Pregnant…and In Labour


There had to be something in the water at the 15th Precinct. That was the only thing Sam Swarek could come up with to explain how Andy Swarek, Traci Barber, Sue Epstein AND Gail Diaz could be pregnant all at the same time. That was it, it had to be something in the water. Don't get him wrong, Sam Swarek was happy and proud that he got his wife, Andy, pregnant, especially after the last five miscarriages, but it was just weird, how she had gotten pregnant roughly around the same time as the other three.

And it was this weird turn events that had Oliver Shaw laughing at the expense of his partner, Sam, Jerry Barber, Dov Epstein and Chris Diaz. They had successfully and stupidly been able to get the Unholy Alliance of the 15th Precinct and Bomb Squad pregnant all at the same time. The next nine months were going to be fun.

"Oli, knock it off," Jerry snapped from his spot beside Sam at the Black Penny's bar. Oliver Shaw stopped laughing for all of five seconds, before his laughter once more got the best of him and he burst once more. The four fathers-to-be rolled their eyes at their fellow officer and continued to drink their beer. Sam placed his head in his hands. He didn't want to show it, but he was scared shitless.

"B…but…but…how," Dov stammered, as he looked at the empty beer bottle in front of him. He was in shock, had been since the moment that his wife had told him, that she was pregnant, confirmed with an OB/GYN and all. He just couldn't believe it.

"I think you know how, Epstein," Jerry snapped. He had been on edge the moment that Traci and Andy had sat both him and Sam down for a special dinner to break the news. It wasn't everyday that you heard that you were now going to be responsible for a life. Sure, they were all detectives and officers, but this little life shared a piece of their DNA, making them even more responsible for their upbringing. There was always a chance that they could screw up.

Even though, Oliver found a vast amount of enjoyment in their happiness/misery, he could tell that something was wrong with Sam. It hadn't been the first time that he and Andy had found out she was pregnant, in fact it was the sixth, but each time before this, it all ended the same way. Andy had a miscarriage. He could see that it was hard on them.

The first time, she had only been a month along, when Luke Callaghan had died in her arms. He had taken a several shots for her, knocking Andy down underneath him. She lost the baby due to the fall. That first miscarriage had changed both Andy and Sam. It had been hard on both of them, but their relationship stayed strong. The next few times, it was small things, like her body rejected the pregnancy or, it was big things, like the time she had fallen down the stairs of their new home. Each time, it got harder and harder for Sam and Andy to stay positive that it would turn out.

"I'm going home guys," Sam mumbled, placing the not even empty beer bottle onto the bar, grabbed his jacket and headed out the door of the Black Penny. Jerry and Oliver watched Sam as he left, both quietly sharing a look. They knew something was wrong. It was more than just nervousness about the new baby. It was the nervousness about waiting for the other shoe to drop. Jerry and Oliver knew that if this baby didn't make it to term, not only would it be another miscarriage, not only would it be another failure, it would most likely be the end of Sam and Andy's marriage. It just couldn't take another hit like that.

Jerry looked over at the clock and then back to the door, that Sam had exited the bar. Placing his almost empty beer bottle down, and grabbed his jacket. He needed to make sure Sam was alright, that he just wasn't putting on a brave face.

"I'm going to leave too," he said, signally Oliver to follow him in next few moments, "Probably shouldn't make Traci too mad at me, especially since she's pregnant." The guys nodded their goodbyes, and Jerry left. Sighing, he walked out the same door that Sam did, and walked to the Black Penny parking lot. He knew Sam wouldn't be far from his truck.

It didn't take long for Jerry to find him, in fact he was standing behind his truck in the parking lot. Slowly Jerry walked up to him, looking over his posture, trying to guage his reaction to the news.

"I'm going to have to get something safer," Sam mumbled, loud enough for Jerry to hear him. Jerry stood beside him, not saying a word. Sam knew someone was beside him.

"Andy said, she's five months along," Sam said, not checking to see if it was Oliver or Jerry that stood there, "Said, she didn't want to tell me, until she knew that the little one was healthy, but she's still scared something will happen. She didn't want me to have to lose another child." Jerry stayed quiet as Sam continued to ramble on about what Andy told him.

"Says, it's a little girl," Sam said, his face stoic. Jerry smiled, he could picture Sam with a little girl, that looked almost exactly like Andy, but with Sam eyes. Oliver was now standing on the other side of Sam. All three of them were looking at Sam's truck.

"I'm going to have to get rid of my truck," Sam said, once more, "Can't let something so small ride in something that doesn't even have a back seat. We wouldn't even be able to bring them home from the hospital." Jerry and Oliver shared a look. It was obvious, that it was more than just shock of being responsible for a small life, but being responsible for a little girl, possibly even losing her, just as he gets use to the idea, that scared Sam even more.

"It'll be okay, bro," Oliver said, placing a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"You can't say that," Sam snapped, turning towards Oliver, "We always say it's going to be okay. Always. And then by some angsty twist of fate, it's not okay anymore and Andy and I will be left to pick up the pieces of yet another failure, while the rest of you will taking care of your families. It's just not fair." It was then that Sam finally let his true fears show.

"Sam," Jerry said, calmly, "The others, didn't even make it to five months. This little girl is going to be just like you and Andy. She's going to be your daughter, the toughest little girl on the play ground and Queen of the Brat Brigade." Sam smiled slightly at the thought.

"You and Andy will get through this," Oliver offered.

"But what if, something does happen and Andy has to give birth anyway," Sam says, obviously still worried about how everything will turn out. Jerry and Oliver share one more look.

"I don't know Sammy, but we'll help get you through it, if it does end up happening," Jerry offered. Sam nodded and turned towards his truck once more ready to head home in hopes that he could spend some time with his wife, possibly choosing a name for their future little one.

"I'm still going to have to get rid of this truck," Sam said, as he walked towards his truck to drive home. Oliver and Jerry shared an amused look. It was just like Sam to focus on something so trivial when it came to a new baby, when he wasn't even sure of the outcome.

"Maybe you should worry about how you're going to deal with raising a little girl," Jerry said, and almost immediately he wished the words hadn't left his mouth. Sam looked at both Oliver and Jerry horrified, like the news had just hit him.

"Holy shit, how the hell am I going to raise a little girl," Sam swore, leaning against the driver's side of his truck. Oliver rolled his eyes and glared at Jerry for not keeping his mouth closed. Oliver walked up to Sam, and placed his hands on both of his shoulders.

"You'll learn as the years go by. You'll say something once, get the wrong reaction and know to NEVER say it again, but you'll protect her from danger no matter what. Plus, look at it this way, when the boys come, and try to hurt her, you actually have access to a loaded weapon, so they'll be completely afraid of you and will think twice about doing it," Oliver said. Sam looked at him for a moment and thought about it, a smile crossing his face.

"And hey, the only boy that'll probably be dumb enough to do so, is Diaz's," Jerry joked.


Slowly the months went by, and with their past Andy and Sam made sure to go to the OB/GYN monthly, to make sure that Andy and the little girl growing inside her was healthy. Andy was lying in bed wide awake. The nursery wasn't finished, Sam, Jerry and Oliver had barely started painting a week ago. They still had some clothing that needed to be bought and the car seat still needed to be installed into the back seat of the brand new car, that Sam had insisted they buy days after he found out she was pregnant.

To be honest, she had been completely surprised, that she had been able to keep it a secret from him for five months, but now here she was four months later, and the other shoe hadn't dropped, she was now only weeks away from her due date and couldn't sleep, because this baby kept deciding to play soccer with her kidneys.

"Ow," Andy said, as she slowly sat up in bed, careful not to wake Sam. Since her ninth month of pregnancy started, he wouldn't let her do anything. All he wanted to do, was treat her like a porcelain doll, but she wasn't. She couldn't just sit by and watch him put the crib, changing table, dresser and everything else that they had bought for the nursery by himself or with Jerry and Oliver. She understood why, though. It was their sixth try and if something happened this far into the pregnancy it wouldn't just kill the baby, but her as well.

"Can you please, stop tap dancing on mommy's kidneys," Andy said, rubbing her stomach, but as she rubbed her stomach, a sharp kick to her side, hit her like a strike of lightening. Andy doubled over in pain, as a contraction hit her. Taking slow breaths, Andy reached behind her and slapped Sam's arm needing him to wake up. It was time. Sam groaned and rolled over, not ready to face the day yet, even if it was three o'clock in the morning.

"Figures," Andy grumbled, "The moment, that I actually need you to wake up, you keep sleeping." Waddeling over to Sam's side of the bed, she leaned over and put her lips by his ear.

"Sammy," she whispered. Sam groaned again at the intrusion.

"Sammy," she whispered, once more, but Sam continued to sleep, getting frustrated, Andy decided that enough was enough and that she needed to get to the hospital, before she had this baby on their bedroom floor.

"Sam Swarek, if you do not get up right now, and stop YOUR daughter from kicking my kidneys I am going to e-mail Jerry and Oliver some very embarrassing pictures of you." And with that statement Sam woke violently and looked around the room to see Andy doubled over in pain from another contraction.

"What's wrong," Sam said, "Is she coming? Is our little girl on her way?" Andy nodded and Sam began scuttling around the room, grabbing clothes and then grabbing the bag, and walking down the stairs and out the door, shutting it behind him forgetting all about Andy, who had doubled over once more. Sam quickly realizing that he had left without Andy, came running back in to see her doubled over in pain.

"Are you okay,' he asked her gently. Andy glares at him. It was very obvious that she was not okay, that his daughter was threatening to bruise every inch of inside her mother.

"Stupid question," he muttered, and help Andy out of the house and into the car.


It was now late afternoon, early evening and the newest addition to the Swarek family, had yet to make an appearance, and Sam was getting restless as he paced outside the door, of Andy's room. The rest of their friends from the 15th precinct were with them, offering their own silent support.

"God, how long does it take to bring a baby into this world," Dov says, as he continues to flip through the same magazine that he had picked up when he first got there. Sue was rolling her eyes at him, her hands on her own protruding stomach that was carrying their daughter/son. They wanted to be surprised.

Oliver watched Sam closely as he continued to pace in front of the door that lead to Andy's room. She had kicked him out once Traci got there, because he was driving her crazy, with all the questions of 'how are you?' 'Are you sure you don't want me to get anything?' Oliver chuckled quietly to himself, Andy had been in labour for over twelve hours now.

"Hey brotha, you okay," he asked Sam, walking up to him. Sam shook his head.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't think I'm ready to do this," Sam revealed, "I don't think I can actually be responsible for a small child. I barely take care of myself and if it wasn't for Andy, I'd probably be living out of coffee shops and fast food places. Who in their right mind would trust me with a kid?"

"Your wife," Oliver stated, but before he could continue, he was cut off by Traci, who just walked out of the room.

"Sam," she said, "Andy wants you, it's time." Sam looked at Oliver horrified, but the look quickly disappeared, he swallowed thickly and then he walked into the room, to see Andy lying there a look of pain on her face, the doctor at the foot of her bed.

"Sam," Andy called, reaching her hand out to him. Sam quickly walked over to her and took her hand in his, placing a kiss on her forehead, as yet another contraction hit her.

"Okay, Ms. Swarek, on the next contraction I want you to push and count to ten," the doctor instructed, the nurses gathered around. Andy nodded and when the next contraction took place, she did exactly what she was asked too. After ten seconds she let go, and almost collapsed against the bed. Sam stroked her stray hair from in front of her face.

"I hate you. I hate you so much right now," she snapped at him.

"You're doing great, Andy, she's almost here," Sam said, but then a look of fear that crossed the doctor's face, caught his eye.

"What doc," Sam said, still holding his wife's hand.

"There's something wrong," he explained, before turning to the nurse beside him, "We're going to need to perform an emergency c-section, the baby is coming out backwards. The nurse ran off, while the rest of the team, quickly got ready to perform the surgery. Sam started to get afraid, but didn't want to share that fear with Andy, she had enough to worry about. He looked down at her to see that her breathing was shallow and her eyes were closed.

"Andy," he said, trying to wake her up, but she wouldn't wake. A nurse grabbed Sam by the shoulders.

"Sir, we're going to need you to leave the room," the nurse order, almost physically throwing him from the room, once he began to resist her.

"What's going on," he snapped at her.

"Sir, the baby's feet are coming out before the head, she could suffocate, we need you to leave, so we can perform surgery and save both your daughter and your wife," she explained, as she succeeded in throwing him from the room, and slamming the door behind him. Sam leaned against the wall, and sunk to floor. The other shoe had finally dropped.


Sam stayed in that same position, until Oliver saw him. Oliver walked over and lifted Sam to his feet and walked him over to the waiting room, where everyone else was waiting, having already been informed, by a nurse, that Sam hadn't seen walk by him. Slowly the minutes turned into an hour, and still no news on how Andy and the baby were.

Sam was stoic. He didn't say anything or acknowledge the people around him, until the same nurse, that had thrown him from the room, came to the waiting room, a large smile on her face.

"Mr. Swarek," she called. Sam looked up at her, several questions on the tip of his tongue, but nothing would come out.

"Would you like to meet your daughter?" A wide smile spread across his face, his dimples showing prominently. He nodded and followed the nurse, as she led him back to his wife's room, everyone else waiting, giving the time to the small family. The nurse opened the door, and there Andy was smiling tiredly, having just woken up, a small pink bundle of blankets in her arms. Sam walked over and sat down beside her.

"That's your daddy," Andy said, as she counted the fingers the small little girl had on her fingers. Sam had tears in his eyes, as he looked down at the little one that was looking around the room. Andy offered her to him. Sam looked at Andy, and then nestled the small baby into his arms. It was then that another nurse walked in.

"Do you have a name for the little one," she asked, holding the file in her arms. Andy and Sam shared a look, before Sam looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms, who had fallen asleep seconds after being placed in the safety of her father's arms.

"Veronica, Veronica Andrea Swarek."


A/N: Let me know what you think.

xo