In Flames // 9-1-1 Fox (seasons 1-4)

ninety-six

"We're going to have to get a new bed."

Mariana smirked at her husband's words, her hand gently stroking up and down the tiny body that rested on her chest. Eddie smoothed her hair down and pressed a kiss to her forehead before crouching down to look at his daughter's sleeping face.

"She's perfect," he whispered. Mariana reached out to cup his face and pull him in for a sweet kiss. For someone who had just pushed a baby out of her less than twelve hours before, Mariana still looked absolutely radiant.

The ambulance arrived not even twenty minutes after baby girl Diaz emerged into the world. Buck volunteered to stay back and clean up while they headed for the hospital. The hospital wanted to keep Mariana for two days since it was such an emergent delivery. Mom and baby were both doing fine and thanks to vaccines, they were granted two visitors outside of the hospital. So when a quiet knock sounded on the door, Eddie immediately went to go answer.

"Hey," Mariana greeted from the bed. "Come meet your granddaughter."

The bundle in her arms shifted slightly and a tiny hand stretched out of the blankets as they approached the bed. Mariana adjusted her arms and moved the blanket so her little face was exposed.

"Oh, Mari. She's beautiful," Athena gasped.

"Eight pounds, twelve ounces. I blame Eddie's height," Mari joked. "Bobby, do you want to hold her?"

He stared at her in surprise and she grinned, holding her arms out for him to take the sleeping baby. Bobby gently took hold of the infant, his face lighting up as her little brown eyes blinked open.

"What's her name?" Athena asked.

"Hope. Hope Evalyn Diaz."

"Evalyn?"

"Only fair since Uncle Buck delivered her," she joked.

"And Hope?"

Mariana looked at her daughter who slept peacefully in Bobby's arms. She smiled, a certain softness overtaking her features that showed her devotion to her new child. "What is the point of life if not to hope? It's gotten us this far and I'm betting that it'll be with us to the end."

"Hope," Bobby repeated, his voice quiet. "She's perfect."

He watched in amazement as a tiny hand wrapped around his finger. Athena winked at her daughter and leaned down to hug her.

"We're so proud of you, sweetheart."

///

The thud of car doors and running feet signalled the arrival of two very excited little boys. Mariana looked up from where she was cuddling Hope to raise an eyebrow at her husband. He grinned and kissed her cheek before heading to the front door to open it.

"Mom!" Chris shouted as soon as he saw her seated on the couch. He paused in his steps at the sight of the bundle of blankets in her arms and then looked down slowly at her stomach. Mariana grinned at beckoned him over with her free hand.

"Come meet your sister Hope, buddy," she said gently. Christopher pulled himself up onto the couch next to her and peered down at the chubby face nestled in the blankets. Mariana helped adjust a pillow on his lap and instructed him on how to hold his arms before slowly transferring Hope to his cradled arms. She still kept a hand on the back of Hope's neck for support but let Christopher hold most of the weight.

"She's so small," Christopher breathed in awe. Mari laughed and nodded in agreement.

"I said the same thing. There was a time when you were that small."

"Woah," Diego exclaimed when he joined them on the couch. Eddie carefully maneuvered Hope into his arms next and the two adults watched as the boys fawned over the little baby who was starting to wake up. Hope's big brown eyes blinked up at her brothers and she reached out, her fingers curling grabbing onto Christopher's finger.

"We're gonna be best friends," Christopher assured her. "And we can play all the video games you want."

"You can play goalie," Diego added. Eddie winked at his wife and she flashed him a brilliant grin, running her hands over Christopher's curls and pressing a kiss to Diego's dark hair. She wrapped an arm around her boys and looked at her family.

Perfect.

A/N: Hope seems fitting for a kid born from Eddie and Mariana asldjflkasdfj