Hey everyone! Remember me? Yeah, I know its been forever since I updated this fic. But the good news is, IT IS NOW DONE, so that means this is my 2nd story now completed! WOOT WOOT! Thanks all of you for the reviews, and AmyHale for being an awesome beta and helping me with my ideas! Enjoy!

Chapter 15

One week later...

Addison woke up to the sound of her daughter's cries coming from the nursery. She checked the clock on her bedside table, groaning when she saw it was 2 in the morning. She and Sam had been taking turns frequently throughout the night, some to feed her and others to simply check on their newborn daughter. Sam opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"I can get this one if you want," he told her, yawning hugely. "You should rest." It had been a week since they brought Ella home, and Addison was loving every minute of being a mother, aside from the constant crying. She was a frequent visitor in Cooper's office, insisting on having him examine her each time Ella uttered a sound.

"She's fine, Addison," he said one day in an exasperated tone of voice. He took off his stethoscope and placed it on the table after making sure Ella's heart and lungs were working properly.

"Then why won't she stop crying?" Addison demanded. "Check her again, you might have missed something!" Cooper tried very hard not to roll his eyes. He knew Addison was being over protective but was afraid to say so, not wanting to hurt her feelings. Instead he said patiently,

"Addison, it's probably just colic. Some babies have it worse than others, you know that. She'll outgrow it. You just have to be patient." Addison carefully picked her daughter from the exam table and rocked her gently back and forth. Her cries tore at her heart and she hated having her daughter in pain.

"What can I do?" she asked him tearfully as Ella continued shrieking at the top of her lungs. "There must be something."

"Just be patient," Cooper said to her as she gathered her things. "Try a warm bath, or take her out for a stroll, sometimes that helps to distract them." Addison nodded tiredly.

"I'll try that," she said, swallowing a huge yawn. "Thanks, Coop." Cooper smiled at her warmly.

"When was the last time you've slept?" he asked as she yawned again. Addison had to think for a minute before answering.

"You know, I'm not actually sure."

"You need to sleep, Addie." he said kindly, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. "You look exhausted." Addison glared at him and he chuckled.

"I know, I know. You hate it when people say that. But really, though. You can't continue like this. It's not healthy."

"Not healthy," Addison mumbled as she reached into the crib to pick up her screaming daughter. The second she touched her, she knew something was wrong.

"Sam!" she shouted, bringing the baby to her chest. "Sam get in here!" She felt Ella's forehead, it was burning up. Sam ran into the nursery, eyes still heavy with sleep as he glanced at Addison wearily.

"What's wrong?" he asked, watching as Addison continued touching Ella's forehead.

"She has a fever." Sam hesitated for a moment, unsure if Addison was being serious this time.

"Dont just stand there, help me!" She snapped. Sam sighed and placed his own hand on his daughter's forehead.

"She's fine, Addie," he said after looking Ella over. "Fresh as a cucumber."

"Are you sure?" Addison frowned, her hand reaching under Ella's night shirt to feel her belly. It felt fine to her now. Addison blinked a few times, surprised.

"Maybe we should call Cooper. I swear she was warm a minute ago."

"Addison, Ella is fine. Trust me on this, will you? There is nothing wrong with our daughter." Addison wasn't convinced.

"Why is she crying, then?" she demanded as Ella continued to shriek. Sam shrugged.

"I don't know. She might be hungry. I'll prepare a bottle for her, why don't you stay here and make yourself comfortable?" Addison nodded and settled herself into the rocking chair, hoping the motion would soothe her daughter a little while Sam prepared her breakfast.

It only made her cry louder though, and Addison instantly stopped the rocking.

"Please, stop crying baby girl," she whispered as her own eyes filled with tears. She kept rocking her back and forth, rubbing her back gently, but with no avail. Sam appeared a moment later and handed her the bottle.

"Thanks," she murmured, bringing the bottle to Ella's mouth. She sucked hungrily and Addison sighed with relief as she watched her little girl feed.

"Look at her go!" Sam exclaimed as Ella devoured her breakfast. "Looks like she inherited daddy's appetite." Addison laughed and put down the now empty bottle, then brought Ella to her chest to be burped. She let out a loud belch but immediately continued to cry loudly. Addison sighed.

"I was hoping that a meal would get her to stop crying," she said with a hint of desperation in her voice. "I don't know what else to do." Sam opened his arms.

"Let me try." he offered. Addison reluctantly handed the baby to him. She continued to wail at the top of her lungs.

"You're not doing it right," Addison said as Sam turned Ella onto her stomach. "She hates to be held that way." Ella's crying began to slow down as Sam gently rubbed circles on her back. Addison watched in awe, and also feeling a little hurt.

"Damn it," she muttered, wiping away a tear that rolled down her cheek.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked. Ella was only whimpering now and Addison cursed herself for not being able to help her own daughter.

"Nothing." Addison murmured, standing up from the rocking chair. She was about to head out of the room when Sam put up a hand to stop her.

"Addison. Talk to me, honey. What is it?" Addison sighed heavily as her eyes filled with tears. She scrunched up her face to prevent them from falling but they spilled over anyway. Sam reached out and brushed them away with his free hand.

"Addison, talk to me, please!" he said desperately. He placed a now sleeping Ella into her crib and tilted Addison's chin up, gently forcing her to look at him.

"I'm a bad mom," she managed to whisper as tears streamed down her face. Sam's eyes widened in shock.

"What? Addie, how can you say that? You are a great mom." Addison shook her head.

"I thought it would be easier, I thought I would be better, but..." she glanced down to the floor. "I am a doctor, Sam!" she said after taking a couple of deep breaths. "I am a doctor. I spent my whole life taking care of babies, and yet I can't even take care of my own. I couldn't get her to stop crying, and yet, you were able to within a few seconds. What does that say about me?" She paused and smiled down at her sleeping daughter, stretching out a hand to gently stroke the baby's cheek. "I love her more than anything, Sam. I just...I can't believe I..." Sam put a finger to her lips to cut off whatever else she had to say.

"Stop," he said firmly, wiping away her tears with his thumb. "Listen to me, Addison. You are a great mom."

"But..."she started to protest but he cut her off again.

"Let me finish. It was easy for me because I have done this before, with Maya. But you, you've never experienced the joy of taking care of one of your own. Sure, you've taken care of other people's babies, but it's not the same when you have your own. Every baby is different, Addison." she sighed heavily as she watched her daughter sleep.

"I didn't think it would be so hard," she whispered. "When we brought her home, I thought it would be a piece of cake."

"I know," Sam said softly. "It's hard, and it takes practice and getting used to things. But you can do this, Addie. I have faith in you." Addison managed a small smile.

"I love you," she whispered. "Thank you for being so patient with me." Sam smiled back and kissed her softly on the lips.

"I love you too. You and Ella are the best things that ever happen to me. I can't imagine my life without either one of you." Addison gasped as he produced a small black box from his pocket and got down on one knee. He opened the box to reveal a shiny, delicate ring.

"Addison Adrienne Forbes Montgomery, I love you and our daughter more than you can imagine. I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of you, and I promise that I will never, ever hurt you. Will you marry me?" Addison stared at him as fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

"You planned this for a while, didn't you?" she asked him. Sam grinned.

"Yes. I wanted to wait and take you out for a fancy dinner and propose at the restaurant, but I figured you wouldnt like all the attention." Addison let out a shaky laugh.

"You know me well," she said as she stuck out her hand. "Yes, Sam. I will marry you." He gently slipped the ring on her finger and kissed her hand.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "For making me the happiest person in the world. I love you, Addie."

"I love you too, Sam." she threw her arms around his neck and showered his face in kisses. She let out a squeal when Sam lifted her up off the floor.

"Sam!" she giggled as he carried her to their bedroom. "What are you doing?"

"Celebration sex," he answered. "You up for it?"

"Do you have to ask? Of course I am!" he placed her gently on the bed, and began to show her exactly how much he loved her.

~*THE END*~

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