Fic: Family Ties Part 2/2
Title: Family Ties, Part II
Rating: pg-13
Characters: Helen Magnus, Will Zimmerman, Kate Freelander, Bigfoot, Henry Foss
Pairing: Kate/Will
Spoilers: None
Warnings: mild language, baby!fic
Summary: Will and Kate are going to have a kid. Eventually, Kate might even tell her mother. Scenes from a pregnancy. Season 3 AU
Notes: For the Beth_soprano for the inthefighting Secret Steno exchange. Beth wanted: " Baby fic. Not PN timeline please! Established relationship preferred; please no drama or extreme sappiness.
(Prompt #4): Though non-established relationship would be great too. "
Soooo you get Babyfic! Hopefully it isn't too dramatic or Sappy. I tried to hit their snark but remain true to the situation's gravity (and potential for adorable) This is part one. Part two is incoming. BIG thanks to kgaleway for the extremely helpful suggestions and character sanity checks.
Part I is here
The picture was grainy and you had to kinda know what you were looking for to see anything. She was sure Will had it memorized already. She’d seen him slip a copy of the picture into his wallet. Kate smiled at the ultrasound.
“You’re dad is a dork. But I think I like him anyway.” She looked over the edge of the picture at said dork.
Will had sprawled on the bed with only his boxers on, sound asleep. Kate felt only slightly guilty; after all it really was his fault. She wasn’t in the field because she was pregnant. She was pregnant because she had an active sex life. She had an active sex life because there was something irresistible about the man when he started talking animatedly about something. Or smiled at her. Or walked across the room naked. See? All his fault.
Kate put the ultrasound picture into the neat folder with the other medical information and set it back on the desk. She slid down on the bedding and cuddled up behind Will. He muttered a bit as she wiggled to get comfy then began to snore. Kate snickered into his shoulder. The flight up from Arizona had been long and he hadn't had much sleep out in the field.
Kate hadn't said how worried she'd been, chupacabras weren't exactly walks in the park, but the damn man had seemed to know anyway. Clearly the only way to wipe off the smirk had been to jump him at the earliest opportunity.
Unfortunately now she was feeling wired and the kid was moving too much for her to sleep anyway. He tended to squirm when her heart rate was up and, well, bedroom activities got it up. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, but it was distracting. Kate tapped her fingers on Will's chest, thinking. Eventually she decided she could watch TV with the volume low. Something mindless would be relaxing and she'd learned the best way to get the kid to sleep was for her to be calm.
She flipped channels, looking for something interesting but it was the Sunday night doldrums and absolutely nothing was on most of her usual channels. She finally settled on the Food Network. Alton Brown was extolling the virtues peanut butter in it's many forms.
Peanut butter sounded really good. Kate eyed Will.
*****
Will woke with a start. Something was poking him in the side.
"Wakey, wakey."
Will groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Yeah?" he grabbed the hand poking him and tugged her over for a kiss. "Hmm?"
She smiled angelically which probably should have been his first warning, but he was lagging about thirty seconds behind. Arizona had really been a bear of a trip.
"Could you get me something?"
"Yeah," he yawned, "sure. What do you want?"
She smiled. "Peanut butter."
"Can do."
"And pancakes."
"Okay."
"And yellow squash."
Will blinked at her. "Peanut butter, pancakes and yellow squash." He repeated, just to be clear. It didn't sound particularly appetizing. She nodded. "Really?" She nodded again. Will sighed. At least it wasn't oranges, avocado and mint. He'd tried it on her dare and wouldn't be having that combination again.
"Please?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. "Least you could do for getting me knocked up."
Will rolled his eyes.
"I have a gun," she reminded him, sweetly.
Will let out a long sigh. "Yes, Ma'am." He got up and went hunting for his flannel pants. "Anything else? Tobasco sauce? Pickles?"
Kate made a face. It was adorable but he'd learned politely ignore how cute she was. "Ew, no."
Will pulled a shirt over his head. "Says the woman who wants peanut butter pancakes with squash."
Kate smiled and batted her eyelashes again, a clear sign he was in grave danger. "Says the woman with the gun who is carrying your child."
"Right." Will put some pants and slippers on, and headed for the door.
Peanutbutter and pancakes were easy. Mostly. Peanutbutter was easy. Pancakes should have been easy but Will couldn't find the batter mix. Yellow squash...well, he supposed he'd have to look in the fridge and pray he didn't need to go to an all night supermarket.
"Midnight snack?" Biggie asked from the door. A finger held his place in the novel he was reading.
"Not for me," Will said, over his shoulder. "Kate."
"Ah," the big guy grunted. "What are you looking for?"
"Pancake mix?" Will asked, standing away from the pantry cupboard and admitting defeat.
Biggie grunted in amusement and set his book down before heading to another cupboard which held cooking supplies. Will had been looking in the dried goods pantry which things like cereal, pasta and canned items. He withdrew a sealed container. "Here."
"Thanks," Will said. He still didn't quite know where Biggie placed everything in his kitchen, and it was his kitchen. "We don't happen to have any yellow squash, do we?"
"Might have some zucchini," the big guy offered.
"I'm pretty sure anything less than exactly what she wanted will get me shot."
Biggie laughed until he realized Will was serious. Then he laughed harder. "I'll see what I can find while you cook."
"Thanks."
Will mixed batter as the pan heated, stifling yawns. He burned the first set, but the smell of burned pancakes was enough to wake him up for the second and third sets. Biggie bustled around in the kitchen behind him and eventually set a pan of precisely cut squash on the burner next to the one Will was using.
"Wow. We had some? Thanks."
Biggie grunted and slapped him on the shoulder. "How are you doing?"
Will flipped the last pancake onto the stack and turned off his burner. "Tired." He stepped out of the way so the Big Guy could cook the squash. Will was certain if he tried, he'd blow up the kitchen or something. "No way I'd want her out there right now, but I miss having Kate there with us." He smiled a little. "Kinda miss having her on missions."
"She keeps you on your toes,"
Will laughed. "That's the truth."
"And the rest?"
"Good?" Will rubbed at his eyes. "Really. I- I can't put into words how happy I am right now. Kate's not exactly having fun right at the moment so I'm trying not to be That Guy."
"She's happy too," Bigfoot observed as he flipped the little disks.
"Yeah?" Will had been hoping he wasn't projecting. She was still snarky, cunning and occasionally surly, but she almost seemed to be excited too. Well, when she wasn't sick or aching. He smiled and leaned back against the counter.
Biggie grunted an affirmative. "She tell her mother yet?"
Will's shoulders slumped. "No." He sighed. "I think she's going to put it off as long as possible."
"Any idea why?"
"Half a dozen, and or all of which could be why." The front runners were that Kate thought her mother would reject the family they were building together, or Kate was terrified of having the same kind of relationship with their kid as she had with her mother. Both probably played a part.
Biggie tipped the squash onto a plate and turned off the burner. He took the pan to the sink and began washing the dishes. "I got this. There's a tray in the cupboard. Go feed Kate."
Will managed to get the tray upstairs without spilling anything. He had to set the tray on the floor to open the door to their room. He didn't trust himself not to drop the tray this late at night. He'd never hear the end of it.
The TV was still on but, of course, Kate was asleep. Will heaved a sigh. He put the tray down on the desk and closed the door, wondering if he should wake her. She'd curled around her body pillow she'd begun to need to be remotely comfy, but she'd also stolen his. He supposed it was just as well since she'd also stolen one of his random hockey jerseys left over from college. Big as the shirt was, it had begun to strain to cover her belly. Just about two more months and then....Well, he wasn't sure, but he was looking forward to it.
Will decided to let her sleep. He carefully crawled into the bed so as not to wake her, because there would be hell to pay if he did. Kate wasn't able to just drop off whenever and where ever she liked anymore. He stole her pillow and settled in behind her. She murmured in her sleep and Will froze, hoping he hadn't woken her. Kate shifted but didn't wake. Relieved, Will slid his arms around her, cuddling in close because she wasn't awake to complain and she never really minded in the morning. His hands went around her stomach. While he really, really tried not to be That Guy, he didn't have the words to express how he felt when he felt the gentle bump of a foot or arm. He fell asleep smiling into her shoulder.
Shopping with Magnus had been an experience Kate didn't think she'd soon forget...or possibly wish to repeat. They'd started early in the morning, with Magnus determined to make sure that Kate and Will had everything they could possibly need and then some. Magnus had apparently also decided that it was a girl's only thing, and they'd left Will with instructions to assemble the dressing table bought the previous week.
They returned home well after lunch and headed for the suite of rooms Kate and Will had moved into. Kate left her bags just inside the door and dropped into a chair. The move wasn't quite the relaxed flop she usually executed but she was off her feet and able to kick off her shoes and swap them for the obscenely fuzzy slippers she didn't know how she'd lived without. Magnus began unpacking their bags and making neat little piles of items on the bed.
"No I think it goes there," Will said from the room they'd decided would work as a nursery.
"I'm pretty sure we tried that already," Hank said with a small growl.
"Well it didn't work when we tried it that wa- OW!"
"Watch it!"
"Sorry it fell....That doesn't look right."
"Well, that's what it looks like in the picture!"
"Well what about this bit?"
"What bit?"
"This kinda...flexi-bit here."
"Flexi-bit?" Tesla questioned.
"It's a technical term," Hank retorted and Kate could hear the roll in his eyes. "You could help."
"And ruin the fun you and William seem to be having? I wouldn't dream of it," Tesla drawled.
Kate exchanged a look with Magnus. Deciding it was probably worth a laugh, Kate got back to her feet and headed down the short hall.
"Ah, you're back," Tesla said when he saw Magnus. "I hope you weren't using lab four for anything important. Or that extra canister of liquid nitrogen. Or the passable 77' red from that little Napa vinyard you seem to love so much."
He stepped to one side to pester Magnus. Kate looked around him and saw Henry and Will were in the middle of some kind of construction tornado. There were bits and pieces of railing, batting, drawer knobs, screws, hex wrenches, and two tool boxes. They obviously hadn't been following the instructions and were further from having completed the dressing table than when she'd left that morning.
"Do I want to know?" she asked.
"Well-"
"But-"
Kate held up a forestalling hand. "You know what, I don't wanna know." she left, shaking her head.
"Great!"
"What?"
"I thought we'd be done before they got back."
"Well, so did I!"
"Don't you have a degree in mechanical Engineering?"
"Hey!"
Kate scowled at the TV. She still wasn't comfy but this was the most comfy position she'd found. Not that she'd get to enjoy it for long before she was running to the bathroom. Again. She'd seen this episode before, too.
Will came home and kicked off his shoes. He crouched by her head and lightly touched her hair. "Hey."
Kate grunted a greeting.
Will sat on the bed and began to work out the ever-present kinks in her lower back.
Kate's sigh became a slightly pained groan.
"How're you feeling?" Will asked, working his magical thumbs into a particularly sore spot.
"Still pregnant."
Will, damn him, chuckled. But he dug his fingers into just the right spot so she decided to forgive him. "Magnus said he could be late."
"Well, someone is getting grounded," Kate snapped. She punched her pillow a few times.
"Grounded?"
"For being late. Yes."
Will settled in behind her, kissing her shoulder.
"No smart comeback?" she questioned.
"Nope."
Kate frowned, surprised, "Why not?"
"I don't like seeing you unhappy." He kissed her shoulder again. "And I want this part to be over with too."
Her body ached and occasionally cramped up, but the Doc had said it wasn't the real deal. Not yet at least. Kate whined. She was a week overdue, she was allowed to whine. Any longer and Magnus was going to have her admitted for a C-section. Kate was not a fan of this idea.
"If I bring you ice cream, will that help?"
Kate considered this. "Do we have any of the double fudge?"
"Probably."
"Then yes." She winced as yet another one of those annoying false labor pains twisted muscles she hadn't realized she'd had and which she now hated. Maybe she should go bug Magnus. Nah. moving was too much of an effort.
Will kissed her again then left to get the ice cream. He ended up being delayed on the way down by Erica who'd gotten turned around in the huge mansion and who didn't have a cell that worked in the states. He directed her where she wanted to go and headed off again. Whistling to himself, Will finally made it to the kitchen.
He fixed a bowel of mint chocolate chip for himself then scooped out a bowl of the double fudge for Kate. He was headed back upstairs when he heard the gunshot.
Dropping the bowels, Will sprinted down the hall. "Kate!" Had it come from their room? They were the only ones living in that particular part of the mansion at the moment. Will burst into their room, fearing the worst.
Kate looked up from where she was half-propped up by the bed. The room smelled of gunpowder and plaster fell down from the hole in the ceiling towards the outside wall.
"Oh good," she said, her voice strained. She unchambered the round in the gun and removed the magazine.
No blood, thank god. "Kate, what-"
"Can you call the Doc?" She groaned and tightened her grasp of the bedspread. "Think the kid heard us. Decided it was birthday time."
Will went around to her side. "You think so?"
"Water just broke so that'd be yes. Seriously, can we just get the Doc now?"
Will pulled out his blackberry and began to dial. He looked askance at Kate. "You shot the ceiling?"
"No one would have heard. And it was closer than my cell."
"Closer than- Hey doc? Kate thinks the baby's coming." He hoped he didn't sound as panicked as he felt. Beside him Kate bit back a groan. Will held the phone between his cheek and shoulder so he could support her. Magnus rattled off quick instructions then hung up right around when contraction seemed to be ending.
"Come on," he said, eyeing the gun on the bedspread as they left.
"Told ya," Kate said. "Bollywood you." Her eyes flicked over to Will for a moment before returning to the infant in her arms. He was much smaller than she'd expected him to be. He hadn't felt that small on the way out at least. Nathaniel Danger Zimmerman Freelander looked like Will, if a bit darker. He had her eyes, and, if you believed Hank, Kate's sleepy scowl.
"Ow," Will hissed quietly from the chair by her bedside. Magnus murmured an apology and continued to secure the ice pack to the splint around Will's hand. Finished, she secured the bandage and tidied the supplies. Will grimaced a thanks then scooted his chair closer.
The labor was hard and fast in the end, but Will had been able to catch. It was only after the adrenaline had worn off that he'd noticed just how badly she'd hurt his hand in the last bits leading up to the final stretch.
"You wanna pass the pictures around, Gran?" Kate asked.
Magnus lifted an eyebrow, but Kate could see the idea had appeal. "I believe I will. I'll be back in a moment, but don't hesitate to call if you need me to return sooner."
They'd decided that adoptive Grandma Helen would be the first person to hold him other than Kate or Will. There had been tears from everyone at that point. Will was an emotional guy and Kate blamed the hormones. It had felt really good though. They'd never be a replacement for the daughter she'd lost, but someone needed to keep the Doc grounded. It was surprisngly good to know that someone else would look out for the little guy.
Will stood and saw her to the door, speaking quietly. Kate didn't catch what they said, but she could guess. Hank had already been in with a curious, if hesitant, Erica trailing behind. She'd gone absolutely gooey over the baby and had taken about a second and a half to realize Kate was intentionally ribbing Hank about piles of werepuppies. Then she'd helped. Kate liked her. Biggie had come by as well and taken his own turn. He'd also blessed the kid with some kind of burning smoke and a chant in a rolling language with grunts and rumbling purrs. The smell had been kinda relaxing so Kate hadn't minded. Will appeared to be allergic and had had to duck out.
Will came back and dropped into the chair, all goofy grins. "Hey gorgeous."
Kate rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious," he said, leaning in to kiss her and brush back her hair. His eyes got that deep shade when he was being very serious. "Hey." He brushed his good thumb over her cheek. "Love you."
Her lips quirked. "You're just saying that so I'll hand over the kid."
Will gave her a look, then shrugged a shoulder. "That too," he said with studied nonchalance.
Kate heaved a sigh. "I suppose." She carefully handed the baby to Will.
Nate made a small sound of annoyance then quieted as Will settled him against his chest. Will smirked wickedly, clearly implying Kate did the same thing. Well, she did, but she still rolled her eyes at him and shot him a dirty look anyway. Will's grin only grew.
"You know," He said, eyes on the baby, "maybe I should change my last name. So we all match."
"Yeah?"
"And I guess Freelander is a little bit cooler."
"You guess its a little bit cooler?"
"Twenty Percent cooler."
Kate snickered. Will handed her the baby then crawled up onto the edge of the bed. Kate moved so they could share, which took some doing but they finally managed. Kate yelped in surprise.
"What?"
"Ice pack! Cold!"
Will moved the offending hand away and kissed her cheek. "Sorry. But I guess it serves you right for crushing my hand."
"Serves me right? You're the one who got me knocked up!"
Will smirked back at her. "You helped with that part."
Kate rolled her eyes. Will pulled her closer, careful to keep the ice away. He stroked the baby's cheek with his free thumb. Snarky to sweet in half a second wasn't something she was as good at, but damn the man was cute. She looked up at him then down at their child. Maybe, she thought, this would all work out.
~fin
Rating: pg-13
Characters: Helen Magnus, Will Zimmerman, Kate Freelander, Bigfoot, Henry Foss
Pairing: Kate/Will
Spoilers: None
Warnings: mild language, baby!fic
Summary: Will and Kate are going to have a kid. Eventually, Kate might even tell her mother. Scenes from a pregnancy. Season 3 AU
Notes: For the Beth_soprano for the inthefighting Secret Steno exchange. Beth wanted: " Baby fic. Not PN timeline please! Established relationship preferred; please no drama or extreme sappiness.
(Prompt #4): Though non-established relationship would be great too. "
Soooo you get Babyfic! Hopefully it isn't too dramatic or Sappy. I tried to hit their snark but remain true to the situation's gravity (and potential for adorable) This is part one. Part two is incoming. BIG thanks to kgaleway for the extremely helpful suggestions and character sanity checks.
Part I is here
The picture was grainy and you had to kinda know what you were looking for to see anything. She was sure Will had it memorized already. She’d seen him slip a copy of the picture into his wallet. Kate smiled at the ultrasound.
“You’re dad is a dork. But I think I like him anyway.” She looked over the edge of the picture at said dork.
Will had sprawled on the bed with only his boxers on, sound asleep. Kate felt only slightly guilty; after all it really was his fault. She wasn’t in the field because she was pregnant. She was pregnant because she had an active sex life. She had an active sex life because there was something irresistible about the man when he started talking animatedly about something. Or smiled at her. Or walked across the room naked. See? All his fault.
Kate put the ultrasound picture into the neat folder with the other medical information and set it back on the desk. She slid down on the bedding and cuddled up behind Will. He muttered a bit as she wiggled to get comfy then began to snore. Kate snickered into his shoulder. The flight up from Arizona had been long and he hadn't had much sleep out in the field.
Kate hadn't said how worried she'd been, chupacabras weren't exactly walks in the park, but the damn man had seemed to know anyway. Clearly the only way to wipe off the smirk had been to jump him at the earliest opportunity.
Unfortunately now she was feeling wired and the kid was moving too much for her to sleep anyway. He tended to squirm when her heart rate was up and, well, bedroom activities got it up. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, but it was distracting. Kate tapped her fingers on Will's chest, thinking. Eventually she decided she could watch TV with the volume low. Something mindless would be relaxing and she'd learned the best way to get the kid to sleep was for her to be calm.
She flipped channels, looking for something interesting but it was the Sunday night doldrums and absolutely nothing was on most of her usual channels. She finally settled on the Food Network. Alton Brown was extolling the virtues peanut butter in it's many forms.
Peanut butter sounded really good. Kate eyed Will.
*****
Will woke with a start. Something was poking him in the side.
"Wakey, wakey."
Will groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face. "Yeah?" he grabbed the hand poking him and tugged her over for a kiss. "Hmm?"
She smiled angelically which probably should have been his first warning, but he was lagging about thirty seconds behind. Arizona had really been a bear of a trip.
"Could you get me something?"
"Yeah," he yawned, "sure. What do you want?"
She smiled. "Peanut butter."
"Can do."
"And pancakes."
"Okay."
"And yellow squash."
Will blinked at her. "Peanut butter, pancakes and yellow squash." He repeated, just to be clear. It didn't sound particularly appetizing. She nodded. "Really?" She nodded again. Will sighed. At least it wasn't oranges, avocado and mint. He'd tried it on her dare and wouldn't be having that combination again.
"Please?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. "Least you could do for getting me knocked up."
Will rolled his eyes.
"I have a gun," she reminded him, sweetly.
Will let out a long sigh. "Yes, Ma'am." He got up and went hunting for his flannel pants. "Anything else? Tobasco sauce? Pickles?"
Kate made a face. It was adorable but he'd learned politely ignore how cute she was. "Ew, no."
Will pulled a shirt over his head. "Says the woman who wants peanut butter pancakes with squash."
Kate smiled and batted her eyelashes again, a clear sign he was in grave danger. "Says the woman with the gun who is carrying your child."
"Right." Will put some pants and slippers on, and headed for the door.
Peanutbutter and pancakes were easy. Mostly. Peanutbutter was easy. Pancakes should have been easy but Will couldn't find the batter mix. Yellow squash...well, he supposed he'd have to look in the fridge and pray he didn't need to go to an all night supermarket.
"Midnight snack?" Biggie asked from the door. A finger held his place in the novel he was reading.
"Not for me," Will said, over his shoulder. "Kate."
"Ah," the big guy grunted. "What are you looking for?"
"Pancake mix?" Will asked, standing away from the pantry cupboard and admitting defeat.
Biggie grunted in amusement and set his book down before heading to another cupboard which held cooking supplies. Will had been looking in the dried goods pantry which things like cereal, pasta and canned items. He withdrew a sealed container. "Here."
"Thanks," Will said. He still didn't quite know where Biggie placed everything in his kitchen, and it was his kitchen. "We don't happen to have any yellow squash, do we?"
"Might have some zucchini," the big guy offered.
"I'm pretty sure anything less than exactly what she wanted will get me shot."
Biggie laughed until he realized Will was serious. Then he laughed harder. "I'll see what I can find while you cook."
"Thanks."
Will mixed batter as the pan heated, stifling yawns. He burned the first set, but the smell of burned pancakes was enough to wake him up for the second and third sets. Biggie bustled around in the kitchen behind him and eventually set a pan of precisely cut squash on the burner next to the one Will was using.
"Wow. We had some? Thanks."
Biggie grunted and slapped him on the shoulder. "How are you doing?"
Will flipped the last pancake onto the stack and turned off his burner. "Tired." He stepped out of the way so the Big Guy could cook the squash. Will was certain if he tried, he'd blow up the kitchen or something. "No way I'd want her out there right now, but I miss having Kate there with us." He smiled a little. "Kinda miss having her on missions."
"She keeps you on your toes,"
Will laughed. "That's the truth."
"And the rest?"
"Good?" Will rubbed at his eyes. "Really. I- I can't put into words how happy I am right now. Kate's not exactly having fun right at the moment so I'm trying not to be That Guy."
"She's happy too," Bigfoot observed as he flipped the little disks.
"Yeah?" Will had been hoping he wasn't projecting. She was still snarky, cunning and occasionally surly, but she almost seemed to be excited too. Well, when she wasn't sick or aching. He smiled and leaned back against the counter.
Biggie grunted an affirmative. "She tell her mother yet?"
Will's shoulders slumped. "No." He sighed. "I think she's going to put it off as long as possible."
"Any idea why?"
"Half a dozen, and or all of which could be why." The front runners were that Kate thought her mother would reject the family they were building together, or Kate was terrified of having the same kind of relationship with their kid as she had with her mother. Both probably played a part.
Biggie tipped the squash onto a plate and turned off the burner. He took the pan to the sink and began washing the dishes. "I got this. There's a tray in the cupboard. Go feed Kate."
Will managed to get the tray upstairs without spilling anything. He had to set the tray on the floor to open the door to their room. He didn't trust himself not to drop the tray this late at night. He'd never hear the end of it.
The TV was still on but, of course, Kate was asleep. Will heaved a sigh. He put the tray down on the desk and closed the door, wondering if he should wake her. She'd curled around her body pillow she'd begun to need to be remotely comfy, but she'd also stolen his. He supposed it was just as well since she'd also stolen one of his random hockey jerseys left over from college. Big as the shirt was, it had begun to strain to cover her belly. Just about two more months and then....Well, he wasn't sure, but he was looking forward to it.
Will decided to let her sleep. He carefully crawled into the bed so as not to wake her, because there would be hell to pay if he did. Kate wasn't able to just drop off whenever and where ever she liked anymore. He stole her pillow and settled in behind her. She murmured in her sleep and Will froze, hoping he hadn't woken her. Kate shifted but didn't wake. Relieved, Will slid his arms around her, cuddling in close because she wasn't awake to complain and she never really minded in the morning. His hands went around her stomach. While he really, really tried not to be That Guy, he didn't have the words to express how he felt when he felt the gentle bump of a foot or arm. He fell asleep smiling into her shoulder.
Shopping with Magnus had been an experience Kate didn't think she'd soon forget...or possibly wish to repeat. They'd started early in the morning, with Magnus determined to make sure that Kate and Will had everything they could possibly need and then some. Magnus had apparently also decided that it was a girl's only thing, and they'd left Will with instructions to assemble the dressing table bought the previous week.
They returned home well after lunch and headed for the suite of rooms Kate and Will had moved into. Kate left her bags just inside the door and dropped into a chair. The move wasn't quite the relaxed flop she usually executed but she was off her feet and able to kick off her shoes and swap them for the obscenely fuzzy slippers she didn't know how she'd lived without. Magnus began unpacking their bags and making neat little piles of items on the bed.
"No I think it goes there," Will said from the room they'd decided would work as a nursery.
"I'm pretty sure we tried that already," Hank said with a small growl.
"Well it didn't work when we tried it that wa- OW!"
"Watch it!"
"Sorry it fell....That doesn't look right."
"Well, that's what it looks like in the picture!"
"Well what about this bit?"
"What bit?"
"This kinda...flexi-bit here."
"Flexi-bit?" Tesla questioned.
"It's a technical term," Hank retorted and Kate could hear the roll in his eyes. "You could help."
"And ruin the fun you and William seem to be having? I wouldn't dream of it," Tesla drawled.
Kate exchanged a look with Magnus. Deciding it was probably worth a laugh, Kate got back to her feet and headed down the short hall.
"Ah, you're back," Tesla said when he saw Magnus. "I hope you weren't using lab four for anything important. Or that extra canister of liquid nitrogen. Or the passable 77' red from that little Napa vinyard you seem to love so much."
He stepped to one side to pester Magnus. Kate looked around him and saw Henry and Will were in the middle of some kind of construction tornado. There were bits and pieces of railing, batting, drawer knobs, screws, hex wrenches, and two tool boxes. They obviously hadn't been following the instructions and were further from having completed the dressing table than when she'd left that morning.
"Do I want to know?" she asked.
"Well-"
"But-"
Kate held up a forestalling hand. "You know what, I don't wanna know." she left, shaking her head.
"Great!"
"What?"
"I thought we'd be done before they got back."
"Well, so did I!"
"Don't you have a degree in mechanical Engineering?"
"Hey!"
Kate scowled at the TV. She still wasn't comfy but this was the most comfy position she'd found. Not that she'd get to enjoy it for long before she was running to the bathroom. Again. She'd seen this episode before, too.
Will came home and kicked off his shoes. He crouched by her head and lightly touched her hair. "Hey."
Kate grunted a greeting.
Will sat on the bed and began to work out the ever-present kinks in her lower back.
Kate's sigh became a slightly pained groan.
"How're you feeling?" Will asked, working his magical thumbs into a particularly sore spot.
"Still pregnant."
Will, damn him, chuckled. But he dug his fingers into just the right spot so she decided to forgive him. "Magnus said he could be late."
"Well, someone is getting grounded," Kate snapped. She punched her pillow a few times.
"Grounded?"
"For being late. Yes."
Will settled in behind her, kissing her shoulder.
"No smart comeback?" she questioned.
"Nope."
Kate frowned, surprised, "Why not?"
"I don't like seeing you unhappy." He kissed her shoulder again. "And I want this part to be over with too."
Her body ached and occasionally cramped up, but the Doc had said it wasn't the real deal. Not yet at least. Kate whined. She was a week overdue, she was allowed to whine. Any longer and Magnus was going to have her admitted for a C-section. Kate was not a fan of this idea.
"If I bring you ice cream, will that help?"
Kate considered this. "Do we have any of the double fudge?"
"Probably."
"Then yes." She winced as yet another one of those annoying false labor pains twisted muscles she hadn't realized she'd had and which she now hated. Maybe she should go bug Magnus. Nah. moving was too much of an effort.
Will kissed her again then left to get the ice cream. He ended up being delayed on the way down by Erica who'd gotten turned around in the huge mansion and who didn't have a cell that worked in the states. He directed her where she wanted to go and headed off again. Whistling to himself, Will finally made it to the kitchen.
He fixed a bowel of mint chocolate chip for himself then scooped out a bowl of the double fudge for Kate. He was headed back upstairs when he heard the gunshot.
Dropping the bowels, Will sprinted down the hall. "Kate!" Had it come from their room? They were the only ones living in that particular part of the mansion at the moment. Will burst into their room, fearing the worst.
Kate looked up from where she was half-propped up by the bed. The room smelled of gunpowder and plaster fell down from the hole in the ceiling towards the outside wall.
"Oh good," she said, her voice strained. She unchambered the round in the gun and removed the magazine.
No blood, thank god. "Kate, what-"
"Can you call the Doc?" She groaned and tightened her grasp of the bedspread. "Think the kid heard us. Decided it was birthday time."
Will went around to her side. "You think so?"
"Water just broke so that'd be yes. Seriously, can we just get the Doc now?"
Will pulled out his blackberry and began to dial. He looked askance at Kate. "You shot the ceiling?"
"No one would have heard. And it was closer than my cell."
"Closer than- Hey doc? Kate thinks the baby's coming." He hoped he didn't sound as panicked as he felt. Beside him Kate bit back a groan. Will held the phone between his cheek and shoulder so he could support her. Magnus rattled off quick instructions then hung up right around when contraction seemed to be ending.
"Come on," he said, eyeing the gun on the bedspread as they left.
"Told ya," Kate said. "Bollywood you." Her eyes flicked over to Will for a moment before returning to the infant in her arms. He was much smaller than she'd expected him to be. He hadn't felt that small on the way out at least. Nathaniel Danger Zimmerman Freelander looked like Will, if a bit darker. He had her eyes, and, if you believed Hank, Kate's sleepy scowl.
"Ow," Will hissed quietly from the chair by her bedside. Magnus murmured an apology and continued to secure the ice pack to the splint around Will's hand. Finished, she secured the bandage and tidied the supplies. Will grimaced a thanks then scooted his chair closer.
The labor was hard and fast in the end, but Will had been able to catch. It was only after the adrenaline had worn off that he'd noticed just how badly she'd hurt his hand in the last bits leading up to the final stretch.
"You wanna pass the pictures around, Gran?" Kate asked.
Magnus lifted an eyebrow, but Kate could see the idea had appeal. "I believe I will. I'll be back in a moment, but don't hesitate to call if you need me to return sooner."
They'd decided that adoptive Grandma Helen would be the first person to hold him other than Kate or Will. There had been tears from everyone at that point. Will was an emotional guy and Kate blamed the hormones. It had felt really good though. They'd never be a replacement for the daughter she'd lost, but someone needed to keep the Doc grounded. It was surprisngly good to know that someone else would look out for the little guy.
Will stood and saw her to the door, speaking quietly. Kate didn't catch what they said, but she could guess. Hank had already been in with a curious, if hesitant, Erica trailing behind. She'd gone absolutely gooey over the baby and had taken about a second and a half to realize Kate was intentionally ribbing Hank about piles of werepuppies. Then she'd helped. Kate liked her. Biggie had come by as well and taken his own turn. He'd also blessed the kid with some kind of burning smoke and a chant in a rolling language with grunts and rumbling purrs. The smell had been kinda relaxing so Kate hadn't minded. Will appeared to be allergic and had had to duck out.
Will came back and dropped into the chair, all goofy grins. "Hey gorgeous."
Kate rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious," he said, leaning in to kiss her and brush back her hair. His eyes got that deep shade when he was being very serious. "Hey." He brushed his good thumb over her cheek. "Love you."
Her lips quirked. "You're just saying that so I'll hand over the kid."
Will gave her a look, then shrugged a shoulder. "That too," he said with studied nonchalance.
Kate heaved a sigh. "I suppose." She carefully handed the baby to Will.
Nate made a small sound of annoyance then quieted as Will settled him against his chest. Will smirked wickedly, clearly implying Kate did the same thing. Well, she did, but she still rolled her eyes at him and shot him a dirty look anyway. Will's grin only grew.
"You know," He said, eyes on the baby, "maybe I should change my last name. So we all match."
"Yeah?"
"And I guess Freelander is a little bit cooler."
"You guess its a little bit cooler?"
"Twenty Percent cooler."
Kate snickered. Will handed her the baby then crawled up onto the edge of the bed. Kate moved so they could share, which took some doing but they finally managed. Kate yelped in surprise.
"What?"
"Ice pack! Cold!"
Will moved the offending hand away and kissed her cheek. "Sorry. But I guess it serves you right for crushing my hand."
"Serves me right? You're the one who got me knocked up!"
Will smirked back at her. "You helped with that part."
Kate rolled her eyes. Will pulled her closer, careful to keep the ice away. He stroked the baby's cheek with his free thumb. Snarky to sweet in half a second wasn't something she was as good at, but damn the man was cute. She looked up at him then down at their child. Maybe, she thought, this would all work out.
~fin