A/N: See chapter 1 for the disclaimer stuff. If I really owned them, Don would be back in suits. I miss his suits and aweful ties. Not that he isn't hot in regular clothes too.

Anyhow, I meant to have this done sooner. I was fighting with my muse. I was trying to write the part that should and will come next, but she insisted in squeezing this first.

Enjoy, R&R. A huge thank you to all who do. The dry stats make me happy, but hearing from people out there makes me even happier. Please make me happier. As always, thank you and hugs to all who reads this.

"Can't believe you're still workin'. Doesn't Tess want ya home?" Danny greeted Don with a grin.

Don finished paying the hot dog vendor and gave an answering grin. "I tried stayin' home. She ran me out. Wouldn't even let me take her ta the doctor's." Don shrugged and took a bite of his dog. He chewed blissfully. He swallowed and shrugged again. "'Sides I want time to spend with the kid after. No sense in wastin' it now."

"An' what happens when yer out onna call and she buzzes ya and says it's time. Tess'll kill ya if ya miss the birth."

Don's face fell slightly. "I don't think we're gonna have ta worry about that. The kid shows no signs of wantin' ta come out."

"Nothin'?"

Don shook his head. "So says Tess."

"Wasn't she like due a week ago or somethin'?"

Don smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "What's up wit ya knowin' my wife's due date, Messer?"

"I dunno. Maybe you not bein' able ta shudup 'bout it?" growled Danny defensively. Danny turned his back on his friend and ordered his own lunch. They ate silently for a bit. "What's this mean for the hoops tournament this weekend?"

"I dunno? It was always kinda iffy anyhow."

"Now, waydaminit. I was there when you were askin' Tiger Girl permission ta sign up. She gave her blessin'."

"I didn't ask Tess' permission," grumbled Don, his face growing dark.

"Oh yes, ya did," chortled Danny. "Come on, Sweetheart, I do this tourney every year," he mocked in a whiny voice. "You were worried she'd be pissed."

"Well, if things had gone right, she woulda jus' been outta the hospital."

"And she looked at ya like ya were crazy. Not because ya wanted ta go, but because ya were askin' permission."

Don wadded up his hot dog wrapper and threw it violently into the trash. He rounded on Danny, forehead creased, eyes blazing. Danny took a step back.

"God, Danny. Ya…jus'…don't…get…it. This is a kid. Not just some toy or somethin' that ya get and dump somewhere when yer bored and have somethin' else ta do. This is gonna change my life, Danny. It's already changed my life. Yeah, I might wanna know if my wife would prefer me ta spend time wit' her and our newborn insteada playin' ina basketball game." Danny just stood there and waited for Don to run out of steam. He calmly munched on his hot dog. Don glared at him. "No smart answer?" Danny finished his dog and tossed his trash.

"Get some sleep and lay off the caffeine," he commented mildly.

"That's it? That's all ya got?"

Danny shrugged. "I already got my head bit off."

Don's anger evaporated He shook his head. "Sorry, Messer."

Danny chuckled. "Hey, better ya take my head off then blow up at Tiger Girl. She as touchy as you?"

"No. Actually, she's too quiet. I think she's blaming herself for the baby not being here yet. Which is nuts, of course." Don paused a minute and smiled slightly. "And she's gone crazy cleaning...and cooking. Our freezer is almost full. Fridge too."

"Hey, if you need some place for the overflow, I can take it off yer hands. Tess is a great cook," grinned Danny, eyes sparkling.

Don frowned. "Get Monroe ta cook for ya. Yer not gonna scam food offa me."

"Hey, you were the one complainin' you were runnin' outta room. I was jus' tryin' ta help ya out."

"Uh-huh. Quit bein' so helpful, Messer." Both of their phones buzzed. Don flipped his open and took the call. He looked over at Danny as he hung up. "Sheep Meadow?" Danny nodded. "I guess I'll meet up wit' ya again in a few."

"Looks like. At least we got lunch in." The two men headed off.

A spicy aroma assaulted Don as he came through the door. He paused, took a deep breath and closed his eyes, just savoring. He went into the kitchen and found Tess stirring something on the stove. Don came up and wrapped his arms around her. Tess leaned back against him. Don ran his hands over her belly and smiled as he felt an answering ripple.

"Somebody's awake."

"But with no intention of vacating anytime soon." Tess sighed heavily, straightened and went back to stirring the pot on the stove.

"Doctor didn't have good news?"

Tess sighed again. "No. If I don't go this weekend, he wants to induce on Monday." Her voice got very quiet at the end.

"Induce?" Don unconsciously squeezed her. He felt a slight panic at her words, but tried to keep it out if his voice. "How do you feel about that?"

Tess stood still for several heartbeats. He felt her slouch slightly. "I don't know. I know I'm tired of being huge and heavy. I know that we got everything as ready as it's going to be." Her face crumpled slightly. "It's just not what I was planning on." Don could hear a slight whimper in Tess' voice.

"Which is about par for the course, Sweetheart." Don kissed the top of her head. "We've got a few days. Maybe we can still convince junior to join us."

Tess turned in Don's arms. She bent and leaned her head on his chest. She squeezed him and tilted her face up. "He'd be the third. Besides I thought you didn't want a son named after you."

"If we have a boy, no. I don't. But we could have a girl." He peered down at Tess. "Unless you know something I don't."

"No," grinned Tess. "We decided to wait for the surprise." Tess' eyes twinkled. "You know a girl name Donald is going to get teased."

Don rolled his eyes and grinned back. "Oh, very funny." He pulled Tess close and rocked her back and forth. "So, Monday?"

"Or sooner." Tess lightly touched his face. "We've gotten an extra week already." She snuggled back against him.

"I know." Don couldn't keep the nervous tremor out of his voice. He shook his head.

"Still a little overwhelming."

"Yeah." He pulled back a little so he could see Tess' belly. A smaller bulge appeared and ran the along the top of it. Tess winced slightly. Don shook his head again. "I still can't get used to that," he said incredulously.

"Think about how it feels from my side."

Don rubbed where the baby had just been pushing out. "You keep saying it doesn't hurt."

Tess flashed him a reassuring smile. "It doesn't really." Tess sighed, knowing she couldn't explain the feeling properly. "I mean it does hurt a little, but it's a good kind of hurt."

Don raised a doubtful eyebrow. "Sure…" He looked around the kitchen. There were pots and packages everywhere. "You've been busy again. Feeding an army?"

Tess followed his gaze. She blushed slightly. "I got a little carried away. I think I'm starting to fill Bette and Peter's freezer." Tess shrugged. "But it's not like we won't eat it. Or Bette and Peter. Besides, how much cooking do you think I'm doing right after the baby comes?"

Don kissed her nose. "That's what take out is for."

"I don't think so." Tess stepped away and planted a fist on her hip. "And you think take out is better than my cooking?" Tess' eyes flashed angrily.

Don put up a hand in defense and shook his head hard. "No way, Sweetheart. I am very lucky to have a wife who likes to cook." He grinned at her. "Especially since I love ta eat." Don peered over Tess shoulder at the bubbling pot. "Any chance of gettin' some of that ta eat right now?" His question was punctuated by a growling stomach.

Tess laughed and shook her head. "Sure. Wouldn't want you to waste away. Grab some plates, please." Don set the table as Tess put together a salad and cut some thick slices of bread. Don put those on the table. As Tess waddled to the table to dish up the stew, Don tried to take the pot from her. Tess refused to hand it over. "I can handle this. You can take care of me and the baby later. I'm not going to wear you out before."

Don flopped down in his chair. "Fine. Handle it then." He shook his head as Tess carefully made her way around the table, filled the plates and headed back to the kitchen. He watched as Tess slowly lowered herself in to her chair and scooted forward. "Yer so stubborn." Tess ignored him. She stuck a forkful in her mouth, closed her eyes and savored. Don frowned at her, but then dug into his stew. He swallowed, eyes watering. "This is hot."

Tess opened her eyes and grinned at him. "Porkolt." She took another bite. "There are green chilies in it." She waved her spoon and rocked her head. "Not quite the same as back home. For one thing we should have trahonya, but I didn't make any up. And I didn't feel like heading out to the green market or tromping down to Yorkville for wax peppers."

Don waved his fork at Tess. "I'll bet if ya'd called down there, ya could've sweet talked Stevie Kovacs into bringing a jar up here."

Tess rolled her eyes and slowly chewed. She glanced down at her stew and back up Don. "Actually, ever since you came into the store with me, Stevie hasn't been quite so friendly." Don snorted. Tess scowled. "Hey, I was getting really good deals from Stevie."

"I think eventually the fact that yer pregnant might have clued him in that you were taken." Tess shrugged. Don looked at her in shocked awe. "You were gonna keep stringin' him along?"

"Don't give me that look," griped Tess. "You've never flirted with a woman to get something you wanted?" Don started to open his mouth. "I mean besides a date or into her bed. Please. Don't even. And don't tell me you don't any more, either. Do you think I'm that stupid?"

"Ya think I'm that shallow?" Don stared at Tess. "You, my pregnant wife, think that I go around…"

"Don, I'm not trying to question your honor or anything. I know you would never follow through on it. But you aren't seriously going to try and convince me that if you think it would help an investigation that you have not and will not indulge in some harmless flirting?" Don looked away and didn't answer her. Tess took another bite of stew. She pointed her fork at Don, punctuating her words. "It had better never be more than harmless flirting and if you ever do it in front of me..." Tess paused and pushed the contents of her plate around. She watched the juice seem around the pieces of meat. "I do already have a child." Don choked slightly. Tess looked over and grinned mischievously at him. Laughter bubbled up as she watched the emotions flit across his face.

"Ha ha," he grumbled. "Ya give me permission ta flirt in one breath and in the next ya threaten to cut off…."

Tess interrupted. "Oh, let's be very clear. I was not giving you permission. I just told you that I could understand if you did." Tess looked down again. "And I never said that…"

Don raised an eyebrow. "Ya pointed out ya've already got a kid."

"Technically, that is a statement of fact, not a threat," countered Tess with an innocent look.

"A statement of fact?" Don shook his head grinning slightly. He looked up at Tess, eyes sparkling. "I'm not gonna win this am I?"

Tess grinned broadly. "No." They ate silently for a while. Don cleared his throat. Tess looked up inquiringly.

"So if the doctor induces ya, how's that gonna work?"

"Did you read any of the stuff I gave you last week?" Don wouldn't meet her eyes. Tess sighed and set down her spoon. "And you're waiting until now to ask me about everything." Tess took a drink of water. She picked up her spoon and started to pick at her stew again. "I don't eat anything after midnight Sunday night. We go in at about six on Monday morning…"

"Six am? Yer kiddin'?"

Tess paused and sighed again. "I wish." She rubbed her temples. "We register at Triage..."

"Triage?"

Tess' lips twitched at the sharp note in Don's voice. "I told you you missed a lot when you skipped the tour."

"I didn't exactly skip the tour," grumbled Don. He scraped the last of the porkolt up and ate it.

Tess looked at Don's plate. "You want some more?" She started to get up.

"I can get it." He grabbed Tess' plate too and headed off. "So, we haveta be at Triage at 6am?" he called from the kitchen.

"Yes. I get admitted. We get tagged. They'll take me to an LDR room…" Don set a filled plate back in front of her. "Thank you."

"LDR room?"

"Labor, delivery, recovery. Our home away from home." Don shot her a doubtful look. "Actually, they're really nice. Private bathroom, shower, TV, telephone. Remember no cell phones in the hospital."

"Whaddaya mean no cell phones?"

Tess tilted her head to the side and spoke very slowly. "You cannot have your cell phone on in the hospital. They provide a telephone. You still know how those work, don't you? You pick up the headset, push the buttons…"

"Ha ha ha. Like yer not gonna feel funny without yer cell."

"Doesn't matter, they're not allowed. Once I'm settled in the LDR room, the doctor comes in and gives me a shot of Pitocin and apply Prepodil…"

"Apply…" Don shook his head. "Nevermind. I probably don't really want to know. I'll find out soon enough."

Tess grinned, but didn't enlighten him. "After that, hopefully, things progress quickly." Tess stirred her porkolt.

"Ya mean the screaming and pain part."

"Yes, the screaming and the pain part." Tess rolled her eyes. "However, I plan on using drugs…" Tess shook her head. "Don't even think about saying something. I have gotten enough grief from the natural child birth contingent."

"I hope it goes quick too," said Don softly. Tess' head shot up and she smiled at him. Don smiled back.

"Thanks." Tess took a couple bites of stew. "After the baby arrives, he or she heads down to get cleaned up and get some tests; I get cleaned up and moved down to a post partum room. Hopefully, I'll get a decent roommate, I've heard horror stories. But I'm not paying $400 each night for a private room."

Don made a choking noise. "$400? Just for a room by yerself?"

Tess' lips twitched. "Like I said, hopefully I get a decent roommate. Besides, it's only for a couple of days. We can survive that."

"Then the real fun begins."

Tess laughed. "Yep. Then the real fun begins."