Mary Lou could not sleep. Oh the joys of pregnancy with twins. She was peeing ever ten minutes it seemed, but now she felt like she had wet herself.

Wait, what? She got up out of bed.

Was her water broken?

This felt more like a drip… wasn't it supposed to be a big gush?

And of course, Bobby was on duty. Well, Ric and Rachel were only two doors down. She got up and pulled on a dress and loose bra. God, her boobs were gigantic. She managed to put on her slippers- he only choice of footwear since none of the other shoes fit her fat swollen feet.

Finally dressed and moving around the apartment, the back pain that had plagued her all day seemed to sharpen. By the time she got down the hall to the door of the Manoso apartment, the pain was splitting her in half. She pounded on the door and it was only a moment before a shirtless Ric opened the door. If she wasn't in so much pain, she might have admired the look of him.

Mary Lou couldn't speak with the contraction and Ric scooped her up and brought her straight into the master bedroom like she weighed no more than a feather, bless the man. Rachel was still sleepy, but Ric was fully alert and focused. And calm.

Mary Lou was frightened. There was no break in the pain and at her cry, Rachel was awake fully. Ric gave her directions, asked for what he needed.

Call 911 for a pregnant woman, twin delivery

The unread newspaper

Aluminum foil

The vodka the was unopened

A bowl

Towels

The laces from her new unworn sneakers

Rachel gathered the odd assortment of items and followed the directions Ric gave her.

"Get behind Mary Lou so she is between your legs and leaning her back on your front. Speak calmly to her. Encourage her."

Rachel had no idea how Ric knew exactly what to do, but in moments, there was a lusty cry from the first of the Brown twins to arrive. After sterilizing a pair of scissors in the Vodka, Rachel watched her husband use her laces to tie of the no longer pulsing cord in two places and then cut it between the two ties, wrap the tiny boy in newsprint, and then add a wrapping of aluminum foil before handing the baby to Mary Lou. The two women sat together and Rachel viewed the baby over Mary Lou's shoulder. "He is so beautiful."

In another moment, the afterbirth was delivered to the large bowl and Ric covered it with a towel and set it on the dresser. He knew the doctors would want to examine it when Mary Lou got to the hospital.

There was a knock at the door and Ric left them, saying, "I believe the cavalry has arrived."

Once Mary Lou and her first born were loaded into the ambulance, Ric and Rachel went back to the Brown apartment and stripped the bed linens and loaded the washer. Then Ric started a stew, knowing Bobby would be hungry when he finally made it home. By the time it was simmering, Rachel had been joined by some of the women who had been at Mary Lou's shower. They urged Rachel to rest, that they would clean the bathroom, vacuum and set the apartment to rights. They ushered both Manosos out.

"You have both gone above and beyond."

Back at home, Ric kissed Rachel's forehead. "You were amazing with Mary Lou."

"You delivered her baby. Like it was nothing. All I did was what you told me to." Rachel was amazed by this man she married. It seemed there was nothing he couldn't do.

"You remained calm and jumped right in- not everyone can do that Rachel. You did a great job and I am really proud of you."

Rachel felt her cheeks warm with the praise.

"It will be us next," Ric said thoughtfully. "But we are ready."

Rachel wished she shared Ric's confidence. "I am scared," she whispered.

"Rachel, I promise you I will be beside you every minute. You will not go through this alone.

Ric didn't tell her he had called her mother and asked her to travel up at his expense. That her mother refused to even consider it.

"You are the biggest mistake my daughter ever made, and I have no intention of rewarding her wanton behavior." Her mother hated his ass. And that wasn't going to change any time soon.

It had been Rachel's step father who pushed for a pre-nuptial agreement before Ric married Rachel, to protect the inheritance Rachel had received from her late father. Ric didn't argue with it- he was actually impressed that her step father seemed to be looking out for her best interests. In the case of a divorce, each of them would keep their assets. Both men agreed it only fair. Ric, in turn, asked that until Rachel was able to access the funds at 21, that her mother remain her trustee, so there was no question of the money being accessed.

But the rift between Rachel and her family remained, and Ric knew Rachel hurt from the rejection. And there was nothing he could do to make it better for her.

The Brown twins were a bright spot for Rachel. She spent her free time helping Mary Lou, which gave her the opportunity to practice many of the skills she would need to take care of her daughter, when she arrived. Little Samuel and David were sweet babies and she loved letting them in turn rest on her belly, where they promptly fell asleep. And Rachel being there allowed Mary Lou to shower, do laundry and rest. It got even easier when Abuela Rosa arrived and brought her own kind of magic. She cooked, cleaned and did laundry, busy every moment. She practiced with Rachel until her Spanish was perfect and sang a Spanish lullaby that never failed to help the boys sleep. Ric loved his Abuela being there as company and support for his young wife, because the planning for his team's next mission was moving quickly which meant some long nights. Tank would be leading this mission, the hope being to gain intelligence on Lester's location and condition. While his leg injury had healed and he was almost back to full fitness, Ric would be part of the Control Center team for this outing.

"Captain, I know you prefer the field, but I need you on the bench this time around," The Colonel had instructed him. "Not only to allow your leg to fully heal, and you learn the logistics from this end, which will be helpful in the future."

He didn't say, "It will also to allow you to be with your young wife when her time comes." Bur Ric felt the gentle scold. Marrying an underage child he got pregnant had raised a couple of red flags during his evaluation of fitness for duty.

Would he be paying for his lapse in judgment over and over? Possibly.

He certainly would not be making Major any time soon. He knew he was young for it but until his hasty marriage to a minor, it seemed like he would be fast-tracked- he was the epitome of what a Ranger was. His team had even started calling him Ranger, because he was the best of the best.

Then Rachel.

Did he deserve to pay for being a complete ass? Absolutely. No doubt about it. And he grew more sure every day.