Disclaimer: The concept, canon, and canon characters belong to Forever creator Matt Miller and Warner Bros. Studios. All other characters, the plot for the story, and Henry's flashbacks are my own creation. I have posted my story here, and I don't profit from it. (Translation: I don't own Forever, but if I did…. Oh, man! I get goosebumps just thinking about the possibilities for this situation. And, yes, I am taking some liberties here.)

Author's Note: This is something that I had come up with at the last minute on September 19, 2017. I had planned to post this, but, due to the late start, it took more time to complete. I hope that you will enjoy it.

There are some very, very mild references to "Hitler on the Half-Shell" and "The King of Columbus Circle".

Morgan Estate, London, September 19, 1779

"Robert, will you fetch me the pistol in your father's study?"

Robert Morgan's heart pounded as his eyes met Diana's green ones. Had she heard a prowler lurking in the house while everyone else was preoccupied with her condition? "Why do we need it?"

Glaring at him, she propped her body up on one elbow, the mahogany four-post bed where she had lain for a month creaking under her weight. "I want to kill you with it!"

He stared at her, a cold shiver coursing through him in time to the rhythm of his racing heart. She typically eschewed violence of any manner. When they had been courting, she had convinced him to refrain from dueling with Nathaniel D'Arcy when the cad had insulted her honor. Now, she was determined to defy her own morals to rid herself of her anguish.

He gulped. Somehow, he suspected that she would be quite the accurate shot if she were to handle a pistol for the first time.

"We wouldn't be in this situation if you hadn't kissed me under the mistletoe at Christmastime! We—."

She grimaced in pain and clutched her swollen abdomen. Groaning, she painstakingly lowered herself back onto the bed and drew her knees back toward her.

Robert inwardly cursed his current circumstances. He had purchased a birthing chair for their bedroom in the house on Broome Street so that she would be more comfortable when the end of her pregnancy had drawn near. Yet, his inattentiveness over the past several months had caused him to ignore the growing pile of ashes in the sitting room's fireplace, and his carelessness had nearly endangered all three lives when smoke had entered the room. They had planned to stay at his parents' estate in the common until the chimney could be properly cleaned and repaired. His mother's recent death coinciding with the final month of Diana's pregnancy, however, had forced them to remain there for longer than expected. If only he were more careful…

"Mr. Morgan," Dr. Hanover's compassionate but stern voice cut through Robert's thoughts and coaxed the man to turn to him. "I know that you would prefer to attend to your wife, but I must request that you leave for both her and the child's sake."

"But I—." If he were to leave, it could be the last time that he would ever see her, and he might not ever be able to lay eyes on their child.

Dr. Hanover defiantly stepped toward him. "Please leave."

A hand firmly enclosed itself around his shoulder. Wanting to know who had entered the room and interrupted them, he craned his neck around and noticed his father standing behind him.

"Come now, Robert. Let's leave them be."

Robert took one last glance at the young woman as he reluctantly allowed the older man to lead him out of the airy room with the open curtains and warm fireplace. He had never seen his bride in intense pain before. She was such a strong woman that she had refused the purgatives and bloodletting when her discomfort had become too great a week ago. Now, she had refused to take any laudanum, and it was very difficult to see her in a vulnerable state as they awaited the birth of their firstborn child.

The father and his son headed down the stairs. "Relax. I was worried about you and your mother when you were coming into the world."

Robert looked over at his father. "I highly doubt that. The midwife, the servants, your friends, and my mother had likely prevented you from ever approaching the room."

A chuckle filled the air. "You make an excellent point." He sighed. "However, it is only natural for a husband to desire to protect his wife and a father his child. To be honest with you, though, my absence from the room did not diminish my concerns in the least."

They reached the bottom of the stairs, and the older man nudged Robert into the study. He looked around the room and sighed. He resigned himself to the idea that he was to spend the rest of the time away from Diana. Perhaps it was for the best. His presence had appeared only to bother her, and he wanted both her and the child to make it through the birthing process.

"David!" A second man rose from his chair in front of the desk and strolled toward them, arms stretched out by his side. "You've found our straggler!"

David released Robert's shoulder and stepped over to the desk. "Thomas, Robert merely wanted to remain with Diana for as long as he could."

"I know that." Thomas Longsworth followed David's movements. "I can't blame him. Yet, he needs some time away to compose himself so that he could attend to her better, especially once the child arrives."

His legs shaking, Robert seized the arm of the sofa near the door and collapsed onto the seat. As much as he hated to admit it, his father-in-law was correct in his assumption. He had no idea how much the sight of Diana's condition would have troubled him. He had believed that he could handle it, but the last few minutes were far more disturbing than he had expected.

Thomas turned around, slipped his hands behind his back, and bowed his head. "How is she? Has she delivered yet?"

Robert shook his head before resting it on his hand. "Not yet. She is still in the throes of labor. Dr. Hanover had chased me out of the chamber after Diana and I had quarreled."

Thomas arched an eyebrow. "Have the two of you quarreled?"

"She threatened to shoot me!" Robert's cheeks flushed as he recognized the pitch of his voice. He lowered his head. "It's almost as if she doesn't want the child or me."

Thomas softly chuckled and joined his son-in-law on the sofa. "That is only her pain talking. She loves you. You know that." He patted the younger Morgan's knee. "And I can assure you that she loves the child as well."

"I guess that you are right." He wished that it were true for both his sake and the child's. He didn't know what he would do if she truly resented either of them after today.

Robert studied his father-in-law. He still wondered where Diana had obtained her lovely blonde locks. Both of her parents' auburn hair made hers stand out whenever she was around them. Had she not borne a close resemblance to her father, people would have sworn that she was not their daughter.

Images of his and Diana's child danced before him. Would the girl have Diana's hair and green eyes? Or would the boy have his own brown eyes and curly, brown hair? Would the lad be tall like Thomas or closer to his father's and grandfather's height? Would the girl have the Morgan's chin or the Longsworth's cheekbones? Would the child be attractive or plain?

A shadow fell over him. He looked up and saw his father standing before him. "Here. I ordinarily would not approve of doing this, but perhaps it would help you."

Robert's gaze migrated to the glass that David was offering. Doubting that the contents would act according to his father's claims, Robert reluctantly accepted it and took a sip. His eyes widened in surprise when the smooth beverage slid down his throat.

He gaped at the older Morgan. "When did you obtain gin? You have always eschewed hard alcohol, calling it 'the scourge of the Earth'."

David pulled the chair near the end table closer to the sofa. "Mr. Farrington had gifted me with a bottle when he had learned that I was to be a grandfather." He chuckled. "He had reassured me that I would find a use for it. At the time, I didn't believe him, but I suppose that he was right."

Robert examined the clear liquid, shrugged, and took another sip. If it would calm him, he would gladly welcome it.

Once finished, he turned the vessel in his hand. He didn't want to become a father just yet. He and Diana would be married for merely a year three days from now. They both had planned to have children after his finances would become more stable and after she had gained entry into London's social elite. Neither of them had expected that one night of unbridled passion after a holiday party would lead to today.

His gaze travelled to the floor. Still, a part of him had become more excited about the prospect as time passed. The few times that Diana had invited him into her room, he had been unable to resist the urge to rest his hand on her abdomen and marvel at the new life growing inside of her. After consulting his father and father-in-law, he eagerly sought out everything needed for a nursery, and he and Diana were discussing the need to hire a nurse for their child.

"Have you decided on a name for the child?"

Robert turned back to his father-in-law and swallowed back the bitterness that threatened to engulf him. Diana had wanted to discuss that topic days earlier. He, however, had been reluctant to give an opinion. In every instance that he had thought about a name, he would stop himself. He had known couples who had named an eagerly-anticipated child, only to lose it shortly after birth. He did not wish to join their ranks.

Thomas leaned forward and folded his hands over his lap. Sensing the other man would not rest until he received a reply, Robert licked his bottom lip. "We have discussed naming our daughter Elizabeth, Sarah, Hannah, or Grace."

"And if it's a son?"

Robert shook his head. "We haven't decided yet."

David leaned toward the group. "William or James would be a fine name for the lad."

Robert tried out the suggestion in his mind. As he pronounced each full name, the sound of it turned over and died faster than the autumn leaves.

He eyed his father. The boy's name should come from within the family. There were several ancestors who were worthy of the distinction of having a descendant carry on their legacy.

"Definitely not Dennis."

Robert spun toward the man. How could his father-in-law read his thoughts?

Thomas chuckled. "I cannot fault you for that. It is better to have a worthy name than to have one associated with a philander."

Robert wiped his hand over his face. "Where is the illustrious Dennis Longsworth now?"

"I don't know. The last letter that he had mailed several months ago, he had mentioned that he had met a lovely woman in Bath. I sent him word that he is to be an uncle soon." The older man sighed. "I wish that he would settle down and select one woman. His ways with the fairer sex will get him killed one day."

A groan rose up in Robert. Thomas should not have mentioned death, especially not now. Not with the lives of both mother and child in potential jeopardy.

Robert's heart pounded in his ears like horses' hooves. Suppose his son grew up to be like his brother-in-law? He knew that he and Diana would attempt to raise the lad to be a fine young gentleman. Dennis' caddish behavior, however, had convinced Robert that, no matter the amount of discipline a father administered, a man could readily disregard the training from his youth.

"How is the company?"

David bowed his head for a moment. "It's doing as well as it could be, all things considering. Hopefully, the war with the Colonies will end soon. I had been corresponding with several of our associates in both the Turks and Caicos and in New York…."

Robert's objections drowned out his father's voice. Unable to bring any one of them up because of his junior status with the company, he peered out the window. He had reviewed Morgan Shipping's books recently, and the outlook of the company was not as favorable as his father was depicting. The war had taken a toll on the profits generated by the export and eventual sale of goods from New York and Charleston. If the company could not find another source of revenue soon, they could lose everything.

He rolled his tongue in his mouth. Some companies had turned to the slave trade to earn more profits. Under ordinary circumstances, he would suggest that they should do the same to keep the company afloat. Yet, the idea of forcing men, women, and children from their homes and into a life of burden was unpalatable to him…and to the company's stockholders as well. There were some improvements in the production of cloth and metal goods, but he wasn't sure if they would be profitable enough to pursue. And taking out a loan would mean risking everything for an uncertain future.

He heaved a sigh. How could he and Diana be this selfish? Their child deserved the best that life could offer. Even if his son or daughter were to survive the birth, how could he provide what they needed?

"Perhaps I am not meant to be a father."

"What?" Both men's gazes pierced through Robert.

He looked first at his father-in-law and then at his father. "I am hardly equipped to raise a child!" He sprung out of his seat and began to pace the room. "I have neither the means to continue their care nor the ability to train him or her. I—."

"Robert." David rose from his chair and walked toward his son.

Robert's legs tensed. The thought of walking out of the house and never returning crossed his mind. Perhaps it would be for Diana and the child's benefit if he were to leave. They could always take up residence in her father's house or stay here with his father…and both men could provide for them far better than he could. In the meantime, he would not have to worry about either of their futures.

David stopped in front of the younger Morgan and laid his hands on Robert's shoulders. "You do not mean that."

"Father…." At the moment, he did.

David locked eyes with his son. "What you are thinking now is a part of your desire to protect your child. In time, though, you will come to realize that you possess a strength that will permit you to raise your son or daughter into a well-bred gentleman or lady. Things will be fine."

"How do you know that?"

"Your mother and I have raised you, haven't we?"

Robert averted his gaze and nodded. He supposed his father was right. After all, he was the first-born child, and he had come out to be a gentleman. Perhaps things would work out for his child in the same manner.

David laid a hand on Robert's shoulder and guided him back to the sofa. "Let's dwell on cheerier things."

Robert looked over at the other man. "Such as?"

Thomas chuckled. "The occupation that your son will take one day. Can you imagine him as a barrister?"

David grinned and shook his head. "I can see him as a priest or a parliamentarian."

Robert side-eyed the other man. "I thought that you would want him to take over the company one day." The younger of the two knew that he did.

His father shook his head. "I feel that the lad is not meant to lead the life of a shipper. That he is meant for greater things. Things far greater than any of us can imagine."

Robert raised his eyebrows. He could not believe that his rational relative had just implied a belief in the supernatural.

As the two elders bandied several more possibilities, Robert's hope grew as he listened to them. Perhaps they would appear to be correct one day. If so, he would be one of the happiest men in the world.

Robert directed his gaze to his father's pocket. "What time is it?"

David reached into it and pulled out his watch. "6:20." He rose from his seat and walked over to the window, placing his hands behind him.

Robert found the darkened windows and momentarily closed his eyes. Diana had been in labor all day. As the doctor hadn't come downstairs to update the men on her condition, Robert could only assume that everything was going well.

David strolled back to the other two men and held out the timepiece. "After my death…"

Robert groaned. "Father, please. Not now." He didn't want to think about that day, especially not after his nerves had recently settled. The last time that he had considered his father's passing, he had removed the last of his mother's items from the bedroom, and he had almost lost complete control of his composure.

David held his son's gaze. "I want you to give this to your son when the time comes. My father had given it to me, and I would prefer to keep it in the family." He glanced around the room and, smiling, turned back to the other men. "I had always hoped that I would live long enough to see the day where I get to meet my grandchildren. Now, since that day has come, I hope that I could remain a part of his, or her, life for the remainder of my days."

Smiling at the thought that his father would have the opportunity that he had never have, Robert peered at David. "After the child is born, I don't want you to dote on it."

David returned the smile, and the older Morgan leaned forward. "This is my grandchild. If I want to dote on him or her, I will do so, with or without your blessing."

Robert chuckled. It appeared that his son or daughter—and any subsequent children, for that matter—would be spoiled for as long as his father would live.

A woman's scream pierced the air, yanking Robert's head toward the sound. Several moments later, she cried out so loudly and for so long that the sound echoed in Robert's ears.

The men exchanged glances. From what the younger man could gather from the others' expressions, it had appeared that the child was entering the world.

He strained to hear the voices upstairs. Hearing an eerie silence, Robert pushed himself off the sofa and raced up the steps. As he approached the landing, Diana's worried tone and Dr. Hanover's muffled but commanding voice drifted under the door and flowed down the hallway. Yet, the absence of a babe's cries became more and more apparent by the second.

Robert's heart sank at the disconcerting silence. He froze the moment that his feet touched the landing. He didn't believe that a father could feel things about his child, but he knew that something had gone wrong during the birth.

Tears began to pool in his eyes. Was the child's demise a result of something that he had done in the past? Was it because of his lack of preparedness? Or, had the child die because of his fears for the future? Regardless of the reason, he, not his innocent son or daughter, was to blame for his actions.

He lifted his eyes to the ceiling. "Don't take the child away from Diana and me. I will exchange my life for theirs. Please, let my child live."

His heart ached for his wife. He summoned his courage. Whether the child was alive or dead, it didn't matter. Diana needed him.

He gingerly made his way to his mother's bedchamber. He was not ready to lay eyes on the child if it no longer was with them. He didn't think that he would be able to bear the guilt of losing it for the remainder of his life.

As his hand reached out for the knob, another strong cry pierced the air. Robert's heart leapt when an infant's wail continued.

He bowed his head. How could he be granted such mercy, that his child's life was spared?

"It appeared that the child had swallowed some water before coming out."

Robert tried to peer at the doctor through the door and pursed his lips. Why did the baby almost drown while still in his mother's womb?

His child's continued cries excised his growing fears. It didn't matter now. The babe was alive, and, hopefully, he, or she, would live a very long life.

Eager to see mother and child, he turned the knob and peeked into the room. Dr. Hanover turned around and raced to the door, the babe cradled in his arms. "You mustn't come in now. Your wife needs to recover."

"Let him in."

Diana's strong but weary voice beckoned the doctor away from the door. Robert pushed it open and walked toward the bed. Diana glowed as she watched him enter the room.

He glanced over Dr. Hanover's shoulder. His mouth opened as the physician wiped a cloth over the infant. He had never believed in miracles before, but this was the first time that he had seen one.

The doctor turned around and grinned at him. "Congratulations. It's a son."

Robert's eyes widened. A son. He had a son.

His gaze drifted to his wife, and he gaped at her while she made herself more comfortable. How did they create this lad?

Diana drew the blanket over her legs. "Dr. Hanover, I will not observe the full lying-in period. If I do, I will become restless."

Robert chuckled. Diana had never been a conventional woman. Why would anyone expect her to start now?

Dr. Hanover approached the bed and laid the boy in his mother's arms. "As long as you remain in bed for this first week, you have my blessing." His eyes travelled from one parent to the other, and his grin grew larger. "Aside from the fright, it seems that your son is perfectly healthy."

He tugged the cloth over his shoulder down and wiped his hands. "If you will excuse me, I must go downstairs and inform the two anxious grandfathers of the birth."

As the doctor exited the room, Robert set one hand on the headboard and joyfully brushed his wife's blonde locks off her sweaty brow with the other. His opinion of her remained unchanged. She was perhaps the strongest woman he knew.

The silence from the boy became more apparent again, almost stopping Robert's heart. He peered down and smiled as the newest addition to their family suckled his mother's milk.

He studied the boy. The Morgan chin and the Longsworth cheekbones appeared prominently on the tiny face. Judging from the brown eyes attempting to take everything in, the straight, blonde fuzz on the top of his head would eventually darken and curl in his youth. Only fate knew what other characteristics from either side of the family would come to manifest itself in the lad.

He looked back at his wife and bowed his head. "I haven't been willing to discuss names, but I know the perfect one for our son."

"And that is?"

Robert turned his attention back to the nursing babe. "How about Henry?" It was the same name of the grandfather that he had never known.

Diana looked back at the child and then at the new father. "Henry." Her gaze momentarily grew distance as she became lost in thought. "Henry. I like the sound of that."

Robert then turned to his young Henry and marveled at the past few months. The child had been through much before his birth. What would happen to him as he grew older?

Robert then grinned. He knew one thing for certain. He was looking forward to seeing what fate had in store for the lad.

Mini-Epilogue: Henry grows up knowing a few details about his birth. His near-death then is something that his parents and his grandfathers take to their graves.

Author's Note: If this story's classification has been a little confusing, I hope the ending clarifies everything for you.

The notes about childbirth in the Georgian era come from "Pregnancy and Childbirth for the Historical Author" by Elena Greene. In case you're wondering, the study is the same one from "Hitler on the Half-Shell" (1x14). The bedroom that Henry's born in is the same one where he tells Nora about his immortality nearly 36 years later. (At least, according to me for the purpose of this story.)

To be honest, I had fun taking what we see in Henry and what we learn about his family in Season 1 and teasing out which personality traits and habits he has possibly inherited from which relative. Some, like his tendency to ignore authority, were pretty easy to guess. Others, such as the placement of his hands behind his back, came as I wrote the story.