A/N: I'm gonna get a little serious here. I'm setting up the "big" story.

Thank you Little Sis for making this chapter a tissue alert warning. The explanation is at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 4

The next weeks of July were quiet; too quiet for Caleigh. Alec, Mo and especially Victoria recognized it and tried to keep her engaged. However, it was the nights. The only thing that kept her going was Zach's evening texts or calls after the game. She knew he was out eating dinner with team members. But the lonely nights were getting hard on her. I miss Jack Caleigh texted him. When I get up in the middle of the night to pee I still go downstairs to check on him.

Zach fired off a text to Victoria. Relax Zach, Vic texted back, she's starting to nest a bit being pregnant. It's normal; especially the part about missing Jack. Her maternal hormones are in overdrive. Talk to Laura about it at your next appointment.

That appointment was July 25th with Zach having a day off. The team had returned home the night before after a day game in Miami with the Marlins. Dr. Navarro did her usual exam, along with another ultra sound. She sat down in the chair at the exam room desk and looked at the couple. "Good news and bad news," she smiled. "And please don't freak out at the bad news part."

Zach looked at her. "It's not that bad," Navarro smiled. "The ultra sound looks wonderful. I don't use the word perfect because that can get me sued." The couple rolled their eyes with understanding. "But I really like what I see," Dr. Laura smiled. "You're doing great Caleigh."

Caleigh and Zach brought up her malaise. Dr. Laura laughed. "You're pregnant and missing the kiddo; totally normal with your hormones."

"The bad news Doc?" Zach asked.

Dr. Navarro looked at the two of them and then specifically at Caleigh. "You're about to start your final trimester. And by your due date, you'll be back in your home in the DC area when you deliver."

"That's the plan," Caleigh smiled.

"That's not my plan," Dr. Laura said. The couple looked at her. "Caleigh, you need a rapport with your delivery doctor. With your schedule," she said looking at Zach, "and your due date," she said to Caleigh, "that doesn't happen overnight. And you two are not making that drive so close to your due date."

"What are you saying Doctor?" Zach asked.

"I want Caleigh in your DC home for her final trimester." Zach and Caleigh looked at each other. "I'm sorry; I get it. But that's my recommendation." She looked at Caleigh. "You're already starting to nest a bit which is normal. But you're gonna be in a different home than you are now when you deliver. And spend those first months after delivery bonding together. In the home you're comfortable in with your family around. The one you've nested in. You need to spend that final trimester in that home and nest there," she emphasized, "not here. And you need to get to know your delivery doctor."

Caleigh looked at Dr. Navarro. "Any suggestions?"

Dr. Laura smiled, leaning back in the desk chair. "My twin sister; Dr. Lisa Mahoney. I already forwarded your chart to her when you got pregnant. Lisa has been following it." She looked at the couple. "And for the record, completely agrees with this analysis."

Caleigh looked at Zach, tears welling up. "Hormones," Dr. Laura said, as Zach got out of his chair and pulled Caleigh close.

"You'll have all your family around, including your mom." Caleigh sniffled more. "And Jack a block away," Zach smiled. "And Lex."

"How are you getting me and Lexie home?"

Zach smiled. "Your folks are coming down for your birthday in two weeks."

Dr. Laura looked at Zach. "Mom the nurse?" Zach nodded with a smile. "Perfect. Just don't let them do the nine hour drive back to DC. The times they'll have to stop to let her pee will make it an eleven hour drive."

Zach smiled at Navarro, rubbing Caleigh's back. "We've got breaking that drive down to a science."

Caleigh started to cry a bit more. "That's three months without you. At the most important time in our lives. And what about when the team is coming down to watch Henry as a batboy?"

Zach smiled at her. "Actually, two and a half. Unless we make the World Series." Caleigh looked at him. Zach shook his head. "Next year Cal," he smiled. "And I'm here babe," Zach said, rubbing her upper chest, "in your heart. Just like you are in mine." He rubbed her ever expanding abdomen area. "And here too," he smiled, kissing her. "Beth and the BAU ladies can handle that weekend. And if needed, I'll have Minnie send you snoring videos of me." Caleigh laughed, wiping away her tears.

"This is your call?" Caleigh asked Dr. Navarro.

Dr. Laura looked at her. "Sweetheart, do you trust me?" Caleigh nodded her head. "It's the right call. You and Lisa need to get through your final trimester together; and you need to be in the home that will welcome new family." Caleigh looked at her. "Caleigh, your malaise is you starting to nest. You need to nest in your DC home. And you need to get to know Lisa and bond with her. Part of delivering a baby is the trust you have in the doctor doing it. I can't make it any plainer," Dr. Laura firmly said.

Zach looked at Dr. Navarro. "Can I ask you something? It's personal; not baby related."

Dr. Laura looked at him and smiled. "Ask away."

Zach smiled at her. "You married a Hispanic and your sister married an Irishman? Do we want to know what family holidays are like?" Caleigh laughed, wiping away a tear.

"Thank you love," Caleigh smiled. "Your finely defined sense of humor in all the right places you didn't inherit from your dad has hit at the right time. Again."

"That's too many Uncle Dave well taught lessons," Zach smiled. Caleigh pointed at him with her bright smile.

Dr. Laura laughed. "We all get along fine," she smiled. "It just St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo." Caleigh and Zach looked at her. "My husband goes north for St. Patty's. Lisa's husband comes down here for the other. They golf both times, smoke cigars and drink too much."

"They're rock stars," Zach smiled. Caleigh laughed. "Babe," Zach said, "we're going to get through this."

Caleigh smiled. "It'll be good to have mom around." Dr. Laura smiled at her, winking at Zach.

-00CM00-

Two and a half weeks later, Tom Greystone made the turn onto Delta Queen Drive and looked at his wife. "Rachel, you're sure about this?"

"Yes Tom I am." She looked at him as Tom pulled into the driveway, parking the car. "Caleigh needs number one, to get to know Dr. Mahoney. Number two, she needs to be in the home she is going to bring a new child into. That's the kids' home in Annandale. She needs to get that ready." Rachel nodded at their spacious Georgia home. "Not here; not now. Even with the support system she has here. Vic, Alec, Mo and I have all talked. They agree as much as I do." Tom looked at her. Rachel smiled. "By the time they get back down here next spring, that baby won't care what home he or she are in. The baby will just be looking for a space to roll around. And soon after, starting to crawl."

Tom looked at the huge home. "Good luck with that Caleigh." Rachel laughed. Tom smiled at Rachel. "Thank you nurse mom," he smiled. "I love you." Rachel smiled at him and rubbed his shoulder as Caleigh, Zach and Lex came out the front door to greet them.

The four of them had a wonderful weekend together, as much as they could with Zach and the Braves having a weekend homestand. Sunday night provided them time together with a Sunday day game that Zach didn't catch and Monday's game being a night game. Zach grilled chicken for his bride that she wanted for her birthday dinner. Rachel made all the rest of her favorites.

The neighborhood group came over bringing dessert. Caleigh, Alec and Mo talked over helping Caleigh finish the nursery via Skype. "This is my jam," Mo smiled. "Girl, I'll have that nursery styling," she smiled.

Rashad frowned. "What about using the pool?"

Josh, his dad, thumped his shoulder. "That's me. I'm all over it," he smiled at Zach.

"Just remember guys," Zach said, "no swimming alone. You have an adult here with you every single time."

Victoria smiled at Rashad and Miguel. "That's on me. AJ is getting old enough to get in the pool."

"Have at it," Zach smiled at her. He looked at the boys. "You two are responsible for getting Dani rinsed off after she swims with you to help out Vic."

Miguel stuck out his fist. "Word," he smiled, sharing a fist bump with Zach.

Caleigh shook her head as tears formed. Zach pulled her to him. "Babe, it's positives. All of it."

"Positives; right," she smiled, brushing away a tear. Alec looked at Rachel who just slightly shook her head.

Lying in bed that night, Caleigh finally got comfortable on her side. "I wish this was easier."

Zach curled up next to her and put his arm around under her belly. Caleigh shook her head and started to cry. "What am I going to do without you in my life when I need you most?"

"Babe please; we live on Skype and texts all season. What's going to be different? And you'll have family around. Dad, Beth and Jack spent the weekend getting our DC home ready for you." Caleigh looked at him. "They've already got all the plastic off the furniture. Uncle Dave used the dust buster hand vacuum to get rid of the dust before the plastic came off. And you'll have lots of help getting the nursery set up there. Beth can't wait for that," he smiled.

"We're going to get through this?" Caleigh asked.

Zach smiled. "Yes we are," he said kissing her. "Get some sleep babe."

The next morning, Caleigh was in the kitchen with her parents. Zach finally came down the steps. Caleigh looked at Zach. "You not sleeping well last night didn't help this," she said.

"Babe," Zach said, pulling her into a hug, "my not sleeping last night wasn't about this. It was about the team." Caleigh looked at him. "We players are fomenting a coup." Caleigh, Rachel and Tom deeply looked at him. "This team is playing like shit. And we are a better team than that. We've got all the right tools. We players know what the problem is. We're just trying to figure out how to get our point across to upper management."

Tom looked at him. "Johnny Venters was a good addition."

"Johnny," Zach smiled, "was a huge pick-up for our bullpen. But Tom, it's not players that is the problem. We've got the talent. It's some of the coaching staff. They are our huge problem." He shrugged. "How do we players address that?"

"Can you go to John Schuerholz?" Rachel asked.

Zach shook his head. "No; not if I want to keep my career." He kissed Caleigh. "The team is working out some options through the chain of command. We've just got to execute it at the right time and before it's too late." He kissed Caleigh again. "Let's go have Rose cook us breakfast before you head out."

###

A/N: For the record – I'm female, never married and never been pregnant. My choices. Although, I've raised a child; my twenty year younger sister. Same mom and dad. No one in between us. Don't ask me the line I said back to our parents when they announced they were pregnant again after nineteen plus years. I made them blush.

Our mom passed when Sis was five. Why I became the fill-in mom; with love and acceptance.

That said this is a fly by the night chapter about pregnancy in my world. My dear sister, along with her wonderful husband, has two boys that are the love of my life. So I bounced this story idea off her.

"Rockie, that girl is not making a car ride back to DC eight months pregnant." "Truck ride actually." Little Sis ire. "That just isn't happening."

Bottom line: I hope I did it right for all you moms out there. :D