The fading evening sunlight shown through the dark blue curtain's hanging in the baby's room. They'd decorated it with a yellow and blue theme, shooting stars, moons and planets covered the baby paraphernalia they had accumulated. A crib sat in the darkest corner of the room, a changing table stocked with diapers, baby wipes and baby powder was against the wall beside it, a dresser was on the other side of the room filled with tiny little baby clothes, the white and blue stroller they had chosen was propped up against it. Stuffed animals and toys sat on the bookshelf next to the door, and paintings and drawings Joey had done hung next to the framed photo of Pacey and Joey as children.

The room was completely prepared for the next addition to their little family. Pacey, slowly rocking back and forth in the rocking chair by the window, was not.

He stared outside, watching the light fade from the sky, making it sink into a brilliant dark blue. There was a plush teddy bear in his hands, he absently fingered the palm of the stuffed animal as he thought, his brow wrinkled. Gabe was due any day now.

Joey sighed as she padded into the baby's room, her hair piled behind her head in a haphazard bun and wearing a pair of jean coveralls over an old sweatshirt of Pacey's. She shook her head sadly and took a bite of the sandwich in her hand. "I'm never going to fit into my old clothes."

"Hmm?" He turned his head to look at his fiancée, "Just a few more days, sweetheart. Hey, it could even be tomorrow."

She rubbed her belly affectionately as she gazed around. "You need to hurry up and come out so you can see your room."

"I think he's more inclined to take his time," Pacey sighed. Or maybe that was just him wanting Gabe to take his time to greet the world.

She shook her head. "Nah, I have a feeling he'll be here soon."

Pacey let out a tense breath. "The Globe wants me to interview this kid down at the Guild Theater on Sunday, this acting protégé apparently."

She raised an eyebrow. "O-kay..."

He shrugged, "Just thought I'd warn you that I'd be gone."

She smiled. "Fine."

"I've got the beeper though, just in case."

"That's good."

They were quiet for a moment. "Jo, how much would you hate me if I bailed on you and came back when Gabe turns, say, five?"

Joey looked at him curiously. "What are you talking about?"

He ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know. Just ignore me."

"Is there something wrong?"

He closed his eyes, resting his head on the back of the rocking chair, "I feel uncomfortable in my own skin. Like I just want to jump out of it and run screaming in the opposite direction."

She looked at him concerned. "Why?"

"I don’t know if I can do this, Jo." He frowned. "I'm so scared I'm gonna screw this child up. Chelsea died because Miranda and I weren't good enough parents..."

"Pacey, it's going to be fine."

"How do you know that? What if it's not?"

She smiled faintly. "What if it is? Everything should be just fine."

He swallowed thickly, "The closer we get to the due date, the more nervous I become."

"You're just worrying over nothing."

"Maybe," he took her hand in his, "but it doesn't feel like nothing."

"So you're saying I have to worry about waking up and finding you gone one day?"

"No," he shook his head. "As scared shitless as I am, I couldn't live more than a day without you."

She smiled. "Good because then I would've been forced to hurt you and it wouldn't have been pretty."

He stood and hugged her tightly, "I'm still going to be scared."

"It's okay," she said softly.

He kissed her forehead, "Is this one of those times where you're right and I end up kicking myself for not listening in the first place?"

She smirked. "I'm always right."

He gave her a squeeze, "I know."

She smiled and brought her lips to his. "Do you know what a great labor inducer is?"

He chuckled, "I'm be a lucky man if it's what I'm thinking it is," he smiled sexily.

"I guess you can say that." Her eyes danced with amusement and she moved to kiss him again before freezing.

"Jo?" He opened his eyes to see her mouth open in a big 'o' and her eyes wide.

She placed a hand on her stomach and exhaled sharply. "It passed."

"What passed?" His concern grew.

"It was just--Oww!" She bit her lip pressing her hand against her stomach.

"Oh my God. Contractions? You're having contractions now?"

She nodded slowly. "I--I think so-ooh." She bit down harder on her lip.

"Oh God." He groaned. "Okay, so, hospital. Hospital's are good." He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Can you walk okay?"

She breathed in slowly. "Um, I think so."

"Okay," He led her out into the hallway, "Um, remember to breathe...We packed a bag right?"

She nodded biting her lip again. "It's by the door."

"Okay, got it." He returned to her side, "How bad are they?"

"Enough," Joey winced.

"I'm sorry, baby." He kissed her forehead and opened the door, "Let's get going."

~*~

Pacey sat on one end of the couch, Joey's foot in his lap as he worked the sore muscles with the pads of his fingers. Pausing every few minutes to tickle the arches before resume his massage. She lay sprawled along the couch, her back cushioned by extra pillows, and her pregnant belly looking more swollen than ever.

"Oh, to be able to see my feet again." Joey sighed dramatically as she spoke to Jack on the phone. "I'm getting tired of these false alarms, why can't I hurry up and give birth?"

"You're not due for two more days, Jo." Pacey reminded her, tickling the arch of her foot.

She tried to glare at him over her stomach. "This is all your fault!"

He nodded, trying to keep the smile off his face. "Uh huh."

"It is!"

"Right, because that's not only my sperm, but my egg too?"

"My egg was just an innocent bystander," she replied indignantly.

Pacey could hear Jack laugh through the phone. "Yes, Miss. I'm-on-the-pill."

"I was!"

"Then your egg wasn't all that innocent was it? It went out of it's way to twart your choice of birth control. Face it, honey. That egg wanted to become a zygote."

"My egg? It was your sperm!"

"Yes, it was. And it was your egg."

"It's all your sperm's fault!"

"Hardly, your egg shouldn't have been there."

"Jo, I think I'm going to go now," Jack interrupted them. "Call me later."

She nodded, "Bye Jack." She clicked the phone off. "See what you did, you scared Jack away." Joey sighed and rubbed her stomach. "Oh Gabe, I should have known better then to tell your dad about you. We could've been on a beach in Tahiti right now..."

He lifted her foot and lightly bit her toe. She glanced down at her stomach. "Do you see the way he treats me?" Pacey stuck his tongue out at her and kissed where he'd bitten her.

Joey patted her stomach. "Now he's just trying to make up for it."

"Don't listen to your Mommy," Pacey said. "She's just angry because you're not ready to come out yet."

"It's all your dad's fault. Planting ideas in your head." She rubbed her belly soothingly.

"Okay, that's it...Mommy's done with her foot massage." Pacey pushed her feet off his lap and stood up.

Joey pouted. "You're so mean to me."

He kissed her pouting lips lightly. "If you'd rather have a foot massage than a back massage, I can go back to what I was doing."

She grinned. "Kiss me again?"

He smiled and lowered his lips to hers again, sighing against their warmth and gently parting her lips.

"Now how about making me a milkshake?" she asked after a moment. He pulled away and gave her a slightly disbelieving look, his blue eyes wide. "What?"

"I kiss you, and you think of milkshakes?"

She shrugged. "I'm not seeing the problem. I want a milkshake."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead and stood up. "I knew that blender would come in handy."

"Good." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "I think want chocolate." She shook her head. "No, maybe vanilla." Her eyes widened. "Or ooh, maybe strawberry."

"May I suggest whatever we have in the freezer?" He walked around the couch towards the kitchen.

"Well there better be strawberry, chocolate or vanilla.'

He smiled to himself, shaking his head in amusement as he opened the freezer. "We've got strawberry and a little of the vanilla."

She sighed exasperated. "Strawberry it is then. You have to go to the store and buy more. I can't live on strawberry alone."

He chuckled, "Potter, I never would never force you to do such a thing."

"Good. At least you're good for something."

He rolled his eyes, "Yes, Princess." He pulled out the ice cream from the freezer and sifted through a drawer for the ice cream scoop.

"Pacey," she whined. "I need help getting up."

"Coming, babe." He left the kitchen to come to her side.

She pouted as she climbed to her feet. "I hate this."

"It's almost over," he reminded her softly, still holding her hands.

"Oh yeah, that's easy for you to say," she muttered. He kissed her temple and moved back to the kitchen, knowing better than to say anything more. "I swear to god it seems like my bladder is the size of a pea," Joey mumbled as she walked over to the bathroom.

Pacey finished up on her milkshake and poured it into a glass, adding one of the bendy straws he knew she liked. He took it into the living room for her and returned to the kitchen to clean out the blender.

"Do we have any pickles?" Joey asked padding back to the living room. "I feel like having a pickle. It's so hot in here."

"Pickles? You don’t even like pickles."

She gazed at him annoyed. "What are you talking about? I like pickles."

"Uh-huh," Pacey nodded complacently. "I think we might have a few of the hamburger ones."

Her eyes widened. "Ooh, do we have any hamburgers? I'm starving."

He shook his head with a smile on his face, "Gabe, you're doing bad things to your mother."

Joey ignored him. "Well, do we?"

"No," he shook his head. "Can you stand to wait while I run to McDonald's?"

She sighed. "Fine. You might as well get fries too and maybe some chicken nuggets."

"Enjoy your milkshake," He grabbed his keys and kissed her. "I'll be back soon."

"You better be."

"Yeah yeah, slave driver," he winked at her as he disappeared out the door.

"Don't forget the ice cream!" she called out.

~*~

Joey decided that getting out of bed would be a good idea, except she really didn't feel like it. She didn't really feel like doing much of anything. Her back was killing her and the contractions were unbelievable. She almost hadn't made it out of the shower she'd taken earlier but she managed to finish off and pull on a blue maternity dress that had been a gift from Bessie. Joey hated it. Why did all her clothes have to be so big now? Why did she have to constantly feel uncomfortable?

She exhaled sharply after a particularly bad contraction and placed a hand over her round belly. She'd been having pain for a while and she was tired of the false alarms, so she had promised herself she'd be absolutely sure she was in labor before calling anyone. She hissed as another contraction hit and bit down on her lip, it seemed to go on forever. After it passed she finally sat up and was able to climb off the bed. That's when she noticed it. Her water broke. She clutched onto her stomach. "No. No. No." She shook her head adamantly. "You're supposed to wait for your dad."

She took a deep breath and steadied herself against another contraction before she sat back down on the bed and reached for the phone. First, she calmly dialed Pacey's pager and then she called Jack and Shane's. She clenched her teeth tightly as another contraction hit her when someone answered. "I'm in labor!"

"Joey!" She recognized Shane's voice on the line. "Joey's in labor!"

There was a short scuffle and the phone was dropped before Jack's voice came on the line. "Joey? You're in labor?"

She would have laughed if it didn't hurt so much. "Yes!"

"Where's Pacey? Why isn't he calling us? How long have you been there? What room are you in? We'll be there in ten minutes."

"Pacey's not here. I'm at home!"

"But...where is he?""

She groaned. "I don't know some interview or something. I can't remember. I'm in pain here! I don't have time to answer questions!"

"How-how far apart are the contractions?"

She clutched on to the phone tightly. "It doesn't feel like they've stopped!"

"Okay," Jack inhaled a long breath, "Okay, Joey...call an ambulance. Then call Pacey's pager again. And Shane and I'll be on our way."

She nodded swiftly. "Okay."

A loud knock sounded on the front door of Joey and Pacey's apartment. "Ambulance," a deep male voice called ten minutes later.

"D-Door's open," Joey called out from her spot on the couch. She luckily had the foresight unlock the door before she sat on the couch.

Two men entered a stretcher between them. "Hello, Ms. Potter, is it?" The first man wasted no time checking her pulse as he talked.

"Yes," she said with a nod.

"Okay, when did your water break?"

"I-I'm not sure. Five or ten minutes," she groaned as she felt another contraction.

He asked a few more questions, how long she'd been having contractions, how far apart they were. As he did, he timed the current ones, the last two were three minutes apart.

Jack and Shane came running into the room as they were settling Joey into the stretcher. "We're here, Jo. We're here." Jack went to her side and took her hand.

She bit down on her lip and squeezed Jack's hand through another contraction. "Where the hell is Pacey?"

"He hasn't called back yet?"

"Are you her husband?" The second attendant asked as he secured the last strap.

"No, her friend."'

"No, he hasn't called! Remind me to kill him!"

Jack smiled, relieved that she could still be angry. "Soon as Gabe has at least met his father, I'll do that."

"Can you try paging him again?"

"We don't have time to wait. Who's coming in the ambulance?" The first attended asked, as they wheeled her out into the hallway.

"You go, Jack. I'm going to try and hunt Pacey down. Jo, do you have any idea where he might be?" Shane asked.

"I don't know!" She winced. "Call his office."

"Okay, okay." He squeezed her had lightly. "Take care of her Jack."

She clutched onto his hand tightly during another contraction. "I'm going to kill him."

"It'll be okay, Jo." Jack tried to reassure her. "He wouldn't miss this."

"He better not."

"He'll be here." He said with shakey confidence.

Pacey sighed as Theodore Livingston, the eight year old acting genius babbled on about how much he hated wearing make up. He casually jotted down nonsense in his notebook so it appeared he was paying attention. Theo, as he preferred to be called, sat beside him in the plush chairs in the front row of the theater, on stage, crew hands were busy working on set pieces, as far as Pacey could tell, it was something abstract. A rectangular red platform was being re-painted with black stripes, and a triangle that rose about hip high was a dusky pink. He checked his watch, wondering how much longer he had to stay before Theodore said something interesting.

Shane burst into the theater where the paper had said Pacey was going to be and tried to find his friend. He spotted him sitting in the front row and rushed over. "Joey's in labor!"

Pacey's eyes widened and he stood, patting his side in search of the beeper. "But...she isn't due till tomorrow!"

"Yeah, somehow I don't think that's going to change anything."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" He grinned, "My fiancée’s in labor!"

Joey groaned leaning back on the hospital bed. "Where the hell are they?"

"I don’t know." Jack paced around her bed, "Is there anything I get you? Ice chips, a cool washcloth? Anything?"

"Would you stop that?" Joey snapped. "It's annoying."

"Sorry," He moved to sit in the chair beside her just as the nurse and doctor came in.

"Joey, this is Doctor Hibbard," the nurse that had been tending Joey since she arrived in room 132 introduced the doctor. The man Jack guessed to be around thirty-five smiled at Joey and knelt at her feet to check how far she was dilated.

The brunette exhaled loudly. "I really think I'm going to need drugs."

"There may not be time for drugs, you're already at eight." He turned to the nurse, call Carl up here and see if he can get her on some drugs, and set up the delivery room." He smiled reassuringly at Joey. "Claire will get you prepped in a few minutes, Joey."

Joey turned wide eyes on Jack. "Where is he?"

"Not here." Jack muttered, "Forget about you killing him, I'm gonna ill him."

Her eyes began to water. "He's supposed to be here."

"I know, Jo." He took her hand and squeezed it.

She bit back an expletive and groaned as a contraction hit. "Death will be too good for him!"

Jack softly mopped the sweat from her forehead with a washcloth, "It'll be okay. I'll go in there with you. I wont leave you alone, Jo."

She smiled faintly up at Jack. "Thank you."

Jack stepped out of the way as Claire moved around the bed, adjusting it so they could roll her into the delivery room.

"Drugs! Where are the damn drugs?!" she growled angrily.

"Right here," A man stepped into the room, syringe in hand. "I'm Doctor Leadner." He smiled, "I think this will take the edge off," she got the needle ready, "Any allergies?"

She shook her head. "None that I know of."

"Claire, what's she at right now?" The nurse stopped what she was doing as another contraction wracked through Joey's body. "Nine," she checked, "It's too late."

"Get this out of me!"

"Okay," we're going. "Sir," the nurse addressed Jack. "You'll need to put these scrubs on over your clothes."

Jack took the pro-offered garments with a nervous swallow. He was scared out of his mind.

"I am going to kill him!" Joey growled. "Do you see what he's done to me?! This is all his fault!"

Pacey came skidding into the room, eyes wide, he'd been able to hear her yelling all the way down the hall. "I'm here! I'm here!" He rushed to Joey's side and took her hand.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You! Where the hell have you been?!"

"I was on location," he sighed, "I lost my beeper. I'm sorry, baby." He kissed her forehead.

"Don't you 'I'm sorry' me! This is all your fault! I'm not letting you touch me again, ever!"

"Whatever you say, sweetheart." He looked up at Jack, "How is she?"

Jack practically threw the green clothes at Pacey's chest. "They're taking her into delivery right now. Change!"

Joey moaned biting down on her lip. "You bastard!"

"I know, Joey." He slipped out of his jacket and pulled the green one on. "It's happening so fast."

"We need to go now," the nurse said pulling the bed toward the door.

She clutched onto the railing tightly. "Hurry up and get it out of me!"

"If our son takes after his mother, he's going to have quite a set of lungs." He said following after her, with difficulty, because he was trying to pull on the green scrub pants while walking.

She glared and sat back for a moment. "Pacey, come over here a minute."

"Yes, Love?" He reached for her hand as their small procession continued down the hallway.

She smacked him in the back of his head. "IT'S NOT FUNNY!"

"Right," he nodded, keeping a straight face. "Not funny at all. You're having a baby."

"I hate you!"

"I know, baby."

"I think this is our stop," Shane said as they arrived at the doors. The nurses pushed Joey into the room leaving Pacey to finish changing before following in.

"Thank you," Pacey told them as he slipped his shoe covers on. "For being there for her and finding me."

"No problem."

"I'm just glad you showed up, I was about to go in there myself." Jack said.

"Good luck, Pace." Shane clapped him on his back.

"Thanks guys." He flashed them a nervous smile before pulling the cap on and pushing the double doors open to enter the room. "I'm here, Honey."

Joey groaned, those stupid terms of endearment just irritated her further. "I swear, Pacey Witter, I am going to kill you!"

"I know," he moved to stand by her side as they propped her feet on the stirrups. He squeezed her hand lightly, "I'm sorry, babe. But I'm here now, I wont miss it."

She grit her teeth. "I am never having sex with you again!"

"Okay," he kissed her sweaty temple.

"Get this thing out of me!"

"Breathe, Joey." The doctor reminded her. "We're gonna have you start pushing pretty soon."

"I am breathing!"

"I think he means your Lamaze breathing, Jo." Pacey told her.

"Shut up!" She glared at him, a sheen of sweat shining on her face.

Claire stepped up and got Joey's attention, "Joey, I want you to focus on the corner of that poster." She pointed to the wall. "Do not take your eyes off it and start your breathing. The sooner you can do that, the sooner you'll be giving birth."

She nodded with a small groan and began to do what Claire told her.

"Good job, Joey," Pacey said, sending a thankful look to the nurse.

"Okay, Joey." Doctor Hibbard said as he looked up from his seat between her legs. "It's time to push."

The pain was unbearable, eating her alive, and she tried to breathe as she pushed. The contraction ended, "Breathe now, Joey. And push again with the next contraction," The doctor directed.

"You're doing great, Jo." Pacey said, biting his lip. She looked so pale.

She nodded and with a constrained howl, she breathed and pushed again.

"I see the head, keep pushing." The doctor encouraged.

She yelled with the next painful contraction and pushed.

"The head is out," the doctor announced as he suctioned the fluid from the baby's nose and mouth. An ear piercing wail sounded through the room.

With a groan Joey pushed one last time before collapsing back against the bed tiredly.

"Congratulations," the doctor smiled, pulling the baby the rest of the way out now that the shoulders were free, "You have a baby girl." The nurses crowded around the baby tying off the umbilical cord and quickly cleaning the crying infant, checking for any irregularities before wrapping her in soft pink blanket.

Joey smiled exhaustedly and reached out for her baby girl.

"She's beautiful," Pacey whispered as the nurse placed her in Joey's arms. Her face was bright red, topped with a shock of dark hair, matted with fluid. She stopped crying the moment she was placed in her mother's arms.

Joey smiled softly checking for all ten fingers and toes, before lightly fingering her small hand. "She's perfect."

The new family didn't even notice as the nurses pressed on Joey's belly to help birth the afterbirth. Pacey reached out and touched his finger to her tiny cheek. "She's so small."

She was overcome with such a swell of emotion. "I love you."

"I am so in love with you," he leaned forward to give her a soft kiss. "I'm so proud of you, Potter." He gazed down at that child they created together.

A corner of her mouth turned up slightly. "So what are we going to name her?"

"That ultra sound was way off, wasn't it?" He watched as their baby waved her little hand.

She laughed lightly. "Oh yeah..."

"Hmmm, well, her middle name should be Lillian."

She smiled gazing down at her daughter. "Yeah."

"I think she has your nose." He kissed her forehead.

Her smile softened. "Want to hold her?"

"I--no, I--I don't think so," he shook his head.

"Come on, Pacey." She carefully placed the tiny bundle in his hands. "Hold your daughter."

He swallowed nervously and adjusted his hold so he was supporting her head, "Hi Baby, I'm your Daddy."

Her eyes began to tear as she watched them. The two people she loved most in the world.

He released a shaky breath, "I guess the name debate is renewed." He ran a fingertip along his daughter's cheek.

She smiled. "Any suggestions?"

"I haven't given it much thought, but," he lifted his eyes to Joey, "She looks like a Brynn or an Amber," he glanced down at his baby girl. "Or a Faith, Skyler, Marie," he glanced up at Joey with a low chuckle, "I don't think I'm very good with this name thing."

"I like Skyler. Skyler Lillian Witter," she said testing it out.

"Yeah?" He looked at his daughter, "What do you think? Skyler sound good to you?" She looked up at her father and blinked. "I don't think she minds."

Joey grinned. "Okay then, Skyler it is."

Pacey gently handed the baby back to Joey. "How do you feel?" He wondered smoothing a hand over the curve of her face.

"Exhausted."

"I think that's pretty common." He brushed her hair back tenderly.

"Okay, Joey," Claire approached the bed, "We're going to take Skyler to the nursery for a full exam and get started on the paper work. We'll get you settled in a room and you can see her again in about an hour. Okay?"

Joey nodded. "Okay."

"Mr. Witter, we'll need you to help fill out the birth certificate," the other nurse said as Claire took Skyler.

"When can I see Joey again?" He asked as the nurse took his arm and steered him out the door.

"As soon as she's settled in her room. Joey, the doctor's going to do an exam on you too, make sure everything went perfectly. It'll be about half an hour."

Pacey frowned, not altogether happy about being separated from his family. "Okay," he walked back to Joey and gave her a gentle kiss. "I'll see you as soon as I can. I love you, Princess."

She smiled. "Love you too."

Jack knocked lightly on the door to Joey's room that evening, after she'd been settled in. Shane hovered at his side as he pushed the door open, and he smiled softly spotting Joey in the bed, looking tired, but happy in her real nightgown. Jack's eyes skirted to the side to see Pacey sitting in a rocking chair, his chin resting on his chest as he slept, Skyler nestled safely in his arms, wrapped up in her pink blanket.

Joey smiled faintly when she saw her friend. "Hey," she said softly.

"Hi, Jo," Jack whispered as he entered the room, revealing a basket of flowers. Bending at her side, he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

She smiled some more. "Where's Shane?"

"Right here," He handed her a stuffed teddy bear. "So this is the newest Witter, huh?"

"I'd offer to let you hold her but I don't think her daddy wants to let her go."

He chuckled quietly, "You just know he's never gonna let her date, don't you?"

She smiled. "I have a feeling she won't have any problem getting her way."

"Wrapped around her little finger already, is he?" Jack smirked, looking at father and daughter. He felt a pang in his chest, "She's gorgeous, Jo."

"Thank you."

"You guys make beautiful babies," Shane murmured, moving closer to Jack and slipping his hand into his.

"Don't we, though?" she teased. She gazed lovingly at Pacey and the baby in his arms.

"How ya feeling?" Jack questioned as he pulled up an extra chair beside her bed.

"I'm still a little tired." She shrugged. "But other than that, I'm fine."

"Still want to murder your husband-to-be?"

She smirked. "A little less now."

Skyler abruptly let out a loud wail, startling everyone in the room, and jerking Pacey awake. "My God, she's got a set of lungs," Shane smiled.

Joey narrowed her eyes at Pacey warningly. "You make one comment..."

"I didn't say a word," His eyes glimmered as he rose, "I think she's hungry."

Joey tilted her head slightly with a smile. "Aww."

He carefully placed the baby in Joey's arms, and immediately she sought out the curve of Joey's breast through the nightgown. "A child after my own heart," he smirked.

"Hopefully, I'm not that lucky." Joey rolled her eyes as she undid the first couple snaps of her nightgown.

Jack and Shane averted their eyes tactfully, but Pacey only pulled his rocking chair up beside them. His large hand curved carefully over Skyler's head, caressing her hair ever so lightly as she sought out Joey's nipple. Catching Joey's eyes, he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "I think I just fell in love with you all over again."

She felt herself warm at his words and she smiled. "I think I can say the same thing." He tilted her chin up, giving her lips a loving caress with his own.

"Awwww," Jack and Shane said simultaneously, teasing smiles on their faces.

Joey rolled her eyes with a small grin. "Just be quiet."

"She certainly was quite a surprise, huh?" Shane smiled, "What'd you think when Gabe turned out to be a she?"

She shrugged and brushed her thumb against her daughter's cheek. "Surprising, but it didn't really matter that much to me."

"She'll just have to learn to like blue," Pacey said pragmatically, touching a finger to the tiny white band around Skyler's wrist identical to the one around Joey's.

Joey smiled as she looked into Pacey's vividly blue eyes. "She will if she's anything like her mom."

He gave her a soft kiss, "I hope she's everything like her mom."