Chapter 1

"Hey Baby Darling ... One big push ... breathe ... breathe ... Ok now ... You're doing great ... I'm so proud of you ... Give it one really big push for Rebecca, now..." I encouraged Colleen every way I knew how.

"Colleen ... You are amazing ... This is going so well ... Your son will be here any second now ... Ok Sweetie ... Let's give one last push and see if James is ready for prime time..." Rebecca was just as determined to help Colleen thru this as I was, maybe more.

We were all there. Rebecca was leading as Colleen came down the home stretch. James Brian Nelson was about to meet his family. I had to change my name and my entire life story after the last attacks. The name Nelson was picked out a hat, literally. We put all the names we could think up into a hat, and then picked one. My new first name was my old one - Brian. There were lots of Brians out there. One more would go unnoticed.

Millie, Yolanda, and Winnie were all with me in the delivery room, as Colleen grunted, groaned, and squeezed James Brian Nelson into the world. She was a remarkable woman. Colleen never complained, never whined, and never once said anything that could be misconstrued to mean she wasn't thrilled to be on the table, delivering her firstborn.

Mr. Bell and Jack waited outside in the expectant father's room. A small but lethal team of protectors was scattered around, unobtrusively keeping my family safe. The danger was well past, but a family as wealthy as we were made a very good target.

Rebecca was as big as a house, but Millicent Jane Nelson still hadn't decided if she was ready to open her eyes and greet us in person. If nothing changed on that front, Rebecca was scheduled for a "C" section in three days.

Yolanda and Rebecca were a formidable pair of doctors, where Colleen and James were concerned. The OBGYN was relegated to standing well back, and staying out of the way of Rebecca's stomach. Yolanda never left her side, and Winnie was their right hand. Millie held Colleen's hands, wiped her down with a cool cloth, talked gently to her as the labor pains became obscenely bad, and never faltered for one second.

My ladies were the greatest women in history.

A sharp cry announced my son, James Brian Nelson, had made his grand entrance. Colleen collapsed on the bed. Rebecca and Yolanda went to work cleaning our son up, helping him breathe, and loving him as he experienced his first moments of life outside the womb. Rebecca measured and weighed my son. He came into the world, officially, at six pounds, eight ounces, and was seventeen inches tall. Rebecca announced the measurements and then lowered him into Colleen's arms. She and Millie cried together, as they cooed, and talked to James Brian.

James proved he was a typical, healthy, American boy, and most definitely my son, when he grabbed onto Colleen's nipple and went to work. "That's My Boy!" I said to the room at large. "He's definitely a chip off the old block."

After composing myself, I went out to give Mr. Bell the news, and we shared a hug. Jack even seemed a little misty eyed, as we celebrated James' birth.

When I was back inside Colleen's hospital room, Rebecca handed me my son. He looked exhausted, red, and blotchy. His little forehead was scrunched up like an old man's, and his little hands waved around pointlessly, but there he was, the most beautiful child in the world. When I held him, he seemed to find comfort being close to my chest. Hearing my heartbeat seemed to calm my little boy. We shared a Daddy - Son moment until Millie asked if Mr. Bell could hold him.

I didn't even know he'd come in. I saw Jack waiting for a glance, and waved him over. Winnie and Jack double teamed Mr. Bell, wanting to hold the newborn. It was a wonderful day. Mr. Bell gently accepted James from my arms, with Winnie standing guard over us both, afraid we might drop him. He took one look at his first grandchild and burst into tears, looking up at me he said, "I didn't know I was going to cry..."

Trust me. We ALL understood.

Winnie was next and her whole demeanor changed when Mr. Bell handed her little James. I saw something remarkable happen. Winnie had decided to trade home and family for her career, but holding James had her reevaluating it all. Her face changed from strong, poised, and focused, to loving, gentle, and content in one second. She adopted James as her nephew, right then.

Jack was even worse. He lifted James out of Winnie's arms and began to softly talk to him, promising to protect him, teach him, and be a wonderful Uncle. It was sweet, and made a memory for us all...

Yolanda volunteered to sleep in the room with Colleen and James, so Rebecca could go home and get some much needed sleep. As worked up as she was, I wasn't sure that she could calm down enough to sleep, but I promised Millie I would try to get her into bed.

"Not that way, you scoundrel," Millie laughed at my double meaning. "Rebecca needs sleep, not sex, and you better be good."