Chapter One- Greg's Announcement

Sam Braddock strode into the SRU building, humming to himself. His friend Spike Scarlatti took one look at his face and snorted.

"Happy day, buddy?"

Sam grinned. "There's nothing like walking out the door with a kiss from your wife, on your anniversary."

Spike's jaw dropped. "No way! Not possible! You guys just got married!"

Sam rolled his steel blue eyes. "A year ago, Spike. That's the thing about anniversaries, you know. They come every year."

"Has it really been long?"

"I tell ya," said Sam. "It's even more fun being married to Jules than it was dating her."

Eddie walked over and leaned up against the counter where the guys were talking. "Oh yeah! Happy anniversary, buddy."

Sam smiled. "Been quite a year."

"Dang! I'll say it has!" laughed Spike. "You sure wasted no time getting Jules knocked up!"

Sam rolled his eyes. "We're married, Spike. When people get married, generally children come along. I'm allowed to get her pregnant. Here that word, buddy? Pregnant. Say it with me now, pregnant. Not knocked up, but pregnant."

Eddie interrupted the young officers' word debate. "You know Sam," he laughed. "Pretty soon you'll be stuck watching every existing Hannah Montana episode, over and over again. Just like poor Wordy!"

Sam grimaced. "I am not letting my child watch that show. That chick poisons minds, I tell ya."

"But she looks really hot in skinny jeans!" piped up Spike.

Eddie looked at Spike in amusement. "I'm just curious, Spike. How would you even know that?"

Spike rushed for an excuse. "Well, like you said, poor Wordy has to watch every existing episode with those girls. Not that I feel sorry for him, you know. I think it's pretty obvious that the guy's been having some serious good times with Shelley. What is it, number four on the way?" He shoved Sam. "Better get busy if you want to catch up to that guy!"

Sam shook his head. "One's plenty, for now." He eyes Spike mischievously. "You, Michelangelo, are another matter."

Spike threw up his hands in defense. "No girlfriend, let alone a wife. Now I'm not a genius, but I'm pretty sure that for me to have kids, there has to be a woman involved."

Sam shook his head. "Well, Jules has a friend…"

"Does this one shave?" asked Eddie.

"Maybe this is another one of those, what do you call them, um?" Wordy, who had just entered the conversation, searched for a word.

"Hookers?" suggested Eddie.

"I was looking for a nicer word," sighed Wordy. "Yes, hookers."

Spike's mouth twitched, despite his efforts to look serious. "They weren't hookers, they just showed a little too much skin for my taste."

"I come bearing coffee!" yelled Greg, walking into the SRU building carrying a pair of Timmie's trays. "Any what are we talking about?"

"Spike's inability to keep a woman who is not metal and made of remote control," informed Sam.

"When has Spike ever had a woman to keep?" asked Greg. The team burst into laughter, while Spike just shook his head. He had grown used to the jokes about his singleness. Honestly, most of the time she didn't mind not being in a relationship. But it got hard when he saw how happy Sam and Jules were. He was happy for Sam, especially. A wife like Jules and having a kid on the way had turned him into a happy man. Spike couldn't help wishing, especially as he looked at the contentment on Sam's face, that he might grab a piece of that happiness for himself. He was 28, already, with absolutely no relationship prospects in waiting. He wanted to settle down badly, but finding a girl who felt the same, let alone that he was in love with, was harder than he'd ever thought. In many ways, he envied the perfect fit of Sam and Jules.

"Ok!" called Greg, snapping Spike back into the real world. "I have an announcement to make, and it concerns all of us. Lewis, get your butt off the weight bench and get over here. Spike, save the dreams of a girl who can tolerate you-and your smell-for later."

Scary, how Greg knew what he was thinking. Granted, they had been talking about his relationship status, but the reality of how he just knew creeped Spike out.

"Okay," said Greg. "I think it's fair to say that Jules won't be coming back to us for awhile.

Wordy took this opportunity to blow a raspberry. Team One burst into laughter at Sam's obvious embarrassment.

Greg regained order quickly. "So I took her absence as a sign to bring in a new officer.

"Not Donna!" moaned Spike. "Queen of the Underworld isn't resurrecting?"

Eddie burst out laughing as Greg glared at Spike. "No, she's not coming back. Careful, Spike."

Spike shrugged, and the felt a flare of mischief rush through him. "I speak nothing but the truth, oh brave and fearless leader!"

Greg rolled his eyes. "No, I've brought in a new recruit."

"What's his name?"asked Sam.

"Cassidy. Her name is Cassidy."