"Teddy. We need to talk."
Teddy Altman stirred uncomfortably in an on-call room bed, trying to get somewhat comfortable after an 8 hour surgery. Her little girl was due soon, nothing she did ever felt comfortable anymore. And now this. This text.
Teddy and Tom had had a fairly blissful few months of dating, but lately things had been strained. He was jealous, of Owen and their unborn baby girl. He wished that baby was his and not Owen's. He'd actually said that to her before casually and she didn't know what to say. Who says that to a woman you've only known for a few months?
She didn't like how threatened Tom was by their relationship and by this baby. Based on the arrogant, confident front Tom puts on, on a daily basis, Teddy thought he wouldn't be so insecure. But he was, and she was done. The last thing she wanted to do was bring her daughter into this hostile environment, the baby had already dealt with too much drama for a lifetime before she's even been born.
But, what did Tom want to talk about? Teddy was planning on having a serious conversation with him and ending things but now...what was on his mind?
"Ok. I'm in on-call room 204." She bluntly responded.
Within minutes he was there, waltzing in as cocky as could be.
"Hey," she sat up, adjusting herself and rubbing her huge belly where her daughter was kicking hard.
Tom didn't even greet her, he just jumped right in.
"So, when were you planning on telling me that you fucked Owen willingly and out of "love?" He asked.
Teddy was shocked. How dare he speak to her that way, and who told him about that night?
"Excuse me?!" Teddy replied sternly.
"Yeah. Amelia just told me I better back off because apparently you and Owen have always been in love, and that you still love him and that baby you're carrying isn't a drunken one night stand baby, that she's a baby that was conceived out of a loving sexual encounter." He snapped.
Amelia. Amelia had said this to him? Teddy wasn't exactly surprised, but almost thankful that she had said something to him first so that she didn't have to.
"It shouldn't matter to you how OUR baby was conceived, Tom. She is Owen and I's daughter no matter what. She is ours and she always will be. Us being together would never change that and you really need to get that through your thick skull." Teddy exclaimed, tears building.
"Okay," Tom scoffed, "here we go..." Teddy cut him off...
"No! Here I go! I'm done Tom. I'm done with this. This is bullshit. I am nine months pregnant, due in two weeks! We don't need this!," Teddy cried looking down towards her baby, "You were so kind at first, loving towards me and my daughter and then once Owens presence became known you took a 180. You're so threatened by him and territorial of me it's disgusting! I can take care of myself and my baby just fine!" Teddy took a breath and sat down, her daughter was thrashing around, probably because Teddy's heart was racing.
Tom said nothing, and just shook his head with a cocky grin like he always did.
"I just...I can't do this. Not when she's coming this close, I can't do this to her anymore." Teddy cried.
"You do what you need to do, Altman. Try having the perfect family with that asshole ginger...let me know how that goes." And he stormed off, slamming the door.
Teddy laid back down, crying, but she was relieved. She hated how things ended, and she hated the way Tom spoke to her but no matter the way things ended, she never saw it going well.
"It's okay baby girl, it's okay, shhhh...it's okay honey." Teddy was trying to talk to and calm her baby.
Eventually the baby calmed down and Teddy was so exhausted she fell into the deepest sleep she'd had in weeks.
Teddy awoke to the warm orange sunrise streaming through the blinds of the on call room, she had slept for 12 hours exactly. She smiled to herself, she actually felt really good. Rolling over, she looked at her phone more closely. Two texts from Owen and a missed call/voicemail. Right away she listened.
"Hey, Teddy. Had another therapy session this morning and it went well. I think I'm finally starting to figure things out...anyway, hope you're good and hopefully baby girl isn't giving you too much trouble, I hear the last few weeks are the hardest. But, call me, text me, meet up with me, we still have some things to figure out before our peanut arrives. Okay, talk to you soon, bye."
Teddy texted Owen right away. She needed to tell him what happened before anyone else does. Hospital gossip was like high school gossip on steroids.
It was actually both their day off, so Teddy went back to her brand new house, cleaned up and invited Owen over.
Her new house was beautiful. It was bigger than her cottage she had in Seattle before, but she needed bigger, it wasn't just her anymore. She got a cream colored side hall colonial with burgundy shudders, huge windows and a big yard because Owen said that the baby would need a swing set to play on when she got older, and would need lots of space to play soccer with her parents. Teddy agreed.
Owen had Leo with him. He was so cute, Teddy really was becoming fond of him.
"Place looks great." Owen smiled as he walked in, looking around the foyer and removing his shoes.
"Thanks!" Teddy beamed, "Here I'll take him." Teddy extended her arms out to Leo so Owen could take off his shoes off without dropping him.
Owen followed Teddy into the living room, set Leo down with some toys on the floor and, they began to talk.
"So...hows it going with Tom?" Owen asked bluntly and un-enthusiastically .
"Ha, funny you should ask," Teddy began, "I ended it."
Owen tried to be shocked but, he wasn't. Teddy and Tom seemed off for weeks, he was trying too hard and she seemed annoyed. But he didn't want to read too much into it and get his hopes up. He loved Teddy, he loved their daughter and he wanted to have his family he's always dreamed about, with her.
Teddy explained the whole ordeal to Owen. Owen was fuming at the way Tom had spoken to her and especially regarding their daughter. This precious girl who was completely innocent.
"I'm sorry Teddy, I really am." Owen said.
Teddy laughed.
"Are you Owen? I mean come on, you never liked the guy." She said.
"No but, anyone who hurts you, who hurts our little girl...that's never going to be okay with me." Owen said, taking her hand.
Teddy suddenly became very serious, her bright green eyes were shining staring into Owens.
"Teddy..." Owen began, "I love you. I have always loved you. I have loved you since the moment we shared that OR together in Iraq, I have loved you since you came to Seattle the first time, I have loved you since you came to check on me when Megan was found, I have loved you since we made our beautiful daughter that night in Germany, I have loved you, forever."
Teddy eyes filled with tears. God she loved him. He was her best friend and baby's father. He'd made mistakes, she'd made mistakes.
"Teddy I know I've messed up, believe me I know. But my therapist and I have already conquered a lot. I know what I need to do now. I want WHO and what I want. It's you, and it's always been you. I've just been a dum dum." Owen laughed.
Teddy giggled and rolled her eyes at the name that Megan had oh so lovingly started calling her brother since she found out about everything that had happened between them.
Teddy was about to respond when she suddenly felt extreme pressure, a release and a pool of wetness spreading beneath her.
"Oh my god..." Teddy looked down.
"Oh my god!" Owen leaped up.
"My...my water broke," Teddy seemed shocked, "its time." She smiled softly at Owen.
Owen helped Teddy up, gathered Leo, grabbed her hospital bag from upstairs and headed back down quickly, but not without stopping to look into the baby's room. He smiled, tears in his eyes. It was pale pink with matching white furniture pieces, detailed with tiny pink roses, her 22 week ultrasound picture was framed above her crib, the one where they found out she was a girl. Sweet stuffed animals also were placed perfectly around the room. They were ready. But it killed Owen that he wouldn't get to be with her everyday, seeing her in this room. But he couldn't focus on that now.
Once Leo was dropped off to daycare and Teddy was checked out, settled in maternity, all they could do was wait. She was only four centimeters dilated so it was going to be awhile.
"About what I said earlier I-" Owen started.
"Owen," Teddy said gently, taking his hand, "I know. And I love you too."
"You do?" Owen said softly, starting to cry. He really thought he had messed up so bad that he lost her forever.
"I've always loved you Owen. The good and the bad. We've both made mistakes, and our timing was off. Despite everything, I've never felt like second best to you. I know I'm not your damn sloppy seconds. But, I'm so happy that you've gone back to therapy and are finally making the process and realizations you've needed all these years."
Owen took her face and kissed her passionately. The emotional, loving, long awaited kiss lasted for awhile until a little someone felt neglected.
"Oh god," Teddy pulled away, hugging her belly.
"Contraction?" Owen asked, rubbing her back.
"Yeah, shit this ones bad" Teddy said through clenched teeth.
"Just breathe, it'll be over sooner than you think and then our sweet girl will be here." Owen smiled.
Teddy breathed deeply through the pain and then smiled at the thought of her new baby. She was going to be a mom, finally.
Two hours later, and ten centimeters later, Teddy started pushing.
"A few more Dr. Altman! I see her head, she's almost here!" Carina Deluca instructed.
Teddy gripped onto Owens hand harder and pushed hard.
"Come on Teddy, you're doing great!" Owen encouraged.
"Head is our!" Carina smiled.
Teddy smiled too.
"One more, just one more!" Owen exclaimed.
Teddy pushed hard one last time and suddenly the most beautiful sound echoed the room.
"You have a beautiful baby girl!" Carina said as she placed the little girl on Teddy's chest.
"Oh my god,!" Teddy cried, "she's perfect! Owen, look what we did!" Teddy looked up at Owen who was balling his eyes out.
"She's, she's beautiful Teddy. She's absolutely beautiful. Thank you." Owen said wiping away his tears, beaming towards his baby girl.
Carina gently took the baby to get her cleaned off, weighed, measured etc.
Within minutes the perfectly healthy 6 pound, 8 ounce baby girl was placed carefully into her mommy's arms paired with a pink blanket and tiny blue and pink striped cap.
"God you're so perfect, honey. I've waited so long for you, sweet girl. My little soldier..." Teddy couldn't stop looking at her baby. She looked like a doll. She had puckered, full pink lips, big round eyes that she felt would turn green like hers in time, Owen's furrowed brow and soft strawberry-blonde hair. The perfect mix of her and Owen.
Owen nestled into Teddy on the bed, and stroked his little girl's cheek.
"Do you want to hold her?" Teddy asked.
"Of course!" Owen opened his arms and Teddy transferred the baby over to him.
"Say hi to daddy." Teddy said.
"Hi baby girl, hi precious girl! God you are beautiful you know that? You are absolutely beautiful. My little heart breaker." Owen said to his daughter.
The new parents and couple were ecstatic. They finally had everything that ever wanted. Each other, a family. Loved ones, friends and colleagues were in and out all day with their congratulations for the new couple and their daughter. Everyone was absolutely mesmerized with Allison's beauty. Yes, Allison. An hour after she was born Teddy and Owen both agreed in unison that their daughters name would be Allison. Because if it wasn't for Teddy's Allison, they wouldn't have theirs.
"I can't wait to start this life with you." Owen whispered later that night while Teddy was falling asleep, Allison right beside her. He kissed her softly on the lips, and then kissed his baby girl softly on her chubby cheek before snuggling into in the chair in the corner with Leo for the night. He felt like the luckiest man in the world. He had it all. His person, his daughter, his son, his mental health, his work, a new home...it was a new beginning.