Author: Elizabeth
Rating: PG-13 or higher
Category: J/A, L/G
Summary: One way or another someone�s always late. The outcome could either be serious or lucky
Disclaimer: I own no one.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After spending time with Joan and the baby, Luke and Grace decided to head home. They told Joan they�d come by the next day before leaving. As they were walking, Luke was still thinking of his nephew and how he had connected with Matt in those few seconds.
�I can�t even describe that feeling I got Grace. It was like�my eyes had opened up to everything. I felt peaceful. It was the most awesome experience in the world.�
Grace smiled. �I could tell. You looked happy.�
�I was. I can�t wait till our baby is born. I mean I know it�s going to be hard work and we need to make a lot of changes, but still I can�t wait.�
�Same here. We need to come up with names.�
Luke smiled. �I�ll leave that up to you. But I have some ideas.�
�Like what?� Grace looked at him.
�Um�Eden.�
�Eden? Like the Garden of Eden?�
�Yeah.�
Grace nodded. �I�ll think about it. I like my name better.� Grace started to walk ahead of him.
�What did you pick?� Luke asked her.
�I�m not telling you.�
�Grace, she�s going to be here in two months.�
�I�m exploring options here, geek.� Grace turned to him.
�Okay. We can talk about the name another time. Okay?�
�Deal.� Grace chuckled and she kissed him before they continued on their way.
�Are you still upset about your dad?� Grace asked after some silence.
�I don�t know what to be upset about anymore. How could he look at that baby one minute and then decide to leave the next?�
�He just needs some time.�
Luke shook his head.
�He already had nine months. If he acts like this with our baby I think I�m going to explode.�
�No Luke it�s all right. Nine months is still short. Just give him a little more time. He�ll come around. I�m sure he will.�
�I hope you�re right.� Luke said softly.
Grace didn�t say anything more.
Once they got to Grace�s house, Luke made sure she was safe inside, even though she protested, and headed home himself.
When he got there, he saw Will in the living room. He went over to him.
�Dad.� Will looked up at him. �Why didn�t you hold Matt?�
�I need time, Luke.�
Luke didn�t say anything. He just turned and walked away.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Three days later, Joan got to take Matthew home. As she was wheeled down the hall with her baby in her arms and Adam pushing her along, Helen took a picture. Joan complained that she looked horrible but Helen didn�t listen to her.
At the house, Grace, Luke, and Kevin were getting ready for the homecoming. They were sitting on the stairs calmly waiting when the door opened. They all stood as Joan walked in with Helen, Adam and Matt.
�Hey guys welcome home.� Luke said. He took one of the bags from Adam.
�Thanks. Who made the banner?� Adam asked.
�Luke and I.� Grace replied. �He did most of the work, I told him what to write.�
�I can tell considering it says �Welcome home Girardi and little Girardi.� Joan said.
�I tried to fight her on it. She used our baby on me.� Luke defended himself.
Grace rolled her eyes.
Kevin ignored them and grinned. �Joan, I think it�s Uncle Kevin�s turn to have the baby.�
�All right.� Joan set the carrier down and took Matt out. She carefully handed him to Kevin. She backed away to stand next to Adam.
�Well hello there Matt. I�m your Uncle Kevin. Yeah. Well welcome to the family. I�ll give you a run down. Your Uncle Luke is a science geek.�
�Gee thanks Kevin.� Luke said rolling his eyes.
�Your mother is a crazy woman.�
�Hey!� Joan gave him a look.
�Your Aunt Grace is one outspoken woman.�
Grace smirked.
�And your daddy is a very talented artist.�
�Uh�thanks.� Adam said.
�Your grandmother is a fabulous art teacher.� Helen blushed. �And your grandfather�he�s a police detective. He can get pretty busy but he�s a cool guy.�
Luke looked down and Grace gently jabbed him in the arm with her elbow.
�And last but not least, your favorite Uncle Kevin is awesome at sports. Welcome to our family little one. Oh and in a couple of months, you�ll be joined by another.�
Grace smirked. �Okay it�s my turn to hold the little worm.� She walked over and pried Matt from Kevin�s arms.
Joan just shook her head. �So where�s dad? I thought he�d be home.�
Luke frowned.
Helen cleared her throat. �He was but then he was called in. He wanted to be here, honey. Come on, let�s get you unpacked. Luke? Could you help me with the bag?�
Luke took Joan�s bag and they all went upstairs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A few days later, Luke was up in the middle of the night getting some milk. He was heading to his room when he heard the baby crying. He set his milk down and went to the nursery. He walked in and looked in on his nephew.
�Hey there. Come see Uncle Luke.� Luke picked him up and cradled him. �There we go. Better get some practice of my own.� He felt Matt�s diaper and nodded. �Bingo.�
He took him over to the changing table and began changing him. �You know your new little cousin is going to be lucky. She�s going to have a playmate who�s going to look out for her. Yeah.�
�Hey.� He heard a voice.
Luke turned to see Joan. �Hey. I�m sorry did we wake you?�
�Kind of. I was already keeping an ear out for him when I heard you on the baby monitor.� Joan walked over to watch Luke changing him. �You�re really good with him.�
�Thanks.� Luke folded the diaper over Matt�s stomach and began to fasten the sides together.
�Hold on. I need to get the camera.� Joan ran out of the room.
Luke picked Matt up and patted his back. Joan came back in and took a picture.
�There we go. Here I�ll take him. You go back to sleep.�
�Okay. Hey Matt. Here�s mommy.� Luke handed him over to her. Joan carefully rocked him in her arms as she sat on the couch. Luke took the camera and took a picture. He smiled at them for a few moments before heading back to bed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Adam sat in his shed trying to come up with a project to work on. It was his day off and he wanted to spend the day doing something but he didn�t know what he wanted to do. He heard a whimper and looked up. He came face to face with bright brown eyes. Adam smiled and got up, going over to the car seat. �Hey. Did you have a nice nap?�
Matth looked at him as if he was about to start crying then and there. Adam quickly grabbed the bottle sitting beside his diaper bag and picked Matt up before gently sticking the tip of the nipple in his mouth. Matt drank his lunch hungrily.
�There we go.� Adam went back to his seat. �That good? I�m sure I drank something like this when I was your age but I don�t remember.� Matt cooed and Adam smiled. �What are you trying to say?� Adam looked around the shed and sighed. �I have so many stuff here that I made.� He got up and walked around. He went over to a painting. �This lovely young woman is Judith. She was a really good friend of your mother�s. She passed away a little more than a year ago. I think she would have liked you. Oh okay, she definitely would have liked you.� Adam went over to another drawing. �That�s your mother. I drew her when we first started dating. I could memorize her face with one glance.�
Adam looked down to see that Matt had finished his bottle. Adam set it down and gently placed him on his shoulder giving him some gentle pats to get him to burp. After he was sure Matt was satisfied, he placed him back in his carrier.
�There we go.� Adam looked down at the baby he had come to love even before Joan could. He looked at the round face, tiny nose, closed eyelids that hid bright brown eyes, and the soft downy hair on his head. Adam smiled as a picture formed in his mind. �Thanks Matt.� He went back to his sketchpad.
An hour later, the shed door opened and Joan walked in.
�Hey.� She said once she saw Adam.
�Hey. Sh, he�s sleeping.�
Joan nodded and looked in on Matt before going to Adam. �Well I managed to find clothes that Grace would tolerate for the baby. She still refuses to tell me what she�s naming her.�
Adam smiled. �I�m glad you had fun.�
�Yeah I did. So what have you and Matt been doing all day?�
�Well besides the feeding and the pooping, he�s been sleeping. I�ve been drawing.�
�Oh let me see!� Joan said excitedly. She went around and was shocked at what she saw. Adam had drawn Matt lying in his crib surrounded by all of his stuffed animals. �Oh Adam�it�s beautiful.�
�It was easy once inspiration hit.�
Joan smiled and kissed Adam. �I love it. It is the most�I can�t put into words how much I love it.�
�Would you like it?�
�Oh�you keep it. You made it from your heart.�
Adam nodded. He gently pulled her down to kiss him. They were kissing when Matt decided to make his presence known. Joan shrugged and went over to get him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The summer nearly passed by everyone quickly. Matthew was growing into a healthy and moving little critter. Luke had taken to calling him a �little worm.� Joan and Adam were busier than ever with him now and barely had time to themselves. Luke and Grace took sympathy on them and took Matt once in a while to give them a break and to also get practice in for what was to come.
Will didn�t do much with Matt. He wouldn�t really hold him or play with him. If Joan needed something for the baby, he would get it but he never bonded with him. Luke was the only one who seemed to notice.
Kevin was also having fun playing the Uncle. If anyone needed, he would happily take Matt out. He would put Matt in a baby carrier and strap him to his chest so he could move around while holding the baby.
In early August, Grace was now nine months pregnant and ready to have the baby. Her ankles hurt and she couldn�t see anything in front of her. She got hot or cold real easily and the baby was always either poking or sitting in the most uncomfortable places.
One day, Grace was at home with the air conditioner blaring when her mom came home drunk. Grace shook her head and got ready for another day of trying to control her mother.
�Gracie!� her mom slurred as she walked in. �You�re looking a little�fat.�
Grace rolled her eyes. �I�m pregnant, mom, remember?�
�Oh yeah. Threw your life away. Well�want to join me?�
�No, I�m fine. Hey mom? Why don�t we go have a shower?� Grace went to take her hands but her mom pulled away. Grace shook her head and once again tried to reach for her.
�No! I want to dance! Dance with me Gracie!�
�I�m good mom. Let�s get you upstairs.� Grace took her arm and started leading her upstairs.
�Oh what a glorious day! Let go of me, Gracie! You�re holding me back.� Her mom shoved her backwards.
�Whoa!� Grace tried to grab the railing but she fell backwards and tumbled down the stairs. Grace groaned and sat up. Her back was hurting and suddenly a sharp pain pierced her lower abdomen. She hissed and grabbed her stomach. �Ow! Oh, baby settle down. Mommy�s in a situation right now.�
Grace went to stand and the pain came back. �Ah!� she doubled over in pain. Suddenly, a gush of water spilled onto the floor from between her legs. Grace groaned and stood up and went into the kitchen forgetting all about the singing woman upstairs.
She grabbed the phone and dialed Luke�s number. �Hello?�
�Ugh! Luke it�s me. My mom pushed me down the stairs and�ugh�I�m in labor.�
�Oh my�is the baby okay?�
�I�m not really sure. But dude, I need your sister�s car�and possibly your sister as well as the father of this kid�oh wait, that�s you!�
�I�m on my way. What�s your mom doing?�
�She�s upstairs singing.�
�I�ll be right there.� He hung up and Grace followed suit. She doubled over as another wave of pain hit her.
10 minutes later, Joan and Luke showed up. Joan went upstairs and found Grace�s mother in bed before going to get Grace�s bag. Luke helped Grace into the car. Adam was tending to Matt.
�Hey, how is she?� he asked.
�Not sure yet. As for Grace, well she�s in pain.� Luke put a hand on her stomach as another contraction hit.
�Ow!� Grace hissed.
�Hey, it�s okay, breathe just like they taught you.�
�That�s easy for them to say! Have they ever been in labor?� she snapped.
�Um��
�Don�t answer that Luke.� Joan stated running over. Adam went back in the front seat and they all got in the car before driving to the hospital.
Luke looked at Grace. She was panting and breathing heavily. �Hey.�
�Hi.� Grace smiled slightly through the pain.
�Looks like we�re having a baby.�
�Yeah. Looks like it.� Grace breathed in deeply.
�Let�s get this show on the road.� Joan said as they got to the hospital.
�Show? Who said anything about this being a show?� Grace snapped.
�Oh yeah, she�s there.� Joan commented as she got out of the car.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At the hospital, Grace was wheeled into a room and Luke went with her. Joan and Adam stayed behind with Matt to wait for Will, Helen, Kevin, and Grace�s father.
Once everyone arrived, they patiently waited for Grace�s little girl to be born. Joan wanted to say something to Grace�s father about the girl being shoved down the stairs but she decided against it. Grace probably didn�t want him to know.
�I still can�t believe it. Luke�s going to be a father.� Helen sighed. �My babies are all grown up.�
�Mom.� Joan said. �We might be growing up but still need you.�
Helen smiled appreciatively. �Thanks honey.� She gave her daughter�s hand a squeeze.
�I can�t believe Grace is going to be a mother.� Adam looked at Joan. �A mother.�
�I know.� Joan chuckled.
�I mean before Luke, I thought it would take a lot for her to ever want to be a mom. Now�I mean yeah she�ll be tough at times but she�ll be great.�
Joan nodded. �She�s done great with Matt.�
Adam looked at the baby, who was currently investigating the world around him.
�Yeah. You know Jane I�m really proud of you.�
Joan smiled. �Really?�
�Yeah. You�ve really held yourself together this past year. I mean sometimes I feel like I�m about to crack but I just have to look at you and�you make it better.�
Joan blushed and Adam kissed her. Matt let out a little shriek making them look at him.
�What? Don�t tell me your jealous.� Adam said feigning shock.
Matt kicked and cooed.
Luke walked out. �Hey.�
�Hey. How�s the baby?� Joan asked quietly.
�Fine. The ultrasound showed that her heart rate is normal like it has been. The fall didn�t affect her.�
�That�s awesome.� Adam said.
�Okay.� Luke glanced over at the Rabbi and then at Joan.
�We didn�t say anything. He does know she�s at home�passed out.� Joan said.
�Okay. I better get back in there.� Luke sighed.
�Good luck, sweetheart.� Helen hugged and kissed him.
�Thanks mom.� He smiled before going back in the delivery room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A few hours later, Luke came out of the delivery room. �Hey.�
�Hey how is she?� Joan asked.
�She�s getting there. She�s dilated six centimeters apparently so we have a ways to go.�
Joan squealed. �It�s so exciting! Oh but do I remember the pain.�
�So do I.� Helen said.
Joan smiled sweetly. Luke nodded slowly. He looked over to see Grace�s dad. Rabbi Polanski came over.
�Hey, how�s my girl doing?�
�She�s all right. How�s�� he didn�t want to say anything out loud about Grace�s mom.
�She�ll be fine.�
Luke nodded slowly.
�I better get back in there. Guys? Thanks for being here for us.�
�No problem Luke.� Joan said.
�We�re always here, Luke.� Helen gave her son a hug.
Luke nodded his thanks and went back inside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Grace cried out as she finished pushing. Luke was holding her hand and urging her on.
�You�re doing a great job Grace. Just keep going.�
Grace growled. �You try pushing something the size of a cantaloupe out of something the size of a bottle cap!�
Luke looked at her nervously.
�Grace, one more push. You�re doing great. Okay, go!�
Grace gave another push and Luke counted to ten. She stopped for a few moments and panted.
�You are never coming near me again!� Grace said giving Luke the nastiest glare she could muster.
�Grace, it�s okay. Just a few more and she�ll be here.�
Grace let out a deep breath before pushing when the doctor told her.
�Okay the head�s out. You�re doing good.�
Grace let out a gasp as she tried to catch her breath.
�I can�t do this.�
�Grace, you can. Don�t give up on me now. She�s almost out.� Luke glanced over and laughed. �Oh my God, she�s almost out. Grace, keep going. I know you can do it.�
Grace looked at Luke and seeing how intent he was, she pushed again. After a couple of more pushes, she fell back to the pillow and smiled hearing a loud wail.
�Oh my God.� Luke gasped.
Grace looked up and saw the doctor holding up her daughter. �Oh�oh wow.�
�It�s a girl. She�s beautiful. Want to cut the cord dad?�
Luke nodded wordlessly and carefully cut it. Grace felt lightheaded and dizzy.
�Something�something doesn�t feel�right�� Grace leaned back exhausted.
The doctor checked Grace and turned to a nurse. �Call the ER we have some major tearing which is causing bleeding.�
�What? What�s going on?� Luke asked, his happiness suddenly turning to fear.
�Luke, I think you should go with the baby.�
�No, what�s going on? Grace? Grace!� Luke put a hand on the side of her head. Grace turned towards him but her eyes looked glazed over.
�Luke, you need to move.� A nurse said.
Luke stepped back watching as the doctors and nurses worked on his girlfriend. He was scared and had no clue what was going on.