Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! This is the final chapter in this story, and it's one that I'm sure you've all been waiting for since the very beginning.

Enjoy!

"I can't believe he's going to be here soon," Grant mutters as he and Skye relax together on the couch in the lounge, a random movie playing out on the screen across from them. They'd finished watching Sixteen Candles a little while ago and neither of them wanted to move but didn't want there to just be silence surrounding them the entire time. So they'd put on another movie to fill the space.

"Neither can I," Skye replies, rubbing a hand up and down her enlarged belly, breathing in and out deeply. "It honestly seems like hardly any time has passed since I found out I was pregnant."

"How did you feel?" he asks her curiously. "When you found out about him, how did you feel? And you don't need to try and spare my feelings, okay? I want to know the truth about it."

She breathes in deeply, shifting a little on the couch. "Honestly? I was scared. And upset. And happy. All at the same time."

"Really?"

She nods. "Yeah. I was scared because I don't know the first thing about being a mom, and it's not like I have my own mom here to help me by giving me tips and stuff. I was upset because I was going to have this constant reminder about what went down between us before everything went to hell and I had my heart stomped on and shattered. But I was also really happy because at one point in my life it was my biggest dream to be a mom, and be better than my own parents were because they were never even there." She looks up at him. "I've loved our baby from the first moment I found out about him."

"I was scared when you told me," he admits to her. "I still am sometimes. I don't ever want our son to look at me how I used to look at my own father. I hate him for just turning a blind eye all those years growing up and sometimes contributing to my never-ending torment. I never want that to happen with Adian."

"So you break the cycle," she tells him. "I'm pretty sure things will never turn out that way, partially because you're so adamant about it not happening."

"Also, I know you'd never let me near Adian if I ever hurt him in any way."

She nods once without hesitation. "You're damn right."

He gives her a small smile, glad that he wasn't wrong in assuming she'll be protective of their son. But also a little sad at the idea that she's possibly thought that he'll hurt their son. He would lock himself back up in Vault D before he ever even thought about laying a hand on his child. He would never be able to forgive himself if he did something like that. He is never going to turn into his father or any version of his brother. He is always going to be present in his son's life, and he is going to be a good father. He's determined. He's going to make it happen. Whatever it takes he's going to—

A quick tapping on his arm draws his attention out of his head and to Skye, his brows furrowing together when he sees her sitting tensely in her seat. Her eyes are locked onto something across the room, one hand resting on her belly, the other hitting his arm continuously.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Not really. I just...um...I think my water just broke."

His eyes go wide as he shifts abruptly on the couch to face her. "What? Are you sure?"

She glances at him and narrows her eyes. "Considering I'm the one who's about to give birth to your child, yes, I'm sure that my water just broke."

"Okay, okay. Uh, okay. We've got this. Um…" His brain races a mile a minute as he thinks about the next steps. They'd only briefly talked about this, about what they'd do when the time came. They didn't have to prepare nearly as much as anyone else in the world would. One of the benefits of living in the same building as the people who are going to deliver your baby. They don't have to worry about packing a bag or not getting there in time before the baby arrives, because everything they need is already in the building with them.

"Grant? Are you still with me?"

He quickly pulls himself out of his thoughts again in time to see Skye wincing. "Are you okay?" he asks immediately.

She nods. "I'm fine," she gets out, her face scrunched up and her eyes closed. She relaxes after a moment and breathes deeply. "Just a contraction, like I've been having for a while. We really need to get to the med bay."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Okay. Come on." He grabs her arms, allowing her to grab onto his, and pulls her up from the couch. "Are you okay to walk?" he asks her, ducking his head just enough to look in her eyes. "Because I can carry you if you can't walk."

She shakes her head. "Your leg."

"I'll be fine," he insists, not wanting her to worry about him. "Abby says my leg is doing better than she expected it would. But what's important right now is getting you to the med bay. I'll carry you if I need to."

She shakes her head again. "I'll be fine. Let's just go before your son decides he's really done waiting."

.

.

.

He doesn't pay attention to much of the whole process when Skye's pushing their son into the world. It all happens fairly quickly in his mind, though he's sure Skye thought it took way longer than it should have.

He's in complete awe of her throughout the entire thing, amazed at how strong and full of willpower she is. He hopes their son inherits that from her. Among so many other things.

All he really remembers from the time they spent in there, is Skye hanging onto his hands with a death grip every time the doctor told her to push, cursing him out as she did so. He's unsure of how much time it really took for it all to happen, only focused on making sure Skye was okay as she delivered their boy.

The next thing he's able to register is the sound of an infant crying and wetness on his cheeks that he sums up to his own tears of joy.

"It's a boy," the doctor confirms what they'd known since the ultrasound, holding the squirming baby in the air for them to see.

"Look at him, Skye," he says with a smile, probably the biggest smile he's ever had. "Look at our boy." He doesn't think before he leans down and kisses the top of her head, not caring that she's sweaty. She just brought their son into the world, he doesn't care about the sweat.

When she doesn't push him away or scold him for the affection, he chalks it all up to the moment they're in, basking in the joy of seeing their newborn son for the first time.

"How is he? Is he good? Is he okay?"

All he can think about is his son. He knows somewhere in his head that he should ask Skye how she's doing, but all he can focus on is his son's well-being.

"He's perfect," the doctor answers his questions, stepping over to them. "Mom and dad, meet your baby."

Her hears Skye gasp as Adian is laid on her chest, the minute old baby screaming loud and wiggling against her as the doctor dries him off and wraps a blanket around him. "Oh my goodness. Grant, look at him. He's so beautiful."

"Just like his mom."

"Hi, Adian, I'm your mom." She runs a finger across his cheek. "And I'm going to love you so much." She glances up at him. "Look what we made."

"I see him. He's so perfect. And you did such an amazing job."

"Would the dad like to do the honors?"

He reluctantly looks away from his son and over to the doctor. "What honors?" he asks with furrowed brows.

"Cutting the cord," the doctor clarifies, holding a pair of silver medical scissors out to him.

"Really?" He looks at Skye who just nods at him with a small smile. He turns back to the doctor and nods. "Okay."

He moves around to the side of the bed and takes the scissors from the doctor, looking down to where he's indicating at his son's umbilical cord.

He carefully snips between the two clasps, a few tears falling down his cheeks.

"Congratulations, you two," the doctor says, taking the scissors and allowing him to go back over to his family.

Leaning against the side of the bed, he runs a hand down over the top of his son's head, the smile never once leaving his face. "Welcome to the world, Adian."

.

.

.

"Knock, knock, anybody home?"

Looking up from the newborn in his arms, he smiles at the sight of Trip and Fitz lingering in the entryway to their little section of the medbay. Since it's not a real hospital with actual rooms, they'd had to make do with what they have.

"Hey, guys, come on in. Everyone but me is sleeping, though, so try to keep it down."

"Is this him?" Trip asks, moving to stand next to him and peer down at Adian. "Wow. He's like your spitting image. I may not have seen pictures of you as a kid, but this is definitely what you looked like."

"You really think he looks like me?"

"Absolutely," Fitz speaks up, still standing in the entryway.

Grant chuckles. "You haven't even seen him, Fitz."

Fitz shrugs. "Basic genetics. Is he healthy?"

Grant nods. "Very."

"Good. That's good."

"Do you want to hold him?" he asks.

Fitz opens and closes his mouth. "Um, I probably...my hand...I don't want to…"

"I get it," Grant says. "No worries. Maybe another time."

"Fitz may not want to hold him, but I definitely do," Trip tells him, setting down the bags he'd come in with. "Now hand him over."

Grant hesitates for just a moment before transferring his son into Trip's arms, coaching him on how to hold the baby correctly.

"Hey there, little man," Trip whispers with a smile. "I'm your Uncle Trip. And we're going to get into so much trouble together when you're older. You hear me?"

Grant frowns as he grabs his Polaroid camera off the nearby table. "Please do not turn my son into a troublemaker." He quickly snaps a photo of the two.

Trip snorts. "Please, with Skye as his mom he has it wired in his genes to be a troublemaker."

"I heard that."

He whips his head to the bed, seeing Skye slowly opening her eyes as she breathes in deeply. "Hey. Did you sleep okay?"

She shrugs. "I guess." She smiles at Trip and Fitz. "Hey, guys. It's so good to see you. And I see you've met the newest addition to the team."

"He's beautiful, Skye," Trip says.

"Thanks." He watches as her eyes zone in on the gift bags on the floor. "Did you guys bring stuff?"

"Presents," Fitz supplies, slowly moving into the room to stand next to Trip. He smiles softly down at Adian. "For the baby."

"You guys didn't have to do that," Grant tells them.

"Yeah," Skye agrees. "You already got him so much stuff at the party."

Trip shakes his head. "Nope. It is customary to bring gifts when you visit the baby for the first time. Besides, most of that stuff was meant for practicality and other such needs. The stuff we brought is for him personally."

"I got him a stuffed monkey," Fitz interjects. "Someone should get to have a monkey. Even if real ones are better."

He smiles. "Thanks, guys. That really means a lot."

Trip's eyes go wide when Adian starts squirming in his arms and making whining noises.

"I think he's just hungry," Skye tells the other man, calming him down.

Trip lets out a breath. "Oh, good. I thought I did something."

"You didn't do anything," Grant assures him, carefully taking his son back into his arms. He carries him over to Skye and settles him in her arms. "He was just missing his mom."

"Missing my boobs is a more accurate description," Skye says, cradling Adian against her chest.

"And that would be our cue to leave," Trip says.

Fitz nods in agreement, his eyes looking everywhere but at Skye. "Yes."

"But before we go," Trip says, "what did you guys decide to name him?"

"Adian," Grant supplies. "Adian Leo Ward." He laughs quietly at how comically wide Fitz's eyes get before he smiles and nods his head.

"That's a good name, you guys," Trip tells them.

Skye smiles as she runs a finger down Adian's cheek as he starts to eat. "We think so too. We also think that he's the cutest little boy with the greatest family around him."

Grant smiles as he sits back and watches Skye nurse their son, Fitz and Trip having left the room after exchanging quick goodbyes and promises to check in later.

He's a dad. He's helped create life and now that life is here and is going to rely on him for so much in the beginning.

He and Skye may not be in a relationship, but they're in a fairly good place and they're going to raise their son together in the best way that they know how. Nothing is going to stop him from being the best dad that he can be.

Grabbing his Polaroid again, he inserts a new cartridge before holding it up to frame his son and the mother of his son in the center as they bond. It's too perfect of a moment that he wants to hold onto forever, and a picture is the perfect way to do that.

This is a new beginning for him, for both of them. Nothing from their past is too important anymore. All that matters now is what they do to raise their son and give him the absolute best life that they can.

So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!