‹ Prequel: So Close Yet So Far

Meant to be

Frankie the fifth

"I finally got my dress." Ana-Lynne says happily over the phone.
"That's great," Ramona says as she stirs her tea, "They do a good job with the hemming?"
"Yeah, I was really worried they'd butcher the hemming because the outer layer of fabric is so sheer but it looks perfect."
"So, are you getting cold feet? Its only a week away."
"Nah, I just can't wait to see Frankie in a tux." Ana-Lynne laughs, "Its going to be so funny."
"I know, he'll probably duct tape a set a drum sticks to his leg." Ramona laughs.

"Are you talking about me?!" Frankito yells in the background.
"Yes honey." Ana-Lynne replies with a giggle.
"Oh, let me talk to my baby brother." Ramona requests and the phone is passed.

"Hey sister." Frankito chirps.
"Hey, you nervous about the-" Ramona stops as she feels a cramp in her stomach, "wedding."
"Nah, why should I be?" he says distractedly.
"Ouf." Ramona says at another cramp.
"You okay?"
"Just a little-" she pauses as her water breaks all over the kitchen floor, "My water broke."
"Holy shit! Holy shit! Is Joey there?"
"No, he's only getting back in a couple of hours." Ramona says worriedly.
"Don't worry, I'll be there in two seconds." Frankie exclaims as he passes the phone back to Ana-Lynne.

"Ramona?" Ana-Lynne asks, "Are you okay?"
"Uhuh, just a little freaked." Ramona replies nervously.
"Okay, well Frankito just left, so it should only be a couple of minutes." she reassures.
"Yeah." Ramona breaths deeply.

Meanwhile, as Frankito zooms down the streets at an alarming speed he manages to whip out his cell phone and call his father.
"Hello?"
"Dad!" He exclaims.
"That is me."
"Ramona's going into labor!" he says as he takes a sharp turn, "I'm going to go pick her up now and take her to the hospital."
"Where's Joey?"
"His flight only arrives in a couple of hours."
"Oh shit." Tre says letting out an exasperated sigh, "Okay, I'll meet you guys at the hospital."
"Call Billie, maybe he can get in contact with Joey or something."
"Right." Tre says hanging up.

Frankito arrives at his sister's house and bursts through the door.
"Ramona?!" he calls.
"In the kitchen!" she replies.

Joey steps off the airplane and turns on his cell phone to see he has one missed call. He presses the right combination of buttons till he gets to hear a message from his father.
"Joseph! Ramona has gone into labor, so head straight to the hospital as soon as you land!" his father's voice says hurriedly. Joey's stomach does several back flips as he hurries through the crowd of people to get to baggage claim.

Since running through the airport is a little more than suspicious he's stopped by a couple of security guards.
"Where's the fire?" one of them asks.
"My wife's gone into labor I have to get to the hospital!" he explains.
"Uhuh." the second security guard asks, "Which hospital?"
"San Francisco General Hospital." he says.
"What's your wife's name?"
"Ramona Wright Armstrong."
"Boy or girl?"
"My wife?" Joey asks confused.
"No, your kid." they security guard says rolling his eyes.
"Girl."
"Well, let's just call to find out shall we." the bigger of the two security guards says as they lead him off to a restricted hallway.

Joey's stomach is churning like crazy and he's half tempted to run like a mad man as he's lead to a small office.
"Can we see your papers?" the smaller guard asks. Joey complies and takes out his plane ticket and passport. The bigger guard has seemed to disappear and the remaining guard picks up the phone that's attached to the wall, "Could you locate the baggage of Joseph Armstrong? Office F-163. Thank you."

Joey and the guard sit in silence for several minutes.
"Please, I need to get to my wife." he pleads.
"Well, as soon as your story is confirmed, we're free to let you go." the guard says, "But if you're really that nervous," he reaches into his pocket and produces a small medicinal envelope, "Here's a laxative." he points to the toilette like bowl in the corner.
"You think I'm trafficking drugs?" Joey says in disbelief. He rubs his face in distress.

Another security guard comes in with both of Joey's suitcases and places one on the table before them.
"Let's take a look shall we." the first guard suggests as he opens the suitcase. Joey feels as if he's about to cry.

The guards starts riffling through all his clothes, toiletries and other stuff, until finally the big guard from earlier comes in.
"His story checks out, let him go."
"Thank god." Joey says with a sigh of relief. The guard closes his suitcase.
"Sorry for the inconvenience Mr. Armstrong, I'll personally escort you out of the airport." the guard picks up both of the suitcases and leaves the room, Joey follows grabbing his papers on his way out.

"Joey just called," Frankito says running into Ramona's hospital room.
"Where is he?" Ramona cries out.
"He's on his way, he just got held up at the airport."
"Well, we've got to take you to the delivery room now." the doctor announces.
"No! No, no no." Ramona says shaking her head, "There's no way in hell I'm having this baby without Joey here."
"Well, like it or not, this baby is going to be born in the next half hour." the doctor lectures.
"Ramona, just do what the doctor says." Frankito pleads, kinda disturbed by the whole birthing situation, but still compelled to stay because it was his only sister.

Joey runs out of the cab and into the hospital, he goes up to the right floor and runs down the hallway till he sees the waiting room where both his parents, Tre, Bianca, Ana-Lynne, and Josh are sitting and pacing.
"Go!" Adie yells at him and points down the hall.
"Someone take care of the taxi downstairs!" Joey calls to them as he runs down the hall. He spot Frankito leaving the room.

"In here!" Frankito says hurriedly, "Thank god you're here!"

Joey bursts into the room right as the doctor is trying to persuade Ramona to push.
"Joey!" she calls happily, well as happy as she could sound as about to be pushing a child out of her.
"You're the husband?" the doctor asks.
"Yeah."
"Good." he turns to Ramona, "Care to give birth now?"
"Yeah." she says as Joey takes her hand.

Several minutes later Joey runs into the waiting room, almost tripping over his own suitcases, that someone must've brought up for him.
"She's here!" Joey says happily.
"Can we see her?" Adie asks.
"Yeah, yeah yeah yeah." Tre says excitedly.
"Yeah come on." Joey says leading them back to the room.

They all fawn over the new born, like most people would.
"What's her name?" Billie finally asks.
"Francine." Ramona says with a grin, "Or Frankie for short."
"Frankie the fifth." Joey adds, making Tre's heart swell.

"We have to call your mother." Tre says pulling out his cell phone.