Here we are guys! This is the beginning chapter of the sequel to "Set Me as a Seal Upon Your Heart". Yeah, I know this title isn't half as poetic as the other, but oh well :) I highly recommend you read my first story before this one or I almost guarantee you'll be lost. So I hope you enjoy meeting baby Benson :) PLEASE REVIEW!

XXX

Sam

This was hell. This was pure, unadulterated, terrible, awful, freaking torture and no one was helping. Carly, Jules, Mel, Spencer and his wife Alexa had flown to Montana for the birth of my kid and none of them knew when to shut up! Between Fredstupid's frantic calls to "keep breathing baby, just keep breathing" and his crazed mother shoving ice chips in my face I didn't need anyone else being a freaking birthing coach.

"Sam keep breathing. I love you baby. Keep. Buh. Ree. Thinguh!"

"I'm here for you sis! Just squeeze my hand whenever you feel pain. As hard as you want! Go Sam go!"

"You're doing great, Sam! You're doing great! Sam you're doing great! Great job Sammy-Wammy! Woot! You're doing fantastic, Sam! Fantastic! Awesome. Great job!"

"Sam, I'll just keep stroking your hair for as long as you need me to!"

"Samantha, you need more ice chips! Open your mouth! Come on! Open that mouth! Sam! Say-"

"SHUUUUUTTTTT UPPPPP!" I cried sitting up straight in the bed. "Shut! Up! All of you! I can't take it anymore! It's like a freaking pep rally in here!" I reached out for Freddie, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and yanking his face no more than an inch from mine. "You…." I could feel that old satisfaction from his fear bubble up inside me, kind of taking the edge off of the labor pains. "You tell me to keep breathing one more time and I swear when I'm through here I will kick you in the balls so hard there won't even be a chance at another baby you hear me?"

He swallowed hard as he nodded. "Yes, Sam! I'm sorry…" I shoved him away, still breathing heavily and in the worst possible pain, but I was happier when nothing but silence from the peanut gallery was heard in that too-clean-scented hospital room.

Marissa was the only person dumb enough to break the silence when she squeaked: "Would you like some more ice chips, Saman-"

"Noo! Just shut up so I can push this baby out!"

It was silent for good now. Everyone sat down on the love seat in the room and those who couldn't fit took the floor or the armrest. The only person who stayed near me was Freddie, and that honestly was all I really wanted.

"Sam," he voice quaked slightly, almost like when we were kids again. This time though, I knew his tone wavered for a bigger reason than just plain fear. I looked up into his eyes as he softly spoke. "I know you probably want us to leave you be. Just to be quiet so you can focus. But I can't leave you. Not when you're going through this…" I read in his eyes just as much fear and worry as I felt on the inside. He stood at a distance, not touching me but I suddenly felt the need to have him wrapped around me.

"No…" I breathed, reeling from the last contraction. "Come here… Just hold me okay? Don't say anything, don't move… Just hold me. I'm tired, I want a freaking quadruple cheese burger, and I want to meet out son… Coppice?"

He nodded moving towards me and enveloping me in his strong arms. His smell drifted around me, calming me. I rarely admit it, but the effect his warmth and his scent had always had on me was intense. I took in a deep breath, as I felt the beginning of the next contraction. It was going to be a strong one and what was more…

I needed to push.

"Someone call the doctor! I need to push! The baby's coming I can feel it!"

"I'll go! You don't worry, Sam! Uncle Spencer's got this!" Spencer stood up, running frantically towards the door only to smash into the wall next to it. I forgot about how badly the man worked under pressure.

The room gave a collective groan. "Look, I'll go…" Julie offered standing quickly to her feet and calling for the doctor to come.

I looked up at my fiancé, my man, my everything. "Freddie he's coming… What if I can't do it?" Then I whispered to him words that I thought no one, not even him, would ever here me say. "Freddie, I'm scared."

He held me tighter, kissing my hair. "You've got this, Sam. Keep being the strongest girl in the world and you'll be fine. You can do this, I know it… I love you…"

"I love you too…"

XXX

An hour later, after fifteen hours total of labor and birth, little Adam David Benson came into the world, pink and screaming with a strength that could not have possibly come from such a little body. He was the most perfect baby I had ever laid eyes on…

And he was all mine.

Six pounds, seven ounces of healthy.

I always thought that mothers exaggerated the intense love they felt when they first held their babies, but looking down at Adam's sweet little face I knew I was wrong. The overwhelming love didn't even need to develop over time. It was already in existence the instant I heard him cry.

By now, it was late, baby Adam was now seven hours and fifty-four minutes old, and after a long telephone call to Gibby and Guppy, who wanted more than anything to at least hear the baby, even if we had gotten out of touch over the years. Everyone had gone to sleep in various places around the room. Spencer and Alexa headed back to the house with Crazy to pack more baby supplies, even though there was plenty with us at the hospital; Carly and Julie were curled up on opposite ends of the couch while Mel slept on top of the protruding window sill.

Freddie and I lay together in the hospital bed, between us was our son, sleeping peacefully. His tiny features were illuminated by the soft light emanating from the lamp across the room. Our hands connected over Adam's little belly as we felt his quick breaths while he slept. Now I wasn't one for affection, but here, now, in this moment felt like the perfect time to show my family how much I loved them.

"He's so perfect, Freddie…" I whispered.

"He is… He has your nose…"

"Yeah?" I gently ran a finger along his tiny, snubbed nose. "I'm hoping he'll have your eyes…" I looked up at him. "You have really nice eyes… Did I ever tell you that?"

He chuckled softly, careful to not wake Adam. "Maybe once… when you were basking in the afterglow of love making…" he smirked sexily.

I sighed. "Don't get any ideas… We're not allowed to…" he looked down at the sleeping baby then back up at me. "You know... do grownup stuff for a month."

I stuck out my tongue in disgust. "Freddy, he can't understand you..."

He scoffed. "That's what you think. Have you seen the Bugrats?"

I groaned. "That's a cartoon..."

"Whatever…" he shrugged, running his hand over Adam's fuzzy hair. "I don't know how we'd get the time anyway. They say the first month with a new baby is the hardest…"

"Ehh.. We'll make it through…"

We were silent for a while, smiling down at our perfect little love child. Adam David Benson had to be the luckiest little boy in the world to have a father like Freddie. A man who was caring, attentive, smart, and sensitive. A man who could show him exactly what a boy should grow up to be.

"I don't think I've ever been this happy…" Freddie murmured, gazing only at his son. "Ever. And it's all because of you, baby…"

I looked up with a glare. "Hey," I warned him. "I let you get away with calling me baby when I was in labor. I was too exhausted to punch you lights out. But now… cut it out."

He sighed. "Sorry… But don't you ever miss that we don't have pet names for each other?"

"I think we're beyond pet names now," I whispered using my other hand to stroke Adam's round cheeks. "Unless you count the array of amazing variations on your name that I come up with."

"You do come up with some pretty creative stuff…"

"Don't I know it." He smiled again, eyes now drooping slightly. "Sleepy?"

"A little bit… but I don't want to go to sleep. I just want to watch him."

"Creeper…" I teased. "He'll be here for you to watch in the morning. Anyway, I need to get some rest too. It's been a long day…"

"That it has," he sat up slowly, stretching and gently lifting Adam to place him in the hospital's bassinet. "Good night, little man." He whispered as he leaned down to kiss his forehead.

My heart melted like butter at the sight, which never happens. I like to take pride in my hardened heart. But watching him interact so lovingly with our beautiful little boy, I turned to a pile of girly mush.

I wanted to devour him.

I couldn't devour him.

I groaned in frustration as he snuggled under the thin sheets with me and held me close. "What's up?" he asked.

"I want you, bad…"

"Already? Sam, you just gave birth…"

"I know… But you look so sexy when your… 'fathering'."

I closed my eyes and snuggled into the pillow, but I could just feel that satisfied smirk on her lips. "Why thank you, Mrs. Puckett-Benson."

"Ugh… shut up and go to sleep. I'd smack you but I'm too tired…"

"Good night… I love you with all of my heart. You and our beautiful son."

I secretly loved it when he was all mushy. "Love you too, Freddison… More than you know."