For the next hour the bedroom door never moved. For the first ten minutes of this hour Will had stood at the entrance and knocked repeatedly, pleading to let him in…. His calls went unheeded. So he resorted to sitting in the corridor, his head against the wall, his arms resting on his knees. Intently he listened to see if he heard anyone in the room on the other side. Mr. Yates had drawn him out to the hallway but left him once Will had calmed down and mellowed into the depressed and deprived state he was in now. He had only spent less than a minute in the room, but he replayed it over and over in his head. He had seen Elizabeth's tired and flushed face; he had touched her sweaty brow and heard her meek voice whisper to him. He pined to be at her side again, to hold her hand and comfort her aching body. He also saw the look of worry cross Mrs. Yates face right before he was made to leave the room. It was because Elizabeth was bleeding again…

Will's head dropped into his hands as pangs of guilt resounded through him. He had put her through this; none of her pain would have happened if it weren't for him. And now that she really needed him, he was locked out of his own bedroom. Will also seared the image of Lucy's back into his mind. All he could see was that small white bundle in her arms. He thought of the whispers exchanged between the women and hearing the word SHE.

"She…" He repeated to himself. "She…. could I have a daughter?" Will allowed himself to smile, the first time he had done so almost all day. He liked the thought of that: the image of a beautiful little girl sitting on his lap, the image of Elizabeth brushing her daughters hair before bedtime… "Yes" He thought. "I could get used to that."

Just then the knob turned and Lucy slipped out the door. Will immediately came to his feet and was at her side with questioning eyes.

"Oh! Will you startled me." She said with her hand to her chest.

"How is she?" He asked quickly.

"You're daughter or your wife?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"So it's a girl?" He asked with a broad smile growing on his face.

Lucy nodded with the same wide grin.

"A baby girl…." He whispered, more to himself than to her. "And how is Elizabeth? Can I see her?" Will said, snapping out of his newly found bliss.

Lucy's face slightly fell but still held hope for the anticipating Will. "She is better. She's exhausted Will, as you can imagine. And…we had a hard time making the bleeding stop, but I think we've got it under control now."

Will's face was in a grimace as Lucy explained his wife's condition. "But can I see her?" He asked meekly.

"Yes of course." She said with her quiet smile.

Will quickly turned to the door and opened it slowly and peered through its crack before opening completely. He saw Anna sitting in a chair in the far corner of the room, looking quite in need of some sleep. And Mrs. Yates was redressing the small bundle that Will had seen an hour before. His Elizabeth was still lying in bed, her eyes closed as her chest steadily raised up and down – a vision, which he adored. As he walked closer he heard a small winding sound, his head turned to Mrs. Yates as she picked up the bundle carefully in her arms and walked towards Will. His eyes went to her hands when she began to place the baby in his arms. Will's first reaction was to step backwards, unsure of what to do. Mrs. Yates saw this and laughed at his naivety.

"Hold your hands out." She instructed him.

He didn't hesitate and did as he was told. He placed his hands out in an offering position – ready for the precious gift to be put in his arms. Slowly she exchanged the tiny baby to her father's hands. "Now just make sure you cradle her head." Was her last command, before walking back over to the dresser and cleaning up the used cloths and sheets.

Will looked down at his daughter in awe and amazement. He quickly concluded that the high winding sound was coming from her pursed little mouth – it was her cry.

"She so tiny…" He gasped, trying his best to hold her as gently as he could. "And quiet as a cricket." He laughed to himself.

"She's yours" He heard a voice say. His head picked up to see Elizabeth looking at him with lazy eyes and a small smile on her tired features.

"Elizabeth" He said as he went quickly to her side. "Are you alright?" He asked, the same tone of worry his voice held when he first walked in the bedroom.

"I'll be fine." She spoke slowly, her smile never fading. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" Elizabeth's finger touched the cloth around the baby girls face.

"She's perfect." Will corrected her gently.

Elizabeth extended her arms slowly, gesturing Will to hand their daughter to her. He complied immediately and carefully handed the small, squirming bundle over. Elizabeth laid her gently on her lap and began to undo the sheets, binding her baby. She unwrapped her until she was naked, and her mother looked adoringly at her.

"Look." She said softly. Her slender fingers pointed to her daughter's tiny feet. "All ten toes."

Will's broad smile returned as he saw the amazement this new baby had on them both. "And all ten fingers" He concluded, allowing his little daughter to take his large finger in her tiny hand – not even getting close to reaching all the way around. But then his brow furrowed as his eyes looked to her torso. "Her chest, why does it do that?" He asked, obviously worried.

"She is having a hard time breathing." Elizabeth stated solemnly. "…It indents like that because she is working so hard." This time her voice was lowering, as her throat tightened, trying not to cry.

Will glanced at her, sensing her distress to her daughters struggle. Elizabeth's eyes never left her baby, content with just watching her.

"Liz, its alright. She'll be fine."

Elizabeth nodded as her face began to fight off the tears that were threatening to fall. "Yes." She said quietly.

"Please Elizabeth, don't worry, really…." He said, his eyes pleading with her.

To his surprise he heard an abrupt laugh, and her red eyes blurred with more tears, as her quivering chin was formed into a smile. "I'm not crying because I'm worried… I'm crying because I am holding my daughter in my arms, alive, with her looking up to me like a child looks to their mother."

Wills worried expression melted as he saw her tears of joy and relief mingle down her cheeks. He caught one of them on the tip of her nose with is finger, then leaned in and kissed her wet cheek softly. "God Elizabeth…" He said with the same emotions pulsing through him. "I love you."

She turned her head fully toward her husband and kissed his lips with her salty, tear stained, pouted mouth. "I love you so much."

The baby on her lap squirmed and twitched while the cooing sound – that was music to her parent's ears – drew their attention. "Oh yes…" Will said, looking down upon her. "And I love you, Katie." He bent his head and gently kissed his daughter's forehead.

Elizabeth smiled at Will, his big heart finally being able to use the love he had always contained. "You had better get used to hearing that darling." Liz said, bundling the baby closer to her, in her arms. "You're going to be hearing that quite often from now on."