Chapter Nine

Giselle: Weird question

Giselle: Youre not allergic to any food right?

Giselle: And you dont have any plans tonight too

Giselle: I hope not cause I just pregnancy ordered like five different meals for dinner

Giselle: And Gias not going to eat all that much

Giselle: And David has plans with his old teammates

Giselle: Even pregnant I cant eat this much

Giselle: And im absolutely going out of my mind now that mom and Gammy have enforced my maternity leave

Giselle: Please come over!

My phone buzzing for nearly a minute straight pulled me out of reading our investigator's report for one of our suppliers. And then it took another minute for me to comprehend what Giselle was even asking, since legalese was still swimming in front of my eyes. But when I did comprehend it, I cracked up laughing. It had become a bit of a familiar occurrence since she'd started her (somewhat forced) maternity leave: Giselle would order tons of food, since everything sounded good, then invite me over to help eat it.

Me: I'm all yours! Can I bring anything?

Giselle: Please dont

Giselle: Other than your appetite

Giselle: Seriously theres so much food!

So, after work, I headed over to Giselle's house. And just like her grandmother's, you never would guess that it's the home of a millionaire designer and her former pro hockey player husband, minus the gated community and super high-tech security system. But it was a pretty unassuming two-story with a porch across the whole front. And a little girl dancing excitedly in the doorway.

Gia managed to wait until I stepped out of my car, but just barely, before throwing herself at me. "I misseded you, Miss Car! And Mommy's huge now, 'cause baby Gemma takes a lotta space. Is she gonna be that big when she comes out?"

Laughing, I hugged her back. "I think baby Gemma's gonna be pretty small when she's born, but she does take up a lot of room in Mommy's tummy. She needs a lot of space while she's growing in there."

Gia nodded sagely. "That makes sense, 'cause she used to be a mango!"

And that didn't make any sense at all. I shot a (probably rather alarmed) look at David on the porch, and he just shrugged. "Do you mean she used to be the size of a mango?" he asked, a little hesitantly.

"Yeah! That's what I said!"

Now, I get it! "Yep, she's gonna be a bit bigger than a mango when she's born," I told her. "But not by a whole lot."

"I gotta show you my new doll, she's got hair like yours!" Gia told me, then shot off inside.

David just grinned after her. "Thanks for coming to entertain my girls," he told me. "Gigi told me I had to go tonight or I would be sleeping on the couch until Gemma comes, otherwise I wouldn't be leaving."

"Listen to the pregnant lady," I replied. "We'll have fun, you'll have fun, and it'll be nice for everyone."

We stepped inside together, and Giselle greeted me from the couch, surrounded by takeout boxes. "I was hungry and couldn't wait," she apologized, but I just laughed.

"Babe, you're growing another human, don't even apologize for eating without me."

"I told you she wouldn't mind," David said, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you, have fun."

"I love you, have fun," she repeated. And glowed, I swear. They were pretty adorable.

Gia came back in the room just in time to get her own kiss from her dad, then shove her new doll in my face. "Her hair is just like yours!" she excitedly explained, waving her new Latina doll around erratically.

Giselle and I ate while Gia happily enacted the drama her dolls were living out. Somehow, a sawed-off shotgun featured heavily in the storyline, even though it wasn't ever used, just mentioned many, many times. "She heard it somewhere, I don't even know, and she's been obsessed ever since," Giselle murmured to me. "She thinks it sounds really cool, and as long as no one is actually getting shot by it, I don't really care."

Which, fair. And I'd probably had just as weird of ideas when I'd been her age, anyway. Or weirder, pulling random bits and pieces I'd heard from cases Dad had worked.

When it was bedtime, Gia begged me to tuck her in, which I was happy to do. And I may or may not have given in, far too easily, when she begged for just one more book. Three times.

Giselle was struggling to her feet when I got back to the living room, and I hurried to help her up. "So, I know you just got Gia down," she started with what I was pretty sure was supposed to be a smile but looked far more like a grimace, "but I'm going to have to ask you to go get her up again."

"Okay, sure, but why? What's wrong?"

"My water broke, and if Gia's anything to go by, Gemma's going to be coming just as quickly, and that's way too fast for an ambulance to get here, let alone David to get back in time to be with her."

I gaped at her, frozen. For way too long. "Car, babe, I need you to drive me to the hospital," she said kindly. "Unless you want to deliver Gemma."

That kick started my brain again. "No, I definitely don't want to do that! What do I need to do?"

She laughed and began to waddle toward the garage. "I'm not defiling your car with baby fluids, and I've got Gia's car seat in mine already, so I'll get my bag and meet you there if you can get Gia."

"I'll be right there!" I thundered back up the stairs and burst into Gia's room, making her stir.

"Miss Car, what're doing?" she sleepily slurred.

"Hey, pretty girl, we've got to get your shoes on, okay? Mama's about to have baby Gemma, so we need to take them to the hospital, okay?"

That got her moving, very quickly. She was terribly excited to meet her new baby sister, after all.

Within five minutes, the three of us, four if you counted Gemma, were bundled into Giselle's car and headed to the hospital. Giselle was being very calm and reassuring to Gia, though I could see her white-knuckling the armrests. She even managed to call both David and her mom, both of whom promised to be to the hospital as soon as possible. And then we were at the hospital, and I jumped out as soon as I had the car in park. "I will be right back with- with someone more qualified than me!"

"Please hurry." She still managed to stay calm and collected, though I was pretty sure it was only because she didn't want to freak Gia out.

I ran into the emergency room entrance. "I've got a lady about to give birth out here!" I gasped out to the first person I saw.

Thankfully, the woman seemed to work there, since she gathered up a gurney and several other people and followed me to Giselle's car. "We've got her from here," she assured me. "Are you her partner?"

"Best friend," Giselle gasped out, slipping in her pain for the first time all night even as she gave me a teary smile. And nearly bringing me to tears, too. "Car, please stay with Gia."

"I got her," I promised wetly. "I've got her, you just worry about Gemma. And I'll send David in when he gets here, and your mom."

Gia and I hung out in the waiting room, where I distracted her with my phone for a few minutes. Until the excitement of the past half-hour or so got to her and she crashed out across my lap.

And that's where David found us. "You've got her? Great, I'm going to Giselle!" he whisper-yelled at me as he ran past to get to his wife. It was adorable, and made me rather proud to be so easily trusted with his little girl.

Gladys, Gloria, and Roger, Gloria's husband, all arrived a minute or so later. Roger chose to stay with me and Gia, while the ladies hurried to the elevator. "I just hope I make it in time for this one," Gloria said as she impatiently pushed the button a few more times.

"Gemma's going to come when she's ready," Gladys said, taking Gloria's hand in hers. "Just like her big sister, and just like her mama, and her nana."

"That's what I'm worried about," Gloria grumbled. "We've all been in a hurry to get here."

But the elevator arrived just then, and they both hurried to get on. "I love that woman," Roger sighed, looking just as besotted as he sounded.

Twenty minutes later, Gloria came back down, tears streaming down her face and a huge grin stretching her lips. "Seven pounds, fifteen and a half ounces, and a full head of red hair, just like her big sister," she announced giddily. "Are you all ready to meet Gemma?"

I knew Gia would want to meet her little sister as soon as possible, so I gently shook her awake. She sat straight up, with "Is Gemma here?" out of her mouth before she was even fully awake.

"She is, baby. Let's go meet her," Roger told her, with a hand out for her to take. She took it, and then bounced all the way to the elevator.

Before I even had time to really contemplate my next move (Should I go with? Would that be presumptuous? Should I just take an Uber back home?), Gloria took my hand and guided me out of my seat.

"Gigi and David specifically instructed me to bring you, too. You're part of the family now, too, sweetheart." Then she grinned, a bit mischievously. "You can't get away from us now."

And what could I do but follow along? I mean, other than squeeze out a laugh and a few tears, of course.

We got to the room just as some nurses exited with a big bundle of linens. "She's beautiful," one of them grinned at us.

"And so's the baby," the other said with a wink.

Gia rushed in, though she did stop to wash her hands like David instructed, then climbed onto the couch. Gladys put a pillow into her lap, then David carefully lowered Gemma into her arms. "Oh, she's so tiny," she breathed. "But I'm bigger, so I gotta take care of you. I'm your big sister, that's what we do."

Gia continued on, telling her new baby sister all the things they would do together, and all that she would teach her, and how she would protect her from all the monsters. I couldn't see from the tears filling my eyes, so I could only hope that I managed to capture the moment on video. At the very least, I got the audio, so that had to count for something.

But after Gia's third yawn, David took Gemma back. "It's Grandpa's turn now," he said softly.

Gia didn't go far in her self-assigned role of protector, standing over Roger's shoulder to keep an eye on her baby sister, even as she continued to yawn. I was just content to keep filming the adorable scene. Until Giselle almost made me drop my phone when she said, "Okay, it's Carmen's turn. Gemma needs to meet her godmother."

I could only stare at my friend in utter disbelief. "You will, won't you?" she asked, a little nervously. "I mean, I was going to ask tonight when you came over, I was just waiting for Gia to go to bed, but then Gemma was impatient, so you'll be her godmother, right?"

The tears that I'd been able to keep at bay up to then spilled over. "Are you sure?" I squeaked.

Giselle nodded, wiping her own tears away, and David wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled at us. "We actually want you to be both girls' godmother," he said.

"I know we haven't known each other very long, but we just clicked," Giselle continued, a little rambly and a lot teary. Not that I had any room to talk. "You're the sister I always wanted, and Gia loves you, and I love you, and you know from personal experience how important it is to have a backup, and David isn't close to his family, and- Please say yes so I can stop rambling!"

I sobbed out a laugh and threw my arms around her, gently, of course. "It would be my honor," I cried into her neck.

We cried onto each other for a moment, but Roger softly saying, "Look, this is your godmother," had me turning.

Gemma's bright red hair nearly matched her scrunched red face, and she was absolutely beautiful. "Hi, princess," I whispered and reached out to take her. "I'm Carmen, and I'm going to spoil you rotten. And you and me and Gia are gonna have tons of fun together. We'll have lots of sleepovers once you're big enough. And you can talk to me about absolutely anything, even when you're mad at your mommy. But that's not for a long time yet, because your mommy is pretty awesome, and you've got some time before the angsty teenager stage kicks in. But I'm here whenever you need me, for absolutely anything."

Gemma looked up at me, blinking those big blue eyes, and I fell completely in love. A bit like I had with her big sister.

…

I spent an hour or so with the Gladstones, but when Gia fell asleep on David, it was declared time for her to go to her nana's for the night. Though I did promise her we would have a sleepover, just as soon as I was moved into my own apartment and settled in. And Gloria offered to take me back to Giselle's house, as both my car and Gia's stuffed hippo she couldn't possibly sleep without were still there.

Those of us leaving all shuffled into the elevator, after many kisses to baby soft cheeks. Gia was out cold on Roger's shoulder before we even made it down one floor, but I could barely keep my eyes open, so I couldn't blame her. It had been a bit of a rollercoaster sort of a night, even if I wouldn't have changed a thing about it.

"Carmen? Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

I must have fallen asleep just a bit on my feet, because the next thing I knew was Bobby crowding into the elevator to get to my side. "Bobby? What're you doing here?" I asked, blinking hard to focus on his face.

"I just dropped a patient off. Your turn," he demanded, patting my cheek to keep my eyes open.

"Are you okay, Car?" Buck asked, drawing my attention to the rest of the team. Who were all staring very worriedly into the elevator at me.

"I'm fine," I said, feeling very confused.

"Then why are you in the hospital?" Hen pushed.

"And you've been crying," Eddie continued.

I brushed at my eyes and cringed at how gritty they were, though I did wake up just a bit. "No, I'm fine," I assured. "Giselle had her baby, and I drove her here. Nothing's wrong."

"And she's my godmommy now," Gia said, reaching out to me sleepily from Roger's arms. "Hi, Miss Hen, hi, Cap'n Bobby."

I took her easily, and I loved how easily she settled into my arms. "The tears are because Giselle and David asked me to be both girls' godmother," I continued to explain. "I didn't expect that, and I'm a crier. But everything's fine, I promise."

Bobby sighed and pressed a kiss to my hair. "You had me worried, sweetheart," he breathed. "But I'm glad you're okay, even if I do see you more while I'm on shift than I do off, and we live in the same house!"

"Not for much longer!" Buck cut in with a grin. But at Bobby's confusion, his smile fell a bit. "You didn't tell them yet?"

"I may have forgotten," I yawned. "But I'll tell Mom as soon as I get home. I'm moving into Buck's loft, just as soon as he finishes moving into Tommy's place."

Bobby looked a bit sad, which made me feel loved. "Good luck with telling her that," he finally said. "I'll see you back at home."

"See you," I replied, leaning my head on his shoulder for just a second as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "See all you guys later. Be safe."

AN: Bobby's such a good dad! I love him. Thanks for reading, and a big thanks to those of you who take the time to review!