Title: Labor of Love
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Philinda with baby Skye
Summary: One Skye Qiaolian Coulson proves to be impatient, even in utero. Or the one where nothing is more frightening than a miracle.
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: This is for my tumblr anon who requested it.

"Something's not right," Melinda muttered, on the verge of a meltdown.

Yes she was stronger than this, yes her mother had been right about it not being as painful as some women claimed it to be, but she'd been wrong when she'd said it was no big deal. It was a huge deal. This was…Melinda felt an unfamiliar wetness on her cheeks and shook her head again.

"It's too soon, Phil," she insisted, close to sobbing.

Phil pressed his lips to her temple and ran his hand through her hair, trying to comfort her. "It's fine, she'll be fine. I promise."

"You can't know that," she growled in anger as another contraction hit her; sooner this time. This baby was coming whether her mother wanted her to or not.

And she didn't want her to come, not yet. She'd been promised another six weeks to prepare for this. She wasn't ready to be a mother; they didn't even have a crib. And what if something was wrong? Didn't babies need to be full-term to be healthy?

Melinda couldn't handle anything being wrong with their precious angel.

There was so much she could endure but never that.

It was why the moment she'd felt it coming she'd gone into full panic mode. By the time they'd arrived at the hospital she'd been ready to collapse from the emotional exhaustion she'd put herself through screaming at Phil that it wasn't time and all of the things that could be wrong with their baby.

To his credit he'd remained calm throughout her lunatic rantings. Melinda wished her mother was here to witness this. Maybe then she'd stop insisting her daughter had made a mistake when she'd married him.

Melinda ignored the doctor while he broke her water, too angry to deal with him. She was terrified for the first time in her life and this asshole wasn't doing anything to help it. She didn't want to hear that it was too late and that she had to deliver this baby now, she wanted her baby to finish growing and to come out when it was time.

She buried her face in Phil's neck and sobbed, not sure she could go through with this.

"Melinda, no matter what happens she's going to be fine. She'll be a fighter, just like you," he insisted, taking her hand and linking their fingers together.

Melinda didn't have time to argue with him because she had a baby to deliver.

There was no way in hell she was ever letting him talk her into this again. Sure, this one hadn't exactly been planned but she refused to put herself through this stress a second time around. Her heart felt ready to burst through her chest and she was completely on edge.

Plus, this doctor was going to be a dead man if he didn't stop with the mock encouragement in that annoying tone of voice. It was beginning to grate on her nerves.

The labor itself wasn't painful, but that brief moment after she collapsed against Phil, desperately listening for their baby's cries was the longest, most painful moment of her life. And when her whimpering cries filled the room Melinda sobbed in relief, having been so convinced she would never hear it.

Phil kissed her square on the mouth, tears in his eyes. "See, I told you she would be fine."

"Shut up, Phil, we don't know that yet."

"She's a perfect little angel," the nurse announced and this time it was Phil sighed in relief and Melinda rolled her eyes, knowing she'd been right to worry. She took the baby, grateful it wasn't that jackhole doctor handling her.

The moment Melinda laid eyes on her she was a goner. She was perfect in every way. She was beautiful and strong and already had one hell of a grip. She wanted to cry with pride but she was all cried out. "Hello, Skye," she whispered, trailing her thumb over the fist that clung to her finger.

"Skye?" Phil asked, confused.

"I just…that's her name," she insisted, unable to explain it. She didn't care about the names they had picked out. Now that she'd met her she knew what her real name was.

"Skye Qiaolian Coulson?" Melinda glanced up to find Phil smiling down at them both. "I like it."

"Me too."

Melinda reluctantly let her go to be cleaned up, watching her like a hawk the entire time she was out of her arms. Sure, she'd let Phil hold her later, but now was not the time. The moment she was clean and swaddled into a blanket Melinda set her sights to figuring out how to get her to eat.

When Skye latched on she felt a smug sense of satisfaction. And her mother had insisted she couldn't do this without her. Maybe that was why Skye had come early; she didn't want to put up with her grandmother trying to move in with them.

Or maybe she was an impatient, stubborn little thing like her mother.

Though, judging by the curious glint in her eyes Melinda suspected she had another Phil on her hands.

Only time would tell.

"She's a miracle, just like you," Phil whispered, one arm around Melinda while his fingers played with Skye's tiny toes.

For once, Melinda didn't have a retort. She was far too enamored with their little angel to care about her idiot husband being a sap.

"You're not bad yourself," she teased and she swore she saw Skye smile.

"Well, look at that," she muttered proudly, her eyes never leaving Skye. So, this was what meeting the love of your life was like.

Melinda had never been this happy in her entire life.

She pressed her lips to Skye's forehead, silently promising to always be there to keep her safe.

"I love you, angel eyes."