Chapter One

The elevator bell rang signaling Jamie and Eddie's arrival on the maternity floor of Lutheran Hospital. "What room is it?" Eddie asked.

"626," Jamie replied. "Private maternity suite. This way.'

Eddie turned her chair to the right and followed Jamie until they arrived at Melissa's room. Marcus was just outside the door waiting to greet them. "Congratulations, Daddy!" Eddie squealed and let Marcus give her a hug. "How's Melissa?"

Marcus smiled, "She's a little tired but she's good. He's such a good baby, he barely even cries. Come see…"

If it was possible, Marcus practically bounced into the hospital room containing his wife and newborn son. Melissa was dozing off and the little baby was in his isolette sleeping soundly. Marcus picked the baby up, "Here he is, James Jaxon Beal, he just turned six hours old. JJ for short."

Marcus offered the baby to Jamie who gladly took the tiny scrap of humanity into his arms. The little boy opened his eyes then shut them again just as quickly. He moved his tiny feet and hands as Jamie held him. "He's perfect Marcus," Jamie replied. 'Eddie, do you want to hold him?"

"Oh I…" Eddie so desperately wanted to hold that little boy. Truth was her arms ached every day for a baby of her own, but since the wedding, Eddie had a few setbacks with her health that caused the conversation to be pushed to the back burner. "Here, let's put a pillow right here and prop up this arm." Marcus got an arm pillow and supported Eddie's left arm. "Go, Jamie, put him in there. I need a picture of him with his godparents."

Eddie accepted the baby into her arms and smiled down at him. When Eddie felt his warm little body settle comfortably into her arms, her happiness for Melissa and Marcus was replaced with a sudden sadness. Eddie's eyes glanced down at the sleepy boy as she was overcome with a longing for her own child to lie in her arms.

Not wanting to ruin it Eddie forced a smile at Marcus. "He's so cute Marcus, you're right such a good baby."

As if on cue the little boy wiggled and grunted in Eddie's arms. "Oh, what did I do? Did I hurt him?"

"Ah, no, that's one of his noises," Marcus replied. "He's really happy there. He looks at you and thinks lunch."

Melissa was a beauty but she was not well-endowed like Eddie. Jamie rolled his eyes are Marcus' dirty joke, "Wait up…those are reserved."

Eddie laughed and looked down at the tiny baby. He had just a spattering of brown hair on his little perfectly rounded head. He wasn't swollen like most babies considered he had been delivered by scheduled C-section. It was determined by Melissa's doctors that it was better to plan the delivery to minimize complications. When JJ opened his little eyes, they were the most brilliant blue Eddie could remember. Eddie knew his eyes would change, both Marcus and Melissa had dark eyes, but for now those eyes reached into her soul.

"Hey," Melissa murmured waking up from her drug induced sleep. "Hey you guys…" Her gaze fell on Eddie cradling JJ to her chest. "Oh you have him, do you like him?"

"He's adorable," Eddie replied. "Marcus, give him to his Mommy."

Marcus took the boy and walked over. "Make arms," he told Melissa as she wiggled her arms into the proper place to receive her new son. Eddie rolled over to the side of the bed, "He is perfect, Melly. He looks so content there."

Marcus looked at Jamie. They two men had been partners nearly three years, they could read each other very well. "Uh, Lissy, we're going to take a walk and get some snacks and drinks, you visit with Eddie."

Marcus kissed Melissa and JJ before going with Jamie.

"What's wrong?" Marcus asked as soon as they were out of the room. "You have that look. The one you get when I go off halfcocked. What's going on? Is it something about JJ?"

Jamie sighed, "Not really, JJ is a perfect baby, he's adorable but it's the look on Eddie's face. I know you were so happy when Melissa found out she was pregnant, but Eddie's injury is higher and a pregnancy would be much more complicated."

"Well, Melissa told me Marcus, I want to have a baby so we're going to get pregnant and I, like a smart husband," Marcus laughed. "Said , yes dear and we got pregnant."

"Eddie's injury is higher than Melissa's," Jamie sighed. "That means more complications, more risks. We planned twice to go see the doctors and talk about pregnancy and if not adoption or surrogacy but the first appointment Eddie had the collapsed vertebrae in her back so she was laid up then just a few weeks ago she had the pneumonia again. I know now she's going to push and I promised her we'd hear the doctors out."

"So hear them out," Marcus replied. "Maybe it's not as dangerous as you think it is or maybe it's more dangerous than Eddie thinks it is and the doctors make the choice for you."

"You sure you're still the same rookie that nearly got a bunch of cops killed?" Jamie asked. Marriage and new fatherhood had certainly changed Marcus.

"Yeah, I just did a lot of growing up," Marcus laughed. "The love of a good woman and a pain in the ass for a partner will do that. We better go get stuff to eat or the girls will get suspicious."

"They really aren't getting drinks," Eddie laughed as Melissa cuddled JJ. "Well at least not just…They wanted to talk about us behind our backs." Eddie made a face at JJ, "Don't you learn how to do that, that's a bad man thing to do."

Melissa laughed, "You're already teaching him things, Auntie Eddie. How are you feeling? Your cough is gone."

Eddie nodded, "Yeah, I'm better but of course I had to fight with Jamie to get to come here today. I love him and don't get me wrong he is the best husband but sometimes he is just too serious, you know?"

"No," Melissa replied. "Marcus is many things but serious is not one of them. I would sometimes appreciate if he shared in the worries and the cares of this a little more, he's supportive if I have a struggle but mostly he leaves me to do my own care. There's not a lot of partnership there."

"Wife swap!" Both girls said laughing. "Honestly, Eddie, what's going on for you?"

"Nothing, I'm so happy for you," Eddie replied. "I just want one!"

"The other mother's are wondering how I'm not hurting from the C. Honestly, with the nerve block I have no pain and no AD or anything."

JJ began to cry and Melissa arranged him so he was resting higher on her shoulder. Having the use of her arms even if it was limited put Melissa in a better position to care for her son's needs than Eddie would be. Still it didn't stop the longing for a baby of her own.

"Oh my, you have a wet bottom, yes you do," Melissa cooed to her baby. She buzzed the nurse who would come and help her change the baby's diaper.

"He's wonderful, Melissa really he is," Eddie sighed when the nurse came and helped Melissa to her wheelchair so she could care for her son. Eddie watched her friend, and not for the first time felt envious of her friend being able to use her fingers. She watched as Melissa changed JJ's diaper with just a bit of help.

When JJ was dry and once again content in his isolette suckling a hospital issue pacifier, Melissa turned to Eddie, "Okay, you don't fool me for a second. You are trying to put on a brave face but I can see right through you."

That was all it took for Eddie's eyes to mist over and two tears to run down, "I'm sorry, I don't want to make this about me, this is about you and that precious little guy…"

"Eddie, I'm your best friend, I remember when you left the assisted living to go home to Jamie, I was so sad, and I tried to hide it because I was happy for you. You, however, told me one day I would find my soulmate, my one and only and I did. I needed to hear that so much, so hear this, you will have your baby Eddie. Maybe you have it yourself, maybe you have to adopt one…if need be, I will be proud to carry one for you and be your surrogate. I love you and I want this for you as much as I wanted it for myself."

"Thanks, Melly,' Eddie replied. "If only Jamie…"

Before Eddie could finish, the men returned with fruit and cheese and drinks. Jamie put his hand on Eddie's neck and rubbed it a little, "I got you a ginger ale, that might be easy on your tummy."

Melissa raised an eye brow, "You are sick again and not telling me?"

"No, I just had some indigestion," Eddie replied. "I had wasabi mushrooms last night and they disagreed with me. Thanks though."

Eddie sipped her soda and enjoyed the rest of the visit with Marcus and Melissa. After another hour Melissa fell asleep and Jamie and Eddie took their leave after snuggling baby JJ one more time.

The car ride home was silent, both Jamie and Eddie thinking about having a little angel all their own but neither one wanting to broch the subject just yet. After settling in at home and turning on the crock pot for chicken and noodles, Jamie sat down beside Eddie. "He's a cute little guy isn't he?"

Eddie nodded, "Yes he is, and Melissa is doing so well too. I know that the doctors were warning them about possible circulation problems and things but scheduling Jax's birth seemed to avoid it."

"That's something to consider," Jamie replied. "He's already looking so much like them, a mix of them. I think our baby would be a lot lighter in color, probably a little cue ball like you were," Jamie laughed. Jamie reached out and stroked Eddie's golden mane. "Look at you now…such a beauty."

Eddie laughed, "I bet she would have my big mouth, but hopefully your big brain to go with it."

"I think more sass is sometimes better, she'd have three old boys to keep her in line and beat up the boys sniffing around."

Eddie sighed and snuggled closer. "You want this," Jamie acknowledged. "I know you want this and believe it or not I want it too Angel, and maybe it will be okay but as much as I want a child, I want you alive and healthy by my side."

"I want that too Jamie, but part of me is not living without answering this instinct, Jamie," Eddie replied. "As happy as I am for Marcus and Melissa and as much as I love little Jax…"

"Let's at least find out what the options are," Jamie replied. Jamie pulled out his phone and checked his schedule, "I am pretty open in the late afternoons this week and I think if the doctors can see us, we can move around some therapy and get in. We can find out what we are risking or gaining by trying to do this and if they say it's safe for you we'll give it a try."

Eddie smiled, Jamie knew how badly she wanted child, he wanted it too. Eddie was willing to risk her life to realize that dream that was the one thing Jamie was not willing to risk.

"Tuesday at 430," Jamie told Eddie after speaking with the schedulers at the doctor's office. Jamie slid his arm around Eddie and held her tight to him. "You know I am hopeful, Angel. Melissa is C8 so we might have it a little rough but she is healthy and so is JJ. If we can do this and you be all right…"

"I know you are scared, Jamie," Eddie replied. "I am too, I love you for this. For agreeing…"

"I want it too, honey," Jamie sighed. "I do. Please believe me I do."

Jamie touched his head to Eddie and she touched hers to his, in only five days they would find out if it was possible to make their dream a reality.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this debut of Mountains and the introduction of baby JJ. Props to anyone who guesses the significance of the babies first name, James and my decision to call him JJ…

This story has been a labor of love for me and I own many thanks to many special friends for it's conception, Lawslave, Yanks302021, and NancyReviews. This story will update Tuesday and Friday.

This story will deal with some adult topics, it may not be suitable for younger readers, though at this point I don't think it needs an M rating. It's not overly graphic, but will have a few love scenes and deal with heavy emotional issues.

Next Update – January 27th – Jamie and Eddie get some sobering news at the doctor.