Lizzie was sleeping rather soundly when she heard her phone chirping beside her. She made sure it was always charged, just in case if the doctors needed to reach her. She rolled onto her side and gently sat up, placing a hand to her stomach in a lame attempt to calm the restless child. Her smile faded when she saw the number on her ID. "Hello?"

The voice on the other line seemed rather perky. "Is this Elizabeth McGuire?"

She sat up a little straighter and pushed the covers away, lacing her shoes rather quickly. The nurse spoke calmly and it startled her at first that Lizzie was so receptive. Lizzie answered quickly with a I'll be there as soon as possible, and ran down the steps, tears in her eyes. It was six, both of Gordo's parents would be awake and preparing for the work day, but she didn't expect to give them news this devastating.

They arrived at the hospital several hours later, Lizzie leading the way. She came to the nurses' station and checked in before wandering down the hall again. She didn't get very far, since a familiar face stopped her halfway on her trek to his room. "Gordo…"

He paused and looked up at her, smiling ever so slightly. "Lizzie…" He eyed her suspiciously before looking at her stomach. "You've gotten…big."

"Yeah, well, eight months tends to do that to you," She whispered, kneeling carefully in front of him so they were eye level. She was the first person that didn't talk down on him. "You're going to be okay."

"I don't think so, Lizzie. I can't feel anything below my spine." He whispered, his voice faltering for only a moment, signaling a sign of weakness. "I wanted to see you so bad…"

She nodded and touched her forehead to his. "I know, and I'm here now. And Daniel is going to be happy that he gets to meet his father. Gordo, you're going to be fine. I've never seen you take no for an answer, it's not in your blood."

"Lizzie…" He whispered, his voice finally cracking. "Who is Daniel?"

She stood up slightly and looked at him in disbelief. "You…don't remember? Why you came to see me?"

"I…don't…" He looked passed her to see his mother and father lingering in the background. They wouldn't lie to him; perhaps they could fill in the blanks. "Mom…how far gone am I?"

Roberta paused and looked to Lizzie. "You've been out for two months, David."

He looked back to Lizzie, blue eyes watching her trembling hands, as she fought off tears. "You cheated on me?"

"Are you stupid?" She hissed bitterly. "I'm eight months along, Gordo, there's no way I cheated on you."

Howard gently put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her away. "Calm down, Elizabeth. He's still groggy." He stepped in front of her and put his hand on his son's, calming the shaking. "Elizabeth is pregnant with your son, David."

"I…I don't remember. I remember being with her…I don't…" He paused and shook his head, wincing in pain. "No, I don't remember. Lizzie, is it true? Is it mine?"

"You were coming to see me, to ask me that same question." She knelt down again, resting her hands on his. "Gordo, he is, without any doubt in my mind, your child."

"Mom, dad, you wouldn't lie to me?" Gordo questioned, moving back slightly.

"No, son, we wouldn't." Roberta replied softly, staring down at her son. He seemed so helpless in the wheelchair, but at least he was awake. And even with minor memory loss, he was still the same boy he always was. The mother calmly touched his cheek. "We've missed you, David."

He didn't realize how great it felt to have a familiar person there with him. Still, Lizzie's situation struck a chord in his heart. Was she lying to him? Would she honestly do that while he was in this condition? "Elizabeth, may I speak to you alone?"

She nodded and walked with him through the halls, waddling along. "I presume this is about Daniel."

"Is it really my son?" Gordo asked again, looking up at her as they walked. He felt so tiny compared to her. "Please, don't lie to me."

"He is your son. I can even tell you exactly when he was conceived," Lizzie commented casually. "Or did you forget about prom night, too?"

He mentally did the math as she spoke. "Were you ever going to tell me? I was still in college when I got into the accident…how did I end up here?"

"You were coming to see me…Matt told you…" She looked down. "Gordo, I meant to tell you, I just didn't know how…you said you didn't want a family."

"May I…touch you?" He asked, voice so tiny and mousy compared to the other movements in the hallway. She nodded, and gently reached down to take his hand, placing it gingerly on her stomach. The movement was rather powerful, even as he pushed against Gordo's hand. The child moved again before calming down. Lizzie smiled at the look of wonder on Gordo's face. "It's so…amazing. Has it been like that every day?"

"Not every day," She replied sadly, sitting in a chair. "He was rather quiet when you were in the coma. I presume it was because you guys were linked together somehow…I don't know, but it got me through the night. I hope you don't mind that I've been sleeping in your room lately…"

"No, I don't mind, I just…Lizzie, I just…" He took a deep breath and touched his chin, shaking his head. "Daniel?"

"I figured you would want a biblical name, being as spiritual as you are." She knelt beside him again, touching his hands. "What is the percentage?"

"What?" His blue eyes widened significantly from being startled. "Percentage?"

"That you'll walk again…what is it?"

"Thirty, but it isn't much. Lizzie, if you don't want to love me still, that's perfectly understandable…but…I would regret it if you walked away from me." He looked up at her, a smile crossing his lips. "Mostly because I can't run after you this time, but I would regret not being able to see my son – our son – grow up."

"I'm in this for the long haul, buddy. I'm not going anywhere this time." She answered, kissing his forehead. "And if you expect me to go anywhere, you're dead wrong. I won't walk away from you, even if you're okay and don't want me around. I'm staying around. We need you too much." She replied, taking his hand and placing it on her stomach. "Daniel needs you."

Three weeks later while Gordo was at a physical therapy appointment, he heard his cell phone ring, signaling he had a missed call. He looked up for a moment, scrolling to check the number. It was Lizzie's. He didn't think much of it until he got another call from his father. He picked it up, listening to the urgency on the other end. "David, we're en route to the hospital. Lizzie is having contractions. Meet us at the maternity ward."

He hung up quickly and looked over at his therapist with a bright smile. "I get to meet my son today."

"I'm happy for you, but you're not making any progress." The man whispered quietly as Gordo left in an excited hurry.

His mother walked with Lizzie through the emergency room doors just as he was coming around the corner. It was similar to when he first awoke, seeing her. But this time, she was in such excruciating pain, he wasn't sure it was the same girl. He moved to her side, grabbing her hand. "It's going to be okay, Elizabeth."

"No it isn't," She cried, bursting into tears. "It's too early!"

"Hey, listen," He whispered, kissing her hand. "A month isn't going to make or break a child. I was a month early and I came out just fine!" He could tell he wasn't helping, so he quieted down and looked away. "Never mind."

She filled out the paperwork, stopping to wince every so often. Clearly her tolerance for pain wasn't as high as his. She put a hand to her stomach gently and whispered something he couldn't hear. Likely a prayer. The nurse helped her into a wheelchair, turning to look at Gordo. "Are you the father?"

Hesitantly, he nodded a yes. "May…may I go with?"

The nurse looked to Lizzie, but she was too busy biting her lip. "Yes, I want him in the room with me…"

When Lizzie was situated in the bed, Gordo couldn't help but look away. It wasn't because of shyness, or fear, but he felt he wasn't ready to be with her. He loved her, he would be a father, he would be a husband if it so required, but being in this room didn't feel right. He looked up at her, taking her hand and holding tight. "Lizzie, I still have the engagement ring…" He took her hand and slid it onto her finger. "I would kneel, but certain circumstances won't allow me to. I love you, Elizabeth Brooke McGuire. And I want you to know I'm not leaving you until one of us dies. You're the only girl I have ever loved. The only other girl I will love as much as you is our daughter."

"I love you, Gordo…but aren't you supposed to ask first?" She demanded, biting down on her lip again in a wave of pain.

"I did, before this stupid wheelchair. You said yes then, why wouldn't you say yes now?" He questioned. "Are you…not in love with me anymore?"

She leaned over to kiss him, shaking her head. "No, baby, I love you."

Six hours passed before the rest of the McGuire clan arrived. Jo tried to fight her way into the room, but the nurses held her back. Matt sat smug outside the room, smirking every time he heard his sister scream. "She's a strong girl, she'll survive."

The Gordon's watched the family in fascination, but didn't speak.

Gordo, meanwhile, stood beside his girlfriend and held her hand, coaching her along. "Come on, Lizzie, you can do this. You're tougher than any girl I've ever met before, don't let this bring you down."

She squeezed his hand rather hard, her knuckles turning white, her voice cracking as she screamed. "Why didn't anyone tell me it would be so damn painful!"

"Because then you'd never want to have sex." The nurse commented, wiping her brow. "Elizabeth, you're doing amazing so far. We're going to move you to the delivery room shortly."

Gordo touched her hand gently and kissed her palm. "Baby, you're doing fine so far."

"I don' feel so fine, I feel so tired." She commented quietly, holding her breath for a moment. The spasms weren't as close as she had thought, but still enough to cause her to waver. Gordo reached into a cup and handed her an ice chip. "Thanks."

"It's the least I could do for putting you through this," He answered, voice full of bitterness towards his situation. "Baby, this is going to be okay, I swear to you."

"Elizabeth?" The doctor commented walking into the room. "Your mother would like to speak with you, if that's alright?"

She nodded. Jo breached the doors and started gushing over her daughter finally growing up, and her situation. She wasn't too happy about the age, but 'beggars can't be choosers', she commented. She looked to Gordo, her green eyes full of disbelief. "You're still in that chair? I would have suspected you'd come running at the first sign of Lizzie in pain!"

"Mom!" Lizzie shouted. "This is why you're not allowed in here!"

Jo murmured a goodbye before leaving, knowing she'd crossed a line. Gordo sat droopy eyed in the corner, yawning. "Baby, I'm tired."

"So am I," She whispered, laying back down, him resting his head against her shoulder. "I think Daniel can wait until the morning, right?"

"The nurse suggested taking a nap between contractions, I can wake you." Gordo suggested.

"No thanks, I think the contractions would wake me." The blonde replied, tangling a hand in his hair. She could still feel the scars where his stitches were, and there was still minor swelling in the back that caused him to get headaches and migraines, but it came with the territory. The girl wouldn't ease up on him. "I'll be alright, I think."

"I trust your judgment."

Several hours later, a nurse arrived in the room, looking between the two sleeping against each other. "Elizabeth, it seems you're fully dilated. Are you ready? Would you be needing any kind of pain medication?"

She shook her head rapidly, trying not to look at Gordo as she did so. "I'll be alright."

"Lizzie…don't be stupid…" Gordo tried to correct her.

She turned to him, bright eyed, red cheeked, teary eyed. "No! No, I don't want to become like you." She bit her lip hard when she realized her mistake. "I'm so sorry."

"No, it's fine, I get it." He looked up at her, blue eyes misty. "But I'd like you to remember I didn't choose to be like this. And I'm not choosing to stay like this. It's a temporary fix."

"I know," She whispered.

It was at least another hour before Daniel made his entrance. The child didn't cry, prompting Lizzie to worry. "Is he okay?"

Gordo sat up as well, hearing the urgency in Lizzie's voice. "Is he alive?"

The nurse placed a squirming child into Lizzie's arms, after cleaning and wrapping him in a blanket. He nestled against her chest and moved his fists in the air. As she stared down at him in wonder, she looked over at Gordo, sleeping soundly against her arm. "Baby," He didn't wake so she left him go. Kissing Daniel's forehead, she handed him back to the nurse.

Closing her eyes, she decided it was long overdue for her nap. She gingerly moved to lay down, her back aching in places she didn't know existed. Gordo still slept by her side, his quiet murmuring keeping her calm. He never talked in his sleep before; this must have been new because of the accident. She brushed his hair back gingerly and kissed his head. "We did it, baby, Daniel is okay."

When he awoke and asked where the baby was several hours later, Lizzie couldn't help but offer him a shy smile. She was cradling her son in her arms, feeding him as he squirmed. "He looks just like you,"

Gordo held out his hands to the infant, waiting for her to place the child in his arms. Cradling him close, he began to cry. "I promised to be better by now…to not be in this stupid chair anymore. I can't keep that promise anymore, but I hope you don't hate me for it. Your mommy more than makes up for it, I assure you." He gently touched his son's cheek. "You'll be good for mommy, right? Since daddy is only half a man…"

"Gordo?"

"Yes, Lizzie, my love?"

"You're conscious, that's all I wished for." She looked away. "I wanted Daniel to meet his daddy, I didn't care if you could walk or not. He met his daddy. I got my wish. You'll get yours, too."

"I don't think so, Liz…I haven't made any progress." Gordo commented.

"Slow progress…is still progress."

Sorry about the lack of updates. I really haven't been in the mood to write. This chapter is inspired heavily by CSI: NY, and partly by Itazura Na Kiss…and a little bit of Clannad. =)

Sorry about jumping around a lot during the birth. I wanted to cover certain plot details but not be too graphic.

There's still more to this story, obviously.