A Golden Delivery
I promised to continue the Charming White Gold Swan family saga and here is the next chapter of their story. This is a one shot, but I do have my next installment already started, which will be called "Christmas with the Charmings". Let's hope it's a merry one. But first those babies need to be born.
"Where the hell is everyone?" Emma complained as she paced the floor of her living room while trying to call the person responsible for her current predicament. Calling his cell didn't work. Text messages went unanswered. Why on this day of all days did his cell phone fail to work? She knew he was out on the road working today, but was confident she'd have at least some form of communication if a situation such as this arose. It's not like they hadn't expected it to occur. Her bag was packed, the doctor's number on speed dial, and the car perpetually filled with gas. Yet here she was, pacing the floor, alone and in labor.
This was the one situation they hadn't planned on. Even though she was in the last phase of her pregnancy, Emma still had two more weeks until her due date. Bae had even cleared his schedule to be available to prepare for the happy event. However, there she was sitting at the kitchen table fixing a sandwich when her water broke. Leaving the remnants of her sandwich behind, Emma hobbled into the living room to begin the excruciating process of getting someone on the phone.
Normally, people answered their phones before they did anything else. People even took their cell phone into the bathroom, but today it seemed that the fates were conspiring against her. Not getting anywhere trying to find her partner, Emma mentally went down on the list of who to call next. And that was the problem. Next in line was Snow, who was currently at school. It was only just after noon and she was probably back in classroom after recess. Taking her chances she called her mother, but there was no answer. Thinking that she probably had her phone on silence she left a text explaining she was in labor and Bae was nowhere to be found. She next though about Henry but like Snow he was also in school unable to help. After remembering that David was on jury duty this week, she decided that Belle was the next best bet.
"Come on," Emma prayed as she dialed Belle's home number. "Answer, please."
"Hello," Emma heard on the other end of the line, but it wasn't the voice she was expecting.
"Gold," Emma answered in a panicked voice, "I need to speak to Belle immediately."
"She's not home at the moment. She took Rose for a checkup at the pediatrician." Noticing the unusual tone to her voice, Gold continued, " Emma, are you okay?"
Realizing that he was her only chance of assistance she answered, "No, I'm not. I can't get a hold of Bae, Snow and Henry are at school, David is at jury duty and my water just broke."
"Calm down," he told her and then asked, "Did you call the doctor yet?"
"No, I've been playing phone tag and losing." Emma exclaimed as she tried to calm down enough to remember the routine she and Bae had practiced.
"Lucky for you, I've been through this much more recently than you have and know what to do," Gold informed her. "Call your doctor and tell him how far apart the contractions are and then get your bag and wait by the front door. I'll be there immediately.
"Thank you," Emma said and then hung up the phone began to dial the doctor's number.
Five minutes later, Emma had the doctor on his way to the hospital, herself sitting on the bench near the front door and her bag laying at her feet. No sooner had she sat down when Gold arrived at the front door.
"Good girl," he told her as he picked up her bag and slung it over his shoulder as he helped he to the car parked out front with his free arm. "You listened to my instructions. What did the doctor say?"
"He told me not to panic because the contractions aren't close enough together to have to babies before we get to the hospital," she informed her unlikely helper as she closed her car door and got settled.
"That's good news," he replied. "I didn't plan on adding midwifery to my list of skills today."
"Ha. Ha," Emma replied sarcastically as she glared at her companion.
"Just trying to lighten the mood," Gold said as checked to make sure she had everything before leaving. "Ready?" he asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Emma answered as she leaned her head back against the headrest and tried mentally prepare herself for what was to come.
"Are you okay?" he asked as he turned the car onto the main road leading to the hospital.
"Yeah," Emma answered. "I just wish I could get a hold of Bae. I don't want to do this without him."
"We'll get a hold of him. He actually should be back soon. He told me was going to be back by two o'clock.
"Well, it's almost one o'clock now," Emma said checking her watch. "He better get his ass in gear if he wants to be here for the birth."
"He'll make it in time. You've got hours," Gold assured her.
Within minutes he turned into the hospital entrance and pulled in the emergency parking space. In no time at all, Emma was out of the car with bag in tow and Gold following close behind.
Fifteen minutes later, Emma was settled in bed and strapped to various monitors. As she adjusted the cover around her, she looked up at the sound of Gold's cane assisting him across the room.
"How are you holding up?," her savior for the day asked as he walked over to the chair by her bedside.
"As good as to be expected, I guess," Emma said with a grimace on her face as she felt the stirrings of a contraction.
"Well, I have some good news for you," Gold informed her. "I called the school and got in contact with Snow. She'll be here soon as they can get a substitute for the rest of the afternoon. Then I called Belle. She's just coming out of the pediatrician and promised to go directly over to the high school and pick up Henry."
"They won't want to let Henry out of class with Belle," Emma said worriedly.
"Oh, they will. I've already called them and made sure of it," Gold said with extreme confidence. "Sometimes being the most feared man in town has it's advantages."
Emma smiled as she realized the being connected to the powerful Mr. Gold was sometimes a blessing. "What about Bae?" she asked.
"That was a strikeout. I can't get in contact with Baelfire, either. His phone must be dead."
"I did leave a note for him at the house," Emma commented.
"I left a one at my place, too, in case he decided to stop by," Gold replied.
"Thank you," Emma sighed. "It seems I owe you two favors now after today."
"Consider this one on me, Dearie," Gold said as he reached up to grab Emma's hand and squeezed it.
Fight back the tears that began welling in her eyes, Emma was glad to hear a light knock at the door. She smiled as she saw the friendly face of Belle standing in the doorway.
"Hello," Belle said as she walked into the room. "How are you doing?"
"Agitated and uncomfortable," Emma replied as she tried to sit up a little further in the bed.
"That's to be expected," Belle smiled as she remembered back to her daughter's birth, however the thought of twins made her internally wince in sympathy.
"Where's the kids?" Gold asked as he rose from his chair.
"Henry's sitting in the waiting room with Rose." Belle explained. "They said only two at a time at the nurse's desk."
"I'll go sit with Rose and send in Henry," Gold volunteered as he reached down and kissed Emma lightly on the forehead, an unusual show of affection for the intense and private man.
As he exited the room, Emma commented, "Sometimes, I can almost imagine what you see in that man."
"He can be sweet in his own way sometimes," Belle laughed at her friend's comment. "Plus, he's extremely handy in a crisis.
"That he is, although, in the past he's been the one usually causing the crisis," Emma commented. "Seriously, though, I don't know what I would have done without him today. It seemed like the world was conspiring against me."
"Everything is going to be okay. Don't worry," Belle comforted her friend. "Bae will get here in time. You've got hours"
"Mom!" Emma heard as she looked up to see her son hurry into the hospital room. "Dad just texted me. He just got home and saw your note. He's on his way."
"Thank god," she sighed in relief. The possibility of having the babies without him present wasn't something she wanted to contemplate.
"Is there anything you need," Henry asked as he leaned over to give Emma a kiss on the cheek.
"Could you got get me some more ice chips," Emma said as she reached over for the cup on her bedside tray.
"Oh, my baby," Emma heard a voice exclaim as Henry took the cup from her hands. She looked up to see Snow hurrying over to her bedside.
"I'll be right back, Mom," Henry said as he hugged his grandmother on the way out of the room.
"Hello," Emma greeted her mother as she rushed to her bedside. "How'd you get in here? Belle said they only let two in at a time."
"I ignored the nurse at the desk," Snow said matter-of-factly as she sat in the chair Gold vacated minutes earlier. "She tried to tell me I wasn't allowed, but walked right past her."
"I'll go see where Bae is and send him in when he gets here," Belle said as she left to give mother and daughter some time alone together.
Watching their friend leave the room, Snow then turned back to her daughter and asked, "So Gold helped you get here?"
"Yes," Emma answered. "I couldn't get a hold of anyone, and finally when I did, he was the only one around. He may have his faults, but that man does get things accomplished."
"Hehe, David's going to have a fit when he learns Gold was one to help you." Snow chuckled. "I can't wait to tell him."
"Where are the kids?" Emma asked her mother.
"They plea bargained the case David was on, so he's getting out early and picking up Leo at Kindergarten and then Meg at preschool. Then he'll bring them over.
"So that makes almost everyone accounted for," Emma sighed
"Even me," said a familiar voice from the doorway. "Trying to do this without me, again, are you?" Bae teased as he rushed over to Emma.
"I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes," Snow said and then exited the room.
"Here are your ice chips," Bae said as he placed them on the tray beside her. "Henry handed them to me and said you wanted some."
"Thanks," she said as she shook a few into her mouth. "I was making lunch when my water broke and this is all they'll let me have now," Emma said forlornly as she chewed her ice.
"So you missed lunch, did you." Bea asked as he made room to sit beside her on the small bed.
"Yes, and I'm not happy about it," Emma complained and winced as another contraction hit her.
"Oooh, that must be a strong one," said the nurse as she walked into the room to check the monitors going off around them. "Won't be long now."
Hours later, the Golds and Charmings could still be found occupying various chairs throughout the waiting room in the maternity ward. Periodically, Bae would come out with updates but not much had happened in the intervening hours.
"Just look at them," Snow whispered to her friend as she gazed at their husbands sitting across the room. Both men unknowingly a mirror image of the other; sitting straight back, arms crossed, and legs straight out. "They don't even realize, do they? I have to take a picture."
"Don't make it obvious or they'll move," Belle whispered back as watched her friend dig in her purse for her camera. "Be nonchalant."
Pretending she was searching for something in her purse, Snow discreetly captured the scene before her. Luckily, both men were so lost in their own thoughts that neither one noticed the action. As she put the phone away, Bae entered the waiting room
"Anything?" Snow asked, eager for any news.
"They said soon," Bae replied tiredly. "But they also said that hours ago. Where is Henry and the kids?" he asked when he noticed his son not in the room.
"He offered to the kids home for awhile. The were hungry and restless." David responded. "Granny's on her way over to the house and then he's coming back."
"So," Gold said conversationally to his son, "Pick out any names, yet?"
"You're not naming the babies, Pop," Bae laughed. "We've already got names picked out."
"Come on then, Son," Gold demanded. "Don't hold out on us."
"You'll find out when they're born," Belle admonished her husband from across the room. "Leave him alone."
Gold was about answer his wife's retort when a nurse entered the waiting room and said, "Mr. Gold, I think you should go back in. It's almost time."
An hour later, the unusual cluster of Golds and Charmings entered Emma's hospital room for a first look at the newest additions to the family.
"What happened to the 'two person rule'," Emma asked as everyone came into the room.
"All that one had to do," David answered as he nodded in the direction of Gold, "was to say we're all going in and they parted like the proverbial Red Sea.
"I do happen to be a member of the hospital board of directors," Gold casually mentioned as he walked over and gave a one-armed hug to his son. "Congratulations."
"In a few months, this will be reversed," Bae teased his dad.
"Not exactly," Belle commented as she gazed at the babies in their cribs beside the bed. "I'm only having one. Definitely only having one. "
Henry, having returned from taking the children home, walked over to kiss his mother and look at his new siblings for the first time. "Oh, how small they are," he commented.
"We're lucky. They're big enough not to have to go in NICU. These two are pretty hefty for twins," Emma explained to the group.
"So, what are their names," Snow asked, eager to get her hands on her grandbabies.
"We discussed this for a long time. Our criteria was that they had to be names that wouldn't get the kids beat up daily on the playground. Nothing unusual." Emma explained.
"So Rumplestiltskin was out of the questions," Bae chuckled as he looked at his father. "Sorry, Pop. You got struck down."
"And we didn't want to slight anyone by naming them after somebody and leaving someone else out," Emma added.
"Will you just tell us already," Snow said, impatient to finally know what they had picked out.
"I would like to introduced our newest little girl Elizabeth to the family, or Lizzy, as we're going to call her," Emma announce as she picked her daughter up and cradled the newborn in her arms.
"Oh, Lizzy," Snow cried. "That just sounds so sweet."
"And I've got William, or Will for short," Bae announced as he picked his son up and held him in his arms.
"William and Elizabeth Gold," Gold repeated, glad they at least got some name from him, something Charming didn't achieve. "Strong and Majestic names."
"They could be Will and Lizzy Charming-Gold," David commented.
"Her name's not even Charming," Gold added in consternation. "If they wanted to hyphenate the name they would make it Swan-Gold, and that just sounds brainless."
"We're not hyphenating any names," Bae announced, moving to sit next to Emma on the bed and each holding a newborn. Reaching down, he kissed both lightly on the forehead and whispered, "Good luck with those two, you're going to need it."
I've had most of it done for days, but then hit a road block. I hope you liked it. It's fluffily fluff with a dash of fluff. I've begun "Christmas with the Charmings." More fluff. If you keep reading my stuff, you're going to get cavities. Even I'm starting to get disgusted by the sweetness. I just can't write angst. Please review.