Sadly, the characters still aren't mine, though I can dream. There is a warning for language, Stephanie's in labor. We all understand!

Chapter 20 Family Matters

I see Carlos's eyes show pride as he accepts their request. "I'll work on getting the paperwork together. I'm not sure how long it will take, but I'm honored you want me to be your father." He kisses his daughters before helping me to my seat so that I can enjoy my breakfast. After I finish the delicious meal, I get up to go to the bathroom when suddenly, I'm wet. Fuck! My water just broke.

Ranger's POV

"Carlos, you need to get my bag and get the car ready. My water just broke. I'm going to take a shower." Stephanie informs me as she walks calmly towards the bathroom.

Is she going to take a shower? What the fuck is she thinking? Her water just broke! That means the baby is coming. I have to call Lily, Ella, my parents, Rangeman, Stephanie's doctor. Stephanie's doctor! What's his name? I can't even think straight. Is the number stored on my phone? Where does she keep his number? Julie is walking over to me with a smile on her face.

"Dad, I just called Dr. Travers. He said to bring Mom to the hospital when she's finished with her shower. It'll probably be a few hours before the baby is born. I also called Grandma. She's letting everyone else know. Lily and Ella are coming here, so that Mother's Day can continue as planned, hoping that Stephanie will be enjoying her first Mother's Day as a biological mother. Angie and Mary Alice are helping Mom get ready to leave. You need to get Mom's bag, your bag, then bring the car out front. Cayenne, not the Turbo." Julie watches the relief come over me as she stifles a laugh. "I can't believe it, my father, Mr. Calm, Cool and Collected just had a major meltdown. How the heck did you complete all those dangerous missions without breaking a sweat, but run around in circles at the birth of your baby?"

"Querida, we planned for every possible scenario with those missions. This baby is early. I didn't have a chance to run through all mission specs yet. That was on the schedule for tomorrow." I replied. My daughter started to laugh at me. When I thought about what I said, I could see the humor in the statement. Who was I kidding? With my Babe and our baby, what else am I to expect but the unexpected. Nothing would go according to any plan. I got our bags, then proceed to get the Cayenne. I park it in front of the house and wait outside the bedroom for Stephanie to emerge. Once the door opens, I lift her up to carry her to the car. I place her in the passenger seat, buckle her in, then close her door. "Julie, you're in charge until Grandma or Lily gets here. I'll keep you updated."

"With what phone, Dad?" Julie asks me. I look down on my belt only to find that my phone is missing. She walks over to me with the phone in her hand. I kiss her cheek. "Thank you, Querida."

I enter the driver's side and prepare to bring Stephanie to the hospital. When I look at her, she's laughing at me. "What's so funny, Babe?"

"You." She answers while trying to stifle her giggles. "I can't believe you are nervous and unfocused. I thought I'd never see you this way."

"It's not easy being the dad to be. All the responsibilities to get you to the hospital with everything you need on time relies on me. The birth of our baby is the most important mission I have ever been on, Babe."

Suddenly, Stephanie's eyes close while she grimaces. "Babe, are you okay?"

"Yes, Carlos. That was just a contraction. They're about two and a half minutes apart and are about thirty seconds long. I don't think we'll have to wait long."

"How do you know that, Babe?" Stephanie holds up a phone and says, "There's an app for that." I put my foot down on the gas pedal. The Monmouth County Medical Center isn't too far from our home, only about ten minutes away, but right now, it seems like it is on the other side of the country. I've never been this apprehensive before in my life.

Stephanie's POV

"Carlos, relax. We'll be at the hospital in about three minutes. The baby isn't coming right away. It'll probably be a several hours before this munchkin is born."

"Babe, why do you refer to our child as a munchkin?"

"Because I like munchkins. Besides, I hate saying the baby or it or he/she. Munchkin is a gender-neutral term of endearment. I can't help that it's also a dessert." I respond with a laugh until the next cursed contraction hits. "Damn it. I hope I'm not too late for drugs!"

Ranger pulled in front of the entrance to the maternity wing where Hector was waiting. He helps me out of the car and places me in the wheelchair. Then, Hector takes the keys from Ranger to park the car. "Good luck, Estefania," Hector says as he drives away. Ranger wheels me into the hospital, right up to the admissions counter.

A bored nurse looks up, then asks. "What is your name and why are you here?"

What does she mean, why am I here? Isn't it obvious, I'm in fucking labor. Before I can respond, Carlos says, "Stephanie Manoso. She's here because her water broke."

"How far along are you?"

"Thirty-seven weeks, five days," Carlos replies.

Gone was the nervous, insecure Carlos, replaced by the calm, in control Ranger. The nurse responds, "Well, you are full term, so whenever this baby decides to make his/her debut, it will happen. I need you to fill out this paperwork. Once completed, you will stay in one of our pre-birth rooms. Once you are ten centimeters dilated, we will move you into a labor and delivery room." She hands Carlos a clipboard with about ten different forms for him to complete. Approximately ten minutes later, Carlos has the forms completed. Finally, I am moving into a room.

Here, a nurse enters the room. "My name is Rose. I will be your labor and delivery nurse. Right now, I'm going to hook up an IV line, take your vitals and the vitals of your baby by performing a non-stress test."

"What is a non-stress test?" I ask.

"It is when we hook the monitor up to determine the heart rate and to record your contractions. It's a noninvasive, safe way to monitor the baby during your pre-labor. If we see that the baby is in any distress, we can move to induce labor or decide that you need a C-section. Also, I will take a sonogram to ensure that the baby is in the proper position for a vaginal delivery. If the baby is in a breech position, you will deliver via C-section."

"Okay. That doesn't sound too bad." At that moment, I pause another contraction rips through my muscles. I squeeze Carlos's hand, hoping I don't break any of his fingers. The nurse hands me a gown while directing me to the bathroom in the room. "Why don't you get changed. I can help you if you need."

"No, Carlos will help me." With that, I stand up and walk to the bathroom. I pause once I get to the door to allow another contraction to pass. Carlos helps me out of my clothes, and I put the gown on. I begin walking back to the bed when once again, a contraction hits me.

"How far apart are the contractions, dear?" Rose asks.

"About 2-3 minutes."

"How long are they lasting?"

I look down at my phone to see before I respond, "Anywhere between 30 seconds and 1 minute."

"Oh, I guess I better get a doctor in here to do an exam. We need to figure out how dilated you are, to know if you can get an epidural or not."

Rose leaves the room and returns five minutes later with a resident. "Hello, Mrs. Manoso. My name is Dr. Rothstein. I am the ob/gyn resident. I will monitor your progress until your doctor arrives. I'm just going to perform a physical exam to determine your progression." Dr. Rothstein is about thirty, with long, straight blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She's about five-five, dressed in blue scrubs with a white lab coat. Dr. Rothstein must weigh about 110 pounds. She is beautiful. However, I have to give her credit for not checking out my husband. Rose, on the other hand, must be in her fifties. She has mousey brown hair that is shoulder length; wears round, blue-framed glasses over her brown eyes. She's about five-three and 140 pounds. They are both very gentle with me, which is making this uncomfortable experience more pleasant.

"Well, Mrs. Manoso, I have good news and bad news." Dr. Rothstein states. Bad news? What the fuck could be the bad news? I don't like the sound of bad news while I'm in labor. "The good news is that you are nine centimeters dilated. The bad news is that you cannot get an epidural at this point."

I groan. No epidural is not good. Everyone says the first child is NEVER early, that they take their time, and labor will be long and laborious. However, the Batbaby has to be different. Fuck me sideways. No, I take that back. Fucking is what got me into this predicament. Once again, I feel another contraction. This one is longer and more intense than any previous one. "Babe, you're doing great. The pain will be over soon."

"Carlos, the pain won't fucking end until this baby somehow makes its way through an opening that is not even ten percent of their size. Don't tell me about fucking pain."

Carlos looks taken aback. He doesn't quite know what to say. Rose takes pity on him. "Don't worry, Mr. Manoso, this is the normal reaction of a woman without drugs in labor. She'll be back to her normal self once the baby is in her arms." Rose has the sonogram machine to determine the baby's position. "Good news, Mrs. Manoso, the baby is head down. You can have a vaginal delivery. I'm going to hook you up for the non-stress test now to make sure the baby is okay."

I'm starting to get used to the contractions, well at least as used to them as one can get. I know their coming, so it isn't such a shock anymore. But, they still hurt like hell.

"Babe, what can I do for you?"

"You can learn to keep your fucking pants fucking zipped. I'm never fucking having another fucking baby. How the fuck did Mary Lou go through this multiple times? Why would any sane woman sign up for this fucking torture after experiencing it once?"

Rose laughs before she responds, "Stephanie, once you have your baby in your arms and experience the miracle of the life that grew inside you, you forget about the pain and discomfort. Bringing a new life into the world is well worth the pain. Besides, your husband will have to wait a while before you can resume sex after you give birth. Their 'labor pains' last much longer."

I look at Carlos to see him cringe. I picked up that Rose didn't give a time frame. I guess that means that she's giving me leeway to expand the time from the typical six weeks. Something to think about later. Suddenly, his phone rings.

"Hi, Mama."

"Carlos, come esta Stephanie? Llagara el bebe pronto?" (How is Stephanie? Will the baby arrive soon?)

"Ella es buena, nueve centimetros." (She's good, nine centimeters.)

"Estaremos alli en veinte minutos." (We will be there in twenty minutes.)

"No, Mama. Espera hasta que nazca el bebe, luego te invitamos a que te levantes. Todavia podria ser un tiempo." (No, Mama. Wait until the baby is born, then we will invite you up. It could still be awhile.)

"De acuerdo, mi hijo. Dale a Stephanie nuestro amor." (Okay, my son. Give Stephanie our love.)

"Si, Mama. Hablare contigo mas tarde." (Yes, Mama. Talk to you later.)

"Adios, mi hijo."

Carlos hangs up the phone while turning towards me. "That was my mother. She wanted to come up here. I convinced her to stay at the house. She sends you her love."

Dr. Travers walks into the room with Dr. Rothstein. "Happy Mother's Day, Stephanie. It is an extra special day to become a mom for the first time. I'm going to check to see if you have progressed to ten centimeters yet." Dr. Travers settles himself between my legs to perform his examination. I know that Carlos isn't happy about seeing another man in that position, but this is my obstetrician.

"Well, it's time to head into the delivery room. You're ready, and it seems your baby is ready as well."

An orderly comes into the room to wheel me down the hall to one of the labor and delivery suites. This room has a television, a sleep chair and a bathroom with shower. It is a step up. The walls are a light blue, for serenity, with pine colored furniture. It looks more like a hotel room than a hospital room. I'm immediately more at ease. Rose and Dr. Rothstein get me set-up in the bed, with my feet in the stirrups. Any modesty that I had is long gone. I'm about as exposed as I could get; soon a baby will be exiting my body. It is still a creepy feeling.

My contractions are coming closer together and are lasting longer. Once I'm in position, I'm told to push with the contraction. I try, but I don't feel like anything is happening. "Stephanie, dear, push like you have to go to the bathroom. Use your rectal muscles."

I try to comply, but nothing seems to be working. About a half hour later, the air conditioning goes off when the fire alarm rings. I look to Carlos to see him in his zone. Rose must have sensed Carlos' change because she said. "Don't worry. It's just a false alarm. The two long beeps you heard gave the all-clear, but the a/c will be off until someone determines why the alarm went off."

You have got to be fucking kidding me. It's ninety-five fucking degree today, I'm in labor, without any a/c. Why me?

"Babe, you feel warm. Do you want some ice chips?"

"How cool do you think you would feel while try to push a bowling ball out of your body?"

"Babe." I could see that Carlos was trying not to laugh.

"Yes, some ice chips would be lovely." He places two in my mouth. They do make me feel better.

Rose then says. "Carlos, why don't you put a cold compress on her forehead?"

He immediately complies like a good soldier. I feel better now than I did twenty minutes ago, but I am still in excruciating pain. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. "Dr. Travers, I am DONE pushing. I want this baby out of me now. Make it happen."

"Stephanie, the only option right now is a C-section. You were adamant about having a vaginal delivery."

"Well, I've changed my mind. Make it happen, doc."

Dr. Travers looks at Rose and performs another examination. "It seems like the baby isn't as far in the birth canal as he or she should be at this time. Tell them to prep the OR, Rose."

Rose leaves the room for a moment and returns with the anesthesiologist. "Mrs. Manoso, I'm Dr. Gambino. I am your anesthesiologist. I'm going to give you a spinal to numb you from your diaphragm down. I will monitor you throughout the C-section. Mr. Manoso, you need to leave the room while I perform the spinal."

Carlos left, but he returned five minutes later thoroughly scrubbed in with yellow paper scrubs over clothes, a yellow cap on his head, gloves and a mask. I'm now wearing a cap over my hair as well. Having a spinal is the weirdest sensation ever. I felt the prick of the needle, warmth spreading through my lower body than absolutely nothing. I wasn't even able to bring my legs back onto the table without assistance. I'm feeling no pain, no contractions. Hallelujah!

Ranger's POV

I just hung up the phone with my mother to inform her that Ricardo Carlos Manoso, III was born at 3:32 p.m. on Mother's Day, May 11th. He is 7 pounds, 13 ounces and nineteen inches long. I let her know that the family can come up to visit after seven. Stephanie is still recovering from the C-section. As a result, she is not allowed to hold our son yet. A son. I am so thrilled that Stephanie gave me a son. As much as I love the girls, especially my daughter, I'm ecstatic to have a boy. He has a thick head of dark brown hair that appears straight. His eyes are grayish blue, but that can change in the next few weeks. His skin is a little lighter than mine but much darker than his mother's. His resemblance to me is uncanny already. I have a mini-me. Stephanie is sleeping in recovery. I'm watching my son sleep in the nursery.

The nurse comes over to me to let me know that Stephanie will be in her private room in twenty minutes. I ask that once Stephanie is settled if the nurse can bring our son into the room. She agrees to do so for us. I see the orderly rolling Stephanie into the room. She is awake. I walk over to her, take her hand, and kiss it. "I'm proud of you, Babe. Our son is perfect, just like his mother."

"When will I get to hold him?" Stephanie asks the nurse.

"Once your son arrives in the room, you can hold him. Mr. Manoso, you will be the primary baby caregiver until tomorrow. Stephanie is not allowed to hold your son out of bed or a chair until the anesthesia is completely out of her system."

Oh no. I guess that means that I'll be changing diapers and who knows what else. I know it will be well worth it, though. About ten minutes later, a different nurse arrives with Baby Manoso. We haven't decided what to call him yet. We agree that Carlos is out, and being that everyone calls my dad Ricky or Ric, that name is out as well. "What about RC?" Stephanie asks me.

"I think that could work." I look at our son. RC works for him. I walk to the bassinet and pick him up. "Do you want to hold your son, Babe?"

"Yes, more than anything." I hand RC over to his mother and watch as tears fill her eyes. "Te quiero, mi hijo." I love hearing her talk in Spanish to our child. She kisses his head as he stares at his mother.

"When are the troops arriving?" She asks me.

"Sometime after seven."

"Good. Who will be RC's Godmother? Lester is already his Godfather."

"What about Mary Lou or Celia?" I suggest.

"I was thinking Dani. She already took care of Julie for us."

I pause to think of her as RC's godmother. I think she will be a good fit as well. "That's perfect. We'll ask them once they visit us."

Girls' POV

The girls arrived at the hospital at seven o'clock with the rest of the Manoso clan. Marisa tried to keep her family for descending on Stephanie and Carlos, but everyone was too excited. They all felt that Stephanie deserved to have a memorable first Mother's Day. Julie was extra excited. She knew that her father was determined to be a better father to his son than he was to Julie. Julie didn't resent him; she understood that he wasn't able to be a father at that time. She was glad to have him in her life now when she truly needs him.

Angie and Mary Alice are thrilled to have a baby brother. Lisa was a wonderful sister, but a brother is an extra special gift. Mary Alice was particularly excited because she, herself, is such a tomboy. She knows that she'll be able to teach her brother how to play sports. Angie has always been the girly girl, while Julie is a mix between Angie and herself. She's looking forward to the male attention. Ranger has become more of a father to Mary Alice in a few short months then Albert had become in a few years. Both Stephanie and Ranger treated all three girls better than their biological parents. Their brother was fortunate to have two of the greatest people to be his parents.

"I can't wait to meet our brother. I wonder why Mom didn't tell us his name over the phone." Angie exclaimed.

"I think he's going to be named after Dad," Julie said.

"So, I guess that means we'll call him Ricky?" Mary Alice added.

Julie looked around, then said, "I don't think so. Abuelo is called Ricardo or Ricky. I think we might call him something different. Dad is called Carlos, so I'm not sure."

"Girls, Mom said you could come in to meet your brother first," Ranger said as he came out to say hi to his family. "They're in room 415."

The girls hurry to the elevator and quickly walk down the hall. They knock before they enter the room. "Mom! How are you feeling?" Angie immediately asks.

"A little sore, but overall, great. Come on in and meet your brother, Ricardo Carlos Manoso, III."

"I knew it! I should have placed a bet on his name." Julie said under her breathe.

Stephanie laughed. "Jules, you're too funny. You could've joined the pool that I'm sure your uncles had going at Rangeman."

"I tried, but Uncle Lester wouldn't let me join. He said I was too young."

"Julie, dear, I think he was afraid that you had inside information," Steph answered.

"Mom, he's handsome. Will his eyes stay gray?" Mary Alice asked seriously.

"I don't think so. It's common for baby's eyes to change color. I'm hoping they're brown like his father's."

"And I'm hoping for blue like yours, Babe."

Julie walks to her father. "Congratulations Dad. I'm glad you have the chance to be a dad from the beginning."

"Querida, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you were younger. I was young, stupid, and blinded by ambition. It took for me to almost lose you to try to have a relationship with you. It took Stephanie to open my heart to you."

"It's okay, Dad. I understand. I'm glad that you're here for me now when I need you in my life."

"Girls, I am so glad that you came to visit, but your grandparents, aunts, and uncles are all waiting to meet RC. You can come back tomorrow with me. Stephanie and RC are expected to go home on Tuesday." Ranger informed them.

"Okay, then. See you later, Mom. Get some sleep." Angie replied before hugging Stephanie and kissing her on the cheek. Mary Alice copied her sister before saying goodbye to her brother. Julie waited for the girls to leave before whispering in Stephanie's ear, "Thank you for giving me my father back."

Stephanie responded as softly. "You're welcome, querida."

One Month Later

Lester's POV

Today my Godson, RC is being baptized. I was honored to be asked to be his godfather and even more, thrilled that they asked Dani to be his godmother. We will both do anything for Ranger and Stephanie. Ranger has secured my temporary transfer to Miami; where Dani and I will be moving on July 5th. Stephanie insisted that we be here for our Godson's first July 4th. I still can't deny Beautiful.

Our relationship is less strenuous and strained then it was before the Dalton mess ended. Not being in each other's company 24/7 has helped us to regain our friendship and lose the lover relationship. I've also gotten closer to Dani. I know that I will be able to fully commit to Dani once we have time to ourselves in Miami.

Right now, I'm sitting in the living room waiting for Dani to finish getting ready. I'm wearing a gray Armani suit with a white shirt and navy blue tie. Dani walks down the stairs wearing an orchid-colored, strapless dress. It has a fitted bodice, which accentuates her breasts, with a slightly flared skirt. She's wearing black FMPs and looks delicious. I feel my pants tightening. "Baby, you look beautiful. I can't wait to get back here tonight." I say before kissing her senseless.

"You don't look too bad yourself, Lester." She replies. "What time do we have to be at the church?"

"Two. We're going to need at least 2 hours to get there from here."

"Then I guess we better leave now, stud."

An hour and forty-five minutes later, we pull up in front of the church. I see Ranger and Stephanie unloading the car, so I know we arrived only moments behind them. Dani and I walk over to help Stephanie with our Godson. He is wearing a white suit, complete with bow tie. I hope Stephanie doesn't plan on dressing RC like this often. It will ruin his reputation. His eyes have finally settled on dark brown, making him a clone of his father.

Stephanie is a great mother. She was always worried that she wouldn't be a good mother, especially given her gene pool, but she is magnificent. I, along with all the guys, always knew that she'd be a good mother because she is a mother in some respects to most of us. Well, not me, but to a lot of the other guys, yes. I look at what Stephanie and Ranger have with RC and the girls. I want that for Dani and me. We talked about getting married in September, on the beach, in Miami. Maybe by this time next year, I could have a child of my own.

Dani's POV

I was so honored when Stephanie and Ranger asked me to be the godmother to baby RC. I know that it is partially because Lester and me are engaged, but it's also because Stephanie and I are close. She is the sister I never had, while I think for her, I'm the sister she's always wanted. Stephanie has been supportive of our move to Florida, though I know being that far away from us will be difficult for Stephanie. Lester was and is such an essential part of her life. He saved her when she was at her lowest after she believed that Ranger was dead. Now, she's letting Lester save himself. I love Lester. We talked about getting married this fall in Miami. I'm all for it, but Stephanie and Ranger must be there. If they cannot be there, I won't get married. After all, if it weren't for them, we would never have met.

Joe Morelli called me two weeks ago. He found out that he is not the father of Josephine. John is her father. John was color-blind. It turns out that Josephine carries the allele for color blindness. Joe does not. Therefore, she cannot be his daughter. He thanked me for bringing it back out in the open because he was able to settle everything once and for all. He spoke to Lauren. They are going to try to get back together because Joe realized that he does love his wife and children. She is willing to give him another chance, but they will be moving to Chicago. She has some cousins there. Joe was able to transfer to CPD. Lauren believes that if Joe is away from the Burg, then he will be a better, more attentive husband. Stephanie has no idea that Joe is leaving. He's planning on telling her today. I don't know how she will react. Their relationship has been strained since the whole story came out. I think Stephanie finally realized that Joe never appreciated or loved her, but loved the chase, trying to beat Ranger and getting the girl.

Stephanie looks magnificent. No one would believe that she gave birth a month ago. Steph lost almost all of her baby weight, not that she gained much. She's wearing a sapphire blue wrap dress that accentuates her larger, post-baby bust. It is fitted to her waist, where it flares out to end about two inches above her knee. The dress has three-quarter length sleeves. She's wearing a pair of silver, two-inch heels, but not her usual FMPs. Ranger is wearing a navy blue pin-striped suit with a light blue shirt. His tie is blue and black. Since their marriage, Stephanie has added more color to Ranger's wardrobe. I watch Lester's reaction when he sees Stephanie. He still gives her a good, long look, but gone are the predatory glares that she used to receive. It is hard not to notice Stephanie. While she is not drop dead gorgeous, she knows how to dress for her body type. She also has a subtle quality about her that draws people to her. I often see women give her a second look as well.

I watch as Ranger and Stephanie finish getting everything out of the car. Lester walks over and takes RC from them, while the girls take the various diaper bags and other paraphernalia from Stephanie. Ranger and Stephanie are left alone, while I get to observe them together. They look deep into each other eyes, where I can see love, lust and passion burning. They lean into each other giving kisses so passionate and deep that no one can doubt what they mean to each other. I observe Joe pull up with Lauren. He sees their kiss. I can tell that he finally had admitted to himself that Stephanie is unobtainable. Carlos and Stephanie are soulmates, who will be together forever. I turn away to catch up with Lester. He noticed them, too. "Baby, you are all I ever need, I can't wait to be carrying our child into a church for their baptism."

"Well, Lester, that day will be here in about eight months."

"What do you mean, Baby?"

At that moment, Ranger and Stephanie met up with us. Ranger took his son back from Lester. "Lester, you're going to be a father in about six months. I'm three months pregnant."

The End (for now)

Author's Note: Thank you for staying with me throughout this story, which started off as a one shot. I enjoyed writing this story, along with reading your reviews as the story progressed. I plan on writing a sequel to this story, but it won't be for a few months. I will begin to work on completing "Changing Seasons." Before I can continue that story, I have to read it from the beginning. I'll be editing it as a go along, reposting chapters after I edit them. Expect the first new chapter in about two weeks.

As always, your reviews are my reward for the hard work, and I look forward to reading your thoughts. Thank you to everyone who has left me reviews throughout this story, especially you Babes who leave multiple reviews. I've tried to respond to many of the reviews, but I often read them on my phone.

Last, but not least, I'd like to thank my awesome beta Susan for helping to ensure that the story was readable and written correctly. Without her, there would be so many more mistakes. Until next time. -Mary