Spoilers: None that I can think of!
Summary: Part of the 'Baby Proofing' Series. Sequel to 'Secret Keeper'
Author Note: I have no Betas so all mistakes are entirely my own.
All comments and reviews are appreciated. Seriously. They are my drug of choice - do not deprive an addict!
Chloe sat in front of Watchtower's monitors, one of the cameras trained on her seat. "Bart Allen is a dead man! When you see him next you can tell him to watch his back."
Oliver laughed at the sight of his pregnant girlfriend flushed with anger. If he had been in her presence instead of safely across the Atlantic ocean he wouldn't have been so brave to show his amusement. At least with the distance he could truly appreciate how sexy she was when she was angry.
"It's not a laughing matter!"
"What did he do?" Oliver tried to feign seriousness, but failed to restrain the quirk at the corner of his mouth.
"He took my chips. All of my chips Oliver. And don't even get me started on the pickles!"
"He raided Watchtower's supplies?" Despite the large expanse of ocean between them he didn't dare suggest that she just buy more. Bart was lucky that he was the fastest man alive.
He saw her get up and pace Watchtower, resting her hands on her lower back to relieve the pressure of her distended stomach. "Oh no, not just the tower Ollie! He cleared out the cupboards at home too."
Oliver let out a breath. Bart should have known better. "I'll send him round to restock what he took and I'll think up a suitable punishment for causing you to stress out."
At thirty-nine weeks pregnant she had already been warned about her elevating blood pressure. Oliver had been trying to keep her as calm as possible in the last few weeks, even reducing the number of missions the team ran just to reduce her stress levels.
"No Oliver, I already have a suitable punishment in mind."
He didn't like the evil smirk on her face. "Oh no. No, no, no. I'll set the punishment. Those baby hormones have been making you scary in the last couple of months. I'm seriously starting to think that you're channelling Lois."
"What's wrong with that? You want me to tell her what you think of her?"
Oliver thought it was best to leave that potential train of thought and quickly changed the subject. "So apart from the lack of snacks how have you been?"
"People that say Braxton-Hicks don't hurt are liars. I swear I thought I was going into labour yesterday afternoon."
"Why didn't you call me?"
She looked directly at him through the monitor. "In London time it was early in the morning, I wasn't going to wake you." He shook his head, and Chloe did not miss the gesture. "What?"
"We're talking about you and our baby sidekick, I'm not going to be worried about losing a little sleep."
"Fine. Next time I experience a completely random, unimportant pregnancy side effect I'll be sure to let you know." She tried to cross her arms in frustration, but the effect was lost as she tried to accommodate her expanding girth.
"It's a deal." He smiled at her attempted pout. "So are you all set for your appointment with Emil this afternoon?"
"I'd be more set if I had chips." She complained, still pouting. "But yes, all ready. Medical notes, pee in a cup, phone on stand by. I'm all set."
"Just call me after, I don't care what time it is here. I want to know how my little man is doing."
A smile finally broke across her face. She loved it when he called the baby his little man. "Okay Ollie. I'll speak to you then."
"I love you."
"Love you too." She smiled before terminating the connection. She still couldn't believe how easy it had become to say those three little words to him. They had come a long way, and even she was impressed with how she was adjusting to this new level in their relationship.
Oliver sat back in his chair. He couldn't believe that in less than three weeks he would be a father. He would finally get to hold their little boy in his arms. He hadn't wanted to make the trip to London but Chloe had insisted, rationalising that the more work he got through before the birth, the more time he could spend at home after. He had to promise not to return until he had wrapped up business here. But then she had also promised to keep him updated no matter what, and she had just admitted to breaking her side of the bargain already.
Oliver smiled to himself before picking up his phone and hitting the speed dial. "It's Queen. I need my jet fuelled and prepped. I want to leave for Metropolis within the hour." Chloe wasn't the only one who could break promises.
"Uh uh. No way." Chloe crossed her arms, her jaw set and determined. "I am having this baby the old fashioned way."
"Chloe, your urine is showing traces of protein and your blood pressure is still running high. They are all classic signs of pre-eclampsia. We need to get you booked in to Met Gen for a caesarean section."
"Oliver is in London, I can't have this baby now!"
"Chloe, it's not a decision I am making just to make things difficult for you. For the health of you and your baby we need to deliver you. They will probably schedule surgery for tomorrow and I am sure Oliver will be able to make it back in time. I can drive you to the hospital now if you would like?"
Chloe shook her head. "No, I can get there. I need to grab my bag first. I have to make a call." Her fingers trembled as she dialled the number. She had really wanted him to be there for the birth, but now it seemed so unlikely. If only Clark could fly.
Chloe had tried unsuccessfully to contact Oliver for the past three hours on his phone. She was starting to panic, and even when she called Bart for help she forgot to complain about her chips and pickles. All she wanted was Oliver and she couldn't reach him. She had wanted Bart to make his way to London and it had taken three tries to get him to move. In another time she would have thought his concern sweet, but all it had done was tap dance on her last nerve.
Chloe stood at the main entrance of the hospital with her bag at her feet patiently awaiting his return. The blast of his wake as he arrived sent her slightly off balance. She was disappointed to see Bart on his own. "Where is he?"
"Apparently he left London hours ago." Bart explained.
Chloe relaxed slightly. For once she was thankful that Oliver ignored her wishes. He could be halfway across the Atlantic Ocean about now. There was still a chance he could be with her when the baby was born. "Bart, could you wait for him at the airport? I'm going to try the phone he uses for the plane." She mentally kicked herself for not thinking of it before. She swore this pregnancy was destroying her brain.
"Anything for you 'licious." Bart gave her a swift kiss on the cheek before speeding off.
Chloe dialled in the number, thanking God it was answered on the third ring. "Oliver!"
"Chloe, what's wrong?"
"I'm having the baby tomorrow morning."
"You're in labour?"
"No. Emil ran his tests and I have pre-eclampsia. They have to deliver the baby, Emil has me booked in for a caesarian in the morning." Chloe began biting her lip trying to hold back the tears. She had tried to focus on Oliver's absence to keep her mind off of Emil's diagnosis. She had wanted her baby the old fashioned way.
"I'm in the air. I should land in four hours."
"Bart's waiting for you." She kept it short to keep her voice from wobbling.
"Chloe? Chloe, are you alright?"
She shook her head, knowing he couldn't see her. If she spoke she was sure she wouldn't be able to hold back.
"Chloe? Talk to me Sidekick."
"It's all my fault!" She sat on the bench outside the hospital and finally allowed the tears to fall. "I should have listened to you and taken things easy. What if the baby is hurt because of me!"
"Listen to me. Everything is going to be okay. You will be fine, the baby will be fine and I will be there as soon as I can. There's nothing you could have done to prevent this, it's just one of those things. Now, I want you to call Lois and have her sit with you to keep you company."
"When you say keep me company, you mean boss the doctors and nursing staff around don't you?"
"Someone has to hold down the fort until I get there."
Chloe allowed herself a small smile. Lois could be a scary woman when events involved her family - her wedding to Jimmy had been proof enough of that. "I'll call her. Just hurry."
"I promise I won't waste a second. Now go and get yourself checked in. I want to know you're in safe hands."
"Alright. Let me know when you're about to land. I love you Oliver."
"I love you too."
Chloe ended the call and sat for a moment to gather herself before getting ready to dial Lois. She just hoped that the hospital was ready to deal not only with her but also with Hurricane Lane.
"Okay Chloe, just remember your breathing." Her cousin ordered as she sat next to her before panting out the breathing patterns Chloe had been practicing the last few weeks.
Chloe quirked her eyebrow at her relative while the nurse inserted the cannula into her hand. "Lois, I'm not in labour and after the spinal block I'm getting before surgery I'll feel nothing. We're pretty much skipping over the Lamaze thing."
"Thank God! I thought I was going to pass out if I had to do that much longer." Lois huffed and crashed back into her chair. "So how much longer until the baby daddy gets here?"
The nurse cleaned up and promptly left the room. "Don't call him that Lois."
"Well, I'd like to say fiancé but since that stubborn ass has refused to propose, that's what I'm calling him."
"You know I wouldn't say yes even if he did."
"You're nuts cuz. If the guy that knocked you up, the guy you are madly in love with I might add, asked you to marry him you would say no?"
"Lois, I don't want to marry him just because I am having his baby and he knows that. That is why he has done the sensible thing and not even mentioned it, despite your oh-so subtle hints."
Lois barked out a laugh. "I still think he's a coward."
"I hope you're not talking about me." A very dishevelled Oliver stood just inside the room. He looked like a man who had been travelling for the better part of the night and looked all the worse for it. His tie was askew and his jacket was wrinkled.
Chloe's head snapped up at the sound of his voice. She had never seen a more welcoming sight in her life. Heaving herself off of the bed and went straight into his open arms. "You don't know how happy I am to see you."
Oliver hugged her as tightly as possible while kissing the top of Chloe's head. "I told you I'd be here."
"As sweet as this reunion is I'm gonna get some coffee." Lois got to her feet and headed towards the door. "And next time Ollie, stay in the country this close to the birth."
"Next time?" Oliver asked Chloe.
"Yeah, she's got our whole lives mapped out. I'm hoping Clark will be able to distract her, she's driving me insane." Chloe said as she wrapped her arms around Oliver's waist. His hugs were always warm and secure, they were just the anxiety cure she needed right now.
"What have the doctors said?" He asked.
"They've scheduled surgery for nine o'clock." She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was seven in the morning. "I'm so scared Ollie."
"Everything's going to be fine. I'll be there with you every step of the way." They stayed like that for several minutes, just holding onto each other, enjoying just being close to each other.
"Where did Bart go?"
"He's restocking."
"Doesn't he realise that once the baby is here then the cravings pretty much stop?"
"I don't think he's taking any chances." Oliver smiled. "Come on, you need to get off your feet."
He escorted her to the edge of the bed and helped to lift her legs onto the mattress. He sat at the edge of the bed and lifted her feet into his lap. Without asking he just began to massage her swollen feet. Chloe sighed and laid back against her pillows. "I knew there was a reason I kept you around."
Oliver raised his eyebrows. "I hope for more than just my massage techniques."
"You have other endearing qualities, I'll give you that." She watched as he firmly but gently eased the tension in her feet and slowly worked his way up her legs bringing a temporary relief to the ache in her swollen limbs. She hadn't felt this relaxed in days.
"Why don't you try taking a nap? In just over two hours we're going to be parents, and I'm not sure how much sleep we'll be getting in the next few weeks."
Chloe didn't even try to stifle her yawning. She had been up most of the night worried that Oliver would still be in the air when they took her for surgery. Her eyes drifted closed as Oliver kept up the soothing massage. "Maybe just a small nap."
Chloe sat on the operating table with her legs dangling over the side. Oliver had been dressed in a set of scrubs and was currently kneeling in front of her as the anaesthetist attempted to administer her spinal block. She felt the stinging of the local anaesthetic as she looked into Ollie's eyes.
"You alright there Sidekick?"
"Yeah. I've been through worse than a little needle."
"Ok Chloe, this is going to feel strange. It's going to feel like warm water being poured over your body, and once we feel that we're going to need you back on the bed before you lose all sensation." The anaesthetist told her.
He hadn't been kidding. It felt as if her lower half was submerged in a warm bath. If it didn't feel so strange she would have said the sensation was almost pleasant. Oliver and the anaesthetist eased Chloe back onto the bed and she stared straight up the bright lights above her.
"Okay Dad, we need you to stay seated right here." The theatre nurse guided Oliver to the stool by Chloe's head. "Keep your camera ready because it won't be long once the surgeon makes the first incision."
Chloe's hand wildly grabbed for Oliver's as the anaesthetist placed the blood pressure cuff around her other arm and strapped it to a board. She didn't know who but someone raised her hospital gown high up and pinned it to the frame on the bad. Chloe felt horribly exposed, her naked body on display to anyone in the room. She had lost all sensation in her legs and hated that she couldn't attempt to cover herself.
"I need you to tell me when you can no longer feel the cold spray by your breasts." The anaesthetist told her. She heard the hissing of an aerosol repeatedly, but felt nothing until he reached her breast.
"That's cold!" She would have jumped if she had been able to move.
"Alright, let's give it a few more seconds." She was told before hearing another spray a minute later. "Did you feel that?"
"No."
"Okay, we're ready to go! Time to meet your baby!" The surgeon told her before disappearing behind the fabric shield.
Chloe squeezed Oliver's hand and he looked down at her. He was in prime position to see what was going on if he wanted, but he kept his attention on her, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. She felt weird pulling sensations, but no pain. It was strange knowing that she was currently being cut open and that their son would soon be brought into this world.
Chloe heard a splashing sound. "There goes your water." Oliver smirked and leant down to Chloe's ear. "The surgeon's pants seemed to catch most of it."
She cringed at the thought despite Oliver's amusement. It wouldn't be long now she knew. She hated that she wouldn't be able to see her son make his way into the world and that she would have to wait. She had swore at the nurse who told her video equipment would not be allowed in the room earlier that day.
"Get your camera ready Dad!" The nurse warned him. Holding onto Chloe's hand with his left he readied the camera with his right and stood ready.
"Oh my god!" Oliver exclaimed and snapped a picture without even really looking.
Shortly after the flash went off Chloe heard the loud cry of a newborn baby. Chloe couldn't stop the tears from falling. He was finally here.
"There's nothing wrong with his lungs." The anaesthetist to her left joked.
"Do you want to cut the cord?" The surgeon asked Oliver, who could only nod in response as he looked at the wriggling bundle in the doctor's hands.
Chloe managed to see Oliver walk behind the screen before seeing a nurse take her son to be weighed and cleaned. Oliver followed the nurse's footsteps closely. "He is definitely a boy!" He heard him call back to her.
It seemed to take far too long before the nurse finally approached her with a tightly wrapped bundle. Oliver took his seat next to her as she was handed her son. She looked at the tiny baby in her arms. He was blowing bubbles and slowly opened his eyes. Chloe couldn't believe he was really here.
"He looks so much like you." She whispered as she touched the small dimpled chin.
Oliver kissed the top of her head. "Thank you Chloe. Thank you for giving me a family."
She tried to lean into Oliver. Chloe was mesmerised by the baby in her arms. She had been trying to imagine what he would look like for the seven months and now he was finally here. "Welcome to the world Connor." She whispered before kissing him gently on the head.
"We need to finish stitching Mom here. Would you like to take your son into the next room? I think you have family waiting." The nurse suggested.
"Is that alright?" Oliver asked her.
She could see that Oliver was just itching to get his hands on the baby so she nodded and held Connor out to him. "Just don't let Lois hold him without sitting down. She has the tendency to drop things."
With a parting kiss to Chloe, Oliver cradled the baby in his arms and headed towards the door. The nurse gave him a crib on wheels and helped him settle Connor into it. "We won't be long, we'll come to collect you two when we move her back to her room."
The medical staff went about her business, leaving Chloe to do nothing but stare at the ceiling. The silence was almost deafening. It was only until she heard Lois' shriek through the walls that she laughed.
"I just can't stop staring at him. He's perfect." Chloe said as she held her son in her arms. Lois and the guys had left an hour ago and she was just enjoying having time alone with Oliver and Connor. For once she was glad of Oliver's money and influence. At least in her own private room any noise could be kept to a minimum.
"I think we've done great." He whispered while gentling smoothing his son's fine hair.
"You can speak normally you're not going to wake him."
"I'm taking no chances." He sat on Chloe's bed more securely, draping an arm around her shoulders. "You're okay with us being in this for the long haul, right Sidekick?"
"I think it's a little late to be reconsidering Ollie. He's already here."
"I'm not talking about being Connor's parents or about us as a family because that goes without saying. I'm talking about us; me and you."
"You and Lois have been talking huh?"
"I know you will run at the slightest hint or pressure of more commitment, but I just want you to know where I stand. That I'll be waiting until you are ready."
"Oliver…"
"No. I don't want you to say anything. Just…give it some thought. I love you and I just want you to know that you are it for me."
Chloe really didn't know what to say. She had fallen in love with Oliver without question. A part of her knew she had fallen long before she had discovered her pregnancy and it had taken her a long time to adjust to her feelings. She had tried for happily ever after once before, only to have it ripped from her. Even during this pregnancy hew newfound, fragile happiness had been threatened yet again. She was scared that if she finally succumbed in and gave herself to Oliver completely her life would come crashing down around her shoulders again, except this time Connor would be front and centre.
"I love you too. I'm just not ready yet."
Oliver tightened his arm around her. "Like I said, no pressure."
Chloe leant into his arms. She just hoped he meant what he said. She didn't know when she would be ready, she just hoped he wouldn't tire of waiting. Until then she was determined to enjoy this while it lasted.