This is the last chapter of this story. It's time for happiness!

Thanks to my awesome betas Wolfmusic and ReeseisLAVAhot, you guys really elevate my fic to the next level with all your great suggestions!

Chapter 12 – Birth of an Alpha

Step two of Joss's recovery began as her nesting instincts kicked into overdrive. Fortunately, Dr. Cho allowed her to get out of bed as long as she used a wheelchair. giving her some mobility, so Finch had exactly the right project in mind that would keep her busy and allow her to prepare for the baby's arrival.

After the last round of apartment hunting, Finch had a pretty good idea of what the Carter/Reese family wanted now and the area the family needed to live in. He knew that Joss didn't want it to be too big, John wanted fortress-like security, and Taylor wanted it close to his school and friends.

Reviewing his list of available properties, Finch realized that he knew of the perfect place. He decided to show Joss, John and Taylor a large four bedroom apartment in a former industrial complex that one of his companies was renovating into high end, high security living spaces. Its location was the perfect compromise between the library, the 8th precinct and Taylor's school. Finch loaded the Carter/Reese family into the Lincoln and headed for what he hoped would be their new home.

From the outside the building looked about as cozy as a prison. The walls were thick concrete devoid of any ornamentation. The windows were glazed with a coating that allowed the occupants to see out, but prevented anyone on the outside from seeing in, which turned them into black holes on the side of the building. There was no mistaking the building's industrial pedigree and as soon as Joss saw it, she wanted to turn around and flee from the starkness of it.

But she trusted Finch, so instead of ordering him to turn the car around, she allowed herself to be wheeled into the lobby in her wheelchair. As soon as she saw the interior, she was glad she had trusted Finch and made a mental note to never doubt the dear little man ever again.

The lobby was very soothing and homey. It was all rich wood and muted earth tones that made her feel relaxed and content, like she could come home to this place after a long day of dealing with the scum of New York.

Despite its welcoming interior the building was still highly secure. The elevator required an access card before it would even open and another swipe of the access card before it would go to the top floor where the apartment was located. They would have the entire floor to themselves, not even the other residents of the building would have access.

The elevator dinged cheerfully when it reached the top floor and the doors slid open to reveal a short hallway, painted and carpeted in the same soothing earth tones, ending in a large door that was painted in a contrasting tone to the walls. At first glance it was just a door, but a closer inspection revealed the door was heavy duty steel that would take at least an hour to cut through with a commercial cutting torch.

Finch pointed out the security cameras aimed at the elevator door and the entrance to the apartment and a less obvious one hidden in a vent in case the other cameras were disabled. Not only did the camera feeds go to the monitors inside the apartment, they also went to the library so he and John could monitor the home from there if needed.

A number pad was next to the door to the apartment and Finch quickly tapped in a six digit code while he explained that the pad was also tied to the library so if someone tried to tamper with it Finch could be notified and change the combination in seconds. Once the code was input, the door clicked and smoothly slid open with barely a whisper. John lifted an eyebrow, "I'm impressed, Finch. I've been in bunkers that stored nuclear weapons that weren't this this secure."

Finch looked over at his friend and employee with a wide-eyed expression, "I don't think I want to hear that story, Mr. Reese."

"No, you don't," John confirmed cheerfully with a smirk. "But don't worry, it wasn't one of ours."

They called the apartment The Bunker after that.

The door opened into an entryway with coat hooks, shelves, and a bench for putting on and taking off shoes and boots. A left turn brought them into the rest of the apartment and they paused there looking the place over.

The common area included the living room, dining room, and kitchen all in one large room. The room was large enough for a growing family and entertaining, but not too large that it couldn't be warm and inviting. The hardwood floor was a rich medium hue, the kitchen cabinets were stained a lovely shade of red brown and the counters were black granite. Even without furniture or rugs, Joss could see the potential there. For the first time since Tibor died, she smiled the huge megawatt smile that John had missed so badly over the past month. Her eyes lit up with anticipation of turning this bare, lovely space into a proper home for her family

"What's my decorating budget?" Joss asked her mate. John smiled, took out his phone and pulled up one of his many accounts and showed her the balance. Joss nearly fell out of her chair. Then she grinned a Wolfish grin.

"Think you can work with that?" Her mate asked her, kissing the top of head.

"Oh, yeah," she purred.

Joss was on a mission after that. She wanted to move her family into their new home before the baby was born and she only had a month until the due date. John, Harold, Lionel, and Samantha all had to take turns driving her around and trailing after her as she picked furniture, rugs and other décor with near brutal efficiency. Reese and Shaw as former military personnel were used to organized and efficient operations, but even they had to admit that Joss Carter could have taught Norman Schwarzkopf and Dwight Eisenhower a few tricks after watching her blitzkrieg a furniture store, taking no prisoners. Had Joss Carter been in charge, WWII would have been nothing more than a regional dust up.

When she was done, with one week to spare, the large apartment was actually cozy, homey and intimate. She had family pictures all over the place, including some from John's family that they brought home from Washington. Joss stuck with the soothing earth tones and a few splashes of color here and there, to keep the place from being boring. The furniture was soft and comfortable and the upholstery was easily cleaned so children and dogs couldn't damage it.

Their first night in the new place, Reese stood in the middle of the great room and looked around. He had to admit he was quite pleased with what he saw. This was a place that he could come home to after a difficult number and relax with his family. This was a place he could raise his children with his mate. Bear stretched out on the sofa and grinned up at Reese, even he seemed pleased with the new apartment.

John watched his mate working in the kitchen, humming away happily as she stirred something on the stove, and he felt like he was home. He hadn't felt like this since he left his parents' house right after high school.

He wandered into the nursery and looked around with a smile on his face. This was the one room he had insisted on having input into the decor and Joss had cheerfully let him have his way most of the time. It was as girlie as could be with pink walls, white furniture and a canopy over the crib. There were enough stuffed animals to make any Toy R Us shopper jealous and countless dancing animals on the walls.

The walls also had the baby's name spelled out in white cursive letters. John had thought long and hard about a name for his precious daughter. Joss had suggested Laura, after his mother, but John had never liked reusing names, he felt each child should have their own name.

"Alright Daddy," Joss had said crossing her arms. "You come up with a name then." John agreed.

But John had no idea how to even start, so he turned to the smartest person he knew, Harold Finch. The two men spent some time discussing names, and Finch was more than happy to help suggest names for his "niece." John wanted a name that reflected who he and Joss were and who he hoped the child would be some day. Harold did some research and came up with the name that fit the criteria that John was looking for.

"Beautiful Defender of the People, Cali Alexis. The perfect name for the child of two people who have dedicated their lives to defending the defenseless." Finch was quite pleased with himself.

John smiled; it was perfect. He told Joss and she smiled too. "I like it!" Cali Alexis it was, and Now the name was spelled out on the wall in white cursive letters over the crib.

Joss walked into the room, "This where you went to!" John slipped an arm around her and hugged her tight to his body as she looked around. "Gee, John, do you think we made the room girly enough? It looks like Barbie threw up in here."

John got a bit defensive, "Cali Alexis is my little princess and this room is fit for a princess."

Joss rolled her eyes, "The kid isn't even born yet and she already has you wrapped around her little finger. Dinner will ready in a couple of minutes."

She started to leave the room when she felt the first labor pain and sagged against the door frame, panting.

"John, baby? It's time," she managed to gasp.

John was making a slight adjustment to the canopy over the crib and did not notice Joss's distress at first, "You mean dinner's ready?"

Joss was panting too heavily to say anything other than "No."

John spun around and looked at her with wide terrified eyes, "Cali?"

More panting, then, "Yes."

For the first and only time in his life, John Reese froze in a time of crisis. Joss's labor pain subsided and she glared over at her mate and spoke slowly and firmly, "John, turn off the stove, grab my bag and meet me at the front door. MOVE!"

John moved. He bolted for the kitchen and turned off the pots that had been bubbling away with dinner. While Joss waddled slowly for the front door, John scurried into the bedroom and grabbed the bag Joss had packed several days ago in anticipation of this night. He grabbed the wheelchair, brought it to his mate and she sank into it gratefully. John hustled her out the door to the elevator and then down to the secure parking garage underneath the building.

Another pain hit Joss as she was getting in the car. John knelt down next to the open car door and held her hand. "Breathe, baby," he murmured to her softly as she panted. Once the pain passed John shut the door and ran around the car to the driver's side; as he did so he called Finch, "Joss is in labor, meet us at the clinic. And call Taylor for me; he's over at a friend's house."

John could hear the excitement in Finch's voice, "Of course, Mr. Reese! I'll meet you there shortly."

Finch hung up and promptly called Taylor, Fusco, and Joss's mother, Alice. Finch swung by Taylor's friend's house on the way to the hospital and got Taylor. Fusco picked up Alice and they met up at the Wolf Clinic.

They were met at the door to the maternity ward by a nurse with clipboard whose name badge identified her as Nicole. Nurse Nicole carefully checked off their names and then escorted them into a small waiting room. "This is the family waiting room," she informed them. "The pack waiting room is down the hall to the left if you want to visit."

Alice was quite confused. "Family waiting room? Pack Waiting room? I don't understand," she said, turning to Fusco. Fusco noticed that she got the same furrow between her eyebrows that Joss got when she was perplexed. Fusco found it oddly charming.

Fusco could not help but grin at Alice, "Wolf births are very much a pack affair, even more so when it's an Alpha. This is a waiting room for the close friends and family only. That's why Nicole checked our names on the list before she would let us in here. The rest of the pack will be showing up as they get wind of what's going on and probably some of the other Alphas too. The pack waiting room can get kinda rowdy. John was on a case, so I went with Joss to the birth of the Galenki kid and it was more like a kegger at NYU without the keg than a baby shower."

Alice's eyes opened wide at that and her mouth fell open, "Wow, glad I'm not in there then."

Fusco's grin got wider, "That's why they separate the family from the rest of the pack. Thank God we're not in regular hospital, they don't understand the dynamic and everyone would be crammed into the regular waiting room. Wolves consider babies something to celebrate and boy, do we celebrate."

Just then they were interrupted by the nurse. "Alpha Carter and Alpha Reese would like to see everyone now."

Finch, Fusco, Taylor and Alice all walked into the comfortable and homey birthing room to find Joss sitting up in bed with John tensely hovering over her, holding her hand. Dr. Cho was also in the room, carefully monitoring the patient's condition and the fetal monitor that beeped cheerfully next to the bed.

Taylor and Alice both gave Joss big hugs. "How are you feeling, baby?" Alice asked her daughter.

"I'm fine mama. Everything is going great." Then a labor pain hit and Joss panted while John held her hand and softly encouraged her.

Dr. Cho smiled as he looked at the fetal monitor, "Keep it up Joss, you're doing great!" he chirped as the pain passed and she sagged against the pillows. "We'll have a new little Alpha by morning."

Joss gave the doctor a weak smile and then closed her eyes to catch what little rest she could between pains. John gently stroked her hair, while Dr. Cho herded everyone out.

"How's she really doing, Doc?" Fusco asked when they were out of the room.

Dr. Cho smiled, "Don't let John's grim demeanor scare you. She really is doing fine, The placental abruption does not appear to be getting any worse and she will probably deliver normally in a few hours. John is just being a worry wort. He can't stand seeing her in pain, even if means he gets a daughter out it."

Reassured, the group returned to their waiting room to await the birth of the newest family member. After a while curiosity and boredom got the better of Fusco and he decided to make a visit to the pack waiting room to see who was there. He walked down the hall and stopped dead in the doorway, stunned by what he saw.

The pack waiting room was huge. It had been designed to hold an entire Wolf Pack after all, but the room was stuffed with bodies. He recognized virtually everyone from his pack, their mates, and a bunch of Alphas from other packs. Bill Cross saw him standing in the doorway and walked over to him.

"Lionel, good to see ya! Have you seen Jocelyn?" Bill warmly shook Fusco's hand.

"Yeah, just a few minutes ago. She's doing the great. Doc thinks she'll deliver by morning."

Bill's face split into large grin, "Glad to hear it! How's the new daddy holding up?"

Fusco snorted, "He's being John."

Bill laughed. He had known John for a while and knew exactly when Fusco was saying. Bill was well aware of how intense John could be, and how John needed to be in control. But, when it came to childbirth, no man was ever in control, and Bill, having been through it a few times himself, understood this completely. He loved John like one of his sons, but he could just imagine how helpless John was feeling right now, and how unhappy that would make the Alpha Male.

Bill silently resolved to buy the proud papa a good stuff drink wen this was all over.

Back in the birthing room, John stared intently at his mate as she dozed lightly. She felt his gaze and slowly opened her eyes and looked over at him. She smiled and squeezed his hand,"How are you holding up, daddy?"

Tenderly John cupped her cheek in his large hand. "Don't worry about me," He said softly. "I'm not the one who's having a baby."

"We are in this together, John," she reminded him.

John gave her a gentle smile. "I think you're a little more committed than I am."

Joss returned his smile. "Just wait until it's time to change her diapers in the middle of the night, we'll see how committed you are."

John touched his forehead to hers, "I love you. You gave me a family."

Joss laid a hand on his cheek, "You gave me one too."

Cali Alexis Reese Carter entered the world a few hours later, and she was NOT happy about it.

"Well, we know her lungs work," Dr. Cho observed dryly as he placed the newest little Alpha on Joss's chest. Cali ceased her howling and settled down once she felt her mother's warm skin against hers. Carter gazed down at her daughter, "Oh God, she's so beautiful!"

John was tearing up so badly, he almost couldn't see well enough to cut the cord.

Nicole then cleaned and swaddled Cali, handing her to Reese. "Go on Daddy, show off your little girl, we have a few things to finish here."

Reese walked down the hallway, barely looking at where he was going, he was so fixated on the tiny bundle of joy in his arms.

Like all Wolf babies, Cali was born with a full head of hair and a light dusting of fur on her body that cleaned off with the vernix* almost immediately after birth. As he was carrying her, she opened her eyes and looked around.

John paused and cooed at his child, "Hey little Cali."

Cali met her daddy's eyes and smiled a toothless smile. This was not unusual for Wolf babies, they tended to track movement and faces almost from birth. John, however, decided then and there Cali was the most wonderful and advanced baby ever born.

He entered the waiting room and Alice, Finch, Fusco and Taylor surrounded him to see the new addition. Reese reluctantly let Alice take her new grandchild out of his arms, but he hovered while Finch, Fusco and Taylor cooed over her.

The nurse appeared at his elbow with a big smile, "We're done and Alpha Carter is ready to see you. And she says to bring her baby!"

Reese motioned for the others to follow the nurse, "Go ahead, I'll be there in a minute, I have to make the birth announcement."

As the others followed the nurse back into the recovery room, John walked down the hallway to the pack waiting room. The room was the usual happy, rowdy mob of Wolves eager to be the first to hear about the newest Alpha. As John came into view in the doorway a cheer went up, because the assembled group knew that meant the baby had been born and was healthy.

John couldn't help grinning. He never thought he would ever be in this position after the murder of his parents. He never thought he could be this happy. He waited patiently while the room quieted enough for him to talk.

"Cali Alexis Reese Carter was born at 3:18 am. She is 9 pounds, 8 ounces and perfectly healthy. My mate Jocelyn and Cali are both doing fine."

Another cheer went up.

"The next full moon will be on the 10th, the formal presentation will be made then."

The pack and the other Alphas began filing by the new father, shaking his hand and offering their congratulations as they left. John kept a goofy grin plastered on his face the entire time, graciously thanking each pack member and Alpha for coming. Truthfully, he was surprised by how many Wolves showed up, and he was more than a bit humbled by the fact that they did. In terms of Wolf culture, that meant a lot.

He had more than just a family; he had a whole community.

Later that day as Joss slept, John sat cradling his newborn daughter in his arms. Cali was fast asleep; completely unaware she was being adored by her daddy.

A tear ran down John's cheek as he gently ran a finger along Cali's tiny little mouth and brushed her tiny fist. He marveled at how perfect she was, and he swore he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. He could sit and stare at her forever. Despite the darkness that still lurked within him, he had helped make something so pure and perfect that he could not help but think Cali was his redemption. Even if he died tomorrow, he would leave behind the best part of himself, the part that matters the most. He could be content with that.

Cali was officially introduced to the Wolf community a couple of weeks later. As tradition dictated, the presentation took place during the next full moon after her birth. Wolves are all about family and community, not ceremony, so the presentation took the form of a reception in the community center in the park which the Carter/Reese pack used as a home base before the pack's run. Joss, holding Cali, and John circulated letting each pack member have a chance to briefly meet and fuss over their new pack mate.

Several of the other Alphas were there was well, including Bill and Bess Cross, and they too got the chance to meet the latest addition to the Wolf people.

"Oh Joss, she's gorgeous!" Bess cooed over the baby while Cali regarded her solemnly. Then Cali decided that all the fuss was exhausting and she closed her big blue eyes and went straight to sleep.

Finally, the other Alphas returned to their own packs, and it was time for the Wolf members of the Carter/Reese pack to take their run. Joss handed Cali off to her mother and Taylor and then followed her mate out to the thicket where they normally changed out of their clothes for morphing.

John was surprised to see Joss getting ready for the run. "Are you sure you're up to this? You only gave birth a couple of weeks ago!" John asked his mate with concern.

Joss stood on her toes and kissed him. "I haven't had a run in over two months; just try to stop me. Doc cleared me to run this morning."

John kissed her back, "Well then, we had better not keep our pack waiting."

A few minutes later a large salt and pepper wolf emerged out of bushes with a smaller black wolf at his side to take their place at the head of the pack.

THE END

*Vernix is a white waxy substance that coats the skin of new born babies.

The Wolves will be back soon...I've already started working on the next story...