Desmond awoke to the slow rocking of the boats along the waves. He rolled over on his side and smiled seeing his Penny there beside him in bed, so happy that it wasn't just a dream. She really had saved him. He brushed some hair gently from her face and leaned over to kiss her soft lips as she began to stir.
Penny smiled up at him, her hand brushing through his freshly cut hair. They had been on the run from Ben for many months now. Being on the run constantly was beginning to wear them both down, but waking up with the love of her life each and every morning made it all worth it. And he felt the same way.
Desmond's hand brushed against her pregnant abdomen as he smiled back at her. They had known for a long time that she was pregnant and even in the face of danger, it had been a light in their lives. It was something that he had wanted very badly. Penny had been a bit more hesitant seeing as they were living life on the run, but once it happened she realized how much she had really wanted it too.
He felt the baby move and smiled at her. This was how life should be. He looked up at Penny and saw her happy smile and it warmed him through and through. He kissed her on the lips softly before climbing out of the bed.
"I'm going to take a shower luv. I'll be right back."
She nodded at him and turned back over to snooze a little longer while she waited for him to get out of the shower.
Desmond took a quick shower, enjoying the warm water. He stepped out of the shower and quickly dried off, wanting to go wrap his arms around his beautiful Penny. He slipped on some clean boxers and a tshirt and walked over to her side of the bed, seeing her curled up, to wake her.
But when he got there, he heard whimpering and saw Penny shaking and holding herself. "Bloody hell!" he yelled, dropping to his knees beside her. "Pen...Pen...what's wrong luv?"
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. "It hurts Des. It hurts so bad. It's contractions. The baby is coming. It's too soon Des...too soon."
His eyes widened in horror as he listened to her. "Oh God..." he sighed, not knowing what to do, but knowing he had to do something. She was in so much pain and it was tearing him up inside watching her.
Her pain continued to increase as the contractions got stronger. Desmond knew he had to do something. "I promise," he said kissing her forehead. "I'll be right back. I don't want to leave you Pen, but I have to...I have to find help."
She was in too much pain to argue, instead giving his hand a squeeze as she moaned through another contraction.
He kissed her forehead one last time and whispered that he loved her before he bolted for the stairwell to the deck. As soon as his feet hit the deck, he raced to the edge and jumped to the dock not stopping for a moment. He ran full bore toward the small town they had docked at, not having the slightest clue where he was going only that he needed help.
"Doctor!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "I need a doctor!" Hoping that someone would understand him. But so far he had only received odd stares and people looking at him like he was crazy.
He was becoming more and more depressed, not knowing the language but desperately needing a doctor. As he rounded a corner a man stepped out of a door and heard his pleas for help.
"Help?" the man said in his heavly accented voice.
Desmond ground to a stop, spinning around, hoping that he hadn't been hearing things. He grabbed the man's arms. "Do you understand me?"
The man nodded his head. "Help...doctor...I can help..."
Desmond's eyes grew wide. "Doctor? You're a doctor, brotha?"
The man nodded his head adamantly and pointed to himself. "Yes...yes...doctor..."
A small smile formed on Desmond's face. "Come with me doctor. My Penny is in labor. She's having a baby."
"Baby," the old man said, not understanding everything Desmond was saying but understanding enough to know what was happening. "Wait," he said pointing to the spot Desmond was standing. He disappeared back inside the door giving Desmond a terrible fright, thinking his only hope had disappeared. But just as soon as he left, the man reappeared with a bag in his hand, obviously holding some of his medical equipment. "Take me..." he said nodding at Desmond.
Quick as a wink, Desmond took off running for the boat, checking behind him constantly to make sure the old man was still with him. Once they got there, he led him downstairs only to find Penny in more pain.
"I've got a doctor luv. He's going to be able to help."
Penny gritted her teeth and squeezed Desmond's hand as she struggled through another contraction.
Watching her go through all that pain, broke his heart. He just wanted to take care of her, to take the pain away and in these circumstances that just wasn't possible.
The old man began checking on Penny, trying to get an idea of how far into labor she was as Desmond held her hand tightly and whispered calming words into her ear. But it wasn't working. She was in so much pain and had grown so weak from all the stress.
Desmond leaned over her, trying to see what the doctor was doing when he noticed the blood. His heart froze in a panic. He looked at the doctor with panic filled eyes, but didn't say anything because he knew anything he said would panic Penny that much more and that was the last thing she needed.
He jumped as he heard something outside, straining to hear it better. It sounded like another boat docking beside them. He has to go up. He has to see who it is. They could be able to help.
He squeezed Penny's hand and looks down at her. "I have to go see who that is. Maybe they can help us okay? He'll take care of you," he says motioning to the doctor. "And I promise I'll be right back." He kissed her forehead and turns to the doctor. "I'll be right back."
He runs upstairs, taking them to at a time, hoping that whoever is out there can help them...help Penny. He isn't sure that what the doctor is doing is helping. And he isn't going to let Penny go. She is his everything.
His feet hit the deck and he ran toward the other docked boat, but freezes in his tracks when he sees who is aboard it.
"Hume," Ben said surprised to see Desmond, thinking he was downstairs.
"Don't come any closer you bloody bastard. You're not touching her!" he yelled.
"Her father took my child. I'm here to return the favor," Ben said simply.
"Over my dead body brotha!" Desmond growled, ready to protect her with his life.
"Where is she by the way? Afraid of me and hiding?" he chuckled.
"You want to know where she is?" Desmond yelled, feeling like he was past the breaking point. "She's giving birth and it's not going well. Your work may be done for you," he spit, mad as hell at the world.
Ben's eyes grew wide and he stopped as if deep in a memory of his own. "She's what?" He took a step away from Desmond, looking both shocked and confused. "I didn't know she was pregnant," he muttered. Ben suddenly thought of his own mother who died in childbirth as well as his Annie. He couldn't do that to anyone. He couldn't be the reason that another child was without a mother. Ben turned on his heels without saying a word to Desmond and left the boat, getting on his own and leaving.
Desmond was left standing there in shock watching Ben's retreating form. He had no idea what had just happened. Broken out of his stupor by Penny's cries, Desmond ran back downstairs to be by her side.
The labor was long and hard, but Desmond stood by her side, supporting her and loving her. The old doctor did everything he could to help with the delivery.
Penny screamed loudly as she pushed one last time, but when her cry died away instead of silence, there was another cry. A small, strong cry of their beautiful baby girl.
The doctor cleaned her up then handed her to Desmond as he finished taking care of Penny. She was small and born early, but it was already obvious that she was a fighter as she was born strong and healthy.
Desmond craddled the bundle in his arms, kissing her soft, pink forehead before handing her over to her mother and kissing Penny's cheek. "You did well luv."
Penny smiled at him before moving the blanket out of the baby's face. "Welcome to the world Elizabeth Hume."
Desmond smiled down at the two loves of his life, wrapping his arms around both of them. He briefly wondered what had happened earlier with Ben and why he had suddenly just turned and left. Then Desmond had thought his life and Penny's were over. But now, holding his wife and child in his arms, he knew it was just beginning.