For some reason, Jim sitting next to her in his uniform in the doctor's office made her nervous. He held her hand tightly and watched her whenever he thought she wasn't looking. When she did look at him her squeezed her hand and bit his bottom lip nervously. Even in the stressful situation she felt compelled to kiss him. So she did, to help still both of their nervousness.

They both jumped when the door clicked open. The doctor was stone faced, not giving the couple a feeling in one direction or the other.

It seemed as if he took forever to pull up a stool. "So I have your test results." Jim's hand tightened on hers. "I'm sorry your pregnancy test is negative and it seems like you may be starting menopause."

Joyce sighed in relief and leaned into Jim's shoulder. Her relief spilled over into tears and Jim patted her hair thoughtfully, leaning forward to kiss her tears away.

"Thank you." She managed to squeak out to the doctor. He nodded solemnly before standing. "I wish you the best." He commented before heading for the door.

"Part of me wanted it, you know. To keep and grow a little piece of you. To make something with you. But I don't want another baby. I can't have another baby."

He climbed onto the examination table beside her and pulled her into his chest. "We're making plenty together, baby. And Jonathan and Will aren't mine by blood, but they're certainly my boys." He smoothed her hair with a big hand. "Besides. The new baby will be here any day now. We're going to be grandparents, baby."

Her sobbing intensified. "I'm too young to be a grandmother!" He laughed gently. "This doesn't mean your old. Just means your baby is having a baby. And he's going to be a great Daddy. And you're going to be the best grandma ever."

When her tears subsided he took her by the hand and lead her out to the truck. "What do you want your grandma name to be, anyway?" He asked.

"What?" "You know-" he commented. "Grandma, Gma, Granny, Nanna, Meemaw. What do you want the kid to call you when it gets older?"

She shrugged. "I haven't given it much thought. I called my grandparents grandma and grandaddy, but they were ancient." She laughed, remembering her mother's parents fondly.

"My Dad's parents were Nanny and Pop Pop. My Mom's were Meemaw and Pawpaw. So I think I wanna be Pawpaw." He said proudly with a smile.

"Has a nice ring to it." She said. "But all the grandma names just sound so old."

"What about Jojo?" He asked. "Pawpaw and Jojo." She took his hand across the seat, her eyes filled with unshed tears again. "Sounds wonderful, Pawpaw."

.

Over the course of the next few weeks Will and Jonathan made the first legal move of their lives. It was Will's idea, but Jonathan was the one to put it into motion. Neither wanted to carry on with their non existent father's last name. Jim teared up when the boys asked his permission to follow their Mom's lead and take his name. When Jonathan mentioned he wanted to do it because he wanted his son to be a Hopper, Jim left the room completely. Joyce smiled and took her eldest's hand, reassuring him that Jim was overjoyed at the idea. Joyce found the big man sitting at the foot of their bed, openly crying. After much coaxing he slid into bed with her and cried until he felt raw. He had lost Sarah. Diane had remarried. He had no siblings. He had just assumed his name would die with him. Now his entire new family was ready to adopt him and take his last name. And the new baby, he would carry on the Hopper name.

.

Weeks later Jim and Joyce stood in the kitchen after their shifts. It had been a particularly rough shift for both of them and they stood in mutual relief, just enjoying the closeness and warmth of the other. Joyce leaned against his broad chest backing him against the bar, her arms around his middle and her head against his chest. He stroked her hair idly, other hand smoothing her back. They both tensed at the sound of the phone.

Jonathan raced to it before either of them could move. He'd been on edge for days now. He rounded the corner after a few minutes, phone clutched to his ear. "It's time! We gotta go!"

Jim picked a leather couch in the waiting room and pulled Joyce into his lap, grabbing her nervous hands with his and stilling them. Will slumped into the couch at Joyce's feet. "Everything's going to be fine." Jim whispered into her hair. "A beautiful little boy is about to be born, and we're going to spoil him rotten. And I know he'll be your nephew, Will, but you'll be able to teach him stuff like a big brother."

"My brother's about to be a Dad." Will said forlornly.

"It's a pretty rewarding job." Jim said, flashing the kid a half grin that he hoped was as sincere as he felt.

They greeted Ted and Karen as they rushed into the waiting room, Karen immediately heading into the back to be with Nancy.

.

Jim was fast asleep, his head thrown back into the couch cushions. Will slept soundly as well, tucked under Jim's arm and into the man's side. Joyce fidgeted in his lap, flipping through the same magazine for the last twenty minutes. He wished she too could sleep so soundly, but it had been five hours and still no baby.

The doors to the room flung open, startling the three of them. "Baby's here!" Jonathan breathed. Joyce met him at the door and he sank into her arms, a broad grin plastered across his handsome face. "Eight and a half pounds. Twenty inches."

Jim lay a hand on the back of the younger man's neck and pulled him in for a tight hug. "Welcome to the Dad club, kid."

Ted offered Jonathan a hand, congratulating him over a handshake.

When Will looked up at him with big owl eyes, Jonathan went down to one knee and hugged his little brother tightly. "You're an uncle now, big guy."

.

Nancy was exhausted, but she smiled brightly at Joyce and Jim. Joyce took her hand immediately. "I'm so proud of you! You did so well!" Jim stepped over to the cradle in the corner or the room. The beautiful little boy lay sleeping, his little hands in fists at his face. Jim reached for Joyce and pulled her into his side to look at the tiny wonder.

"Nancy, Jonathan, he's beautiful!" Joyce gushed, holding her husband's hand.

Jim reached in to smooth a finger against the baby's thin golden hair. "He looks like Daddy." He commented.