SIMON

The next few hours are a flurry of paperwork. Samantha Wang gives Baz and me a pile of forms. Agatha has to sign them too, but I insist that we let her get some sleep first. Samantha looks mildly put out by that (it is the middle of the night), but she acquiesces eventually.

"We'll have to go to the British Consulate and get her registered as an English citizen," I tell Baz as we work through the stack in front of us. "Since she was born on US soil." Baz gapes at me like he's never seen me before.

"What?" I say with a shrug. "I'm an orphan, remember? I know everything there is to know about adoption. It's basically all I talked about as a kid."

"I guess," Baz says. "I'm just trying to remember if I've ever heard you say something so intelligent."

"Baz!" I whine, elbowing him in the arm. He laughs.

Micah wakes up and Penny berates him ruthlessly for being so useless and pathetic. (I love Penny. I really, really do. But Crowley am I glad I'm not married to her.)

Eventually Agatha wakes up too, she signs Samantha's forms, and Natasha is officially our daughter. Micah breaks out a bottle of champagne that he was hiding who knows where (I think he shrunk it to fit in his pocket even though you're not supposed to do that with bottles of liquid since the pressure can make them burst), and we all toast to the newest member of our family.

"To Natasha," Micah says.

"To Natasha," we all agree.

"So," Bunce says. "Snow-Pitch huh? How's your father going to feel about that one Baz?" Baz shrugs.

"He has four other children named Grimm. Snow-Grimm-Pitch was just too long to subject any child to. And besides, he'll be so happy to have a granddaughter, I don't think he'll mind very much."

We pass around champagne. We pass around Natasha (even Agatha holds her for a bit). We laugh and joke and it feels so wonderful that I can't remember ever being this happy.

Eventually though, the nurse comes in to remind us that this is a hospital and can we please keep it down. Then we realize how exhausted we are and we all fall asleep in Agatha's room, leaning against each other in our cheap plastic hospital chairs.

The doctor comes in to examine Agatha and Natasha and declares them both fit to leave. We go back to Penny's and have another party (punctuated by multiple feedings and diaper changes). I know how to change a diaper. I often had to help out with the babies in the children's homes, all the older kids did. But Baz, despite having four younger siblings, has never changed one.

"So you put this here?" he asks, sliding the diaper around like it's a particularly fragile and slippery fish. I laugh.

"No, it goes here." I show him. I laugh again because I've never seen him look so flustered. But he figures it out. Quickly. Of course he does.

"Isn't there a spell for this?" Penny asks as she watches the spectacle.

"No," Baz replies. "I've checked. Over and over."

"You'd think there would be," Penny says thoughtfully. "Like, time for a change or who's got a poopy diaper or something." She eyes Natasha hungrily and both Baz and I move to block her.

"You're not experimenting on my daughter Bunce," Baz says firmly and I nod fervently in agreement. There are some things I don't trust even Penny to do. Penny sighs.

"Maybe this is why no one has developed a spell," she says.

"There doesn't need to be a spell," Agatha says, clearly exasperated. "Just change the stupid diaper. They say it's a bonding experience."

"Then you do it," Penny says.

"I'm not supposed to bond with her Penny. Remember? Besides, I don't see you volunteering to do it."

"I'm letting the fathers have the first crack at it," Penny replies.

"How generous of you," Baz says, but I can tell he's suppressing a grin with enormous difficulty.

There are many more volunteers when it comes to feeding. Again, I'm the only one who knows how, but Baz, Penny, and Micah all want to learn. They crowd around me and watch as I support Natasha's head and angle the bottle correctly, then they all want to try. Everyone except Agatha. She's just sitting on the couch, staring out the window. Baz has Natasha safely tucked away in his arms, and is busy fending off an over-eager Penny and Micah, so I slip away to sit next to her.

"Hey," I say.

"Hey," Agatha replies.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore. And tired."

"Are you up for a walk?" Agatha gives me pained look.

"Simon, I don't really think…" but I don't wait for her to finish. I stand and hold out my hand.

"Come on," I say. "We won't go far." Agatha looks like she's fighting with herself, but she sighs and takes my hand.

Everyone's busy fussing over Natasha, so no one notices when we head out. Agatha really doesn't have it in her to walk too much, but I just wanted to get her alone. It's a beautiful day, so we sit in the yard and watch the chickens mull around.

"Are you ok?" I ask.

"I'm fine Simon," she says. "I'm just exhausted. I just had a baby."

"I know. And I'm really glad you're ok, but I'm not asking about that. Are you ok with all this? With giving us Natasha." Agatha sighs.

"Why are you asking me this Simon? She's already yours. The forms are signed and everything."

"Forms are just paper. They can be changed if you want them to be."

"Simon, are you having second thoughts?"

"Of course not! I just want to make sure you're not. She is your baby." Agatha sighs again and stares out into the distance.

"I'm not," she says. "I'm really not. I made up my mind a long time ago, even before I knew she had magic. It's just…I never realized how hard it would be." She bites her lip.

"Simon," she says, looking down at her hands. "Can I cry?"

"Of course," I say. It really seems like she was waiting for permission because tears instantly begin streaming down her face. I put my arms around her and pull her close, and she sobs into my shoulder.

We stay like that until Agatha stops crying. It takes a while, but eventually she pulls away from me and wipes her eyes.

"Thanks Simon," she says. "I think I needed that."

"No problem. I could tell." She looks away from me, but she smiles faintly.

"You always could. You always knew. And you were always there for me." I shake my head.

"No I wasn't. I had no idea how miserable you were our eighth year. And when I did realize it, I didn't do anything about it."

"That's because Baz was missing and you were going crazy. You were probably already in love with him by then." I'm not sure when exactly I fell in love with Baz. I've thought about it, but I really don't know. The realization sort of hit me like a brick wall and I acted instantly (or maybe I acted first, then realized it; it all happened too quickly for me to process), but I must have loved him before then. But I don't think I loved him when I was dating Agatha. I think I was only obsessed with him at that point (not that those two things are that far apart, but still…)

"Maybe," I say. "But I don't think so. I think I was just a shitty boyfriend." Agatha actually laughs.

"Yeah, you kind of were. But I did love you Simon. As a friend, always. I still do. You know that right?" I nod.

"I love you too Agatha. I miss you." She sighs.

"I miss you too Simon. But I can't let you back into my life. I don't want updates on Natasha. I don't want you to send me pictures, or tell me how she's doing. Penny will be bad enough at that. I can't get it from you too." That hurts. I was hoping that Agatha might be around again. She would still live in California, but maybe we could talk every once in a while. Even after all this time, she's still one of the people I care most about. But I understand. I can't even begin to imagine what she must be going through right now. But I also don't want to let her go completely.

"What about once a year?" I suggest. "Why don't we talk once a year? On Christmas or something. Just to say hi. I won't even mention Natasha unless you bring her up." Agatha thinks about that for a minute, but then she looks at me and gives me a grateful smile.

"Yeah," she says. "Once a year. I'd like that. Thanks Simon. For understanding." I return her smile.

"I try."

SIMON

Agatha wants to take a nap, so we head back inside. Penny and Micah are sitting on the couch, drinking tea.

"Where's Baz?" I ask.

"In your room," Penny says. "Natasha seemed tired and he claimed we were being too loud."

"I can't imagine why," I say. Penny grins.

I head upstairs to the guest room Baz and I are using. Baz gives me a nasty look when I open the door, but he relaxes when he sees it's me.

"Simon," Baz says, keeping his voice down. "Thank magic. I thought it was Bunce. How do you get her to stop talking?"

"I don't." Baz chuckles and I go over to him. Natasha's asleep in his arms and he's rocking her back and forth gently. I can't get over how beautiful she is.

"So how was Agatha?" Baz asks. I shrug.

"I told her I love her." Baz raises an eyebrow.

"Did you now?" I suppress a laugh (I don't want to wake Natasha) and give Baz a kiss.

"Yeah, but she rejected me," I say. "I think she thinks I'm too obsessed with you or something."

"Don't know what gave her that idea." Baz smirks and I suppress another laugh. Then I kiss Baz again. And again. And again.

Still not the end!