I Could Not Ask For More

8 Months, 19 Days, 12 Hours, and 15 Minutes to the dot since you found out that your wife was pregnant. The smile that graces your lips hasn't been able to be wiped away and you wouldn't change it for the world.

You watch from your computer desk as she slips slowly into the tub that adjoins your bedroom. You filled it for her a few minutes ago while she was sitting in the nursery. Now that it's getting closer and closer to her due date, soaking in the tub has become a ritual every night. You close out your screen and take off your glasses, setting them on the bedside table, before moving to the walk-in closet.

Her side is filled with the clothes she can't fit into at the moment and that's one of the things she is constantly upset about. She keeps telling you that her toned figure is gone and questions how you can possibly think she could look beautiful once the baby weight started to show and her normal form disappeared. You are baffled every time she mentions it even though you know it's mostly the hormones talking. She always looks beautiful in your eyes and the day before she told you the amazing news, you couldn't help but think that she was glowing. Even then you knew that something had changed; you didn't think it was possible for her to look more gorgeous than she already was.

The thought makes you smile as you pull out a casual v-neck and change out of your blouse. Today was your last day at the recording studio for the next three months so you could be home with her for the remainder of her pregnancy and to be there once the baby is born. You move to the bathroom and your breath hitches. Her blonde hair hangs freely as the ends dip into the water. Her eyes are closed and her head rests back against the padded towel. She's so relaxed, so peaceful, and you know in this moment that your life is perfect. The woman you love is healthy, as is your baby girl who grows inside of her.

You kneel at the side of the tub and press a lingering kiss to her temple before running your fingers through her hair. She smiles lazily, eyes still closed. She leans into your touch, moving her hand up to cup yours almost like the contact isn't real and she needs to be sure.

You dip your free hand into the water, gathering as much of the liquid as you can and letting it drip across her forearm that is resting on her stomach, safely cradling the baby that has yet to say hello to the world. When you look back up, her eyes are open and she's smiling at you. You've been smiling the whole time and you finally notice that your cheeks are starting to hurt, positive that your features will be stuck that way forever. You note to yourself that it wouldn't be a bad thing if it did.

You skim the pad of your thumb over her cheek, the rest of your fingers still tangled in her hair. She maneuvers her head to the side slowly, never breaking eye contact, bringing the palm of your hand to her lips. It's so gentle and your heart swells. You lean forward over the edge of the tub, very slowly, keeping those piercing blue eyes locked with your brown. You linger there, only inches away, her breath tickles your skin as her eyes travel between your eyes and your lips and back up again. You don't tease her, simply take a moment to enjoy the closeness before you capture her lips in a gentle kiss.

Her eyes open slowly as she meets your gaze, your eyes close once more as you move to place gentle kisses to her neck. You nuzzle your nose just under her ear, placing one more kiss.

"I love you." You whisper to her.

It's a gentle confession, not seductive or meant to get her worked up. She sighs contently, melting more into the warm water, if it were at all possible, and moves her hand to cover yours, the one that's been resting on her stomach. She runs her finger tips over your wedding band, a tired grin showing as she does. You lean over once more, this time placing soft kisses at her collarbone, over the swell of her breasts, and to her stomach. You entwine your fingers with hers and rest them slightly lower this time as you let your kiss linger on the pale skin of her belly.

Her grip tightens slightly on your hands as her body shifts in the water and you glance up just in time to see her wince.

"Are you okay?" You ask as her body relaxes again.

"Yeah, my back is just a little sore." She answers, the smile returning and her eyes dropping heavily.

"Are you sure?" You stroke her stomach softly with your thumb as you listen for her to answer.

She nods with a smile. "Just tired."

"I'll get your towel and we can go climb in bed okay?"

She hums her approval and you stand up and walk towards the door.

"Nay…" She says softly and you turn to her, almost worried as she says your name like a question.

"Yeah baby?"

She smiles. She loves it when you call her baby. "I love you."

Your smile returns, pulling so hard you're certain your face will crack. You walk back over to her and crouch before kissing her softly once more; something you will never get tired of.

"I love you too Heath." You whisper. "I'll be right back okay?" And she nods.

You walk out of the bathroom to the hallway cupboard to grab a fresh towel and make your way back to your wife. The water is draining from the tub as she begins to stand. You drop the towel on the toilet seat before supporting her arms and lifting her weight so she doesn't strain.

You grab the towel and drape it around her body and help her step over the edge. She's stubborn, just like you are, refusing to let you help her all the time. It makes you wonder how much of that will show once the little one is born. The thought alone makes you chuckle.

You grab her hair brush before switching off the bathroom light and make your way over to where she stands at the bed, drying the few remaining drops of water from her body. The brush in your hand is discarded on the bed as you quickly replace it with her pajama bottoms. You kneel down, allowing her to step into her underwear and sweatpants before pulling them up and planting another lingering kiss to her stomach. Her fingers tangle in your hair and you glance up to see that smile that you fell in love with all those years ago. She's got that loving look as she stares intently at you, reading your secrets, the silent messages you send her. She knows you, knows everything you are communicating to her without words being said.

She pulls gently, urging you up to meet her lips and you oblige. The kiss is gentle and she smiles into it which makes you smile in return. When she pulls away she rests her forehead against yours. You're breathing the same air and the lavender shampoo starts to cloud your senses.

"How did I get so lucky?" She asks. You kiss her once more.

"I'm the lucky one." You confess, because it's true. There isn't anything you could say or do that would justify why you were so blessed with such an amazing person in your life. "I have an amazing wife who loves me more than anything despite my flaws, who knows me better than anyone else, and is the mother of my unborn child. I'd say I'm the luckiest girl on the planet."

Tears fill her eyes, it's been happening a lot lately, even for the most random reasons but you don't question it. You lean up slightly on your tip-toes to reach and kiss one side as the tear drops down her cheek before moving to the other.

"Stupid hormones." She mutters, trying to wipe her eyes and you can't help but chuckle. You pick up her sleep shirt from the bed, you're more than content to let her sleep without it, but she insists that she will not sleep naked until she gets her dancer body back. You hold it open, allowing her to fish her arms through before pulling it over her head and situating it over her beautiful stomach. It doesn't matter what she says, she will always look perfect to you.

She sits down on the bed before lifting her legs up and you pull the covers over her feet before grabbing the brush and moving to sit behind her.

The sound and feel of the brush against her scalp soothes her and you can tell she won't last long sitting up; she has already started to nod off. You pull her golden locks back out of her face and up into a loose ponytail. You kiss the back of her neck softly before moving out and laying her back gently. The brush is set on the night stand and you reach up to turn off the lamp.

As you make your way to the sitting chair in the corner of the room to change into your sleep pants, Zach, your cat, brushes up against your leg. His grey hairs are a sure sign of his age but that doesn't stop him. He purrs as you scratch his head and you make your way back over to bed where you climb in next to your wife. She's already sleeping soundly and you're thankful for that. The baby has been more active the past few weeks during the night, keeping Heather up. You want this little bundle of joy just as much as she does but it breaks your heart to see how exhausted she is.

You shuffle close, adjusting the covers over yourself before wrapping your arm around her, over the protective hand she already subconsciously has placed over her stomach. You place one last kiss to the exposed skin at the bass of her neck where it meets her shoulder. Sleep comes easily to you that night knowing you have a shielding hold on both of your girls, protecting them, always.

XXXXXXXXXX

You wake up to your wife breathing heavily. She isn't awake yet but she's sweating. You glance at the alarm clock.

2 AM. You've been asleep for 5 hours.

You shuffle your legs to untangle them from hers when you feel the pool of wetness. Your eyes go wide. You're trying not to panic because if you panic she will panic. You finally free your lower extremities and reach to switch on your bedside light. You pull the comforter down to get a better idea of the situation. You guess that her water broke just recently because her contractions would have woken her up after time.

You change quickly into a pair of pants and slip into your shoes before grabbing a dry pair of sweatpants for Heather. You move to her side of the bed before crouching down to gently pull her from her sleep.

"Heather…" You coo softly, caressing her cheek with your knuckles. "Sweetheart… wake up." You try again.

She scrunches her features trying to open her eyes. It's so adorable to you, even though you've seen it a thousand times before and you almost forget why you're waking her up.

"Hey baby." You say and smile softly, trying not to terrify her when she realizes what's going on. "I need you to do something for me okay?" She nods softly, still sleepy and not fully aware yet. You keep your voice soothing and gentle for reassurance even though you're having a miniature panic attack right now.

"We're gonna go to the hospital okay? Your water broke while we were sleeping. I want you to stay calm. I'm gonna take care of you."

A smile graces her lips and you're slightly confused. "You might be able to hide your emotions from the world while you're acting but you never were good at doing it with me. Are you sure I'm not the one who should be telling you to stay calm?" She ends with a chuckle and you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding.

She always could read you like a book. You let out a shaky laugh in return as she moves her hand to cup your cheek. You kiss it softly before moving to help her sit up. Once she is able to stand you help her slip into a dry pair of underwear and sweatpants. You grab her coat and slip it on for her before grabbing your own hoodie. You lead her out to the garage, over to the passenger side of your SUV, and open the door when the first one happens.

She falters slightly and you drop your purse and keys to catch her. She's gripping the door handle and you slide one of your hands to her free hand while still keeping her balanced.

"Easy breaths baby." You say as you watch her face contort with pain. "One…Two…Three." You repeat a few times and she matches your soft commands until the contraction stops. She loosens her hold now as she relaxes.

"You alright?" You ask, obviously a stupid question and you mentally slap yourself in the face for saying it.

She lets out a slight laugh before she answers. "I suddenly have a new found respect for the women who have done this before. They don't exaggerate that in the movies."

You try not to laugh because this is your wife who's in pain and it's only going to get worse as the night goes on, but it's just so HeMo to say something like that with the silly comments and jokes. You help her in before quickly grabbing your keys and running to the other side.

Los Angeles traffic isn't too bad this hour so you don't have to worry about most of the stop lights. You grab your cell phone and hit the speed dial. A few rings before a groggy voice comes over the line.

"'Ello" You hear.

"Lea! It's Nay, listen I'm with Heather and we are on our way to the hospital, her water broke."

You can almost see her eyes go wide as she fully wakes up. "Oh my god, Di! Di, wake up! Heather's going into labor!" You hear her scream before your best friend is heard in the background. "WHAT?" You then hear your wife laugh at the reaction that is obviously loud enough to be heard.

You all have still remained best friends since the show ended 3 years ago. Lea and Dianna were married shortly after you and Heather during your last season there. Dianna as your maid of honor, Lea as Heather's, and visa versa.

Heather tenses again as you hear a hiss from the seat next to you. "Shit, Lea I gotta go, she's having another contraction."

"Take care of your girl, we will see you guys at the hospital and I'll call both of your parents."

"Thanks Le." You say before ending the call, dropping your phone in your lap, and reaching over to take your wife's hand.

"Deep breaths sweetheart." You say calmly as you glance back and forth between her and the road. "We're almost there baby, keep breathing." You see her nod fiercely as the last of the pain subsides and she loosens her grip on your hand.

You pull into the emergency bay, Lea and Dianna are already there because they live a few minutes around the corner. The nurse is there as well and has a wheelchair ready. Dianna comes to your side quickly as you pull to a stop and open the door.

"I'll park for you." She says and you give her a smile.

"Thanks Di." You say as she takes your spot and you run around the vehicle, closely followed by the nurse.

You're holding her hand as the nurse wheels her through the E.R. and before you know it there are two other nurses walking towards you.

"Ms. Rivera, I need you to fill out these papers while we take Ms. Morris up to her room." One of them says, placing a handful of documents in front of you.

"I'm not leaving her." You challenge her obviously 'I don't care' attitude.

"I'm afraid I can't let you take them out of this area ma'am. It's standard procedure."

You're trying to keep your temper under control but she's making it extremely difficult. You can tell by the way she addressed both of you that she doesn't accept that you are married and that Heather had wanted to take your last name. You can see the disgust in her eyes and it's making you furious.

"I'll take care of the paperwork." Lea cuts in, noticing the tension and seeing that you weren't about to back down.

"I'm afraid that's not possible… Ms..?" The nurse moves her attention to your best friend.

"Lea… Agron, and it's Mrs. And I can actually. I am listed to handle any legal or medical paperwork on their behalf should I gain permission or in the event that they become incapacitated. If you would like to settle this with my lawyer I would be more than happy to do so and trust me, that option would be ill advised. Not only will I sue you and this hospital for discrimination but I will also have it brought to the attention of your supervisor that you are giving your patients wrong information to keep them apart."

You're just looking at one of your closest friends with wide eyes. 'Go Lea' you think to yourself as you hear your wife start to giggle. The nurse opens and closes her mouth a few times before looking towards you.

"I'll just bring the paperwork to the room for you Mrs. Rivera." You nod as she turns to leave and you look towards the shorter brunette who has a loving smile.

"Now go in there and give me my little niece." She says with a chuckle before moving to Heather and placing a kiss on her head. "You're gonna do great." She whispers to your wife and then moves to hug you.

Dianna runs in just in time to give you each each a hug before you are taken through the doors and down the hallway to the maternity ward. Everything is happening so fast; nurses are coming in and out helping Heather change into her gown, while the others are preparing her bed and shoving a clipboard in your hand with all of the papers. You honestly fight the urge to throw them in the trash can but your wife catches your eye, smirks slightly, and shakes her head. You know you've been caught.

You place the clipboard on the seat next to the bed and help her climb in. She starts to get comfortable when the next contraction stops her and she tenses, breathing heavily. You help her through it, keeping her calm and helping her follow the breathing pattern until it subsides. They are getting closer together now, maybe only 12 minutes apart.

Once she's laying down, as comfortable as she can be, the nurse comes over to start the IV's and give her the epidural. You start the paperwork while they work because they keep trying to operate around you; you don't want to leave her side for one second but you comply.

The doctor finally arrives, Dr. Rolland, to do the first check-up. "Ah, the Rivera's! I see she didn't quite want to make it to full term and wants to get this show started." The woman laughs. In a way she reminds you of Holly Holliday from the show, crazy and outgoing personality but very loving and motherly.

"She wouldn't be a Rivera if she waited now would she?" Your wife smiles as she shoots you a smirk, knowing that's exactly your personality. Always energetic, wanting to do everything here and now. It makes you blush when the doctor laughs again at how you and Heather know each other so well.

"Alright well I'm gonna do a quick check to see what your progress is okay?" You both nod. The epidural has started to take effect and you're glad. You hate seeing her hurting so it's nice that she is able to relax. She's starting to get sleepy now that the pain isn't coming anymore.

You help the doctor move Heather's legs up so that she is able to do the examination since the epidural has temporarily paralyzed her lower half. While Dr. Rolland prepares herself, you move back up to your wife's side and take a hold of her hand. She's smiling lazily at you and you're grinning like an idiot. You pull her hand up, the pulse monitor attached to her finger getting in the way, and you place a kiss to the top of her knuckles.

"You two make a beautiful couple." The doctor says and you both look in her direction, smiling at the compliment. "Heather you're 7 centimeters dilated and things seem to be progressing well. Your contractions are about 8 minutes apart but you can't feel them now which is good. Try to rest for a while. When we reach 10 centimeters we are going to move you and get you ready to deliver your baby, alright?"

"Thanks doc." She says and you nod in her direction as a thank you.

When she leaves the room your attention goes right back to the blue-eyed, blonde that you love more than anything in this world. She wants to sleep but that stubbornness is showing again.

"Try to sleep baby." You say.

"I can't when I'm this excited." You do one of those inaudible laughs because again, another 'it's so HeMo' to say that.

"Me too sweetheart…" You lean up and kiss her gently. "You should still rest like the doctor suggested though."

"Will you sing to me?" She asks softly as her eyes drift closed.

"What do you wanna hear?" You ask as you place another kiss, this time to her palm and one more to the inside of her wrist.

"Anything." She answers.

You think for a moment, trying to wrack your brain for a song to sing. You think of just the one, one that matches the situation perfectly. You look at her for a few moments, the lyrics playing in your head as you take in the beautiful sight right in front of you before you start to sing.

She's a yellow pair of running shoes

My holey pair of jeans

She looks great in cheap sunglasses, she looks great in anything

She's I want a piece of chocolate, take me to a movie

She's I can't find a thing to wear, now and then she's moody

She's a Saturn with a sunroof and her 'blonde' hair blowin'

She's a soft place to land and a good feelin' knowin'

She's a warm conversation that I wouldn't miss for nothing'

She's a fighter when she's mad and a lover when she's lovin'

And She's… Everything I ever wanted, everything I need

I talk about her I go on, and on, and on

Cuz She's Everything To Me

She's listening to your raspy voice. You can tell she isn't asleep just yet but she's getting there. You singing to her is something that she always loves. Usually she wants to hear the songs that you are working on in the studio but you haven't recorded any new ones recently. She's heard all of them so far and they are usually always about her. This time though, you are singing something just a little bit different for her.

She's a Saturday out on the town and a church girl on Sunday

She's a cross around her neck and a cuss word cuz it's Monday

She's a bubble bath and candles… Baby come and kiss me

She's that one glass of wine and feeling kinda tipsy

She's the giver I wish I could be and the stealer of the covers

She's a picture in my wallet

My unborn children's mother

She smiles at that part with her eyes still closed and it makes you grin while you're singing. Again the song is just perfect for the situation and through it you're telling her exactly how you feel.

She's the hand that I'm holding when I'm on my knees and pryin'

She's the answer to my prayer and She's the song that I'm singin

And she's… Everything I ever wanted, everything I need

I talk about her I go on, and on, and on

Cuz She's everything to me.

Yeah She's everything to me.

You don't need to finish the rest of the song. She's softly drifted off to sleep now and she looks so peaceful it makes you smile.

Your phone vibrates in your hoodie.

Mama Morris:

Hey Sweetheart. I'm on my way to the airport now. Dianna said she would pick me up from LAX. My flight will be in around 8. I can't wait to see you all. Tell my baby girl that I love her and I'm so proud of you both. 3

Heather is going to be so happy. Mrs. Morris has been looking forward to becoming a grandmother and she's been so supportive of your relationship from the start. Even before, when you were just friends, she always treated you like her daughter-in-law.

XXXXXXXXXX

You're not sure how long you've been asleep or when you even drifted off for that matter. You sit up from your hunched over position on the edge of the hospital bed. Your wife is still sleeping soundly. You glance over to the heart monitor that's beating a steady rhythm before your attention moves to the baby's heart monitor attached to Heather's stomach. It's strong and unwavering and you can't help the tired smile gracing your lips. Both of your girls are doing fine.

You glance down to see her pale hand still resting comfortably in yours. It's a perfect fit. She squeezes softly and you look up to meet her eyes, one's you could get lost in for the rest of your life. You could live with that.

"Hey beautiful." You say.

She smiles. "Hey."

There's a knock at the door and the doctor walks in, this time in her scrubs.

"Hey ladies, I'm just going to do another check really quick but I'm almost positive we are set to go."

Dr. Rolland moves to the foot of the bed as the other nurses come in to get ready to transfer your wife to the delivery room.

"10 centimeters, looks like it's that time. Naya if you will go with nurse Kerry, she will help you get some scrubs and wash up."

You nod but leaving Heather is the last thing you want to do. She looks at you and smiles. You know she senses your hesitancy and squeezes your hand. "It's only a few minutes baby and I'll be waiting."

"I'll be back before you know it." You say, mostly reassuring yourself.

You lean over and kiss her and she keeps her lips locked with yours. She deepens it slightly, letting her tongue meet yours once before she pulls back.

"I love you." You say.

"I know, and I love you." She replies and you move to follow the nurse out of the room. Your eyes are locked to hers until the last second when you move out of the door.

The next few minutes are a blur because you're only thinking about getting back to your wife. You dress as quickly as you can in the clean room before moving into an adjacent room with a huge sink lining just under a large window. You notice the delivery room on the other side and Heather is already there and ready to go.

You scrub your hands and dry before the nurse puts on your gloves and holds the door open for you to return to her side. You're wearing a face mask so not being able to kiss her somewhat annoys you until you catch her eye.

"Alright, Heather, your contractions are coming 30 seconds apart now so on the next one I'm going to tell you when to push okay?" Dr. Rolland commands.

"Okay I can do that." She answers.

You move your hand into hers and you smile at her. She can see your cheeks curve up over the edges of the mask and smiles back at you before turning her attention back towards the doctor who is now seated at the bottom of the table and pulling the blanket up to sit at the top of Heather's knees.

"Alright, contraction in three… two… one… push Heather!"

She grips your hand and starts to push but something isn't right. This isn't just her muscles stressing to push. There is pain there too. What's happening? She shouldn't feel anything once she had the epidural.

You hear her whimper softly at first as she tries to catch her breath. You're looking at her now but where the smiles and happiness were only moments ago, a new emotion shows through her eyes.

She's scared.

She's trying not to show it and you quickly glance down to the doctor.

"Doctor what's going on? She's in pain. I thought the epidural would stop that?" You ask, trying to ease some of your own fears for your wife.

Before she can answer, an ear wrenching cry breaks and you snap your attention back to your wife. She has a death grip on your hand, possibly breaking a few bones but you don't care.

"H-hurts… something's w-wrong." She manages to get out through her cries.

Both heart monitors are speeding up and your eye's are practically bulging out of your head.

"DOCTOR WHAT'S WRONG?" You scream, doing anything you can to help. It's breaking your heart to see Heather in pain and all you can do is go into protective mode even if there physically isn't anything you can do to make it better.

"The baby is in distress and the epidural is wearing off faster than it should. The chord is wrapped around her neck. We need to do a cesarean to get the baby out."

More nurses are falling into the room now as they each go into a robotic trance. Things are being shifted and new equipment is being brought over. The bed that is propping up your wife is being lowered down and a curtain is raised at chest level, separating her lower half.

You haven't released her hand the whole time, reassuring her that everything is going to be okay. She's crying now.

"I failed you, I'm so sorry Nay." She says to you through broken sobs and your heart jumps into your throat. You tug the mask down off of your face and you lower your head down next to hers, cradling her cheek in your free hand and looking her right in the eyes.

"Shhh, baby don't say that and don't ever think it again, do you understand me? You didn't fail me… you never have and you never will. She's gonna be okay, alright?" You say soothingly but sternly.

You never thought she would think that but she did. How could she think that? She's given you everything you could have ever wanted and so much more. She's never failed you… ever, and nothing will change that. These things happen and it's nobody's fault.

She nods, trying to convince herself of the words you just said. You kiss her forehead and smooth back the stray hairs that have scattered across her face.

"I love you and you couldn't fail me if you tried sweetheart." You say to reassure her.

You hear the doctors working frantically now and you stand to peak over the curtain. The doctor is stating commands and before you know it a tiny figure is being lifted up.

"We have a baby girl." The doctor says as she hands the baby to the nurse. The nurse is swaddling her and your gaze is torn away for a moment when you hear your wife.

"Come on baby cry… please cry." She says through tears.

Those seconds seem to pass at an excruciatingly slow speed and it's as if time is frozen and all other sounds are blocked.

When you hear it for the first time you release a breath you're almost positive you were holding for five minutes. You smile widely as your own tears start to form.

"Mama, you wanna cut the chord?" Dr. Rolland asks.

You nod happily, not even trusting words at the moment with how in awe you are as she hands you the surgical sheers. The nurse holds the baby, your baby, close to you while another places two clamps down and instructs you where to cut. And you do happily.

You gaze at the tiny human for the few seconds you have. Her eyes are closed but her facial features are strong. She looks just like Heather with the exception of her hair that is completely dark, like yours, and man does she have a lot of it.

The nurse takes her over to the side of the room to start the tests and you look back at your wife with a mega watt smile and happy tears streaming down your face.

"She's so perfect baby." You say to her before capturing her lips in a gentle kiss.

A/N: Let me know what you think. Should I continue?

Song used is Everything To Me by Brad Paisley.