So slight change of plan. The sequel to 'Three is Family' is proving harder to write with no storyline to follow. So whilst I try to think of one, I've decided to do a prequel. This is the story of Olivia's first year of life woven into the second series. Hope you enjoy!


"That's it Marth" Clive encouraged as he rubbed her lower back during a contraction. "In and out. You're doing fantastic," he continued.

Martha didn't reply. She couldn't. She was too busy sucking on the gas and air for all she was worth as she rode another contraction out. She'd been in labour for nearly fourteen hours now. The contractions had been tolerable for most of that time but in the last hour or so had become much stronger. She was sweaty and exhausted but couldn't rest. The finishing line was getting closer (she'd been eight centimetres at her last check half an hour ago), but still not close enough for her.

Clive had been with her all that time encouraging her on. She had called him around midday from home with the news that she thought her contractions had started. He hadn't been in court so had been able to drop everything and leave chambers immediately with a quick shout to Billy letting him know what was going on.

"Has that one gone?" Asked the midwife and Martha nodded silently as she let the nozzle from the gas and air cylinder fall from her mouth.

"Why won't this baby come out?" She asked to the room. "Can't you just cut it out?" She asked her midwife, Jenny. "I wanna Ceasarean,".

"You are nearly there Martha," Jenny encouraged. "You will have delivered this baby before we can arrange that,".

"Yeah," added Clive. "Only two more centimetres to go. You can do this Marth, I know you can,".

"I'm just so tired," she replied as she started crying.

"I know you are," Clive agreed as he tried hugging her as best he could and drying her tears. "I wish I could help you out," he told her truthfully. It hadn't been nice watching Martha in such pain for so long, and he felt completely useless not being able to do anything but rub her back, wipe the sweat off her face of offer her a drink of water whilst being as encouraging as he could possibly be. "I am so proud of you Marth. You can totally do this last part," he finished giving her a little kiss to her forehead.

"Shit. There's another one coming," Martha said as she grabbed the gas and started sucking on it.

"That's it, Martha. Nice and slow. In and out," encouraged Jenny as she watched her patient through the contraction. This one was a little different from her others. Martha was starting to push as well. "Try not to push Marth. You're not fully dilated yet,".

"Sorry," Martha apologised. "I couldn't help it,".

"Is everything ok?" Clive asked concerned.

"Yes. It's just baby's head moving down," she reassured the couple. "I'm just popping out for two minutes to get everything I'm going to need to deliver baby, and when I get back I'm going to reexamine you Martha. I really don't think it's going to be too long now," she promised as she left the room.

"Hear that Marth?" Clive asked as he gave her arm an encouraging rub. The next contraction came fairly swiftly and Martha got an overwhelming desire to push. "Jenny said not to push Marth," Clive advised when he saw what was happening.

"I can't help it!" She said angrily as she returned to pushing.

"I'm going to go and get Jenny," Clive said as he left the room looking for their midwife. He didn't have far to go as she was on her way back to the room.

"Is everything ok, Clive?" She asked seeing a worried expression on the man's face.

"I know you told her not to, but Martha's pushing," he explained. "She can't help it apparently,".

"Ok let's take a look then," Jenny replied as she reentered the room, Clive in tow. One look at Martha and Jenny knew the delivery was going to be fairly imminent, and that was confirmed when she had a little look between Martha's legs.

"Well you've certainly cracked on Martha," she told her patient when her contraction had finished. "I can see baby's head," she told the soon-to-be parents. "There's nothing wrong, but I'm just going to push the emergency buzzer. I just need some help getting all the equipment ready as baby has caught me on the hop,".

The room filled with many people very quickly but all but one was sent away when they knew what was happening. Clive and Martha didn't care. They didn't really notice. They were just fixed on Jenny and her guidance for Martha.

"Fantastic Martha!" She praised as Martha pushed during another contraction. "Ok now pant," she told her patient showing her what she meant and Martha copied. "Excellent! Right the heads out," she told Martha and Clive. "Would you like to see?".

"Not really," Clive replied. He wasn't all that good with blood and wanted to be conscious when his child was finally born. Plus he didn't think Martha wanted him down that end. They had only slept together the once, nine months ago, but they weren't in a relationship.

After Martha had decided to proceed with her pregnancy she had let Clive know he was going to be a father. He had told her he would support her, but it had taken the threat of Martha miscarrying after Gary Rush had punched her in the abdomen for Clive to truly do as he had promised. The turning point had been seeing the baby on the ultrasound screen for the first time. They had had a long heart to heart about their relationship as well and had decided that they would raise their child together but as best friends and nothing more.

"One more push and you two are going to be parents," Jenny informed them as she placed a towel on Martha's abdomen.

"Are you ready Clive?" Asked Martha as she reached for his hand as she felt the contraction approaching. With one final push she felt her child leave her body. The next thing she knew a squawking little bundle was being placed on her tummy and the midwife was covering it with another towel and rubbing the baby to dry it and keep it warm.

"You did it Marth!" Clive said completely overwhelmed before bursting into tears. Martha followed suit.

"I hope those are happy tears," Jenny said and she received two nods.

"Hello," Martha said to her baby. "It's so nice to finally meet you," she continued. The baby's hearty cries were still filling the room. "What did we have by the way?" She asked Clive. She had been too busy concentrating on giving birth that she hadn't seen whether she had a son or daughter.

Clive realised he didn't know either and took a quick peek under the towel. "It's a girl," he proclaimed. "We have a daughter,".

"Is that ok?" She asked.

"Of course it is Marth. To be honest I've secretly been hoping for a little girl to spoil," he replied. "Thank you," he finished, giving Martha a kiss on the lips.

"She's got a lot to say for herself," Jenny commented as the baby was still crying full strength.

"Like her mother," teased Clive which earned him a slap on the arm.

"She's just telling me about what she's just been through," Martha replied defending her daughters noise. "Don't listen to him. You tell Mummy all about it," she said to her daughter.

"Why don't we try a little skin to skin contact," Jenny suggested. "That often calms baby down," she explained as she helped Martha lower her hospital gown before placing the naked baby on her mothers chest. To keep her warm she then replaced the gown and placed a towel over the top.

It seemed to do the trick and the tiny baby's cries settled until she was quiet. Martha took the opportunity to examine her little girl whilst Clive took some photos. "Look at her little hands and feet," she said to Clive.

"I know," Clive replied. "She's perfect isn't she?" He asked already having fallen completely in love with his daughter.

"Do you want to hold her?" Martha asked aware he hadn't had a hold yet.

"Are you sure?" Clive asked not wanting to interrupt the mother- daughter bonding.

"Absolutely. It's ok if Clive has a hold isn't it?" Martha asked Jenny.

"Of course. You might want to try a bit of skin to skin as well Clive. She seems to like that," Jenny suggested and Clive quickly removed his shirt. Jenny then removed the baby from her mother which didn't go down well as the little girl started crying in protest. She just as quickly quietened though when she was safely tucked up against her daddy's chest and covered in a towel.

"How's that?" Martha asked as she took a few photos of Clive with his daughter from her bed.

"Amazing," replied Clive.

"I think she's trying to open her eyes," commented Martha as she noticed her daughter blinking.

Clive looked down at that. Thinking the lights were perhaps a little too bright in the room for her delicate new eyes he shielded her eyes a little bit and soon he and Martha were looking into their daughters eyes.

"Hi!" Martha cooed as she rubbed her daughters cheek gently with a finger. "I'm your mummy. And that's Daddy," she explained to the little girl as her eyes looked around the room taking in her new world. "We're going to take such good care of you, I promise," she vowed to the little girl.


An hour later and the new family were embedded in a room on the ward. For a little price they had paid for a private room which allowed Clive to stay the night, plus it gave them the privacy they wanted. The grandparents had been contacted with all essential details (they had become grandparents at 02:17 am to a granddaughter who had weighed in at 6 pounds 10 ounces) and they would be along tomorrow to meet the little girl for the first time. Clive also expected Billy to visit once he phoned up the clerk a little later that morning.

For now they were trying to sleep for what was the remainder of the night but it was proving impossible. Although both extremely tired, neither could tear their eyes away from their daughter who was sleeping peacefully in her crib. She had fallen asleep after a feed. It had taken a few attempts but she had finally got the hang of what she was supposed to do and had suckled from Martha greedily.

Eventually though they had fallen asleep for a couple of hours. Clive was the first to wake alerted by the tiny grizzles coming from the crib. Walking over to his daughter he lifted her out and settled her against his chest hoping to calm her for a bit before she was demanding another feed.

"How are you doing?" He cooed to the little girl. "Can we last a little longer before waking Mummy? She needs her sleep after all her hard work yesterday,". The baby seemed to understand her father and settled for a bit. "I know you're only going to be interested in Mummy for the next couple of months," he continued, "but I just want you to know that when you are a bit older, we are going to have so much fun together. Anywhere you want to go and we'll go. Anything you want, within reason of course, and I promise I'll get it for you. I'm going to try and be the best Daddy ever, but I am new to this and still learning, so if I'm doing something wrong, you just tell me ok?" He whispered to her. As he made his promise, he ran a finger over his daughters tiny fist. She decided to grab hold of the finger and hold on tight.

With all his attention on his daughter he had failed to see that Martha had woken and been witness to his conversation. She decided to let him know she was awake. "Everyone ok?" She asked.

"Yep," Clive answered as he made the way over to the bed. "I think someone's getting a little hungry though," he commented as he handed the baby over to her mother. He was proved right minutes later when the little girl quickly latched on to her mothers breast and started feeding again.

Clive and Martha were content just to watch her for a bit.

"We need to think of a name," Clive said after a while. "I'm sure all the visitors today are going to want to know what we have decided,".

"I know," Martha agreed. "Got any ideas?". They hadn't know what they were having so had drawn up lists of names they liked for both boys and girls and had decided they would narrow it down once they had seen their child. See which one suited the baby the best.

"Well my favourite for a girl out of the list we had is Olivia," Clive announced.

"Me too," Martha agreed. "And I quite like Grace for a middle name,".

Clive thought about it and nodded, surprised how quickly and amicably the naming problem had been solved. "Ok. Olivia Grace Costello it is,".

"How about Olivia Grace Costello-Reader?" Asked Martha. They hadn't discussed surnames at all but it felt right.

"Are you sure?" Asked Clive secretly over the moon.

"Of course. She's as much yours as she is mine. It's only fair," Martha replied.

"Well then welcome to the world Olivia Grace Costello-Reader," announced Clive.