Justin sat in a small waiting room. The room was completely quiet, except when Josh would start shaking his leg. Then he would get up and pace, and then he'd start softly talking to himself until he got louder. Then he would start his freak out, blaming himself, in which then Sawyer would get up and talk him down from the ledge. And then Teresa would get up and hug him as he cried. They'd eventually get him to sit down, and he would calm down, and then it would start all over again.

Justin couldn't believe what had happened. As soon as Sam's water broke, she started bleeding and would have fallen if Brian and Sawyer hadn't held her. Justin cringed when he looked at them. They both had dried blood on their pants. Josh had just crossed the Finish Line and ran up when he heard his wife screaming. He was instantly pushed into an ambulance. A volunteer was standing by with a van and took Brian, Justin, Sawyer, and Teresa to the hospital.

Justin had received a text from Daphne. Their friends had gotten their bikes and all their belongings and would take them home. Ted and Emmett were going to their house to get some clean clothes for them, along with Sawyer. Jayden had called his grandparents, and the waiting room was slowly filling up with Teresa's family. He cringed again. What a horrible time to get engaged! She had just said yes, and then horror happened. But then his next thought was how happy he was for them. And then so thankful for his own Liberty Ave family for taking care of them in such a big way. He and Brian never had to do anything alone. He was beyond appreciative and thankful.

Josh had started his pacing again. It was only a matter of time before he started whispering, begging her to be okay. He leaned on his hand and gazed over at Teresa. She looked a little lost, and out of place. She wasn't out of place, but from the look on her face, that's how she felt. He wondered if she was second guessing herself on saying yes to Sawyer. He hoped not. They were perfect for each other.

He heard Josh start whispering. He let out a deep breath. It was awful. He knew how he felt. Just a few months ago he was the husband waiting to see if his husband would live or not. In the ambulance they said the placenta had detached? He wasn't sure, because Josh wasn't sure. All Josh said was that she was pouring out blood. It was covering the floor of the ambulance. He said she had gotten so white he could see through her skin. He blinked back tears at the thought.

"God, we shouldn't have gotten pregnant," Josh cried. What an awful thing to think. They didn't get pregnant on purpose. It wasn't either of their fault. This wasn't something they could have foreseen. Something they could have stopped.

"We shouldn't have come here. We should have stayed home. She should have been on bed rest," Josh cried louder. He was starting to hyperventilate. That was Sawyer's turn. He had to get up and make him stop pacing, put his hands on his shoulders.

"The doctor cleared her to fly. She was perfectly fine. These things just happen and it's not either of your fault. You couldn't have known this was going to happen," Sawyer said.

"She lost so much blood, Sawyer! A person can't lose that much blood and survive!" Josh cried. He could barely talk. He wasn't even breathing. Teresa stood up next to Sawyer.

"You need to breathe, Josh. You need to stop thinking the worst. We don't know anything yet. Sweetie, just breathe," Teresa said and started having him mimic her taking deep breaths. He only did it twice before he burst out crying and collapsed against Sawyer. It killed Justin to watch Sawyer. His heart was broken. That was his baby sister.

"She's gonna be okay, Josh. You know what a stubborn bitch she is. You know she's in there, fighting like hell right now. She's not gonna give up so easily..." Sawyer was cut off by a nurse.

"Mr. Fitzgerald?" She asked. Josh ripped away from Sawyer. Justin stood up and grabbed Teresa's hand. She looked like she was about to throw up.

"How's my wife. Is she alive?" Josh begged.

"The doctor is working on her. She lost a lot of blood and she's hemorrhaging. The doctor is doing everything she can right now to give her more blood," the nurse said. Josh put his hands on his head and was practically ripping out his hair. Sawyer gripped Josh's shoulders tightly.

"What happened?" Sawyer choked out.

"It seems she went into premature labor. And the placenta detached."

"What about the baby?" Teresa asked. The nurse nodded.

"She lost oxygen by the time the doctor was able to get her. She was blue. But the doctor was able to revive her. She's in an incubation unit just getting some oxygen. But your baby girl is alive and breathing. And she's got a strong set of pipes on her. She's in the NICU, and in a little while one of the nurses from there is gonna come get you so you can see her," she said and smiled. "Your daughter is okay, and the doctor is working on your wife. I'm gonna go back with her and I'll inform you of any more news," the nurse said and left.

"You hear that? You're a dad," Sawyer said. Josh had turned around. "Josh," Sawyer said and stood in front of him. "Josh, relax, okay?" Sawyer said. But Josh just shook his head.

"My wife's lying on a metal bed, ripped open and bleeding," Josh said. Teresa gasped and covered her mouth.

"I know, Josh. But you're a dad..."

"Which means nothing if I don't have her. If she dies...what was the point?" Josh cried. He started crying and started pacing again but stopped in front of the wall. Justin sat back down next to Brian. He hadn't said a word or moved a muscle since they arrived at the hospital. Justin knew he was totally freaked out. He knew Brian felt completely out of place being here. Hell, he probably even felt bad for torturing her all weekend.

"I don't want to be a dad if she can't be a mom," Josh cried. Sawyer went to say something when his cell phone rang. He looked down at it.

"I'll be right back," Sawyer said, as he turned around.

"I'm gonna go get some drinks," Brian said as he stood up and walked out. He went down the hall to the vending machines. He hadn't realized Sawyer had gone down the same way.

"I don't know. They're working on her now. She's in surgery," Sawyer said. Brian walked further and saw him leaning his back against the wall, covering his eyes. "This is bad, Derek." Sawyer's voice cracked as he said it. "Just do whatever you have to, to get mom and dad down here," Sawyer said and paused. "I don't know if the kids should come. But mom and dad, and you and Meredith need to get down here as soon as you can. I don't know..." his voice trailed off and he choked back a sob. "The baby barely made it. She came out blue....no, we haven't seen her yet. But she's breathing now...I just can't do this alone. I can't be the only one here," he cried.

Brian suddenly felt awful. "I know, I know, Derek. Yeah, just text me when you have the flight details...I know, I love you, too," Sawyer said and hung up. He jumped slightly when he saw Brian. He wiped at his face. "I didn't realize you were standing there," Sawyer said.

"I used you leaving as an excuse to get out of there. I was just gonna get some drinks," Brian said, nodding to the vending machines.

"Too bad those fucking things don't have whiskey in them," Sawyer said. Brian nodded.

"I'm sure I could just send a text. Someone will get you some," Brian offered. Sawyer chuckled, but then he covered his eyes with his hand.

"She can't..." Sawyer trailed off. "She's my little sister. She can't die," Sawyer said and cried into his hand. Brian felt out of place. God, he hated this part. He hated when someone needed to lean on him. He was no good with sympathy. It was hard enough comforting Justin. He had no idea what to say or do. He stood there awkwardly and fidgeted around.

"Um...look," Brian said uncomfortably. "What you said before...that you couldn't do this alone..." Brian said. Sawyer took his hand away, letting tears fall down his face. "You, um...you don't have to. Do it alone...because I'm here. So, if you need anything...if something happens, I'll be here," he said. This was weird. The only form of ‘being there for his father' feeling he ever got was giving Jack money. This was his real father. The guy who loved him. It felt strange being there for him. But he felt like he wouldn't be anywhere else.

What he didn't expect was Sawyer to get more emotional after he said that. So, he did what he did for Justin; he hugged Sawyer and let him cry on his shoulder. He wondered if Sawyer ever did that about him. Cried on someone else's shoulder about him. He imagined so. It was a hard thought to stomach, though. He felt terrible having him cry. It was something that he wished he could fix. But this was something Brian Kinney couldn't fix. They literally had to put their faith in doctors and hope for the best.

After a few minutes, Sawyer pulled away and wiped at his face. "Thank you," was all Sawyer could say. Brian nodded his head as he furiously wiped at his face. "I gotta stop this fucking blubbering before I go back in there. Josh is a fucking mess," Sawyer said.

Brian nodded and gulped. He went about putting money in to get drinks. The one thought that kept running through his mind as he watched Josh was...this is exactly how Justin was when he was the one dying. He heard the stories of how Justin was. And it freaked the hell out of him. He took Sawyer's phone from him and put it in his pocket.

"I'll take your calls for you. Just let me handle it," Brian said. Sawyer nodded.

"Thank you," Sawyer said. They grabbed the drinks and walked back in. Josh was back to sitting and shaking his leg.

"Here, sweetie, drink some ginger ale," Teresa said to Josh. They sat through maybe four or five more rounds of Josh's freak out before Derek called Sawyer again.

"I'll be right back,." Brian said as he left the room. "Hello," Brian said.

"Hey, Sawyer. Any word yet?" Derek asked frantically. Brian cleared his throat.

"It's Brian, actually. I took his phone from him, so he could stay with Josh," Brian said as he sat down in the empty hallway that he and Sawyer were in just a little while ago.

"Oh, geez. You sound just like him. Have they updated you guys on Sam?" Derek asked, desperate for news.

"No, they haven't yet. They're still with her," Brian said tiredly. Derek let out a shaky breath.

"Okay. Well, I was in Harrisburg this morning. I'm here for work, and I was gonna try and come last night and see you guys cross the finish line this morning. But the snow grounded all flights. I'm driving in and it's taking fuckin' forever. Hopefully I'll be there within an hour. My parents got put on standby for a flight. They're boarding right now, and Meredith and Julianne are on standby for the next flight that leaves in 30 minutes. And Carver is getting his four kids ready, and Julianna's parents are taking our four kids and getting them to the airport, and hopping on whatever flight they can get," Derek babbled.

Brian rubbed his eyes. This was information that Justin always took care of. He had to think. So, Derek is driving. Okay. His grandparents are boarding a flight now. Meredith, who is Derek's sister, and his wife, Julianna, are boarding a flight in 30 minutes. Okay, he got that. So, Carver is Meredith's husband. He's taking their four kids and driving to the airport, and Derek's in-laws are taking his four kids to the airport. And they're all gonna get here whenever. Okay. He thinks he understood.

"Did you hear me?" Derek asked.

"Yeah. I'm just trying to process it all. If you just text me all the info on my phone, I'll have rides waiting there for everyone," Brian said.

"It's really okay. They're all just gonna take Ubers," Derek said. But Brian shook his head.

"No, really. It's something I can do. Just have them text me their flight information," Brian told him.

"Alright. Thank you...how's Josh and Sawyer?" Derek asked.

"Josh is a blithering mess. And Sawyer's trying to hold it in," Brian said. He heard Derek gulp.

"I just...I'm going as fast as I fucking can. I left as soon as the roads were plowed this morning. I'm on the highway going 5 fucking miles an hour. I'm not that far away," Derek said. He sounded helpless and frantic. They were such a close family. He wondered how he would feel had he grown up with these people? They all took care of each other. Protected one another. Sawyer was taking care of Josh. Derek was taking care of his family getting on flights from his car. So, he guessed it was his turn. He cleared his throat.

"Sawyer's gonna be okay. I've got him taken care of. Just drive carefully. We don't need to worry about anyone else. You'll get here when you get here. Just don't make Sawyer worry about another fucking sibling," Brian told him.

"Thanks, Brian. Thank God you're there. Just keep me posted, please. I wanna know as soon as you find anything out. Please," Derek begged him. He felt sorry for him, being stuck on the road.

"I promise. As soon as we get any news," Brian promised him. By the time he got back into the room, Josh was on a new freak out.

"Can you please go stay with her? It's what Sam would want. That she's not alone," Josh begged Sawyer.

"I don't...I can't be the first one that sees her," Sawyer said.

"Please. Sam and I wouldn't be mad if you held her first. She just needs to be with family. I just can't yet. I don't want to meet her until Sam and I can do it together. Please, Sawyer," Josh begged.

"I can stay here with Josh. I have my phone, so I'll call you if they give us any updates," Teresa told him.

"Will you guys go with him, please?" Josh asked Brian and Justin.

"My parents are in the waiting area. I'll call them in here and we can all sit with him. Someone really needs to be with the baby, because when Sammy wakes up there's gonna be hell to pay that her daughter was alone," Teresa said, trying to make Josh smile. So, Brian and Justin followed Sawyer to the NICU. He spoke with a nurse who allowed all three of them to come in with Josh's permission. She gave them each a gown to put on over their clothes.

A clear bed was wheeled over to them. "She's doing really well. We already took her out of the incubation unit. Her lungs are really strong. She's just anxious to be with mom and dad." The nurse said and picked her up. "Look baby girl. You got some family here to see you," she said and held her to Sawyer. "Let me know if you guys need anything." She smiled and walked away. Sawyer was in awe.

"Hey there, beautiful," Sawyer whispered. Justin started crying. Brian squeezed the back of his neck. The little baby looked right up at Sawyer. "I'm your Uncle Sawyer. And I've been waiting a really long time to meet you," he told her. She stared right at him as he spoke.

"She's quiet. She must take after her dad," Brian said. It broke the tension, and Justin and Sawyer laughed.

"You look just like your mommy when she was born," Sawyer laughed and looked up. "I can't believe it. It's like I'm pushed back in time and holding Sammy when she was born. She looks just like her," he said and looked back down at her.

"She's perfect," Justin said. Sawyer kissed her.

"Wanna hold her?" Sawyer asked. Justin wanted to, but hesitated.

"I couldn't. Not before they do," Justin said. Sawyer shook his head and stood up.

"Sam would want it this way," Sawyer said and handed her to Justin.

"Hi there, sweetie. I'm your...." Justin stopped and looked up. "What am I?" Justin laughed.

"Well, technically speaking you're her cousin-in-law. But we'll just say cousin, because Sam only uses the word ‘in-law' for family she doesn't like and wishes they weren't related by marriage," Sawyer chuckled. "Like Josh's entire family," Sawyer chuckled again. It was good to see him smile.

"Sounds like her," Brian said. Justin smelled her.

"God, she smells good. Here, Brian, you hold her now," Justin said. Before Brian could protest, Justin put his little cousin in his arms. He hadn't ever thought of Sam's baby as his cousin. But they were related. Sam was his aunt. So, this was his little cousin...another one.

"Hey, there, kid. Came into this world kinda dramatically, don't ya think? Just like your mother?" Brian asked. Justin and Sawyer laughed. They stayed with her for another half an hour before the nurse took her back to the doctor to get her checked out. Justin had taken pictures and videos on his IPhone, and couldn't wait to show them to Josh. When they got back, Josh was pacing. His heart fell. They had just spent 30 minutes with this beautiful angel, and they were just smacked in the face with the reality that Sam may not make it.

"You okay, Josh?" Sawyer asked as he came in. Teresa's mother jumped and hugged him. It was the first time she was seeing Sawyer.

"He googled," Robert, Teresa's father, said.

"What did he google?" Sawyer asked as they all came into the small waiting room. It was set aside so families could have privacy while they waited for the bad news.

"I'm sorry. I stepped out to use the restroom and change my clothes. There's something for you three to change into," Teresa said, pointing to the bags.

"I didn't know what he was looking at. But he was looking up Samantha's condition," Genevieve said sadly.

"It's taking forever. That means she's lying on that bed, blood's pouring out of her, and she's dying. They're trying to keep her alive, but eventually they're gonna give up. And right now, they're probably cleaning her up. They're gonna wait till she's in a room, and all cleaned up before they let me see her. She's probably already dead. The chances of it taking this long and surviving are completely unlikely. She's...she's..." Josh cried. He almost fell, but Sawyer caught him. Josh was sobbing. Sawyer turned his head.

"You guys go change, okay? Just give us a few minutes. He'll be okay," Sawyer said. Everyone nodded and got up and shut the door. Teresa and her parents waited outside the room, while Brian and Justin went to find a bathroom. It was a single bathroom, but it didn't matter. They went in and started changing in silence. God, what the fuck had happened today? When they were done changing, Brian looked over at Justin. He knew it was coming. So he grabbed him and pulled Justin to his chest and let him cry. It was real. She could be dead right now.

"What if she never knows her own mom?" Justin whispered. Brian couldn't even think of that.

"We'll deal with it if it comes," Brian said. Justin wiped his eyes and went back to the room. It was only Teresa waiting.

"My parents went back to sit with everyone else," Teresa said. The door opened, and Teresa went back to sit next to Sawyer. Sawyer had his hand on Josh's shoulder and kept squeezing it. Brian and Justin sat back down. They sat in silence until a doctor knocked on the door, still in her scrubs. Josh jumped up instantly. Justin grabbed Brian's shirt, and practically tore a hole open in his side. Brian put his head down. He would not have this memory in his head. Watching the doctor tell Josh that his wife was dead. Tell Sawyer that his little sister was dead. It was bad enough he'd have to hear it, but he wouldn't watch. God. They had to face facts. It had taken way too long.

"Please tell me she's alive," Josh begged. Sawyer stood behind him, waiting for him to fall.

"She's alive," the doctor said. Teresa let out a sob. Brian whipped his head up as Justin nearly collapsed in his own seat. Josh let out a sob and a laugh and would have fallen backwards if Sawyer wasn't there. "I know that's all you wanted to hear. That's the most important thing," she said as she gave them a moment to collect themselves. Teresa stood and hugged both Sawyer and Josh.

"She lost a very large amount of blood. It was externally difficult to get it under control. She lost a huge amount by the time she even got to me. It truly was one of the worst cases I've ever seen. So, why don't you sit down for a moment?" she said to Josh, who listened. "And I do have to be honest; we did lose her," She said. Josh choked back a sob. "Her heart stopped beating three times," she said carefully.

"Oh, my God," Justin said as he leaned down. He felt like he was gonna be sick. Brian rubbed his back up and down, and then Teresa squeezed his knee. It was Brian all over again. Justin tried to focus on it not being Brian, because this was about Sam and Josh. It had nothing to do with Brian and Justin. But, oh God, all he could think about was Brian.

"When I pulled your daughter from your wife, she had turned completely blue. Doctor Sanchez is in surgery right now, but she'll be speaking with you later; she's the one who revived your daughter. And I hear she's doing very well," the doctor said.

"What's your name?" Sawyer blurted out. She smiled.

"I'm so sorry. Hearing she was alive was the first thing I wanted to tell you. I'm Doctor Grey," she said. Justin and Josh looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Grey's Anatomy fans?" She asked. Josh wiped at his eyes.

"Oh, my God! Sam is. She's seen every episode of that show. God, I can't wait to tell her that her own doctor is Doctor Grey," Josh said with relief in his voice.

"Where is she right now? How is she?" Sawyer asked.

"She's getting cleaned up right now. We're gonna put her in recovery. It's extremely slow in recovery. So, when we bring her back there I can allow you all in. This is usually not the norm and breaking rules. But I try and break rules sometimes," Doctor Grey said.

"She's going to be here for at least a week. Depending how she feels, maybe ten days to a month. We had to give her lots of blood. And we'll just be waiting for her to wake up. So, I'm gonna go back there and keep an eye on her, and I'll send a nurse in a little bit," She said. Josh stood up and hugged her.

"Thank you so much. For not giving up on her. She's my whole world. We've been trying for almost 8 years to have a baby. Thank you for saving her and my baby. Thank you," Josh cried. She nodded and wiped a few tears away. Justin could only imagine what went through a doctor's mind when someone was thanking them like Josh was. Was she thinking of all the patients that she couldn't save? Was she thinking about how hard it was to keep Sam alive? Three times?

"Yes, thank you for saving my sister," Sawyer said and shook her hand. She smiled and left. Sawyer just stood there with his hands in his hair. Teresa stood up and hugged him.

"You should call Derek. We should go out there and let everyone know," Justin said. Brian pulled out his phone.

"Let me go out there. You boys stay here," Teresa said and kissed Sawyer. Justin smiled at the moment. Oh, thank God. They were okay. Everyone was okay.

"I have to fucking pee." Josh laughed.

"There's stuff in here for both of you to change into. Now would be a perfect time," Justin said and handed the bag to them. They nodded and left.

"Any news yet?" Derek asked as he picked up. On the first ring. Thank God he had news.

"Yes. She's in recovery. She's gonna be okay," Brian said.

"Oh, fuck." He heard Derek cry. He gave Derek a moment. "Oh, really? She's really okay?" Derek asked. His voice was broken.

"Yeah. So is her demon spawn," Brian joked. Derek laughed whole-heartedly.

"God, thank you for calling! Shit, I'm still out on the road. I'll be there soon. When you know her room number, text it to me. Has Josh seen the baby?" Derek asked.

"No, not yet. He's waiting for Sam to wake up. We've seen her, though. Your brother thinks she looks just like Sam," Brian said. Derek laughed.

"Oh, God, thank you! I'll hear all the details later. I don't care about that now. My parents, and Meredith and Julianna are in the air. Carver found a flight for Ali to take two of the girls on. They're boarding soon. I'll call all of them and let them know. Thanks, Brian," Derek said and hung up.

Brian sat back and closed his eyes. "I'm so ready for today to be over," Justin said. Brian chuckled and opened his eyes. "Her heart stopped three times. Like actually stopped. She was dead. Three times, she was dead," Justin said. Brian shuddered hearing those words. It was true. It could have been worse. Sam could be dead right now. He gulped and sat up.

"Well, she's still kicking, Sunshine. Like she'd ever give up so easily," Brian said and rolled his eyes. Justin laid his head on Brian's shoulder, and Brian wrapped his arm around him.

"I don't know how we would have recovered if she didn't make it," Justin said. Brian smiled at his words. Not that fact that she could have died. But when he said ‘we'...he wasn't just talking about him and Brian...he meant Brian's family. He was including himself into the bunch. It made him smile.

"Yeah, I can't wait for this day to be over with, either," Brian said. A little while later a nurse came and got them, and the five of them piled into Sam's room. She was in bed sleeping. Josh rushed to her side and kissed her forehead and brushed some hair away. He sat down next to her bed and grabbed her hand and kissed it. Sawyer went and sat on her other side. A nurse brought in three more chairs.

"We really need a picture. She'll never be quiet like this again," Brian said. Josh and Sawyer laughed. They sat there together, waiting for her to wake up. They all started dozing off.

"Hey," someone whispered. The chair screeching was what startled Justin awake.

"Baby, you're awake!" Josh said. They sat up and all looked at Sam, who was trying to keep her eyes open. Josh was crying. "Are you okay? How do you feel?" Josh asked. Her head was turned towards him and she moved her mouth.

"Really thirsty," she whispered. He laughed and grabbed the pitcher of water and poured some into a cup and put the straw to her mouth. "Better," she said, trying to open her eyes again. "Who's holding my other hand?" she asked. Sawyer laughed and kissed her other hand.

"I am," Sawyer said. She didn't turn her head.

"Shave your face," she whispered. Josh and Sawyer laughed happily. "What happened?" she asked.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it later. But you're fine. Everything's fine," Josh said and hugged her. Sawyer gave her a hug then and she turned her head. "You guys smell," she whispered. Before anyone could say anything, Derek came in.

"Oh, wow, you're awake!" Derek said. Sawyer stood up and moved for him, but Derek hugged him first, and then sat down on Sam's bed.

"What are you doing in here?" she asked.

"Drove like a fucking mad man in a snowstorm to see you. How are you feeling?" Derek asked. She moaned.

"Tired. Get off my bed," she said. He laughed and kissed her cheek and stood up, hugging Josh, Teresa, and then Brian and Justin.

"The baby?" Sam asked.

"She's fine. She's waiting to meet you," Josh said. She opened her eyes and tried hard to keep them open.

"She's born?" she asked. Josh nodded. "Where?"

"She's in the NICU. They're just waiting till you're out of here, and then you can see her," Josh said.

"Did you see her yet?" She asked. Josh shook his head.

"No, not yet. I'm waiting for you. I want us to meet our daughter together," Josh said.

"But she's alone."

"I've been with her. Brian and Justin and I all held her. She's beautiful. She looks just like you," Sawyer told her.

"Does she scream like Sam did?" Derek asked. The room chuckled. Sam even smiled.

"Good. She shouldn't be alone. I would have shoved something up everyone's asshole," she said drowsily.

"I know. I had your back," Josh said. Sam moved her head slightly and saw Brian and Justin at the foot of her bed and pointed to them.

"I'm sure they would have enjoyed that," she whispered.

"Oh, Jesus." Teresa chuckled into her hand.

"And her bitchiness is back, ladies and gentlemen. Can we go home now? Her Highness has had her dramatic moment. I'm not needed here anymore, right?" Brian asked. Sam laughed and then winced.

"Oh, no, don't make me laugh," she said.

"Knock, knock," Doctor Grey said. "I hate to break up the party, but I need to check Samantha out. And if she looks good, I'm gonna put her in a room," Doctor Grey said. Josh kissed Sam.

"You're gonna love this. Your doctor's name is Grey," Josh said. Sam opened her eyes.

"Oh, this was meant to be," she whispered. They went back out to the waiting room where everyone was. Everyone went home except them. Sawyer's phone rang, and Brian handed it to him.  "Hey."

"Hey, dad," he said cheerfully and then laughed. "They're both okay," Sawyer said. That was all that really needed to be said. They waited for a nurse to come get them. Sam was in her room and sitting up now and more alert. But she was still so drowsy. Josh sat next to her again. "They're bringing her in now," she softly said to Josh.

"Well, maybe we could wait outside for a while," Justin said.

"Sit down and shut up and don't ruin my moment in the spotlight," she told him lazily.

"Yeah, Sunshine. She wants everyone to watch her. It's all about fatty over here," Brian said. She looked over at Sawyer.

"Sawyer," she whined. He chuckled.

"Yes, princess?" Sawyer asked.

"Will you duct tape your son's mouth shut so he doesn't ruin my moment?" she asked. Everyone laughed, and he looked over at Brian.

"Now, Brian. Please be quiet and let Samantha have her moment," Sawyer joked. Before Brian could reply, a nurse came in with the baby.

"Alright, sweetie. It's time to meet your mommy and daddy," the nurse said. Sam covered her mouth and Josh stood up and the nurse handed his daughter to her. "We gave her a bath and she's all yours," she said. Josh turned and sat down on the bed next to Sam, holding her so Sam could see her.

"Hi, there, beautiful," Josh whispered.

"Hi, my princess." Sam cried and touched her face. Justin noticed that Teresa had her phone out and was recording the moment. "Look what we did." Sam whispered. Josh stood up and went to hand her to Sam. "I can't," Sam said. Sawyer sat up and grabbed a couple extra pillows and put them under her arm and on her lap.

"There ya go," Sawyer said. Josh laid her down, so Sam could hold her. Sam wasn't exactly holding her. She was lying on the pillow, but Sam's arm was around her.

"Oh, wow. I've been waiting my whole life to meet you," Sam said and kissed her head. She looked over at Josh. "We know what we're gonna name her now, don't we?" Sam asked. He smiled and nodded.

"We just had to meet her first," Josh said. Sam looked back at her.

"Well, family. Meet the newest member of the circus. Miss Emma," Sam said. Everyone was quiet.

"Damn. Julianna wanted to name the dog that," Derek said. Sam just laughed and then groaned.

"Oh, new rule. No one can make me laugh. It hurts so much," Sam said.

"Emma what?" Teresa asked.

"I kinda like just Emma. Like Madonna," Josh said. Sam snorted.

"Ohh, I like Just Emma," Sam joked back.

"I'd like to properly introduce her. This is our daughter. Emma Cynthia Fitzgerald," Josh said proudly. Sam suddenly looked up and then over at Sawyer and Teresa.

"You two are engaged," Sam said.

"What?" Josh asked.

"What?" Derek repeated.

"Oh, and she's the one who gave you that bruise on your face. And you two have been awfully crappy to each other. Oh, thank God, you finally said yes! I just couldn't take it anymore," Sam said.

"You're engaged? For real?" Derek asked them. Sawyer and Teresa nodded. Sam looked over at Brian.

"Oh. You," was all Sam said.

"Oh, Jesus," Justin said.

"I'm gonna shove something so far up your ass! And it won't be a dick," Sam said. Then she stared forward again. "Oh! I have my super powers back. Oh, thank God! I feel so normal again. I feel so powerful," Sam said. The family laughed at her. She looked down at Emma. "Mommy has her powers back, yes, she does. Thank you for restoring them. I can go back to ruling the world," she said dreamily. She looked back over at Brian. "When I'm out of this bed and back to complete power, I'm going to kick your ass for the nine months of torture you gave me for eating all the time," Sam said and smiled.

"Don't forget peeing on my chair," Brian said. Sam went back to looking at Emma. "Yeah, she's back to normal," Brian said and looked at his watch. "And, wow! That took a whole damn day. Thanks for wasting it," Brian told her.

"Oh, you're so welcome! You had nothing better to do," she said, her eyes never leaving Emma. There was a knock on the door and Sawyer's parents poked their heads in.

"Hey, you made it," Sawyer said and walked over to them to hug them. He let them walk in, and they stopped and stared. Sam and Josh were beaming.

"Come over and see your granddaughter. Emma, say hi to your Nana and Papa," Josh said as they walked over and hugged him and then hugged Sam.

"Oh my...oh, you're precious," Cynthia cried.

"You can hold her, Mom," Sam said. Josh leaned forward and picked her up. But before Cynthia took her, she sat down on the bed to hug Sam. Cynthia cried as she held her.

"Wanna hold her, Papa?" Josh asked Mark.

"Give me a minute. Cynthia will kick my ass if I hold her first. She's been waiting a long time for this," Mark said. Cynthia pulled back and glared at him.

"What a thing to say," Cynthia said and stood up, taking Emma. Mark walked over and stared down at Sam.

"Hi, Daddy," she whispered. Mark was holding back tears.

"Samantha June. What did you do?" Mark asked her. She wiped her face.

"Well, Daddy. I'm not exactly sure. Apparently, I ended up in the hospital and had a baby. Everything else is pretty much a blur. Actually, even the having a baby part is, too," Sam said. He sat down and hugged her tightly. Sawyer's phone rang again.

"It's Meredith," Sawyer said.

"Put her on speaker and give it to me," Sam said. Mark got up and Sawyer did as she said. "Hey, bitches, where you at?" Sam slurred out. Meredith screamed and sobbed into the phone. Sam smiled. Mark walked over to hold Emma. Sawyer took the phone off speaker and held it to Sam's ear. "You know, if you shut up some time, I can talk to you," she said. Her voice was hoarse and soft. And very quiet. There was no color to it. It made sense to Justin, and if he voiced it out loud, he's sure that the entire family would understand. "I'm all right. Just get here, because I have a cool new toy I want to show off," she said and moved her shoulder for Sawyer to take the phone and talk to them.

"Ask Sawyer who hit his face," Sam said to her mom. Justin wrapped his arm around Teresa as she covered her face in embarrassment. "That would be your soon-to-be daughter-in-law," Sam said. Cynthia and Mark stared at Sawyer.

"Meredith, I gotta go. Sam just outed me to Mom and Dad," Sawyer said and then glared at his phone. "No, I'm not gay and coming out of the closet!" He said and hung up.

"I happened to like gay people. If my opinion matters at all," Brian said.

"Oh, it doesn't," Sam said. Cynthia cried and hugged them.

"God, what's with all the hugging?" Brian groaned. Almost an hour later, Meredith and Julianna were bursting through the door to hug Sam and see the baby.

"Oh, sweetheart! I'm going to spoil you so much! I have so many presents for you at home. You ruined all my plans of spoiling you. And I'll always have gum," Julianne said when it was her turn to hold Emma. Meredith spread out on the bed next to Sam and curled around her carefully.

"So, guess what happened? Sawyer flirted with some teenager at a bar, so Teresa got drunk and spilled her drink on the slutty bartender. Then Teresa punched Sawyer in the face. So, he proposed to her. And she said yes," Sam said. Meredith gasped and then sat up.

"Oh, my God! Are you for real?" Julianne asked.

"Yes, I'm for real. So, give me back my baby and go hug them," Sam said. Meredith jumped up and Derek rearranged the pillows for Julianna to put Emma down, and then she jumped up and down to hug Sawyer and Teresa.

Justin couldn't believe how fast the day went. Was it only that morning that they had been riding across the finish line and watching Sawyer propose to Teresa? They didn't even have time to celebrate it. No one wanted to leave, though. They were all passing Emma back and forth between everyone. Ali came in a few hours later by the time they all got dinner. She had gotten on a plane with her sister Mackenzie, and then Derek's daughter Alexis. They were both 11 now, and Ali was singing their praises about how good they were and not the monsters that she was used to.

When the girls first came in they all burst out crying and hugged Sam, and then were all crazy about the baby. Carver had called to let them know that Meredith's daughter Spencer and Derek's son Parker went on a plane together and should be landing in about an hour.  It was crazy to think that there were 14 now. It seemed like a million years ago that Justin had first met them.

Carver was boarding the last flight, with his and Meredith's daughter Zoey, and Derek's kids, Chloe and Caleb. They would be here in a few hours. Justin was thankful that his Liberty Ave family was taking such good care of Brian's family. Driving back and forth from the airport in heavy snow was the worst.

By the time Spencer and Parker had arrived, they hugged Sam, held the baby, and then Brian said that Jayden texted him, saying that he was waiting to drive them home. "I'm gonna stay here with her tonight," Cynthia said as she got comfortable in her recliner.

"Yeah, me, too," Sawyer said.

"Would you mind taking the kids? I want to stay," Meredith asked Julianna.

"No, of course not. You staying, too?" Julianne asked Derek.

"Yeah, I am," Derek said. Mark stood up.

"Well, I'm going to my grandson's house to sleep. It's not every day I get the bed to myself. And I'm not sleeping in this damn, smelly hospital room with all you circus monkeys snoring," Mark said, making them all chuckle.

"But we just got here," Spencer said.

"I wanna stay here with Auntie Sammy and Uncle Josh. Mom, please? Daddy's staying," Alexis begged Julianna.

"No. There's enough family in here. Auntie Sammy needs her rest. And so does Uncle Josh," Julianna said.

"Then why are they all staying?" Parker asked. Sam reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Wow. I even got tough guy Parker to whine to stay with me," Sam joked. He rolled his eyes and sat on the bed with her.

"Because, it's their sister. So, when you get older, and one of your siblings is in the hospital, you can stay with them, too," Julianne said. Everyone said their goodbyes and the big group was off. It wasn't just Jayden that was there. Brian's cousins, Nico, Luca, and Robert were all there to give everyone rides back to Brian's house. Teresa was going home to her own house.

"Why aren't you taking them all to my mom's house? Just because they're here doesn't mean they have to stay at my house and demolish it," Brian bitched.

"Ignore him." Justin yawned.

"We usually do," Julianna said. As soon as they got home Justin turned on the hall light.

"Make yourselves at home. Pick any room," he said. Justin and Brian dragged their feet up the steps. When he opened the door, the puppies yawned and when they realized Justin was home, they cried for him and went to him. Justin bent down to see them. "Awe, hi, guys. I missed you," Justin said and hugged them. They were tired, so after they kissed him they went back into their bed. Brian was already naked and getting into bed. Justin did the same and fell into his bed. Both were asleep in seconds.

It wasn't until the next afternoon that they started to wake up. Every muscle in Justin's body was sore. He groaned and looked over at the dog bed. Someone had to have opened the door for them, so they could go out. He took a deep breath. "Someone's cooking," he whispered. He realized he had slept in the same position all night. He barely had covers on, and his foot was dangling off the bed. He moved and cringed at the pain in his neck. He sat up and stretched. His whole body. Pain. It was all he could think about.

"I was just about to wake you uph" he heard Brian yawn from the bathroom.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Almost 2:00."

"Jesus," Justin said as he heard a deep belly laugh from Gus all the way downstairs.

"Intruders in my house again," Brian said and scratched his stomach. "Wanna take a shower with me?" Brian asked. Justin smiled and followed him into the bathroom, stopping to pee first. Brian held the door open for him.

"So sweet." Justin yawned and got in. The water spray was the perfect hot temperature to wake them up and knead their sore muscles. When Britin was being redone, Brian wanted multiple shower heads in his shower. Justin thought it was a bit much at the time, but now it was perfect. The sprays hit him in all different directions. Brian reached up and adjusted the strength, making it stronger, and in the process making Justin moan. Brian smiled at him and got under the water with him. Usually they didn't keep the nozzles too strong, because it was too much for Justin. But now it was perfect.

"Later tonight. Me and you. Naked. In the hot tub," Brian whispered in his ear.

"Later tonight. Me and you. Shorts on. In the hot tub," Justin said. Brian came up from his fantasy world. "We have family in the house." He chuckled. Brian would have smiled at the mention of family without the word ‘your' in front of it, if it didn't piss him off.

"Kick ‘em all out. I didn't invite any of them over. They can stay across the street. Or with my grandparents," Brian said. Justin chuckled.

"I love having a full house like this. It's a lot of fun. And they don't live close enough to see all the time," Justin said. Brian rolled his eyes. After their shower, they went downstairs and into the kitchen. Debbie and Teresa's mom, Genevieve, were at the kitchen island laughing.

"What are you old ladies cackling about?" Brian griped as he came in. Justin went over and hugged them.

"We're swapping baby stories. She has way more than I do. But we have baby fever," Debbie said cheerily.

"Gonna have to talk to Horvath about that one. Better get the job done and knock you up," Brian said. She glared at him and Justin laughed.

"I made that breakfast casserole that you love so much, Justin. The kids all had it this morning," Genevieve said as she got it out of the fridge and started getting him some. Brian cringed.

"Is that the one with everything in it?" He asked and shivered. It literally had scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage gravy, pancake mix, cheese and hash browns. Brian hated it. But Justin ate it up. Literally.

"Thank you," he said and kissed her cheek.

"Dad!" Gus cheered as he came running in to hug Brian and then Justin, the dogs running after him, with George banging his cast.

"Hey, Gus! We missed you. Did you have fun at your grandparents' house?" Justin asked. He nodded, and Derek's youngest son, Caleb, came running in and jumped at Brian.

"When did you get here, kid?" Brian asked and picked him up. Caleb loved Brian, which he couldn't understand. He hugged Justin from high in the air.

"We got here last night. We got to fly at night and then snuck into the hospital like Iron Man," Caleb said. Brian snorted when Carver came in.

"Hey, we were waiting for you guys to wake up. It's good seeing you guys," Carver said and hugged Justin.

"How was the flight? When did you get in?" Justin asked as he sat back down and started eating.

"Like two in the morning. We would have come straight here, but I promised the girls and Caleb that we could go to the hospital and see Sam. So, Derek literally smuggled us in to see her. She was really sleepy. But she was feeding Emma, so they were awake. I just can't believe what happened," Carver said.

"I can't believe it was 24 hours ago. It just all happened so fast. I know it was yesterday, but it feels like a million years ago. What time did you get here?" Justin asked him.

"A little after five. They all kinda just lay with Samantha for a while," Carver said. Justin nodded. That's what each of the kids did when they saw her. They hugged her, talked her ear off, freaked out over the baby, fawned all over her, and held her. Then they were calm, and all just lay on her bed with her practically falling off the bed with how many were on the bed, and not lying on top of Sam. Justin loved how close they were to her. How close everyone was with each other. It was moments like that when Justin wished Brian grew up with them.

Chloe and Zoey had run in at that point to hug Brian and Justin. "God, which two are you?" Brian asked, staring down at them like they were aliens.

"Aren't you ever going to remember? I'm Zoey. He and Meredith are my parents," Zoey said, pointing to Carver, and annoyed at Brian.

"And I'm Chloe. And that's my brother Caleb," Chloe said. Brian was still holding Caleb, and they just looked at each other. "And Derek and Julianna are my parents. You need to write these things down," Chloe informed Brian.

"I tried giving him a cheat sheet," Justin told her.

"God, you need to stop letting your children hang around Sam! They all have her ‘I'm smarter than you' attitude," Brian said. Justin, Debbie, Carver, and Genevieve all looked at him. Justin's shoulders shook with soft laughter.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that that's in your blood. Because you're all the same!" Justin said. Carver nodded.

"Oh, they're definitely all like that. Meredith, Sawyer, Derek, Sam, and even Mark," Carver laughed.

"They definitely got that from Mark and not Cynthia. It's a family trait," Genevieve said.

"I am not like that," Brian said, which caused them to all burst out laughing. Justin nearly choked on his own spit. Brian rolled his eyes.

"Do you think I'm like that, Caleb?" Brian asked. Caleb smiled and shook his head.

"No. I think you're really cool," Caleb told him.

"Can we go see Auntie Sam now? I wanna meet the baby," Gus asked. So, after they ate something, Brian drove them back to the hospital under protest and a lot of complaining about spending another day stuck with Sam now that she was talking. When they walked into her room, she was sitting up holding Emma, and more awake than she was yesterday. She still had the baby on a pillow. She smiled when they walked in.

"It took you guys long enough. Just sleep the day away and miss her first official day with the family," Sam said to Brian. No one else.

"I'm being forced against my will to even be here. So be happy I came here at all," Brian griped and plopped down in a chair. Derek helped Gus up into the bed to sit next to Sam.

"Gus, meet your newest little cousin, Emma," Sam said.

"God, she's all dreamy. I hate her when she's like this," Brian complained. She lifted her hand without looking at him and flipped him off.

"I'm sorry we got here so late. I couldn't have woken up early if I tried." Justin leaned down and hugged her. He winced when he moved his neck. He tried taking something, but it wasn't helping. He looked around the room for a place to sit. There were two beds, and Derek and Julianna and a couple of kids were sitting on that. The rest of the adults were all in the other recliners or chairs. There was a big window sill that some of the kids were sitting on; the rest were scattered across the floor. So, he did the only other thing he could. He sat on Brian's lap, who instantly started complaining.

"Seriously? You're gonna sit on my lap? You're not a freaken girl," Brian complained. Justin rolled his eyes and got comfortable and draped his legs across the sides. He smiled brightly.

"I think you two look cute," Teresa said as she grabbed her phone to take a picture. Brian tried to stand up, but Justin pushed him back.

"Oh, stop it! No one here is making fun of you," Justin told him.

"I'm making fun of him. He looks like a girl," Derek said. Brian tried flipping him off, and Justin grabbed his hand and winced again.

"Don't make me move my neck; it hurts," Justin told him. Everyone was talking, and a few minutes later Justin felt Brian put his hand on the back of his neck and squeeze it, trying to rub the pain away.

"So, when are you guys getting married?" Ali asked. Everyone's attention shifted to Sawyer and Teresa. They were sitting as close as they could together. They seemed like middle school kids who were ‘dating,' but didn't actually go on dates.

"We haven't had a chance to talk about that yet." Teresa laughed.

"Or get a ring, for that matter," Sam said as Josh stood up to take Emma and help Gus hold her.

"I have a ring," Sawyer told her. Sam turned her head and made the most God-awful face at him.

"Do not give her that ring! It has bad mojo. She turned you down with that ring," Sam said. Teresa just hid her face.

"Thanks," Sawyer said sarcastically.

"Go to the store now and get her a new one. You'll really feel engaged, then," Sam said to Teresa, who just chuckled.

"Are we in the wedding?" Ali asked. All the kids perked up at that time. Teresa looked panicked.

"Oh, hey, now! Don't go doing that! Between the two of us, we have a lot of brothers and sisters, and then nieces and nephews. The whole family cannot be in the wedding. We have no idea what we're even gonna do. So, don't any of you start!" Sawyer told all of them.

"Ha, ha. I'm in the wedding," Sam said. Sawyer glared at her.

"We don't know that," Sawyer told her. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Please. I don't care who else is in the wedding party. You leave me out and I'll never speak to you again!" Sam said. Cynthia leaned out of her chair and smacked her foot.

"Samantha June, you stop that right now! It's your brother's wedding..." Cynthia tried to say, but was interrupted.

"His fourth wedding!" Both Sam and Derek said. Teresa groaned, and Sawyer's face turned red.

"I think you both just guaranteed that we're eloping. And none of you assholes are invited," Sawyer said.

"You do that, and I'll never speak to you again." Cynthia pointed her finger at him.

"What about me, Papa?" Gus asked.

"You'll be the only one invited kid!" Sawyer said. Gus smiled.

"Just me and Emma," Gus said.

"Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I like those two," Sawyer said. Teresa just laughed.

"What about me? After what you both put me through the other night, my anxiety was killing me, and I barely slept," Justin said. Brian snorted.

"Yeah, I get a pick, too. I choose Justin," Teresa said. Sawyer nodded.

"Alright, you're invited," Sawyer said.

"What about Brian?" Spencer asked.

"I don't want to freakin' go. I hate hetero weddings! Stupid, pointless events. It's bad enough I spend so much damn time with you people. All these heteros are bound to turn me straight," Brian griped and shuddered.

"You're going!" Teresa said at the same time Justin said, "You're not going." Brian rolled his eyes and the family laughed. At some point later that day, Justin didn't know how it happened, but he and Sam were the only ones besides the baby that were in her room. A bunch of the family had gone home. Some were downstairs eating dinner. But he was sitting next to her bed, and Sam was just staring down at the baby.

"How's it feel to finally be a mom?" Justin asked. She looked up and smiled.

"I can't believe I've waited my whole life for her, and she's finally here. There aren't any words to describe it," she said and looked back down at her. "For the rest of my life, I'm going to be her mom. I'm gonna be a mom."

"You are a mom," Justin reminded her. She chuckled.

"I feel happy. And content...it's just...I have this weird feeling," she admitted. He leaned forward to listen to her. "I feel amazing. Don't think I don't. I've never been so happy. But I have this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like I'm not complete," she said and looked at him.

"Really?" He asked. She nodded her head.

"Like I'm satisfied. I can honestly stand here right now and say if it never works out that me and Josh can't have kids, I could be happy. I'm satisfied with her. But I just have this weird feeling like I can't just leave this hospital and it just be the three of us," Sam said. He sat back and crossed his arms.

"You have some weird shit going on in your brain." Justin chuckled. She rolled her eyes and laughed.

"I know it sounds crazy and that it makes absolutely no sense. I can be happy with just the three of us for the rest of my life, but I can't leave this hospital and it just be the three of us. I know how it contradicts itself. But...it's how I feel," Sam said.

Justin thought about that later that night when he and Brian got into the hot tub. It was freezing outside. But here they were, surrounded by snow, and sitting in the hot tub. He sank a little and let the hot water and jets hit his neck, trying to relieve some of the pain. He let the jets soothe all his sore muscles from three days on a bike, and one day of being a tense ball of stress yesterday. Even his ass was sore from his bike. It wasn't until today when he finally started relaxing that he realized how hurt he was.

"You should not take your meds and drink some alcohol. It'll make you feel better than whatever shit that does for you," Brian said as he sipped some wine. Justin didn't open his eyes, but just chuckled. After a little while, he felt Brian splash his face. He opened his eyes to look at him, and he snorted. "Change of pace when I'm the one talking and you're falling asleep," Brian said. Justin shook his head and sat up.

"Sorry. Did I doze off?" Justin asked. Brian nodded.

"For about 15 minutes," Brian said. Justin rubbed his face. "Dreaming of me fucking you?" Brian asked.

"Actually, I was thinking about Sam," Justin said. Brian looked down at the water.

"Yep. Sunshine killed my boner," Brian complained, grabbing the bottle and drinking from it. Justin didn't say anything else, and Brian looked at him. "What about her?" He asked. He got worried at the thought. He hoped Justin wasn't getting baby fever. It wasn't something he wanted.

"It was strange. She said something feels weird about it just being her, Josh and Emma leaving the hospital. Like she doesn't feel complete if it's only the three of them that walks out the doors," Justin said, trying to figure out what she meant. Brian raised his eyebrows.

"Do you know how many drugs they're giving her to get her through today? Her whole inside was ripped open. I swear, she was having a conversation with a unicorn today," Brian said. Justin just chuckled at him. Brian swam over to where Justin was. Justin yawned. "Come on, Sleeping Beauty. Let's get you to bed before you turn into a pumpkin," Brian said as they got out and wrapped their robes around themselves and went running up the steps and into the house.

"The pumpkin is Cinderella. Not Sleeping Beauty. And Cinderella doesn't turn into a pumpkin. Her carriage turns back into the pumpkin," Justin said as they got into their room. Brian just stared at him.

"You're seriously giving me a detailed analysis of Disney movies?" Brian asked. Justin scoffed and went into the bathroom to blow dry his hair. It was done in a few minutes and he handed it off to Brian. When Brian was done he started washing his face. "So, is your ass still sore? Or can it handle a good hard pounding into the mattress?" Brian asked as he came out of the bathroom. Justin was sprawled out on top of the covers, snoring softly. "So much for getting my dick sucked," Brian said. He rolled his eyes and shimmied the blankets out from under Justin and covered him up.

It was Justin's tossing and turning and groaning that woke Brian up a little while later. Justin was thrashing around in his sleep. This always happened when Justin was stressed. It started after he got hit in the head and would always flare up. "No," Justin groaned. Brian pulled himself from sleep to sit up and turn the lamp on. He leaned over and shook him.

"Justin, wake up," he called to him. It was like he was stuck in a dream.

"Noooo," he groaned louder. Brian leaned over him and shook him harder.

"Come on, Justin, wake up. You're having a bad dream," Brian called to him. He hated when this happened. In a second he'd start yelling, and everyone in the God damned house would hear him. He just knew Justin did not want his whole family knowing of his night terrors. So, he shook him roughly. Something he never, EVER did. But he had to wake him up. It's like you should never wake a sleepwalker. He would always try and wake him, but never force him to wake up. So, he jumped over Justin and pulled him to sit up. "Justin, snap out of it!" he told him roughly and shook him awake. Justin freaked out and couldn't figure out where he was. Brian had scared him.

"Justin, it's me. You're okay," Brian said soothingly. But it didn't help. Justin was awake, but he was still asleep. He held onto his face and made Justin look at him. "Justin, it's Brian. I've got you. You're in our bedroom," Brian said. Justin panted and tried focusing on Brian. "Keep breathing. Just keep looking at me," Brian said. He felt terrible. It would have been better to just let him scream and help him wake up, not roughly shove him out of his dream.

Justin grabbed onto his arms as he tried to regain his focus. He looked all around. "What's going on?" Justin panicked.

"I'm sorry. I woke you up," Brian said and sat down next to him. He kept his arms on him. "I know you don't want everyone to know about your nightmares. I woke you up before you started screaming," Brian said. Justin was so out of it. He didn't understand. He got up and grabbed a face cloth and put it under cold water. Justin was sweating so badly. He sat back down and ran the cloth over his face and his body. Up and down his arms, his neck, chest, back. Up and down his legs. Just everywhere he could.

"What happened?" Justin asked. He sounded more like himself.

"You were having a nightmare. I woke you up before you started screaming," Brian said. Justin nodded his head and covered his face. Justin hadn't had a nightmare in a few months. He wondered what triggered this one. He felt stupid for even thinking that. He had been so exhausted the night before that he couldn't have had a nightmare if he tried. But tonight...he was more relaxed. And he had just been on such high alert with Sam literally almost dying. Three fucking times. So yeah, that's what fucking triggered it. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry I woke you up like that," Brian said. He felt awful. But he knew Justin would get over being roughly woken up in the middle of the nightmare. He would feel embarrassed and mortified knowing he woke the whole house up. Justin started shaking and Brian wrapped his arm around him. He wondered if Justin was completely awake.

"Are you okay?" Brian asked. Justin shook his head.

"You were dead," Justin whispered. Oh. It wasn't a nightmare about Sam at all. It was one of those dreams. Where Brian was dead. Those were always the hardest for Justin.

"Well, I'm not dead. I'm right here, Justin," Brian whispered. He kissed his temple. But Justin shook his head.

"I couldn't figure out what was real. You were dead. You were in a coffin. And he was just laughing that he killed you. He could be anywhere right now, Brian," Justin said and started hyperventilating. God, was it a bad fucking idea to shove him awake? He wasn't completely awake. He was still thinking Craig was out there. "What if he kills you? What am I gonna do?" He panicked again, looking around. Brian grabbed his face.

"Justin, listen to me. Are you listening to me?" Brian asked. Justin really wasn't. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. Craig's in prison, remember? He can't get to us. I'm okay and you're okay. Just breathe," Brian told him. Justin started crying and he brought Justin to his chest. Worst fucking timing to have one of these damn nightmares. He repeated over and over that he was okay. That he was safe. It took a while for him to calm down and eventually Brian got him to lie back down and fall back to sleep. Brian, on the other hand, did NOT fall back to sleep. He was up the entire night just waiting to wake him back up again.

When his family started making noise in the hallway, the dogs got excited. "Shut the fuck up," he hissed at them. They ignored Brian and went to the door and whined. They both started scratching the door, and George's cast made a loud bang against the door. "You fucking little bastard. Get away from the door! You scratch my door and I'll murder you," Brian hissed. His door opened slowly, and the dogs jumped all over Sawyer. "Get those fucking things out of here!" Brian demanded. Sawyer chuckled and shut the door. Brian rested his body back into Justin's. He was fucking tired. He lay there with him for a few more hours before he started stirring. He groaned as he started waking up.

"Morning, Sunshine," Brian said. Justin looked around a bit. He was super disoriented. "You okay?" He asked him.

"I don't feel right," Justin said as he sat against the headboard and rubbed at his face.

"Do you remember waking up last night?" Brian asked. Justin just looked at him. No was the answer to that. "You had one of your night terrors. I woke you out of it. Pretty roughly," Brian said.  Justin scrubbed at his face.

"I remember having a nightmare, but...I don't remember waking up," Justin said groggily. Brian pushed some hair back.

"I forced you out of it. I just know you wouldn't want anyone to hear you scream," Brian said. Justin looked at him. In awe maybe?

"Really?" Justin whispered. Brian nodded.

"Sorry if you feel like shit," Brian said. Justin leaned into him and rested his face in Brian's neck.

"Thank you. I would have been mortified," Justin said. His words exactly. They took a shower and headed downstairs.

"Can't I stay another day?" Ali begged her mom. Meredith was sitting with Gus at the table, along with Lindsay, Teresa, and Sawyer's mom, Cynthia.

"I told you no. Everyone has to get back home," Meredith told her.

"But I don't want to leave Auntie Sammy yet. I can help her when she gets out of the hospital," Ali whined.

"She's not getting out for a week at the earliest. You have a flight back tonight. I'm not even making you go to school tomorrow, but you have dance class that you have to go to. Spencer has to be at school in the morning. Your dad has to go to work. We all have commitments," Meredith said.

"We wouldn't be going back if she needed us, though, like something worse had happened," Ali snarked. Meredith slammed down her hand.

"Are you freakin' kidding me? That's what you're coming at me with? You're right; if something worse happened, then no, we wouldn't be going back home. Get down on your knees and thank God that we can go home, because she's okay!" Meredith yelled at her. Justin had never seen Meredith angry before. She looked like Brian when she got pissed. He tried not to chuckle.

"I didn't mean it like that," Ali cried.

"God, what the fuck did I do to deserve you damn people in my house?" Brian complained. Gus laughed when Brian cussed.

"I meant just that all of that can wait. If something worse had happened it would have waited. So why can't school and dance wait a few more days?" Ali cried.

"I'm not dealing with her. She's gonna be your niece whenever you two get married. You take her away from me before I kill her," Meredith told Teresa. Teresa stood up and walked over to Ali, who was crying.

"Sweetie, let's go finish packing your bag. Come on," Teresa said and took her out of the kitchen. Justin came in and sat down next to Lindsay.

"I've never seen you mad before," Justin said. Meredith rolled her eyes and moved a checker piece that she was playing with Gus.

"It's typical teenage drama. I just want her out of my face. Saying if Sam had..." Meredith had trailed off.

"Can't you heteros wait till you're out of my house before you argue? You ruin my good mood," Brian said. Lindsay smacked him when he sat down.

"Oh shut up," Meredith told him. She moved another checker piece. "I'm literally going to kill her when we get home," Meredith said.

"I seem to remember you've said pretty similar stupid things when you were a teenager,"  Cynthia told her. Meredith's eyes widened.

"Like what?" she demanded.

"Well, how about when my aunt passed away? The one you hated. Here I was crying, and you ask to go to a birthday party that day with Billy what's his face, because he's the dreamiest boy in the whole school. And you'd just die if you didn't get to go. At a funeral," Cynthia said. Brian burst out laughing.

"I was 12," Meredith said.

"You were 14. Only two years younger than her. So, cut her some slack. She didn't even mean it like that," Cynthia told her. Meredith rolled her eyes and sulked. Justin looked back and forth between Brian and her.

"I totally see the resemblance," Justin joked. Within a few hours, all of Sawyer's family had left, except for Brian's grandparents and Sawyer. Justin was out of sorts that day, but Brian still went with him to see Sam at the hospital. She was more herself today. She still needed help when she tried to do anything. She couldn't move an inch without Josh or a nurse helping move her. When she held Emma, she had a pillow in her lap to place her on it. But she didn't complain once, which since we all knew Sam, we knew she was a complainer. But Sam was happy.

Sam was having her incision looked at, so Justin was taking that moment to tell Josh what Sam had said to him the night before. "Yeah, she said that to me yesterday, too. I don't get it. But I also don't think too much about it. Sam says weird shit like that all the time. She'll eventually figure out what she's talking about. I'm not worried about it. So, I hope you're not," Josh said. Justin nodded. But he was thinking about it. It worried him.

Later that evening, everyone was downstairs eating dinner. Josh went outside to make some phone calls, so it was just Justin and Sam. "You look exhausted," Sam said.

"Yeah I slept like shit last night." Justin said. Sam nodded her head.

"So, when are you gonna have one of these?" Sam asked. Justin snorted.

"I have a penis. Not a vagina," Justin told her, making her chuckle.

"But someone could carry the baby. Not me, of course.  If my body worked correctly, I would definitely have a baby for you. But this might be the only one. Still...someone could," she tried to convince him.

"I don't think that's in the cards for me and Brian. He loves Gus. And he was willing to adopt Lilly. But that was for me. And with Gus, he's not a full-time parent. But he likes it the way it is. Having a baby...I just really don't think that's in the cards for us," Justin said. Sam just scoffed.

"Once my super powers are back to full capacity, my next mission is to get you a baby of your own. Sawyer and Teresa are engaged, aren't they?" she asked. Justin laughed.

"That had nothing to do with you."

"Not the last few days. But I'm always there, pushing their buttons, getting in their face. I never let them forget they were meant to be together. I did a shit ton of behind-the-scenes work that you'll never know," Sam said. Before Justin could reply, Josh walked in. He looked stunned.

"Are you okay?" Justin asked. Josh nodded and sat down on the other chair on the other side of Sam.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"Nothing...Candace called," Josh said, totally in awe.

"Who's that?" Justin asked.

"Our adoption agent. What did she want?" Sam asked him.

"Someone picked us," Josh said. Sam gasped, and Justin's mouth fell open.

"Really?" Sam whispered. Josh nodded.

"She's only 15. She's from Utah. And her parents are religious, so they sent her to stay with her aunt until she had the baby," Josh said. Sam's mouth fell open, and Justin snorted. He could hear Brian's voice in his head and repeated what he knew Brian would say.

"Fucking Mormons," Justin said.

"Polygamists," Sam said. Justin snorted.

"So, wait. Did they actually send her away to visit a sick aunt? Or is she at some boarding school for pregnant girls?" Justin asked.

"She's really with her aunt. She's not sick. But she had the baby. And she needed to decide who she wanted right then, because her parents wanted her to get out of the hospital and come back home and didn't want to still be dealing with a baby. So, they gave her that binder and she chose us," Josh said, in a daze.

"Well, what do we do, then? I can't leave. I'm gonna be here for at least another week," Sam said. He chuckled and wiped at his face.

"She had the baby two days ago," Josh said, not answering her question. Sam's mouth fell open.

"Really? The same day that Emma was born?" Justin asked. Josh nodded his head.

"Exactly 23 minutes after Emma was born," Josh said.

"They could share the same birthday. Where are they? What state are they in? Maybe you could find a flight out to her," Sam said. Josh laughed.

"She's three rooms down from us," Josh said. The room stopped of all noise. Justin was sure he heard a pin drop. How on earth? That had to be the biggest coincidence ever!

"He's meant to be ours, Josh. I just know it," Sam said.

"Wait! He didn't even say if it was a boy or a girl," Justin said. Josh didn't break eye contact with her.

"It's a boy," Josh confirmed.

"Holy crap," Justin said and sat back.

"I told you, ya know. I said, it doesn't feel right walking out of this hospital, and it's just the three of us. It needs to be the four of us. He was meant to be with us," Sam said.

"Baby...I don't want you getting attached. Months ago, someone talked with us. And they didn't end up choosing us," Josh said, trying to be delicate. But Sam shook her head.

"I was sad that they didn't choose us. But I didn't have the feeling that I do right this second. Yes, I was sad and devastated that another thing went wrong. But I didn't feel like it was meant to be, so I was able to move on. But this is different. From the moment I woke up after Emma was born, I had this missing feeling. He was born, and I knew I was supposed to be his mom. He's right down that hall, and he's ours, Josh. I know this. I know it with ever fiber in my being. We were meant to be his parents. We were meant to be in Pittsburgh this week. Emma was meant to be born two days ago, so they could share the same birthday. This is what is supposed to happen. No one could ever convince me otherwise. The four of us are supposed to leave this hospital together. So, go get our son, Joshua," Sam told him.

Justin's eyes were wide. No one had ever called him Joshua before that Justin had ever heard. But her confidence in a crazy situation like this...it was mind boggling. How could she be so sure? Josh broke eye contact with her and looked over at Justin.

"I may not ever understand her most of the time. She says the most random things, and I don't ever get it. But then...I understand. And that's why I never doubt her. I don't think too much on the things that she says, and I just don't get it. Because then I get smacked in the face with the biggest surprise of my life," Josh told him. Josh sat back and covered his face and laughed.

"Holy shit," Josh said.