Nick hugged her and looked into her eyes. "No you won't, you've lived through worse things than this, remember?"

She smiled at him. "I'm glad you're here with me."

"Good! Cause I'm not leaving until I have to go call the others and let them know about our baby." He held her hand and sat down beside her. "And that won't be for some time, by the sounds of it." He looked at his watch. "Would you be offended if I tried to get some sleep? Feel free to squeeze at any time!" Nick held up their hands. "If it hurts I know you need me!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They both drifted in and out of sleep for the next couple of hours. The contractions were still about ten to fifteen minutes apart and still ripped through Aileen like a knife. "Oh my Lord, if it hurts this much now..." Nick looked at her with concern.

"Drugs!" They both said simultaneously and burst into laughter.

"Please as many drugs as possible, this hurts so much!"

"Okay, let's take your mind off the pain." Nick thought of a subject that might distract her. "Hey! What are we going to call this baby of ours?"

"I've thought of some names." she said. "What about you?"

He considered. "All I know is that if it's a boy, I want Brian's name in there."

"I thought you might and that's alright with me. We'll have to come up with a girls name too." Aileen said.

"What about Amanda?" Nick pondered. "Ugh, no!"

"Nicole?"

Well, it's a beautiful name but pretty close to yours." Aileen answered.

"I like it." he said, stubbornly.

"Okay, okay!" she laughed. "Don't pout! We've got the whole day to talk it over."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the day wore into night, Aileens contractions grew closer and closer together. The doctor had just finished timing the last set. "Oh very good! We're down to just a few minutes apart, could be any time now!"

Aileen gasped. "Thank God!"

Nick pushed some hair out of her eyes and wiped her forehead. "I'm sorry you're in so much pain. I wish I could do something."

"Just be here for me okay? I need somebody here with me."

He kissed her hand and then her cheek. "I've got to go call everybody, okay? And then I'm all yours."

She nodded, teeth gritted in pain. "Nick? Don't forget Kevin, okay? He needs to be here too."

Nick dropped his head sadly. "Yeah, I'll get Kev."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

An hour later, the guys were pacing in the waiting room. "What's goin' on?" asked AJ. "What's taking so long?"

Nick's mom laughed. "First-borns usually take a long time to arrive, we still have to wait a bit."

Kevin sat off in the corner. "How long did Nick say they've been here?"

"Four am, I think." answered Brian. "It's 9pm now, hopefully we'll have news soon."

With that Nick bounded in the room. "I'm a daddy, it's here, it's here!" Brian grabbed him and Nick started jumping up and down. Brian had no choice but to jump too.

"What is it?"

"It's a boy, a wonderful, super, gorgeous boy!" Nick turned to his mom and dad and hugged them tight. "You have to see him, he's so beautiful!"

Kevin walked over and grabbed Nick in a bear hug. "Congratulations, little bro." Tears glistened in the corner of his eyes. "Guess you're not so little any more."

Nick looked at Kevin and returned the hug. "Thanks Kevin, that really means a lot to me." He patted Kevin on the back and wiped tears from his eyes.

"Okay!" Nick said, turning to face the others. "I know everybody wants to see him, but you have to take turns. The grandparents go first."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Nick's parents left, Kevin, Howie, AJ, and Brian crowded into Aileens room. Brian was rocking the child gently in his arms.

"What's his name?"

Nick looked at Aileen and grinned. "His name is...Brian Matthew!"

"What? Oh wow! Nick, Aileen, I don't know what to say, what an honour!" Brian passed his namesake to AJ and hugged Nick. "Thanks man, I'm truly honoured."

AJ fidgeted nervously and the baby started to cry. "Um, maybe you should have him." he said moving closer to Aileen. "I don't think he likes me!"

"He loves all his uncles." Aileen laughed. "But he's a tease, he likes to make them nervous!"

A nurse poked her head in the door. "Everyone should clear out soon, it's almost 11pm."

The guys came over and kissed Aileen one by one and trooped out the door. When Kevin got to her she grabbed his hand.

"I need to say something to you and Nick. I've been thinking and worrying a long time about this and you need to know my decision." She looked at Nick, peaceful in the rocking chair, quietly cooing at his new son and at Kevin pensive and tense on the edge of the bed. "I think the answer was always in my heart, it just took me this long to realize it. I don't mean to hurt either of you, I love you both." She paused and reached her hand out to one of them. "I love you, I know that for sure now, you were in my heart always and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."