A/N: Katie's crush on Ned has been mentioned a few times and for a good reason. Enjoy lol

Ages:

Jim - 54
Delia - 52
Melinda - 50
Ned - 28
Katie - 25

Katie bounced her leg up and down as her husband drove down the budding street. It wasn't a very long drive from their house to her parents, maybe two or three blocks, but she was still nervous the entire drive.

Ned turned onto the main road, taking the turn slowly because the roads were slick with rain, leaning back into his seat. "Babe, you need to relax," he said and looked over at her with an amused smile on his face.

"Your mom is meeting us at the restaurant too and I just can't relax. How are you so calm right now?" She fretted, twisting her wedding rings around her finger. "How are you not completely crapping yourself?"

"Katie," he took another slow turn onto her parent's street. He came to a stop along the curb in front of her parent's house. "I'm not crapping myself as you would say because it's your parents. They're going to lose their minds but in a good way. Just like my mom will." He smiled. "This is good news, especially after everything. Plus your dad can't kill me now that we're married."

She smiled, remembering how long it took her father to warm up to the idea of them together, but he'd long given them his blessing. It's been nearly four years since they got married, but Jim still liked to teased Ned.

"It's still so early," she sighed. "I'm just scared... what if... I can't lose another baby and have to deal with telling everyone what happened. I can't do that again."

"I know, but we have to keep positive now that we're out of the first trimester. The therapist agreed," he whispered. "We're having a baby and they are going to be ecstatic. I bet both of our moms cry when we tell them." Ned undid his seat belt slowly and looked over at her. "Now relax, babe. Everything is going to be just fine," he kissed her fidgeting hand, squeezing it. "Let's do this."

Katie nodded, leaning over to kiss him. It was soft, his hand going to touch her face and pull her in. She so wished they could just stay like this, all day. "I love you," she whispered. "So much."

"I love you too," he said as they pulled apart, and she grinned as he got out. She waited for him to come around to her side and open the door for her.

It was mid-May and the roads and sidewalks were slippery from all the recent rain they'd gotten. Since they'd found out two weeks ago that they were expecting, Ned had become an even more attentive husband. He opened doors, stepped first, and made sure she was always taken care of. Not that he didn't do that on a usual basis, but he'd stepped up his game immensely.

Katie took his hand in hers as they walked up the salted walk. He squeezed her hand tightly in his when she knocked on the front door of her parent's home, before reaching for the handle and turning it to go inside.

"Hello?" She called out they walked into the house. "Anyone home?"

She'd expected to be greeted with the friendly faces of her four siblings but the house was surprisingly quiet, which never happened, and then heard a thud come from upstairs along with a few curses.

She met her husband's gaze and they both rolled their eyes, all the while knowing that they were just as bad as her parents, if not worse. She was pregnant after all.

"We'll be right down," her dad called, the master bedroom door closing again.

It was another minute before they both graced their eyes, her mom dressed in an old shirt of Jim's and leggings. "Katie? Ned? What are you two doing here?" Melinda grinned, hurrying down the stairs. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but you guys weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow for dinner."

Ned smiled at her mom as he hugged her, and they all moved to follow her to the living room as her father came down the last step. Jim's arm winded around Melinda as they sat on the couch. He sat in the lounge chair and Katie took a seat beside him, feeling his hand rest on the top of her shaking legs.

"Where is everyone?" She asked, seeing that her younger siblings weren't home.

"Your grandma Faith took them as a mother's day present," Melinda blushed, leaning further into her dad. Jim rested one hand on her shoulder as they talked and Katie inwardly smiled when her mom reached up as if without thinking, to cover his hand with her own. She was so glad to see how close her parents always were. "She said it was her own mother's day treat to herself because she doesn't get to see them as often as she'd like."

"I didn't know Grandma was in town," Katie said and felt Ned nudge her. She was dodging the topic they were here for.

"So, not that we mind you guys dropped by unannounced..." Jim scratched his head. "But what brings you by?"

"We can't just drop by cause we're in the area?" Katie smiled as she leaned into her husband, whose arms wrapped around her. "It's mother's day. I wanted to spend some of the actual day with my mother."

Her mother eyed them suspiciously. "Oh you can stop by whenever you want bug," Melinda smiled, but then leveled her gaze with her. "You just don't."

Jim laughed. "You're notorious for at least calling first. Unless it's a ghost."

"It's not a ghost," she laughed, looking at Ned. "Want to do lunch with us and Delia? You know, our treat."

Melinda immediately grew more suspicious. She stood up and stepped closer to her. "Katherine Ann..." Her mother had her warning tone, but she ignored it.

She chuckled at her. "Just come to lunch with us," she squeezed her mother's hand. "No questions. Just come."

"Where are you taking us? Do I need to change?" Her dad looked down at his clothes. Jim had pulled his jeans and button-up shirt quickly, forgetting his undershirt and tie that he'd been wearing when he got home this morning to find an empty house.

Katie laughed at him. "Daddy, you look fine. We're just going to Lento's. And since when do you care?" She asked.

Jim shrugged. "Just thought it was a good question to ask. You guys are acting strange..."

"Can't we take our favorite people out to lunch?" Ned asked, finally speaking.

"You can," Melinda repeated from earlier. "You just never do."

The four of them piled into Katie and Ned's car and made their way to Lento's. When they arrived, Katie sent Ned and her parents inside ahead of her to find his mother. She had to grab the gifts from the glove box and didn't want her parents to see them.

They were already suspicious enough and there were two boxes. One contained Melinda's present, a bracelet that had each of her children's birthstones as a jewel and her father's too. All of the important people in her life. She couldn't wait to see the look on her mother's face. The second gift was the pregnancy announcement.

By the time Katie crossed the street and entered the restaurant, they got to their table. Delia was a bit oblivious to it all, gushing over the bracelet Ned had picked out for her while they looked at the menus, but Melinda and Jim were still suspicious.

Once the waiter had come around to take their drink orders, her mother jumped at the first opportunity to speak. Melinda was bouncing her leg in much the same fashion that she had been on the drive over. "Okay, we're here. Spill before I lose my mind."

"Why do you think something is going on?" She grinned, looking down at her menu. "Can't we just take the world's best mothers out for lunch on mother's day?"

Ned laughed from beside her, squeezing her leg. "Give Melinda her gift," he whispered.

"Happy Mother's day," she said and gave her the first white box, which Melinda pulled the pink ribbon from, and opened it.

"Oh Katie," Melinda held the bracelet in her hand. She touched each of the charms. A ruby for her (born in July), a topaz for Aaron (born in December), an emerald for Mackenzie (born in May), a citrine for Lana (Born in November), and finally a garnet for Emma (born in January). There was also amethyst for February when her mother was born with tiny diamonds around it for her dad, who was born in April. "Are these birthstones?"

"One for each of us kids," she smiled. She had gotten the best gift for her mom. "And one for you and dad too."

Melinda got up and hugged her daughter, kissing both of her cheeks. "Thank you, baby. It's beautiful. Is that it? You seemed a bit more nervous than about this."

"Only best for the best mom," she said, sitting back down. "You'll just have to wait and see."

The meal was uneventful. Katie ordered a wrap and soup, while Ned got a burger and fries. Her mom had got a burger, Delia a wrap, while her dad got a caesar salad. Her husband kept a hand on her thigh during the meal, and their parents took turns eyeing them both down.

When the plates were cleared away and dessert was ordered, both Ned looked at her. "Should we tell them?" He whispered loudly into her ear.

She nodded and pulled the other two small boxes out of her purse and handed them to their mothers.

"What is this?" Melinda asked as she tore at the paper.

Katie just shrugged. "You'll have to open it."

Inside the small, slim boxes were two silver frames that were engraved with the words 'World's Greatest Grandparents', and inside the frames was a copy of her latest sonogram. She was fourteen weeks pregnant with their second grandchild. The first was their newborn son that died.

She heard their parents all gasp almost simultaneously. "A baby! How wonderful," Jim said excitedly.

"Is this?" Delia asked from behind her hand.

Katie smiled as she placed her hands on her stomach which was still flat. "Yes, you're going to be grandparents!"

Melinda was up and out of her seat before she could blink. She felt her mom's arms around her neck and tears on her cheeks just as she chuckled. Ned turned to her and mouthed 'told you so' before chuckling and accepting a hug from Jim and then one from a squealing Delia.

"This is amazing news. How long have you known?" Melinda asked once she pulled back, wiping her tears.

"A few weeks. We were just nervous after..." Ned's hand grasped hers, squeezing it. "After Charlie, I was scared we wouldn't be able to have another baby, and then when I miscarried a few months ago I just didn't want to get anyone else's hopes up until we were out of the first trimester this time. We've been trying for a while."

Melinda held her other hand that was on the table. There was a look on her mother's face. One that said, and you didn't tell me?

"It happened on your birthday," she muttered softly with a squeeze of her hand. "I didn't want to ruin your party and Ned's been my rock."

"I still wish you would have told me after. I could have been there for you." Melinda said and came around the table again, hugging her. "It happened to me too. Four times. I was farther along with the first, a boy, and I slipped on some ice. The second was early and I was only a few weeks. The third was devastating. I didn't think your father and I would ever have kids at that point, but we saw this specialist that found the right medication. I blamed myself for a long time until we had you and then Aaron, but then you and Aaron were little... it happened again. We hadn't even had the time to tell you or your brother yet."

"I didn't know- God, mom, I'm sorry," she said and her mother shushed her and hugged her tightly.

"We never told any of you kids," Melinda explained, kissing her hair. "It's such a sad topic, but I knew there would be a time when I would need to tell you, especially after Charlie. I just had to find the right time."

"I am glad you finally did," her voice was soft and for only her to hear. "I'll never keep anything from you ever again, mom."

"Some secrets are good to keep if you need to," Melinda said and pulled back, going to sit in her seat again once dessert was served. "Happy Mother's Day, bug."

Melinda had always told Katie a happy mother's day because she was a mother even before conceiving this baby. She'd carried and lost her child inside of her, and was most certainly a mother, even if she never got to see her son alive.

And that had always meant the world to her.