Wind howled over the sands of King's Cove, autumn well and truly in place and bringing with it wind and rain and the constant threat of storms. Two nights ago, a hasty exit from the Connors' house had heralded the arrival of a long-expected third to add to their family. Today, they were bringing her home, pulling up as close to the house as they could so the trip from the car to the safety beyond the front door would be as short as possible.
"I'll get the door and then I'll come back for you and the baby," Rick told his wife, as he put the car into park in front of the house. Living at the cove didn't always mean sunshine and warm weather. They weren't immune to the change of seasons, as much as Rick might wish otherwise.
Nali smiled, tired but thankfully all healed up and no longer aching. "All right, baby," she agreed. "I'll wrap her up in my coat while I'm waiting, that way we can just rush for it." She leaned over to kiss his jaw. "I love you, by the way. Not sure if I said it yet today."
He smiled as he leaned into her kiss, brushing her cheek with a thumb. "Only about half a dozen times," he told her with a soft smile. "I love you, too. You know that right?"
"Oh, I know," she promised affectionately, drawing in a long slow breath. "It's going to be real good to be home tonight, though. My own pajamas never sounded so good."
"Not to mention your own bed," Rick added, glancing over at the tiny pink bundle who had fallen asleep in the car seat behind them. "Such a little angel," he murmured quietly. "How'd we get so lucky?"
"Impatient sperm," was Nali's philosophical response, offered with a grin and a wink. "Let's get her properly home, shall we?"
"Sounds like a plan," Rick said. He turned to push open the door and step out of the car, startled a moment by the fact that his brother was already there. "Jack! What are you doing?"
"I'm here to help," Jack replied. "We all are."
A glance over at the porch revealed Jaz and Lena waving from inside Rick's own house. In the car, Nali rolled her eyes, busily lifting the newborn into her arms to tuck her close inside the warmth of her coat.
"Pop the trunk," Jack instructed, already starting that way to help Tommy unload the car.
"Looks like we have company," Rick warned as he did as his brother asked. "You okay?" he asked, looking over at Nali and the baby.
Carefully tucking the edges of her coat around baby Ivy, Nali smiled over at Rick. "I will be if you come around this side and get me to the house without falling over," she suggested, too used to family just stepping in to help to argue with their unexpected welcoming committee. They were just lucky her own family hadn't descended on their house.
"Will do!" Rick said, climbing out of the car to go around to her side and help her out of the car. He wound an arm around her, to shield her and the baby from the wind with his body as much as he could as he escorted her to the door.
: Lena and Jaz were ready and waiting to gather them inside, ushering the new parents into the warm kitchen to sit down while tea and coffee was produced and set in front of them, together with bowls of steaming soup and freshly baked bread.
"We may or may not have been planning this since we knocked on Monday and no one answered," Jaz admitted with a wink.
"It's a pleasant surprise," Rick said, making sure Nali and the baby were comfortably settled in the kitchen. "I wasn't really looking forward to cooking tonight." As much as he enjoyed it, he had more important things on his mind tonight. "I should go help unpack the car," he said, gesturing vaguely toward the door.
Lena put one hand on the top of his head, as though fully prepared to hold him into the seat. "They've got it," she insisted. "Eat food, drink stuff, relax. There's about two weeks of food in your freezer, and enough in your fridge to get you through the next four days without having to defrost anything."
Nali laughed, hugging the baby close even as she sipped her tea. "You got my Mom involved, huh?"
"That sounds like an order," Rick said with a grin. He didn't really mind. He knew he and Nali were going to need at least a few days - maybe weeks - to get used to having a newborn.
"Definitely an order," Jaz confirmed, flashing Nali a grin. "Yes, your mom and dad cooked it all. So you don't need to worry about unexpected chili peppers or anything like that."
Rick shrugged off his jacket before helping Nali with hers and hanging them both on hooks by the door. He could hear Jack and Tommy conversing with each other as they unpacked the car and brought things into the house. "We really do appreciate the help," he said, before turning back to the women.
"Well, you nearly gave Jack a heart attack skipping out on us after midnight without a note or a text," Jaz told him with a laugh. "I think this is his idea of revenge, which I totally support."
"Sorry, I was in kind of a panic myself!" Rick admitted. He was usually calm and cool, exactly the opposite of his half-brother, but Nali going into labor in the middle of the night had definitely tested his nerves.
"If this is revenge, I'm almost afraid to imagine what unequivocal support looks like," Nali commented. She was ignoring Lena for the time being, since the woman was hovering in just the right place to get a good look at Ivy without making it seem as though she really wanted a hug from the baby.
Rick finally sat down at the table, grateful for the help and looking just a little amused at Lena's not very subtle way of trying to get a look at the baby. "Do you want to take a peek?" he asked, stirring a little sugar and milk into his tea.
Lena looked like she was going to deny it for a moment before grinning. "I'd be lying if I said no," she admitted cheerfully. "I don't want to push my luck, though. She's so teeny."
"She won't break," Rick pointed out. Unless, of course, someone dropped her, but he didn't think that would happen. "Where's the rest of the gang?" he asked, looking around and not seeing any evidence of small children or pets.
"I'll get the door and then I'll come back for you and the baby," Rick told his wife, as he put the car into park in front of the house. Living at the cove didn't always mean sunshine and warm weather. They weren't immune to the change of seasons, as much as Rick might wish otherwise.
Nali smiled, tired but thankfully all healed up and no longer aching. "All right, baby," she agreed. "I'll wrap her up in my coat while I'm waiting, that way we can just rush for it." She leaned over to kiss his jaw. "I love you, by the way. Not sure if I said it yet today."
He smiled as he leaned into her kiss, brushing her cheek with a thumb. "Only about half a dozen times," he told her with a soft smile. "I love you, too. You know that right?"
"Oh, I know," she promised affectionately, drawing in a long slow breath. "It's going to be real good to be home tonight, though. My own pajamas never sounded so good."
"Not to mention your own bed," Rick added, glancing over at the tiny pink bundle who had fallen asleep in the car seat behind them. "Such a little angel," he murmured quietly. "How'd we get so lucky?"
"Impatient sperm," was Nali's philosophical response, offered with a grin and a wink. "Let's get her properly home, shall we?"
"Sounds like a plan," Rick said. He turned to push open the door and step out of the car, startled a moment by the fact that his brother was already there. "Jack! What are you doing?"
"I'm here to help," Jack replied. "We all are."
A glance over at the porch revealed Jaz and Lena waving from inside Rick's own house. In the car, Nali rolled her eyes, busily lifting the newborn into her arms to tuck her close inside the warmth of her coat.
"Pop the trunk," Jack instructed, already starting that way to help Tommy unload the car.
"Looks like we have company," Rick warned as he did as his brother asked. "You okay?" he asked, looking over at Nali and the baby.
Carefully tucking the edges of her coat around baby Ivy, Nali smiled over at Rick. "I will be if you come around this side and get me to the house without falling over," she suggested, too used to family just stepping in to help to argue with their unexpected welcoming committee. They were just lucky her own family hadn't descended on their house.
"Will do!" Rick said, climbing out of the car to go around to her side and help her out of the car. He wound an arm around her, to shield her and the baby from the wind with his body as much as he could as he escorted her to the door.
: Lena and Jaz were ready and waiting to gather them inside, ushering the new parents into the warm kitchen to sit down while tea and coffee was produced and set in front of them, together with bowls of steaming soup and freshly baked bread.
"We may or may not have been planning this since we knocked on Monday and no one answered," Jaz admitted with a wink.
"It's a pleasant surprise," Rick said, making sure Nali and the baby were comfortably settled in the kitchen. "I wasn't really looking forward to cooking tonight." As much as he enjoyed it, he had more important things on his mind tonight. "I should go help unpack the car," he said, gesturing vaguely toward the door.
Lena put one hand on the top of his head, as though fully prepared to hold him into the seat. "They've got it," she insisted. "Eat food, drink stuff, relax. There's about two weeks of food in your freezer, and enough in your fridge to get you through the next four days without having to defrost anything."
Nali laughed, hugging the baby close even as she sipped her tea. "You got my Mom involved, huh?"
"That sounds like an order," Rick said with a grin. He didn't really mind. He knew he and Nali were going to need at least a few days - maybe weeks - to get used to having a newborn.
"Definitely an order," Jaz confirmed, flashing Nali a grin. "Yes, your mom and dad cooked it all. So you don't need to worry about unexpected chili peppers or anything like that."
Rick shrugged off his jacket before helping Nali with hers and hanging them both on hooks by the door. He could hear Jack and Tommy conversing with each other as they unpacked the car and brought things into the house. "We really do appreciate the help," he said, before turning back to the women.
"Well, you nearly gave Jack a heart attack skipping out on us after midnight without a note or a text," Jaz told him with a laugh. "I think this is his idea of revenge, which I totally support."
"Sorry, I was in kind of a panic myself!" Rick admitted. He was usually calm and cool, exactly the opposite of his half-brother, but Nali going into labor in the middle of the night had definitely tested his nerves.
"If this is revenge, I'm almost afraid to imagine what unequivocal support looks like," Nali commented. She was ignoring Lena for the time being, since the woman was hovering in just the right place to get a good look at Ivy without making it seem as though she really wanted a hug from the baby.
Rick finally sat down at the table, grateful for the help and looking just a little amused at Lena's not very subtle way of trying to get a look at the baby. "Do you want to take a peek?" he asked, stirring a little sugar and milk into his tea.
Lena looked like she was going to deny it for a moment before grinning. "I'd be lying if I said no," she admitted cheerfully. "I don't want to push my luck, though. She's so teeny."
"She won't break," Rick pointed out. Unless, of course, someone dropped her, but he didn't think that would happen. "Where's the rest of the gang?" he asked, looking around and not seeing any evidence of small children or pets.