After the contentious custody battle, Frank & Mary go on with their lives as usual. But it isn't until an eventful night at Ferg's that Frank starts to wonder if maybe his life might be missing something. Now that his niece has a normal life, maybe...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It was the dead of night when Frank rolled over in bed after hearing the front door open and close. Less than five minutes later, Joey had peeled off her jeans, socks and bra and was crawling back into bed next to him.
"Let me guess, another false alarm?" Frank yawned as he wrapped his arm around her and spooned her close.
"Yup." Joey mumbled as she tried to get more comfortable. "Little baby Nelson is staying where she is for the time being."
This had been the fifth time that Alice had been fooled by false labour pains in the past month and every single time Joey had accompanied her cousin to the hospital because she and Barry were both Alice's birth partners.
Being there when the baby was born would be a once in a lifetime opportunity so Joey had never complained about the many false alarms that had completely disrupted her life lately.
Even when Alice had called her the first time while Joey had a face mask on and had to rush out the door looking like an idiot she didn't complain. Or the second time when Joey had just settled into a much needed relaxing bubble bath after a long day of studio renovations, Joey didn't say a word when she rushed to the hospital only to be sent home again.
But the third time Alice thought she was in labor Joey deserved a medal for dropping everything for her cousin because she and Frank had been in the middle of the hottest sex they'd had in weeks. But yet Joey still happily showed up for her cousin and put Alice and her baby first, much to Frank's dismay.
Later, once Barry got better at tracking her contractions, everyone thought that Alice was finally in labor when she called during Joey and Mary's first yoga class. But after disappointing her yoga loving daughter and tripping over a few people as she left the class early, they were soon to find that it was only false labour pains again.
And then again tonight at 2:45 am when Joey had been dead to the world and fast asleep, Joey still didn't let any of her annoyance show. Alice was understandably freaked out about childbirth and Joey wanted to be there for her...but man, would Joey ever love to strangle whoever invented Braxton Hicks contractions.
"It was pretty quick this time, though." Frank whispered as he cuddled her, happy to have Joey back in his arms so he could sleep properly again. "You've only been gone for an hour I think."
"Yeah, her contractions stopped a few minutes before we got to the hospital." Joey quietly explained so she wouldn't wake up Amelia who was sleeping in her crib on the other side of their bedroom. "Barry is getting a lot better at tracking them."
"What's wrong, Joe?" Frank asked into the dark after he felt her let out a shaky breath in his arms.
"My mom..." Joey sniffed as she tried to choke down her sobs. "She didn't even come this time. She might have missed the birth because she hates my guts so much."
