"You what?" Kid couldn't believe his ears. Of all the times for her to come to her senses, this wasn't the best one.

Lou tried to turn on her side and reach for her nightstand.

Seeing Lou's struggle, Emma rushed forward to help her. Bending she listened as Lou whispered in her ear and followed the instructions to a small black pouch in the top drawer. Placing it in Lou's outstretched hand, she faded away as quickly as she'd stepped forward.

Lou opened the velvet pouch and pulled out Kid's wedding band. Gripping it between her thumb and forefinger, she raised it to her lips and kissed the warm gold before holding it out to Kid. "I want to give this back to you," she whispered. "I want us to be husband and wife and stay that way forever."

Kid leaned forward to try and gather Lou into his arms. "Oh, God, Lou. I've been waiting to hear those words from you forever." Letting go only to reach into his shirt pocket he pulled out her tiny gold band. "See, I have yours with me too. I've been keeping it right over my heart."

Emma and Rachel clutched hands as they watched the scene unfold. However, the wise doctor, while clearly touched by the tenderness of the two young people so obviously in love with one another, knew what was coming next and waited for the contraction to subside before speaking.

"Lou, sweetheart, you can get married as soon as we bring your baby into this world. I'll even go for the preacher myself."

"Doc Bailey, it has to be now!" Lou pleaded. "This baby was made while we were happily married and I want it born while we're happily married."

"There's not enough time to get the preacher," he knew the head would be visible any minute and the next contraction was coming fast.

After Kid helped Lou through the pain he turned back to Rachel. "Go get Teaspoon. He did it the first time, he can do it now." As Rachel bolted from the room Kid added with a shout, "Bring everyone else too!"

"Now, Kid, I don't think this is the time for a spectacle." The doctor was a liberal man, but he took childbirth very seriously.

"They won't stay to see the baby bein' born, just the wedding. Please," Kid begged. "They're all our family."

"Please," Lou pleaded just as another intense contraction ripped through her.

"Fine, but we'd better make this quick." He watched as Kid stroked Lou's cheek as the pain crested then gently take the ring from her while Emma tried to prop her up with pillows and straighten her hair and bedclothes. "You know, I've seen some unconventional things in my sixty years, but this may win the prize!" Stepping to the side of the room he muttered, "Marjorie's not going to believe she missed this."

The footsteps racing up the stairs sounded more like a herd of buffalo than ten people. Pushing their way in, Rachel and Teaspoon, Charlotte and Travis, Buck and Jenny, Sam, Jimmy and the children gathered around the bed.

"Did someone say something about a wedding?" asked Jimmy jokingly.

Lou smiled through the aches in her body and looked up at the crowd gathered around the bed. Seeing so many people who hadn't been at their original wedding she joked, "At least for most of you this won't be an encore performance."

"Even for those of us who saw it the first time, we don't mind seeing it again," stated Rachel.

Lou let Rachel and Emma hold her up so Kid could climb into the bed to sit behind her and support her back. Nestling against his warm chest she could feel his heart beating as wildly as hers. Tipping her head back on his shoulder she whispered into his ear, "I love you. I never stopped loving you. I just wanted you to know that."

Kid knew nothing he said back could compare with Lou's heartfelt words and instead of replying he chose just to enjoy them. His neck still warm from Lou's breath, he nodded to Teaspoon to begin the ceremony.

Teaspoon pulled out his spectacles, opened his bible and cleared his throat as all the 'guests' started to shuffle their feet in anticipation. Taking a dramatic pause, he began, "Dearly beloved," before the entire group cut him off.

"Teaspoon!" they all groaned in chorus.

Lou wanted to laugh along with everyone else, but another contraction started to tear through her and she was busy trying to breathe her way through it. Ignoring the stares of disbelief from her friends and family over what they were witnessing, Lou turned to Kid. "We'd better do this fast, and now, or they're all gonna see parts of me they have no business knowing about."

Kid looked up at Teaspoon. "The short version, Teaspoon, and make it quick."

The ceremony was finished in record time and Teaspoon declared Kid and Lou husband and wife as they each slipped the other's ring back onto their fingers. Sharing a soft kiss to seal their vows, Lou nearly bit Kid's lip when a pain like she hadn't yet felt passed through her body. Pulling away she looked first at Kid and then at the doctor before stating very deliberately, "It's time."

Dr. Bailey wasn't surprised she was ready. He knew his patient's body would tell her when, what he was surprised about was that she'd lasted so long. In a hurry to clear the room he shoved all the well-wishers out the door without pretenses. Back at the foot of the bed he lifted the sheet that covered Lou. "Well", he started as he looked up at the nervous couple with a smile. "Let's have a baby."

The pushing lasted too long for Lou's liking, but with Kid's unfailing support and Emma and Rachel's encouraging words, she bared down one last time and with a great, hair curling scream the newest McCloud entered the world. The child's first cry echoed throughout the house and shouts of joy and excitement could be heard from the group waiting downstairs.

Kid got up from the bed so Emma and Rachel could help Lou get washed up. Watching as Dr. Bailey examined and cleaned the baby, he was in awe that he and Lou had made such an amazing and perfect miracle. When Lou was ready he took the swaddled bundle from the doctor and gingerly walked back to the bed. Bending down, he placed a light kiss on his wife's lips, set their baby in her arms and crawled in beside them.

"Lou," he whispered. She was starting to unwrap the baby and he waited until she stopped and turned her head, meeting him with an equally intense gaze. "We have a daughter," he gushed in a voice so muted she had to strain to hear him. His tears mixed with the smile now permanently affixed on his face. "We have a baby girl, just like you dreamed."

Lou couldn't resist looking at her baby, all freshly scrubbed and smelling soft and sweet. She counted and kissed every tiny finger while Kid counted every tiny toe.

"They're all there, Lou. She's got ten fingers and ten toes." He reached to touch the downy hair that covered the baby's head. "She even has your beautiful, brown hair."

Sensing she was being talked about, the newborn opened her eyes to her parents for the first time. Looking down into the cherubic face, Lou's heart danced. "She has your blue eyes, Kid! Look how blue they are; they're brighter than a summer sky!"

Kid continued to look from mother to daughter. "God, Lou, she's beautiful. You're beautiful."

"I must look a mess." She knew between the bruises from Wicks and the hours of straining she probably looked worse than she had after any hard run.

"You look perfect." He kissed her again when she shook her head. "I mean it, Lou. I can't believe what you did today. You're so strong and so brave. I would've passed out after the first minute."

Lou snickered at the idea of Kid lying in her place giving birth. "I think you would have too, if you lasted that long."

Placing his finger to his daughter's hand he was surprised when she instinctively closed her grasp around it. "I can't believe how tiny she is," he marveled, comparing her miniature hand to his large one. "I'm afraid I'll break her."

"She sure is tiny," Lou agreed. "Doc Bailey, is she okay since she was so early?" Getting no response, Lou looked up to find the room empty. Rachel, Emma and the doctor had slipped out unnoticed. "I guess he wouldn't have left her with us if there was a problem."

"Let's hope not." Kid was starting to show signs of panic. "Lou what are we gonna do, we don't know nothing about bein' parents!"

As if on cue, the baby started to cry. "Well, I guess we're gonna figure it out pretty quickly." Lou raised her voice to be heard over the noise. "Sounds like Cody when she's wailing like this." Comparing her to Cody made Lou think of food. "You think she's hungry?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Kid offered to take the baby as Lou started to unbutton the top of the fresh nightgown she wore.

"Guess it's time to put these to use," Lou joked as she looked down at her expanded bust.

Kid couldn't help but laugh. "I can think of a few ideas," he suggested as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh, no! Your ideas are what got us into this mess in the first place." Taking the baby back into her arms, Lou was amazed when she latched right on. "Well, we've figured this out, what's next?"

An hour after they all heard the baby stop crying, Rachel knocked softly and slowly opened the bedroom door. Kid opened his eyes at the creak of her feet on the wooden floor, but Lou and the baby remained asleep.

She kept her voice hushed. "Sorry to wake you, Kid, but if we don't let those people down there see y'all, I think they're gonna form a lynch mob. I did as you asked. I didn't tell them what you had, but there's been some wagerin'."

"Give us ten minutes and then go ahead and let 'em come up, I'll wake Lou."

"Oh, I hate for you to do that." Rachel stepped beside the bed and gently moved the blanket back to get a better look at the baby. Glancing at her and then at Lou, she winked at Kid. "Looks like you'd better get a shot gun."

"A shotgun?" he asked as he stifled a yawn.

"You daughter looks just like her mother and if you don't want a boy like you coming along and stealin' her away, you'd best arm yourself." Chuckling, Rachel slipped out to gather the troops.

"She's just teasing you, Kid," Lou said with her eyes still closed. She'd heard the whole exchange and could sense he was contemplating Rachel's words seriously. Without looking she knew a crease of worry had already formed in his forehead.

"Maybe I should get one though."

Now Lou's eyes were open. "What on earth for, Kid?"

Stroking his daughter's cool cheek with two fingers, he looked at Lou. "For her. For you. I promised I wouldn't let anything happen again, Lou, and look at you. Look what the bastard did to you." The bruises were beginning to turn various colors and Kid's eyes welled with tears.

"Please, Kid, don't. I can't stand to see you hurtin' like this. I'm fine. We're fine." She clutched the baby close to her. "Besides, you said he's gone."

"He is." Kid still wasn't ready to discuss what he'd done that morning by Crazy Edgar's cabin. Instead he rose from the bed and walked to the window.

"You don't have to talk about it." She knew what he'd done weighed heavily on his mind.

Kid couldn't look at his wife and daughter. "I'm afraid I'll be like him, Lou. Maybe it's in my blood."

"No! You're nothing like him, and you know it!" Despite everything he'd done to her, Lou found she was most furious at Ethan Wicks for making the Kid doubt himself. "Don't ever think you'll be like him, you hear me?"

"How can I not?"

"By remembering everyday that you're already more of a man than that bastard ever was and that he didn't make you into the good man you are. You did that on your own and Teaspoon helped and so did Sam and Jimmy and Buck and Ike and Noah and Cody. Even Rachel and Emma. Those people - our family, our friends, they're the ones you carry with you, not him. They're the ones who taught you about love and compassion, friendship and honor. They gave you the love he didn't and you used it to build yourself into the man I love, into the man who is the father to this very special little girl, into the man I plan to have more children with, into the only man I want to grow old with. I don't want to hear you ever doubting yourself, Kid. I won't stand for it!"

Kid returned to the bed and sitting beside Lou he lifted his arm so he could pull her close and snuggle her against him. "Thank you," he whispered as he placed a kiss at her temple.

"For what?"

"For having faith in me."

Lou considered his words before speaking. "Then I should say the same."

"For what?" Kid echoed her response. "Why?"

"For having faith in us. You never gave up on me, Kid. When others would have turned and run you stayed and persisted, and pursued," she laughed as she remembered his attempts at courting her. It had taken a long tome to get where they were now. "We're quite a pair aren't we?"

"None like us," he smiled as he kissed her again. "I love you, Lou." He'd never meant the words more than he did then. "And I promise I'll always love you, and her." He kissed the baby. "And the dozen more we're gonna have."

Easily recalling her earlier pain, she shuddered at the idea of a litter of children, but knew for him, she'd do it. "I love you, too, Kid." Before she could say anything else, they heard a flurry of activity in the hall.

"Louise, can we come in?" Teresa asked peaking her head into the doorway.

"Of course, sweetie. We have someone for you to meet." Lou smiled as first her sister and brother and then everyone else shuffled quietly into the room to gather around the bed.

"Well, aren't you looking a little better than earlier," observed Teaspoon.

"I feel better, too. I thought with all my hollerin' I'd scared y'all out of the house."

"Not a chance, Lou. Not without seein' the little one." Jimmy tried to sneak a peak under the blanket, but Lou slapped at his hand playfully.

"Just hold on, Jimmy, and we'll introduce you proper like."

Kid cleared his throat as Lou turned the baby to the group. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to our daughter," he paused and watched the enthusiastic reaction to the announcement that they had a little girl and even saw some wagers being paid off. "This is Miss Erin Grace McCloud."

Lou immediately jumped in when she saw Emma, Rachel and Charlotte look at one another. "We didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings by choosing one name over the other. You're all so special to us that we couldn't decide. So, we chose a whole different one. The name is Irish, and I'm Irish, and Erin means peace. We thought that was fitting, 'cause now we've finally found peace in our lives."

Emma spoke for not only the three women, but for the entire room when she said, "Welcome to the family, Erin Grace McCloud. We're honored to meet you."

They didn't stay long. It was easy to see that Lou, and even the Kid, were worn out from the events of the last two days. When the room was finally empty, the new parents lay watching as their child slept.

"She really is amazing." Kid was almost to the point of being dumbstruck by the tiny bundle he held.

"I know it and I won't ever forget what we went through to have her. To have her together." Lou caressed the tiny foot beneath the blanket.

Kid knew she was thinking not only of what happened that morning, but what happened twice before. "That's over now, Lou, and you were right, we have made peace with the past. I think Erin's a fitting name."

"I agree, Kid, and I think we are gonna be okay," Lou murmured as she closed her eyes and drifted into a happy slumber. She no longer feared the nightmares that once plagued her dreams. Finally, the demon was gone and in its place was a new life that would forever be filled with love and peace.

The End