The last half of Lou’s pregnancy flew by, between work, caring for Zach and learning about each other again. Kidd had been thrilled to attend Lamaze class with Lou, but when the day came for her baby to be born, found himself pale, shaking, and sweaty, watching the woman he loved laboring bravely.

Kidd held Lou’s leg back and flexed against her shoulder as the nurse was instructing him to do. He was terrified; the doctor had shouted something about the baby’s shoulder being caught – ordered the nurses to push her legs back and apply pressure at the pubic bone. Lou was already bleeding from an episiotomy Dr. Jones had cut, and a dark-haired, dark-eyed head was literally sticking out of Lou's body. Kidd felt the room swaying slightly.

"Hold on there, Dad," a portly nurse barked at him. "We don’t need a fainter to deal with right now."

Kidd shook his head to clear it as Dr. Jones expertly swept her fingers inside Lou’s body, rotating the baby’s shoulder and releasing it from where it was trapped. The little body slid out effortlessly, and Lou panted with relief, slumping back against Kidd.

The baby, squalling furiously, was swept into the arms of a pediatrician standing at the ready, who took it to a corner where a team of nurses and the doctor worked over it for a few minutes.

"Lou, it’s a girl," Kidd whispered. "She’s beautiful."

Lou weakly nodded. "A little girl…" she whispered. Her eyes took on a faraway look. Kidd felt a little jealous pang, knowing that she was thinking of her new baby’s father, who hadn’t had a chance to know his daughter. But he stroked her hair silently. He knew Jimmy had loved Lou with all his heart; and he knew Lou had loved Jimmy almost as much. This beautiful baby was created from what they shared. Looking at the little angel as she was placed in her mother’s arms, Kidd knew it wouldn’t matter, not really. He knew he would love this little girl because she was Lou’s.

"She’s big, nearly ten pounds. But perfect," Dr. Klein told them. "Congratulations."

"Hello, little Jamie," cooed Lou. "We are so happy to meet you," she added, tears in her eyes. "Thanks so much for being here, Michael," she said softly, as the nurse helped her place the baby to latch on.

Watching Lou focus on helping Jamie nurse, Kidd felt another sharp pang, this time of regret. He’d missed seeing Lou do this for their first child. But he shook it off, kissing her gently as Jamie dozed at her breast. The past was the past; he would focus on making a future now with Lou and their children. "Thank you for letting me be here," he whispered.

Celinda knocked on Lou’s open hospital room door and entered, smiling and carrying a large bunch of balloons reading "It’s a Girl!" Lou was nursing little Jamie and looked up, smiling.

"You can hold her in just a minute," Lou said.

Celinda set the balloons by the other gifts at Lou’s window. Turning, she sat in a chair next to Lou’s bed, reflecting gladly that Lou’s face was happy and healthy looking, if a little tired. Such a change from the last time she had visited Lou in a hospital. Her eyes fell on the wheeled bassinette. It had a card in it reading "Jamie McCloud." Celinda’s eyes turned toward Lou’s.

"You aren’t going to call her Jamie Hickok?" she asked hesitantly.

Lou looked uncomfortable. "I… I just wanted her to have the same last name as me and Zach," she explained awkwardly. "Her middle name will be Hickok."

Celinda nodded, but still looked a little upset, Lou noticed.

"What is it, Celinda?" Lou asked gently.

Celinda hesitated, then asked, her voice trembling a little, "I understand from Noah that you and Michael Kidd are involved again."

Lou nodded. "That’s true, Celinda."

Celinda reddened. "I don’t mean to interfere, Louise. But I just hope you aren’t going to forget about Jimmy," she said, her voice choking. "Or that he was Jamie’s father."

Jamie released Lou’s nipple, and Lou quickly covered her breast and put her baby girl on her shoulder to burp her. "I won’t forget, Celinda. And I promise, Jamie will know about Jimmy. I’ll see to that." She looked seriously at Celinda. "But I hope you can see that if Michael and I end up together, and he is a father to Jamie, she’ll be better off than with no father in her life." She handed the baby carefully to Celinda, who looked down at her niece tearfully.

"And I hope you know that you’re Jamie’s family, and I hope you will be close with her too. That’s another way to help her get to know her father," Lou said softly .

"Thank you, Lou," Celinda said, crying. "I just don’t want him to be forgotten, left behind."

"Every time I look in her eyes, I remember him, Celinda. I’ll never forget. But I need to move on, keep living. Jimmy would want that for me and Jamie."

There was another tap on the door, and Cody, Buck, Ike and Noah came in together with Teaspoon.

"Who’s holding down the fort, you guys?" Lou teased.

"Hey, we’re on our lunch break," Cody protested. "And if I give up lunch to come see a baby, that’s saying something. Wow, she’s beautiful, Lou."

Noah smiled and kissed Lou on the cheek, presenting her with a large stuffed bear.

"What’s her name?" Buck asked, bending over the baby in Celinda’s arms.

"Jamie Hickok McCloud," Lou said, tears coming into her eyes unwillingly.

Noah nodded. "He’d be really proud of her, Lou. She’s perfect. You’ve done a good job. And I know you and Michael will do a good job taking care of her for Jimmy."

Lou smiled through her tears and pressed Noah’s hand gratefully.

Zach sat in his room on the floor, playing with his blocks, when Theresa came in and said, "Zach, your mother and father just called. They’re coming up in the elevator with your little sister."

Zach turned his back, without answering. Theresa looked a little worried, but heard the door opening and Lou and Kidd coming in. She rushed to the door, exclaiming over the baby. Zach sat in his room listening to the fussing over the new baby, and kicked angrily out at his towers of blocks, knocking them down.

Lou came into Zach’s room, and found him glowering darkly. "Hey, Zachy, I’m home. I missed you so much," she said, hugging him. He buried his face in her shoulder, clutching her. Theresa came in holding Jamie, and said, "Zach, come see your little sister."

Zach’s face darkened. He looked at the baby and muttered, "She’s funny-looking."

Lou smothered a smile. "Honey, that’s because she was just born. Her face is a little mushed up, but she’ll look better in a day or two, really."

Zach looked disdainfully at the baby, then turned his back again and started rebuilding his blocks. Lou looked a little hurt, but Kidd, watching from the doorway, placed a hand on her back and whispered something to her. Lou nodded, got up and took the baby into her room, to lay her in her bassinette, and Kidd closed Zach’s door.

He sat down on Zach’s bed and watched him playing a moment. "I guess you missed your mama a lot the last couple of days, huh?"

Zach nodded slightly, still focused on his blocks.

"I know she missed you a lot too. She said so a lot of times."

Zach shrugged.

Kidd tried again. "And now that Mama is back, maybe you and I can spend some special time together today, how’s that sound?"

Lou came in as Kidd spoke.

"Is she coming?" Zach asked, his voice cracking a little.

"Jamie?" Kidd asked.

Zach nodded.

"No, honey, she’s got to stay in now, and I’m very tired, so I can’t come right now either. But I will take you someplace special, just you and me, tomorrow, okay?" Lou said.

Zach sniffled, "You like her better than me. You don’t want to come out with me and Daddy because she’s here now."

Kidd rushed to put an arm around him. "Zach, I know how you must feel. But Mama and I don’t love you any less because we love Jamie." Zach looked up dubiously. "Think about it, Zach. You didn’t love Jimmy any less because you got to know me, right?"

Zach nodded slowly. "Well, it’s the same thing. Love’s like that. Your mama and I can love you just as much, even if there’s a new baby to love. We always will, too."

Kidd drew Zach into his arms, and Lou wiped the tears from her eyes. Zach put an arm out to hug Lou at the same time, and Lou whispered to Kidd. "It’s time to tell him, I think." Kidd looked her in the eyes, and nodded.

"Tell me what?"

"We wanted to tell you, that mommy and daddy love you very much. And we love each other very much too," Kidd said, putting an arm around Lou.

"Are you going to get married?" the four-year old asked innocently.

Kidd looked at Lou, then said, "I hope so, someday, Zach. But for now I’m your mama’s boyfriend."

Zach chortled with laughter. "Boyfriend!" he guffawed. "Gross!" He bounded up and said, "Come on, Daddy. Let’s go out and play football, just us guys."

Lou grinned and nodded, picking up Zach’s football and tossing it to Kidd. "Fine," she laughed. "I know when I’m not wanted."

Zach looked a little remorseful, and kissed his mother, flinging his arms around her neck. "I want you, Mama. I missed you. I just meant because you’re tired, is all."

She held his little body and stroked his hair. "I know, Zachy. Go ahead and have fun." She smiled as Zach planted another sticky kiss on her cheek and bounded out the door with Kidd.

Kidd and Lou walked from the exclusive restaurant where they’d shared a romantic dinner together. They strolled out together hand in hand, and Lou murmured, "Sure is a pretty night."

He stared at her, and she looked curiously at him. "You sure are," he said admiringly, slipping an arm around her waist. It had been only four months since she’d had baby Jamie, but she felt as tiny as ever in his arms, he thought.

"That was a wonderful dinner," Lou said. "Worth the long wait for that reservation you made. Though I guess it should be good with the prices they charged." He still stared at her, lost in her eyes.

"You have something on your mind tonight, Michael? You seem a little distracted."

They had reached the National Mall, and Kidd said, nervously, "Why don’t we go over toward the Monument? By the Reflecting Pool?"

"Okay," she said, letting him lead her to the pool. He stopped under a cherry tree and broke off some blossoms for her, handing them to her with a nervous smile. She took the small branch, the charm bracelet she always wore jingling a little as she raised the blossoms to her face.

As they stood looking across the pool, Kidd turned to her, taking both her hands. "Lou, you know how I feel about you by now, I hope. I hope I remind you of that enough."

"Every day," she smiled.

"I want to spend the rest of my life reminding you every day, Lou. And taking care of you and the children."

She beamed at him, as he knelt down and looked up into her eyes. "Louise McCloud, will you marry me?"

The world stood still for the two of them as she nodded, eyes wet, and he slipped a diamond ring on her finger. He rose and captured her lips with his own, as they both forgot the milling tourists and surroundings and lost themselves in each others’ kiss.

Kidd and Lou joined hands in front of the judge. Waves lapped at the shore and the moonlight reflected off the water… and Kidd couldn’t take his eyes off Lou, dressed in a softly clinging strapless white gown, with a white flower tucked behind her ear. She carried a small bunch of white flowers in her other hand. "You look beautiful," he whispered to her, and she smiled softly up at him.

Theresa held a sleeping Jamie in her arms as she looked on, standing behind her sister. Little Zach proudly held his Uncle Jeremiah’s hand as he stood next to Theresa. The team had all managed to fly out to L.A. to attend the simple ceremony, and was standing in a group behind their boss and former teammate.

The pair turned their eyes to the judge as he spoke the words joining them, finally, as man and wife. After they made their vows to each other, the officiant gestured to a small table, where a large unity candle was set alongside four smaller candles.

Lighting the four small candles, the officiant handed them to Lou, Kid, Zach, and Theresa.

"These candles represent Louise, Michael, Zachary, and Jamie… the unity candle is lit from all four candles, to show that they form one family now, from this day forward."

They carefully placed the candles together, lighting the larger candle. Lou handed two pins to Kidd from her bouquet. He bent and pinned one to Zach’s lapel, and the other to Jamie’s white dress. "I give you these pins, as a symbol that you are both our children now, and that I’ll love and take care of you both from this day forward." Jamie kicked up her little feet and squealed suddenly, drawing a laugh from the guests. Kidd straightened up and took Jamie on one arm, while Lou held Zach’s hand. Handing her bouquet to Theresa, Lou took Kid’s free hand. Standing hand in hand, the four listened while the officiant solemnly proclaimed, "I now pronounce you man and wife… and family. You may kiss the bride."

Without letting go of their children, Kidd and Lou turned and kissed, to the applause of their friends and family.