Falling Up, Cordelia

[Daniel]

Daniel was slowly coming out of panic mode, but he was still very anxious. He'd just kidnapped a child, after all. That was a crime, one he could do time for. So...noone needed to find out. His wife certainly seemed to agree to keep the secret. And they'd come up with a story about how he came about...it all had to be very convincing. And Sofia...the boys were twins and Sofia knew their mother...he'd worry about Sofia later. For now, he carried the little boy and took his wife into the dining room.

A name. They needed to figure out a name. The sooner they got the paperwork out of the way, the better. Then he'd need to get a copy of this birth certificate back into the hospital. They always kept records.

Dan held the pencil above the paper, trying to keep it steady as he stared at his wife. He'd asked her...she was the creative one in this family. She would do better coming up with names than he would. Of course, his nerves were causing his hand to shake and he readjusted two or three times, even as Cordy began to talk. "Our baby... Our baby... Well, God, I've thought about it of course. But I never thought..." Daniel gave her a soft, sympathetic smile. But no need to worry about that now! They'd overcome their infertility. You didn't need to be able to have babies in order to...well, have one.

His blue eyes concentrated on her anticipating form. He could just see the gears turning in her head. "He needs a Celtic name. At least his middle name... It's always been my family tradition. I know, before, I've thought about...Faolan. It's a beautiful name. It sort of means wolf... LIke the wolf that raised Romulus and Remus. Or like a wolf's cry, and he has such strong lungs now... I think his middle name should be Faolan." Dan grinned and nodded again, scribbling down the name. "Wonderful...wonderful choice, hon."

"Oh! This is a dream..." As exciting as this whole situation was...he actually sort of wished it was. They might not have had a son, then, but at least he wouldn't have done something so...atrocious. That wasn't something he could worry about now, though. "Now, a first name," he said, hunching over the table and glancing between the paper and the boy, then towards his wife. "What about Riley, Cordy? Riley Faolan. Riley Faolan Pierce. Unless you can come up with something else that you like better..." He reached over to place a comforting hand on her thigh...not just to comfort her, but to sort of...ground himself. "What do you think?"

[Cordelia]

"Wonderful... wonderful choice, hon."

Cordelia was ready to burst and she almost did, exclaiming loudly that she was just so thrilled. Daniel himself was excited too! He was shaking, almost dropping his pencil every so often, but Cordelia knew that it was all from their glee. She was smiling broadly, cheek to cheek, and stared at their little son while Daniel proposed a first name. She imagined it on him, Riley Faolan Pierce... Riley Faolan Pierce... Cordelia was convinced to look away from their little boy... their little Riley... When Daniel touched her thigh. He wanted to know what she thought?

Cordelia leaned over and put her arms around her husband, giving him a warm, strong hug. Just a couple of years ago Cordelia couldn't even hold a crayon in her hand to scratch out a simple drawing it note. She'd been too weak. Now she couldn't hold Daniel and love him properly! And they could have a child. A child that they would raise. Oh, Cordelia was so happy! Were those tears in the corners of her eyes? She thought they were but they were tears of excitement. She nodded eagerly, at first too excited to even speak, and laughed.

"It's perfect! Riley Faolan Pierce. Our son. I'm too excited... too, too excited!"