Be Not Nobody

OMG OMG OMG! AMAZING!I WAS LIKE SHAKING AND CRYING THE WHOLE TIME! SO GOOD!

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:54:39 -0400

It was a really hard chapter to write. I must have changed it around at least 5 times before I hit publish.

MEET ME HALFWAY - CHAPTER FIFTY

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:22:16 -0400

Title: Meet Me Halfway (Chapter Fifty)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Tim Lincecum / OFC

Kaylee had slept for short periods throughout the night, she continually felt an aching pressure in her lower back. The pain would last for short spurts and regardless of what position she got in, they never completely went away. They would stop for short periods, and resume within the hour or two, progressively getting worse.

By the time Tim woke up she had experienced the pain for almost five hours. In the back of her head she knew what it was - contractions - but she didn’t want to tell Tim, not yet. Her plan was to keep quiet as long as she could, he needed to go to the ballpark today, he couldn’t burn his first day of paternity leave just because she was in labor. After all, she had read that labor could last over 24 hours sometimes, and she knew she wasn’t close to being admitted into the hospital anyway, so it made no sense in having him spend the day in the house with her if he didn’t need to.

Tim noticed that Kaylee was still in bed next to him when he woke up. She was awake, but usually she was out of bed, bustling around the house by the time he woke up.

“Good Morning baby. Are you feeling okay?”

Kaylee gave Tim a weak smile, “Good morning babe. Yeah, just really tired.”

Tim smiled sympathetically, the doctor had said that Kaylee should be going into labor any day now. The next seven days were on the road, so he had made arrangements with everyone in the organization so that he would be able to fly out at a moments notice. Luckily, everyone was very cooperative and they understood. He really hated that he was going to be away though.

“I think I want to go for a walk, get the blood moving,” Kaylee interrupted Tim’s thoughts and looked at Kaylee suspiciously.

“Are you sure? You’ve never wanted to go for a walk this late in your pregnancy before.”

Kaylee nodded, “I know. But she’s a little restless in there and Dr. Dominguez said it would be good to become active, that it would quiet her down a bit.”

Kaylee bit her lip, hoping that Tim wouldn’t question her. He didn’t. The reality was that Dr. Dominguez told her that it would be good to walk around for a while once her contractions began. She climbed out of bed and changed into some sweats, Tim did as well, and off they went for a walk that lasted upwards of an hour. Multiple times Kaylee had to stop as the pain from the contractions was setting in, but she just brushed it off and told Tim that it was Aubree kicking her.

By the time Tim left for the park, Kaylee had settled in to a warm bath, hoping to ease the pain from the contractions. While she mentally relaxed, the pain did not ease. Instead the contractions grew in frequency and strength. Kaylee tried everything to keep her mind at ease and to relax. She had already contacted Dr. Dominguez and she suggested a variety of things for Kaylee to do. She wanted her to stay active, but relaxed, she wouldn’t need to go to the hospital until her contractions were 5 minutes apart for a full hour or her water broke.

Hours had past since Tim left. He had called her from the clubhouse earlier, something he rarely did, to check on her. Kaylee knew he had his suspicions, but instead he merely mentioned how Kevin Durant had passed by the clubhouse. Her contractions were worsening and after a little more than an hour of intense contractions, her water broke. Lucy had been by her side all day, she knew they had to get to the hospital.

“Kaylee that’s it. I’m calling Tim and the Dr. We’re getting you to the hospital now.” Lucy ran to get everything that Kaylee and Tim had packed up while Kaylee checked her watch, tears falling down her face. She mentally did the math and estimated that she had been in labor for about 13 hours already - she didn’t know how much more she could take.

Lucy ran back in the room with the hospital bag and helped Kaylee out to the car. ”I called Dr. Dominguez, she’ll meet you at the hospital. I talked to someone in the Giants clubhouse, they said they’d send Tim to the hospital now.”

Kaylee shut her eyes tightly as another contraction ran through her. “Thank you Lucy.”

Tim had been sitting in the dugout, near the phone when he heard it ring. Kaylee had been acting weird all day, even though she hadn’t said it, he knew she had to be in labor. But he trusted her enough to know that she knew her own body, and she knew when it would be the right time to tell him. He jumped up towards the phone but Bochy was closer and answered it. He eyed Tim as he nodded into the phone and answered, “Don’t worry. We’ll send him right now.”

Bochy walked up to Tim, placing an arm on his shoulder. “Take a deep breath. Relax. Kaylee is in labor. They’re on the way to the hospital now. You can go and meet her there, but be careful. You’ll be of no help if you don’t make it there alive.”

Tim nodded and ran off to his car. He took a deep breath and drove to the hospital, desperately trying not to speed his way there. By the time he arrived Kaylee had already been admitted and was in bed, in her own hospital room, crying.

Tim ran up to her and grabbed her hand. She clenched it tight as another contraction rang through.

Kaylee was barely able to muster Tim’s name through her tears. “Tim.”

“Shh. It’s okay baby. I’m here. Relax. I know it hurts. Do you need anything, do you want anything?”

Kaylee shook her head, “No. Please don’t leave me.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere.”

For the next two hours Tim stayed by Kaylee’s side as she experienced contraction after contraction. She had received an epidural shortly after Tim arrived so she no longer felt pain, just pressure.

Dr. Dominguez arrived and checked Kaylee for the fourth time. “I think we’re going to start getting you ready to push.”

Kaylee clutched Tim’s hand and nodded. Dr. Dominguez and the nurses set up the room as Tim whispered to Kaylee, calming her down. Lucy had long left the room, leaving Kaylee in Tim’s care, but she returned at Kaylee’s request. Kaylee knew she needed not only the man she was in love with by her side, but also the best friend she had ever had.

After thirty minutes of pushing, Kaylee was drained, but Dr. Dominguez kept encouraging her. “Come on Kaylee. She’s almost out. Don’t give up on me yet.”

Kaylee pushed as Tim kept her calm, constantly telling her how much he loved her and how much faith he had in her. Soon the doctor was proclaiming that she could see the baby. A few pushes after and the baby was out.

But Aubree didn’t cry, she whimpered and wiggled weakly but there were no shrieks or cries.

Kaylee panicked as the nurses took her, “Why isn’t she crying? Is she okay, what’s going on?”

Tim held her down as she tried to push up, terrified.

“She’s going to be fine Kaylee, but I need you to finish here. Please Kaylee, relax.”

Kaylee tried but her heartbeat accelerated and tears fell like waterfalls as she watched the nurses take her daughter, who had yet to cry, out of the room.

Tim and Lucy tried to calm her down, but ultimately she had to be given medication to get her heartbeat stabilized. The tears continued as she had yet to be told what was going on. Within several minutes though the medication took over and Kaylee fell into a light sleep as her heartbeat began to stabilize.

Tears feel quietly down Tim’s cheek as Dr. Dominguez came up behind him. “Tim”

Tim wiped the tears from his face and turned around, “How’s Aubree doctor? What’s going on?” It had been more than two hours since they had taken her, and they still hadn’t received any news.

“Aubree had fluid in her lungs, which was making it difficult for her to breathe and accelerated her heartbeat. She’s in the NCIU right now, and she’ll be there for at least the next 24 hours. She’s going to be under constant care. The goal is for her to breathe on her own with a regular heartbeat for at least 2 consecutive hours.”

“Can I see her?”

“Of course. Kaylee had also made it clear that she wished for you to take a paternity test after Aubree was born. We’ve already collected the DNA samples from the placenta, so whenever you’re ready we can go ahead and collect yours as well.”

Tim nodded and looked back at Kaylee. Lucy interrupted his thoughts, “Go ahead Tim. I’ll stay here with Kaylee in case she wakes up.”

“Thanks Lucy.” He looked back at Dr. Dominguez and went off to take the paternity test. As Kaylee had told him beforehand, it was a simple swab sample from his mouth. Afterwards he was escorted into the NCIU. It felt so weird to see his daughter surrounded by all these smaller babies. Dr. Dominguez had already told him that all of the other babies in the NCIU were preemies and would be a lot smaller than Aubree. Aubree, at 19in and 6.8lbs, was twice as big as many of them.

Tim sat down next to Aubree, tears falling from his eyes. This was the first time he laid eyes on his baby girl, and she looked so fragile inside the small cubicle, hooked up to various machines. Tim placed his arms through one of the arms slots in the cubicle and gently stroked Aubree’s arm. She wiggled slowly, and opened her eyes at the sense of the touch.

Tim smiled, she had his almond shaped eyes. He couldn’t make out the color yet, but they seemed very light. The head nurse came up to him and smiled, “She’s responded very well to treatment. As you can see she’s alert and breathing on her own now. By hospital policy we’re required to keep her under our care for 24 hours, but I’m fairly confident that she’ll be released after that.”

Tim nodded, smiling, as the nurse walked off, leaving him with his thoughts. After several moments he decided he needed to go check on Kaylee. As difficult as it was to leave Aubree, he knew he had to. On his way back to Kaylee’s room he took his cellphone out of his pocket and noticed all the missed calls and text messages.

Tim sighed. He wasn’t in the mood to answer or look through any of these. All that mattered to him right now was that the two most important women in his life were not at 100% and he didn’t know which of the two hurt most.

OMG!!!! 3 WEEKS BUT TOTALLY WORTH IT! I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! (since i'm hoping that's when the baby will come!) SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO GOOD!

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 15:55:52 -0400

Woah, was it really 3 weeks?? Didn’t mean to take that long at all. :-X

MEET ME HALFWAY - CHAPTER FORTY NINE

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:34:00 -0400

Title: Meet Me Halfway (Chapter Forty Nine)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Tim Lincecum / OFC

Tim’s first start of the season was at Dodger Stadium, two days before Kaylee’s due date. The doctor had strictly prohibited her from traveling, so she was forced to stay home and watch the game from her living room. Kaylee’s insides were a mess but she wasn’t sure if it was because she was nervous for Tim or because of Aubree beating her up inside in preparation for her arrival. Every time Tim issued a walk, Kaylee would bury her head in a nearby pillow - it was becoming hard to watch. And when errors caused two runs to come in Kaylee cursed at the TV - convinced they could somehow hear her. In the end, the Giants won the game 5-3, thanks in part to homeruns by Hunter Pence and Pablo Sandoval, and Tim recorded the win, as well as a 0.00 ERA.

Kaylee was exhausted after watching the game and retreated to the kitchen for a bite to eat. She grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl, and a bottle of water from the fridge before turning off the lights and heading up to her bedroom. Tim would be in later that night, and had an off day the following day. Kaylee would have her last doctor’s appointment before her due date, and she was glad Tim would be there. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

Tim walked in to his Sausalito house just past two in the morning. The house was dark and quiet, and he tiptoed his way up to the bedroom, careful not to make any noise so that he wouldn’t wake up Kaylee. He walked into the bedroom and found Kaylee sound asleep. He laughed quietly to himself as he noticed what Kaylee was clutching - the stuffed version of him that Romo had given her for her birthday just a few months earlier. Tim climbed into bed, careful not to wake Kaylee - he pushed back a strand of her hair, kissed her lightly on the forehead and proceeded to fall asleep next to her.

Kaylee’s eyes fluttered open at around six in the morning, she couldn’t remember the last time she had slept past ten with no wakeups in between. She stretched out slowly and noticed that Tim was asleep beside her. She didn’t remember him getting in last night so she assumed that he had arrived late and didn’t want to wake her. She cuddled up in his chest, causing Tim to stir.

“What time is it?”, he mumbled.

“Shh. It’s way to early. Go back to sleep.”

Tim wrapped his arms around Kaylee and did just as she asked, falling back sound asleep. When he awoke a few hours later Kaylee was no longer in his arms. Tim yawned, and headed into the shower, in hopes of taking away the droopiness that remained. Once he had finished he headed downstairs to find Kaylee sitting by the kitchen counter, tuning out the world with her iPod and eating breakfast. He always joked that she lived with her nose inside a book and her ears stuffed with music. It was partially true, and she always laughed when he pointed it out.

Tim made his way around the counter and stood in front of Kaylee. She smiled when she noticed him. “Good morning baby.”

“Morning Kay. I didn’t hear you get up.”

“Didn’t want to wake you. I figured you had a long night.”

“Long doesn’t even begin to cover it.” Tim walked over the fridge and pulled out a bottle of muscle milk. He took a big gulp before sitting down next to Kaylee, “Obviously not one of my finer outings.”

Kaylee smiled sympathetically, “Let’s look at the bright side - 0.00 ERA. 1-0 record.”

“Or we can look at the crazy amount of walks that I gave up.”

“Don’t beat yourself up Tim. It’s the first game of the season. It’s a long season and you had a short off season to get ready. Remember you missed a big chunk of spring training because of the blister.”

“Yeah I know. I’m not beating myself up. I think the outing went fairly well considering, it was just those damn walks I need to work on.” Tim shook his head, shaking the thought from his mind. “At what time is the doctor’s appointment today?”

“At 1:00pm. She’s going to check the baby’s position and we’ll have a better idea if she’ll be here by the due date or not.”

“Which is only three days away.”

“I know. Don’t remind me. As much as I’m ready for Aubree’s arrival, I selfishly want her to come at least a day late. I want to see the raising of the championship banner, and the ring ceremony.”

Tim stared at Kaylee, eyes wide, “Are you crazy? You can’t come out to the stadium like that. What if you go into labor?”

“Babe, there is no way I’m missing this if I don’t have to. I’ll get clearance from Dr. Dominguez and I’ll take Lucy with me. Nothing will happen.”

Tim sighed, defeated, “I’m not going to talk you out of it am I?”

“Of course not babe, don’t even try.” Kaylee smiled and kissed Tim.

By the time they made it to the Doctor’s office they had discussed everything regarding Aubree’s arrival - they tried to plan as much as they could, but they knew it somehow wouldn’t matter. After Dr. Dominguez had examined Kaylee thoroughly she concluded that Aubree was still days away.

“I can tell you she won’t be here by Sunday. I’m going to schedule you another appointment for Monday so we can examine you again and we can discuss if we’re going to induce you later on. I don’t normally suggest induced labor unless you’re two weeks late or if there is a health concern, so that would be a last resort. Until Monday I suggest you try to be as active as possible so we can try to get the baby into position. I don’t want you to worry though, she’ll come out when she’s ready.”

Kaylee sat quietly, rubbing her belly and taking in the doctor’s words before asking about the upcoming weekend. “Tim has games in town this weekend that I wanted to attend. If we’re positive the baby won’t be coming in those days, is it okay if I attend the games?”

Dr Dominguez smiled, “Of course. You’re only restriction has been travel. I do suggest that you try and walk around the ballpark between innings as much as possible. I don’t want to say there’s a zero chance that you’ll go in to labor this weekend, but the chances are slim.”

Kaylee smiled and looked pointedly at Tim, “I win.” They laughed in unison and finished off their meeting. They sat in the office parking lot for several minutes before Tim started up the car.

“What’s wrong Tim?”

“I know she cleared you for this weekend. But I still feel iffy about it, with all those crowds there.”

Kaylee sighed. She understood Tim’s concern, but she still wanted to be there for him this weekend. “How about if we compromise - I’ll go to the games for the raising of the flag and the ring ceremony and then i’ll leave after an inning or two since you’re not pitching until Monday anyway. Would that make you feel better?”

Tim glanced up at Kaylee, smiling, “Deal. I guess we can compromise.”

Kaylee giggled, grabbing Tim’s face to pull him in for a kiss before Tim drove them back home. When they arrived Lucy was in the living room with Cy, Blackie and Kayo watching TV.

“Hey guys. What’s the news?”

Kaylee shook her head and smiled, “Nothing yet. Have to go back Monday. But Tim and I reached a compromise - You and me will go to the games for the raising of the banner and for the ring ceremony but we’ll leave after an inning or two.”

Lucy jumped up in excitement, “Yes! Two innings of baseball. Works for me.”

Kaylee giggled and threw one of the couch pillows at Lucy.

Lucy fell back on the couch laughing, “Sorry Tim. Unlike Kaylee, I can’t really sit through nine innings of baseball.”

Tim shrugged, “It’s not for everybody.”

They joined Lucy on the couch and turned on a movie. Before the movie was over Lucy had tip-toed out of the room and Kaylee had fallen asleep.

Tim cuddled Kaylee in his arms and thought about the upcoming weekend. He didn’t know what he was more excited for - watching them hang another banner, receiving his second ring, or knowing that within a week or so he would be holding his newborn daughter in his arms. He couldn’t wait.

ATTENTION READERS!?!?

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:15:25 -0400

Question for those of you who have been reading since the beginning, and those of you who might have picked up on the story have way through - Chapter 48 was just published. This story has been in the making for almost a year!!! I’m not sure if I should just wrap it up at chapter 50, or if I should just keep writing and see where inspiration hits. It’s up to you readers - OPINIONS????

MEET ME HALFWAY - CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

Wed, 15 May 2013 22:08:42 -0400

Title: Meet Me Halfway (Chapter Forty Eight)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Tim Lincecum / OFC

Aubree Christina Lincecum was one lucky little girl, and she wasn’t even born yet.

Kaylee looked around Tim’s living room, still astonished at the amount of presents from the baby shower. It was late, and the last person had finally left. Chris, Drew, Danielle, and Lucy were all in their respective rooms, having retreated in for the night a long time ago.

Kaylee had refused to leave until the last person had left. They had all shown up for her, and she wasn’t going to leave, regardless of how tired she was. Tim came in from the kitchen and handed her a tall glass of water.

“Overwhelmed?”

Kaylee took a sip of water and smiled, “Grateful. I still can’t believe they did all of this. It was such a great baby shower. I had the best time.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. It certainly was hard keeping it a secret.”

Kaylee giggled, “How long did you know!?!?!”

Tim shrugged, “Since we got here. Ryan had told me about it. I didn’t know it was going to be this big though. Nicole is a good party planner.”

“Two weeks!” Kaylee playfully shoved Tim, “I can’t believe you kept this a secret from me for two weeks!”

She giggled as Tim hugged her and kissed the top of her head, “Okay okay. I forgive you.”

Kaylee yawned and Tim decided it was time for both of them to head to bed. They would go through the presents another day.

The remainder of Spring Training flew by. Tim had developed a blister on his throwing hand that was preventing him from practicing and performing the way he would like. Instead of becoming frustrated, how he would do in previous years, he focused his attention on his endurance and on healing the blister. The result was not what he would have liked, but he found comfort in the fact that he was getting stronger. Besides, in years past he had never had a strong Spring Training anyway.

Chris, Drew and Danielle remained in Arizona until the last day of Spring Training. They provided familiar comfort for Tim, and gave Kaylee a new found sense of family. She truly loved having them around and she was glad Tim had people in his life who were always there for him - not because of who he was, but in spite of it.

Lucy, Kaylee and Tim arrived back in San Francisco two days before the season was set to start. It was most certainly the last quality time that Tim and Kaylee would spend alone together with the season starting in two days, and Aubree due to arrive in a week. They had settled in everything from the baby shower into the nursery except for the bassinet. Kaylee had rolled that into their bedroom, since Nicole assured her that the doctor would recommend that the baby sleep in the same room for at least the first two weeks.

They were sitting out on the deck watching the sunset when Kaylee sighed deeply. Tim wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and pulled her close. “What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing really. Just enjoying the last peaceful moment that we have together. Tomorrow you leave for the first road series of the season and before we know it Aubree will be here. Dr. Dominguez said she could come anytime between now and April 5th. Our world will be turned upside down.”

“Or our world will become a little bit tougher but a lot sweeter.”

Kaylee smiled, “I like that idea.”

Tim hugged Kaylee a little bit tighter, “And you know that I’m going to be here for you every step of the way. If she comes while I’m in LA I can catch a flight back as soon as you call me. After that I’m home for a week.”

Kaylee sighed, “And then you’re gone for a week.”

“Yeah. But I can be back at a moment’s notice.” Tim looked down and noticed the look of worry on Kaylee’s face, “Are you worried that I’m not going to be here for the birth of our child?”

Kaylee nodded softly, it was her biggest fear.

“That’s not going to happen. Lucy has all the numbers to call the minute you go into labor. I promise you that I will be there. Even if I’m on the mound in the middle of a perfect game. Bochy knows to pull me no matter what if Lucy calls the dugout phone during one my outings.”

Kaylee laughed, “I really hope that doesn’t happen. I would feel terrible.”

“It doesn’t matter. I want to be there for you and for Aubree. And at least for the first three days of her life I get to be there around the clock.”

Kaylee looked up at Tim from on her spot on his chest and raised her eyebrows.

Tim smiled, “MLB actually gives us three days of paternity leave.”

Kaylee’s eyes lit up, “So I get to have you by my side for an entire three days!! That’s the greatest news ever.”

Tim laughed, “I’m glad. Are you feeling better about everything now?”

“I am,” Kaylee lifted herself up from Tim’s chest and turned to face him, “But there’s something that I need to tell you, and I’m afraid it’s going to ruin the good mood.”

Tim frowned slightly, “What is it.”

Kaylee took a deep breath and remained silent.

“Kay. Come on. What happened?”

Kaylee bit her bottom lip, but finally spoke, “I told Dr. Dominguez that I wanted a paternity test right after Aubree was born.”

Tim opened his mouth to protest but Kaylee stopped him. “I know you don’t want one. I know you don’t think we need one, but please. It’s a simple and quick procedure that will erase any suspicions that you’re family has. I don’t want your family to ever have to look at Aubree and wonder weather or not she truly is your child.”

“But Kay - I already told you it doesn’t matter what my family thinks.”

“Fine, I understand that. But do you want your daughter growing up feeling that part of her family doesn’t think she belongs? Just do it for her.”

Tim sighed, defeated. He knew that Kaylee was right, he didn’t want Aubree to ever feel any type of rejection from his family. “Okay Kaylee. You’re right. I’ll do it for Aubree. But is the procedure safe for her?”

Kaylee smiled, happy to have Tim see where she was coming from. She kissed him lightly and nodded, “They don’t do a thing to Aubree, they use the DNA cells from the umbilical cord. Completely safe.”

Tim breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Kaylee back against his chest. “So now are you completely comfortable?”

“Well. Other than Aubree kicking me insanely, yes.”

They laughed in unison and sat back to watch the remainder of the sunset.

i literally yelled when i found out the baby's name! my dad thought i was crazy. What an adorable name (:

Fri, 10 May 2013 17:41:07 -0400

Hahaha. Glad you like it. It took me forever to decide on the name.

the sound that came out of my mouth when I saw you posted the chapter was not human! lmao but it was AMAZING!! as always and I am crying at the name omg!!

Wed, 08 May 2013 22:09:51 -0400

LOL. Thank you!!! I’ve been fighting with myself for months trying to decide on the name.

MEET ME HALFWAY - CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:33:00 -0400

Title: Meet Me Halfway (Chapter Forty Seven)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Tim Lincecum / OFC

They had been in Scottsdale for two weeks. Kaylee was in love with Tim’s house. He really did have a knack for picking property. There was so much to do in the house that Kaylee didn’t know how she hadn’t gotten lost yet. Kaylee was glad to be around some of the wives again - Nicole had really been there for her when no one else had. Tim was glad to have his teammates around again, and he had some friends who lived in the area. His father, Drew and Danielle were also in town. They had always made it a habit to come down to Arizona to get away from the cold for awhile, and with all the space at Tim’s house, it didn’t matter that Kaylee and Lucy were there as well.

Kaylee headed to the kitchen one morning and found Tim eating cereal, all smiles, “Guess what I have planned for you today?”

Kaylee shrugged, “I have no idea.”

“A spa day,” Tim replied matter of factly.

“What?!?”

“I figured you could use a full day of rest, relaxation and pampering. Nicole suggested it the other day and I thought it was a great idea. You can get a nice massage, facial, do your hair and your nails.”

Kaylee smiled as she thought about the idea of a spa day, “You know that sounds really good actually.”

Tim walked up to her and kissed her lightly, “I know. I have a short day at the field today so I can drop you off in about an hour, and then pick you up afterwards.”

Kaylee agreed, and rushed to get ready. Little did she know that Tim had ulterior motives for planning her spa day. He had something else planned, and he needed Kaylee out of the house for awhile.

After dropping Kaylee off at the spa, Tim headed back to the house. Tim didn’t have to be at the field today - it was actually an off day - and he had been convinced by Lucy, Danielle and Nicole to tell Kaylee otherwise, simply so they could pull off their master plan.

Nicole had decided to throw Kaylee a surprise baby shower, and she needed Tim’s help, along with Lucy’s and Danielle’s, to do so. They were using his house - setting everything up in the back yard - Tim had a spacious backyard with waterfalls and a pool.

Tim arrived to find Lucy and Danielle decorating the backyard. Within the hour, his house began filling up - the majority of the team and their wives were there as well as Tim’s friends that lived in the area. Tim had also arranged to have all of Kaylee’s friends from her birthday at the shower as well. Tim’s father and Drew headed out to pick up the food as everyone mingled around the pool and Tim headed out to pick up Kaylee.

He arrived just as she was finishing up her pedicure and Tim was awestruck at how great she looked. Tim had always thought Kaylee looked great - but she had cut and styled her hair and had a sheer glow. Her face was of pure relaxation and bliss.

Tim smiled as he helped Kaylee up from the salon chair, “You look great.”

Kaylee blushed slightly, “Thanks. This was great Tim. For the first time in the last few weeks, I actually feel beautiful.”

“You are beautiful Kay. You have no idea how beautiful.”

Kaylee glanced down to the floor to avoid Tim’s glance but he gently pushed her chin up to meet his gaze, “I really mean that Kay.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and stood for a moment suspended in time. It was extra nice to know that even though she looked and felt like a balloon, with swollen ankles and an achy back, Tim still found her attractive.

“Come on, Kay. The day’s not over yet.”

They arrived to a house flooded with cars.

“What’s going on Tim? Why are there so many people here?”

“You’ll see.”

“What did you do?”

Tim smiled and shrugged, “This time I can honestly say that I didn’t do anything.”

Lucy had convinced her to wear a colorful maxi dress that was the perfect blend of comfortable and stylish, so she wasn’t underdressed for the shower. Tim guided her out to the backyard and the tears welled up as she took in the scene in front of her, and the chorus of ‘surprise’ being belted at her.

Tim’s backyard, the waterfalls, the pool area - everything was decorating in bright colors - with owls as the central design. The tears spilled over down her cheek as Nicole ran up to hug her.

“Do you like it?”

“Nicole, I love it!!! You did all of this - for me?”

“Of course silly. The minute I found out you were coming for Spring Training I knew it was the perfect opportunity.”

Kaylee wiped the tears from her eyes and made her way around the party - thanking everyone for coming. She had stopped at the snack table to grab some food when Nicole appeared behind her.

“Would you kill me if I told you that I planned games and everything?”

Kaylee giggled, “No. That actually sounds like fun. But I’d love to sit down for a bit. I get so tired so easily now.”

Nicole smiled sympathetically, “Sweetie, its going to be a long time before you’re not tired.”

The girls laughed and Kaylee nodded as Nicole led her over to one of the seating areas were Tim was sitting with a bunch of guys from the team. Tim immediately stood up as they approched to allow Kaylee to sit down.

“Thank you baby.”

“No problem. How are you feeling?”

“Good, a little tired, but Nicole says she’s ready to kick the next activity into gear.”

Nicole smiled brightly, “Relax. You get to sit and mingle for the most part. There’s really only three games. There’s some ribbon and scissors by the door to the house where people are going to cut out enough ribbon to hopefully wrap your belly completely.”

Kaylee giggled, “Oh no. Some of these people might make me feel bigger than I actually am.”

Tim laughed along, “I’m going to make a really small one, will that make you feel better?”

“Tons babe. What else Nicole?”

“The other one doesn’t require much work from you. I set up a diaper decorating table. Instead of decorating onesies that the baby will outgrow anyways, I’ve set up a bunch of diapers in all different sizes and I want people to write funny messages on them. Then I’m going to set them up in a basket specifically for night time changings. That way when one of you two wakes up in the middle of the night for the 20th time, you’ll at least get a good laugh.”

Tim and Kaylee laughed in unison, “I love it Nicole!! That’s the greatest idea I’ve heard. I’ve seen the decorate a onesie game, but never decorate a diaper! What’s the last one? You said there were three.”

“Well,” Nicole paused for a minute and looked at Tim.

Kaylee glanced at Tim and then back at Nicole, “What?”

“Well, Tim might have mentioned that you guys finally decided on a name, although he wouldn’t tell me what it was. I thought everyone could try and guess what it was. There’s some paper for them to write it on and then you can read through them and see if anyone got it right.”

Kaylee smiled, “Let’s do it. I’ll finally be able to tell everyone the name all at once.”

Nicole jumped up excitedly, “Perfect! I’m going to tell everyone to start guessing and doing everything else too.”

The next few hours passed by in a flash. Kaylee hadn’t laughed this much in a long time. It was insane to pass by and see what some of the guys were writing on the back of the diapers. And the belly measuring game was equally as hilarious. Most of the guests were way off. Plenty made her feel better though, with ribbon lengths that were only half as big as she was. Not to mention the insane amount of presents that had piled up in Tim’s living room. Kaylee and Tim didn’t have a registry, so she couldn’t even imagine what was inside them all.

As the party was winding down Nicole came by and handed Kaylee and Tim the box with all the baby names in it. They read through them, laughing at some people’s suggestions, and found that no one had guessed. As Kaylee headed up to the cake table, Nicole and Tim rounded up all the guests. Kaylee happily indulged in a cake pop as she watched everyone gather around.

“Wow,” Kaylee glanced around to see how many people were truly there. Tim walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her belly and kissing her cheek softly. He spoke first, giving Kaylee time to finish her dessert.

“Thank you guys so much for coming. You have no idea how much this means to us. It was great to see my team, their families, and our friends together to celebrate.” Tim paused, looking at Kaylee.

She knew it was her turn, “Thank you everyone. You guys have made me feel so welcomed, so loved.”

Nicole interrupted through the crowd, “You are!”

Kaylee giggled, “Thank you Nicole for putting all of this together. I don’t know how you did it but you’re amazing. Everyone here holds a special place in our hearts, and I don’t think you guys will ever truly know how much this means to me. As we end the night, I promised Nicole that I’d announce the winner of the baby name game. Of course nobody won.”

Many in the laughed softly as Kaylee continued, “We picked out the name right before we came down to Arizona but we’ve been keeping it a secret from everyone. We think now is the perfect time to announce it.” Kaylee glanced over at Tim who nodded.

“Aubree Christina Lincecum”

How's the new chapter coming? oh and I cant believe you have read my story! I am like going crazy cause you are my favorite writer!

Sat, 04 May 2013 22:18:07 -0400

Haha. You’re so cute. LOL. Yeah, I’ve been reading the story. Can’t wait to see what happens next!

Next chapter is about halfway done. Hoping to get it finished soon. I’ve been way to busy lately.

Another amazing chapter!!!! ugh I am dying for more. I love it so much! you are such an amazing writer! I'm actually writing a fan fic too but nothing near as good as this one :)

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:40:17 -0400

Thank you! I started writing your story - I really like it. Can’t wait to see where it goes.

MEET ME HALFWAY - CHAPTER FORTY SIX

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:07:00 -0400

Title: Meet Me Halfway (Chapter Forty Six)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Tim Lincecum / OFC

It was FanFest weekend. The Giants were holding ‘media day’ and then their annual ‘town hall meeting’ the day before FanFest. Tim knew it was going to be crazy. He knew he would be answering the same type of questions for the next three days. Questions regarding his offseason, his failed season the year before, and more than likely his haircut. He hadn’t seen or spoken to anyone from the team, aside from some trainers, since the parade. It’s not that he was avoiding them or anything, he was just busy.

He showed up to the Giant’s facility and the first thing that everyone was talking about was his hair. So much had been going on, that Tim had forgotten that everyone was going to be making a big deal over his hair.

He managed to get through media day after answering mundane question after question. It was all the same - what had he done in the offseason, what was his workout like, how did he feel about getting back to work after his failed season, and why did he cut his hair. The one question that he hadn’t given much thought to was the one he was asked about his impending free agency. He knew his contract was up at the end of the year, that hadn’t slipped his mind. He just didn’t like to think about it. Did he want to be a Giant his entire career? Sure he did, but that wasn’t something that he could control and it really wasn’t something he wanted to worry about.

The team had a few hours to kill between their media interviews and the team’s presentation for the season ticket holders so Tim and some of the guys headed out to grab some food. Tim, Romo and Vogey headed to Tacolicious - one of Tim’s favorite spots. They sat around for a while and just talked about the offseason. Everyone was sort of realived to be getting back to baseball. The shorten offseason hadn’t dampen their spirits and they weren’t the least bit tired.

Vogey still couldn’t get over Tim’s shortened hair, causing Tim to laugh several times when he would notice his weird expression.

“Sorry dude. It’s just so weird. I’ve only ever known you with the long hair. This might take some getting used to.”

“Don’t worry. It took some getting used to for me too. I think my head actually hurt for two days afterwards.”

“You have a pregnant girlfriend at home,” interrupted Romo, “my head would be hurting for more than two days.”

Tim laughed and shook his head, “Kaylee’s great though. No problems there.”

“How has she been feeling actually?”

“We had a little health scare a few weeks ago, but otherwise everything has been great. She’s more tired now and we’re going to drive up to Scottsdale tomorrow instead of taking the team flight, but otherwise everything is perfect.”

Ryan smiled at Tim, “Nicole is dying to see Kaylee. She wasn’t sure she would make the trip out to Scottsdale, she’s pretty far along now isn’t she?”

Tim nodded, “Still about two months to go. She just can’t fly, which is why we’re driving. And her best friend Lucy is actually here which is great because I was scared of her being alone for so long.”

The boys finished off their meal and soon headed back. The remainder of the day was kind of the same for Tim. More questions about last season, his offseason conditioning and his haircut. By the time he arrived back home he was exhausted. He walked into the living room to find several suitcases already waiting by the door. The house was dark, but the car was in the driveway so he knew Kaylee and Lucy were home.

He walked up to the bedroom and found Kaylee tucked in bed, with her head in a book.

“Bookworm.”

Kaylee looked up from what she was reading and smiled, “Hey baby. How was your day?”

“Tiring.”

Kaylee giggled, “How many times did you answer the same question?”

Tim crawled up into bed next to Kaylee, “Oh I don’t know, about 6 or 7. And what’s the big fascination with my hair?”

Kaylee laughed harder, “Trademark.”

Tim put his arm around Kaylee as she put down the book and scooted into Tim’s chest as best as she could. “But I’m still the same person. The haircut doesn’t change who I am.”

“I know that and you know that. But everyone always makes a big deal when anyone cuts their hair short. It happens. Us women have been dealing with it for years.”

Tim laughed, “Yes, but you women change your hair so often it’s hard to even keep track.”

Kaylee playfully slapped Tim across the chest and laughed. He nuzzled his nose into her hair, the scent of her raspberry shampoo making him smile. “Did you finish packing everything?”

“Almost. Just need to pack up everything we’d use tomorrow before we leave, and anything else you might want to take.”

Tim yawned before replying, “Sounds good.”

“Go to sleep Tim. It’s another long day tomorrow.”

Before Kaylee could lean over and turn off the bedside lamp, Tim’s eyes were closed and he was asleep. Kaylee tousled Tim’s hair and kissed him lightly before whispering, ‘Goodnight baby’.

The next day Kaylee was up with the sun. She had been having a hard time sleeping lately. No position was comfortable enough and she would wake up frequently. She looked over at Tim, who was still sound asleep. She ran her fingers softly across his cheek and smiled. Kaylee was trying to cherish the last few weeks they had together. Soon she would have to share him with the baseball diamond, and then not much later they would be welcoming their baby girl into the world.

Kaylee sighed, and tiptoed out of bed, careful not to wake Tim. She went down to the kitchen to make some coffee and then headed out onto the deck to the watch the sunrise. She giggled to herself as she realized how much dogs took on the personalities of their owners. Blackie had awoken and followed her outside, while Tim’s dogs were still snuggled comfortably in their beds.

She picked up Blackie and sat him on her lap.

“Are you ready for the new baby Blackie?”

The dog barked eagerly, causing Kaylee to giggle some more.

“I’m glad someone is. I know Tim is excited but I’m terrified. Terrified of everything - childbirth, raising a child. I don’t know what made me think I could do this.” Blackie interrupted her with multiple barks, almost as if to disagree with her.

“I think you’re just trying to make me feel better.”

“Feel better about what?” Tim was standing by the door, rubbing his eyes awake.

“Baby what are you doing up? It’s still early.”

Tim sat down next to Kaylee, taking Blackie in his lap. “The bed felt empty. I woke up and noticed you weren’t there so I came looking for you. What’s wrong?”

Kaylee shook her head, trying to dismiss the question, “Nothing important.”

“Nothing important, yet you’re sitting out here at the crack of dawn looking for reassurance from Blackie?”

Kaylee shrugged, focusing on the scenery surrounding them.

“Kay. Talk to me.”

“What if I can’t do it.” Kaylee’s response came out almost like a whisper.

“Huh. What if you can’t do what?”

“I’m scared. I don’t know the first thing about taking care of a baby.”

“No one knows what they’re doing at first. My brother has three kids, and I don’t think he knows what he’s doing. There’s a learning curve, but you know we have an incredible support system behind us. I think we’re going to be fine.”

“You’re too calm.”

“I’ve already freaked out about it multiple times. It’s lost its effect already.”

Kaylee giggled. “You really think we’ll be okay?”

“I don’t think it Kaylee. I know.”

Tim finished quenching Kaylee’s fears, and even volunteered to make breakfast before they left. Fortunately for Kaylee, by the time they made it back inside the house Lucy was already making breakfast.

“Oh good Lucy. I was worried Tim was actually going to have to make breakfast.”

Lucy giggled as Tim appeared insulted and replied, “You don’t believe in my skills?”

“In your cooking skills? Not really. You might burn down the kitchen.”

“In my defense, I said I’d prepare breakfast. I never said I’d cook anything. I was really just going to pour some cereal into some bowls.”

Everyone began laughing, and soon they were sitting around the table eating breakfast. Afterwards they would pack up Tim’s car and begin the drive to Arizona and spring training.

Hey love :) I was wondering when to expect the next chapter? Just wondering, no rush. I'm writing a fan fic of my own so I know how long it can take. Yours is just my ultimate favorite :)

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:44:50 -0400

Hey! I’m halfway through the next chapter - I’m hoping that I can have it complete by this weekend. I’m actually trying to get the fanfic back on real time- the way it was when I originally started it, and it somehow just fell way behind.

omg it was amazing!!! so worth the wait and you couldn't have posted it at a better time. I was having a horrible day! I have been crying all morning and this brightened me up a bit! I cannot wait for more! you are the best ever! sorry im crazy I know lol

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:32:43 -0400

Glad it was able to make your day slightly better! Hope everything is okay.

MEET ME HALFWAY - CHAPTER FORTY FIVE

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:26:00 -0400

Title: Meet Me Halfway (Chapter Forty Five)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Tim Lincecum / OFC

Kaylee walked down the stairs to find Tim whispering on the phone. She didn’t want to interrupt him, so she walked out onto the deck, admiring the view. Tim finished his conversation and walked out to meet Kaylee.

“Everything okay Tim?”

“You know ever since you were in the hospital two weeks ago, I’ve been scared shit less. I’ve run through a million things in my head. I don’t want you to spend too much time alone. I know we’re going to Arizona soon - I’ll be spending a lot of time at practice and at games. And then when we come back, I’ll be traveling a lot. I’m worried about leaving you alone.”

“Tim, don’t worry about me. I know it was stupid of me not to be taking care of myself, but I’m doing a lot better. I’m watching out for everything that I should be watching. Plus, you and the doctors are only a phone call away if I need either of you.”

“It’s not just now. What about when the baby is born? I don’t want you exhausted everyday.”

Tim paced around the deck. Kaylee knew there was something that Tim wanted to tell her, she could sense it.

“Spill it Tim.”

Tim turned to face Kaylee, a mischievous smile on his face, “I was thinking that we have the two guest bedrooms downstairs, that nobody uses. And maybe well.”

Kaylee interrupted him, “No. I don’t want some kind of caretaker here keeping an eye out for me. I’m capable of doing it by myself. I don’t need their help. And I especially don’t want a nanny around taking care of MY child. I don’t care if I never get an ounce of sleep after she’s born - but I refuse to leave her in the care of someone I don’t know.”

Kaylee stormed inside the house, furious.

Tim took out his phone, sent a quick text message and went inside behind her.

“That’s not what I meant Kay. I don’t particularly like the idea of having someone else around either - but it’s for your health. For the baby’s health. And I’m not talking about bringing in some random stranger.”

“It doesn’t matter how much you research someone. How many opinions you can get on a person, they will always be a stranger to me.”

“I understand that Kay. I was actually thinking a lot about this. I’ve made a lot of phone calls, and what if it was someone that we both knew? Someone that we trusted?”

“I don’t know about you Tim - but most of the people I know and trust have their own lives to lead.”

“But what if it was someone who you know you could trust your life with? Would you be more open to the idea?”

Kaylee paused for a minute. What could Tim possibly have up his sleeve? She knew that he was right - it was probably best to have someone around - at least during the times when Tim was gone. And it would probably be nice to have help when the baby was born, but she couldn’t bring herself to agree to the idea.

Kaylee sat on the sofa and Tim sat down next to her. “The season is almost here - and so is the baby. I know your not thrilled with it - but please.”

Kaylee sighed, looking into Tim’s hopeful eyes she couldn’t help but agree, “Fine. I guess if it was someone that I could really trust.”

Tim took out his cell phone and sent another quick text. Within seconds the doorbell rang. Kaylee glared at Tim. “Who is that? What did you do?”

Tim shrugged and smiled mischievously before replying, “You should get that. I think it’s for you.”

Kaylee stood and walked towards the door, “Seriously Tim. Who is it?”

“You’ll see when you open it.”

Kaylee took a deep breath and slowly opened the door. As soon as she did she let out a piercing shriek. To her surprise and delight Lucy was standing at her front door. She embraced her friend as tears welled up in her eyes.

“What are you doing here!?!”

Lucy smiled and shifted her head in Tim’s direction. Kaylee turned to look at Tim.

“You agreed that if it was someone you trusted, it was okay.”

Kaylee looked back at Lucy, “Seriously. You’re moving in?”

Lucy nodded and smiled, “Yep. Tim’s idea.”

Kaylee walked over to Tim and held his face in her hands before giving him a long deep kiss. “I can’t believe you.”

“As I recall, you did say that you hoped that she’d move to San Francisco.”

Kaylee sniffled silently, “I don’t know what to say Tim. I can’t believe you did this for me.”

“I’d do anything for you Kay. Lucy will move in downstairs and when we go to Arizona she’ll come with us. There’s plenty of space in that house as well.”

Kaylee turned to look at Lucy who was still smiling. “But what about your family? Your job?”

“I can get another job Kaylee. And my family isn’t going anywhere. I can go back whenever I want. But your my best friend in the world. I want to be here for you.”

Kaylee embraced Lucy and the two stood silent until Lucy spoke, “Plus the whole rent free thing was really appealing.” The girls broke out into giggles as did Tim.

“Small price to pay to know that Kaylee and the baby are being looked after. You girls sit. Talk. Gossip. Whatever it is you two do. I’ll get Lucy’s bags into one of the rooms and then I’m off to my workout.”

Tim disappeared and Kaylee and Lucy sat around on the bar stools around the kitchen counter.

“Seriously Kay. You might be the luckiest girl in the world right now.”

“I am Luce. And he makes me so happy. But tell me how this actually happened!?”

“Tim called me a few days after you were in the hospital. Called me a few times actually. I didn’t recognize the number so I just kept ignoring it. He finally left me a voicemail and I called him back. He told me that you had been in the hospital but that you were okay. He sounded so scared. So worried.”

“He was. But he kept everything together and he put on a brave face. At least around me. I had no idea he was still thinking about the whole ordeal.”

Lucy nodded, “He was. He kept mentioning how you were going to be alone so much during Spring Training - and during the season. He’s actually a little scared that you’ll resent him once the baby is born and he isn’t around as much.”

“I’d never do that Luce. I know he’d spend every moment with our child if he could. But baseball is important to him. It’s more than just a career - I could never hold that against him.”

“In any case, he didn’t like you being alone. Apparently someone told him that they didn’t think I was really happy back in Miami, and he thought maybe I could use a change of scenery.”

Kaylee looked down guiltily, remember the brief conversation she had with Tim on New Years. “I’m sorry Lucy. I shouldn’t have made that assumption. I just didn’t think you sounded very happy in the last few conversations I had with you.”

“Don’t apologize Kay. The same way I know you like the back of my hand, you know me. I wasn’t happy. I was tired of everything. Truth be told I kind of envied the way you had backed up your bags and left. You had started over in a new city. I didn’t think I’d have the guts to do that. But then when Tim called, and proposed that I move in here. It kind of got me thinking, ‘I could really do it.’ Plus I’d be helping you guys out at the same time.”

“New start Lucy. New start.”

“Yep. I told Tim I’d wait to start over until after Spring Training though. In the meantime, I’m just spending an extra long vacation with my best friend.”

Kaylee giggled, “Come on. Let me show you around your vacation home then.”

The girls wandered around the house, ending in Kaylee’s favorite room - the nursery.

“Have you guys picked a name yet?”

Kaylee walked over the crib and ran her fingers across the edge as she pondered Lucy’s question.

“You know everyone keeps asking us that. We haven’t really decided anything.”

Lucy shrugged, “You guys will know it when you hear it though.”

“I hope so. I don’t want to go into labor and not have a name picked out or anything. But I was thinking about something else that needed to be decided before the baby was born.” Kaylee turned and sat in the rocking chair.

“Luce, would you do me a favor?”

“Anything Kay. What is it?”

Kaylee paused for a moment. She knew what her friend’s answer would be, but for some reason she was still nervous asking. “Would you be the baby’s godmother?”

Tears welled up in Lucy’s eyes. “Really Kaylee? Of course!!! I’d be honored!”

The girls embraced, as tears fell down both of their cheeks.

Everything was starting to fall into place. Piece by piece, the puzzle was almost complete. Kaylee knew everything would work itself into play by the time the baby arrived. She couldn’t wait.

Hi love. I really hope im not bugging you. I just wanted to know if your writers block has gotten better? I am dying without this story! I check to see if you update like 4 times a day lol. I love you and your story so much!

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:41:05 -0400

No bother. I’m so glad your enjoying the story. Next chapter is mostly done. Just need to do some editing to it, should be up some time tomorrow!

hi love :) just wondering when the next chapter will be up? im so addicted! the story is amazing!

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 21:29:35 -0400

I’ve been really busy working on a business plan for a nonprofit that I’m working with and I’ve also been suffering from a bit of writers block. Hopefully watching Timmy pitch on Wednesday can inspire me a little bit.

MEET ME HALFWAY - CHAPTER FORTY FOUR

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:44:00 -0400

Title: Meet Me Halfway (Chapter Forty Four)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Tim Lincecum / OFC

Tim and Kaylee had been back in Sausalito for a little over a week now. Tim had resumed the workout regime that he had started a few weeks before they left to Seattle. It was different from what he had done in previous off seasons, and he hoped it would give him better results. Kaylee had been right, he needed to focus more on his workouts and on baseball. He also needed to tune out the media. Kaylee tried to keep him disconnected from the internet. She didn’t want him to read the awful articles that people were writing about him. Everything from people mentioning that he was just trade bait, to people mentioning that it was over for him and he should just retire once his contract expired. Kaylee read them all, but refused to share any of them with Tim. She knew he had tough skin, he had to in this industry, but she would rather not upset him.

She had been reading one such article when Tim arrived home from one of his workout sessions. She quickly shut the laptop and greeted him at door, the puppies right behind her. She had really missed those dogs when they were in Seattle and in Florida. They were always at her side - except when Tim came home, and they’d always run to greet him. But they’d always come back to her.

Tim bent down to pet the dogs, who barked suddenly. It seemed they were protective of her, only barking when someone who wasn’t Tim approached her or to alert Tim when Kaylee looked as if she wasn’t feeling well. Kaylee wondered sometimes if the dogs understood that she was pregnant. This particular day she had begun to feel Braxton Hicks contractions. She didn’t want to tell Tim because she knew he would panic and Dr. Dominguez had told her that the contractions were completely normal as long as she didn’t experience more than 4 in an hour, and as long as they weren’t perfectly timed between each one or increased in pain during the day.

Tim peered up at Kaylee from his spot on the floor where he was petting the dogs, “Are you okay?”

Kaylee wriggled her nose and quickly dodged the question, “I will be as soon as you take a shower.”

Tim laughed, “Okay okay. I got it.” He stood up and placed his forehead gently against hers, “How about after I shower, we go out to lunch. We haven’t gone out in a while.”

Kaylee gave Tim a quick peck, “Sounds like a great idea,” before she pushed Tim lightly away, “Now go shower.”

They both laughed and Tim disappeared towards the bathroom. Once he was out of sight Kaylee looked down at the dogs, “Are you guys trying to give me up? I’m fine. I promise.” The dogs all barked, seemingly telling her that she was lying, and she shook her head and smiled.

By the time Tim came back down Kaylee had experienced two more contractions. She said nothing and quietly followed Tim out into the car. Tim had grown fond of pastas this off season so he had decided to take Kaylee out to Angelinos. Kaylee loved Italian food, so there was no arguing from her.

Once there Kaylee couldn’t decide between pizza and pasta so Tim insisted she ordered both. She could eat what she want, and take the rest home. Kaylee laughed, “I think your taking this ‘eating for two’ thing too far.”

Tim shook his head, “Baby gets what baby wants. And if baby wants both, then both she shall get.”

Kaylee laughed. Before the food even arrived she experienced another contraction. She tried to keep a straight face in front of Tim, but she knew he was starting to become suspicious. Their food arrived and they ate mostly in silence. Kaylee ate bits of pasta, and only one slice of pizza. The contractions were increasing in frequency and pain, she didn’t know how much longer she could keep quiet.

“You don’t like the food Kay?”

“No it’s great. I’m just not very hungry.”

Tim finished his pasta and asked for boxes to take Kaylee’s meal home. Once he had paid and they were back in his car, tears began to well up in Kaylee’s eyes. At first Tim didn’t notice, she was looking out the window, away from him.

“Okay Kaylee. What’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird all day. The dogs were all acting weird and you barely touched your lunch. Are you okay?”

Kaylee turned to look at Tim and the tears fell.

“Kay. What’s wrong? What is it?” Tim began to panic and Kaylee softly whispered, “I think we need to go to the hospital.”

Tim didn’t hesitate, didn’t ask any more questions, he simply started the car and drove as fast as he legally could to the hospital. On the way Kaylee explained that she had begun to have contractions early that morning. At first she brushed them off because her doctor had explained that they were normal. But now they were more frequent and intense and she couldn’t ignore them anymore.

“Don’t worry Kay. Everything is going to be okay, the baby is going to be fine. Take a deep breath, relax.” Tim tried to calm Kaylee down, but inside he was a mess. Kaylee was only 28 weeks along, she couldn’t be going into labor now - she wasn’t due until April and it was only January.

When they arrived at the hospital Tim wanted to drop Kaylee in front and park the car so she wouldn’t have to walk, but she insisted that she wasn’t that bad yet. Once they made it to the emergency room Tim spoke at a mile a minute. The lady at the desk politely told Tim they would need to sit down for a minute and Tim became flustered.

“It’s okay Tim. Come on. Let’s sit down for a minute.” Kaylee grabbed Tim’s hand and led him to one of the waiting room chairs. They sat next to each other - neither saying a word - as Kaylee grabbed on to Tim’s hand tightly. Tim knew instantly that she was terrified. He stroked her, and whispered in her ear to try and keep her calm. After thirty minutes and yet another painful contraction Kaylee stood up and headed to the desk.

“Listen. I know you guys are busy here. But take a good look at me. I’m only 28 weeks pregnant and have been having contractions all morning. I need to see someone, anyone. Please.” The tears welled up in Kaylee’s eyes and the nurse assured her that she would be called any minute now. They were processing her paperwork. She didn’t have to wait long though - before she made it back to her seat they were calling her inside.

Kaylee and Tim were escorted into a hospital room where Kaylee was immediately hooked up to various machines. She wasn’t dilated, and the baby seemed fine. After various more exams, the doctor on duty ruled that she was simply dehydrated and hooked her up to an IV to fill her fluid level.

Tim and the doctor on duty walked outside, leaving Kaylee laying resting. “That’s it?? Are you sure? Are you a 100% positive.” Tim was beginning to overreact.

“Sir, I understand your frustration, but that’s all we can do for her. If you would like, you’re welcome to call her primary doctor for a second opinion.”

Tim sighed, “Thanks. I think I’ll do that.”

Tim pulled out his cell phone and immediately called Dr. Dominguez. She promised to be there within the hour, and told Tim to make sure Kaylee was resting.

Tim walked back inside and sat next to Kaylee. She looked over at Tim, sadness in her eyes. “Tell me the truth Tim. What’s going on?”

Tim held her hand in his, “I don’t know. He reiterated to me the same thing, but told me if we wanted peace of mind we could call our own doctor, so I did. Dr. Dominguez will be here soon. In the meantime she told me that you should just relax and get some rest.

The contractions had stopped, so Kaylee closed her eyes and soon fell asleep. She awoke to voices whispering behind her.

“No Tim, she’s fine. All the exams show that everything is normal, the baby is sitting comfortably in the womb. It doesn’t look like she was planning to be making an appearance any time soon. Kaylee needs to make sure to drink plenty of water. It looks to be that was the cause of everything. The dehydration causes her uterus to contract, and it looks like she didn’t drink any water at the onset of it, which caused them to gradually get worse. I’d recommend a full liter of water at the start of any contraction she might experience from now until her due date - that should stop them. For now, she should get plenty of rest over the next day or so. I’m going to go ahead and clear her, so you can take her home when she wakes up.”

“Thank you so much doctor. You have no idea how scared we were.”

Dr. Dominguez smiled kindly, “I can imagine. It’s normal for first time parents.”

Tim looked over at Kaylee and exhaled deeply. It felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders.

“Are you guys still going to Arizona next month?”

“I have to go for work. Is it dangerous for Kay to come with me?”

“No, no. It’s fine. We’ve already gone over the necessary travel information, I just wanted to give you the information of a good ob-gyn who can care for her while she’s there.”

She handed over all the information and then left Tim alone with Kaylee. He walked over to her and gently brushed her hair back. He leaned in to give her a kiss on her forehead, and she opened her eyes slowly. Tim smiled, “Hey baby. Everything is fine. Dr. Dominguez was just here. She checked over all the exams the other doctor had run, and concluded that it was dehydration. Have you been drinking any water?”

Kaylee breathed out a sigh of relief, and then wriggled her nose. “Now that I really think about it, I’ve only been drinking water with my meals.”

“Well, she says you’re going to have to drink plenty more water. I think I might make you carry a gallon of water everywhere.”

Kaylee giggled, “because you know the baby I’m carrying isn’t enough”.

Tim smiled and thought about it, “Good point.”

They stood in silence for a moment, both of them thankful that everything was okay, holding each other’s gazes and hands.

“How are feeling? The IV bag is empty and Dr. Dominguez said she would clear you to go home. So whenever you’re ready I can track someone down to remove the IV so we can leave.”

Kaylee nodded, “I’m feeling a lot better. The contractions have completely stopped. I’d love to get home, lay in my own bed, with you by my side.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way Kay.” Tim tracked down a nurse and soon were on their way home.

MEET ME HALFWAY - CHAPTER FORTY THREE

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 22:00:00 -0400

Title: Meet Me Halfway (Chapter Forty Three)
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Tim Lincecum / OFC

Before Tim and Kaylee knew it, it was New Years Eve. They had spent the majority of their time after Christmas with Tim’s friends. Tim had spoken to Sean and the men had sorted out the majority of their tension, but Tim still held a bit of anger inside. His uncle had called to apologize, but only because Chris insisted that he did so. Kaylee held no resentment for either man. Neither of them had been mean to her directly, they had just been looking out for Tim.

Kaylee was now beginning to feel stronger symptoms of pregnancy. She was 26 weeks along, nearing the end of the second trimester and she felt as though she had ballooned overnight. While that wasn’t true, she had now gained close to 20 pounds since she had gotten pregnant and the baby’s erratic movements were causing Kaylee to experience back pain and pain in her rib cage. Her headaches were also more frequent and she wasn’t able to take anything for the pain. Instead she had to resort to quiet periods of time shuttered in Tim’s bedroom, with all the curtains drawn and a cold compress on her head. Tim was extra supportive, always trying to find ways to make Kaylee more comfortable. While she appreciated everything that Tim did for her, sometimes she felt like a bit of nuisance, especially considering she still had 14 more weeks to go before her due date.

She emerged from Tim’s bedroom after one of her headache episodes to find several of Tim’s friends tiptoeing around his condo, setting up for New Years. Everyone was going to spend the evening at Tim’s, ringing in the New Year. Drew spotted her first and stopped what he was doing, “Hey Kaylee. I hope we didn’t bother you. We were just setting things up for tonight.”

Kaylee smiled and shook her head, “No Drew it’s fine. I’m feeling a lot better. Where’s Tim?”

“He’s outside on the balcony, setting some things up.”

Kaylee thanked him and walked out to the balcony. “Hey baby.”

“Kay. How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”

“I’m feeling better. Stop worrying about me.” Kaylee sat down on one of the couches that had been moved to the balcony since they were clearing space inside for the dance floor.

“I can’t help it,” Tim sat down next to Kaylee. She placed her head on his shoulder, and he placed his hand on her knee.

“I appreciate it Tim. But there’s still a long time to go before this baby gets here. I don’t want you to go crazy with worry. I want you to ignore every crazy thing that has happened lately and go back to focusing only on your workouts and baseball.”

Tim sighed, “I’ll try Kay. But no guarantees. It’s hard not worry about you.”

Drew and Danielle stepped out into the balcony, interrupting Tim and Kaylee.

“Sorry guys. We’re going out to get some food, do you guys want anything?”

Tim looked over at Kaylee who jumped up from the couch and responded, “Oh, can I go with you guys? I’m craving some ice cream.”

Tim and Drew laughed, “It’s freezing Kay!”.

Kaylee shrugged, “I fail to see your point.”

The boys continued laughing and Danielle told Drew to stay and help Tim. She’d go buy the food with Kaylee, and get some girl time in while the guys finished up.

Danielle and Kaylee drove to the supermarket with the radio blasting, by the time they arrived Kaylee was in high spirits.

Danielle giggled, “You guys don’t do that very often do you?”

“We used to, but we haven’t done it in awhile.” Kaylee paused for a moment, thinking back to their first date when Tim turned on the radio and they sang loudly and probably off pitch to multiple songs. The thought made her laugh.

Danielle and Kay wandered the store picking up various items. Danielle felt bad picking up so many champagne bottles for the party because she knew that Kaylee couldn’t drink. But Kaylee insisted it was fine, she picked up sparkling apple juice instead, as well as three different cartons of ice cream, causing Danielle to laugh.

“Ben & Jerry’s is seriously evil. I mean, how do you pick just one flavor? I don’t think it’s even possible.”

The girls continued laughing as they continued shopping. By the time they had arrived back at Tim’s with the purchases, everyone had left.

“Getting ready for tonight,” Tim explained.

Danielle rolled her eyes, “And I’m the one that takes hours to get ready right?” She helped Tim put the food away and said her goodbyes.

Kaylee walked over to the sound system and picked up Tim’s iPod that was still connected.

“Hey Tim. How goofy are you?”

Tim looked over at Kaylee confused. She smiled before pressing play. ‘Young Blood’, by ‘The Naked and The Famous’ blared through the speakers. Kaylee began dancing around the room to the beat, singing along to the lyrics - “We’re only young & naive still, we require certain skills..”

Tim couldn’t help but laugh. “In a party mood already Kay?”

“I just think we haven’t taken time out recently to be silly. We’ve been so caught up in all the drama that we’ve been in a serious mood for days, maybe even weeks. Think about it - when was the last time you sat down and played one of your ridiculous FIFA marathon games? Or when was the last time we spent the entire day in bed together doing nothing but cuddling with the puppies and watching netflix?”

Tim stood thoughtfully for a moment, listening to Kaylee. “I don’t want us to lose sight of who we are just because we’re having a baby Tim. I don’t want us to lose that part of us. And sometimes I feel like we have.”

“I didn’t know you felt like that Kay.”

“I didn’t realize it at first Tim, but this afternoon, in the car with Danielle, we were singing along to the radio, acting like goofy twenty somethings, and I realized that used to be us.”

“You know for a long time people always told me that I acted too much like a kid, that I needed to grow up already.”

“No! Tim, I love that you’re so goofy and carefree. It’s good to grow up and be mature - it’s also good to be down to earth.”

Tim grabbed Kaylee’s hands, and the two danced around the room until it was time to get ready for the night.

By 8’o’clock Tim’s condo was filled with people. The dogs had been sent to Tim’s room so as not to trip people over. Kaylee was overwhelmed with the crowd after a while and retreated into Tim’s bedroom to join them.

She rested on his bed and the pups surrounded her. She remembered that she was three hours behind her home time when her phone went off. It was tradition that Lucy and her exchanged phone calls at midnight. Only midnight for her was not the same as midnight for Lucy.

“Happy New Years!” Lucy’s voice cheered through the phone.

“Happy New Year Luce.”

“Nope. You’re not allowed to say it until it’s New Years over there. I’ll be waiting for my midnight call.”

Kaylee giggled, “You realize that it’ll be 3am your time, right?”

“That’s fine. I’m netflixing it away anyways.”

“What!?! Why Luce? Why didn’t you go out?”

“I just didn’t feel much like partying tonight.”

Kayo climbed into Kaylee’s lap and she petted the puppy as she frowned, “It’s really over isn’t it Luce?”

“Yep. I guess it was over a long time ago actually. I just didn’t want to admit it. I didn’t want to come back home and admit that he wasn’t the man that I thought he was. Things have changed a lot Kaylee, for both of us.”

Tim walked into the bedroom interrupting their phone call, “There you are”.

“I’ll let you go Kay. I still expect my phone call though.”

“I promise I’ll call you”, Kaylee hung up the phone and stared up at Tim.

“Sorry Kay. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just wondering where you were.”

“It’s okay Tim. I was just getting my yearly new years phone call from Lucy. I have to call her back when it’s midnight here.”

“How’s she doing?”

Kaylee shrugged, “I wish I could tell you that I knew. I can tell you she’s not particularly happy though.”

She stood up and led Tim back into the party. She didn’t want to ruin his good mood. They laughed and danced the night away - as well as Kaylee’s belly and swelling ankles would allow from her. As it was closer to midnight Tim led her out to the balcony. Drew, Danielle and a few others followed, while the rest of the guests stayed inside as the countdown began.

‘5. 4. 3. 2. 1. HAPPY NEW YEAR!’.

Tim and Kaylee kissed passionately as the clock stroke midnight. When Tim pulled away from Kaylee he pointed to the space needle. Fireworks were shooting out of every direction and it was brightly lit up. Kaylee took out her phone and recorded a clip of the spectacular light show that was being displayed before her very eyes. She sent the clip to Lucy and called her, just as she had promised. Tim moved her onto the couch, and she sat comfortably in his arms.

“Happy New Year Lucy!”

Lucy giggled, ‘That’s more like it. Is that the show you’re watching?’

“That’s the view of the space needle from Tim’s condo.”

“Oh wow. That’s awesome. Go take more pictures and send them to me. I’ll talk to you later Kaylee.”

“Bye Luce.”

Kaylee giggled and took more pictures and videos. “This is great Tim! I love it!”

The look on her face was priceless, and Tim couldn’t be happier.

Hey doll! when is the new chapter gonna be out?- an antsy avid reader :)

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:27:26 -0400

I promise I’m working on it. I’ve written half of the next chapter but I’m having a little writer’s block trying to finish it.