thanks so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! :) and thanks for following/favoriting me!
i really hope you like this update, i know it's been really anticipated!
(thanks stagediva23 for your input on this! you've had so many great ideas for this story, this is the one i've been most excited for :))

Big News

Months passed. And, just as Kelly had hoped, things were finally back to normal for him and Lacey.

She was eight and a half months pregnant now, looking like she might pop any day as Shay would say. Kelly spent even more time fussing over her as her stomach grew larger, not that she minded. As her due date approached, so did their wedding, which they were busier than ever planning; they weren't the only ones anticipating a wedding.

Casey had asked Dawson to marry him, with her saying yes of course. They hadn't set a date yet and they weren't making any official plans as they wanted to find a new place together first and get settled. Dawson also wanted to wait until after she passed her firefighters' test and got assigned a house. Shay and Erin weren't ready for marriage quite yet, but with them spending so much time together, Shay officially moved her things into Erin's apartment.

Everything was perfect.

"Quit complaining," Shay told Lacey as she was packing a duffel bag for her on the bed.

"You're coming," Dawson informed her with a smile, sitting on the edge of the bed while Shay stuffed the bag full of Lacey's things for the weekend.

"I'm not going away for girls' weekend," Lacey half laughed, smoothing her hand over the maternity dress she was wearing, her daughter kicking her.

"Yes, you are," Shay grinned, zipping the bag shut. "Your bag is packed and everything."

"We switched off to have the whole weekend off too," Dawson tacked on to try to make her feel guilty; Lacey rolled her eyes at the attempt and Dawson smiled.

"I'm too fat to go away," Lacey complained.

"You're not fat, you're pregnant," Shay rolled her eyes at her.

"Ok, Kelly," Lacey teased her and Shay stuck out her tongue. "Seriously, I'm not going to be any fun. I can barely move, I can't drink, all movies make me cry no matter what the story line is." She pouted. "And in the last two hours I've peed three times."

"Hey," Erin peeked her head into the room, having been waiting downstairs with the car thinking this wouldn't take so long. "Are we ready for girls' weekend or not?"

"I am not going," Lacey laughed.

"I cannot believe you talked me into this," Lacey said as she sat in the front seat of Erin's car while Dawson and Shay rode in the back.

"It'll be fun," Erin grinned at her as they turned onto the back road that was supposed to take them to the cabin they were staying at for the weekend. They thought it would be fun, getting away just the four of them before everything started; weddings, babies. "And just think, in a few weeks, Zoe can join us for girls' weekend," she joked.

"God, I can't wait to spoil that girl rotten," Shay smiled.

"I think you're going to have to get in line behind Kelly," Dawson laughed.

"Speaking of," Lacey nodded up ahead as they turned off the dead end back road into the driveway of the cabin. There was Kelly's car, with Kelly and Casey sitting on the porch, sharing a beer and waiting for the girls to get there. The girls all left their bags in the car, getting out and walking up to the porch to see what was going on.

"About time you got here," Kelly told them, him and Casey getting up. "It's about to pour." The sky had started to get dark with clouds, a cool breeze blowing in to let them know the storm was coming.

"What are you guys doing up here?" Lacey laughed.

"You think I'm taking my eyes off you for a second these last few weeks?" Kelly teased, kissing her cheek as he walked by so he and Casey could go get their bags.

"And you think I'm just gonna sit out on couple's weekend?" Casey asked in fake offense, going to help Kelly. "Do you know me?" he grinned at them and they laughed, shaking their heads; he nodded his at the door. "Get inside before it starts storming."

At first it was just windy, and there was the occasional boom of thunder. Soon, the wind picked up and the rain started, with lightning and thunder all around. No one really noticed as they were all safe inside the cabin, the storm making it feel more cozy inside if anything. It was nice to get away, though this weekend hadn't started off much different than any other night other that they were hanging out at someone's apartment. That was when it was decided to make it more interesting.

"Hey, Kel," Shay said, turning to him. He was sitting on the couch with Lacey, with Shay on the other side of her and Erin sitting on the floor in front of her and leaning back; Casey was sitting in the chair with Dawson curled up on his lap. "Truth or dare?"

"Oh come on," Kelly laughed.

"How old are we?" Erin teased her and Shay nudged her playfully.

"It'll be fun," Shay insisted.

"Just pick one," Lacey laughed.

"Ah, truth," Kelly shrugged.

"Lame," Casey coughed in joking.

"Fine, dare," Kelly rolled his eyes.

"Ok," Shay grinned. "I dare you, to-"

"Ah," Lacey winced, gripping Kelly arm quickly.

"You ok?" Kelly asked worriedly, everyone else looking in concern.

"Yeah, fine," Lacey nodded reassuringly, relaxing a little. "It's weird, I don't know if she's kicking me or what but it keeps hurting, then stopping."

"Every couple minutes?" Dawson asked with raised eyebrows, hinting at what she thought was going on; everyone caught on quickly.

"Oh my God," Kelly realized.

"Wait, am I in labor?" Lacey asked in surprise, looking around at all of them like they would have some other answer.

"We have to take her to the hospital," Erin said, getting up, everyone else getting up to move around as well.

"In this?" Kelly asked skeptically. Sure, he knew that the baby and Lacey were better off being in the hospital.

"It's not like we would make it very far," Dawson commented, coming back from the window where she had been checking the weather. "There's a tree down at the end of the driveway, no way we're getting out of here before that storm's over."

"Oh my God," Lacey gasped. She couldn't believe this was happening. It honestly felt like she was going to be pregnant forever, and now Zoe was coming in the middle of their weekend away with no way to get to the hospital. "Oh, ow, ow, ow," she said, grabbing Kelly's hand, who refrained from saying ow himself.

"What do we do?" Kelly asked Shay; he knew this wasn't her first baby she had delivered, so he at least felt better about that.

"Here Lace, turn this way on the couch," Shay instructed. "Kelly, sit here with her," as he pulled the coffee table over closer to sit on the edge and hold her hand. "Dawson help me get some towels and other stuff. And Casey and Erin..." She shrugged. "Find a waiting room, I'm sorry," she said sympathetically. She didn't want to kick them out, but they did need privacy.

"Yeah, not sure I wanna stick around for this," Casey said awkwardly. "No offense Lace."

"Ah," she grimaced as another contraction hit. "Get out."

"Gone," Casey said as he turned to head over through the swinging door for the kitchen.

"Bye!" Erin grinned, kissing Lacey's head. "You'll do great!" She kissed Shay once and said good luck before heading to the kitchen with Casey. "I'll call your mom and Katie!" Erin called as she went into the kitchen.

"Oh my God, ow, ow, ow," Lacey winced, throwing her head back as she squeezed Kelly's hand again.

"Please tell me we're close," Lacey begged Shay. It had been three hours, the contractions coming in painful waves, each one closer than the last. It felt like it had been so much longer and that Zoe should be here by now, but she wasn't. Shay was doing a really good job, so Dawson was now helping Erin field the constant calls now from Lacey's mother, as well as Katie, Benny, and Beth.

"Shay?" Kelly asked, holding Lacey hand between both of his.

"It's going to be soon," Shay assured them.

"You said that last time," Lacey complained, laying back against the couch.

"I mean it this time," Shay promised. She wasn't just saying this, Zoe was going to be on her way there very soon.

"Why would you lie to me before," Lacey half accused, though she was just cranky with pain. "Ow, ow, Kelly!"

"I'm here," Kelly promised, lightly squeezing her hand back as she was using enough grip for the two of them. "I'm here, and you're doing so great baby, all right? Just a little longer."

"I can't, I..."

"Yes, you can," Shay promised now.

It never seemed like it was going to be over. Shay continued to coach Lacey through it, all while Kelly was comforting her and telling her how great she was doing. While it never seemed like it was going to be over, that she was going to be pregnant forever, it was suddenly over. The contractions were over and Zoe was here, with Shay already gushing over her and saying how beautiful she was.

"Oh my God," Shay squealed quietly, cleaning Zoe off before wrapping her in a towel, and handing her to Kelly.

"Wow," Kelly whispered softly as he held his daughter for the first time. She was perfect, he knew she would be. Ten fingers, ten toes, her mother's dark hair, and when she finally blinked them open, blue eyes like her father. The second she put one of her tiny hands around one of his fingers, he knew that was it; she would have him wrapped around one of her fingers for the rest of her life.

"She's perfect," Lacey commented, resting against Kelly's arm as he kept holding Zoe.

"She's like her mom," he grinned and she smiled back.

"Can we come in?" Dawson asked.

"Yeah!" Lacey insisted and the three of them came in.

"Guys," Kelly introduced them. "This is Zoe Shay. Zoe," he smiled. "This is Uncle Matt, Aunt Gabby, Aunt Erin, and Aunt Shay."

"I'll also answer to God-mommy," Shay said in joking, getting a laugh then hug from Lacey.

"Thank you so much," Lacey told her.

"That was all you mom," Shay grinned at her.

After going to the hospital to get checked once the storm and broken down tree were cleared, Kelly and Lacey were all set to take their new born daughter home. Everyone was in and out for the next few days to the see the new parents and baby. Lacey's parents were there frequently and Benny stopped by once with the boys to see their niece. Heather called, planning a trip in a few weeks with the Darden boys; of course their friends, especially Shay, were by. Katie had called to tell them congratulations but wouldn't be out to Chicago again for a few weeks until the wedding.

With everyone gone though and Lacey exhausted, Kelly got up himself that night to check on Zoe. She didn't seem like she needed anything, anything other than wanting to be held as she stopped crying the second he picked her up. He was still amazed at how perfect he was, how he never thought that he could love someone this much but he did, and he loved her more each day.

"Hey Zo," he told her as he sat in the rocking chair and she fussed a little again. "No? No nicknames?" She settled down, looking up at him with her big innocent eyes. "Just Zoe then, gotcha." They rocked back and forth for awhile, with Zoe just looking up at her dad, chewing on her fingers, not realizing how much he adored her.

"I love you so much Zoe," Kelly told her as she was falling asleep now.

thanks so much for reading! :) i really hope you liked it, more soon! :)