=================AFTER=================

"Hey, we're home," Sam exclaims as he walks in the door holding thirteen month old Mya in one arm and a diaper bag in the other. He places the diaper bag on the floor and smiles at his wife who is walking towards them with outstretched arms.

"Hi Mya!" Andy squeals as she reaches out and takes the baby from Sam's grasp before turning around and carrying her to the couch, leaving Sam standing alone at the door.

"I'm home, too," he calls after her, pretending to be annoyed. The truth is, he absolutely loves how excited Andy is to see his daughter. He loves the fact that she always makes sure to get time off of work during his weekends with Mya, so they can all spend time together. He loves how she's always showing off pictures of her to anyone who will take the time to look- friends, family, strangers, anyone. He loves how every time she goes shopping, she always comes home with at least two or three things for her- every time. He didn't think it was possible to love Andy McNally any more than he did when he proposed to her, but the way she adores his daughter just makes him love her that much more.

When he first found out he was going to be a father, he wasn't sure he would ever be here. He was fairly certain it would be too much for Andy, for them. He thought she'd run, and he wouldn't have blamed her if she did. It was a lot to ask. He can't even imagine what he would've done if the roles had been reversed and Andy was having a baby with Collins. He can't imagine ever leaving her, but the thought alone makes him sick to his stomach. So, when she sat in his truck and told him that although it wasn't the life she imagined, she wasn't going to fold- he was surprised. He was beyond thrilled, but definitely surprised.

Sure, there were plenty of difficult moments, especially in the beginning, but he and Andy talked and they worked through it and they figured everything together. Since then, there had been very few hiccups, and never anything serious. Andy and Marlo had even become friends. He isn't sure when it happened, but suddenly they began sending each other pictures and videos of Mya and occasionally, if they both had the day off from work, they would take Mya to the park or the aquarium together. They even planned her first birthday together.

He reaches down to pet Boo, who is rapidly wagging his tail, just as he always does when Sam or Andy walk through the door. "At least someone is happy to see me," he yells so Andy can hear him.

"Yeah, yeah," she responds, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. He laughs and walks over to the couch where Andy is sitting with the baby on her lap. Sam collapses next to his wife and watches as she starts to tickle his daughter. Mya starts to giggle, which causes Andy to start laughing as well. Sam is content to just sit and watch them, with a smile on his face. He never gets enough of watching the two of them together.

"I think she likes you more than me," Sam pretends to pout, after a few minutes have gone by.

"Well, she does have excellent taste," Andy says without taking her eyes off the baby. She continues to bounce her up and down on her lap as Mya giggles incessantly.

"That she does," Sam responds, before leaning in and kissing Andy on the temple, causing her to finally look over at her adoring husband. When she sees the grin on his face, she can't help but smile back.

"You're amazing," he tells her, once she turns to look at him.

"I know," she says with a smile.

He lets out a small laugh, but then gets serious. "I mean it. You are just… you're so great with her. And I just want you to know that I… that I notice… and it means a lot to me," he tells her, as he pushes a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Well, she's pretty easy to love," Andy says, turning her attention back to the baby.

"Must be those Swarek genes," he quips.

Andy rolls her eyes, but she can't help the smile from appearing on her lips. "Yeah, well they are my one weakness," she concedes, stealing a glance at her husband.

"Don't I know it," he teases as he moves closer to her. He starts placing kisses down her neck and begins to fidget with the hem of her shirt.

"Sam! The baby!" Andy squeals.

"What?" He asks innocently, after pulling away. "I think she wants a sibling," he says with a teasing grin.

"Oh yeah? Did she tell you that?" Andy asks incredulously.

"Actually, yes. We had a whole conversation about it on the way over here," he quipped. "I think you're a bad influence on her, McNally… she practically talked my ear off about it the entire time," he jokes.

"Well I think we could at least wait until her bedtime," Andy tells him with a pointed look.

"I don't know… she's kind of impatient… she really wants a little brother or sister," Sam jokes.

Andy rolls her eyes and shakes her head, but her smile hasn't disappeared. Just then, Mya starts to wiggle in Andy's arms and begins to babble a little bit.

"I told you!" Sam jests, causing Andy to laugh. He waits for the laughs to die down before bringing it up again. "Seriously though, what do you think about us having a baby soon?" He asks her, playing with a lock of her hair. He's been thinking about it for a while, trying to find the right time to bring it up. He's not sure if this is it, but he really does want a baby with her.

"Hmm… I guess I'd be okay with that," she teases.

"You guess?" He asks with a smile.

"Yeah, if you're nice to me, I might be willing to have your baby," she quips.

"I'm always nice to you, McNally," he reminds her.

She smiles. "I know you are," she agrees as she turns to look at her husband. She sees the look he's giving her- he wants an answer. A definitive answer that isn't laced with teasing. "Sam, you know I want to have your babies," she says with a smile.

"But?" He asks, knowing the next word that's going to come out of her mouth.

"But, I'm kind of terrified," she admits. He waits for her to continue as he searches her eyes for a moment.

The truth is, she's beyond terrified. She's terrified of being a bad mother, of completely fucking up their child, and of disappointing Sam, especially considering the fact that Marlo is a great mother and it would be impossible for him not to compare the two of them. And Marlo is a single mother, which makes her all the more impressive. Sure, Sam and Andy are always there to help her and Marlo is still living with her sister, but for all intents and purposes, she's a single mother. A single, working mother, and yet she's doing a hell of a job.

But she can't say any of that to him- not with the way that he's looking at her right now. She'll reveal her insecurities eventually, but not right now. So, she sighs and makes something up.

"Promise you'll still love me after I get fat and hormonal and I'm waking you up at 2 in the morning to go to the store to buy sweet and sour pickles and strawberry cream cheese?" She questions.

"Really? Pickles and cream cheese?" He asks, in disgust.

"I don't know," she shrugs.

"I promise," he tells her before giving her a quick kiss. "I will always love you," he assures her.

She stares at him for a moment and he smiles at her, trying to ease the worry that's written all over her face. She sighs and convinces herself that she's just overanalyzing this. She promises herself that she'll do everything in her power to be a great mother and she knows that Sam will be there every step of the way, that they'll figure all of this out together.

"Andy…" he says, when it's been a few minutes. He's running his thumb in circles on her thigh and she's starting to relax.

"Okay, then I guess you have my permission to impregnate me," she says with a laugh.

"Yeah?" He asks, the hope beaming in his eyes.

"Yeah," she nods.

"Perfect," he says before leaning in for another kiss. He cups her face with one hand, while the other hand gets tangled in her hair. Andy smiles against his lips before she pulls away.

"But not until this little one is in bed," she insists.

"Fine," Sam agrees, pretending to pout, before eventually returning his attention to his daughter who is still bouncing up and down on Andy's knees.

"Is it my turn yet or are you going to keep hogging her?" He asks with a smile, reaching out for his daughter.

"Not yet," she whines, holding Mya out of his reach. He laughs and kisses her on the temple. He doesn't know how he ever got so lucky.

======= After =======

Sam and Andy tiptoe out of Mya's room after putting her to bed. Sam closes her bedroom door and then turns to Andy with a mischievous grin.

"Okay, now time to take you to bed," Sam says as he picks up his wife and starts down the hall towards their bedroom. She playfully rolls her eyes as she wraps her arms around his neck while they cross the threshold of their bedroom. Sam kicks the door closed with his foot and gently places Andy on their bed. He immediately climbs on top of her before placing kisses down her neck and across her collarbone.

"Sam…" she begins.

"Hm?" He mumbles as he starts to nibble on her ear while unbuttoning her shirt.

"Do you think I'll be a good mom?" She asks. She wasn't planning on bringing this up to him yet, especially not now, but the words left her mouth before she could stop them. Sam pulls away and looks at her, surprised by her question. Before he has a chance to respond, she continues. "I mean… it's not like I had anyone to teach me how to be a good mother…Aren't you the least bit concerned that I'm going to be terrible at this?" she questions.

"No," he answers simply, before continuing to unbutton her shirt.

"Seriously? Not even a little? You can tell me, I won't be mad," she persists. Sam lets out a sigh and rolls off of his wife, so he is lying on his side and facing her.

"Andy, the thought has never even crossed my mind. I have no doubt that you are going to be an amazing mother, okay? I mean, look at how great you are with Mya. She absolutely adores you," he assures her.

"Yeah…" she says, looking off into the distance. He knows her well enough to know that she's not entirely convinced.

"And Leo? The kid has had a crush on you for the past five years… And Oliver's girls love you. And you were great with Christian… and what about Olivia? You're Frank and Noelle's go-to babysitter," he reminds her.

"That's different. Being the fun Aunt is completely different than being a mother," she points out.

"Andy," he says, cupping her chin so she will look at him. "I promise you, you're going to be great. I know you will… I mean, my Dad was never around when I was growing up and I think I'm doing a pretty good job… don't you think?" He asks.

She looks up at him. "You're doing an amazing job," she corrects him. "You're an unbelievable Dad," she adds.

He smiles. "See? I don't need to have a great father to be one and you don't need to have a great mother to be one…. We've got this… we'll figure all of this out together, just like we always do," he promises her, as he runs his hand down her cheek.

"I love you," she tells him with a smile.

"I love you, too."

She smiles and leans forward to kiss him. He meets her half way and tangles his hand in her hair as he deepens the kiss. She runs her hands up and down his back before eventually sneaking her hands underneath his shirt.

=================AFTER=================

About thirty minutes later, they've finally caught their breath. They are still tangled up in each other, while Sam has an arm around Andy and she is resting her head on his chest as she draws lazy patterns on his chest.

"What do you think our kid will be like?" She asks, eventually.

"Hm…" He says, as he runs his fingers up and down her arm.

"I hope he or she has your dimples," she tells him.

He lets out a laugh. "And your enthusiasm. And your eyes," he tells her with a smile. "And your laugh," he adds.

She props herself up on an elbow so she can look at him. She smiles and leans in for a kiss. He places his hand on the back of her neck, holding her there to prolong the kiss for an extra second.

"If you really want to have a baby, we're going to have to get a bigger place," she reminds him. "I don't think Mya should have to share her room," she adds.

And yeah, he feels her words directly in his heart. Sometimes he can't believe how thoughtful she is. How much she truly loves his daughter. How each and every day, she has kept the promise she made to him in his truck- that his child would always feel wanted and loved by her.

He smiles and pulls her in for another kiss. "We should get a house with a yard… for Boo and the kids. We could fence it in, get a swing set and a slide… maybe a pool," he says.

She smiles. "That sounds nice," she admits as she imagines a few kids chasing Boo around their back yard while she and Sam watch from the window.

"When do you want to start looking?" He asks.

"This weekend?" She suggests.

"Okay," he agrees. He's surprised she's willing to just jump right into this. She usually needs time to process, to plan. He wonders if she had already been thinking about babies and houses before he ever brought it up.

"How many kids do you want?" She asks, interrupting his thoughts.

"As many as you want," he tells her. She rolls her eyes at him and he laughs. "Okay, I don't know… maybe two more? We are public servants after all," he reminds her.

"True," she says with a nod.

"Why don't we just have one and see how it goes?" He suggests.

"Sounds like a good plan," she says with a nod.

He smiles at his wife. "I can't wait to have a baby with you," he tells her. And it's true. He's been thinking about it for a long time. He can't help but flashback to that conversation with Oliver in his cabin. Kids, park on Sundays, real life, something more than this… with her. Way back then, he never thought he would actually have any of it. He never thought he would be here… with her and he thanks God every day that he is.

She looks up at him and smiles. "I don't know… I'm already kind of a handful… and then you're going to add hormones and four a.m., cravings and crazy pregnancy brain. Are you sure you can handle it?" she teases.

"Of course, I'm like the McNally whisperer," he quips.

"I'm going to remind you that you said that when I'm pregnant and driving you absolutely insane," she grins and he mirrors the sentiment.

"I love you so much," he tells her. Her smile widens and she gives him a kiss. Even though he's told her this hundreds of times, she never gets sick of hearing it. And even though it was hard for him to say at first, he never gets sick of telling her.

=================AFTER=================

So, that is chapter one. This story will just be a series of related flurry one-shots. No real plot, just fluff, because… why not?

Please review!