Well, this came to me about twenty minutes before I wrote it and I've decided it's going to be the last chapter. If I continue, it'll turn into a story that will never end and that's a bad thing. I'm letting it end with grace (and a few jokes that make me laugh). So thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well as any story I write in the future.

I have enjoyed the journey that I took with you from the beginning...who knew that it would be such a hit and continue for so long!

Thanks so much!

Not mine, but you know that already.

3 Months later…

"I feel like a beached whale." I said to Carlos from our delicious bed.

He came out of the closet. "You look beautiful."

I snorted. "Yeah right. I'm sweating like a pig and I haven't even tried to move yet."

"In your defense, it is a little hot in here."

"Help me up, please?" I asked.

He graciously came over and gave me a hand.

A literal one.

"Oh stop clapping, smartass and help me!"

He smiled and helped me to my feet.

"Next time, you're carrying the baby."

"Sure, babe, anything you want."

He was patronizing me, but I'm just going to let it go.

Here it was. The ninth inning (or month). The last period. The final quarter. The game was going to be won soon. We had done all the appointments, all the classes and even talked about who was going to be there while I was giving birth (considering the entire Burg would want to be in attendance.)

And he was still late.

Three days and counting.

"The baby will come when he's ready." Carlos said, watching me brush my teeth. "Maybe he wasn't done yet."

I spit out the toothpaste. "I don't want our son to be overcooked!"

He hugged me as best he could. "Leave it to you to take the 'bun in the oven' analogy literally."

I rolled my eyes.

"Whoa, Beautiful!" Lester said when we made it to the office. We were taking one car now that I wasn't allowed to drive. I couldn't reach past my stomach anymore. "You're huge!"

"See!" I said to Carlos. "Everybody thinks I'm fat!"

He sighed. "Santos, do I even have to tell you anymore."

"Nope." He said with a smile. "Mats in twenty."

Tears welled into my eyes. "Do you think I'm fat?" I asked him.

"Of course not. I think you're beautifully pregnant with our son."

I sniffled. He smiled lightly and kissed me before following Lester to the gym.

An hour later, while I was sitting at my desk, a contraction hit.

"Why now!" I screamed at my belly, as I moaned in pain. I got up and shuffled my way to the gym. Lester and Carlos were still going at it.

"Ranger." I said.

He didn't hear me.

"Ranger." I said, a little louder and with gritted teeth. Another contraction had hit.

"CARLOS IF YOU DON'T STOP KICKING SANTOS' ASS RIGHT NOW, I'M GOING TO HAVE THE BABY RIGHT HERE!" I screamed.

That got his attention.

"It's time?"

I nodded.

And then my water broke.

Lester threw up and Carlos paled. I sighed. Another contraction hit.

"ARRGH!" I screamed.

"Babe, are you okay?" He asked, coming to hold me up.

"DO I LOOK OKAY?"

Carlos grimaced. "How far apart are the contractions?"

"I don't know, four minutes."

"Uh oh."

"Uh oh? Uh oh? Uh oh means bad. Its like the subtle version of oops."

"It means you might not make it to the hospital." Carlos said, pulling out his phone.

"What? I was promised drugs and I want them. I WANT MY DRUGS!"

"Calm down and breathe." He said. When Bobby came down to the gym he had Tank and two buckets. One with towels and one with hot water.

"I called the paramedics and they're on the way." Tank said.

I pulled on Bobby's collar. "I. Want. My. DRUGS!"

"Calm down, Bombshell, there's not enough time." They coaxed me down into the sitting position Carlos and I learned in Lamaze, my back on his front, and pulled off my pants.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I screamed.

"Relax, he's got to check how dilated you are." Carlos said.

"Trust me, this will be more uncomfortable for me than for you." Bobby said.

I was not amused.

"Okay, I need you to push on the next one." He said. When it came, I pushed and clawed and Carlos's knees like I was dying.

"Good, good, relax."

"You're doing great, Babe." Carlos said in my ear. "I've never been prouder of you."

My eyes welled at that. When he said stuff like that, it made me feel like I could take on the world.

"Okay, start pushing." Bobby said.

I pushed for all I was worth.

"Great, he's crowning."

If I was anyone else, I would be laughing at this. Carlos supporting me from behind, Bobby between my legs and Tank and Lester holding them open liked their lives depended on it. We made quite a scene.

Later I found out that as I gave birth to our son, Hal passed out.

"One more, now, you can do it." Bobby said, encouragingly.

I pushed and a few moments later, something blue fell into Bobby's arms.

Oh God, it was exactly like Alien.

"Great job, Babe." I could feel Carlos kissing my neck and smiling at the same time.

"Do you want to cut the Umbilical Cord?" Bobby asked Carlos.

"Hell yeah." He replied.

Epilogue…Sort of…

"What are you going to name him?" Asked the female paramedic as she fawned over our little guy. He was a Manoso for sure. No woman could ever resist a Manoso.

"After his father."

"How sweet!" She gave Carlos a wide smile, who was smiling proudly at me.

"Ricardo Carlos Manoso the fourth. Has a nice ring to it." He said, kissing my damp curls. They loaded me up into the Ambulance and he followed in shortly.

"I can't wait to take those boobs for a test drive." He said, after they had put us in our own room. Ricardo Carlos Manoso the fourth, weighed in at 7 and a half pounds and twenty four inches. Well duh, look at his father! He also looked like his father; black hair, brown skin and lips with my nose, eyes and ears. He was doing great, despite the gym home birth. Glad to see he got my trait for the unpredictable.

I snorted. "You do realize you can't touch these bad boys for at least six weeks. And then they're not completely yours until he stops breast feeding."

He frowned. "Really?"

"Block that out of your baby book brain?"

"I thought my brother was kidding."

"Nope. Sorry honey."

He sighed. "Next time, get a boob job."

I laughed. "In your dreams, Batman."

And Stephanie, Carlos and Carlos Jr. lived happily ever after.