DISCLAIMER: See Chapter One for disclaimers, etc.
 

TITLE: Picking Up The Pieces-Chapter Thirteen
 

AUTHOR: Cindy (RkieFan1960@AOL.com
 

SETTING: Jun. - Sept. 2002
 

SUMMARY: In this chapter, we have weddings, adoption and a birth. Need I say more?
 
 

JUNE
 

After hearing Shelby's revelation, Mary Kathryn ordered her to stay with Eddie. She ran down the flagstone path to the main house and burst into the kitchen, causing both of her parents to look at her in shock. "Mary Kathryn, what's wrong?" Mike asked.
 

"The Gallagher's took Shelby to the convalescent home to see Troy," Mary Kathryn informed her parents as Jill's face went white.
 

"They did what?" Jill shouted in disbelief.
 

"Shelby made a comment about how he doesn't do anything but lie in bed. She then told us that it was supposed to be a secret and she wasn't supposed to tell anybody," Mary Kathryn told her parents as Jill walked over to the phone and called Mr. Maxwell.
 

"Mr. Maxwell, this is Jill Danko. I'm sorry to call you at home on a Sunday, but I just learned that the Gallagher's took Shelby to see her father. Yeah, I'm sure. Yeah, you do that and call me back," she said in a sarcastic tone as she slammed the phone down. "He's going to call the judge and then he'll call me back." She stood in silent fury for a minute before picking up the phone and dialing again.
 

"Who are you calling now?" Mike asked her as she waved him silent.
 

The phone was answered on the second ring by Mrs. Gallagher. "Mrs. Gallagher, this is Jill Danko. I would like to know just what the hell you were thinking when you defied the judge's order and took Shelby to see her father? "
 

"Oh, boy," Mike sighed as him and Mary Kathryn stared at Jill.
 

"We didn't take Shelby to see her father. We did show her videos of her father. She's a delightful child. You've done a wonderful job of raising her," Mrs. Gallagher gushed while Jill felt like throwing up.
 

"Yeah, well, it should've been her mother who's done a wonderful job of raising her. Shelby told her aunt that she went to see her father. She said it was supposed to be a secret," Jill continued as Ryker and Shelby came into the house. "Mary Kathryn, take her to her room and empty her overnight bag."
 

"Come on, Shelby. We'll play with the 'Leapfrog.' You can show me all the words you know," Mary Kathryn held her hand out and led Shelby from the room.
 

"What's going on?" Ryker asked as he looked at Mike.
 

"My ex-wife is talking to Troy's mother, wanting to know why they took Shelby to see Troy. This is getting very ugly," Mike complained as he got up and walked out of the house.
 

After talking to Mrs. Gallagher for several minutes, Jill hung up and went to Shelby's room where Shelby was showing Mary Kathryn the things the Gallagher's had bought her. Jill sat down on the bed and pulled Shelby down beside her. "I want to know something. Did you watch videos of your daddy this weekend?"
 

"Friday night, after we went to dinner. I told them I'm allergic to shrimp, so I had chicken. That's okay, right?" Shelby asked as Jill nodded.
 

"That's fine. What did you do yesterday?" Jill asked as Shelby looked at Mary Kathryn.
 

"We had pancakes for breakfast," Shelby hedged as Jill looked at her. "Then we went shopping. Grandma wanted me to have a nice dress when we met my Aunt Sara. I played with my cousin Samantha. She's seven," Shelby continued dodging the subject as only a child can do.
 

"Where did you meet your Aunt Sara and cousin Samantha?" Jill asked, knowing full well what Shelby was doing. "Shelby, I'm not angry at you. I just want you to tell me the truth."
 

"I heard them talking in the car when we were going back to their house. They said you and Papa would be angry if they found out I saw him. I don't want them to get in trouble," Shelby said in a shaky voice.
 

"Shelby, the reason we didn't want you seeing your daddy is he's not going to get any better and we didn't want you to get upset. But, when we went to court, the judge was very definite when he told them he didn't want them to take you to see him. They're not in as much trouble with us as they're going to be with the judge," Jill tried to explain as Shelby looked at her sadly.
 

"Will he put them in jail?" She asked.
 

"No, I don't think he'll do that, but he's not going to be very happy," Jill said.
 

"Can I go outside to play now?" She asked as Jill nodded.
 

Mike was sitting in a lounge chair on the dock when Shelby came skipping up, stopping beside his chair. After staring at each other for several seconds, she climbed into the chair with him. "What are you doing out here? It's going to be dark in a little while," he told her as she sat staring at him.
 

"Nana told me I could come out to play," she answered as she continued looking at him.
 

"In your good dress?" He asked as he noted her dress.
 

"I don't think she cares. I think she's mad at the other grandparents," she decided as Mike fought back a smile.
 

"I think you're probably right," he agreed.
 

"How come she doesn't like them? They were very nice to me," Shelby wanted to know as she smoothed the ruffled front of her new dress.
 

"It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it when you get married," he declared as she gave him a funny look.
 

"Shelby, Nana wants you to come in the house and eat dinner," Mary Kathryn shouted as she came out to the dock.
 

Later that night, Mike turned to Jill as they lay in bed. "I was thinking this afternoon," he began as she looked at him.
 

"Was it painful?" She teased as he slapped at her.
 

"Would you please let me finish? I want to adopt Shelby," he stated as Jill sat up and smiled.
 

"You want to adopt her? Oh, Mike, that's wonderful!" She smiled as she leaned over to kiss him.
 

"There's more. Marry me again. I want us to be a family again," he pleaded as she pulled away to look at him.
 

"Mike, there's still so much that's gone unsaid between us," she began as he stopped her.
 

"I know and it's probably never going to be said. I saw your face when I was being questioned during the hearing. Jill, if I could turn the clock back, I would've driven him home myself. But, as Lt. Ryker once told me a long time ago, if hindsight were twenty/twenty, we'd all be wiser men. When Savannah made the decision to drive him home that night and I agreed, I didn't see a 16-year-old girl. I saw a young woman that had always been wise beyond her years. That's something that I have to live with for the rest of my life. And, not telling you that she was seeing him is also something that I'm always going to have to live with. But, I can't change what happened that night. All that I can do is try to move forward and the only way that I feel I can do that is by having you and the kids with me once again. I love you, Jill," he finished as he looked at her.
 

"I love you, too," she breathed as he pulled her close to him.
 

"So, is that a 'yes'?" He asked as she smiled and slowly nodded.
 

"Yeah, that's definitely a 'yes'," she grinned as he kissed her.
 

The next morning, Jill was cooking breakfast for Mike and the kids when Michelle came waddling in. "Okay, I've made a decision that I can't possibly get any larger," she announced as she collapsed on the couch.
 

"Oh, believe me, you can and you will," Jill told her as Michelle glared at her. They both then stared at Shelby, who was trying to peer under Michelle's maternity smock. "Shelby, what in the world are you doing?"
 

"I was just wondering how the baby's going to get out," she wondered out loud as Jill tried to keep from laughing.
 

"It's going to get out the same way that it got in," Michelle groaned.
 

"Michelle, for Pete's sake, she's five years old! I haven't had the whole talk with her, yet," Jill warned Michelle as Shelby stared at her.
 

"Well, you'd better, before one of her friends at school tells her more than you ever wanted her to know. Then, she'll start asking questions such as why do you and daddy take a bath together?" Michelle grinned.
 

"Why do you and Papa . . . . " Shelby started to ask as Jill cut her off and pointed her toward the breakfast table.
 

"Remember when Savannah asked you that?" Michelle remembered as she started laughing.
 

"Yeah. I think your father said it had something to do with water conservation," Jill also remembered as she poured Shelby a glass of juice.
 

"What had to do with water conservation?" Mike asked as he walked into the house.
 

"Why you and Nana take a bath together," Shelby answered with a mouth full of cereal.
 

"Hey babe, I was thinking that maybe we could go downtown to the courthouse," Mike stated as Michelle looked at her parents.
 

"Are you guys going to get a marriage license or something?" Michelle asked as Jill flushed deep red. "Oh my God! This is great! When are you going to do it?"
 

"We don't know, yet," Jill remarked as the phone rang. "Hello?"
 

"Mrs. Danko, this is Joe Maxwell. I talked to Judge Miller this morning and he wants to meet with you and the Gallagher's Friday morning to discuss the events of this past weekend. He wants everybody in his courtroom at 9 a.m.," he concluded as Jill hung up the phone.
 

"We go back to court Friday morning. I'm hoping the judge is going to hand the Gallagher's their heads on a platter," Jill concluded as Mike smiled.
 

"I'll be back later," he exclaimed as he charged out of the door.
 

"Mom, have I ever told you how strange that man is," Mary Kathryn commented as she walked in the back door.
 

"So I've noticed," Jill agreed as she sat down with the kids.
 

When Mike arrived back home later that afternoon, Mary Kathryn was sitting by the pool with the kids while Willie sat nearby typing furiously on his laptop. "Where have you been all day?" He asked as Mike came whistling up the walk.
 

"Well, William, I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. I can say this though. Keep Friday morning open. I need you guys to come to court with us," Mike informed him as he frowned.
 

"Why would I want to do that?" Willie asked as he looked at Mary Kathryn, who just shrugged.
 

"Because I asked you to," Mike grinned.
 

"Does this involve you buying lunch?" Willie asked.
 

"There might be food involved," Mike agreed mysteriously. "Mary Kathryn, can you keep an eye on the kids for a couple of hours? I need to go somewhere with your mother."
 

"Yeah, I can watch them. Where are you going?" She asked as he prepared to rush back out the door.
 

"Out!" He shouted mysteriously as Willie and Mary Kathryn looked at each other. He ran back into the main house where Jill was washing up the breakfast dishes. "Jill, Mary Kathryn's agreed to watch the kids for a couple of hours. Let's go into town."
 

"Mike, I have so much to do," she complained. "I have laundry scattered everywhere and . . . "
 

"Please? I promise that it won't take very long," he pleaded as she sighed.
 

"I need to change clothes," she complained as she looked down at her clothes.
 

"You look fine," he assured her as he took her hand and practically dragged her to the front door. "Michelle, Mary Kathryn's going to be here in a few minutes."
 

"Where are we going?" She asked him when they got to his car.
 

"I thought maybe we could go and get a marriage license," he told her innocently as she smiled. "If we get it today, we still have 90 days to use it."
 

"Why do I get the feeling that you don't want to wait 90 days?" She grinned as he opened the car door for her.
 

"Oh, you might be right," he agreed mysteriously as he got behind the wheel and started the car.
 

Friday morning, Judge Howard Marshall was in his chambers when he heard somebody knock on his door. "Come in," he called.
 

"Judge Marshall? I'm Michael Danko. You're hearing a case involving my granddaughter this morning," Mike explained as the judge looked disinterested.
 

"Mr. Danko, it's probably not a good idea for us to be talking," the judge reminded him.
 

"Oh, I don't want to talk to you about the hearing. I was wondering if you could perform a wedding ceremony after the hearing has concluded," Mike stammered as the judge put his pen down.
 

"Who's getting married?" The judge asked.
 

"My ex-wife and I are getting remarried. Can you perform the ceremony?" Mike asked once again as the judge smiled.
 

"I think I can spare a few minutes in between court cases," he smiled as Mike breathed a huge sigh of relief.
 

"Thank you, your honor," Mike thanked the judge as he left the room and closed the door behind him. He ran down the corridor where everybody else was waiting outside of the courtroom. "Everything's all set," he grinned, as they all stared at him.
 

"What're you talking about?" Jill asked as the court clerk stepped outside and summoned them into the room.
 

"You'll see," he told her as he picked up Shelby and followed her into the courtroom.
 

When the judge entered the room a few minutes later, he looked out to where all of Mike and Jill's extended family and friends were sitting in the gallery. "Mrs. Danko, who are all of these people?" He asked in irritation.
 

"Family, your honor," Jill stammered.
 

"This is family court, Mrs. Danko, not criminal court. Unless they have business with this hearing, they'll have to wait outside. They can come back after I've made my ruling," he added mysteriously as Willie, Terry and everybody stood up and exited the courtroom. "Mr. Williams, I understand that your clients disobeyed my ruling and took the minor to see her father. Is this correct?"
 

"Yes, your honor," he barely whispered as the judge glared at him.
 

"Are they obtuse or just very stupid? Or, did they think the child wouldn't say anything? When I make a ruling, Mr. Williams, I expect it to be followed. Since your clients have obvious problems doing this, I'll revise my ruling. Mr. And Mrs. Gallagher, you'll be allowed to see your granddaughter every Friday afternoon from 4 o'clock until 6 o'clock at the offices of Child Welfare Services. And, one more thing. These will be supervised visits. You're both very lucky that I'm not holding you in contempt of court. Court is adjourned!" The judge banged his gavel in finality as Mr. Williams left the room with his clients. "Mr. Danko, you can bring your family back in."
 

"Mike, what's going on?" Jill asked as Mike walked to the courtroom doors and ushered everybody back in.
 

"Oh, I just thought it might be a good day to get married," he grinned. "Judge Marshall has agreed to perform the ceremony."
 

"Do you have everything in order, Mr. Danko?" The judge asked as Mike nodded and handed him the marriage license. "Do you have rings?"
 

"Yes, sir," Terry chimed in as Jill looked first at him, then at Mike.
 

"Fine, let's get started. We are gathered here to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Michael, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?" The judge asked as Mike smiled.
 

"I do," Mike murmured.
 

"Jill, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?" He asked Jill.
 

"I do," Jill said as she fought back tears.
 

After exchanging rings, the judge began to speak once again. "By the power vested in me by the state of California, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride," Judge Marshall told Mike as Mike pulled Jill close and kissed her. "Congratulations."
 

"Thank you," Mike smiled as he wiped tears from Jill's face.
 

JULY
 

After marrying Jill the previous month, Mike hired a lawyer to start the adoption process for Shelby. "I don't understand why you want a paper stating that you're her guardian. Re-marrying your ex-wife should be more than enough," his lawyer assured him.
 

"I made a lot of mistakes after Shelby's birth. Adopting her would be the first process in making some of those things right again," Mike told his attorney.
 

"You do know of course that social services will have to conduct a home study," the lawyer warned him.
 

"I know that. I've been through the adoption mill before," Mike reminded the lawyer.
 

"I'll get the paperwork started," the lawyer sighed as he took the papers from Mike.
 

The social worker assigned by Child Welfare Services was a young woman by the name of Charlene Gray. She'd only been with CWS for a few months. Her first stop was to visit Jill. Due to conflicting schedules, she had to arrange to meet with Jill at the hospital during Jill's lunch break. After offering the young woman coffee, Jill sat at the table across from her.
 

"I'm sorry if I'm a little nervous. I've only done one home study before this one," Ms. Gray apologized as she opened her briefcase. "I see here that you have two grown daughters."
 

"Michelle and Mary Kathryn," Jill answered.
 

"How do they feel about their father adopting Shelby?" Ms. Gray asked.
 

"I'm not sure. It's not really anything we've discussed one way or the other," Jill said.
 

"Why didn't your husband adopt Shelby when you did in 1998?" Ms. Gray asked.
 

"My husband and I were having marital problems. He didn't agree with me adopting her. That was one of the factors that led to us divorcing a year later," Jill said in a tight voice.
 

"What has changed his mind?" Ms. Gray wanted to know.
 

"He's had opportunity to spend time with her and he loves her as much as I do. This is something he's been talking about for several months," Jill assured the young woman.
 

"When would it be possible for me to talk to Shelby?" The social worker asked.
 

"Any time in the afternoon," Jill told her.
 

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Mike and Ryker were working on case files when the doorbell rang. Mike answered the door to find Ms. Gray standing there. "Mr. Danko?" She asked as Mike nodded. "I'm Ms. Gray from CWS. Your wife told me that I could come out here and talk with Shelby."

"Please, come in. I'll go outside and get her," Mike offered as Ms. Gray stopped him.
 

"That's okay. I'd rather go to wherever she is," Ms. Gray explained.
 

"She's out back playing in her playhouse," Mike said as he led her to the back door and pointed to a small wooden house in the backyard.
 

Shelby was busily having a tea party with her dolls when Ms. Gray approached the small house that someone had obviously taken a great deal of care to build for the little girl. "Excuse me, are you Shelby?" She asked as she peeked in through the window.
 

"Yes. Would you like to come to my party?" Shelby asked as she opened the door and Ms. Gray stepped in, having to hunch over as Shelby set another place setting of doll china. "Please sit down," Shelby pointed to a small plastic chair.
 

"Will this chair hold me?" Ms. Gray asked skeptically as Shelby nodded.
 

"My Papa sits on it and it doesn't break," Shelby assured her as Ms. Gray gingerly sat down.
 

"Cream and sugar?" Shelby asked as she held out an imaginary sugar bowl and cream pitcher.
 

"Sugar, please," Ms. Gray played along as Shelby pretended to put sugar in her cup. "How do you feel about your grandfather adopting you?"
 

"He brings me good presents when he goes on trips. He reads to me before I go to sleep," she told the social worker.
 

"What does he read to you?" Ms. Gray asked as she took notes.
 

"Right now, he's reading 'Stuart Little.' He reads it better than the movie. He's read me about a hundred books, I guess," she said as she nodded her head. "He's a good book reader."
 

"What else does he do?" Ms. Gray asked.
 

"He taught me to swim and tie my shoes and play poker," she listed as Ms. Gray's eyes widened.
 

"He lets you play poker?" Ms. Gray asked in shock.
 

"Not for real money. We play for match sticks or pretzels. He said it'll make me better in math," she added as Ms. Gray shook her head.
 

"Well, thank you very much for the tea, Shelby. I'm going to go talk to your grandfather now," Ms. Gray stated as she stood up and smoothed her clothes before exiting the play house. Mike and Lt. Ryker were still working when Ms. Gray walked back into the house. "May I ask why you've taught your granddaughter to play poker?"
 

"It improves her math skills," Mike answered as he looked at the woman.
 

"I see. Does she also shoot craps?" Ms. Gray asked sarcastically as Mike looked at Lt. Ryker in amusement.
 

"No, but only because I won't let her play with dice," Mike answered back.
 

"Mr. Danko, you might find this very amusing, but incidents like this can stop the adoption," Ms. Gray threatened as Eddie stood up.
 

"Ms. Gray, can I walk you to your car?" Eddie suggested as he led the lady through the house and out to her car. "Ms. Gray, I have known Mr. Danko for thirty years. He's a wonderful father. He might be a little unconventional in some of his teachings, but he doesn't do anything maliciously. He loves that little girl very much."
 

"I'm sure he does, Mr. . . " she paused.
 

"Ryker," Eddie filled in for her.
 

"I'm sure he does love her, Mr. Ryker, but don't you see anything just a little bit wrong with teaching a five-year-old poker?" She beseeched as Eddie shook his head.
 

"Ms. Gray, I'm sure you've seen parents in your work who've taught their children far worse," he told her.
 

"Yes, I have," she acquiesced as she opened her car door and got inside. "The judge will call when I've filed my report."
 
 

AUGUST
 

It was the 20th of August. Jill was planning a birthday party for Mike. She was decorating the living room when Michelle waddled in. Four days overdue, she was miserable. Thomas had arrived from Camp Pendleton the night before and was staying with her at Eddie's house. Michelle was hoping she'd have the baby that weekend while Thomas was there. "Hey, sweetie," Jill greeted her as she awkwardly sat down on the sofa.
 

"I think I'm going to go on a five-mile run to see if I can get this baby to come out," Michelle complained as Jill smiled.
 

"You don't want to do that in this heat. What did your doctor say?" Jill asked as she hung streamers from the doorway.
 

"She said if nothing happens by Monday, she'll induce. Were you late with Mary Kathryn?" Michelle asked.
 

"Yeah. Most first babies are late. I wouldn't worry," Jill soothed her.
 

"I don't worry about that. I worry about everybody being in the room and seeing everything," Michelle shuddered at the thought.
 

"Believe me, once you start pushing that baby out, it isn't going to matter to you who's in the room. You're not going to be able to focus on anything but delivering that baby," Jill assured her as she continued hanging decorations.
 

"Have you heard anything from the lawyer regarding Shelby's adoption?" Michelle asked as she changed the subject.
 

"No, but Eddie said the case worker didn't like Mike much. He said he hopefully got her to change her opinion of him," Jill said.
 

"Let me guess. She didn't like the poker thing," Michelle guessed as Jill nodded. "I remember one of my teachers in middle school having that reaction, too. I'm going to go back to Eddie's and rest for a while. This heat makes me so tired."
 

Later that afternoon, the guys were out in the backyard where Terry was grilling steaks. Michelle was sitting on one of the patio chairs talking to Jen and watching Thomas laughing and drinking beer with his father and the other guys. Her back had been aching all afternoon and there was no way to get comfortable in the heat. She decided to go into the house, where it was at least air-conditioned. She had just struggled to hear feet when she felt a 'pop' and warm water began coursing down her legs. "Oh my God!" She cried out.
 

"Michelle, it's okay! Your mother and I have both been there," Jennifer assured her as she jumped out of her chair and rushed to her side.
 

"What's going on?" Thomas asked, rushing over.
 

"My water just broke," Michelle muttered as a violent contraction took her breath away.
 

"What water?" Shelby asked as she ran over to see what all the excitement was about. "Yuck! It's wet over here!"
 

"Shelby, go get your grandmother. We need to get to the hospital, now!" Jen told the assembled multitude in a frantic tone as her and Thomas helped Michelle into the house.
 

It took three cars to get everybody to the hospital, since nobody wanted to stay home. Michelle's contractions were coming fast and furiously and she kept wanting her father to stop the car every time she had one. "Michelle, I can't stop the car in the middle of the 405! I'll get a ticket!" Mike told her as Thomas timed her contractions.
 

"Mike, you'd better break some speed limits. I have a feeling this baby's going to get here quick!" Jill ordered him as Thomas showed her the stop watch. "Michelle, were you having pains before this?"
 

"No. I've just been tired and my back's been aching," Michelle said between pains.
 

When they got to the hospital, Mike ran in and got an orderly with a wheelchair. The nurse at the admit desk looked slightly amused when she looked up and saw the throng of family who came in with Michelle. She told the orderly to take Michelle up to Labor And Delivery, where she was immediately taken to one of the birthing rooms. The doctor arrived a few minutes later, amused to find the room full of family. "Michelle, I understand that you might be in labor," Dr. Gaylord announced as Michelle made a face.
 

"If water running down my legs and these pains ripping through me mean anything, then I am in labor," Michelle shouted in fury as the doctor smiled.
 

"Well, let's have a look, shall we?" The doctor suggested as she snapped on a pair of latex gloves while Michelle looked at her parents in horror.
 

"Does the whole family have to be in here while you do that?" Michelle asked in embarrassment.
 

"We'll be outside," Jill said as she grabbed Mike's hand and beckoned to Willie, Jen and Thomas. They stepped outside where Terry was waiting with Michael and Shelby.
 

"Is Michelle going to have that old baby in a few minutes? I'm hungry," Shelby whined as Jill smiled.
 

"It's going to be more than a few minutes, but I do think it's going to be pretty soon," Jill said as she sat down and pulled the little girl onto her lap.
 

"She ruined some perfectly good steaks," Terry pointed out as Mike nodded.
 

"Not to mention my birthday," he groaned as Jill slapped at him.
 

The doctor was smiling as she stepped out of the room. "You can go back in now. The baby's going to be here pretty soon. She's already at eight. There's not even going to be time for an epidural, which isn't making her happy. I'd say at the rate that she's progressing, it'll probably be another hour, maybe two."
 

"Until she can push?" Thomas asked.
 

"No, until she has it," the doctor told him.
 

Jill tapped on the door before she walked back in followed by Mike, Thomas, Willie and Jennifer. Terry agreed to stay with the kids. "It would be just my luck that I'm like one of those peasant women who goes into labor, has the kid and goes right back to work," Michelle groused as Jill started laughing.
 

"Hey, believe me, this is better than a 18-hour labor any day of the week. I know because I went through that with Mary Kathryn," Jill assured her as she dampened a wash cloth and placed it on Michelle's forehead.
 

Within an hour, all of the participants were wishing they could be anywhere but in that room because Michelle was screaming for morphine or a gun so that she could just shoot herself. "Michelle, listen to me," Jen said sternly as she forced the young woman to look at her. "The screaming isn't going to make things better. Believe me when I tell you that once that baby comes out, you're going to forget the pain. It'll be like it never existed. You need to focus and stop screaming. The screaming is just making your body tense up."
 

"I can't do this," Michelle cried as tears ran down her face.
 

"Yes, you can," Jen assured her. "I thought the same thing and so did your mother, but you can do this. Have you got names picked out?" She asked as she tried to get her to focus on other things.
 

"Emma for a girl, Aidan if it's a boy," Michelle said as another contraction gripped her as Jen grabbed her hands and forced her to focus.
 

The doctor came in a little while later and examined her once again. "Well, Michelle. It's show time. Do you want everybody back in here or just Thomas?"
 

"I want my mom and dad here and this is Thomas parent's first grandchild, so they have to be here," Michelle told the doctor as she smiled and went to the door.
 

When they came back in along with the nurses, the room seemed full of people. "Okay, Michelle. On the next contraction, put your chin down to your chest, take a deep breath and push as hard as you can. If you do this well, we should have a baby in a few pushes. Do you know what you're having?" The doctor asked as she got into position.
 

"No, the baby would never cooperate on the ultrasound," Michelle groaned as another contraction started.
 

"Well, we'll know soon," the doctor told her as everybody in the room began counting to ten. Within half an hour, the baby's head emerged and the rest soon followed. "It's a boy!"
 

Michelle fell back, utterly exhausted, but very happy as she heard all of the happy commotion around her. Thomas leaned over and kissed her with tears running down his face as they heard their son angrily howling as he was being towled off. "He's gorgeous," he whispered.
 

"Daddy, do you want to cut the cord?" The doctor asked as she held the scissors out toward Thomas, who took them with trembling fingers and cut the cord where he was directed. "So, what's your son's name?"
 

"Aidan Andrew Gillis," Thomas said proudly as baby Aidan was wrapped in a blanket and handed to Michelle.
 

"Hello, Aidan," Michelle breathed as she looked at his darkly curling hair. "God, he's perfect."
 

"Let's get him weighed and properly cleaned up, then you can have him back," the doctor said as Michelle reluctantly handed him to her and laid back.
 

A couple of hours later, Michelle was nursing the baby when she heard a tap on her door. "Come in," she called out as Jill walked in with Michael and Shelby.
 

"Hi. Is it all right if the kids see the baby?" Jill asked as they shyly approached the bed.
 

"You have perfect timing. He just finished eating," Michelle told them as she held the baby out for the kids to see him.
 

"He's little," Shelby commented as she touched his fingers. "I can't wait until I can have one."
 

"Oh, yes, you can," Jill told her.
 

"I'm glad you had a boy. A girl would've sucked," Michael told his sister as Jill made a face.
 

"Where's daddy and everybody?" Michelle asked.
 

"Eating. How do you feel?" Jill asked as Michelle handed the baby toward her.
 

"Tired. But, I can't believe how easy it was," she yawned as she watched Jill with the baby.
 

"You got lucky. Do you want me to put him in the bassinet?" Jill asked as Michelle nodded. "We'll let you get some sleep. Do you know when you're coming home?"
 

"Tomorrow. Make sure daddy puts the car seat in the Jeep," Michelle said sleepily as sleep claimed her.
 

<><><><><>
 

Three weeks later, Mike, Jill and Shelby were meeting once again in Judge Marshall's court. Five days after baby Aidan's birth, Mike had gotten a call regarding Shelby's adoption. At the moment, the judge was looking over the report from the social worker. "Ms. Gray, do you have any objections to the adoption proceeding as planned?"
 

"No, your honor," Ms. Gray said.
 

"Very well. Mr. Danko, you do realize that all of this is just a formality since you're married to the child's grandmother and technically, you're already the biological grandfather of this child?" The judge addressed Mike.
 

"Yes, sir. I know. I just wanted to correct some things I had done wrong," Mike told the judge.
 

"Very well. I hearby grant the adoption of the minor child, Shelby Nicole Danko, to Michael Danko. Congratulations. Court is in recess!" The judge declared, banging his gavel as Mike picked Shelby up in his arms.
 

"That was it? I didn't get to say anything?" Shelby complained as they left the courtroom.
 

"Did you want to say something?" Mike asked as they approached the elevator.
 

"No, but he could have at least asked," Shelby told them as they got into the elevator with Ms. Gray.
 

"I thought letting her play poker was going to be my downfall," Mike commented to Ms. Gray as the elevator descended.
 

"Well, like your friend said, there are worse things a parent can teach a child. Congratulations," Ms. Gray congratulated them as they exited the elevator.
 

That night, after a party celebrating the adoption, Mike joined his wife in bed. "I've been thinking," he said out loud as Jill curled up sleepily beside him.
 

"About what?" She asked as she forced her eyes open to look at him.
 

"As much as I like living out here, maybe it would be a good idea to try to get a place in town. I mean, Thomas is probably going to be shipping out for who knows where, so we'll need a place big enough for Michelle and the baby along with our two kids," he suggested as Jill smiled.
 

"I like the sound of that. 'Our two kids.' I love you, Mike," she whispered as he smiled down at her.
 

"I love you, too, baby," he said as he kissed her good night.
 

THE END
 
 

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