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Brooke opened her eyes and blinked, looking at the clock.

1:12 am.

She rolled onto her back carefully and closed her eyes, waiting to see when the next contraction would hit. She knew that they had started earlier that afternoon, but had stayed almost 30 minutes apart when she and Neal had gone to bed.

A rolling pain rushed through her and she moaned softly. She breathed through the pain letting out a breath of relief when the contraction passed.

1:20 am.

Eight minutes apart.

She reached out and placed her hand on Neal's chest. "Neal... Honey, wake up."

Neal jerked slightly, blinking his eyes open. "...Whuzza?" he mumbled sleepily, rolling over to face her.

Brooke smiled softly at him and let her hand rest on his cheek. "Eight minutes apart... I think we need to head to the hospital."

It took a moment for her words to penetrate the sleepy fog in his brain. "...Holy shit."

Brooke laughed softly. "You want to call Andy and Nick? I'll go wake Ashlyn up."

"...Mmmmm..." He rolled the opposite direction and fumbled for his phone on the bedside table. "...Hey, Andy...yeah...I know, man...babies can't fuckin' tell time...yup...meet y'there."

Brooke slipped out of bed and held onto the door frame as another contraction washed over her. She closed her eyes and breathed through it. Once it had passed, she made her way down the hallway to Ashlyn's room. She smiled when she saw her sprawled out on her bed, the covers on the floor.

She walked up to the toddler bed and brushed the hair out of her face. "Hey sleepy head... You ready for our big adventure?"

Ashlyn blinked her eyes open, just as slowly as her daddy had. "...'Venture, Momma?" she asked softly, her brow creasing slightly in confusion.

Brooke smiled. "Yup - the adventure we get to go on, to get baby Liam here. Got to get up and get some shoes on, okay, baby girl?" She smiled and headed back down the hallway to the bedroom to get her own shoes.

"Oh, boy!" Ashlyn murmured to herself, and popped out of bed, grabbing her shoes from just under her bed, where she'd been carefully placing them every night as Mommy's due date had drawn closer. "Liam's coming, Mr. Bun!" she informed her teddy bear solemnly, hugging him tightly to her chest.

Neal was just coming out of the bathroom when Brooke got back, wearing the same clothes he'd had on yesterday. He ran his fingers nervously through his hair, smiling at her. "Andy and Nick are gonna meet us there in a bit...should we call your doctor, or just head over there...?"

Brooke let out a breath, feeling another contraction coming on. "Call...and she'll meet us there..." She rested one hand on the wall and the other on her stomach, concentrating on breathing through the contractions. They were starting to get stronger.

Neal's eyes went dark with worry, studying his wife, his hands clenching and unclenching in fists of helplessness. He quickly swiped through his contact list to Brooke's obstetrician, and made arrangements to meet her at the hospital.

He wrapped his arms around Brooke and kissed her softly. "Love you so much..." he whispered, squeezing her gently.

Brooke smiled and leaned into the kiss, letting the strength of Neal's arms hold her up. "Love you too. Everything is going just fine," she reassured him.

"I know," he said softly, pressing his forehead to hers. "Don't stop me from worryin', though..." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Did your water break yet?"

Brooke shook her head. "No...hopefully that will hold off 'til we get to the hospital." She sat down on the couch to get her breath back. "You want to go and hurry Ashlyn up, and then grab the bag from our room?" she asked softly, pulling out her phone to text her mom and Neal's mom that they were heading to the hospital.

"Of course, love..." Neal murmured, and headed down the hall to Ashlyn's room. "Hey, Princess...you up and rarin' t'go?"

Ashlyn stood up, grabbing her bear and her little backpack that had been packed with her favorite coloring books, crayons and her special glitter crayons. She looked up at her Daddy. "Yup! Can I bring my blanket? she asked.

"Of course you can, love," Neal murmured, kissing her hair gently. "Uncle Andy and Uncle Nick are gonna meet us there...Uncle Nick still has some paddin' you can use as a pillow if you get tired..." He stepped back and ruffled her bangs lightly. "C'mon, grab your blanket an' let's go, okay?"

Ashlyn grabbed her blanket and followed her Daddy down the hallway. She had a whole belly full of butterflies, and she couldn't wait until her little brother got there.

Brooke stood up and looked at Neal as they came down the hallway. "Five minutes apart."

Neal cursed softly under his breath. "Better grab a towel for the car..." he murmured, and made a stop at the linen closet. "Ash, you keep an eye on Mommy for me, okay? I have to go get our bag from our room, okay?"

Ashlyn looked at her daddy and nodded seriously. She walked over to her mommy and held her hand tight.

Brooke ran her hand through Ashlyn's hair. "You are such a big girl, aren't you, sweetheart..." she said softly, leaning down and kissing her head.

Ashlyn nodded solemnly, gripping her mommy's hand tighter. "Uh huh! I helped keep Daddy brave on the water ride, and I can help you stay safe."

Brooke smiled warmly at Ashlyn. "That you did," she said softly. She felt another contraction coming on, and she tightened her hold on Ashlyn's hand. Halfway through the contraction, she felt the tell-tale warm gush and turned to Ashlyn. "Go and get Daddy, baby - tell him we need to go now."

Ashlyn drew a deep breath and turned on her heel, running toward the master bedroom. "Daddy! Mommy said to tell you 'now!'"

Neal swore a bit louder, dragging the bag out of the bedroom. "Okay, Ash, go out to the car..." He tossed the towel in his hand to the floor, and grabbed another from the closet for the car seat. "Can you still walk okay, love?"

Brooke smiled gently at Neal, nodding. "Yeah... Just walk with me, okay?" she said softly. She could feel the nerves starting to pick up. They headed for the car, and Brooke was thankful that Ashlyn was in her seat and buckled up. She waited until Neal laid the towel down on the seat before she gingerly got in and sat down. She managed to get the door shut just as another contraction hit, stronger than any of the others.

Neal watched through the window as Brooke's face twisted slightly, and he started chewing on his lower lip. "Shit, shit, shit..." he cursed slightly, wrestling the bag into the car and rushing around to the driver's side to hop in. His mind flooded with time and route calculations as he backed out of the drive, pointing the car toward the hospital

Brooke reached over and put her hand on Neal's leg. "It's okay..." She glanced back at Ashlyn, sitting in her seat wide-eyed. "We have plenty of time..." Brooke said, smiling slightly. She rubbed her hand over her stomach, trying to convince herself of the same thing.

Neal nodded tightly, laying his foot a little heavier on the gas than he normally would none-the-less. In what was simultaneously the longest drive ever and no time at all, they were pulling into a maternity space at the local hospital.

Brooke tried to breathe through her next contraction. Through the window, she could see Nick, holding a sleeping Logan, and Andy walking up to the car. She closed her eyes and let her head rest on the back of the seat just breathing through the pain.

Andy walked around to the driver's side of the car, opened the back door and unbuckled Ashlyn. "Come on sweetie...let's get inside while your Daddy gets your Momma." He straightened up and squeezed Neal's shoulder as Neal got out. "You ready for this?" Andy grinned.

Neal shook his head slightly. "I'm not sure yet," he replied softly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "It was kind of horrifying to hear her language last time with Ashlyn - I'm afraid she might've learned some new curse words!" he murmured into Andy's ear, and clapped him lightly on the shoulder. "I forget - did Paige let you guys in the room when she delivered?"

Brooke shook her head as she opened the door. "Darling, I love you. Now will you come here and help me get out?! Or Liam is going to be born in the front seat of the car!"

Andy laughed and shook his head at Brooke before he turned back to Neal, and picked up Ashlyn's blanket and backpack. "Yeah, we were both there. Thought Nick would pass out," he grinned.

"Hey!" Nick protested loudly. "Not my fault if no one ever prepared me for the sight of this head--" he laid a hand on his son's head-- "...coming out of there!"

Neal grinned at him across the roof of the car. "Dude, no one prepares any of us guys for that..." he replied, shutting his door and coming around to the other side of the car to help Brooke. "Do you need me t'get you a wheelchair, darlin'?" he murmured to her, smoothing her hair out of her face.

Brooke looked up at Neal and nodded. "Yeah," she whispered as she rested her head on his stomach.

Andy grinned. "You two should have watched the Discovery Channel with me when they were doing that show about 'Here Comes Baby' or something."

"Dude, make yourself useful and get us a wheelchair, will ya?" Neal retorted, sticking his tongue out at his best friend, and then turned back to Brooke, rubbing her back gently. "Easy, love...I got you..."

Ashlyn stood beside the car next to Nick, her eyes round and wide. She looked up at Nick, tugging lightly on his pants leg. "Uncle Nick? Is this part of the adventure?"

Nick smiled down at Ashlyn warmly. "Yes ma'am, this certainly is!" he replied, shifting his grip on the still-sleeping Logan to brush Ashlyn's hair back out of her eyes. "Have you ever been to a hospital before?"

Andy laughed and hurried to the inside of the ER entrance, where the attendant saw what he was coming for, then hurried out with the wheelchair. "Look, I even brought reinforcements!" he grinned.

Brooke looked up at Andy and glared. "Andrew...stay out of my smacking distance. You are too cheerful to see me in pain."

"...And if she don't smack you, I will," Neal added, giving Andy a quick, reassuring smile and wink. "Okay, love, here we go..." he murmured, swinging Brooke's legs out of the car, and slipped his arms around her back to help her to her feet.

Ashlyn watched as her mommy eased carefully into the wheelchair, and bounced beside Nick. "Ooh, izzat part of the adventure, too?? Can I ride one??"

Brooke looked over at Ashlyn and smiled. "You want to help Daddy push me into the hospital? And then I'm sure Uncle Nick or Uncle Andy will show you where the gift shop is, and you can pick out something for baby Liam, okay?" she said softly.

Andy watched Brooke and marveled that even when she was in labor, she had the time to be patient with Ashlyn and make her feel a part of the process.

"Yay! Daddy, I get t'help!" Ashlyn squealed, jumping up and down excitedly, and rushed over the to wheelchair, reaching up to grip the handles. "Oh boy oh boy oh boy..."

"Okay, Princess, slow down a minute. I need Mommy's bag out of the car, and we gotta lock it..." Neal chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"Hey, Andy - come get your boy, and I'll get their bag and lock the car, okay?" Nick said, holding out his hands for Neal's keys. "That way, they can get inside and get Brooke checked in, before she squirts him out in the parking lot?"

Andy laughed and hurried over to Nick. "I see how it is - he's mine when you don't want to carry him any more!" He grinned and took Logan from Nick gently. "Damn, he'll sleep through anything, won't he..." he murmured, kissing Logan's hair and waiting for Nick to get the bags and lock up the car.

Brooke leaned back and smiled at Ashlyn. "See, you already are a really good helper..." She reached back and gripped Neal's hand, ducking her head as another contraction washed over her.

Neal set his jaw slightly at Brooke's obvious discomfort, and touched Ashlyn's head gently. "Okay, Princess, let go a moment..." He laid his hands on the grips, and smiled down at his daughter. "All right, put your hands on mine, and let's get Mommy inside, okay? Ready? One...two...three...push!"

Ashlyn's face lit up with delight as the chair moved forward, and she picked up her feet quickly, her little legs churning as she rushed to keep up and keep ahead of her daddy behind her. "Look, Daddy, I'm doin' it, I'm doin' it!" she crowed, laughing with delight.

The doors ahead of them slid open silently, and Ashlyn's eyes got bigger. "Wow, magic!" she whispered in awe, only having ever seen doors that swung open automatically. "Daddy, did you see that?"

Nick grinned and tousled Andy's hair. "Aw, shit, y'caught onto that now, did ya?" He pulled Brooke's bag out of the back seat and hit the auto-lock on Brooke's door, closing both soundly before checking the latches. "Okay, Skibby - let's go be doting uncles."

Brooke smiled when her doctor met them at the desk. She let Neal handle signing in as she answered the doctor's questions, and before she knew it she was being wheeled back to an exam room, after a quick kiss to Ashlyn's head.

Andy held onto Ashlyn's hand as they watched Brooke get wheeled through the door. He turned to her and smiled. "You want to go and get something to snack on or drink?"

Ashlyn watched with a quivering lip as Brooke and Neal disappeared through the doors to the ward, waving one last time as her daddy turned around and raised his hand goodbye. She immediately crushed Andy's hand in a tight grip, trying not to cry, until he asked her about getting food. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" Ashlyn cheered, jumping in place. She'd been asleep at home for 4 whole hours, and now she was hungry!!

Andy smiled and let out a breath of relief that the tears were held back for the time being. He held her hand and they headed back into the waiting room, walking up to Nick, who had Logan stretched out on the seat beside him. "We are going to go and look for something to snack on - you want us to bring you back anything?" Andy asked as he leaned down, kissing Nick softly.

Nick smiled, kissing Andy back lightly. "Naw, I think I'm good for now...y'got your phone on you, in case of any big developments while you're out an' about?"

Andy grinned and patted his back pocket. "Got it..." He grinned and leaned back down, kissing Logan on his head, then straightened up and looked back down at Ashlyn. "You ready to go, Princess?"

"Ready!" Ashlyn reported, saluting Andy smartly. She hugged Uncle Nick quickly and slipped her hand into Uncle Andy's. "Okay! Where's the food?"

Andy took a deep breath and walked out into the hallway with Ashlyn. "I think that it is...this way!" he said, looking for a listing of what was where. He saw it on the wall ahead of them and grinned. "Alrighty, let's see where we need to go, shall we?"

"M'kay!" Ashlyn agreed easily, skipping along beside him.

Andy looked down the board and grinned. "All right...off to the third floor we go then."

Ashlyn grinned up at him. "Stairs? Elvalator?" She glanced around at the people in white coats and scrubs at the nursing station, and leaned into Andy slightly. "I think those people in the white coats are looking at us," she said, quiet and serious, her eyes big and twinkling as she nodded slowly. "I think we might need to 'scape."

Andy looked down at Ashlyn seriously. "I think you are right. We are looking for a sign that has the word 'elevator'," he said softly, playing up to Ashlyn's pretending.

"...Isn't it better t'take th'stairs in an 'mergency?" Ashlyn whispered urgently, tugging Andy's jeans lightly.

Andy bit his lip to keep from laughing. "You are absolutely right. Let's find the stairs sign. You know what that one looks like?"

"Uh huh!" Ashlyn nodded enthusiastically. "It's a stick people, goin' down th'steps!" She tugged Andy's hand lightly, pulling him along with her, peering at the walls, until she found a blue and white one that looked like her description. "There!" she pointed at it, and stood on her tip-toes, peering through the glass window of the door beside it into the stairwell. "Yep, that's them!"

Andy grinned and opened the door to the stairwell. He looked at the floor they were on. "Okay...we are on the main floor, so we have to go up to the third floor..." He wondered how Brooke was doing, and sent off a quick text to Nick.

< hey, any word yet? we are escaping to the cafeteria >

Nick pulled his phone out of his pocket, and grinned at the message.

< haven't heard her screamin' yet, so don't think she's dilated enuf. will let u kno >, he typed back, and hit send, stroking Logan's hair.

----------

Brooke was resting on her back, with the baby's heart monitor around her stomach. She watched the little heart beat as she breathed through another contraction. The doctor had just come in and given her an exam - she was only four centimeters dilated...it was going to be a long night. She squeezed Neal's hand and smiled slightly. "You hanging in there?" she whispered.

Neal squeezed back, smoothing Brooke's hair gently. "Yeah, I'm fine..." he replied, trying to stifle a yawn against his shoulder. "...How're you doin', love? Still breathin' okay? Still determined t'do this without meds?" His tone of voice left no doubt he thought she was insane, but whatever...

Brooke smiled and nodded. "I'm fine. I promise I won't yell at you, like I did with Ashlyn..." She squeezed his hand softly. "If you want to go out and check on Ashlyn, you can. It's going to be a while yet before anything changes."

Neal gave her a slightly doubtful look, but nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess they'll be needing an update, huh..." He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss before standing up.

Brooke smiled and closed her eyes, trying to get some rest before the next contraction came on.

Smiling and nodding at the delivery nurse, Neal wandered back out the nearly-empty waiting room, looking around in confusion. "Hey, where's everyone else?" he asked Nick.

"Andy took Ash t'get some food," Nick shrugged. "I'm hangin' with m'boy."

----------

Andy laughed at the message from Nick and hurried up the steps with Ashlyn. "Keep a watch out for the number three, okay?"

"Okay!" Ashlyn agreed, a bit breathlessly. "That was a one...and this...is...two! Two, Uncle Andy!"

Andy grinned. "One more to go!"

"Uh huh! It goes one...two...three...four!" Ashlyn declared, grinning up at Andy. "So, three is next!"

Andy smiled when they got to the third floor and helped Ashlyn open the door. "So, are you excited for your baby brother to get here?"

"Yes!" Ashlyn declared, quite emphatically. "I bet he comes out big and strong like Daddy!" She swung Andy's hand lightly as she walked beside him, trying to keep up with his longer strides.

Neal flopped onto the chair beside Nick, leaning his head against his shoulder. "God, I'm exhausted... She's only four centimeters dilated, so it's gonna be a while..."

Nick nodded, leaning his head against Neal's. "I hear ya, man. Should I text Andy and tell him t'bring us back some coffee?"

Andy looked at the board on the wall, and saw that the cafeteria was to their right. "Alrighty, sweetie...snack machines should be coming up... "

Ashlyn gripped Andy's hand tighter. "I don't have any money!" she whispered loudly, looking around the eerily quiet halls.

Andy hated how quiet hospitals were at night, but he didn't want to show Ashlyn that he was uncomfortable. "Well, what kind of uncle would I be if I didn't have any money for the snack machine?" he grinned.

"Yay!" Ashlyn stage-whispered, bouncing beside him. "C'mon, Uncle Andy - we need...procisions? Procisions! For our 'venture!"

Andy laughed and bit his lip. He decided to text Nick again to find out what was going on.

< we are getting 'procisions for our venture' what are you doing? >

Nick squinted down at his phone, chuckling softly. "Looks like Andy and Ashlyn have stopped for provisions on their adventure..." he murmured, and Neal snorted aloud.

< not a damn thing. hangin' w/Neal in the waiting room. Liam's still snoozin' >, Nick texted back, and let his phone drop to his lap.

"Alrighty, Princess..." Andy murmured. "Pick out what you want. You can have whatever snack you want, but no pop! Water, or juice."

Ashlyn pouted prettily at her uncle, frowning slightly. "Aw..."

Andy shook his head. "You know that doesn't work on me..." he teased. He read Nick's text and looked down at Ashlyn. "Looks like your little brother is being lazy..."
< Neal want anything? > he texted back.

< they got coffee? > Nick replied, shifting slightly beneath the weight of Neal's head on his shoulder. Neal stirred slightly with a mumbled protest, and Neal grinned, setting his phone aside a moment. "Neal," he murmured, shaking Neal's thigh lightly. "C'mon, man...wake up a minute..."

Neal blinked blearily, making a low sound in his throat.

"C'mon, man, lie down," Nick whispered, patting his own thigh. "You need all th'sleep you can get..."

Neal complied, curling up in a little ball against Nick's side, pillowing his head on Nick's thigh, and closed his eyes immediately.

Nick grinned and covered Neal's shoulders with Ashlyn's blanket. "There we are..." he murmured, and turned back to the 'Cops' marathon on the cable TV.

Andy read Nick's text and looked back at the machines, seeing one for coffee. < yup. you want a cup? >

He looked down at Ashlyn. "Okay, sweetheart... Pick out what you want, and then we are going to make our way carefully back down to the waiting room. Your daddy's there, and I'm sure that he'd like to see you."

< is that a trick question? make it a couple > Nick replied, smoothing Neal's hair gently.

Ashlyn pressed her face against the glass of the first vending machine, staring at the treats on the other side. "I want...donuts!" she declared.

Andy smiled softly. "Okay...donuts it is...and what kind of juice do you want?" He would get an apple juice for Logan in case he woke up...but he didn't think that he would.

Ashlyn wandered over to the bottled beverage machine, studying her options with a critical eye. "Fruit punch?" she asked, looking up at Andy with a smile.

Andy laughed, knowing that she just had to pick the least healthy drink, aside from pop. "Alrighty...you want to put the money in?"

"Can I really?" Ashlyn squealed, jumping excitedly in place. "Yes, please!"

Andy smiled and glanced at his watch. Close to three in the morning... "All right, here ya go...just make sure you push the right button for the donuts, and I'll get your juice." He put the money in for the fruit punch and the apple juice, and then slipped them into his pockets. He turned to the coffee machine and made up two big cups.

Ashlyn stretched up and fed the money into the slot, watching it disappear and listening to the machine whir and click as it processed the cash. She squinted at the array of numbers and letters on the selections in front of her. She knew her numbers up through ten - she was a big girl, after all! - but the letters were a little harder. She frowned a moment, studying the letter under the donuts, memorizing its shape, and then glanced at the key pad, trying to match a key to the selection she wanted. She pushed the one that matched, and then the number - which she knew, because she was big, was a 4! - and clapped with a small squeak as the donuts advanced and tumbled into the dispensing bin.

Andy watched with a grin as Ashlyn got her donuts. "Okay, we've got our provisions - let's get back to home base!"

"Okay!" Ashlyn agreed with a wide grin, but then she held up a hand, her face suddenly somber. "But wait, Uncle Andy -- we should check the hallway first. Make sure the white coats didn't follow us! They might be waitin' to bambush us!"

Andy tried hard not to laugh at Ashlyn's wording. Instead, he peeked out and looked down the hallway. "Coast is clear... Let's go. We taking the stairs again?"

Ashlyn planted her hands on her hips, mock-glaring at her uncle. "Uncle Andy, you always take th'stairs in a 'mergency!"

Andy smiled and leaned down, kissing Ashlyn on the top of the head. "And you are absolutely right. Let's head back to the stairs...but we have to go slow because of our precious cargo." He grinned, holding up the coffee cups.

"Oh, yeah...you an' your coffee, Uncle Andy..." Ashlyn replied, shaking her head.

Andy groaned. "You hush, little one. Just wait until you get older - you'll be the same way," he teased.

"Nuh-uh," she insisted, raising an eyebrow at him.

Andy led Ashlyn down the hallway toward the sign with the stairs. "Uh huh! You want to get the door? Now, we get to go all the way down."

Ashlyn braced her hands against the door and started pushing, her little legs straining hard. "Uncle Andy, it won't open!" she declared, putting her hands on her hips and cocking her head up at him before her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open in a perfect O. "...Maybe they're blocking it from the other side!"

Andy laughed softly. "Ash...pull the door open, sweetie," he grinned.

"...Oh!" Ashlyn grabbed the handle and gave it a light tug, watching as it moved easily. She grinned up at Andy sheepishly. "I knew that. I was just testing you."

Andy laughed. "I knew that..." he grinned.

They made their way back down the steps and walked down the hallway toward the waiting room.

Ashlyn slowed to a creep as they approached the nurse's station, extending her arm in front of Andy to slow him. "Wait a minute!" she hissed, glaring up at him. "Don't just go charging out there! We gotta keep an eye on the white coats and make sure they don't shoot us with needles an' stuff!"

Andy nodded. "Okay... Should I call for backup?"

Ashlyn stared at him, stupefied. "You've had backup this whole time?"

Andy grinned and pulled out his phone. "Top secret transmitter. I can send coded messages."

"Uncle Andy, you gotta tell me these things!" Ashlyn told him, gesturing in exasperation. "Who's your contact?"

Andy shook his head, wondering what movies this child had been watching. "Can't tell you. It's top secret," he whispered, and looked around, seeing the halls bare. "Let's go."

"You're not a double agent, are you?" Ashlyn narrowed her eyes at him, her fists on her hips.

Andy stopped and juggled the coffee cups until he had a free hand. "Cross my heart..." he held out his pinky. "Pinky swear."

Ashlyn eyed his hand a moment, then studied his face, before extending her hand and hooking her pinky with his. "Pinky swear."

Andy nodded and kissed Ashlyn on the forehead. "Come on...we are so close to our home base," he teased.

"I don't know why we chose a home base so close t'theirs..." Ashlyn grumbled, and then looked up at Andy. "Cover me!" she whispered loudly, sticking the end of the donut package between her teeth as she crouched down by the wall and started crawling, keeping low and out of sight, her eyes on the open space of the waiting area just beyond the nurses' station.

Andy was trying desperately not to laugh. He finally opened up the door and called out for Ashlyn. "Go, go! Take cover!"

Ashlyn glared at him and brought her feet underneath her, scuttling forward quickly and diving through the door, rolling to a stop at Nick's feet. "Hi, Uncle Nick!" she grinned, letting the donuts drop to the floor beside her head.

"Yay, we did it!" Andy cheered, walking over to Nick, and handed him a coffee. "Provisions delivered," he grinned, and leaned down, kissing him softly.

"Hey, Ashlyn!" Nick grinned at her, wiggling his toes under her back, and took the coffee from Andy with a grateful nod. He patted the seat beside him. "They just came out t'get Neal a little bit ago. Guess things are either startin' to move along in there, or Brooke wanted t'cuss him out, one or the other... What were you guys up to? Not sure how I'm gonna explain to Brooke how Ash's PJ bottoms got so dusty..."

Andy grinned. "We were on a covert mission."

Nick's eyebrows raised in feinted surprise. "A covert mission? Really?"

Ashlyn squinted at them from her back, her fingers adorned with the donuts from her package. "...What's 'co-bert' mean?"

Andy laughed and pulled Ashlyn tight to him. "It's like a secret adventure."

"Oh, okay..." Ashlyn replied, and then thought about a moment, frowning at Nick. "Why di'n't you just say 'secret' in th'first place?"

Nick pressed a fist to his mouth, stifling the laughter that threatened to explode from him. "Jesus Christ, you're your father's daughter," he choked out, shaking his head.

Andy shook his head. "You should have heard her upstairs. I want to know who's letting her watch all the spy movies."

Nick snorted loudly, his face red with repressed laughter. "Probably Auntie Kira!"

Ashlyn grinned widely, ratting Kira out with her expression.

Andy shook his head and laughed. "Figures!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out the juice. "Here ya go, sweetie."

Ashlyn took the juice and gulped it quickly, washing down the dryness of the vending machine donuts. She pulled the bottle down from her mouth when the faint sound of a baby crying reached their ears. She twisted around to grin eagerly at her uncles. "He's here! He's here, isn't he?" She bounced to her feet, hopping around the room. "Can I see him? Can I? Can I? huh?"

Andy raised his eyebrows. "Holy Hell, that kid has a set of lungs on him... "

Nick grinned. "Just like his daddy!"

Andy looked at Ashlyn. "You'll be able to see him as soon as your daddy comes out to get you."

Ashlyn flopped into the seat beside Andy, letting her head fall back with a loud groan. "Awwwwwwwww..."

----------

Brooke squeezed Neal's hand as the doctor examined her. She closed her eyes as she breathed through the contraction and the need to push.

"And we are fully dilated. Brooke, are you ready to bring this little one into the world?"

Neal took a deep breath, cupping Brooke's hand between his own as he brought it up to his mouth, kissing her fingers softly. "Love you, sweetheart..." he whispered, his eyes on hers.

Brooke could feel the tears in her eyes and she rasped out, "love you too..."

"Okay Brooke...on the next contraction, I want you to start pushing...push through the entire contraction - don't stop till we say so."

Neal folded her hand into his, nodding slightly. "You can do this..." he whispered, squeezing her hand gently.

Brooke nodded back, and mustered up the energy to push through the contraction, feeling immense pressure.

"That's it...come on, Brooke...one more push like that, and you'll be ready to meet your son..." the doctor urged her on.

Neal shifted out of the chair to sit on the bed beside Brooke, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he cupped her cheek and kissed her softly. "You're doing a great job, love...almost there..." he whispered, burying his face against her hair. He lowered his hand from her cheek to her belly, careful not to disturb any of the monitoring pads. "...Almost there."

Brooke took in one last deep breath, and, with the last bit of energy that she had, pushed through the next contraction. Her mind was so focused that when she ran out of energy, she could hear him crying.

"That's it! Come on, Brooke, that was the hardest part... One more little push, and you'll have him in your arms..."

Brooke held tight to Neal's hand, her eyes locking with his as she did as she was told...and then the pressure was gone.

"Congratulations, you have a little boy."

The nurse held him up, his face red as he cried loudly. Brooke could feel the tears slipping down her face as she pulled Neal close to her.

Neal wrapped Brooke tightly in his arms, rocking her slightly. "You did it, love..." he whispered, kissing her hair gently. He grinned helplessly at the sight of his son, screaming like a banshee, and let out a soft sob of his own.

Brooke smiled tiredly at Neal, and watched as the nurses cleaned and wrapped Liam up. She waited patiently for them to bring him over to them.

Neal smiled tenderly back, swallowing hard past the lump in his throat. "How much longer till we can bring Ashlyn back?" he whispered.

Brooke's heart caught in her throat as the nurse brought Liam over to them. She brushed her hand over his soft blonde hair. "So precious..."

The nurse looked at Neal and smiled. "You'll be able to bring your daughter back, once we get your wife settled in her room."

Neal nodded slightly as the nurse's voice faded into the background. His attention was completely focused on the little bundle in his wife's arms. "Blessed Mother..." he exhaled, reaching out to touch Liam's cheek very gently, the lump in his throat getting bigger.

Brooke looked up at Neal with a soft smile. "He's beautiful..." She kissed Liam on the head as the nurse came and took him from her so that he could get an official weight and check-up from the doctor. The nurse reassured them that as soon as she was in her room that he would be brought back to her then.

It wasn't long after that Brooke was being wheeled into her room, feeling a bit more refreshed after Neal helped her in the shower in the room. After she was settled back in her bed, she leaned into Neal's hand. "You want to go and get Ashlyn? And see if Nick and Andy can come back too."

"Of course, love..." Neal murmured, and headed down to the waiting room. "Hey guys..." he greeted them with a tired smile. "He's here."

Ashlyn squealed, bouncing beside Andy on the seat. "I knew it! Can I see him? I wanna see him!!"

Neal smiled and nodded. "They just got Brooke settled into her room, and the nurses said once we did that, I could bring Ash back so she could see him...I'm s'posed to ask if you guys can come back, too..." he said, looking at Andy and Nick as Ashlyn grabbed his arm and tried to drag him off.

Andy looked at Neal and smiled softly. "How is Brooke doing? Did she do it no meds, like she said she was going to do?" He scooped up Logan off of the chair and let him sleep on his shoulder.

Neal nodded. "Yep. Crazy woman, I'm tellin' you...she's doin' fine. Tired as hell, of course...Ash, honey, slow down, okay? You don't even know where you're goin'...C'mon, guys, she's gonna rip my arm out of the fuckin' socket if she keeps this up..." He glanced back at the nurse's station, and grinned at Nick and Andy slowly. "Think I'm just gonna take you back with me. They can try and stop us if they want."

Brooke heard Ashlyn's excited jabbering coming down the hall, and she smiled when Neal peeked his head in. She gestured to the sleeping baby in her arms and put her finger to her lips.

Ashlyn's mouth snapped shut in mid-syllable, her eyes wide and round as they locked on the bundle in her mother's arms. She glanced up at Neal, whispering to him, "Shhh...Liam's sleepin'!"

Neal smiled softly. "Yep, he is - babies do a lot of that, Princess..." He bent down and scooped her up, setting her on the bed next to Brooke, so she could see Liam's face.

Andy leaned against Nick as he waited for Neal to go into the room with Ashlyn. Nick slipped an arm around Andy's waist, gently steering him into the hospital room behind Neal.

Brooke smiled and pulled the blanket down more so that Ashlyn could see Liam better. "There he is, Ash...your new baby brother..." she whispered softly.

Andy smiled and whispered to Nick. "So when do we get to have another one?"

Ashlyn reached out a hand to touch Liam's plump, rosy cheek. "Welcome to your big 'venture," she whispered, and smiled.