I haven't forgotten about this story, don't worry. As I've mentioned before, this is AU from here on out, so I am no longer following the real storyline of the show. I know I'm not going to make everyone happy with my choices, but that's okay. What's important is that I like this story and the way it's written, and I do, and I have a bit more planned with it before it ends. Writing is my self-care to help with stress management from my job, and I'm just glad I get to share my ideas with you guys :)

Happy reading!

I wagged my tail as Steve approached Mom. He smelled all sorts of different smells, and I couldn't understand why.

"Hi, Steve," Mom said. She smelled sad and happy and worried.

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked.

"I heard about the baby and your engagement. I wanted to see you."

"Did you go see Mary when she adopted her little girl, Joan?" Steve asked.

"No...and I regret that, but..."

"What makes me more important?" he demanded. I smelled anger from him now. "Are you trying to hurt Mary's feelings?"

I liked Mary. I didn't see her very often, but she was a good belly rubber and gave me lots of kisses. Joanie always dropped food for me, which was great.

"I'm going to make it up to her," Mom promised.

"You better, Doris," Steve said, moving past her to go inside. Catherine looked unsure what to do. I wanted to help everyone feel better, so I went over and licked Mom's hand. It tasted like metal.

"Who is this cutie?" Mom asked.

"Eddie," Catherine answered. Mom petted me nicely before stopping. I hated it when people stopped touching me.

"I see I'm back to being Doris," Mom sighed.

"Well, you did leave him again," Catherine noted.

"Like you left him?" Mom/Doris asked. Catherine inhaled sharply.

"At least I didn't fake my death for over half of his life," she retorted.

I stopped wagging my tail. I could sense a fight coming.

"We could do this for hours," Doris (I decided I preferred Doris to Mom) said.

"So let's not."

"Agreed," Doris nodded.

"Mary is going to be here in a week. She wants to be here when the baby is born," Catherine said.

"I will talk to her before then," Doris told her. I was done with this conversation. I went to find Steve, who was in the food place, otherwise known as the kitchen. He saw me, and I could smell he was sad. I went and placed my head on his knees.

"Seeing her always throws me off," Steve told me as he rubbed my ears gently. I wished I could make him feel better. Catherine came in then, and she put her hand on Steve's shoulder.

"She loves you," she said.

"I know, but I wish sometimes she'd show it better," he sighed. I had the two of them scratching my head now. Oh, it was glorious.

"I know," Catherine agreed.

"Where is she now?"

"She rented an apartment. She's over there now."

"Okay."

"She might stay this time," Catherine said to him.

I already knew the answer to that. People were terrible at staying. They always left.

"We'll see," Steve said. I thumped my tail on the floor. I loved my two favorite people.

...

Not too long after, Junior came with some news.

"I'm moving out," he declared. Catherine and Steve both looked at him.

"You are?" Steve asked.

"Yea. You've got a baby on the way, and I'm taking up space. You guys need your privacy back anyway."

"Where are you going to go?" Catherine asked. Junior smelled nervous then. I was curious, so I looked at him.

"I'm moving in with Tani."

"Really?" Steve asked, surprise in his tone.

"It just feels right," Junior said.

"I hear wedding bells," Catherine teased.

"Maybe," Junior replied. "We're just seeing how this works first."

"I'm happy for you, man," Steve said, getting up to hug Junior. I bounced up and went to lick his fingers. I would miss Junior living in our pack.

"I'd get up, but it's a lot of effort right now," Catherine gestured, laughing.

"It's all right," Junior laughed back. He went to hug her where she was sitting. They talked for a while longer, but I was tired, so I fell asleep.

...

One night, I sensed something happening. I raised my head from the floor by Steve's bed, looking at my boy and my girl sleeping. I went to stand beside Catherine, watching her. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but something told me that any minute now, Catherine would sense it too.

Sure enough, she sat up suddenly.

"Ohhhh wow," she said, hissing air through her teeth. "Oh, oh, oh. Steve!"

I ran around to Steve's side and shoved my tongue in his face. Get up!

"Aggghhh, Eddie!" Steve groaned, wiping his face. "What did I tell you about that?"

"Steve!" Catherine said again loudly, grabbing his shirt tightly in her hands.

"What? What's going on? What?" Steve asked, sounding scared.

"The baby," she said.

"The baby?! Now?"

"Yes! The baby is coming!"

"Okay, okay, okay," Steve said, bolting out of bed and beginning to run around the room.

"Bag's in the closet," Catherine said. He ran there to get it.

"Okay," he said.

Catherine was getting up slowly. I could tell she was in pain. I felt bad.

"Purse," she pointed.

"Okay," he said, grabbing it too. Catherine changed her clothes. I didn't understand why. Humans were funny.

"Car seat is downstairs," she said.

"Okay," he said again, running to go get it.

"Steve! Put pants on!" Catherine called after him. He came running back.

"Okay," he said once more. He jumped around trying to get his pants on.

"Has your vocabulary reduced to just knowing the word 'okay?'" Catherine asked. "Please stop saying it."

"O...You got it," Steve nodded.

"Ohhh boy," Catherine said, bending over in pain. "There's another one."

"You all right?" Steve asked, going to her and trying to help. I tried to help too, but I got pushed aside by Steve's foot.

"Go lie down," he ordered.

I didn't want to. My girl needed me. I sat in front of her instead, trying to convey my love.

"You think he'd be able to keep his head on after all the crap he's been through," Joe laughed.

Joe! I smiled and wagged my tail.

"How're you doing, pup?"

A little worried right now, but still happy.

"This will be over fast enough," Joe promised.

Steve walked Catherine out the door and down the stairs. I followed and watched.

"Don't kill the cat!" he shouted back at me before closing the door. He said that a lot lately. Maybe he could finally tell I didn't like the cat.

"And now we wait," Joe said. I whined.

…

Danno came to feed me and walk me while Steve and Catherine were gone. It was only two sleeps really, or a sleep and a half. I forgot. I heard them outside the door and got excited. I stood waiting, tail thwacking at the air.

"Be gentle, pup," Joe said. I jumped. I wished he wouldn't just show up whenever he felt like it. It scared me sometimes.

"Hi, Eddie," Steve said, coming in. He bent down to pet me. "I missed you. Guess what? We have something to show you."

"You're sure he'll be all right?" Catherine asked.

"It's Eddie. He'll be just fine," Steve promised. "Sit." I sat. Catherine got down to my level as well, and she was holding something in her arms. My nose went crazy. It smelled new and little and sweet.

"Eddie," Catherine said. "This is Ethan."

I stilled. So this was a baby. Ethan was sleeping. I moved closer. Steve had a hold of my collar, though, so I wouldn't get too close.

"Easy," he said. I sniffed Ethan. My heart melted. I wanted to snuggle this little baby all day. I wanted to keep him safe forever. My little Ethan was my new boy. I had two boys now. And my girl.

"Ah, no licks," Steve said as I went to stick my tongue out. I pulled it back in. How did he know?

"I'm so proud," Joe said in the background. He sounded a little emotional. I wished Steve could see him and hear him like I could.

"I'm gonna go put him down and take a shower," Catherine said.

"Okay," Steve agreed. He let me go after Catherine stood up. I wanted to see Ethan, so I followed and watched as they put him in the little bed with bars. I stayed on the floor after Catherine left, watching. Steve stood watching too. Ethan was in our pack now. I would do whatever it took to protect him from any harm, and I knew Steve would too.

...

"There he is! Oh my God!" Mary cried. Catherine gave Ethan to Mary, who held him and rocked him. I wasn't a fan of everyone handling my little boy, but they were gentle with him. Everyone came to visit a few sleeps after Ethan was brought home. Joanie seemed a little sad at the lack of attention, but then she clung to Doris, calling her Nana. The two of them did lots of giggling and playing together. I had overheard Steve talking to Mary earlier.

"Aren't you mad at Doris?" he had asked.

"I was at first, but if we're always staying mad at people, Steve, then we can't have a relationship with them."

"But she didn't come to see Joanie..."

"But she's here now. Look at them! Inseparable," Mary had pointed out. "I'm okay, Steve, really. Mom's here. Let's just enjoy her while we have her."

Now, I could smell that Doris was feeling bad still, but she was smiling and looking at Steve and Mary together while Joanie hung off her legs. At least she wasn't hanging off of me. She was getting heavier.

"You're a Dad now," Danno said. "You're finally gonna know what I've been talking about all this time."

"Facetime call!" Catherine called.

I didn't know what it meant, but everyone gathered around the bigger sized box from the one Steve always carried, laughing and talking to something they kept calling Chin. I listened for a bit, and this Chin said something about a Kono being okay but busy with work. I could smell a sadness from Adam at the word Kono. I was curious as to why. Tani gave him a sideways hug.

"You better come visit soon," Lou ordered. The others, Jerry, Kamekona, and Noelani talked to the Chin too, and Tani and Junior introduced themselves. I gathered after a while that Chin was a person who used to live here. I wished I could meet him. Eventually, they stopped talking to Chin and went back to passing Ethan around. I watched carefully.

"Okay," Catherine said after a while. "It's baby's bedtime."

The fuss that was made. I felt a little left out. Danno noticed, and he gave me some scratches. That made me feel a bit better. When everyone was gone, Catherine and Steve were holding each other in the kitchen. I watched from the doorway.

"I love you, Cath," he said.

"I love you too, Steve."

My family. I'd never felt more proud.