Everything Comes Together

When the phone rang at 2am, Jensen almost fell out of bed to reach the phone. His stomach did a funny little stutter step as he flipped open the phone.

“Hello?” he grunted, squinting to make out the blurry numbers of the alarm clock as he slapped around, looking for his glasses.

“IT’S A GIRL!”

Jensen’s face split into a wide grin and he rolled over, smacking his husband of one year in the shoulder. “Wake up!”

Jared smacked his lips and rolled over, eyes opening once before closing as he sighed, falling back to sleep.

“Jay! Wake up,” he laughed, shaking him.

Jared suddenly sat up, looking down at Jensen, blinking sleepily at him. “What?”

“It’s a girl. We have a girl,” he grinned up at Jared, the phone still pressed against his ear. “Seven pounds, nine ounces, nineteen inches long. Dark hair, blue eyes.”

Jared grinned brightly, starting down at Jensen. He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn’t think of anything to say besides the standard. “Wow!”

Jensen laughed, slipping his glasses on as he got up and walked over to the computer, opening up their email program. “Jeff said he just sent her first picture.”

“Fuck the picture! Let’s go!” Jared was already scrambling out of bed and pulling on pants.

“We will, we will.” Jensen laughed, saying goodbye to Jeff before hanging up the phone. He opened up the inbox and pulled up the picture, suddenly falling speechless.

“Jen?” Jared stopped pulling his shirt on at the sudden silence in the bedroom.

“She’s, she’s gorgeous,” Jensen grinned, looking over his shoulder at Jared.

Jared came to stand beside Jensen, resting his hands on his husband’s shoulders, leaning forward. “She’s got your nose.”

“That’s not even possible!” Jensen laughed as he got up and got dressed.

“So? Still looks like it,” Jared laughed as he brushed his teeth and ran his fingers through his hair. “Okay, come on!”

“Wait four more seconds,” Jensen brushed his teeth and then slid his shoes on. “All right, let’s go meet her.”

They headed out to the truck, Jared automatically sliding into the driver’s seat as Jensen slid into the passenger seat. The ride to the hospital was filled with excited silence. After nine whole months, it didn’t seem possible that she was actually here. It was to be a private adoption. The mother, a young college student, had already signed away her rights. She knew she couldn’t give the baby all that she deserved and that she had made the best decision for all involved. She hadn’t wanted anything from the adoption, but Jensen and Jared had insisted that they pay off her student loans and the rest of her tuition. It wouldn’t be enough, in their eyes, but it was the very least they could do.

Pulling into the parking lot, Jared parked the truck and jumped out, his body thrumming with nervous energy. He grinned when Jensen’s hand slipped into his and together they made their way inside and up to the 4th floor where Jared’s brother Jeff was waiting for them.

“Come on down and meet her,” Jeff lead them down to a private room, where a nurse was waiting with a glass bassinet. She grinned at the men before leaving the room, patting Jeff on the shoulder as she went. “She’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

Jensen bit his lip as he moved close to the bassinet, staring down at the sleeping newborn. His hands itched to reach out and hold her, but he was afraid of disturbing her while she slept.

“It’s okay, go ahead,” Jeff encouraged softly.

Jared grinned, biting his own lip nearly in half as Jensen reached down and gently lifted their daughter, bringing her close against his chest. He motioned Jensen into the rocking chair and then dragged the regular chair over, straddling it and reaching out to trace a large finger over one tiny closed fist.

“She’s ours,” Jensen grinned up at Jared as Jeff slipped out of the room. “She’s ours and she has no name,” he laughed softly.

Jared grinned back, stroking the tiny fist. “She’s beautiful,” he tilted his head to look at her, biting his lip in thought. “Well what was on the list?”

“Michelle, Savannah, and Sahara,” Jensen said, looking down at the baby. “But she doesn’t look like either of those.”

Jared chuckled. “Not really,” he watched her as she shifted in her blanket, snuffling quietly as she got comfortable again. “What about Avery?”

Jensen shifted, looking at her. “Avery Padalecki-Ackles. I like that. Middle name.”

“You pick,” without hesitation, Jared lifted her from Jensen’s arms, cradling her against his shoulder, one huge hand covering her entire back.

“Grace,” Jensen said immediately. “Avery Grace Padalecki-Ackles.”

Jared grinned, pressing a kiss to the soft cheek of their daughter. “Welcome to the world Avery Grace,” he shifted the baby back to Jensen and kissed the top of his head. “I’ll be right back.”

Jensen nodded, not even asking where Jared was going. After knowing the man for nearly six years, he had a pretty good idea of what Jared was up to.

Jared slipped down the hall and into one of the rooms, grinning brightly at the young woman in the bed. Walking over, he dropped a kiss on her forehead before sitting down in the chair, taking her hand in his.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

She grinned, squeezing his hand tightly in hers. “She’s perfect, isn’t she? I’m so sorry we couldn’t call you in time. She came so fast.”

Jared laughed softly, gripping her hand in his. “She’s here and she’s healthy and you’re healthy and that’s all that matters. How’re you feeling?”

She nodded. “Good. Amazing actually. Glad it’s over with. Glad she’s good. Jensen with her?”

He nodded with a grin. “Yeah, I managed to steal her for a moment. I think I’ll have to get my time in while Jen’s sleeping.”

She laughed, shaking her head a bit before sobering, her hand tightening further on Jared’s hand, her voice wobbling a bit when she spoke. “I made the right decision. She’s your daughter. I couldn’t take care of her properly, not now, maybe not for a while. I’ve got a lot left to do before I want to settle down. It hurts, I think it always will, but it’s the right thing.”

Jared smiled, his eyes bright as he kissed the back of her hand. “It means so much to the both of us. More than we can ever express. Thank you for her.”

She nodded, wiping away her tears gently. “Did you name her?”

Jared nodded. “Yeah. Avery. Avery Grace Padalecki-Ackles,” he smiled softly.

She grinned brightly through her tears. “That’s perfect. Beautiful, just like her.”

Jared nodded as he stood up, kissing the top of her head once more. “Just like her Mama. Thank you again, Gracie, so much for her.”

Grace grinned up at Jared, nodding. “You’re so welcome. Take care of her?”

“Always and forever,” he promised, squeezing her hand one last time before leaving her room.

The next day, Avery was released from the hospital in perfect health. Jared carried the baby seat in while Jensen dealt with the dogs, giving each one a treat to calm them down while Jared set the carrier on the dining room table, moving the handle back and leaning down to lift her from the straps.

“This is your home, baby girl,” Jared said softly as he turned her towards the large windows in the living room. Avery opened her eyes and blinked once before closing them and settling back to sleep. “She’s so impressed,” he laughed before carrying her over to the bassinet and setting her in, covering her with a light blanket.

“She has a wonderful way of showing it,” Jensen laughed as he unpacked the stuff the hospital had given them for her, stowing the liquid formula beside the powder on the counter before stepping into the living room, leaning against Jared’s side when Jared wrapped an arm around him. “She’s really ours.”

Jared nodded, snuggling the slightly shorter man closer. “Forever and ever.”

Jensen laughed. “I’ll remind you of that when she’s a teenager and driving us up the wall.”

Jared laughed with him, shaking his head. “It’ll be worth it. It’ll all be worth it.”

Jensen nodded in agreement before reaching in for the baby, carrying up to their bedroom with Jared right behind. He settled onto the bed, cradling Avery against his chest while Jared snuggled beside them, one arm under Jensen and the other over Avery’s back.

“We’re a real family,” Jared said softly, stroking the tiny back under his hand.

“That we are,” Jensen kissed Jared softly before succumbing to sleep, settling off with Avery cradled tightly against his chest.

Jared pulled the covers up over them lightly before joining his husband and their daughter in sleep.