Thanks so much for the reviews! So, uh, I lied about getting back to the prologue in this chapter. It's tomorrow's chapter. I was confused :)
Still don't own them, make no profit, etc… Rating for language
…
Three months later, Steph was sitting at her desk on a Friday afternoon when she felt the first real twinge of pain. Her back had hurt all day, but this pain - this made her sit up and wince. She held her breath for about thirty seconds, and the pain abated. She glanced at the clock and checked the time. Forty minutes later, the pain hit again. It was almost five, though, and she didn't think she could handle the Merry Men's protective instincts. They'd been overbearing for days now, in an adorable sort of way.
Without speaking to anyone, she simply gathered up her stuff and headed for her car. She probably shouldn't be driving, but by her calculations, she still had about 25 minutes before the next contractions. Plenty of time to get across town.
She made it to Joe's house in fourteen minutes. Letting herself in, she found him in the living room with a beer. He looked like he'd had a long day.
"Hey," she said, dropping heavily onto the couch.
"Hey, Cupcake. What's up?"
Steph ran a hand over her belly. "I think I'm in labor."
Joe jumped off the couch like he had been shot. "You're what? You're in labor? Why the fuck are you here? You need to be at a hospital!"
Steph laughed. That reaction alone had been worth driving over here. Joe was pacing around the living room, hands on his head, muttering.
"Relax, Joe," she said. "The contractions are still almost forty minutes apart. I have hours before I need to be at the hospital."
He stopped pacing and eyed her stomach with a determined stare. "Are you sure? I can drive you. We can go now, just to be sure."
She laughed again, but another contraction hit, making her lean forward in her chair. She gasped for air, but in just under a minute, her muscles relaxed. Joe was standing in front of her, panic written all over his face. "What was that? What do we do? Are you okay?"
She rolled her eyes. "Sit down. Drink your beer. I'd rather wait here than at home alone."
He cautiously approached the couch. "Maybe we should call the doctor to be sure."
"I'm sure. Didn't you read the baby books I brought over?"
Joe finally sat down beside her, though he was still eyeing her stomach. "Of course not. Did you really think I would?"
"I had hoped," she muttered.
"Should I, uh, should I call Manoso?"
She shook her head. Since he had found out she was pregnant, they had carefully avoided any mention of Ranger. They had spent a lot of time together, and Joe had helped her as much as he could. But Ranger was a discussion topic they didn't bring up.
"No. I can't deal with him and this at the same time," she said, patting her belly. She had decided that she didn't want Ranger anywhere around when she had the baby. As much as she appreciated his phone calls to check on her, that was as much contact as she wanted with him. His surprise visit three months ago only reinforced that they were better off apart. A relationship between them was impossible, and her heart couldn't take having him around, knowing that hey would never regain what they used to have.
"There has to be somebody I can call," Joe said. "I don't like having the sole responsibility here. I'm going to screw up and it's going to be me and Bob delivering this baby."
Steph laughed, forcing herself to banish her bleak thoughts about Ranger. She needed every ounce of happy she could get right now. "Mary Lou," she said. "Call her.
"Okay." He made the call, and then held the phone out to Steph when Mary Lou started squealing. Mary Lou had plans and lists and phone-trees and had put more organization into this than Steph had. But it also meant Steph could relax and be assured that all the right people would be called and her bag would arrive at the hospital.
Three hours later, when the contractions got close enough, she let Joe drive her to the hospital. "Are you sure you don't want me to call Manoso?" he said on the way.
Steph pointed a finger at him. "You call him, you die, Joe."
…
Ranger was sitting in an SUV Saturday afternoon, doing surveillance, when his phone rang. "Yo," he said.
"Hey man," Tank said on the other end.
He had been waiting for this call - Steph was due any day. "She in labor?"
"Already done. You got a baby girl."
A girl. "Healthy?"
"She's perfect, man."
"She was supposed to call me when she went into labor."
"Uh, yeah," Tank said. "It seems that she was already in labor when she left here Friday, and didn't bother to tell anyone. Morelli checked her into the hospital late last night, and she had the baby this afternoon. I didn't know until Lula called an hour ago, though I still don't know how she managed to keep her mouth shut. I guess in the delivery room, Steph was making all sorts of threats about anyone who called your or me.."
Of course she did. Ranger couldn't help smiling as let out a slow breath and closed his eyes. For a split second, his heart had lurched - a baby girl. Their girl - his and Steph. The need to see her, touch her was as primal as it was overpowering.
But he squelched it, just like he had squelched every feeling he'd had for Steph or this baby for five months. He couldn't afford not to, regardless of how badly he wanted things to be different.
"You coming up here, man?" Tank said.
"No." His hand flexed; his leg twitched. But he wouldn't. He couldn't. "No." He had planned on being there - he wasn't so big a bastard as to make her go through that alone. But now that it was all over, there was no point in going. He'd give her a few weeks, and then start the divorce proceedings. Maybe after that was over, he'd be able to be in the same room with her without wondering if everything he had worked for was slipping out from under him. Without wanting her.
It wasn't until he hung up with Tank that he realized he forgot to ask what Steph had named the baby.
…
Early Sunday morning, Steph woke to see Julie leaning over the side of her bed. "Hey," she said.
Julie's face broke into a wide grin. "Hey Steph."
"Did you see your little sister?"
Julie wrinkled up her nose. "She's kind of funny looking."
Rachel laughed from the doorway. "She's beautiful, Stephanie."
Steph managed to adjust her pillows enough to sit up in the hospital bed. She grabbed a cup of water nearby and took a sip to ease her parched.
"Did you finallypick a name?" Julie said.
"Yes. It's Olivia Katherine."
Julie squealed. "Ohh, I love it! And you used Katherine. Can I call her Kat?"
"Sure. I've been calling her Livy, but you can call her whatever you want."
She scrunched up her nose. "Hmm. I might like Livy better."
A nurse came into the room, carrying a bundle wrapped in a fuzzy pink blanket. "Look who's awake," she said.
Julie's mouth dropped into a perfect little 'o.' She watched, transfixed, as the nurse set Livy down on Steph's chest. Julie reached out and grabbed the tiny fist that was flying through the air.
"Do you want to hold her?" Steph said.
Julie's entire face lit up. "Yeah! Can I?"
Rachel directed Julie to sit in one of the chairs, and carried Livy to her. Julie was in love. She grinned down at the baby and patted her tummy. "Hi Livy," she said. "I'm your big sister, and we're going to have lots of fun together."
"How are you feeling," Rachel asked Steph, while Julie sat with the baby.
Steph shifted in her hospital bed. "I'm okay. Sore and tired, but happy."
"She has a beautiful skin color."
"Yeah," Steph said. In skin tone, Livy was almost as dark as Ranger. More than likely, she'd end up looking a lot like Julie. Steph glanced over at the two girls sitting together. She could definitely live with that.
"Where's Ranger?" Julie said.
Steph and Rachel exchanged a quick glance.
"He's still in Miami, Jules," Rachel said. "He's working."
Julie frowned. "But doesn't he want to see Livy?"
"I'm sure he'll get here as soon as he can."
"But when?"
"Julie," Rachel said. Her voice held a warning tone, but Julie didn't heed it.
"He didn't find out until yesterday, Julie," Steph said.
"We found out yesterday, and we got here. And he's the boss - he could leave if he wanted. He just doesn't want to see us."
"Julie." This time, she just glared at Rachel without saying anything else.
Before anyone could say anything to break the tension, another knock sounded and an older, Hispanic woman stuck her head in the door.
"Hola Abuela!" Julie said.
Steph froze and zeroed in on the woman. Crap. This wasn't going to be good. The woman smiled and said something in rapid Spanish that made Julie laugh. She stepped close enough to Julie to see the baby before she smiling at Steph.
"Hello, I'm Lilane Manoso, Carlos' mother. You must be Stephanie." She glanced around the room. "I'm guessing my idiot son didn't bother to show up?"
Steph immediately relaxed and smiled back. Mrs. Manoso had shoulder-length hair with only hints of silver, and skin too smooth for her age. She also had Ranger's smile.
"He's not coming," Julie said. "He's working."
"Julie!" Rachel said.
Lilane said hello to Rachel and gave her a kiss on the cheek before sitting down in a chair beside Julie. "He loves you, queirda. He's just not very good at it. But he'll get better." She kissed the top of Julie's head. "Now, are you going to introduce me to your sister?"
The bitterness dropped from Julie's face as she handed the baby to her grandmother. "This is Livy. Olivia Katherine. I picked the Katherine part."
Lilane gave Steph that brilliant smile. "What a beautiful name."
"Thanks," Steph said. She shifted the blanket over her lap, wishing that she wasn't lying in a hospital bed to meet her mother-in-law. But the woman's attention was on her granddaughter, and look on her face was that instant, rapt love that only a baby could produce.
"She's beautiful."
"She looks like me!" Julie said. "It's the eyes. Look!" Julie squatted down so her face was at the same level as Livy's so her grandma could see the resemblance.
They laughed and visited for an hour, with Steph falling just a little bit more in love with her new family. As they were leaving, Lilane mentioned Christmas. "Why don't you and Livy come to Newark for Christmas Eve, Stephanie?"
"Uh--" She glanced around, starting to panic. "I really don't think that's a good--"
"Nonsense," Lilane said. "Carlos hasn't been home for Christmas in years, the idiot. He'll never know the difference."
"Okay then," Steph said, grinning. "Christmas Eve."
"Can I come too?" Julie said. She was holding Livy again, and refusing to relinquish her.
"We'll talk," Rachel said.
…
An hour after they left, the onslaught of Merry Men began. They filled the room with flowers and balloons and passed around 'It's a girl' cigars. Livy was passed around for them to hold, but about half of the guys backed away with wide eyes.
"Hey beautiful," Lester said, poking his head in. "I brought something for you."
Steph groaned. "If one more person hands me a cigar--"
Lester grinned. "No way. This is way better." He walked to the bed and held out something small and black. Steph unfolded it and cracked up laughing. "It's her uniform," Lester said. It was a tiny black onesie, complete with cargo pockets. 'RangeMan' was embroidered across the top.
"Turn it over," Lester said. He was grinning like a little kid. Steph turned it over, and in silver letters, it said 'RangeBaby.'
"Oh, Les! It's perfect," she said.
"We came up with the idea, but Ella did the sewing."
"I figured," she said, mentally banishing the image of Lester sitting at a sewing machine. "Did you see her?"
"Yeah, she's beautiful, Steph. A little wrinkled, but definitely a cutie. She'll break hearts someday."
She pointed at him. "Keep your hands to yourself."
The door opened, and Joe ducked inside. He came directly to her bed and kissed her on the forehead.
"Hey," she said, smiling at him. "Did you get some sleep?" He had stayed overnight with her Friday night, and then worked all day Saturday.
"Yeah, I did. Did you?" he said, glancing around at all the people in the room. He nodded at Lester and Bobby.
"We're going to let you get some rest, Beautiful," Lester said, giving her a quick kiss to the cheek. "Bring her by the office soon, okay?"
She nodded and waved at the guys as they left. Then she leaned back in her hospital bed with a sigh. As fun as their visit had been, she was exhausted. Joe settled into a chair and flipped on the TV.
"You don't have to stay," she said.
He shrugged. "I'm on call, so I may have to leave, but for now, I'm good. Besides, you hate hospitals. I know you don't want to be here alone."
"True," she said. "And thanks. Though I have to admit I'm glad it's just you and me. There's been people in here all day. Ranger's mother showed up."
Joe swung to her, eyes wide. "Whoa. How'd that go?"
Steph laughed. "Not bad, actually. She was nice. And she called Ranger names, so that was exciting."
Joe's eyes got even wider. "Brave woman," he said, before turning back to the TV. "So when can you go home?"
"They said tonight, so I guess in a few more hours."
Joe nodded. "Do you have a ride?"
"Yeah. You," she said with a smile. "Would you mind? The other option is my father."
He winked at her. "I don't mind at all."
…
It took Joe four trips to the car to load up all the flowers, balloons, and gifts that had shown up. Steph had dressed Livy in her miniature uniform for her trip home from the hospital. It seemed fitting.
Steph glared at the wheelchair a nurse brought in.
"You have to do it, Cupcake," Joe said.
She sent another round of scowls around the room before settling herself in it and Livy on her lap. Joe pushed her, and within minutes, they were all loaded in the car an on their way to her apartment.
It wasn't until they made it upstairs and inside that Steph started getting nervous. "Uh, you're not leaving, are you?" she said.
He smiled at her. "I'll stay. You're mom's going to stay with you during the day and I'll be here at night."
"Oh good," she said with a sigh of relief. She had read all the books, but wasn't quite prepared for the helpless feeling of being the only one responsible for this little person.
"Go lay down, Steph," he said. "You still need all the rest you can get."
"Okay." She settled Livy in a bassinet beside her bed, and then climbed into bed to get some sleep herself.
She woke an hour later to the sound the baby fussing, disorientated in her exhaustion. Joe was at her back, his arm flung over her waist. She rolled over, curling into his chest, and managed an 'ughn.'
Joe's hand dropped to her hip and squeezed. "I'll get her." He picked up Livy from her bassinet and helped Steph get her positioned to nurse. And on it went, every couple hours, all night long.
Steph sat at the dining room table with her head laid on her arms the next morning. Joe, who looked almost as exhausted as she felt, was chugging his third cup of coffee. "Tell me it gets better," she said.
"Your guess is as good as mine," he said.
She sat up and glared. "You're not helping."
He grinned. "Just imagine what you'd do without me."
"Unh." She dropped her head back on her arms. "Don't even tease about that."
…
By the time Joe came back Monday afternoon, Steph was forgetting how wonderful she had decided her mother was.
"Steph, honey," her mom was saying when Joe walked in. "You can't forget to put powder on her when you change her."
"I know mom."
"And you need to lay her down as soon as she eats."
"I know mom." Steph rubbed her hands over her face and sank onto the couch.
"She needs to be on a schedule."
"She's three days old. I'm sure she'll be okay."
Her mother sighed and crossed her arms. "I know what I'm talking about, Stephanie. I've done this twice."
Steph didn't respond. Joe came over and dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
"How was your day, Cupcake?"
He had leaned forward enough that she could whisper without her mother hearing. "Get her out of here, Joe. For the love of god, get her away from me."
Joe kissed her cheek before straightening up. "Mrs. Plum, I'm going to stay tonight. Why don't I help you get your things together. I know your own family needs you this evening." Joe took her arm and led her to the door. Steph could hear snatched of their conversation, but didn't care enough to listen. She just wanted her mother gone.
A few minutes later, Joe came back in and sat down beside her on the couch. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. "You okay?"
It was too much. She burst into tears and curled against him. It was the hormones, she told herself. That's all. Just too many hormones left over making her all weepy. She wasn't a crier by nature, but between her fatigue, her mother's 'help,' and stress over the baby, she just couldn't keep it all in.
"I'm so tired," she whispered.
"I know," he said, rubbing her back. Though he had to be tired too, she realized. He'd been up with the baby almost as much as she had.
"Why are you doing this, Joe?"
"Cause you need help. And you're my friend. And I love you."
Funny, that's what Ranger used to say when she asked him why he was helping her. Ironic how far the tables had turned in their weird triangle. "Well, thanks." She was quiet for a minute before saying, "I'm guessing that's a platonic kind of love?"
"It could be un-platonic pretty quick, if you're interested."
She poked him in the ribs. "I don't think so."
"You know what I mean," he said.
"Yeah. And I love you too, in a platonic sort of way."
He kissed her on the top of her head. "Good. But for right now, you need more help, mainly to keep you from killing your mother."
She groaned. "Oh god. She spent all day telling me everything I was doing wrong. I know she's just trying to help, but if she keeps it up, I'm going to lose it entirely."
"I think we need to call Manoso, tell him to get his ass up here."
"That's not help, Joe. That's torture. We'll just fight. I can't deal with him any more than I can deal with my mother."
"Is it really that bad? You guys have always gotten along well, even when it drove me nuts."
She sighed. "It's really that bad." She missed their friendship, missed his presence, more than she could ever explain to Joe. But they were both better off with half a continent separating them.
Joe was quiet for a minute before saying, in a light voice, "It's still got to be better than being married to the Dick."
A burst of laughter escaped her, surprising her. "Yes, much better."
The baby cried for the bedroom, and with a sigh, she extracted herself from Joe's arms and stood up. "Okay. I can do this."
He smacked her on the ass as she walked away. Joe may have been a jerk for cheating on her, but right now, she couldn't ask for a better friend.
…