Title: BFFL – Best Friends For Labour
Rating: PG
Pairing: Friendship: Lucas/Haley (– mentions of naley)
Summary: She'd told him everything would be fine. Had practically forced him out of the door, and now she's in labour with their second child and he's a plane ride away. Luckily she's got another Scott who she can count on.
Authors Note: Written for Molly (diamondmolls) for her birthday – I hope you like it hon – Sorry it's short!! Thank you to Ha for being a doll and beta-ing for me!
For those of you reading my on going fics, I apologise greatly for how long it's been and am I working on getting updates out soon! I appreciate all your encouragements so much!
"Well, looks like you're moving along a bit faster than we expected, Mrs. Scott, about another half an hour and I'd say you'll be ready to push."
"Half an hour?" The tall man next to the labouring woman asked, swallowing audibly. "Are you sure?"
"No, half an hour's too soon." Haley cried, her hands fisting at the sheets as she felt her stomach spasm again, crying and swearing that it wasn't this bad the last time. "They told me my husband would have time to get here. I'm not ready. It's too soon!"
The older woman laughed, patting Haley's fist comfortingly. "I'm afraid your baby doesn't seem to think so, so unless you want to cross your legs.."
"Shame she didn't do that nine months ago."
"Shut Up, Lucas." Haley hissed, not finding her best friend's joke funny at all, long gone was the pretence of worrying what the midwife would think of her. "Where the hell is your brother?"
The anger that had been fully raging seemed to dissipate in an instant and despite her current state Lucas thought Haley looked younger than he'd seen her in years when her expression crumbled and tears splashed at her cheeks. "Nathan has to be here, Luke. I need him here."
"Aw, Hales." Gripping tightly onto her hand, the tall blonde let all his friend's heavier than normal weight rest against his chest as she sobbed, "He's coming, he's trying to get here as fast as he can, but until then, I'm here buddy. You're doing great."
Nodding, she wrapped her arm around his waist, burying her face into his chest. She really needed Nathan so badly right now, but Lucas came a very close, very cherished second. At least she had one person here who she could rely on to make her strong. Stupid Nathan, and his stupid pool sex! Stupid sex – period!
She'd read that second labours could come on a lot quicker than the first, but this was ridiculous. The night before, she'd assured Nathan her due date wasn't for another two and a half weeks, had promised that nothing was going to happen, that she hadn't even felt a twinge, and that if he went now it would mean he'd be around when she actually did need him. It had all seemed to be going to plan. She and Jamie had dropped Nathan off at the airport, hitting a drivethru on the way home because she couldn't be bothered to cook, and they were being a little over accommodating of Jamie's wants in the last few weeks before the new baby came. At home, they'd watched a movie until Jamie had insisted on his new bedtime ritual of reading to his mother's stomach, before she'd tucked him in, and spent an hour soaking in the tub. She later cursed herself for doing so when she'd realised Nathan wasn't there to help her out.
It wasn't until 10 o'clock this morning that things had started to go wrong. She'd just gotten back from dropping Jamie off at school, having taken a detour to the grocery store to pick up some much needed necessities when a pain ripped through her. Not the subtle, build up of twinges she'd ignored the night before graduation, determined to hold that diploma in her hand before she held her baby, but a pain that caused her to drop the paper bag to the floor, milk splashing everywhere, and the door slamming loudly in its frame with the force she'd pushed it away.
An hour later Lucas had found her bent over the kitchen counter, her knuckles white from gripping painfully tight onto counter top. After a half an hour of Haley insisting she was fine, that there was no way she was in labour, because Nathan was out of town, and she wasn't due for another two weeks, her waters had broken and Lucas had invoked his heart condition as bribery to get her to go to the hospital, leading her to be lying here, almost an hour later, being told she'd be pushing before Nathan had even got on the plane much less to the hospital. At this rate she'd have to call Deb and Skills back and tell them not to worry about picking Jamie up from school because she and the baby would be checking out before the going home bell rang!
"Hand!...HAND!" Haley screamed as another contraction tore through her, wanting to smack the stupid midwife in her stupid little – I'm sorry but your labour's moving along too quickly for an epidural – face.
Shifting so that his best friend could get a better grip on his hand, Lucas rubbed Haley's back the way he'd been that was supposed to comfort her. He thought he was going to be sick. He remembered both Nathan and Haley talking about how you forgot about the pain – or seeing your love one in such pain, once the baby was in your arms but he couldn't imagine ever forgetting seeing Haley like this, his stomach churned and his heart broke as she sobbed, her face red, her hair matted at her brow. He was pretty sure he'd be having nightmares about this for the rest of his days.
"I'll be back to check on you in a few, Mrs. Scott. You're doing great."
"Bring back drugs!" Haley called after her through gritted teeth as the midwife left her and Lucas alone. "I was serious!"
"Whatever happened to just say no?" Lucas joked, readjusting the pillow so Haley could lay back comfortably.
"Went out the window about the same time as my virginity." She mumbled, licking at her dry lips and picking up the phone next to her bed and dialling Nathan's number.
"Do you have to talk like that around me?" He asked in disgust, sitting down next to her bed and watching as Haley aggressively ended the call and punched the digits in again.
"I have sex, Lucas, I think our current situation would be proof enough?" She said gesturing enthusiastically at their surroundings and her swollen stomach.
"I like to think of it as an immaculate conception."
"Twice over? Woah, I must be a shoe-in for sainthood!" She slammed the phone down, grabbing a handful of ice chips and chewing on them violently. "Which is good because when I get my hands on your brother I am going to ring his stupid big neck! Why is his phone switched off?!"
"Maybe he managed to get on an earlier flight, Hales. He said he was going to try."
"It's his fault I'm pregnant. He should be here. I hate him." She pouted, crossing her arms awkwardly over her breasts.
"No you don't." Lucas laughed, tempted to make a comment about how he was sure it wasn't entirely Nathan's fault but he thought better of it, shrinking when she sent him a withering glare.
"No." She shifted up in the bed, running her hands through her hair, breathing deeply before turning to him calmly. "You're right. I hate you!"
"What!" She was being crazy, but he'd take her being angry at him over watching her writhe in pain and not being able to do anything to help. "Why me?"
"It's all your fault." She said calmly, having just had an epiphany about it. Yes, if it wasn't for Lucas, none of it would have happened, and right now she'd be somewhere – anywhere – that didn't involve labour pains.
"How is it my fault you're in labour?!"
"Because, if you hadn't sat reading that stupid advanced for our age book at recess I wouldn't have felt compelled to come and speak to you, if I hadn't came and spoke to you, you wouldn't have helped me up when I tripped over my own two left feet trying to run after Taylor when she wanted me to leave her alone at the playground, and then we wouldn't have sat next to each other in reading hour, and you wouldn't have become such a good friend to me, and then I wouldn't have tutored Nathan to get him off your back. I wouldn't have fell for Nathan, or married him, or be here with a ten pound human being trying to push its way out of my vagina!"
The smile that had been spreading across his handsome face fell off abruptly at the end of Haley's sentence. Why'd she have to ruin it?
"Oh, lord, Lucas," She rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what had caused her grown man of a best friend to crinkle his nose in disgust. "I know you like to think I'm an a-sexual virgin but you're about to witness the biggest proof possible that I'm neither. Grow up! VAGINA! VAGINA! VA--CONTRACTION!!"
"Come on Hales, you're doing so good buddy," When the midwife had returned fifteen minutes after leaving them alone, she'd announced that it was time for Haley to head down to delivery, and had handed Lucas a pair of scrubs to change into it. He knew in the back of his mind when he'd taken Haley to the hospital that there was a chance he'd be with Haley when she gave birth, but he hadn't let himself think about it. She was his best friend and he'd be there for no matter what, and he'd been determined not to show her how scared he was, but he was terrified. Nathan was supposed to be the one with her, while he sat in the waiting room with cigars, or buying out the gift shop and fielding calls from their friends and family about whether the baby had arrived yet. But it was Haley, and since they were eight years old he'd do anything for her. So he'd hold her hands, and let her rant about Nathan, and curse her child's stubborn Scott nature for arriving at the worst possible time, and hoped he was affording her some comfort. "Pretty soon I'm going to have another nephew or niece to spoil and tell how great their mom is, and how brave she was when they were born."
He stroked back her hair and tried not to wince as he watched her grunt in pain, her pretty face contorted from the strain. He knew it was killing her that Nathan couldn't be here right now, and remembered her speaking about how sorry she felt for those women whose partners couldn't be with them when they gave birth, how much it had meant that Nathan was by her side when she had Jamie, and he wanted to do his best to make sure she wouldn't regret letting him be her second choice.
"I can see the head, Haley." The doctor spoke her, and fresh tears sprung from Haley's eyes knowing that soon she'd be holding her child in her arms. "Do you want to look Lucas?"
"You dare go down there Lucas Eugene Scott and I'll be the one telling my kids how brave their uncle was because you'll be dead!" The doctor laughed, and Lucas paled slightly, always weary of Haley's temper when it occasionally reared its head, and not doubting that in her current situation she'd make true on her threat.
"Okay then, two more big pushes Haley and your baby'll be here."
"I want Nathan." Haley cried. "I love you Lucas, but I want Nathan, he has to be here."
"I know, Hales, and I wish I could get him for you but I can't." He mopped off her brow and let her squeeze his hand so hard he was sure it was going to break. "I'm here Haley, and you're doing so well, I'm so proud of you."
"Just the body now Haley, one big push..."
"C'mon buddy, one more..."
Cries filled the small delivery room and both mother and uncle craned to see the doctor holding a tiny newborn.
"You've got a beautiful baby girl, Haley."
"A girl. Jamie wanted a sister." Haley sobbed, sniffling and looking up at Lucas who had some tears of his own.
"Does Uncle Lucas, want to cut the cord?" The doctor asked, and Lucas moved to walk over before stopping and looking back at Haley.
"Oh I don't know that I.."
"No, Luke, go on, you should." Haley nodded, thinking of no better person to do the job in this moment. She never thought there was any way she could feel closer to Lucas than she had before, but right now, she'd never loved him more.
When Mom and baby were safely back on the ward, Lucas cradled the tiny infant to his chest as Haley drifted in and out of sleep, her eyes never staying shut for more than a couple of minutes. He'd just gotten off the phone with Nathan who was speeding across town, heartbroken at missing the birth of his first daughter, and Deb was bringing over Jamie to meet his new sister.
"You're one lucky little girl you know that?" He cooed to the pink swaddled bundle in his arms. 17 days early, 6lb 2oz, 16.5 inches long and perfectly healthy, she was already beautiful. "You have so many people who love you, you've got a dad, and a big brother who can't wait to meet you, and you've got me. I'm your Uncle Lucas, and I'm going to make sure nothing ever happens to you, and spoil you rotten. You've got about a billion other aunts and uncles, but I'm going to be your favourite okay?" He smiled down at the child rocking her gently, astonished by how wide open her pretty blue eyes were. "But what makes you most lucky is you've got your Mom. They say your friends are the family you pick, well I was lucky, 'cause your Mom is my best friend, and she's my family. She's the best mother in the world, and she loves you more than any mother has ever loved a little girl, because that's what your Mom does, when she loves you she loves you with her whole heart, and me and you kid, we're special, because she chose to love us."
"Not a hard choice." Haley mumbled, smiling sleepily over at the pair and motioning for Lucas to hand her the baby, holding her close to her chest and humming softly as Lucas pulled his chair closer to the bed to watch them. He leaned over and kissed Haley's forehead when she looked at him smiling. "With either of you."
"Haley!" The baby let out a startled cry when the door flung open, Nathan barrelling through, his suitcase trundling behind him, his breath panted, his shirt damp from running.
"Hi!" The new mother beamed at her husband, who gawked in awe at the tiny being in her arms.
"I'm going to let you two – sorry three – have a moment. I'll wait for Deb and Jamie and show them where your room is." Standing up, Lucas kissed mother and baby and patted his brother congratulatory on the back. "Congratulations guys, she's beautiful."
"Lucas." Turning as Haley called out his name, Lucas looked up.
"Yea?"
"Thank you – for everything. It kind of is all your fault, you know, but I wouldn't change any of it for a second."
Feeling the day catch up with him Lucas took a deep breath to calm himself, not sure he'd ever felt as exhausted, emotional, or happy as he did in this moment. "Me either."