BRIAN DROPPED TO his knees beside his sister-in-law. "Hannah?" His voice pitched high in panic.

"It's about . . ." She gasped out. "Time."

"What . . . ."

"I think this baby is ready, NOW." The last word came out harsh.

"What's happening?" Guthrie asked, and Brian looked up to see Ford and Guthrie in the doorway. Guthrie held Katy in his arms.

"Mama." Katy said. "Mama sleeping."

"Call for an ambulance." Brian said everything suddenly snapping into focus. He pushed his panic away, and directed his younger brothers. "Ford, get some towels."

"Not . . . my good . . .ones." Hannah spit out. "I don't think this baby is gonna wait for the ambulance." She met Brian's eyes, looking frightened.

"Well, McFaddens are nothing but trouble, sweetheart." He grinned at her, feigning confidence. "You think we can move you to a bed at least?"

"No." She responded, her face in a tight grimace. "Brian?"

"Alright." He told her, taking the towels that Ford handed him. "Get a pillow for her head." Brian directed. "And then you boys kept Katy in the front room, but keep an ear out, in case I need you."

"Ambulance is on it's way." Guthrie said from the doorway. "Should I ride out to get Adam?"

"No, he'll be heading in soon, and I might need one of you to help and the other to watch Katy. Keep an eye out for that ambulance." He turned to Hannah as Ford handed him a pillow. "I guess you decided on a home birth."

***7***

ADAM McFADDEN returned home to find nearly every light on in the downstairs, but no one around. He was shocked to find a pile of towels in the middle of the kitchen floor. He felt the blood drain from his face. He stood frozen. Crane entered about two steps behind him talking, " . . . like every single light is on. Where is every . . ." He nearly ran into Adam, and stared. "Is that blood?"

Adam immediately spun around and ran upstairs, yelling as he did. "Hannah? Hannah?"

"Hold up!" Crane called after him. "There's a note!" He spotted the note on the table and followed Adam out into the front room. Adam was frozen half-way down the stairs.

"What?" Adam burst out. "Crane, goddammit! What does it say?"

"Looks like Katy is a big sister." Crane said with a grin. "And it looks like the newest McFadden was in a real big hurry to get here." He handed the note to Adam.

"What?" Adam took the note in his shaking fingers. "How . . . she . . . we got two more . . . the baby is due on the 11th."

"Guess nobody told your kid." Crane clapped him on the shoulder. "They took her to county. We should go." He paused and then added. "They took them to county."

"It doesn't say." Adam said numbly. "It doesn't say if we had a boy or a girl."

Crane grabbed hold of his brothers upper arm. "Well, hell, Adam, you could probably find out if you go to the hospital, huh? Come on. It says Hannah and the baby are fine."

"Brian wrote the note." Adam said as he staggered behind Crane out the front door. "Brian was here?"

"Brother, you've lost it." Crane said climbing up into the truck. "He was coming to talk to Ford and Guthrie, remember? He called this morning, and it looks like he showed up just in time to deliver your baby."

"The baby is here?" Adam said and Crane found himself laughing so hard that he nearly careened off the road.

***7***

"Adam Jackson McFadden, the third." Crane said with a grin as he leaned against the wall of the hospital corridor.

"Yup." Brian said. "Daddy be fit to be tied just now."

"He would at that." Crane agreed. "What the hell happened?"

"Well, after our fantastic phone conversation." He grimaced at the memory of their difficult phone conversation early that day. "I gathered up all my courage to talk to the babies, who were unbelievably kind toward me. We were just about to head into the house when we found Katy standing in the front yard alone."

"Oh no!" Crane said.

"Hannah had told her to go find us, but putting a toddler in charge of messages is a pretty lousy idea. Anyway, by the time we got inside, Adam the third was ready to make his arrival."

"So you delivered the baby." Crane said incredulous.

"Well," Brian rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Well, yeah, I did." He shook his head. "I don't even know how I managed it. When I first saw her lying on the floor there, I was pretty close to passing out, but when I realized what was happening, and she looked up with those damn big eyes of hers, I realized it was me or nothing."

"And everyone's healthy." Crane said reaching up to squeeze Brian's shoulder. "I feel like a jerk for being so sharp with you earlier."

"Oh, well, that was deserved, little brother." He looked at Crane. "And this was lucky happenstance. It doesn't change the past."

"It doesn't hurt." Crane grinned at him. "You think they'll let us in, yet?"

"Well, I'm practically on staff, now." Brian grinned at him. "I'll see what I can do."

***7***

THIS TIME BRIAN didn't stand in the doorway of the hospital room. He found himself drawn into the center of the room, where Hannah lay in the hospital bed, a small bundle in her arms. Adam, still somewhat white faced, sat beside her on the bed - a suggestion a nurse had made to him as she watched him wavering his eyes wide with shock.

"I brought Uncle Crane with me." Brian said, and Hannah smiled up at them.

"You had an eventful afternoon, little Sister." Crane said crossing the room and kissing her cheek. He peered at the small bundle in her arms. "Well, thank God, this one looks like you, too, honey."

"He looks just like me." Adam said with a wide smile. "He's handsome as can be."

"Who's got Katy?" Hannah asked looking up.

"Guthrie was reading her a story downstairs. Marie in on her way to pick her up." Brian told her.

"Those poor boys." Hannah said. "I feel just terrible. They are permanently traumatized."

"Poor boys? All they did was bring us some towels and a pillow." Brian told her. "They babysat for twenty minutes!"

"Well, that's true." Hannah agreed. "I'm afraid it's you I've traumatized." She blushed.

"Well, I'm a rancher, sweetheart, I'm solid as the earth beneath your feet." He grinned at her. "You can't stress me out." He collapsed in a chair beside the bed. "Although, you gave it a pretty good go."

"I haven't got words enough to thank you, Bri." Adam said.

"Oh, well . . ." Brian waved dismissively at his older brother. "I was just there and . . ."

"Thank God, you were there!" Adam said forcefully, pausing to kiss Hannah's forehead. His dark eyes filled with tears, but to cover it he said, "Wanna hold him?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Brian jumped up and lifted his small nephew out of his sister-in-law's arms, holding the tiny body close. "Hey, there cowboy," He said, his voice gentle. He kissed the downy soft forehead of the newest McFadden. He found himself at a loss for words, his nephew in his arms, his brothers, and Hannah smiling at him. He couldn't have put a name to what he felt if he tried; it was too many things all at once, but if he had to call it anything, he supposed the only word he could use to describe it was home.

***7***

EPILOGUE

ADAM MCFADDEN leaned back in his saddle stretching his back and pulling up on the reins paused to consider the view. The herd was stretched out ahead of him and in the far distance he could see his brothers driving the herd toward the winter pasture.

"Strays?" Brian asked riding up beside him.

"Nope." He responded. "Just resting a sec."

"Old age." Brian responded with a chuckle.

"Well, maybe." Adam said, glancing at his brother with a grin. "If old age means that you take time to ponder the goodness that is stretched out in front of you."

Brian followed Adam's line of sight to the large herd ahead of them, their brothers and in the far distance the ranch. He raised an eyebrow, and shaking his head said, "Come on man, you trying to get me all emotional?"

Adam grinned. "I don't know. I was just thinking how happy I am to have you home, and to have everything running so smoothly."

"What a sap." Brian said. "You are worse than Hannah, now." He took of his hat, wiping his brow. "God, it's good to be home."

"We are happy to have you here, brother." Adam said reaching out to place a hand on Brian's shoulder. "Me and Hannah, can't thank you enough."

"Well, I think maybe you are letting recent events cloud your memory."

"Nah, man. What happened with Katy was all about your sickness. What happened with Junior was all you - the real you. And if you hadn't been here . . . well, I owe you a lot, brother."

"I owe you ten times more." Brian responded.

"Nah, that's just . . ."

"No." Brian cut off his older brother. "You making me go to rehab. Look, I don't want to be all dramatic and everything, but you saved my life, Adam." He shrugged. "You really did."

"Well," Adam considered this thoughtfully. "You delivering Junior like you did. You pretty much saved my life, too."

"I guess, we're even then." Brian said with a wink.

"I guess so," Adam agreed.

They rode together toward the ranch, their younger brothers flanking the herd ahead of them, and for the first time in a very long the only thing that Brian McFadden felt, was peace.

***The End***

Author's Note: Happy 2019 everyone. Thank you for your patience, and for allowing me to stretch the bounds of reality a bit.