Okay see one of the many previous chapters if you need a disclaimer. I should think by chapter 50 you got the hint by now. I don't know how much I can update, what with work and a school project going on. But if all goes well, then this will be the last one and then my degree is done. But anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

Matthew awoke with a start. Sure, he was getting used to filling in for the morning traffic reporter who was out due to an emergency surgery to fight his appendicitis, but it was none the less tiring when he normally was able to leave later in the day to be on for the evening news. As a favor to Gilbert, he had done his usual evening news position as well as the traffic report, but Charlotte was only a few weeks only and would wake up at various hours of the night. God Ivan and Al are lucky they don't have to deal with this part of having a kid. I mean I love Charlotte; she has her mother's smile but God, the worst they have to deal with is a lot of laundry because Nikita wets the bed a lot... He stretched as he heard Katyusha moan and turn to face him. "I will take care of Charlotte; I have to get up soon anyway. I guess she beat my alarm clock just a little bit." Matthew laughed. Katyusha moaned while getting up. "Don't worry, she probably is just hungry. You do so much around here, it would do you some good to sleep in, if only it is until I leave for work."

"But Matvey-" Katyusha rose as Matthew gently guided her back down, wrapped the blanket around her and kissed her on the head.

"No buts." Matthew said. "Charlotte is my daughter too." Picking up the infant from her cradle beside his bed, Matthew looked at the child with a smile. "Hey there Char, it's me your daddy." He whispered as he pulled a bottle out of the fridge and began to heat it up. "Oh, I see why you were crying..." He said as he headed to the nursery and laid her down on the changing table and changed her diaper. She looked up at him confused. "Why are you looking at me like you are thinking 'who are you'?" Matthew asked as he threw the old diaper away. "God I must be tired; I am asking an infant that question..." At this he heard Charlotte laugh. "Oh, you think that's funny, do you?"

"Are you getting made fun of by an infant Matvey?" Katyusha said as she handed Matthew a cup of coffee and took Charlotte from him and started to feed her the bottle he had in the kitchen.

"I was getting back to that…." Matthew sighed.

"It would have gotten too hot by the time you had come back." Katyusha said. "I can handle our little girl. Go take yourself a shower. Once Charlotte drinks her bottle, she will fall back asleep anyway. We are still keeping her in our room, I will be nearby if she needs anything. Don't worry about us so much." She kissed Matthew on the cheek. "You don't want to look bad on TV."

"I know I know…." Matthew said as he headed to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready before heading into the studio for the day. As he shut the door behind him, he heard Katyusha singing a Ukrainian lullaby and Charlotte slowly drift off to sleep. Well so far, she's an easy baby…at least from what I heard at work from some of the other parents. He quickly washed and dried his hair and made sure he didn't smell like night sweat and baby diaper as Katyusha had called it one day while he was on family leave. He hadn't had to get up and get ready for work and with Charlotte spitting up whenever he fed her and the fact he worked extra had to make sure Katyusha wasn't overwhelmed and changed more diapers than she did while he was off and did more chores than he normally did detracted from his personal hygiene which when he went back to work he went back to doing as normal to make it seem like he was as cool as a cucumber being a new dad. Inside, he was a wreck. He never quite knew what to do when Charlotte started crying, did not know if he was hurting her, felt that he hadn't had much time to him and Katyusha since before the baby was born. Last time we did anything was before she was put on bedrest. It's been how long? I know she keeps dropping hints like that because she often gives me flannel and watches lumberjack competitions on TV. As if I need a bigger clue, she said that is the favorite thing she wants to see me as in bed…. Waving goodbye he headed to the studio, admiring the early morning sunrise. Once he got in, Gilbert ran up to him.

"Ah! Matthew! Just the boy I wanted to see." Gilbert said running up to him and hugging him.

"Here early again?" Matthew asked.

"I could ask you the same thing. Gilbert said.

"Ummmm because you had me come in while Mike is on leave recuperating from appendicitis…." Matthew said.

"I know, I know but I arranged for someone else to handle it from now on. He should be back in a few weeks, but I was able to get the weekend weather girl to do it from here on out. She's been looking for a chance to show what she can do. But I think it's time to put you on a few easy assignments. Ones that Luddy didn't quite have the touch for." Gilbert said.

"Excuse me?" Matthew said.

"Remember how I told you while a dog lover himself, Luddy actually made an adoption drive less interesting and fun by his personality?" Gilbert asked as Matthew nodded. "Well that same shelter is having another one for the start of summer and I figured you would certainly bring people in."

"Me?" Matthew asked pointing to himself.

"Ja." Gilbert nodded. "You told me about the barista trying to hit on you while Katyusha was in the hospital after she gave birth and Francy pants told me that your brother is mistaken for you all the time." At this Matthew gave a huge smile. "He also told me it is the opposite of what it was like when you two were young."

"Yeah, Al's trying not to bring it up too much when he talks to me, but I can tell he's annoyed by it." Matthew smirked. The fact that people were noticing him more than Alfred for once was one of the reasons he really liked this job.

"Well, I need you to go down to the animal shelter at 9 and interview the manager for their summer adoption drive. It will be on the evening news and hopefully it will go over much better than when Luddy did it." Gilbert said.

"Will do my best sir." Matthew nodded.

"Oh, and speaking of my brother, it is a little late, but his boyfriend wanted me to give you these." Gilbert said handing an envelope to Matthew. "It's a gift certificate for you and Katyusha to have dinner at the Vargas' restaurant. Feli said that you two may want some time together after the baby was born and offered this to help."

"Gee thanks…." Matthew replied.

"Now go rest in the breakroom or something and then I'll send a film crew with you to get this done. Rest up so the makeup team won't complain to me about your bags forming under your eyes." Gilbert said as Matthew looked worried. "Don't worry, I can't tell, but some of the makeup ladies are really through and I wouldn't say a thing otherwise, I know you must be having a hard time getting enough sleep what with the baby and coming in to cover this."

"Uhhhh thanks sir…." Matthew said as he headed into the breakroom and laid on the couch there. He was still tired, but the caffeine was kicking in. However, Gilbert did want him to rest. Don't pull out your phone, you can tell Katy that someone else is doing it later…. However, as he lay back on the couch his phone began to ring. "Ugggghhhhhh…." Matthew moaned answering it, not checking who was calling.

"Are you okay Matvey? Did something bad happen? Are you in the hospital?" Katyusha panicked.

"Huh?" Matthew asked, confused by what Katyusha said.

"I was watching the morning traffic report hoping to see you and your voice does tend to calm Charlotte down in the morning but someone else was on. I got so worried. Gilbert didn't call wondering where you were at, I just…." Katyusha started to sob.

"Woah woah, calm down Katy!" Matthew sat up. "Gilbert just gave the weekend weather girl the traffic job as he didn't want me getting too tired. I am here at the studio resting up before I have to go speak with the head of the local animal shelter for their summer adoption drive. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't think you would worry so much."

"Well, I do." Katyusha said. "But that is nice to hear. Maybe you can find us a good companion animal." Katyusha laughed. "I have seen the pictures Vanya sends of the twins and the cats."

"I'll look for something." Matthew sighed. "Maybe a dog. I don't want to have to clean a litter box."

"Just let me know. I'm so relieved you are okay. YA lyublyu tebe, miy klenovyy lisorub" Katyusha replied.

"Oh, speaking of that love of yours of me as a lumberjack…." Matthew started to blush No one is going to know that's what she likes in bed, you never told them and there's nothing they can draw from it…. "Gilbert's brother's boyfriend owns this Italian place and apparently heard about us having a baby and wanted to give us a free meal as a gift. And well…. I guess I could let you see some of that…." He whispered with a blush. "Have to find a babysitter…."

"I'm sure I could talk Al or maybe Papa into doing it." Matthew said. "But I have work to do here in a little bit. Love ya Katy."

"I love you too Matvey." Katyusha smiled. At this, she hung up and Matthew laid back down on the breakroom couch and placed his jacket on his face. I really should try to get a quick nap than just down more coffee…. I don't need to have as much a problem as Al did the finals week of college that one year…. He drifted off to sleep to have one of the cameramen pull his jacket off his face. "Huh? Wuzzzgoiningon?" He asked.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty Dreamboat, time to head to the shelter. The interview is at 9." The cameraman said. "I'm driving."

"Okay." Matthew sighed. He followed the cameraman to the van who drove it down to the shelter where Matthew had met up with the manager while the cameraman looked around and set up his equipment. Having the guide that Gilbert had given him earlier about the adoption drive, he had written out a few questions. This was going to be his first interview assignment in the field since he had been hired on, as Gilbert had wanted him mainly on set until he felt he was ready for. It also helped he had grown quite a heartthrob reputation in the local area. Looking around, he saw the manager come up to him and shake his hand.

"Ah, Mr. Williams, Mr. Belischmidt told me you would be coming for the interview. I am Ms. Junie B Dewitz. I run the local animal shelter. You seem like a friendlier guy than that Ludwig guy who was here for last years. Don't get me wrong, he was one of our most famous donors, and still does even though he made it big in the national news sector. I mean that man really loved his dogs. But he just comes off very strict."

"Yes Ms. Dewitz." Matthew nodded. "Mr. Beilschmidt said much of the same thing to me, and they are brothers." Matthew smiled.

"Okay, Let's get some footage of the dogs and animals before we begin." The cameraman said as he hoisted the camera on his shoulders "Makes for great footage for breaks, in between interview comments, you know, you've been through this before Ms. Dewitz."

"That I have Joey." Ms. Dewitz said as Matthew and Joey followed her. "As you can see, this is the dog kennels. We usually start here for footage." She explained mostly for Matthew's benefit. "All these dogs, if not already spayed or neutered upon surrender are done so when they come into our care."

"I take it it is the same for cats and any other animals that would apply to?" Matthew asked.

"Of course." Ms. Dewitz said as the camera man filmed some of the dogs in the kennels who had come up to the bars and one of the volunteers had come in for the early morning feedings. Matthew walked around and looked at the dogs, remembering Katyusha's comment and thought that sometimes she and Charlotte may get lonely if he is at work, and he would like to have them some protection. Looking at the dogs, he noticed a large fluffy white dog. "Ms. Dewitz, what do you have to say about this big fellow here?"

"Oh Kumajiro." She said as she motioned for Joey to follow for footage. "He's a Great Pyrenees that came to us after his old owner got too old to handle him." Matthew looked concerned. "Oh, he's not vicious. Just strong. He is a large breed after all. The old lady had no family that could take him in, and she couldn't when she had to move into a nursing home. Great Pyrenees are good family dogs and great with children."

"Funny, my wife and I were thinking about getting one. Neither of us really want a cat, don't want to clean the litter box," Matthew explained.

"Well, Kumajiro might be right for you then. You can call her to come over when you are done here with the interview and see how well he interacts with her and your daughter."

"Well, the girl is rather small, only a few months old." Matthew began.

"Call your wife, as I can hear Mr. Beilschmidt now going on about how perfect it would be for the dreamy new anchor and his family to adopt a dog to set the drive off." Joey said giving him his cell phone.

"That might actually be a help…." Ms. Dewitz nodded. "And you're right, I know Gilbert would say something like that."

"Fine…." Matthew rolled his eyes. He dialed as Katyusha picked up the phone. "Hello?" She asked cautiously, not knowing the number.

"Hey Katy, it's me. I found a dog that might be good for the house. Big fellow named Kumajiro. A Great Pyrenees that the manager Ms. Dewitz said would be a good breed for families. He came in from an old lady who couldn't take care of him anymore, so he's not mean. They want you and Charlotte to come in and we can get some footage of you two seeing if he would be a good fit. You know how Gilbert would be about that…."

"I know just how." Katyusha laughed. "Well, I can be over in a half an hour. Just need to get Charlotte packed up. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"No, that'd be fine Mrs. Williams." Ms. Dewitz said. "Gives time for your husband and I to get the interview done."

"Well, I will be there right away." Katyusha smiled as she hung up. After this, Ms. Dewitz led Matthew into her office where they went over the details of the shelter, what programs it offered, the hours they were open and the details and goals of the drive they had. After this, Katyusha had showed up while Matthew was finishing up the interview with Ms. Dewitz. Joey had opened the door to the shelter for her and smiled. "Hello there."

"So, this is that little girl that everyone is talking about?" Joey said looking at the carrier Katyusha had Charlotte in.

"Yes, that is our little Charlotte." Katyusha smiled.

"Ol' Gil told everyone about her when she was born and showed us the pictures that Matt's papa sent him. She's a cutiepie."

"Hey Katy." Matthew said as they headed out of Ms. Dewitz's office. "I want you to see Kumajiro as he might be good for us. But first I want to see if he likes you and Char there."

"Of course." Katyusha said. "I think this is the same shelter Vanya, Fredka and the twins adopted those cats of theirs.

"Oh god, those cats. They say that pets can take after their owners, Koshka and Hero certainly do…." Matthew sighed "The cat's favorite twin matches up with the parent the twins are more attached to…."

"I think it's cute." Katyusha said as Ms. Dewtiz led them to Kumajiro's kennel. "Like this big fellow here." Katyusha stood next to the kennel with a handout for the dog to sniff. Slowly he approached the bars and sniffed and licked her hand. "I think he likes me." She then picked up Charlotte from her carried and held her close for the dog to sniff. At this Kumajiro wagged his tail.

"Looks like we've got him a home then…." Matthew smiled.

"Great. Joey Matt let's get the paperwork done. Mrs. Williams, you, and the baby can go with one of the staff to the bonding room. We can also get you hooked up with the supplies you need to get started like food." She explained.

"Sounds wonderful." Katyusha said.

"And will be great for ratings." Joey smirked.

Translation Guide:

(Obtained via Google translate)

YA lyublyu tebe, miy klenovyy lisorub-Ukrainian-I love you my maple lumberjack

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I couldn't have Kuma be a real bear so this worked out. Anyway, remember to read (well you just did) and review. Ciao for now,

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm.