Current mood:	accomplished
Entry tags:	rorylie:csiny:general

Yours, Mine, Ours
Title Yours, Mine, Ours
Author Rory
'Verse CSI:NY
Claim/Characters/Pairing (whatever applies)CSI:NY general
Rating PG13
Warnings (inc. Spoilers) none
Disclaimer I only own the kids
Summary Jess and Adam have a baby
Table/Prompt size matters/epic

“What makes you think you’re pregnant?” the nurse asked, reading Angell’s chart.

“I uh, I took one of those home tests.”

“Then I’ll just check on the results of your blood tests and we should know for sure?”

Jess nodded, biting her lip as the woman left the room. She tapped her foot nervously as she waited.

“Congratulations Ms. Angell,” the doctor announced when she reentered the room. “You’re definitely pregnant. Seven weeks.”

“And the baby…the baby’s okay?”

“It’s still early, but everything looks good.”

Jess sucked in a breath, trying to listen to the words the woman was saying over the pounding of her heart beat.

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“You got another new picture,” Jess noted, nodding at the picture on the corner of Don’s desk.

“Yeah,” he said with a grin.

“You know, you get any more, you’re gonna need a bigger desk.”

He laughed. “Maybe you could plead my case to the chief.”

“Yeah,” she laughed, “I’ll make that my top priority.” She paused, perching on the desk next to his. “You know, you changed when Michael was born.”

Don nodded. “Yeah. He and Stella, they’re the best things that ever happened to me.”

“I can see that.”

He studied her. “You and Adam thinking about having kids?”

“We never even talked about it.”

“All this time you’ve been together, what is it, two years? And you haven’t even talked about it?”

She shrugged. “It never really came up, I guess.” She stood up. “I gotta get back to work. Cute picture,” she added.

He smiled. “Thanks.”

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“Thanks for meeting me,” Jess murmured as Lindsay slid into the booth across from her.

“No problem,” Lindsay said with a smile.

“I kind of…I need some advice,” Jess continued, nervously tearing apart her napkin, “and I figured, you and Adam are friends, I don’t know, you just seemed like the best person to call.”

Lindsay frowned. “Is something wrong with Adam?”

“No,” Jess said quickly, shaking her head. “No, he’s fine. He’s great.”

“Are you having relationship problems?” Lindsay continued. “Cause Adam said everything was going well.”

“It is,” Jess said. “at least I think it is.” She sighed. “Lindsay I’m pregnant.”

Lindsay’s eyes widened and she beamed at Jess. “Congratulations. I can’t believe Adam didn’t tell me.”

“He doesn’t know.”

“Why not?”

“I…I don’t know. I’m scared. I never really planned on this happening. Ever. To me.”

“Are you going to have the baby?” Lindsay asked after a minute of silence had passed.

“Yeah,” Jess said quietly. “I just don’t know if I’ll be any good at it. I never wanted kids, Lindsay. I have zero maternal instinct. But Adam, he’s going to be an amazing dad.”

“He wouldn’t want you to have this baby if it’s not what you want,” Lindsay said quietly.

“I know. I just, I don’t know how to do this. I don’t even like kids.”

“You like my kids, don’t you?”

“They’re adorable,” Jess said quickly. “They make you very happy. Adam loves playing with them. But I don’t look at them, and think, wow, I want one of those. I don’t even really want to hold them.”

“It’s different when it’s your baby,” Lindsay assured her.

“Yeah, but you knew you wanted kids.”

“Well, you have nine months to figure it out. It’s a long time.”

“Long enough to change decades of disinterest in children?”

“Maybe,” Lindsay said. “If I’ve learned anything being a mother it’s that we’re capable of so much more than we ever imagined. Talk to Adam. It might make you feel better.”

“Yeah,” Jess said with a sigh and a tight smile. “Thanks.”

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“Hey, are you okay?” Adam asked, hovering in the doorway to the bathroom as Jess brushed her teeth.

She nodded slowly, dropping her toothbrush and turning to him. “I need to talk to you.”

“Okay,” he said nervously, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “Now? Cause we could wait until you’re not sick.”

She shook her head. “No. It can’t wait.”

“Okay,” he repeated.

She stared at him and took a deep breath. “I’m…I’m pregnant,” she said.

His eyes widened and a grin spread across his face. “Wow,” he breathed.

“Yeah,” she nodded.

“So, this is like morning sickness?”

“Yeah I guess,” she shrugged. “I’ve never really done this before.”

“Do you need to go to a doctor or something?”

“I went. Just…I wanted to be sure, you know?”

He nodded.

“And she said everything’s good, so far,” Jess continued. “I guess, I mean, it’s early, I guess things can go wrong, but anyway, I don’t go back for like, another month.”

“Okay,” he said slowly. “You probably need to eat something.”

“Nothing that involves chewing,” she sighed, following him out of the bathroom and flopping down on the bed.

“I found pudding,” he offered, carrying it to her. “Or I could go out and get you something.”

“This is fine,” she said, taking the spoon from his hands.

He studied her face, perching on the edge of the bed. “Do you want to get married?”

She smiled. “No. But it’s very sweet of you to ask.”

“We could, if you wanted to.”

She shook her head. “It’s fine, Adam.” She glanced at the clock and sighed. “I’m gonna be late to work.”

“Shouldn’t you stay home? I mean, you’re sick.”

“I might be sick for awhile. I can’t stay home all the time.”

He frowned. “Can I just, I need to ask, Jess, are you happy about this?”

She reached out to tenderly stroke his face. “I’m just scared I’m not gonna be any good at it, Adam.”

“You will be. You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

“Yeah, well, neither do you.” She sighed happily as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly to his chest. “I don’t think I could do this with anybody but you.”

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“Congratulations,” Flack said, giving Jess a warm smile when she walked to her desk and sank into her chair.

“Thanks,” she said quietly.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, perching on the edge of her desk.

“Exhausted.”

He nodded. “The first few months are rough.”

She shook her head. “That’s what I love about you guys. You watch your wives go through pregnancy and then you’re suddenly experts.”

“I also read a lot of books,” he pointed out. “But point taken. If it makes you feel any better I drove Stella crazy when she was pregnant. I’m guessing you don’t want me to ask if I can get you anything.”

“No. Thanks.”

“So how’s Adam taking all of it?”

“He’s thrilled. You know Adam. He’s so great with kids. One of those guys like you who was just meant to be a father.”

“Yeah,” Don nodded. “You guys are gonna be so happy Jess. I’m really thrilled for you.”

Jess gave him a tight smile. “Thank you.”

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“Hey,” Adam said softly, closing the door quietly behind him. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Jess shook her head, pushing herself up on the couch and rubbing her eyes. “It’s fine.”

“Have you eaten?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“You want anything else?”

She shook her head.

“How was work?” he asked from the kitchen.

“Fine,” she said. “Long. It felt long. You do anything interesting?”

“Nah. I missed you.”

She smiled. “I missed you.”

“I wanted to ask, are we telling people? I know some people think you shouldn’t until after like, the first three months.”

“Oh,” she said. “Well, I had to tell my boss, and Flack, so people are gonna find out, so sure, you can tell people.”

Adam walked back into the room and studied her. “Are you sure this is what you want, Jess?”

“Yeah,” she said softly. “Adam, I’m sorry, I’m just, I’m exhausted, I’m sick. I feel like crap. I don’t feel like myself any more, and it’s hard, cause I wonder if I’m ever going to feel like me again.”

“You will,” he assured her.

She nodded. “Can I have a hug?”

“You can have anything you want, Jessie,” he said, sitting next to her on the couch and pulling her into his arms.

She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“For what?” he asked.

“For just being you, Adam.”

“Listen,” he said softly, as his fingers rubbed softly over her back, “we need to talk about this Jess.”

“About what?” she asked quietly.

“Just, are you sure this is what you want to do?”

She pulled back slightly, looking into his eyes. “Yes.”

“I don’t want you to have this baby for me, if it’s not what you want.”

She shook her head. “I’m not having it for you, Adam, even if I am having it because it’s yours.” She paused. “I thought about it, about not having it, after I found out, but I couldn’t…it’s our baby, Adam, yours and mine, and I couldn’t. We made this person that’s some part of you and some part of me. I’m not sorry this is happening, Adam, I’m just scared and worried.” She kissed him softly on the cheek. “I’m sorry I’m not any good at this.”

“You’re doing fine.”

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“You’re in a good mood,” Stella observed as Adam practically bounced through the lab.

He smiled shyly, ducking his head. “You noticed, huh?”

She laughed, “It’s kind of hard to miss.”

He blushed. “I’m gonna be a dad, Stella.”

“Oh my god,” she said, smiling widely and throwing her arms around his neck. “Angell’s pregnant?”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding.

“Congratulations. I’m so happy for you.”

“What’s going on?” Lindsay asked as she stepped into the room.

Adam turned to grin at her. “Jess and I are gonna have a baby.”

“Aww,” Lindsay said. “That’s so great. So wonderful.”

“Hey, you get the test results?” Danny asked, glancing at Lindsay.

“Adam and Jess are having a baby,” she said, beaming at him.

“Congrats, man,” Danny said, slapping Adam on the back. “You gotta let me buy you a drink after work.”

“Maybe some other time,” Adam said. “Jess isn’t feeling that great, I wanna get home, help her out.”

“A cigar, at least,” Danny protested.

Lindsay and Stella exchanged amused smile.

“Boys,” Stella said, shaking her head.

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Adam found Jess curled up in bed when he got home. “Are you gonna be mad at me if I admit that I’m worried about you?” he asked softly.

“No,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anything to be worried about, though. I think this is all normal.”

He kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed next to her. “I just wish you felt better.”

“Me too,” she sighed. “I made my doctor’s appointment today. It’s the 13th. They could only fit me in in the morning, so I understand if you can’t get off work.”

“I’ll be there,” he interrupted.

“Good,” she said softly. “I really want you there.”

He nodded. “I talked to Mac about rearranging my schedule already, we’ll figure it out.”

She smiled as he moved down her body until his head was resting on her stomach.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said after a minute, nudging up her tank top slightly and tracing patterns on her skin, “I know you don’t want to get married, and I know we never really talked about living together, but I’m always staying over here, or you’re at my place, but when the baby comes, I want to live with you and him or her, Jess.”

“Really?” she whispered.

“Yeah,” he nodded.

She reached down, fingers combing slowly through his hair. “I love you Adam,” she said, her eyes wet with tears.

“I love you too,” he said, placing a kiss on her belly. “I love you both.”

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“Are you nervous?” Adam asked, watching Jess carefully.

She nodded, pulling her hair back. “I hate doctors. I hate being poked and prodded and feeling like a science experiment.”

He reached over to rub her back. “Have you thought about whether you want a boy or a girl?”

She shook her head. “I guess,” she said after a minute, leaning back and closing her eyes, “I wouldn’t know what to do with a girlie girl, you know? I’d have to send her to Flack and Stella’s or something.” She paused. “So I guess, I sort of want a little boy.” She looked at him. “What about you?”

He laughed. “I’m not very manly, so I guess I have the same problem, kind of.”

“You knocked me up when we were actively trying to keep that from happening. I think that makes you pretty manly.”

He smiled, resting his head on her shoulder. “Well you can be girly when you want to be.”

She reached out, wrapping his hand around hers. “So you think we’ll be okay, no matter what we end up with?”

He raised her hands to his lips and kissed her fingers tenderly. “I think we’ll be just fine.”

The doctor knocked softly on the door, interrupting them. “Ms. Angell,” she said, picking up the chart. “How are you feeling today?”

“Fine,” Jess said.

The doctor continued her examination, making notations on her chart as Jess answered her questions. She finally finished, putting the chart down and smiling encouragingly. “Now we’ll see if we can find the heartbeat.”

“What happens if you can’t?” Jess asked as Adam offered her his hand as she climbed onto the examination table.

“Sometimes it’s just too soon,” the doctor assured her. “It doesn’t mean anything, your blood work looks good, and that’s much more conclusive.”

Angell took a deep breath. “Right,” she nodded, closing her eyes.

“This can take a few minutes,” the doctor murmured.

Adam’s hand moved to her hair, stroking through it slowly and whispering soft words of comfort.

“There it is,” the woman said after a moment as the soft, steady sound filled the room.

Jess’s eyes filled with tears. She felt relief, but that was followed quickly by fear and only made her cry harder. Adam reached out and took her hand, squeezing it lightly and she finally felt like she could breathe again, the small measure of comfort calming her almost immediately.

“I love you,” she whispered.

He kissed her cheek, letting his head rest on the table next to hers. “I love you too.”

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“You’re home early,” Jess said as she let herself into her apartment.

“And you’re late,” he said, poking his head out of the kitchen. “That’s how I know you’re finally feeling better, you aren’t taking off early to come home and go to bed.”

She laughed, leaning down to tug her boots off. “Yeah, it’s been a good week.”

“I know,” he said. “That’s why I came home early. I wanted to surprise you.”

“Surprise me,” she repeated. “Adam, you didn’t have to do anything.”

“I know,” he said, “I wanted to. You’re finally feeling better, Jess, that’s pretty exciting.”

She laughed. “I feel like we set the bar low here, for exciting.”

“Well, I think I managed to come up with something you’ll like,” he murmured.

“Yeah? You gonna tell me what it is?”

“Yes,” he said, stepping out of the kitchen again. “I know you haven’t exactly been able to enjoy food lately, but that’s over now, so I thought you might enjoy having all your favorite foods again.” He smiled. “I hope you enjoy it.”

She laughed. “I’m pregnant, Adam. Now that I’m not sick, I’m constantly starving.”

“Good. I mean, not good, exactly, but…anyway,” he said. “I was gonna set out candles and all of that, but I figured, that’s not exactly us, we’re more ice cream sundaes on the couch, right?”

She nodded. “Did you say ice cream?”

“I did,” he said, disappearing into the kitchen. “And since the baby isn’t here yet, there’s no one for us to worry about setting a bad example for, so we can start with dessert.”

Her eyes widened as he carried out a giant bowl of ice cream. “Wow,” she said. “That’s, I’ve never seen that much ice cream.”

“Special. Just for you,” he said, placing it in her hands.

She giggled, eagerly bringing the spoon to her mouth. “Perfect.”

He settled on the couch next to her, grabbing one of the cherries out of the bowl.

“You know,” she said, smiling at him, “I can tie a cherry stem with my tongue.”

“I do know,” he grinned. “A skill like that is hard to forget.”

She put the bowl down on the table, leaning forward to kiss him deeply. “Food isn’t the only thing I’ve missed lately, Adam.”

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Hours later Jess was stretched out on top of Adam, their bodies covered in a blanket as she finished the last piece of pizza.

“We’re not gonna lose this, are we? Us? After the baby’s here,” she said softly.

“No,” he said, brushing her hair off her forehead. “We’ll still be us.”

“Good,” she said, pressing her face to his chest. “I don’t want to lose this.”

“We might have to be slightly more discreet at some point,” he murmured.

She smiled. “Slightly.”

“Mmmhmm,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “Is that what you’re scared of?”

She shrugged. “Kind of. We have something good, Adam, and I know it’s gonna change.”

“Hey,” he said, softly tilting her head until she was looking in her eyes. “You’re not gonna lose me, Jessie.”

“I know.”

“You ready to go to bed?” he asked as she yawned.

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Let’s just stay here a little longer.”

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“You’re awake,” Jess said when Adam opened his eyes. She rolled onto his body, straddling him and settling on his chest.

“Uh, morning,” he said before she leaned forward and kissed him hungrily.

“Morning,” she said with a smile.

“What’s all this about?” he asked.

“I’m feeling better,” she said, kissing his chest.

“I see that.”

“And I have all these hormones, and they’re kind of making me crazy.”

“Crazy?” he asked, swallowing as she moved down his body.

“Yes,” she nodded. “Basically, it’s a good thing you already knocked me up, because I’d be giving you lots, and lots of opportunities.”

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“Is it safe for me to come in?” Jess asked, pausing at the doorway to the lab.

Adam glanced up and smiled at her. “Yeah. No chemicals. You need something?”

She grinned, crossing the floor until she could press her body against his, her fingers running over his chest. “Yes,” she whispered, her breath hot against his chest.

“Now?” he stammered.

She laughed. “I told you Adam, hormones. Any time, really.”

He sighed, pulling back. “I have to start these tests.”

She pouted. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he said. “Very sad about it, but sure.”

“Will you come find me later?”

“I will definitely do that, yes.”

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“If you don’t want me to jump you at work,” Danny murmured as he followed Lindsay down the hall, “you should not wear those pants. You know what those pants do to me.”

Lindsay shook her head. “This is my fault?”

“Yep. Stop being so damn hot Montana,” he murmured, pulling her close as he tugged open the door to the supply closet. They both froze when they saw Adam and Jess already inside, wrapped in a half clothed embrace.

“Sorry,” Lindsay squeaked, closing the door quickly and slinking down the hall.

“That is our closet,” Danny muttered, pointing. “Everybody knows that.”

“Maybe we need a schedule,” Lindsay suggested.

“They should stay out of our closet.”

“You remember when I was pregnant, don’t you? We had more than our fair share of time in the closet, and anywhere else I could get you.”

He grinned at the memory. “You ever gonna let me knock you up again?”

She laughed lightly, smiling at him. “You know what, I just might do that.”

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“I promise we’re not gonna be late,” Don assured Stella when he saw her checking her watch again.

“I believe you.”

“You’re humoring me,” he laughed.

“I’ve found that to be one of the most important parts of marriage.”

“I’ve just got to get my stuff out of the locker room and we’ll go, with plenty of time to have a nice dinner and see the show and still get home in time to avoid paying for the babysitter’s entire college tuition. Why don’t you come with me?”

She raised her eyebrows. “To the locker room? I don’t think we have that kind of time, Don.”

He laughed. “Not even for old time’s sake?” he asked, taking her by the hand and leading her down the hallway.”

“Not if I’m going to get my nice dinner.”

“What if I promised you an above average dinner and we took a detour?”

“You really know how to romance a girl.”

“I try.”

“I think you’ve been taking tips from Messer.”

He shrugged. “You have to admit, Lindsay does seem happy.”

Stella followed him into the locker room, wrapping her arms around his neck as he backed her into the side of the row of lockers, his hands trailing down to her waist.

“You make me happy,” she murmured as he trailed kisses down her neck.

She pulled away suddenly when she heard a soft moan. They both peered down the aisle, craning their necks until they saw Jess stretched out on the floor as Adam moved over her.

Stella grabbed Don’s tie, pulling him by the tie towards the doorway. She opened it quietly, pushing him outside.

She smiled at him as they walked through the station towards the door. “Guess I’m getting my nice dinner after all.”

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“You look good,” Samantha Angell said after embracing her daughter.

Jess smiled, settling into the booth across from her. “I feel good.”

“I’m so glad.”

“Yeah, me too, the last few months weren’t fun.”

“And how’s Adam?”

“He’s great. Wonderful,” Jess murmured, beaming, her cheeks flushed. “He’s working or he would have stopped by today. He’s trying to save up all his time.”

“Of course. Have the two of you started looking at apartments yet?”

“We’ve seen a couple of places,” Jess sighed. “Hated a couple of places.”

“You’ll find something.”

“Yeah, otherwise the kid’s gonna grow up in a closet.”

“Have you thought about looking outside the city?” Samantha asked.

“No,” Jess said firmly.

“You’re stubborn. You get that from your father.”

“You love my father.”

Samantha smiled at her daughter. “You got me there.” She paused. “Jessica, tell me you’ve at least thought about getting married.”

Jess sighed. “Mom, please. I’m not seventeen. We’re grown ups, we’re gonna live together, raise the baby. Maybe we’ll get married eventually.”

“Just tell me you’ve thought about it.”

“I’ve thought about it. Can we please have a nice lunch?”

“And you’re sure this is what you want?”

“Yes. It’s what I think is best for us. All three of us.”

“It’s obvious Adam loves you.”

“I love him too,” Jess said.

“I know. I’ve never seen you happier than you are with him, Jessica. All I want is for you to be happy. I want you to have everything, not regret anything. You’ll understand when you have this baby.”

Jess wiped at her eyes. “You made me cry. Can we please talk about something else?”

“I was thinking about colors for the nursery.”

“The nursery in the apartment that we haven’t even found yet?”

“What about a nice green? I found some very pretty colors,” she said, reaching into her purse.

“You are not carrying around paint chips in your purse.”

“Just a couple.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“Your child will say the same thing about you.”

“I hope so,” Jess said, reaching across the table and taking her mother’s hand. “I hope I’m half the mother that you are to me. Even if I do drive my kid crazy.”

Samantha squeezed both of her daughter’s hands tightly. “I was scared too, before you were born. You’re going to be a wonderful mother.”

Jess smiled. “You know, I’m almost starting to believe that.”

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“Did my stomach look like this yesterday?” Jess asked, tracing the outline of the small swell with her fingers.

“I, uh, I think so,” Adam answered nervously.

“Really?” she asked. “It seems bigger.”

“Maybe,” he nodded.

“Are you trying to give me the answer I want to hear?”

“Are you gonna be mad at me if I say yes?”

“No. I’m being irrational.”

“No, no, not irrational, exactly.” He paused. “Maybe a tiny, little bit irrational.”

She sighed. “We’re probably going to stop having sex soon.”

“Because of this?” he asked, touching her stomach lightly. “Cause you’re still hot as hell, Jessie. You’re still way too hot for me.”

“No, it’s just, my body’s starting to change, and I read the book. My breasts are going to be so sensitve soon you won’t be able to touch them.”

“I promise you, we can have sex without me touching your breasts, even as tempting as they are.”

“Especially in their current state?” she asked, glancing down at her tank top.

“I’ve always found them irresistable,” he assured her.

“It’s not just the breasts. I mean, the belly, it’s just beginning, it’s going to grow to ridiculous proportions, until we have to try entirely new positions for sex to even be physically possible.”

“Then we’ll be creative. That’s always fun.”

“My feet and ankles are going to swell and ache.”

“Then I’ll rub them for you.”

“My skin’s even different.”

“You’re right, it glows.” He kissed her shoulder softly. “You are beautiful, Jessie, and you’re sexy, and you’re always going to be that way to me.”

She turned to face him, kissing him, her hands moving over his chest. “I love you.”

“I love you,” he murmured, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Now, if we’re gonna have to stop having sex soon, then I think we should probably take advantage of today.”

She laughed, kissing him more deeply. “You always know just what a girl wants to hear.”

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“Do you remember our first date?” Jess asked, studying Adam as she slowly ate her breakfast.

“Of course I do. I couldn’t believe you actually agreed to go out with me and then showed up.” He paused. “We went to Bella’s.”

“I had the best pasta I’ve ever had in my life.”

He smiled. “You want some pasta with your omelet?”

“No.” She hesitated. “Okay, maybe I do a little.”

He laughed. “Want me to fix you something?”

She shook her head. “You walked me home after dinner, and you held my hand, and you kissed me in front of my building, and it was the softest, sweetest kiss anybody’s ever given me and I wanted to jump you right there on the stairs.”

“I wish you would have.”

“Trust me, I thought about it.”

“I remember our first date, Jessie, I remember every date, every time I touched you, every moment I’ve spent with you, because they are the best moments of my life.”

She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me too, Adam.”

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“What are you doing?” Flack asked when he walked by Angell’s desk and found her poking her stomach.

“I look pregnant,” she muttered.

“I feel like pointing out that you are pregnant would probably be a mistake here.”

“Go with those instincts, Don, they’re gonna take you far in life.”

He laughed. “Maybe under all of that you look pregnant, but you really just look like you’re wearing a shirt that’s three sizes too big.”

“I guess I’ll take fat over pregnant today.”

“I take it you’re not switching to maternity clothes any time soon.”

“I’m trying to avoid that for as long as possible.” She glanced at her watch. “Is it lunch yet?”

“Close enough. You going to see Ross?”

She shook her head. “He’s running a bunch of tests. He called a couple of hours ago and told me not to come up. I figure I’ll just go out and get something.”

“Want company?”

“Sure.”

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“You want to find a place to sit?” Don asked as they entered the park with their sandwiches.

“Nah. I really feel like walking,” Jess answered.

“Is something on your mind, Jess?” he asked a minute of silence. “You seem distracted.”

“That obvious, huh?”

He shrugged. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

She sighed. “I’m just a little freaked out.”

“Anything I can help you with?”

“I don’t know.” She frowned. “When I found out I was pregnant I was ambivelent about the whole thing. I mean, I was scared, but under that…” she shrugged. “But I’m not now. This baby…I don’t know if I love it, exactly, yet, but I definitely feel this warmth and affection towards it.”

“Okay,” he said slowly.

“But everything I read, everything I’ve seen, tells me that this baby is going to change me after it gets here, and change Adam, and part of me really doesn’t want to change. I know it’s selfish, and awful, but I like who I am, I like who he is, I really love what we are together, and I don’t know that I want all of that to change.”

“What exactly are you scared is going to happen?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I’m just scared of what I’m going to lose.”

“I don’t think you’re really losing anything, Jess. And you’re gaining so much.”

“I know that.”

“But?” he prompted.

“But I like the relationship we have now.”

He nodded. “It’s hard, at first, to find the time, but you get good at it. You start to appreciate all the time you have together, you make the most of it. And you find time you didn’t even realize you had before.”

“But there’s less of it. You have less time together.”

“It’s sort of a quality versus quantity debate. We have less time alone together, but we make more out of it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Trust me, having a child with someone, it changes your relationship, but in my experience only for the better. I didn’t know it was possible to love Stella more than I did, but after I watched her give birth to my son, I’m just in awe of her. Having a baby is an amazing experience.”

She gave him a tight, nervous smile. “I hope so.”

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Don paused outside the lab after dropping Jess off at her desk downstairs. He knocked lightly on the door as he entered.

Adam glanced up the evidence he was studying. “Hey,” he said, frowning. “I don’t think I have anything for you.”

Don shook his head. “I was just talking to Jess.”

“Is she okay?”

“She’s fine,” Don said quickly. “She’s a little freaked out.”

“Should I go talk to her?” Adam asked nervously.

“No, no, really, she’s fine. We talked. I was just thinking, maybe if you could take her out for like a date night or something, it might make her feel better.” He paused. “I’m not trying to get into the middle of your relationship or anything, Messer gave me the same advice, it’s just my turn to pass it on.”

Adam nodded. “Thanks. You really think that’ll make her feel better?”

“I do.”

“Thanks, Adam repeated.

“No problem.”

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“Do you want to go on a date next week?” Adam asked, walking into the bedroom.

Jess smiled. “I’m having your kid, Adam, you don’t have to woo me now.”

“I just want to take a pretty girl to dinner. I wasn’t sure if you’d feel like it though.”

“It sounds nice.”

He studied her. “If you don’t want to go out, Jessie, we could do something here.”

“No, it’s not that I don’t want to go out, I just…I don’t really have anything to wear, Adam.”

“Of course you do.”

“I don’t. Nothing fits right.”

“So then, we’ll just stay home. We can still do something special.”

She shook her head. “I want to go out. I’ll figure something out.”

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“I need your help,” Jess said when she walked into Stella’s office.

“Okay,” Stella said, looking up from her paperwork. “What do you need?”

“Adam and I are going on a date. I need something to wear.”

Stella smiled. “I’m good at finding something to wear. Did you have anything in mind?”

Jess shrugged. “Something nice. It’d be a bonus if I don’t look ridiculous.”

“I would never let you look ridiculous.”

“Thanks,” Jess said softly.

“Any time.”

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“Wow,” Adam breathed when Jess walked out of the bedroom.

She smiled shyly. “You like it?” she asked, tugging at the black material. It clung to her breasts and flowed down, skimming her stomach without outlining the swell.

“I more than like it.”

“Good,” she said. “Now the real question, are you taking me somewhere nice enough to warrant all of this?”

He smiled at her, handing her jacket to her and taking her by the hand as they headed out the door. “I thought we’d go to Bella’s, see if that pasta is as good as you remember.”

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“That was nice,” Jess murmured, lacing her fingers through Adam’s as they exited the resturant.

He smiled at her. “Was it as good as you remembered?”

“It might be better. I think I could have eaten four plates.”

“You’ve certainly developed an appetite.”

“That’s such a nice way to describe my constant eating. You’ve a very good boyfriend,” she said, wrapping her arm through his.

“Well, I have a pretty amazing girlfriend. A pretty amazing girlfriend wearing an amazing dress that I’d like to get a chance to see up close,” he added.

“I see, this whole date thing was just an attempt to get in my pants.”

He shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for trying, can you?”

“I’m just not sure you’d be trying that hard if you knew it was a maternity dress.”

“Yeah?” he asked, his eyes running up and down her body.

“Yeah.”

“It’s sexy.”

She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked. “Thanks.”

“Really, Jess. You look incredibly sexy. Everybody in the resturant noticed.”

“This feels good,” she said.

“I’m glad. You had fun?”

She nodded. “Did you?”

“I had a wonderful time.”

“I love you,” she said softly.

“I love you. You feel like stopping for some dessert?”

“I thought I was the dessert.”

“Oh, believe me, that is still on the menu,” he said, leading her towards an ice cream shop.

She giggled. “We got all dressed up, went out to a nice place, and now we’re gonna get ice cream cones.”

“That pretty much sums it up.”

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Angell sighed, standing in the middle of the living room of the sixth apartment they’d looked at that day. “We’re never going to find a place,” she muttered.

“Don’t give up. We’ve still got a couple more places to look at. Unless you’re too tired, we could quit.”

She shook her head. “I’m just tired of hating every place we see.”

“Let’s just go to one more,” Adam suggested. “If we hate it, we’ll…talk about our options.”

“Like moving out of the city,” she sighed.

“That’s not the only option.”

“Right, we could always just stick the baby in a closet.”

He rubbed her back as they waited for the elevator. “There has to be something.”

“Sure, there are a million nice apartments. We just can’t afford any of them.”

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Jess held her breath as she walked through the apartment, squeezing Adam’s hand.

“What do you think?” he asked tentatively.

“That I’m dreaming and when I wake up this place isn’t going to exist,” she whispered.

He smiled. “It’s kinda perfect, right?”

“It’s beyond perfect.” She turned to face him. “There’s not way this is the place we’re actually supposed to be seeing. There’s no way we can afford this.”

“Trust me, I double checked the address and the listing.”

“We could live here?”

He nodded.

“I want to live here,” she said, hugging him tightly.

He smiled, kissing her cheek. “I’m glad. Me too.”

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“What’s wrong?” Adam asked when he walked into the bedroom and found Jess with her hands on her stomach.

“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head.

“What’s going on Jess?”

She looked up at him, her eyes wide. “I think I felt it move.”

“Really?” he asked, sitting next to her on the bed and placing his hands next to hers.

“Maybe,” she said, settling back against the pillows. “It was like this fluttering feeling under my skin. It was weird. Good weird, I think, but weird. I have a tiny little person growing in here.”

He smiled at her, leaning across her body to kiss her softly. “Our tiny little person.”

“Yeah,” she said, resting her forehead against his. “Ours.”

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“Are you excited?” Jess asked, watching Adam’s face as they sat in the examing room in the doctor’s office.

“Yeah,” he said, grinning at her. “I am. Aren’t you?”

She nodded. “It’s just…it’s weird, the idea that we’re gonna see a picture of this baby that’s inside of me. I don’t know.” She laid back on the examination table. “It kind of just feels weird.”

He reached out to hold her hand. “Are you scared?”

“I guess a little. I mean, what if I did something wrong, what if something’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing’s going to be wrong,” he assured her. “And even if there was, it wouldn’t be your fault.”

She took a deep breath when the doctor came in and Adam squeezed her hand as the ultrasound started.

“Are we finding out the sex today?”the doctor asked.

“Yeah,” Adam answered. “We want to know.”

Jess found herself holding her breath as she waited for the images to appear on the screen.

“There’s the heartbeat,” the doctor explained. “It’s strong, everything looks like it’s developing well.” She paused. “And there’s your baby’s face.”

“Wow,” Adam breathed as he kissed Jess’s fingertips.

“That’s amazing,” Jess said softly, wiping at her eyes.

“There are the arms, and hands, and the legs and feet. It looks like you’re having a little girl.”

“A girl,” Adam whispered, kissing Jess’ temple. “We’re having a girl.”

She nodded, taking a shaky breath. “A girl.”

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“She’s really kicking tonight,” Adam murmured, his hands pressed over Jess’ stomach.

“Yeah,” Jess said, relaxing in bed against the pillows. “She,” she added, shaking her head. “A girl.”

“How are you feeling, about that?”

Jess gave him a nervous smile. “I just want to do right by her, you know, by our little girl, and I guess I just question my ability to do that.”

“You will be a wonderful mother to our little girl.”

“What if she wants to be a princess?”

“Then we’ll buy her crown.” He smiled at her. “You go shopping, Jessie, you paint your toenails, you curl your hair, you wear a dress when you want to. You can do this.”

“Not without you,” she said, stroking his cheek gently.

“Well, you’ve got me,” he said, “the two of you, every last piece of me.”

She closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. “And you’ve got me.”

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“I’ll be home soon,” Adam promised.

“I’m fine,” Jess assured him. “I’m gonna unpack a couple more light boxes and probably go to bed.”

“Did you eat?”

She laughed. “A couple of times, actually.”

“I miss you,” he said softly.

“I miss you. Go finish saving the world from crime so you can come home and cuddle.”

He laughed. “Yes ma’am.”

Jess made her way through the apartment into the apartment, newly painted green by Danny and Lindsay and opened one of the boxes. She pulled out a few of the baby presents they’d been given and tucked them carefully into one of the drawers. She reached into the bottom of the box and pulled out a tiny pink teddy bear Adam had brought home the day after the ultra sound. She smiled to herself, sitting in the brand new rocking chair and resting her hands on her stomach, staring out the windows at the darkening city.

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Adam let himself into the apartment quietly, moving to the bedroom. He smiled as he saw Angell sprawled out on the bed. One of her hands was resting on her belly and the other was still holding the pink teddy bear.

He brushed her hair off of her face, settling carefully next to her on the bed and kissing her cheek. He stretched out, smiling when she shifted closer to him even in sleep.

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“Something wrong?” Adam asked when Danny slammed the door of the lab.

“No,” Danny muttered. “Have you seen Lindsay?”

“She and Stella caught a case.”

“Dammit,” Danny said under his breath.

“Tough case?” Adam asked after a minute.

“Yeah,” Danny nodded. “This father, he hates his kid, beats the hell out of him, kills his own kid, and he doesn’t even care. Says the kid deserved it. People like that, you know?”

“Yeah,” Adam said quietly. “I know”

Danny looked up. “Shit, man, I’m sorry I wasn’t thinking.”

Adam shook his head. “It’s okay.” He paused. “I just worry, sometimes, what kind of a father it’s going to make me.”

“You won’t be like that Adam.”

“How can you ever know, though?”

Danny shrugged. “I didn’t have the greatest dad either, and when Lindsay was pregnant, I worried about the same things, but trust me, you just gotta believe me, when Jess has your child, when you actually hold your daughter in your arms, and you look at her face, you’ll know. You’ll just know that you aren’t capable of ever hurting her. Not intentionally.”

“Yeah?” Adam asked.

“Yeah,” Danny said firmly. “The bad ones, I don’t think they worry about what they’re gonna do to their kids. I don’t think they care.”

“I hope you’re right,” Adam said.

“I am,” Danny assured him. “You and Jess, you’re already doing good. You’re already worried about your little girl, you wanna protect her. You’re gonna be great at this.”

Adam smiled nervously. “Thanks man.”

“It’s nothing,” Danny said. “I just hope it helped. We’re family, you know?”

“Yeah,” Adam nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

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“Thanks for coming with me,” Jess murmured.

“No problem,” Lindsay said, absently flipping through a display of maternity jeans. “It can be kind of overwhelming.”

“Is there anythning about having a baby that isn’t overwhelming?”

Lindsay frowned. “Are you still feeling that way?”

“Not really. It’s just all the hormones, the mood swings. It’s a little overwhelming.”

Lindsay nodded. “Yeah, that part is a lot overwhelming.”

“Yeah,” Jess agreed. “Listen, can I ask you something?”

“You can ask me anything.”

“Do you ever regret that you and Danny didn’t get married when you were pregnant with Sophia?”

Lindsay studied Jess’ face as she searched the store absently. “Are you and Adam talking about getting married?”

Jess smiled nervously. “He asked. Months ago, right after I told him I was pregnant, he asked if I wanted to get married.”

“What did you say?” Lindsay asked softly.

“I said no.”

“But you changed you mind?”

“No,” Jess said. “I always wanted to marry him. I just don’t want him to marry me because I’m pregnant.”

“Have you talked to Adam about that?”

“Not exactly.”

“You want to know if I regreted not marrying Danny sooner?”

Jess nodded.

“I don’t,” Lindsay murmured. “But Danny and I both knew we were going to get married eventually.” She shrugged. “I just couldn’t worry about place settings and bridesmaids when I wanted to pick out paint colors and test strollers.”

“I don’t really care about place settings,” Jess sighed.

“Talk to Adam,” Lindsay urged. “You’ll feel better.” She pulled one of the dresses off the rack and held it up. “What do you think?”

“I think it looks more like you than me,” Jess observed. “Wait, are you and Danny?”

Lindsay smiled. “We’re talking about having another baby,” she nodded. “I think we’re going to, yeah.”

“Wow,” Jess said. “I’m still freaked out about what it’s going to be like to have one baby and you’re working on two.”

Lindsay placed her hands gently on Jess’ shoulders. “You can do this, I promise. Just talk to Adam.”

Jess nodded. “I will.”

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Jess climbed slowly into bed next to Adam, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Are you tired?” he asked, reaching for the lamp.

She shook her head. “Can we talk?”

“Sure.” He pulled the blankets up around them. “About what?”

“Do you remember when you asked if I wanted to get married?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you just ask because of the baby?” she asked softly.

“I want to marry you, Jess. I still hope I can convince you some day.”

She smiled nervously. “I wanna marry you too,” she said. “I just…I didn’t want to get married because I was having your baby.”

He studied her face. “You want to marry me?”

She nodded.

He kissed her, slowly and passionately, his fingers tangling in her hair. “So what do we do now? Should we wait?”

“Do you think we could do something simple? Small? A few friends, close family. No church, or priest, or reception, just us. I want us to be a family, Adam. I don’t want to wait any more.”

He smiled at her. “Then we won’t wait. I love you, Jess. I’m gonna spend the rest of my life loving you.”

She smiled. “And I’ll spend the rest of my life feeling so incredibly grateful that I met you.”

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“What’s that?” Adam asked, looking at the paper in Jess’ hand.

She bit her lip, her fingers smoothing over the writing. “I think it might be her name. I, uh, I think I found a name I liked. I wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget.” She laughed nervously. “I know, it sounds crazy.”

He shook his head. “Tell me.”

“Anna Jane,” Jess said slowly. “I thought, you know, we could call her AJ, that’s not so girly, but she’d still have a nice girly name if she wanted one. Plus AJ, it’s sort of like naming her Adam Jr. I want to name her after you.”

“Not just after me,” he said softly, reaching for her hand and squeezing it. “AJ. Adam. Jess. We could name her after us. Our names together. She’s a little piece of us, together.”

Jess smiled. “So you like it?”

“I love it. It’s perfect. Just like you. Just like her.”

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“Could we talk?” Adam asked, pausing at the door to Lindsay’s office.

“Sure,” she asked, looking up at him and smiling. “What’s up?”

He bounced on the heels of his feet and grinned at her. “Jess and I were talking, and we’d like you to be Anna’s godmother.”

Lindsay’s whole face brightened and she jumped to her feet, throwing her arms around Adam’s neck. “I would be so honored,” she said. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for being such a good friend to both of us.”

“Hey, you don’t have to thank me for that. That is my pleasure. I’m just so happy for both of you.”

“I know. Thanks Lindsay.” He paused. “I never really thought I’d get all of this, you know, a girl I love who loves me, a baby. I got it all.”

“You did,” Lindsay said with a smile. “And you deserve it, all of it.”

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“Do you have a minute?” Jess asked when Flack passed her.

“Sure. What do you need?” he asked, perched on the edge of her desk.

She smiled almost shyly. “Adam and I would like you to be our daughter’s godfather.”

Don smiled. “Of course. I’d be honored.”

“You’ve helped me with all of this, Don. You’ve more than earned your spot.”

“So, you’re feeling better about all of this now, huh?” Don asked.

Jess nodded. “Guess I wasn’t hiding it as well as I thought.”

“I could tell you were freaked out, but you’ve gotten relaxed.” He smiled. “You’ve gotten happy. So happy that you glow.”

She laughed. “I glow, huh?”

“You do, a little. You’re gonna be a great mom, Jess.”

“It wasn’t that long ago that I didn’t believe that was possible, but I’m starting to think you might be right.”

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“What are you doing?” Adam asked, rolling onto his side and watching Jess.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror, both hands resting on her swollen belly. “If I tell you I sound crazy.”

“I’ll never think you’re crazy.”

She turned to him, smiling softly. “I know I totally freaked out about my body changing when it started, but now I’m huge, and I kind of love it,” she said, laughing. “I feel…beautiful, and sexy, and powerful, somehow.”

He propped himself up on his elbows and kissed one of her shoulder blades. “You are beautiful and sexy and powerful.”

“Yeah,” she said, turning back to the mirror. “This is such an amazing thing, Adam. I never thought it would feel like this.”

“I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Me too.”

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“What do you think?” Jess asked, standing in front of the mirror. “I’m probably not exactly what you imagined your bride would look like on your wedding day.”

He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and restin his head on her shoulder. “You are better than anything I ever imagined, and you’re beautiful.”

“Beautiful enough for you to spend the rest of your life with?”

“This life and the next one,” he murmured.

She smiled at him, shifting slowly in his arms until she could kiss him.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked once they pulled back.

“Yeah,” Jess answered with a smile. “Let’s make this official.” She paused at the doorway. “I’m really glad we’re doing this, Adam.”

“Me too,” he said softly, squeezing her hand. “Me too.”

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The ceremony was simple and short, little more than Adam and Jess exchanging heartfelt vows to love and care for each other, make each other happy, and always cherish the family they were creating.

Afterwards they went to one of Jess and Adam’s favorite resturants, settling in at the long table that had been placed there for them. The room was soon filled with laughter and friendly conversation as they started to eat.

Lindsay slipped into the vacated seat next to Jess, smiling at her. “Is the baby kicking?” she asked when Jess placed a hand on her stomach.

“Yeah,” Jess nodded.

“Could I?” Lindsay asked, tentatively reaching towards Jess.

“Sure,” Jess answered with a small smile. “She is your goddaughter after all.”

“It’s so amazing,” Lindsay breathed, placing her hand on Jess’ stomach.

“It is,” Jess agreed with a smile.

“I don’t want to say anything yet, this is your day, but Danny and I just found out I’m pregnant again.”

Jess’ eyes lit up and she hugged Lindsay. “Congratualtions.”

Lindsay nodded, beaming. “You think our babies will be friends?”

“Yeah. I know they will be.” Jess turned to the group. “Danny and Lindsay have some exciting news.”

Lindsay blushed and ducked her head while Danny smiled at her from across the room.

“We’re having another baby,” Lindsay said softly. “I didn’t want steal your moment,” she hissed to Jess.

“If I’ve learned anything,” Jess murmured at the table erupted in congratulations, “it’s that there is more than enough love and support in this room for both of us.”

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“So,” Adam said, once he and Jess were comfortably settled in the hotel room that had been a wedding gift from Mac, “are you still happy you married me?”

She smiled at him. “Incredibly, unbelievably happy.”

He kissed her tenderly. “I’ll take you on a real honeymoon, after AJ’s here.”

“You don’t have to do that, Adam.”

“You deserve that. We deserve that,” he added, kissing her again.

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Jess groaned softly as she climbed into bed.

“What’s wrong?” Adam asked, reaching for her and helping her get settled and comfortable.

“Nothing,” she sighed. “I’ve just offically gotten so hugely pregnant that everything hurts, which wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have to get up and go to the bathroom seven times an hour.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She closed her eyes. “I’m just ready for her to be here.”

“Me too.”

She smiled at him. “I was scared I would never feel like this.”

“I always knew you were going to be a great mother, Jessie. I just never really believed I’d be lucky enough to get you to be the mother of my child.”

“I’m actually excited,” she murmured. “To have a baby, to have a family. It feels really good. It feels right.”

“I’m glad.”

“I was even thinking,” she said, looking into his eyes, “maybe eventually, we might want to try to have another baby.”

“You really think you might want to?”

She nodded. “It’s a long way down the road, and you know, let’s see how awful actually giving birth to this one is, but I’m not scared any more, Adam. I think I could do anything, as long I’ve got you.”

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“Feels good,” Jess murmured as the warm spray from the shower hit her back. She closed her eyes, resting her face against Adam’s chest as he wrapped his arms around her body.

“I’m glad,” he said, kissing the top of her head, rubbing her back slowly. “We can stay in here for as long as you want.”

She smiled. “You have to go to work eventually.”

“Not for a few more hours.”

She nodded. “It’s not like I could stand for an hour anyway.”

“I’ll hold you up.”

She looked up at him and smiled. “You’ve been doing that a lot the last couple of months.”

“Well, that’s what I’m here for.”

She yawned, closing her eyes again and relaxing. They stood like that for several minutes before Jess suddenly pulled back, clutching her stomach.

“What’s wrong?” Adam asked.

She shook her head, gripping his arm tightly and shaking her head and taking a shaky breath. “I think maybe,” she started, shaking her head again and looking up at him. “Adam, I think I had a contraction.”

He studied her face nervously. “Do you want to go to the hospital?”

“I don’t know.” She bit her lip. “I mean, in the movies, they just magically know that they’re really having a baby and say it’s time or something. I don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like. Oh god,” she hissed. “Yes,” she panted. “Yes, I want to go to the hospital.”

“Okay,” he nodded. “Okay so we’ll just, I’ll get your clothes, and your stuff and we’ll get dressed and we’ll go. I’ll…do you want to lay down or something?”

“I think maybe just sit,” she said weakly as he helped her out of the shower. “Stand. I don’t know.”

“Right, okay, can I get you something?”

“Clothes,” she said with a weak smile. “That’d be good.”

“Right. I’ll get that now.”

Jess followed him slowly, leaning against the wall and watching him rush around the bedroom with a smile on her face. He helped her into her clothes, squeezing her hands reassuringly even though his own hands were shaking. He moved to dress himself hastily, absently rubbing the back of his head in a gesture that was familiar and somehow comforting to her, until the pain of a fresh wave of contractions made her cry out softly.

He was at her side instantly, leading her towards the door. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”

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Adam hated seeing his wife - my wife, he thought - in so much pain. But he knew that their little girl was on her way, and they had to get through this. Squeezing her hand, he kissed her temple.

"You're doing great, Jessie," he murmured.

“It hurts,” she gasped, gripping his hand tightly. “It hurts more than getting shot hurt.”

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, brushing her hair off of her forehead. “It’s almost over though. She’s almost here.”

Jess nodded, her face twisting in pain as she pushed again.

“I would rather you have ten babies than ever get shot again,” he continued when her head fell back against the pillows.

“I love you,” she panted, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“I love you too,” Adam said, kissing her temple again.

“Are the two of you ready to meet your baby?” the doctor asked.

Jess nodded wearily.

“You can do this,” Adam assured her. “Push Jessie.”

He finally tore his eyes from her face when he heard the baby’s first soft cry. When he looked at Jess again tears were freely flowing down her face. He watched the nurse place the baby, their daughter, he reminded himself, on Jess’ chest.

“Say something,” Jess whispered.

“Wow,” Adam breathed.

Jess started to laugh through her tears and cradled the baby tenderly in her arms. “Hi there,” she said softly, kissing AJ’s forehead. “Hi baby. Hi AJ.”

Adam felt his own tears roll slowly down his cheeks as he watched them, resting his face next to Jess’. “Anna,” he whispered, slowly stroking the baby’s arm. “Our little Anna.”

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Jess smiled tiredly when Lindsay and Stella spilled into the room, followed by Don and Danny.

“She’s beautiful,” Stella murmured, staring at the baby sleeping in Jess’ arms.

“She’s so tiny,” Lindsay practically cooed. “She’s perfect.”

“We like to think so,” Jess said. “Would you like to hold your goddaughter?”

“Could I?” Lindsay asked, her eyes bright.

“Of course,” Jess answered, shifting AJ in her arms and carefully handing her to Lindsay.

Lindsay cradled the baby above her swollen belly, smiling down at her.

“You two make pretty babies,” Stella said with a smile.

“I think that’s mostly Jessie,” Adam said, rubbing Jess’ arm.

“No, I definitely see some Ross there too,” Lindsay insisted, passing the baby to Stella.

“Poor kid,” Danny said with a laugh. “Seriously, though, congratulations. I’m really happy for you both.”

“Mac and Hawkes and Sid all send their congratulations and said to tell you they all plan on visiting once the three of you are settled in at home,” Stella informed them as she carefully placed the baby in Don’s arms.

“Hi there princess,” Don murmured. “I’m your Uncle Don, and I know you’re in good hands here with your mom and your dad, but if you ever need anything, you come to me, okay?” He handed AJ to Danny slowly. “And don’t listen to a word your Uncle Danny tells you.”

Jess laughed, wincing slightly at the spasm of pain that washed over her. “She has Adam’s eyes,” she murmured.

“Yeah?” Danny asked, staring at the little girl. “I happen to have a special place in my heart for little baby girls with blue eyes,” he said, smiling at Lindsay.

“We should go,” Stella said when Jess yawned. “Let you all get some rest.”

Danny placed the baby back in Jess’ arms as they filed to the door.

Lindsay was the last one out, turning to give them one last smile. “Congratulations.”

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Jess opened her eyes slowly, groaning at the aching pain she felt every time she moved. She blinked, staring at the empty bassinet.

“Where’s Anna?” she asked.

“I got her right here,” Adam answered.

Jess turned her head, smiling at the image that greated her, Adam in the chair, watching her, with the baby curled up on his chest.

“Do you want to hold her?” Adam answered.

Jess shook her head. “The two of you look comfortable there.”

He grinned at her. “She’s so amazing. I can’t stop looking at her. I can barely believe she’s actually mine. Ours,” he added.

Jess nodded. “I can’t believe I was ever worried for a minute that I wouldn’t love her enough. I feel like I’ve been loving her my entire life.”

Adam smiled. “I know what you mean,” he said, tracing the baby’s face with his fingers. “She looks like you.”

“No,” Jess said softly, shaking her head. “She looks like us. She’s ours.”

“Ours,” Adam repeated softly. “She’s ours.”