Last chapter! Hope you enjoyed the story. Thank you to everyone who followed, reviewed, favourited and read - it means a lot. Whirlgirl, as always, a big, big thank you for all your comments. Bee

Chapter Six

Jeff had hoped he'd be able to head off to the hospital right away. Lucy's previous labours had lasted several hours, but none of the other boys had been early and he wouldn't have put money on this one holding on until his arrival, not when he was apparently so keen to make his entrance in the world. But then nothing had gone according to plan since he'd arrived back from his shopping trip, and things didn't seem to be going his way even now.

He'd settled himself and Virgil into the back of the police car, only to be forced to wait whilst Shawcross shared the information about Alan Trask first with his partner, then with headquarters. Whilst it felt good to know that the entire police force would now be looking for the man, it didn't take away his frustration about still being stuck at the factory. When Shawcross replaced the handset of his radio, Jeff had finally thought they'd be on their way, but then the officer had glanced across to where his partner was talking to Doug Barrett and, with a muttered apology for yet another delay, headed off to join them.

Jeff gave the man almost a minute before he'd had enough. With a promise to Virgil that he'd only be a moment, he swung the door open and began to get out, only for a wail of distress from his son to stop him.

Cursing himself for forgetting that his son was bound to be feeling more than a little anxious after being left alone all that time, he was forced to abandon his bid to hurry Shawcross along, instead doing his best to soothe his panicked son.

Virgil was still sniffling when the sound of sirens was heard and another police car drew up. Seconds later the front doors of the car he was sitting in opened and Shawcross and Doug got in.

"Sorry for the delay," Shawcross told him. "I couldn't leave my partner alone. Those guys are probably long gone, but you never know."

"I said I'd stay," Doug told him. "But they wanted me to come to the hospital to get checked out. I said there was no need. I'm used to being knocked out, honestly. That's why I had to quit boxing... I'm fine."

"Got to follow procedure," Shawcross told him, finally, to Jeff's utter relief, shifting the car into gear and setting off.

"The kid okay?" he asked.

"It's been a bit much for him," Jeff said.

"I'm not surprised. Hey, Virgil!"

Virgil looked up uncertainly, shifting a little closer to his father as he did so. He knew he should trust the policeman, but after believing his father had left him all alone with only strange men for company, he was feeling more than a little unsettled.

"Ever been in a police car before?" Shawcross continued.

Virgil shook his head, but the sniffles stopped and the tension began to leave his body as his father whispered. "A police car and a fire truck. Your brothers are going to be soooo jealous."

"They sure will," Shawcross told him. "Especially when you tell them I did this..."

The sirens started to wail, lights flashing red and blue as Shawcross put his foot down. Jeff sat back in satisfaction. Not only had Virgil started to laugh as he begged the man to go even faster, but now they'd get to the hospital within minutes.

Sure enough the journey was soon over, much to Virgil's disappointment. He was bouncing up and down and squealing with delight by the time Shawcross was forced to slow down as he turned into the hospital complex.

"I'll drop you off first," he told Jeff. "Good luck. Do you know what you're having?"

"Another boy," Jeff told him.

"Got a name?" Doug asked.

Jeff drew in a breath and let it out with a whistle. "I'll let you know..."

He had the door open even before Shawcross had pulled up, grabbing Virgil and manoeuvring the pair of them out of the car as quickly as he could. He rushed inside to the reception desk, clinging to the hope that he'd be in time to see his son arrive, but apparently he wasn't the only frantic father there that night. There was quite a queue and so, after a moment of shuffling his feet impatiently and making ineffective attempts to pacify Virgil, who had been none too impressed when his ride in Shawcross's patrol car had come to an end, he gave up and made his way towards the delivery rooms.

Approaching a corner he heard a familiar voice and he picked up his already swift pace, nearly knocking over a startled nurse as he took the turning.

"Mom!"

Ruth Tracy was deep in discussion with a woman in a white coat, but she broke off in mid sentence and flung her arms around her son as he drew level with her.

"Jeff! The police called to let us know you were okay, but we were so worried. About Virgil too." She turned her attention to the boy. "Are you okay, baby?"

"He's alright," Jeff told her, passing the boy over to her. "A bit shaken, but he'll be okay. What about Lucy? And the baby?"

"They're both fine."

"Both? He's here?" Jeff couldn't hide his disappointment.

Ruth smiled. "He arrived just before midnight. He's beautiful, Jeff. Red hair, just like your grandmother."

Jeff just stared at her. His mother shook her head at him. "What are you waiting for, Jeff? Go and see them. Room eight."

Jeff finally got himself moving, once again picking up the pace as he tracked the room numbers until he reached the right one. He hesitated a moment, catching his breath before pushing the door open and taking in the sight of his wife propped up by pillows, a tiny blue bundle in her arms. Lucy looked exhausted - and more beautiful than he'd ever believed possible.

She hadn't noticed the door open, totally enthralled by the baby. Jeff watched her silently for a moment, then tapped at the door.

"Hey..." he said.

She looked up, her relief at seeing him safe and well obvious, although she quickly did her best to hide the fact, forcing her features into a stern glare.

"Nice of you to join us."

Jeff smiled nervously. "Sorry. You know, if I remember rightly, you promised he wouldn't arrive on Valentine's Day."

Lucy stared back at him. "You promised you'd be back in time for dinner. Anyway, it's not like I had much choice in the matter." She looked like she was gearing up to say a lot more and Jeff braced himself for a lecture, but instead, his wife sank back against the pillows, exhaustion clearly catching up with her. There would be a lecture, he knew - and a big one at that - but he was more than happy to put it off for as long as he could. Anyway, it wasn't really his fault - he couldn't have predicted the raid on the factory. Not that Lucy would be impressed by the fact that he shouldn't have been anywhere near the place at that time of night. Maybe he'd play the sympathy card, he thought. He was sure he had more than a few bruises where he'd been hit. Though he had a feeling he wouldn't be working late at the office again for quite some time...

He crossed over to the bed and kissed her before his gaze shifted to the baby. "He's okay?"

"He's perfect." She looked up at him, taking in his dusty clothes and mussed-up hair. "Are you okay, Jeff? I thought something terrible had happened to you. I called and called, then the baby started to come and there was still no sign of you. The police couldn't find you and I didn't know what to think. I was so scared. All the time I was in labour, all I could think about was that Alan was going to grow up not knowing his father. Or his brother. Is Virg alright?"

"He's fine; Mom's got him. I'll bring him in soon. I just want a bit of time with the two of you first."

"Here." Lucy shifted the baby so that Jeff could take him, smiling at the expression on his face as he took in every feature of the baby's face.

"Jeff?"

"Mm?"

"Don't ever do that again."

Jeff looked over and smiled. "You mean you want me here for the next one?"

Lucy smacked his arm. "Next one? After this? You're kidding, aren't you? Alan's the last. Four boys is plenty."

"Luce, about the name..."

"What about it?" Lucy sat up straighter and glared at him. "My choice this time, remember? You got to name Virgil. I thought you liked 'Alan'."

"I do, but-"

"No buts, Jeff! I've been through enough today as it is without arguing over names. He's Alan!"

"The guy who attacked me was called Alan."

There was silence for a moment. "Oh..."

Some fifteen minutes later, Jeff reluctantly handed his son back to Lucy and went in search of his now second-youngest. He heard Virgil before he saw him, the boy excitedly telling his grandmother about his ride in the police car.

"Come on kid," he said, taking Virgil's hand. "Let's go and see your mother. And your brother."

He smiled across at his mother. "Thanks for being here, Mom. Can you take Virgil home once he's seen them?"

Grandma yawned and nodded. "It's been a long night. I'm surprised he's still awake. Though the way he's been going on... Honestly, Jeff, it's a good thing he's more concerned with the car and the truck than being left alone."

"I know." Jeff's smile dropped for a moment. "Keep an eye on him."

"Don't I always?" She bent down to Virgil. "Now then, sweetie, let's go and see Alan."

Virgil's face settled into a scowl. "Don't like Alan."

Jeff could see his mother about to launch into the same speech she'd given the boy several times now. Virgil had been decidedly vocal about not wanting a brother and every attempt to get him excited about the baby's arrival had met with failure. Before his mother could say anything, he spoke.

"Actually, son, we didn't like Alan either, so we're getting a Gordon instead."

"Gordon?" Ruth Tracy couldn't hide her surprise.

"Long story," Jeff whispered, watching as Virgil considered this sudden change of plan. "What do you say, Virgil? Gordon's much better than Alan. You'll like him."

Virgil still said nothing, but allowed his father to lead him towards the room.

"Mommy!"

It was clear who Virgil wanted to see. Jeff lifted him up onto the bed, smiling as he immediately launched into an account of his ride in the police car.

"That's lovely, darling," Lucy said. "But you've got a brother to meet. That's even more special. Scott and John haven't seen him yet, you know. You're the first."

She moved Gordon so that Virgil could get a better look, catching Jeff's eye as she did so. Both of them held their breath, waiting to see what Virgil's reaction would be. Jeff readied himself to snatch the boy away if he decided to throw a tantrum, scared that a flailing arm or leg might hurt Lucy or the baby, but Virgil stayed absolutely still, just looking at Gordon for a long, long moment.

Then all of a sudden he turned back to Lucy. "I went in a fire truck, Mommy..."

His parents couldn't help laughing. Jeff let him talk for a few minutes, then decided his wife had suffered enough.

"Come on, time to go home. You've had a busy day, young man."

"He certainly has," Grandma smiled, taking the boy's hand and leading him to the door, promising to be back in the morning with the others.

Lucy yawned and settled back against the pillows.

"Maybe I should go with Mom," Jeff said, making to get off the bed. "You need to sleep."

Lucy reached out and took a tight hold of his hand. "Not yet, you don't. I don't want you going anywhere. Not when I've just got you back."

Jeff smiled and settled himself down beside her, reaching out to run his hand gently over Gordon's head as the baby opened his eyes. He was more than happy to stay here. In fact he didn't want to move ever again.

Of course, he had to. Eventually a nurse came in and ordered him out, overriding Lucy's objections. After a final goodbye he left the room and made his way out of the hospital in search of a cab. He'd need a new car, he thought. Plus, there was the damage to the factory to think about, not to mention deciding what to do with the boy who'd started the fire. There was his security guard to consider, too...

He stopped for a moment and looked up at the night sky. The moon was shining brightly and he couldn't help remembering the moment he'd set foot on its surface. As incredible as the experience had been it didn't come close to holding a new-born son in his arms. In a sudden fit of joy and magnanimity he decided that his errant employees could keep their jobs. After all, it wasn't as if he could criticise - he'd almost set fire to his father's barn at fifteen when he'd sneaked a packet of cigarettes in there then dropped the match. Doug had been ambushed just as he had. He'd like to know how the men had got in, though...

"Mr Tracy!"

It was Shawcross. "I wondered if you'd still be here. I guess the baby's arrived?"

Jeff's broad smile was answer enough.

"That's good news. I've got some more for you, too."

"Trask?" Jeff asked.

"Yep. One of our patrol cars picked him up a few miles out of town. His van was full of stuff from your factory. He didn't put up much of a fight when we questioned him - we got the whole story. He hates you, you know."

"He does?" Jeff was surprised. "Why? I've never met the guy."

"Turns out he'd been living with his brother and his wife for the past few months. He couldn't get a job so he was pretty much dependant on them. When you fired Harvey he could see he wasn't going to get a free ride for much longer. Then apparently you gave the wife money to leave town?" Shawcross looked at Jeff for confirmation. Jeff nodded.

"Well, it seems Alan Trask had got rather close to his brother's wife. He decided to follow her back to Topeka. You were going to provide him with the means to do that - or at least, the proceeds of the break-in were."

Jeff shook his head. "But how did he get in? Doug said no alarms went off. That's what doesn't make sense."

"He had a security pass for the side gate."

Jeff exploded. "Harvey Trask! I knew he had to be involved. He handed his passkeys in, but he must have made a copy."

Shawcross shrugged. "Alan Trask swears he's innocent. Says he was biding his time for the right opportunity so his brother didn't get blamed. When Harvey got arrested he took his chance."

"But the pass..."

"Turns out your old security guard was hosting all-night poker games for his friends every Thursday," Shawcross said. "The same guys who helped out tonight, in fact. There's no honour amongst thieves where Alan Trask's concerned - he gave them up right away. Harvey gave his brother a pass for the side gate so the guards in the unit across the way wouldn't see them all coming through the main entrance. Plus, that way he didn't have to trouble himself going out to let them in."

Jeff blew out a long breath. "I knew that man was trouble."

"Well, he won't be bothering you for a while," Shawcross told him. "He'll do time for assaulting a policeman. Maybe he'll get to share a cell with his brother."

Jeff smiled. "Sounds good to me." He yawned. "Thanks for all you've done, officer. Any idea where I can get a cab?"

Shawcross inclined his head towards his patrol car. "I'll give you a lift."

"Would you mind?" Jeff asked.

"It's no problem."

They walked over to the car and Jeff settled himself gratefully into the seat. Shawcross glanced across at him thoughtfully.

"Mr Tracy? I saw you gazing at the moon just now. What's it like up in space?"

"Well, I was just thinking that it doesn't compare to meeting your new baby..." Jeff smiled for a moment. "Or riding in a police car, maybe. Virgil can't stop talking about the ride you gave him. It's going to help, I think. Maybe with all the excitement he's had he won't be affected too much by everything that happened."

Shawcross smiled back. "If I'm honest, I still get a kick out of it. The sirens, the lights, ignoring the stop signs... Though I didn't go that fast, really, not on a joyride. Still, Virgil had fun."

"I might have appreciated it more if I hadn't been so worried about Lucy," Jeff admitted.

"You've been in a rocket. That has to be more exciting."

"Terrifying might be a better word," Jeff told him.

Shawcross turned out of the hospital. "Did you-"

He was interrupted as a burst of static came from his radio, followed by the curt tones of the announcer. Shawcross listened for a moment then picked up the handset and barked some code that meant nothing to Jeff.

"Robbery at the mall," he said. "I'm the closest."

"Drop me off here, then," Jeff said. "I'll get that cab."

"It's on the way to your house," Shawcross said. "And it'll be easier to get a cab from there. You can see how I do things for real." He reached over to flick the switch for the sirens, only for Jeff to put out his hand.

"No, really. As much as I'd like the experience, I'm going to bail. With the luck I've had lately I'll end up being caught up in the robbery. Or we'll crash. I think I'm going to quit whilst I'm ahead."

Shawcross looked disappointed. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure. Thank you for all you did tonight." He got out of the car and stood back as Shawcross sped off into the distance.

Then he was all alone. He took a deep breath of the cold night air, appreciating the sudden peace and quiet. It would be the last he'd get for quite some time, he thought. Tomorrow he'd bring Lucy and Gordon home and from then on it would be chaos in the Tracy home. Four boys, sleepless nights with a crying baby...

To his surprise a cab appeared in the distance and he flagged it down, jumping in and giving directions to his house.

About time my luck changed, he thought to himself, making himself comfortable. Not that he could complain really, not when he'd already had such an incredible life. There'd be plenty more to come, too. He and Lucy would raise their family, the boys would grow up and start lives of their own. There would be grandchildren and he and Lucy would grow old together. He couldn't complain about one night of madness.

And maybe one day - if he could persuade Lucy - there would be an Alan after all...