Sammy & Ilna thanks again for the awesomness that is our friendship. I'm so excited to bring Steve & Cath into parenthood with you!

REALMcRollers thanks as always, for the undying support and love. Hugs to all and happy belated Mother's Day to all who celebrated yesterday.

Got You Covered

Carrie opened the door of the beach house and greeted Jenna with a hug. "Cath's on the deck, I wouldn't let her get up," she said, chuckling. "Lunch is ready. I hear you brought a new flavor of amazing Kaitlyn cupcakes?"

Jenna held up a cupcake keeper. "She tried a new recipe, orange creamsicle. It's got the Jacob seal of approval but he pretty much likes them all," she said with a grin. "So she wanted me to bring a few today. There're chocolate and strawberry in here, too."

"John offered to take one for the team and eat however many are left," Carrie teased as they stepped onto the deck and greeted Catherine and Cammie.

After rising to hug Jenna, Catherine turned her attention to Cammie who was looking expectantly at the back door. "Sorry, pretty girl, just us today." She glanced at her friends. "She expects the kids."

"Ah." Jenna ruffled the dog's fur when she circled back to them. "Mom gets a little break this afternoon," she explained and Cammie, seeming to understand the rest of the Allen family wasn't joining their mother, nuzzled Catherine and went to relax in her casa.

The women took seats at the table and Jenna pointed to Catherine's tummy. "I noticed you put the ultrasound in a double frame. Very sweet."

Catherine beamed. She'd left the framed image on the sideboard next to her very first Mother's Day cards. The one from Niblet sat next to one from Elizabeth that read, Happy almost Mother's Day.

"Steve gave it to me for Mother's Day … from Niblet." She ran a hand over her tummy. "I'm going to put her first photo in the other panel and there's a place to engrave her name."

"Okay, don't tell him I said so, but that's adorable." Jenna smiled.

"I, on the other hand, can't wait to tell him he's adorable." Carrie laughed. "I'd text him right now, but seeing his, 'I am not adorable, Stagler' face in person is too good to miss." She addressed her best friend's tummy. "Oh, Niblet, Aunt Carrie can't wait to bust your daddy when he does all sorts of adorable things once you're here."

Catherine grinned at the easy teasing that had always existed between her best friend and husband as the ladies helped themselves to lunch. Carrie had insisted on bringing the food so 'Cath and Niblet' didn't have to cook.

"So, I hear we have a brand new vegetarian," Carrie asked as she ate a forkful of quiche. "Can't say I'm surprised. And good for her, having the confidence to make that decision." She smiled. "Good for you, being so supportive."

Jenna returned the smile. "Thanks. She is more confident." She looked at Catherine. "I have no doubt a lot of that comes from the unconditional support of so many incredible people."

Catherine reached out and squeezed her hand. "The most important being her awesome mom." She touched her tummy. "I hope I'm half as good a mommy."

"Niblet's already got incredible parents," Jenna said and Carrie nodded. "You'll be great. You prepare for what you can, and then you realize you can't prepare for everything."

"Speaking of being prepared," Carrie grinned, "how was the prenatal class?"

"It was great, actually." Her fingers tapped her tummy. "Once we found one we liked."

Carrie snorted. "Tell Jenna how many places you screened."

"Three." She smirked.

"And how many owners and instructors did Steve run backrounds on?"

"Seven." Catherine full-on laughed. Her best friend knew them very, very well.

Flashback

Catherine pressed the call box, and when it connected, Steve leaned in close.

"Natural Pathways Birthing, how may we make your birth plan easier today?" the voice on the phone asked.

"Hi, we have an appointment. Catherine Rollins and Steve McGarrett."

"Yes, I see you're scheduled with Margaret. I'll buzz you in, come right up. Elevator to the second floor, follow the umbilical cord on the mural."

She grinned at Steve's expression a few minutes later when he saw the mural. A thrice-lifesize painting of a woman who'd just delivered greeted them at the elevator and an umbilical cord stretched from the mother to the image of a child floating happily on the wall just outside the double doors to a suite.

Forty minutes later, they were back in the truck and Steve faced her before starting the engine. "Please don't tell me you like that one."

"God, no. And you should have seen your face. I wish I had a picture." She laughed.

"Of what? Me hating her suggesting a home birth in a tub of ocean water?" He shook his head, incredulous. "Oceanwater! She's clearly nuts, because among other things, there's bacteria. How could she not know how much bacteria there is in seawater?"

"She does now, thanks to you." She was smiling at the mini lecture he'd given regarding how an ocean water birth was dangerous due to, among other things, the bacteria in open water possibly infecting his wife and daughter.

"They needed to remove that from their list of scenarios," he confirmed with a perfunctory nod.

"That and maybe the giant umbilical cord mural on the wall." She patted his thigh. "C'mon, Commander, that place is a little too touchy feely for us. Not to mention profoundly anti-hospital."

"Thank you. Because if you loved it, I was prepared to do pretty much anything to change your mind. I know the book said lots of people do it, but what if we were home and something went wrong?" The flash of genuine worry in his eyes at the thought made her reach for his fingers. "What … what if you or the baby needed emergency medical attention? More than I could provide until EMTs arrived? I couldn't risk a second, never mind the minutes we'd lose en route to the hospital…"

"Steve, I'm with you. No argument there." She kissed him lightly and sat back, happy to see the clouds in his eyes lift. "Let's see what the next one is like."

Catherine pretty much nixed the class at the second location when a pushy, opinionated coordinator attempted to place a doula with them after Niblet's birth.

Steve's arms were crossed as he reiterated they were simply interested in a birthing class, not a live-in for aftercare. "As my wife told you, twice, we don't need that, we're perfectly capable. Besides, if we need help or have questions, our friends will be available and Catherine's mother is coming. So is her grandmother."

The coordinator smiled tightly and pushed her glasses higher on a slightly avian nose. "We find family members aren't the best choice to help a new mother and baby. We know your needs better."

Catherine rested a hand on her tummy as she spoke. "I think my mother and grandmother know me pretty well."

"But does your mother know about giving birth and the appropriate follow-up care for you and the baby?"

She shared a 'so not taking classes here' look with Steve as she answered, "Well, she's had a baby," and waved her fingers to indicate she was said baby. "So …" she shrugged, letting the sentence hang.

"How about you, Commander? Are you prepared to help with all the messy little nuances of a new baby and wife who's just given birth?"

"I'm as prepared as possible. And I'm looking forward it." His jaw was tight and Catherine shook her head.

"I don't think we're a good fit for your philosophies, but thanks for your time," she said and minutes later they were once again on their way home after crossing another class off their list.

/

The next afternoon, Catherine and Steve stepped into the lobby of a free standing, modern building that featured giant portraits of smiling babies. She squeezed his hand. "This one has possibilities. Besides, it's the last one I cleared for complaints and violations."

"And whose staff I ran for criminal histories," he added as a petite, slightly stocky, middle aged woman wearing a smile and a pastel green lab coat approached with an outstretched hand.

"I'm Rosie. It's so nice to meet you both. I saw your beautiful wedding photo in the Navy Times."

Steve brightened, sensing common ground. "You served?"

"Navy nurse, 30 years. Retired in February. Now I help teach parents what to expect."

They followed her into a bright, cheery room with seating for six expectant moms and their birthing partners. Picking up on Catherine's immediate comfort with both Rosie and the atmosphere, Steve queried, "So, what's your take on hospitals?"

"Please, have a seat," Rosie motioned to a not-overly-soft sofa chosen with moms-to-be in mind. "We think whatever the mother is most comfortable with is right."

"What about epidurals?" He glanced at Catherine and back. "You know, in case …"

"We strive to have our mommies as prepared as possible so they can make the right decision for them, whether it's their first delivery or they've had several children. Every birth is different, even subsequent births to experienced moms." She smiled warmly at Catherine. "I like to say strategic planning is the best way to keep Mom as relaxed as possible. We prepare Mom and Dad for all possible scenarios." She handed them each a small booklet. "Our program is called Bootcamp Birthing..."

Steve and Catherine shared an immediate smile and fifteen minutes later were signing up for class.

/

Present

Carrie barked a laugh. "It was called Bootcamp?"

Jenna grinned at the former roommates as the blonde added, "Of course it was."

"It was a good class." Catherine took a bite of cupcake. "Mmmm, tell Kaitlyn Niblet and I love the orange creamsicle." She turned to Carrie. "Rosie was great. One poor guy almost fainted at the movie, though."

"Uh oh." Jenna grimaced. "Was he okay?"

"Yeah. Steve and one of the ladies there as her daughter's coach got him on the ground with his feet up and he was fine. He was more embarrassed than anything, until the grandmother-to-be explained how her son-in-law, who is a deployed Marine, fainted cold when he cut his first baby's cord. She was so sweet, she put everyone else at ease."

"My mom came to class with me for Cody." Jenna shook her head. "Jason wouldn't go. He thought it was a waste of time. He said, 'the baby's gonna come out one way or the other, right?' So I didn't bother to ask him twice and asked Mom. The clinic had free classes and we really enjoyed it. She was awesome during my delivery, too. Jason wandered in hours later took pictures to show off his son then left again."

Carrie's eyes flashed at the callous treatment of her friend. "And where exactly is this asshole now? Can I go tap him on the head with a brick?"

Jenna placed a hand on her arm. "Thanks, but it's not worth it. He's not worth it."

Carrie gave her an impromptu hug. "You, my friend, most definitely are. If you ever change your mind you let me know, I'll have the brick ready."

As the partners stood back from the TV they'd just anchored to the Williams' living room wall. Danny grabbed the remote and the screen jumped to life.

"Thanks. The one that died was the one I picked up on E-Bay when I had the apartment. Gotta have a TV ready for when my niece wants to watch Baby Einstein." He switched it off and pointed to several DVDs he'd already lined up. "I'm prepared for her to take after Catherine." His eyes glinted with humor when he nodded at the Jungle Book DVD. "But just in case … to prepare her for the fact her father is an animal…" Danny laughed at his own joke.

Steve shook his head. "Shut up. I'm starving. Gimme the keys, let's go to Kamekona's."

Danny was still chuckling as they entered the car and headed towards the shrimp truck.

Seated at one of the tables, Danny took a bite of garlic-and-butter shrimp and pointed at his best friend with his fork. "So, the class was good?"

"Once we found one, yeah. A few didn't want to answer my questions on the phone, so they were out. One we went to was too … pushy, the other one was a little touchy-feely for us."

Danny smirked. "Touchy-feely?"

"Frowned on doctors, no epidurals or IV's available… I mean Cath can handle pretty much anything, but if she wants an epidural or pain meds they need to be available. I want medical personnel standing by, Danny." His eyes were serious and his jaw was set. "In case … you never know … I can't risk her safety or the baby's."

"I get it. I wanted the whole hospital on standby." A tiny grin accompanied his words. "And when we took a prenatal class, Rachel could tell you she tried to stop me from keeping the teacher there late with my 'what if' questions. I'm sure the woman wanted to go home, but I had a list."

Steve nodded his agreement. Fork poised halfway to his mouth, he said, "Nothing wrong with being thoroughly prepared."

"See, thank you. I tried to explain that. I needed to know. I'd delivered a baby as a patrolman but this was Grace we were talking about."

"Exactly. If it were up to me, I'd have the head of OB-GYN standing by in case there's a … situation. Catherine safety is my number one priority. And the baby's of course. That and Cath's comfort." He took a swallow of water. "We liked the class though."

"Of course you did, it was Baby Boot Camp."

"Bootcamp Birthing," Steve corrected with a snort.

"Whatever. Right up your alley. And Catherine's. And probably Niblet's, come to think of it. I can't wait to hear what happens when some nurse or doctor tries to keep you up by her head during the delivery."

"Not happening." He was totally serious and his best friend grinned at words. "I can't thoroughly monitor the situation unless I can move around the perimeter freely. I already explained that to Doctor Kucher."

Danny's bark of laughter was one of amusement and happiness for Steve as he answered, "I'm sure the delivery team will love you calling a briefing huddle …"

After their lunch, the women sat on the deck sipping ice tea as Jenna answered Carrie's question about which of her kids was the easiest delivery.

"I was really happy I took the class with him being my first, but I've gotta say Cody was the easiest." Her smile at remembering was soft. "He's always been great, made it easier for me, even then. He was right on time and my labor was only about four hours."

"I'm not surprised." Catherine smiled at the thought of how Jenna's oldest was always there for everyone, much like Steve.

"And the nurses loved him," Jenna reminisced. "He was so adorable and he never cried unless he was hungry." The smile that graced her lips was full of love. "He had the softest blond hair and his eyes followed my voice." She shook her head. "I can't believe my baby is graduating soon."

"Everyone says it goes so fast…"

"One hundred percent true. You blink and they're ready for college."

Catherine's hands shifted to rest on her tummy as she asked. "What were your other deliveries like?"

"Casey was my athlete, even before she was here. Really active and strong. And she was born about an hour after my water broke. Even when she was tiny, she'd kick those little legs and smile whenever Cody talked to her."

"Aww, that's adorable," Carrie said. "I was jealous when my brother came along, but I was four."

"You guys seemed pretty close at Catherine and Steve's wedding."

"We are." Her eyes sparkled with her laugh. "He grew on me." She winked.

Jenna's phone dinged a text and she chuckled. "And speaking of kids …" She held it up so they could see Casey's name in the display. The text read, Hi Mom, I'm at Foodland, guess what they have on sale? Veggie burgers! Me and Cody thought we could make them with cheese for all of us, okay?

"That's very sweet," Carrie said.

Jenna texted, Thanks, honey, great idea, and explained, "She got dropped off there on her way home from practice. The younger kids are with Chin and Leilani. He was taking Dylan to the Small Business Fair and offered to bring Kaitlyn and Jacob." She referred to a local event that featured live music, rides, kids' activities and food. "I don't think Jacob slept three hours last night, he was so excited." She checked her watch. "And, as you might expect, he burst onto the scene ten days early." She chuckled at her eight-year-old, who literally charmed everyone he met. "Hasn't stopped moving since." She touched Catherine's hand. "I'm happy you liked the class. I'm even happier Steve will be there in every sense of the word."

"I'm sorry Jason wasn't," Catherine said, sincerely.

Jenna waved her off. "Like I told you about the ultrasound, I refuse to dwell. His loss. I was glad he wasn't there for Kaitlyn's birth after he was disappointed Casey was a girl. Kaitlyn was a week late."

"Isn't that unusual for a fourth baby?" Carrie asked as she sipped her drink.

Jenna nodded. "Yeah, actually. I think she was too comfortable to leave. She's gotten so much better, but she probably didn't like change even then." She chuckled.

"What about Dylan?" Catherine asked.

"Dylan almost made his appearance in the car on the way to the hospital."

"Ohhh, really?" She leaned forward. "Maybe don't mention that to Steve until after Niblet's here?"

"Got it." Jenna grinned "So Dylan was crowning in the hospital lobby. They just about got me to the ER and there he was. He looked a lot like my mom, actually."

"Please don't say you were alone for the delivery." Carrie' voice showed her true concern.

"Jason was there, surprisingly. Of course, true to form, after meeting Dylan he sulked and said the baby looked like my mother."

"Total ass," Carrie said. "You have a beautiful family, so like you said, his loss." She looked between Jenna and Catherine. "And I think you're gonna be a source for tons of great intel for Niblet's arrival and after. As if you haven't learned, Steve needs full intel on all ops. And even though I don't have a kid, I'm sure, like everything else, the class they took is just the tip of the iceberg for him."

"Definitely." Jenna smiled. "But I'll be there for questions." She nodded to Catherine. "Between me and Uncle Danny, who looks like he's about to burst he's so excited to be an uncle again, we've got your new parent questions covered."

"And how awesome is it your parents will be here with Grandma Ang?" Carrie added excitedly?

"I doubt anything could have kept them away." Catherine grinned. "I think the spoiling has already commenced."

Danny dropped Steve off just as their discussion on what wasn't covered in the class was winding down. As he was about to exit the car, he turned and nodded.

"Thanks, Danny. I'm gonna have a lot more questions, so … thanks."

Danny's grin reached his eyes at his best friend's excitement. "I know I can't say don't worry, because you already do. From the minute you know they're coming. And it only gets worse. But I promise … I'm always only a call away." He grinned, "So you go tell my niece her mom and dad are gonna do great, and don't worry a bit, Uncle Danno's got you covered."

# End. Thanks for reading.

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