As expected word of the engagement was met with warm reception from everyone who heard the good news. Since Abby was so close to delivering the couple decided to wait a while after the baby was born until they actually get married. After they spent the day at the beach together as a newly engaged couple they discussed their arrangements and decided that it'd be best for them to stick to their current plan and have Connor raising the baby while Abby focused on getting everything regarding the facilities in the city in order, then after enough time passed when she didn't feel overwhelmed she'd be more involved with the baby. Something about knowing that Connor was entirely sincere and wanted to be with her and have a family gave Abby a renewed sense of courage to keep taking care of things herself and then settling down to be with the deviant she loved.

Proudly showing off her beautiful engagement ring to anyone who wanted to see it Abby spent more time with Connor at the house as her due date grew nearer and she somehow managed to grow a little bigger. Being pampered by her fiance every second he was home made it easier for the heavily pregnant technician to endure her final days of pregnancy leading up to the big day.

Resting on the couch with her legs on Connor's lap and his right palm pressed over her impressive belly Abby gave her fiance a truly loving stare. "I can't believe it's almost over. It feels like I've been pregnant forever!"

"Not possible." Connor replied casually as he monitored her condition through cybernetic scans. "However, the baby still hasn't dropped into position. It's not over yet."

"Damn." Rubbing her hands along the sides of her belly Abby sighed and lifted her head up a little to glance at Connor as he continued to monitor her condition in his own way. "I've been doing my prenatal yoga poses that are supposed to help move things along, but it doesn't seem to be working!"

"Maybe going for a walk will help."

"Not on these ankles..." She lamented as she looked over at Sumo laying on his pillow with Lucky curled up against his side. The massive dog hadn't been on a nice long walk for a while and she felt bad for him. "As big as I am I'm surprised my ankles haven't just snapped out from underneath me."

"Based on what I've researched there are certain foods that can induce labor."

"Such as?"

"Pineapple, green papaya-"

"Yuck!" Such an idea made Abby outwardly protest. "No papaya, but keeping going."

"Spicy foods work, too."

"Man, with all the Mexican food I've been eating during this past few weeks I'm convinced this kid is going to be born in nacho cheese sauce! What else?"

"Garlic, basil and oregano."

"Not in the mood for pasta."

"Black licorice."

"Ah, yuck!" That particular treat was a rare taste for a lot of people. "Worse than papaya."

"There are certain teas that work as well."

"Tea is the last thing I need to be drinking while I have eight pounds of weight kicking my bladder. Let's try the pineapple idea."

"I can go to the store and buy you some."

"I got a better idea." Awkwardly Abby scooted herself back from Connor to rest against the couch's armrest and left her ankles on his lap. "A pineapple pizza. There's garlic, basil and oregano in the sauce, too. But it couldn't hurt to order some garlic knots just for the extra boost. If that doesn't work I'll bite into the side of a ghost pepper and suck out the juice like a damn vampire snacking on a virgin."

Cybernetically Connor began placing the order and felt a hand rest on his right shoulder. "If you're ordering pizza," Hank stated in an upbeat tone as he returned from his latest workout. "order me a large with pepperoni and mushroom, and double up on the garlic knots. I'll pay ya' for it."

"I can do that." Agreeing to the order Connor made the additions to the order. "I believe I'll also order the Thirium based pizza for Lucas and myself to try."

"That's the spirit." Dripping in sweat from his workout Hank lifted up his hand and made his way to the bathroom. "I'm going to shower off real quick. Abby? Need to head in there first?"

"I'm nine months pregnant." She stated as she awkwardly climbed off the couch with Connor's help and got to her feet. "I always need to use the bathroom."

"Ladies first."

"You really are a pro at handling this." Giving Hank an appreciative kiss on his cheek Abby made her way into the bathroom for a moment.

Returning to the couch Hank leaned over the back and gave his deviant son a coy grin. "Ten bucks says that baby will be here in three days."

"Abby's due date is tomorrow and as big as she is I suspect you might be right about that time frame. No bet."

"Smart move. So, have you thought of any names yet?"

"No, not yet. I even know the gender while Abby does not, and yet I still can't decide on the name."

"You will. Like I said, Barb and I had no clue what we were going to call Cole until after he was born. The moment I held him in my arms for the first time the name just slipped out and it fit him like a glove."

"That's good to know."

Feeling a little better Abby returned to the livingroom and plopped back down on the couch to rest her sore hips and ankles again. "I can't wait until I have form of control over my bladder again."

Chuckling a little Hank nodded at Abby and hovered his rigt hand over her belly and didn't rest his palm down until gave him permission to touch. "Once it's over I'll be pure to have a bottle champagne ordered and sent to your hospital room so you can recover with style, and get your body back into its old rhythm."

"Make it tequila and then we got a game plan."

"Jeez, this kid is active." He could feel all the kicking and squirming under his palm, too. "Surprised you're not in labor yet."

"Tell me about it. Maybe if I drink enough coffee they'll kick their way out for me."

"I'm not a doctor, but I'm pretty sure that's strongly ill advised from a medical standpoint."

"Spoilsport." Letting out a soft sigh as Connor slowly rubbed at her ankles Abby felt more comfortable. "Between getting pampered by Connor and you binging on my weird cravings with me at night," she grinned at Hank as the senior detective pulled his palm back. "and Lucas enthusiastically talking about all the time he's spent with his goddaughter, I know that this kid is going to know only a life of love and happiness from the moment they're brought home."

"And are you sure you're going to be okay with us living here with the baby while you stay at your house?"

"I need to feel some sense of my original life before I venture into the next era. As much as I love Connor and this baby I'm just not ready to stop living my old life yet." Speaking honestly Abby rubbed her left palm over her belly and made it clear she had her mind made up. "After a few months of being able to adjust to being a mother instead of being thrust into it, I'll be ready for us all to live together under a single roof as a single family."

"What about recovering from the birth? You can't exactly walk something like that off or go right back to work."

"I know. Skye promised to stay with me during the recovery period so I'm not alone at my house when I'm not here to visit."

"That's good. It might be better if you recovered here instead, but it's not my decision."

"I'll consider it. Thanks, Hank."

"Cool. I'm going to go shower now. Glad I dropped about fifteen pounds, but I could do without sweating my balls off every time I go out there to keep the damn weight off."

Laughing at the comment Abby just laid back again and rubbed both of her hands over her bump. "I know I'm ready for this to be over, are you ready to be a daddy?"

"Yes, I really believe I am." Placing his right palm back down on her bump as well Connor felt that same sense of peace he always felt when he checked on the baby wash over his heart again. "I want to be a father and I want to take care of my family."

"Well, you ordering us all pizza is the best way to start things off. You're going to be a great daddy!"

Falling into a new routine Connor spent his mornings before going in for his shift checking over Abby and their baby and monitored them both carefully. There was no sign of distress with either of them but Connor had noticed that at two days overdue the baby was finally getting into proper position, and that Abby's belly had dropped down considerably. As much as he wanted to stay home and be with her in case she did in fact go into labor Abby told him to go to work and promised that she'd be okay with just Lucas to hover over her in his stead.

Giving Abby a kiss Connor reluctantly agreed to go to work and let Hank know what was happening. The senior detective flashed his son a proud smirk and told him to not worry about a thing. They already had bags packed for the hospital, made sure Dr. Darius was on call at the hospital, and that everyone's car was ready to go without needing to worry about a breakdown or flat tire.

"Son, just take it easy and make Abby her breakfast." Rubbing his right hand over his bearded chin Hank remained entirely calm as he made his way to the bathroom to get ready for his shift as well. "Everything will happen when it happens, not before or after."

"Right, of course." Busying himself in the kitchen to preoccupy his thoughts for a moment Connor made sure his fiancee was comfortable, the pets were fed and that everything was ready to go. "...Before the day is over I could be a father."

"Brother?" Lucas checked in on Connor and heard him talking to himself. "Is Abby in labor?"

"No," he admitted as he set about preparing a vegetarian omelette for Abby. "but she's close."

Lucas's green eyes lit up with genuine excitement his big brother. "That's wonderful!"

"It is, but she still wants me to go to work."

"That's because Abby is strong and can handle anything that happens. You need to trust her to take care of herself."

"I do trust her, I just want to be with her from the beginning until the end."

"I assure you that if anything happens I'll contact you immediately. I'll driver her to the hospital myself if she asks me to, otherwise we'll wait for you and dad to return to the house first."

"Thank you. I'm glad you're going to be here with her." Finishing up with the healthy veggie omelette in the frying pan Connor slid the picture perfect breakfast from the frying pan onto a clean plate, and then poured Abby a glass of orange juice. "...I wonder if she still wants hot sauce on her eggs?"

"I imagine that as long as she's pregnant she will want to indulge on her cravings."

"Excellent point." Putting the orange juice back in the refrigerator Connor located the bottle of hot sauce and made sure to bring it with him while he brought Abby her breakfast in bed via serving tray. "I wonder if this craving has anything to do with the urge to induce labor?"

"I don't know. That's a good theory, though." Cracking two more eggs into the warm frying pan Lucas set about making another omelette for Hank now that Abby had been taken care of. "Then again, dad loves spicy food and I'm one-hundred percent certain he is not, nor has he ever been, pregnant."

Carrying the breakfast into his bedroom Connor sat down on the edge of the bed and handed Abby the small tray with the breakfast on it to rest on her lap as much as possible. "Need anything else?"

"Just for this kid to make their grand entrance." She smiled as she rubbed her bump affectionately. "I promise you the moment anything happens, even if it's a teeny-tiny practice Braxton-hicks contraction, I'll tell you."

"Okay. I just want-"

Abby cut him off mid sentence with a kiss and leaned back against her pillows. "I know. Everything will be okay and soon you'll be able to focus all your manic attention to detail and comfort on our baby."

Resting his palm over her bump Connor noted that the baby was much lower than it had been since the past two days and knew things would be happening very soon. "I'm looking forward to it."

The bathroom door opened up and Hank was using a towel to dry off his face and hair as he headed toward the kitchen after getting ready for work. "Once I've eaten we can head out, son."

"Yes, of course." Glancing about the bedroom Connor looked at the dufflebag packed with extra clothes for Abby and the baby bag all resting next to the door ready to go. He knew everything was under control but he was still anxious about the big day finally being underway. "You do know I appreciate you doing this, don't you?"

"You mean going through with the pregnancy?"

"Yes. I know you struggled with the decision for a long time and regardless of how it happened it would be difficult to decide all the same."

"If I didn't have you watching my back and giving me a shoulder to lean on I would've taken matters into my own hands the night I took those tests, and ended things right then in there." Confessing that she wouldn't have gone through it alone Abby made it clear she truly appreciated and loved Connor. "Thank you for being a good friend and an even better boyfriend, now fiance. I know you're going to be the best father."

The kind words were very welcome to the deviant and made his heart feel warmer. "It's my pleasure."

"Go on, go save the rest of the city and when it's time for you to play daddy I'll let you know."

"I love you."

"We love you, too."

Giving Abby another kiss Connor rose from his bed and walked into the kitchen to meet with his father and little brother again. As he entered the smaller room Connor noticed that Lucas was staring curiously at Hank's face, and in turn he began to stare as well. "Is something wrong?"

"Nope." Turning around Hank showed Connor that he had shaved his beard into a much neater and more manageable goatee, and had cut his hair to a much shorter and more professional length and style. "I was just showing off my new look. What do you think?"

Truly surprised to see Hank looking more put together and less laidback was truly a sight to behold. "You look... younger."

"Yeah, fuckin' right." Scoffing at the idea of him somehow appearing younger truly amused Hank. "The gray hair really screams 'youthful'."

"You do. You look like you did when-" Stopping himself before he said something he'd regret Connor tried to cover himself quickly. "...When you were promoted."

"I know what you were going to say, kid. It's fine." Running his left hand through his shorter hair Hank sighed and shrugged his shoulders a little. "I look the way I did when I still had Barb and Cole in my life. When I lost my family I let myself go, now that I have a second family to look after I decided to get back into shape and to look less like a slacker who got lucky, and more like the badass Lieutenant I really am."

Connor gave Hank a slight tilt of his head and then motioned to the brand new and freshly washed baby bottles sitting on the counter behind him. "I'm sure your grandchild will appreciate their badass grandfather getting a haircut."

"First impressions are always important, son." Without batting an eye Hank ran his hand over his much neater goatee for emphasis. "Why not look a little better when it's time to finally meet the newest Anderson?"

Taking the initiative on the eventful day Connor immediately went into Captain Fowler's office after clocking-in, and informed him that there was a high probability that he'd be taking his paternity leave that very day. The deviant had taken all the necessary steps to ensure his leave was approved and that he'd be able to take as much time as he needed to tend to both his fiancee and child after the birth. Afterward he sat behind his desk with his coin nervously rolling over the back of his right knuckles as he sifted through his casework very carefully.

Hank, having been complimented numerous times for his new look, also took the time to talk to Captain Fowler and let him know that once Connor was out the door to be with Abby that he'd be right behind him. There was no way he was going to miss the birth of his first grandchild and not be a supportive figure for his son and eventual daughter-in-law.

As expected the rest of the bullpen was already making a plan of how they'd cover Connor and Hank's shift for the day if they left, and they made sure that Connor's temporary replacement wasn't going to be an insufferable douchebag. They had been burned one too many times in the past regarding temps and now worked together to ensure they had someone they liked to play filler for a while.

With the coin making it's eighty-fourth trip across Connor's knuckles the deviant steadily tensed up with each passing second. Such tension didn't escape Hank's attention even in the slightest. "Uh, son? Relax."

"...I can't."

"Can you at least breathe then?"

Realizing he had inadvertently deactivated his ventilation program Connor reengaged the function and took in a deep breath. "Sorry."

"It's fine. Do you have any idea how many times I paced this bullpen when I was waiting for the call from Barb? Ben was ready to staple my ass to my chair."

"That offer's still on the table." Ben joked as he overheard the comment from his own desk. His C.S.I. team had been working all night on a case and Ben looked as tired as he felt. "It's less humane than you threatening to duct tape me against the breakroom wall when it was my turn to play daddy, but it still sounds like fun."

"I gotta' couple rolls of duct tape in the Oldsmobile's trunk if you want me to keep my promise." Resisting the urge to snatch away Connor's coin Hank just leaned forward against his desk to look his son in the eyes. "Let's go on break. We'll stop by the house to check on Abby while we're at it."

"Yes, okay." Stopping the coin's dance by catching it between his index and middle finger knuckles Connor rose to his feet slowly only tense right up again as he received a text message from Abby. Reading over her words Connor's L.E.D. flashed to yellow and he put the coin back into his vest pocket. "I just got word from Abby, it's time."

"All right, you tell Fowler what's going on and I'll bring the car around." Holding up his hand to silence his son before he had the chance to argue Hank kept the car keys in his tight grip as he grinned proudly. "I'm going to drive. I don't want you to get pulled over for speeding."

Considering Hank's word carefully Connor accepted his terms. "That might be for the best."

"Go on, son." Remaining impressively calm and upbeat Hank pointed to the private office behind him with a thumb over his shoulder. "Go talk to Fowler and tell him the good news!"

Sitting on the edge of Connor's bed with her hands resting over her impressive baby-bump Abby took in deep and slow breaths as she endured a small yet painful contraction. She had the fortune of entering the beginning stages of labor while she in the shower and managed to get herself cleaned up after the plug fell out and her water broke. Toweling off quickly Abby informed Lucas that she was going into labor and he set about getting the bags gathered while also giving Abby the disposable scrubs from her facility to wear during the drive to the hospital.

Letting Lucas keep track of her contractions more accurately than she ever could Abby began to mentally process what she was about to go through. She was about to bring new life into the world and everything she knew about herself was going to change forever.

"I updated Connor on your condition and dad is driving him to the house to pick you up." Lucas confirmed after he helped Abby with her shoes, then sat beside Abby on the edge of the bed to keep her company. "According to dad he's driving to ensure Connor doesn't break any traffic laws in his haste to return to the house."

"That's reassuring. Hank's been through this before, so I trust him to be the voice of reason throughout this entire thing."

Picking up on Abby's elevated vital signs for both physical and emotional stress Lucas asked how she was feeling. "Are you nervous?"

"Terrified! I'm about to experience one of the most painful things that the human body can withstand, and in the end a brand new person is going to enter the world. That's so surreal to think about."

"It's incredible to think about."

"Keep reminding me of that, it makes this feel less terrifying."

"Don't be frightened. You'll both be fine."

"Thanks for saying so, Lucas."

The deviant's blue L.E.D. flickered to yellow for a moment as he rose to his feet again. "They're here. I'll carry the bags out to your car and I'll drive it in, while Hank and Connor transport you in the Oldsmobile."

"Good idea. I don't think my little car can hold that many people."

Just as Lucas left the bedroom with the bags in his hands Connor rushed into the bedroom to check on Abby. Kneeling in front of her Connor grabbed onto Abby's hands to hold in a comforting manner. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm a time-bomb ready to blow!"

"Want me to carry you?"

"I can walk, just help me walk in a straight line." With Connor's help she was able to rise to her feet and find her balance as they made their way through the bedroom doorway. "Between this kid dropping even lower and losing my fluid, my entire sense of balance has been thrown for a loop."

Wrapping his right arm around her waist Connor supported Abby's weight and helped her to balance. "I notified the hospital of your impending arrival during the drive back to the house."

"Great, I'd hate to deliver this kid without a doctor there to catch it."

Opening the front door Connor helped Abby walk over to the Oldsmobile in the driveway and climb into the backseat so she could lean back against Connor as she continued to slowly labor during the drive to the hospital. Holding onto her right hand Connor continued to monitor her condition very closely and keep track of everything as closely as possible for their mutual peace of mind.

"We're about to become parents." Abby whispered as Hank pulled the car out of the driveway to head toward the hospital. "That's so weird to think about."

"Weird, but wonderful."

"You're wonderful."

"As are you."

"Let's not get lovey-dovey right now." Sighing as she felt her back muscles beginning to tense up thanks to her progressing labor Abby leaned back against Connor as he supported her as much as possible. "I'm about to have my lady-bits devastated, so that kind of sweet talk would be more like rubbing salt into the wound."

The afternoon turned to evening and then into night as Abby's labor progressed painfully slow much to her frustration. Despite her water having already broken hours before, it seemed her labor was going to proceed slowly as her body endured hours upon hours of burning pain. Accepting an epidural in the form of an injection, then a small electronic sensor being attached to her spinal column that emitted controlled electrical pulses to keep her numb during her labor, Abby was pain free but intensely annoyed. No matter what position she laid in or much she rocked her hips she just couldn't get comfortable or coax the baby into its proper position for delivery.

Dr. Darius administered medication to speed up her labor but it seemed her body was either resistant to the medication or the baby was just too damn stubborn, like its father, to want to cooperate. After placing monitors on Abby's chest and her belly to check on both mother and child's vitals Dr. Darius left Abby alone with Connor to endure her labor in semi privacy.

"This sucks!" Abby nearly shouted as she pressed her hands over her belly as if she could somehow force her labor to progress faster. "How long have I been in labor?"

"You've been in labor for eight hours, fifteen minutes and twenty-one seconds." Connor replied honestly and accurately as he held her hand tightly. "You should be entering active labor sooner rather than later."

"If those damn drugs can't get things moving then I don't think the natural route will be any more effective."

Pressing his left palm over Abby's belly Connor ran a scan and his brow arched a little as if concerned. "Abby, I don't think you'll be able to deliver naturally whatsoever."

"What? Why?"

"Not only is the baby larger than what would be considered average, but it seems like you're not dilating appropriately."

"Please tell me you don't have x-ray vision and can see through my gown."

"I do not. But I have been cybernetically communicating with your deviant nurse in regard to your condition and according to her notes you haven't dilated beyond four centimeters, and have been at such dilation for the past three hours."

"Shit... I don't want to have a c-section. That's major surgery!"

"Abby, if it happens I'll take care of you during your recovery. I want you both to get through this as safely as possible."

Dragging her left palm over her eyes Abby tried to hide her frightened tears but it was a futile attempt. "Fuck..."

"It'll be okay." Wrapping her up in a tight hug Connor remained strong for his fiancee as she contemplated her very limited options. He refused to let Abby feel weak or helpless when she was currently at her strongest. "You'll both be okay."

In the waiting room Lucas gave Hank updates on the situation as he remained in cybernetic contact with Connor, and let him know what was happening. The duo were dreading the idea of Abby possibly needing a c-section for the same reasons she was. Neither wanted to imagine her needing to be cut open just to deliver the baby, and knowing it was major abdominal surgery with a long recovery period with a greater risk of infection only made their righteous concerns all the worse. The last thing they wanted to think about was a serious complication dampening the otherwise very positive moment for Abby, Connor or their firstborn child.

Pouring his sixth cup of coffee for the day Hank sighed and began walking the corridors so he could pace about nervously with Lucas keeping him company. Hank was used to the long wait that came with childbirth, but for Lucas it was an entirely new experience.

"What's going to happen if Abby needs to have a cesarean section?" Despite his knowledge and ability to download all information on such a procedure Lucas still needed Hank's guidance to help him understand what was happening. "Isn't that usually reserved for situations where the mother or the baby are in distress?"

"Yeah, normally. But some kids are just too big to be born naturally, so their only shot to be born healthy and safely is through a c-section." Sipping at his coffee Hank sighed and looked through the large window to his side at the night sky over the hospital with a sense of fatigue. "Fowler's firstborn was a c-section because the cord prolapsed and was coming out ahead of the baby. In the end a c-section was performed and both mother and baby recovered from the ordeal just fine. And then the second baby was born naturally without any complications whatsoever. Some things just can't be controlled or predicted, and one of those things is childbirth."

"What can we do?"

"Be moral support and just wait for the outcome. We're not doctors, son."

Nervously flexing his hands at his sides Lucas was truly worried for his brother and sister-in-law. "I feel like I should be doing more."

"You and every other family member who's had to sit back and wait for a baby to delivered." Tossing his now empty cup into the recycling bin Hank led the way back to the waiting room to sit down with Lucas for a while. "For now all we can do is sit back and wait for the good word."

Connor, who had been taken out of the room for a moment while Abby was being examined, honed in on his father and brother and rushed over to them with his nerves fully exposed. "Dad, she needs to have a caesarean section in order to deliver the baby."

"We know, son." Putting both hands on Connor's shoulders Hank steadied his anxious son on his feet. "It'll be okay."

"What do I do?" Genuinely worried Connor needed a father's advice now more than ever. "I spent weeks preconstructing how this exact scenario might play out, but now that it's actually happening I don't know what to do."

"Yes you do. You stay by Abby, you hold her hand and you show zero fear no matter what happens. Your fiancee and your baby need you to stay strong for both of them." Pulling Connor in for a quick hug Hank gave his son the confidence he needed to be there during his first real challenge as a father. "You know what to do, you're just worried it won't be enough."

"What if it's not?"

"Son, beyond performing the surgery yourself the only thing you can do is be a pillar of confidence for Abby to lean against while she endures what could be the most frightening experience of her life. If you can handle dealing with serial killers, lunatics with guns and knives, bombs, drunk idiots and an entire world changing Revolution, then you can handle anything!"

"...I hope you're right."

"I am right." Letting up on the hug for slowly Hank motioned to the nurse who was waiting for Connor to return to the room. "Now, you go do what you have to do and welcome your child into this world with love and courage. We'll be waiting to meet them."

Stepping up for a moment Lucas gave Connor some brotherly support as well. "He's right, Connor. We know you and Abby can handle anything, you have no reason to be afraid. You can do this."

Appreciating the support Connor took in a deep breath as he took a step back from his family. "Yes, okay. I'm... I'm going to go be with Abby." Turning around Connor paused suddenly and glanced at his family over his shoulder one last time with a stunned gaze. "...The next time you see me I'm going to be a father!"

Even after a massive contraction managed to break through the epidural causing Abby to cry out in pain her labor still wasn't progressing at a steady enough pace. Dr. Darius confirmed that even with all the medication Abby had been given she wasn't dilating any further ,and the baby wasn't dropping into the birth canal simply because of its size. Due to how long Abby had been in labor and her painful lack of progress the doctor determined that Abby did need to have a c-section, and had scheduled her for the procedure within the next twenty minutes.

While Abby was being prepped Connor was taken aside to be given sterilized blue scrubs to wear and to have his hands effectively sterilized as well, strictly as a precaution. The two parents were getting nervous about what was going to happen, but they knew it was the best thing they could do to ensure their child was born safely.

"Abby?" Returning to her bedside after being cleaned up Connor grabbed onto her left hand again and held tight. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm about to be gutted."

"It's okay. You'll be entirely numb and conscious throughout the entire ordeal, and I won't leave you alone for even a second."

"You better not, you put that baby in here so you better be there when it gets taken out!" Flashing Connor a weak grin Abby tried to feign fearlessness but it was clear she was scared. "...I'm glad you're here."

"Always. We may not have taken those vows yet, but I plan on staying beside you through better or for worse until the very end."

"Damn right. You put a ring on my finger and I have no intention of ever taking it off."

"I'm glad."

Dr. Darius and two orderlies walked into Abby's room and prepared to roll her into the operating room to have the necessary c-section as scheduled. Giving her patient reassurance Dr. Darius spoke calmly and professionally. "Well, we're ready for you. Everything will be just fine."

Letting out a nervous breath Abby looked at her doctor with a frightened gaze. "Can you tell the surgeon to start without me?"

"No dice. Don't worry, since I performed your ultrasounds myself and noted the baby's size early on, I had been anticipating this for the past three months. You're in good hands."

"Yeah, I know..." Tightening her grip around Connor's hand Abby closed her eyes and just barely felt the bed being rolled out of the room and toward the sterilized operating room one floor above. "I just hate that it has to happen this way."

Connor kept his hand wrapped around hers and showed no fear. "Statistically every one in three pregnancies ends in a cesarean section, which means this is quite common and essentially routine."

"I know."

"I love you."

Opening her eyes Abby looked up at Connor and managed a timid grin. "I love you, too."

With everything ready to go in the operating room Abby had a blue curtain raised up to cover her belly so she couldn't see anything, a nasal canula placed under her nose to give her fresh oxygen and a cap to cover her long brunette hair. Numb to everything from her chest down Abby held onto Connor's hand for dear life as her deviant fiance stood loyally at her side while their child was just seconds from being born.

Connor had his eyes transfixed on the surgical team as they set about applying the iodine swab over Abby's belly and gathered up the necessary surgical tools to partake in such a procedure. The way Dr. Darius moved about so calmly and sure of herself was a comforting sight, and yet the knowledge that his fiancee was about to have her abdomen cut into in order to deliver their child was entirely unnerving.

"Okay, Abby." Speaking up in a composed tone Dr. Darius selected a scalpel and prepared to make the first incision. "You're going to feel a little pressure in your abdominal area and some tugging, but no pain. If you do feel even the slightest discomfort let us know and we'll take care of it."

Tightening her grip around Connor's hand until they were both sporting white knuckles Abby let out a small breath and closed her eyes again. "All right, let's do this, doc."

"Here we go..."

Holding impossibly still Connor watched the surgeons' hands at work through the blue curtain and cybernetically scanned the baby's vitals as the surgeons located the uterus through the cut abdominal muscles, and created a second incision to locate the full term newborn. After a few painfully tense minutes Dr. Darius announced that she had a firm grip on the baby and was about to deliver it at long last.

"There you are!" She beamed proudly. No matter how many times she delivered a baby the experience never lost its wonder to the skilled doctor. "You've been making your parents wait far too long to meet you!"

Abby's grip managed to tighten even further as she opened her tear filled hazel eyes. "...Connor? Are they okay?"

A loud cry filled the operating room as the baby was at long last delivered and took their first breath outside the womb. Connor's own soulful brown eyes filled with tears as he admired his newborn child being held in Dr. Darius hands very carefully as the chord was tied off. "...Yes. They're okay." Confirming the gender a relieved laugh escaped his lips. "Our son is okay."

"...It's a boy." Closing her eyes again Abby let out a deep sigh of relief and love. "We have a son."

"You did great, Abby!" The kind doctor complimented as a nurse cleaned off the screaming newborn. "Connor?" Turning to the deviant father Dr. Darius presented the newborn baby boy to him as a nurse held up a pair of surgical scissors. "Would you like to cut the chord?"

"Y-Yes, I would." Accepting the scissors in his surprisingly shaking right hand, his left hand never leaving Abby's grip, Connor cut the chord and was presented with his son to hold for himself. As he instinctively held the newborn in the appropriate manner with his arms Connor turned to face Abby to let her see their son for herself. "Henry's here."

Smiling proudly at the newborn Abby reached her own shaking right hand up and took hold of his right tiny hand between her index finger thumb. "...Henry, huh? Where'd that come from?"

"I... It just sort of..." Blushing a pale blue as he realized what he said Connor just replied honestly. "slipped out."

"It's a great name, Connor." Abby had no objections to the name whatsoever. "What's the rest of Henry's name?"

Staring down at his crying newborn son in his arms Connor managed a proud grin as he announced the full name. "Cole. Henry Cole Anderson."

Out in the waiting room Hank and Lucas were given an update on the birth at last by the deviant nurse who had been tending to Abby, and were shown to the recovery room where both Abby and the baby had been taken after being cleaned up after the surgery. Proud, relieved and excited Hank and Lucas all but ran to the private room where their family was waiting for them, and peered through the opened door to take in the joyous sight. The room was quiet and Abby was resting quietly in the bed with the nasal canula still under her nose, and an abundance of fluids, painkillers and antibiotics keeping her comfortable as she slept after her taxing labor.

On the other side of the bed Connor was holding the newborn in a white blanket in his arms, his right hand holding onto Abby's left hand as she slept, and staring at his son with wide-eyed wonder. Sensing Hank and Lucas's arrivals Connor didn't even lift his gaze as he continued to hold his son against his chest.

"...It's a boy." Connor whispered as he sensed Hank and Lucas nearing him without disturbing Abby in the process. "A healthy boy. My son."

Hank proudly planted his right hand on Connor's left shoulder as he looked down at the newborn sleeping peacefully in his father's arms. "He's perfect."

Lucas admired his new nephew and ran a scan over him curiously. "He's nine pounds, thirteen ounces." The impressive birth size was worth noting. "It's no wonder he was so difficult to deliver."

"Almost ten pounds of stubborn Anderson." Hank joked as he admired his grandson with a proud grin. "Not at all surprised he put up such a fight even being born. He's going to be stubborn just like his dad."

"Yeah." Connor agreed as he compared Henry's features to his own. It was uncanny. "He's like me. He's like his father."

"What's his name, son?"

Still staring at his newborn son's tiny face Connor introduced the baby to the rest of his family with genuine pride in his words. "Henry. Henry Cole Anderson."

Despite his best efforts the proud new grandfather couldn't restrain his emotional tears as knelt down before Connor to look at Henry more directly. "...I'm honored, son. I really am."

"Must be an Anderson thing."

Smirking even more Hank gently caressed Henry's cheek with his index finger and then looked at the pride in Connor's face. It was then he noticed something he swore he'd never see in his life time being showcased by his eldest deviant son. "Connor... You're smiling! You're really smiling!"

Locking eyes with his father Connor's smile, a true full smile, never once left his face. "I finally have a reason to smile. Thanks to Abby and now Henry," tears of joy streaked down his face as he spoke from the heart. "I finally found my happiness."

-next chapter-