Title: Anytime
Author: SneetchesToo
Pairing: implied TK/Carlos
Rating: General
Summary: Day 4: "I'm proud of you." + future
Author's Note: I can't with these two and their ability to be the softest father/son duo around. Also, babies. Everyone loves babies.

TK was tired.

No, scratch that, he was exhausted.

Sure he knew that kids were a lot of work.

But babies, babies were a lot more work than he had anticipated.

"She's got quite the set of lungs on her." The sound of his dad's voice broke through the thoughts in his head that were currently trying to drown out the screaming coming from his newborn daughter.

"Yeah." He nodded his head as he tried to lay the girl down for the hundredth time that day.

But that only resulted in her screaming louder.

If that was even possible.

"Want some help?" He had forgotten his dad was there in the spilt second it had taken him to piss his daughter off even more.

"Sure." He didn't really know how his dad was going to help, but he was honestly willing to take any suggestions at this point.

"Here, hand her over." He wasn't about to argue with the man who had many more years of experience with these things than he did.

So he handed over the little girl who was apparently trying out for the opera and he waited.

He waited for her to lose her ever loving mind and go full wail on them.

But she didn't.

Instead she let out a few whimpers and then a sigh and then her little eyes closed for the first time in almost twelve hours.

TK felt his heart stop as he stared down at her.

"How the hell did you do that?" It was like his dad was magic or something? "I've been trying since last night to calm her down. Nothing has worked."

"Sometimes they just need a change in scenery." His dad offered him a smile as he dropped down into the rocking chair behind him, snuggling the little girl close as he spoke. "We used to have to take you outside and stand in the middle of the backyard with you to get you to stop screaming."

"Lies." That wasn't true.

"True story." Owen chuckled as he looked up at him. "It made the first few months a lot of fun, considering there was snow on the ground and it was freezing cold all day long. But we did what we had to do."

"And how did you know what to do?" TK sighed as he sank down onto the floor across from the chair, his head falling to his hands. "I don't have a clue what to do for her."

"You just figure it out." He shrugged as he pressed a kiss to her little forehead. "Trial and error really."

"Trial and error? That's it?" There had to be more than that.

"How did you figure out what worked with the twins?" He honestly didn't remember, that seemed liked so long ago.

"We just… went with it. I don't know." He remembered the first few months being hard, but then they found a rhythm and now things were seamless.

Or, at least they were seamless.

Until they brought Clara home.

"Exactly, trial and error." He wouldn't go so far as to say that. "It'll take some time, but you'll get there."

"Yeah, but the twins could tell us what they needed and what they wanted." It may have taken them a few weeks to open up, but it hadn't been too hard to figure out what worked for them. "If they didn't like something, we knew."

"And she'll tell you too. Just, in her own way." Yeah, by screaming at them all night long.

TK let out a sigh as he shook his head.

"It's so hard." He didn't doubt that he could do it, but sometimes, it sure did feel like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. "I didn't know it would be this hard."

"No one ever prepares you for that part." Owen kicked as his foot softly as he nodded down at the bundle of pink blankets in his arms. "But you'll figure it out, together."

"Yeah, I guess." He knew that he had Carlos to lean on, and his dad and Michelle, but it wasn't making things any easier right now.

"Look son, I'm proud of you for everything that you have done." He always knew that, but hearing it, that was something else. "You have overcome worse than a needy baby, you'll overcome this too."

"You think so?" At the moment his other battles didn't seem nearly as hard as this one though.

"I know so." His dad smiled back at him as he spoke. "Trust me TK, if anyone was made to be a father, it was you."

"Well… gee… thanks dad." That was a load of a compliment and it made his head spin.

"You're welcome." Owen gently pushed himself to stand before moving toward the swing in the corner of the room.

He laid Clara down slowly before strapping her in and turning it on.

TK waited for her to let out a holler, but she didn't.

Instead she let out a tiny little huff and balled her little hands up before her whole body relaxed, the motion of the swing keeping her asleep.

"Trust me son, you've got this." He nodded his head as he took his father's hand and allowed himself to be pulled upward. "Now go shower, you stink."

He let out a chuckle as he they exited the room and he headed toward his and Carlos' bedroom to do just that.

"Will she…?" Owen gave him a look as he stopped halfway down the hall.

"She'll be fine." He gestured toward the bedroom with a soft smile. "Now go before I change my mind and leave you here all alone again."

"Thanks dad." He really was thankful for everything the man had done for him.

Not just the past few months, but his entire life.

He hoped that his father knew that.

"Anytime son." His dad beamed back at him as he returned the smile. "Anytime."