I finished my outline for this fic yesterday and it'll be ten chapters in total. This chapter takes place end of December, then the next will be a little over a month later. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, you guys are absolutely the best.

"Come on, it's Christmas, we gotta get a picture of you guys under mistletoe. That's like, the ultimate couple cliché."

Walter cocked his head, glancing at Paige. "I thought the thing about mistletoe is you're supposed to find yourself under it accidentally."

Toby thought about that for a moment. "No."

"They do it that way in movies," Sylvester said.

"Doesn't matter, Rudolph," Toby said, holding up the camera. "Come on, Walter, Paige, get under that threshold."

"Will you please stop calling me Rudolph?"

"When that red nose of yours goes back to its normal color."

"So I had an allergic reaction to the adhesive on my snowman costume," Sylvester said. "Ha – ha. Rudolph. Very funny."

"Come on, Walter," Paige said, tugging on his sleeve. He sighed, nodding, and let her lead him to the mistletoe.

"There we go," Toby said. "Then we'll have to get one of me and the missus."

"You think we can both fit turned sideways in that doorway?" Happy said, running her pointer fingers over her stomach.

"You can turn sideways."

Walter glanced up as he and Paige positioned themselves under the mistletoe, making sure he was directly below it. Despite her earlier encouragement, Paige seemed hesitant now that they were there. She drew her lower lip under slightly, looking at him. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said quietly. Too quietly. "Yeah."

"Do you want me to count down, or..."

She shook her head, and he saw a hint of laughter in her eyes. Smiling, he put his hands on her cheeks and leaned in, capturing her lips with his. He felt her hold him around the waist, pulling him closer. She'd been eating pine nuts earlier and her taste was tinged with pine. Walter thought it was kind of trippy.

"There we go," he said with a smile when their lips separated. She smiled back at him.

"Aw, crap."

They turned to look at Toby. "What's the matter?" Paige asked.

"I didn't get the picture."

Walter cocked his head. "Huh?"

"I was...I was watching you guys. I forgot to take the picture." Toby held the camera up to his face. "Do it again."

"O...kay," Paige said, wiping her mouth on her sleeve and nodding at the behaviorist. Turning back to Walter, she raised her eyebrows. "Take two?"

"Uh. Sure." He certainly wasn't going to complain about kissing her, but...

The past six weeks had been easy. He'd long been contenting himself with just being around her, something he'd enjoyed immensely from the day they'd met, and now that he was going home with her almost every night, he was around her almost all the time. They'd completely moved past the awkwardness that was their first few days of marriage, and it felt like he had her back again, the Paige that made him so happy just to talk to.

He still loved her. He still loved her so much sometimes it hurt when he couldn't fall asleep and laid awake next to her, hearing her breathing, feeling her body heat trapped under their shared comforter, but he was learning to be contented with their closeness, and he'd be lying if he said it wasn't incredibly satisfying to know that they spent more time together than with anyone else.

But the more they did things like this, the more they had to act like a couple in love for the cameras, or for their Immigration case worker, who was dropping by more and more often as the case was expedited, the harder it was to ignore the intense desire he had to be with her in a completely real sense. He wanted to kiss her, not just under the mistletoe. He wanted to hold her when it wasn't for the photo album. He wanted to have more than one primal encounter with her to draw from when talking about their intimate life.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Cabe asked, walking into the room. "We ready to get this party started?" He looked at Walter and Paige. "Ah, staged mistletoe pictures. Nice. And he-he-hey, what's up with Rudolph here?"

"Okay," Sylvester said, heading back toward the main area of the garage, where the party would be. "I'll be out there when you guys are done."

"We're almost there," Toby said. "Just got to get a couple good ones of the O'Briens smooching under the romantic plant. Walter," he said after a moment, "that's your cue."

He leaned in again, brushing his lips gently along Paige's. She caught his lower lip between hers, running her teeth gently along it, making him moan ever so quietly into her mouth. The piney taste was elevated, but he was starting to think that the high wasn't from that. She slid her arms around his neck, stepping closer, and he wrapped his around her waist. A hug and a kiss. Simultaneously. Efficient, and Immigration will eat it up.

He heard the clicks of the camera, but took an extra moment before pulling away.

The team had decided to take a week off between Christmas and New Year's, "and cross your fingers the world doesn't need us and we actually get the week off," Cabe had said when they were finished cleaning up the Christmas party.

Just three days later and they were together again, but Paige thought to herself, thankfully, it wasn't because of a planetary crisis.

No. This reason was much better.

"They said it wouldn't be too long now," Sylvester said. "Last we heard, she was almost ready to push."

"That can take a long time, though," Paige said. "When I was pregnant with Ralph, they said that part averages over an hour for first time mothers."

"How long did Ralph take?" He asked. "Once you got to this part, I mean."

"Just under an hour. Though if you asked Drew what my answer would be, he'd probably say 'four days' because that's what it felt like."

Sylvester shook his head. "Poor Happy."

"Just wait until she sees him," Paige said. "Every second of this will be worth it. You're too busy wondering what in the world you're going to do with all this new love you feel that you didn't know you had the capacity to possess. That can be incredibly overwhelming but when you know that little baby is your outlet and you can pour all that love into him, you've never been more grateful to be overwhelmed."

"Any news?"

Paige jumped as Walter re – entered the waiting room, suddenly very glad that he hadn't been there for her conversation with Sly. "No. Nothing since we saw Toby last."

"It's been almost two hours."

"We know." Paige patted the seat next to her. "Come sit down and relax. It's going to be fine."

Walter dropped down next to her, exhaling loudly. His foot began to tap nervously. "Hey." Paige put a hand on his knee, pressing down to stop the drumming. "She's going to be fine. People do this every day, you know."

"I know," Walter said, folding his hands and staring off into space.

"I'm nervous too," Sylvester told his brother. He sighed. "She's one of ours."

"Toby!" Paige said – or rather, nearly shrieked – when she saw the behaviorist come through the door. "Oh my God, what..."

He gave them all a big grin. "I'm a dad."

Paige flung herself in his direction, causing him to stagger backward, and before she could release him from the embrace she felt Walter and Sly piling on, giving their congratulations. "Oh my gosh," she said. "How's Happy?"

"She's...she's great. She's incredible, she..." he was shaking his head. "I've seen women give birth before but...it's all so much more amazing when it's your person, you know?" He smiled. "God, I love her so much."

"Tell us about Junior!" Sly said, slapping Toby on the back.

"Where's Cabe?"

"He's down in cardiology. I guess a patient there is one of his old colleagues and he hasn't had any visitors," Paige said. "I'm texting him right now so he'll be up soon. But come on, tell us about him!"

"Well, firstly," Toby said. "We were wrong about that."

Walter and Sly cocked their heads, but Paige understood. "You have a daughter."

"Yep." He nodded. "I don't know what they were seeing on the ultrasounds but...but it's definitely not what they thought it was. Usually mistakes are made the other way, you know, you think it's a girl and then nope, surprise! But not this time."

"So, what?" Sly asked with a smirk. "Tobette Merriweather Curtis?"

"No," Toby said. "I would not do that to her. We will figure out a name in due time. Right now...right now you guys need to come meet her."

"Are they ready to see people?" Paige asked.

"She was born thirty minutes ago," Toby said. "Everyone is fine. She's got a great APGAR and Happy's great. She actually asked if I'd bring you guys in."

"How..." Paige hesitated. Despite all her talks with Toby over the past six months, she wasn't at all sure how to ask the question she had on her tongue.

"She's great," Toby said. "She's...she's not like you would be. But she loves her so much."

He led them down the hall, knocking on the door before opening it.

Happy lay upright in the bed, an I.V. in her arm and an oxygen tube running under her nose. She didn't smile – but her eyes lit up – when she saw them. "Hey, fellas."

Paige gave a cheerful verbal greeting as she stared down at the little baby in Happy's arms. She couldn't see much of her, all wrapped up in the hospital blankets that were featured in most first photos on social media – but the newest Curtis had dark eyes, Happy's nose, and black hair – lots and lots of it.

This was most definitely Happy's daughter.

"Oh Happy," Sylvester was saying, a hand to his mouth. "She is absolutely gorgeous."

"She's tough, too," Happy said proudly as Toby leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Cried for like, two seconds then realized there's nothing here worth getting all bothered about. Instead of whining about the light, she just closed her eyes. But she's getting used to it now."

Paige smiled at the pride in the other woman's voice.

"I can see you, Dineen," Happy said with a smirk. "You want to hold her?"

"Oh, yes please," she said eagerly, walking closer to the bed and reaching her arms out. Happy started to lift the newborn up, then stopped, shooting Paige a warning look. "Ralph hasn't been this little in a long time. You be careful."

"Yes Happy," Paige said, amused as she remembered just how protective she'd been when others – even Drew – held newborn Ralph.

She gathered the baby into her arms, looking down. Happy and Toby's daughter stared right back up at her, her large eyes focusing as best as they could on Paige's face. "Hi there, little...girl," she said, remembering that as of yet, she had no name. "Hi. You're so precious. You look just like your Mommy."

"You know, O'Brien," Toby said, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You know what would look really good on your marriage evaluation?"

"Toby," Walter said warningly.

"I see how you're looking at her right now," Toby hissed, under his breath. Paige knew she wasn't supposed to overhear and pretended that she didn't.

"Well, if that isn't a lovely sight," came Cabe's voice as he entered the room.

"You want to hold her?" Paige asked. "I mean..." she looked at Happy, who had her eyes raised in amusement. "I mean if..."

"He can hold her," Happy said. "But you see how Paige is doing it? You do the same thing. That's the best way. The safest way."

"I think I got it," Cabe said, an amused twinkle in his eyes as Paige passed the baby to him. "So...she, eh? Does she have a name?"

"Not yet," Toby said.

"Alright. Well," he said, looking down at the newest member of the group. "For now I'll just call you precious."