walked outside together. She smiled as she saw the party set up, as well as all of the guests there to see her. It was nice to see so many people there and to see her so happy. She deserved that.

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After the party, he noticed Amanda and Maisie getting a bit restless.

"What are you guys up to?"

Amanda looked up from her phone, with a grin on her face. "We're looking for something to do tonight."

Mom came walking in, bringing in some of the leftovers. "Something to do? How about spending time with your family?"

He grinned at his sisters as they both frowned at that idea. While he'd worked very hard through most of his 20s to get where he was today, he still understood the need for some fun.

"You mentioned the bar where I met Teresa earlier. You guys really want to go there?"

Maisie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!"

"Well, let me talk to Teresa and see if she's okay with me taking you guys out for a bit."

When he found Teresa in the living room, she was sitting with Stan, Jimmy, and Karen, probably laughing at a joke that someone had just shared.

"Hey, Teresa. The girls are looking to go out tonight. I was thinking I'd take them over to Lenny's for a bit. Do you mind if I go?"

"You're going to Lenny's?" She rubbed her bump as she started to pout.

"Yeah. Do you want to go?"

She continued rubbing her bump. "No. I can't drink, and I can't really play pool on account of my shoulder. I'll stay here. You guys can go."

Jimmy piped up. "So, I heard you're going out?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, do you want to join us?"

"Yeah." He elbowed Stan. "What about you? Come on! It will be fun! Like old times!"

Stan, for his part, looked to Karen who was seated next to him. "Fine. You can go out with your brother. It would just be nice if I could go out some time."

That gave him pause for a second. He didn't know much about Stan and Karen's affairs, but it was rather likely that she didn't go out much because she'd just had a baby not long ago. Was he allowing, or forcing, Teresa to limit her social time?

He nudged her shoulder again. "Are you sure you don't want to go? We can ask mom to watch Annie."

Karen chimed in. "Oh no! I can watch after Annie. She's not a problem."

Just then, mom came walking in. "What's this about watching Annie?"

He rubbed his chin. "We were talking about going out tonight. I think Teresa wants to go…"

"I'm fine. Truly."

He drug the back of his hand across her cheek, eliciting a smile from her. She was so beautiful when she smiled for him. "Okay, but now, I want you to go. It's our place."

"I know, but Annie…"

Mom waved her hand. "I will watch Annie." Then, she looked at Karen. "And Stan Junior. You should all go out and have a little fun without kids for the evening."

"Mom, are you sure?"

"Of course! I'm experienced in dealing with littles! Karen, just let me know what Stan's feeding schedule looks like and anything he needs. I'm sure I can negotiate with Annie!"

"Oh, Patricia, I couldn't. Really, I can stay with the kids."

Stan nudged his wife's shoulder. "I think you should come out with us, honey. It's been a long time."

Mom nodded. "I've got it! The kids and I will be just fine!"

And that was the end of it. Around 7pm, they all piled into Teresa's Lexus since it was a three row SUV and he drove them over to Lenny's.

As they walked into the bar, Maisie started to giggle. "You weren't kidding about this place."

"It's a nice place to have a drink and play pool. I think that's what we've always done here, anyway."

The bartender shouted. "Well, well, well! So, that's why I've not seen you two here in so long. You knocked her up!"

He laughed at that. "I did. A lot has changed."

"Huh. Like what?"

"Well, I married her."

The bartender laughed. "No way! The Raven, off the market?"

Teresa's face went pale as Stan slid onto a barstool. "The Raven? What's this about?"

The older man looked to him while he pointed at Stan. "Who's this guy?"

"He's family. They all are."

He laughed. "Well, I must really have one up on all the real respectable establishments in town then if you're bringing your family by here."

Teresa chimed in. "They wanted to see where we met."

He nodded. "Well, to answer your question, son, the Raven…"

"Okay! They wanted to see where we met, not hear tall tales!" That wasn't Teresa; that was Agent Lisbon once again.

He couldn't resist. "Baby, there's nothing tall about you." She elbowed him for his troubles.

The older man didn't miss a beat. "So, she'd come in here and not talk to a single man and get a pool table. She'd make them play her for the right to talk to her. Only, I don't think any of them ever did win."

He grinned. "I did."

"Well, good on you. What are you guys having?"

"We'll get a pool table, and just put everyone's drinks on my tab. I'm buying all night."

He threw his card down and people started their drink orders.

Teresa leaned into his chest. "You know, I always thought I was clear that I wasn't really opposed to talking to you and that's why I took your double or nothing offer."

"Please. You drove a very hard bargain." She laughed. "What do you want?"

"I'll just have a ginger ale."

"Oh that sounds good. I'll have one, too."

She frowned. "Babe, you can drink if you want. I can drive us home."

"But you've not driven since…"

"I know, and I also know that I'm cleared to drive until I give birth and have surgery on my shoulder." She rubbed her bump. "I just may need to move the seat a little bit."

She needed a relatively minor surgery to her right shoulder, but still, her doctor had wanted her to wait until after she gave birth.

"I don't know. It's going to be dark, and…"

"Patrick Jane, don't you dare finish that sentence! I can do this. I am telling you to enjoy your night out. You've earned it." She kissed his cheek.

He ordered a ginger ale for her and a whiskey for himself. He determined that he would stick to the one drink and only sip it in order to be ready in case he needed to drive them home.

Well, that was his plan. Only, Stan and Jimmy quickly pulled him into some kind of drinking game he'd never heard of, along with Amanda and Maisie. Teresa and Karen were lost in their own little conversation that seemed both lighthearted and serious at the same time. He didn't dare interrupt that.

"Amanda, is it safe to be drinking like this? Shouldn't you know better?""

She and Maisie both laughed before Amanda replied. "You clearly don't know med students. A little hydration and food, and we will all be good as new."

"Hey!" Jimmy shouted before clinking glasses with Amanda.

She giggled as she replied to Jimmy. "Cheers!"

As they took turns at the pool table, he noticed that Jimmy and Amanda had started to bond. It was nice for family to get to know each other, but he also noticed a few shoulder bumps between them and one brief moment when they were just lost in conversation. They seemed to laugh at a lot of each other's jokes. He told himself it was just nothing more than two folks getting to know each other...as he wondered whether he should pull Jimmy off to the side and talk to him.

What exactly was his role as big brother here? Obviously, he couldn't control or monitor his sister's sexuality and choices, but he should do something, right? After all, Jimmy had issued him warnings about Teresa. And there was a level of closeness between them that probably just wasn't a good idea.

He didn't have much time to think about it as the next round appeared.

Several hours later, he was good and trashed.

"Teresa?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you take me drunk? I'm a little home."

She laughed as he thought about how the words came out. Was that what he was supposed to say?

She just squeezed his hand. "Of course. Baby, we're already home."

"When did that happen?"

"I drove us all home. Let's get you upstairs, okay?"

He leaned on her pretty heavily, and she gasped. Shit. He wasn't supposed to do that! What was wrong with him? He'd crawl up the stairs if he had to.

"Here, let me help! I'll get him up the stairs, and you get him some water."

"Okay. Our room is just up the stairs and to the right."

He put his arm around her shoulders. "Mom?"

"Yes, Paddy?"

"Will you tell me a story?"

"Of course, I'll tell you any story you want. Let's get you upstairs."

"I'd like that, mommy." She blinked at him a few times, and it looked like she might cry. "Oh no. Don't cry."

"I'm not crying. I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too. Just don't go away again, okay? That's all I want."

"Okay."

"Oh! And a big pancake breakfast. With bacon."

She laughed. "Okay."

The next morning, he woke with an excruciating headache. What the hell were his choices last night? He caught an aroma of coffee and bacon from his spot in bed as he tried to will his eyes open. He quickly realized that Teresa was still sound asleep next to him.

He smiled as he recalled the events of last night. Mom.

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Three weeks later...

"Honey, what do you want to watch?"

"I don't really care."

She was a bit grumpy today. Charlotte was moving quite a bit, making it hard for her to get comfortable. She'd been back and forth to the bathroom a lot this morning.

"Let's watch one of your movies."

"Okay, why don't you check on Annie?"

He went to check on Annie. She was outside running drills with her ball. "Hey, Annie. How's it going out here?"

"Just practicing, daddy!"

"Well, okay. Have you had some water recently?" He looked at his watch. It was around lunch time. It was odd that Teresa hadn't mentioned lunch yet. She usually kept them on a good food schedule. "Why don't you come inside and get some water? I'll make some lunch. I think you can use a break."

Annie dropped her shoulders. "Okay."

"You can play more later. You have to remember that food and water are important too. They'll make you a good, strong athlete."

"Like Aunt Maisie?"

"Just like Aunt Maisie."

"That's good. I want to be like her."

Maisie had started chatting with Annie every day or two on FaceTime. Annie liked telling her about soccer, and a few times, he found Annie had propped up her iPad so Maisie could watch her drills. He was glad they grew close to each other.

"Well, I'm glad you want to be like her. Now, we have to feed you to make sure you do. Besides, it's a little hot out here. Maybe we should swim after lunch."

"Yes!" He placed his hand on her back and guided her inside.

When they returned inside, he heard soft groans coming from the living room. "Teresa, are you okay?"

Her entire face was scrunched up like she was clenching. Clearly, she was in pain and trying to minimize it. "I'm fine. She's just so active today."

"But you're in pain. You're usually not in pain when she's moving. How long has this been going on?"

"Since late last night, but she's just moving. I'm okay."

"Are you sure? Maybe I should call the doctor."

"No! I don't want to be one of those women crying wolf."

"It's not crying wolf."

"Patrick, I'm fine. What's Annie doing?"

"I'm going to make some lunch. What do you want?"

"I'm not hungry."

He blinked rapidly. He didn't recall her eating breakfast either. "You're not hungry?"

"No. I've not had much of an appetite this morning. Just the thought of food makes me nauseous."

"Daddy, can I have a sandwich with chips?"

"Of course you can!"

"And she needs a vegetable too!"

Annie scrunched her face up. "According to mommy, you need a vegetable too."

He left Teresa in the living room to make Annie's lunch. Usually, one of them sat with her as she ate, but he heard Teresa groan again. "I'm going to go check on mommy."

"Is she sick?"

"I don't know."

He walked into the living room. Teresa was in a great deal of pain, as her white knuckles gripped the arm of the couch. She was trying like hell to bite back her pain. He could see it clearly now.

On instinct, he went to her and held her, rubbing her back. "Hey, Teresa. I'm going to call the doctor."

"I'm fine. It's just those false labor contractions. They said this could happen."

"I don't know, but it seems real to me."

She rolled her eyes at him. "My water hasn't even broken, and I'm only 34 weeks. It's false labor! I'm not running to the hospital for nothing."

"Fine."

Two hours later, with continuing pains, he was able to get her to concede to calling the doctor-who agreed that she should go ahead and go into the hospital to be checked out. They dropped Annie off with an overnight bag at Madeleine's before heading over.

The hospital got Teresa checked in and put a fetal heart monitor on her. Charlotte's heart was going very strong. No wonder she was so active today. They waited for about 45 minutes before Dr. Robbins came in.

"Hello Teresa and Patrick. How are we feeling?"

"Just having some pain, but she seems fine."

"Okay, well let's check you out." The doctor went to conduct her exam.

"I told Patrick not to worry because it's probably just false labor."

Dr. Robbins rose and smiled. "Well, I hope you didn't place a bet on that."

"Hmm?"

"Teresa, you're having a baby."

"Well, yeah. In six weeks."

"No, you're having a baby today. And if I had to guess, in the next few hours or so."

Did she just say they're having a baby today?

"What?!" Teresa was panicked. "No! It's not time! She's early! IT'S TOO EARLY!"

"Well, you're in labor. The babies tell us when they're ready to come out, and sometimes, that's not on our schedule."

"No. Please. Can you stop it? I've read about this. If she's too early…"

He took Teresa's hand. She was incredibly panicked, and admittedly, he was a bit freaked out too. He expected it would be false labor. She wasn't due for another six weeks. They weren't ready yet!

Doctor Robbins nodded. "You have very little to worry about. Do you hear her heartbeat? That's a very strong heartbeat, and all of your vitals look great."

"But my water didn't break!"

"It doesn't always happen right away, but are you sure about that? You said you started having pains late last night?"

"Yes."

"Were you up peeing a lot? Did it seem like you were peeing more than you normally might? Maybe you even wet yourself."

Teresa's cheeks were red, indicating that perhaps she had. If he'd learned anything in this process it was how little privacy expecting mothers had.

"So, I've been in labor since last night?"

"I think that may be the case. We're going to get you set up in delivery."

"But I'm only 34 weeks."

"You know that time frame is only based on your last menstrual cycle. There are margins of error. Charlotte has always been a little on the more developed side. That estimate could be off by a week or two." Teresa reflexively squeezed his hand as another pain hit her. "In any case, I think you're having a baby today."

After Dr. Robbins left the room, Teresa started to cry.

"Hey. It's okay. Everything is going to be okay." He wasn't even sure of that, but he didn't know what else to say to comfort her.

"No, it's not. You don't know that."

"Dr. Robbins seems to think everything is going to be okay. She's the professional here."

She groaned again. "I'm scared."

"I know."

"Aren't you scared?"

"No." Absolutely yes.

"What if something is wrong from the attack? What if I...what if she's..."

"I don't think that it is. She's just ready to be here."

The nurse came and got them situated into a delivery room as they directed him to get changed.

"You should call your mom and let her know. Oh! Uncle Evan, too. Don't forget to let Madeleine know. She will worry when we are not back for Annie."

"I got it. Shit. We didn't bring your bag."

She laughed darkly at that. "It's okay. Really. I didn't even have time to pack a bag. I thought we had more time. Just give them a call."

He took time to let people know what was happening. Mom screamed, and he wasn't even entirely sure what she said before she hung up. Evan told him to keep him posted, and Madeleine said she was fine to keep Annie for as long as she needed to. She would alert the others.

Returning to the room, he noticed that Teresa's pains were coming more frequently now. He just held her hand as her controlled groans turned to screams. He felt absolutely useless.

About three hours later, Charlotte Teresa Jane entered the world. For the longest few seconds of his life, he waited with bated breath as he watched his infant daughter scrunch her eyes before eventually letting out a cry as the nurse pricked her foot. The nurses took her aside to start cleaning her up and examining her.

He felt his own tears start to fall. "She's beautiful, Teresa."

"Is she alright?"

"I think so."

"I'm tired."

"I bet you are."

"Hmm. Stay with her."

"I'll stay with both of you. Forever."

She smiled a sleepy smile. "Of course you will. I love you."

"I love you, too."

He kissed her sweaty forehead. "Get some rest, my green-eyed girl."

xxxxxxxxxxx

He left Teresa so the nurses could help get her cleaned up and so she could rest. He always wondered about the jokes about men not being able to handle pregnancy and childbirth, but after seeing it firsthand, he absolutely knew he couldn't handle that.

He followed the nurse pushing Charlotte to the nursery.

"Can I take a picture of her?"

The redhead nurse smiled at him. "Of course you can!"

As she laid in the little bassinet, her eyes were still scrunched shut as she smiled at him. It was a perfect little photo. It was too soon to tell if that was his smile or Teresa's, but he just grinned back at her. All the same, it was Charlotte's smile. He handed her his index finger, which she gripped into her little hand.

"Hi, Charlotte. It's so nice to meet you. I'm your daddy. That's a mighty strong handshake you have there."

She giggled just a bit as her eyes fluttered open just a bit, revealing a hint of green. If it were physically possible, his heart would have melted. Another green-eyed girl. His little girl.

It didn't take long before Charlotte was also fast asleep. From his understanding, she would be that way for a while. He hesitated to leave her there, but he soon realized that he was rather hungry and he should go sit with Teresa. Eventually, they would bring Charlotte back to their room.

Even with that logic, he found himself rooted in place. It was hard to leave her, but his stomach growled again. He went to the cafeteria and grabbed a bite to eat. When he got back up to the maternity floor, he saw mom at the information desk.

"Ah! There's my son!"

She gave him a hug. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Honey, I told you I'd be on the first flight out! Is she here?"

"Is she here?"

"Charlotte?"

"Yes! She was born a few hours ago. Do you want to see her?"

He whipped out his phone and showed her the picture. "Oh, she's adorable! I can't wait to hold her."

"I just left her in the nursery. She was asleep."

"Well, where's Teresa?"

"They were helping her get cleaned up. I imagine she's asleep now."

She laughed softly. "She probably is. She will need it. I'm sure Charlotte will be ready for a feeding soon. So, how are you doing?"

"I mean, I'm fine. I didn't really do anything. Teresa did all the work."

"Are you excited she's here?"

"Absolutely." Then, he smiled. "She has her mother's eyes."

Mom returned his grin. "That's great. Do you think we could check in on Teresa?"

"Sure. Let's see if she's awake."

He hadn't noticed it before, but mom swooped a bunch of gifts off the counter. She had flowers and a teddy bear with what appeared to be chocolates. She must have noticed his gaze because she responded to his unasked question.

"This is for Teresa. She just did a very mighty task. I think she deserves to have a few things to celebrate her accomplishment." Then, she handed him the flowers. "These are from you."

He grinned. "What?"

"Patrick, you will not go see your wife for the first time since she gave birth empty-handed. It doesn't need to be a big gift-but just something to acknowledge your appreciation and joy."

"She'll know they're not from me."

"No, she won't. If she does know, it won't matter because her loving husband is going to hand them to her."

"That's not what I meant. She knows that if I were to get her flowers they'd be overflowing from her room. I have a tendency toward flamboyance."

"I would expect nothing less, but just trust me on this, Paddy. Give her the flowers."

He just nodded as she looped her arm into his and walked with him to Teresa's room. She was awake but groggy.

"Hey, Patricia. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Teresa, I'm so glad to see you! I brought you a small gift and a treat! Can't have enough treats right now."

Teresa grinned at her. "Thanks, Patricia." Then, she looked at him. "Are those for me?"

He lifted the flowers up. "They are."

She grinned at him with watery eyes. "Thank you. They're beautiful."

Her smile made his heart melt. While he thought she would see through it and not really care about the flowers, mom was right. She felt appreciated.

He leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips.

"Where is Charlotte?"

"She's in the nursery."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, everything is fine."

"Well, I think it might be time for her to eat. There's a lot of pressure in my breasts. Will you get the nurse for me?"

He kissed her again. "Sure."

"You know, Teresa, I…" Mom started to talk to her as he left the room. He turned back, looking at them. For a moment, he stood still and watched them as mom moved to sit on the side of Teresa's bed.

He grinned at the site before him as he made his way out of the room. He'd never known such happiness in his life. They were absolutely ready for this; it's what they had always been building toward.

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A/N 2: So, this is the penultimate chapter of this fic! If you think there are some missing pieces, especially with regard to the baby shower and birth, don't worry too much! The final chapter will cover the same ground, but from Teresa's POV. It was just important for me to have both of them experience the baby's birth from their own perspective.