annie
The woman walked carefully down the crossway, teetering dangerously on her high heels. She grumbled angrily to herself, wondering what the hell had possessed her to wear these blasted things on a day like this. It wasn't like she was going to be keeping them on for very long. But then again, her belly was so big that she couldn't really see her own feet. She could have two different shoes on at that moment and didn't even know it.
"Aw, damn," she cursed quietly, her hand wrapping protectively around her heavily pregnant belly.
Her cellphone beeped at that moment.
U ok?
A message from Berry. How the hell did she even know?
Not really. My water kind of broke.
She doesn't remember the last thirty minutes. It's all a big, traffic crazed blur of pain and beeping car horns. She does remember Berry telling her to breathe every four minutes and her calling Berry every name in the book because old Daddy dearest of this baby isn't there at that very moment.
"Seriously, when are they getting here?!" she yells for the fifth time in twenty minutes. "They are the parents of this kid, not me. I am just the incubator. They need to get their asses here!"
"San, Sebastian and Dave are on their way. There's a serious traffic jam on the interstate and they are trying to get through it-" Berry's husband began.
"I don't care! They can get out and walk, Puckerman!" she snarled viciously.
Puck backed right off, latching onto Rachel's arm and pulling her out of the room.
"Sebastian and Dave need to get here before she pops. That baby is due any minute," he lamented once they were safely out of earshot.
"I kind of always had a feeling Santana would be this mean while in labor," Rachel chuckled dryly. "And you're right. They need to get their asses here or-hey!"
At that moment, Smythe and Karofsky appeared, running towards them down the long linoleum hallway.
"Where is she?!" Sebastian's face was contorted into fear and anxiousness, more frightened than Rachel had ever seen him in the years she had known him.
"She's in there. She's doing fine but it's getting close," says Rachel. She gives him a gentle shove towards the labor room.
"Be careful. She's been throwing things," Puck warned.
"Don't worry. I think I can handle Santana Lopez," says Sebastian before he ducks into the hospital room.
Dave holds back for a second. "I don't know if I can. That girl can still kick my ass, even in her condition."
Rachel let out a laugh that was like the sound of bells. "Dave, just go!" And with that, the soon be new dads got ready.
The birth was long and intensive. Sebastian and Dave both went into the delivery room with her, Dave ready to catch the baby while Sebastian coached her through her breathing.
"All right, one more push, Santana!" called the doctor. "You're almost there!"
Sweat poured down her face, flopping her shorn bangs into her eyes. A wail ripped through her that she was sure could be heard all the way down the hall. She gripped Sebastian's hand, feeling the bones crack underneath her fingers. If he was in pain, he didn't even wince. He just urged her to hold on even tighter.
"And there she is!" The doctor cried. The most beautiful sound greeted their eyes.
The sound of a brand new baby's cries.
"It's a girl. Congratulations, Mom and Dads!" The doctor held up the new baby for inspection. She was absolutely the most gorgeous creature that they had ever seen. "Dave, you want to cut the cord?"
"Of course," sighed Dave, taking the scissors that the nurse handed him. Santana heard the small snip and the baby was freed from her.
She was then wrapped up in blanket and plopped right in Dave's arms. The doctor knew the situation between the three of them and understood, not judging for one second. Santana was going to be involved a bit since she was biologically the mother but Sebastian and Dave were going to be the parents of this beautiful baby.
"Do you guys have a name yet?" asked the doctor, watching the new parents.
"I have one, if you like it," says Santana, interrupting the nurse from cleaning her up.
"What's that, San?" asks Sebastian.
"I was thinking Annie," she whispers, a small secretive smile on her lips.
Their eyes lock for a second. Sebastian then begins to smile even bigger than before.
"I like it. Annie Maria Smythe-Karofsky," he whispers.
"That's still a mouthful but I love it," says Dave from his side, baby Annie still swaddled in his arms. "Annie, you want to go meet your mom?" The tiny baby blinks up at her dad before emitting the most adorable little cooing sound. The adults give watery chuckles, not noticing the doctor and the nurses tiptoeing out.
Dave then carefully brings Annie over to Santana, resting her in her arms. Santana lets out a small sob, staring down at the child.
"She looks like you, you know?" Sebastian murmurs.
"God, I hope not," she whispers. "I want her to look just like her daddy and be just like me."
"Oh, dear...we'll have a handful then," Dave smiles.
Sebastian glances lovingly at his partner before looking back at Santana. "You know that she'll be okay, right?"
"I know that," she sighs. "I never would have done this if I didn't think that she was going to have the best parents and the most amazing life ever."
"Dave? Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Her friend puts down his camera full of baby pictures to finally look at her. "Yes, my dear incubator?"
"Oh, shut up," Santana tosses a magazine in his direction to which he easily dodges. "Come, sit," she pats the spot on the bed beside her to which Dave lowers himself down in. "I want to ask you to do something for me after I am gone-"
"Santana-" Dave starts to interrupt. Santana puts up a hand to silence him.
"No, please. You have to listen to me," she whispers. Dave falls silent. "You are the love of Sebastian's life and I know that you would never do anything to hurt him, right?"
"Of course not," he mumbles, staring at his hands.
"So, I just want to warn you that if you ever do hurt him, I will come back and haunt you. Got it?"
He looks up, alarmed. And then he starts to laugh, a tear falling unashamedly from his eye. "Yes, ma'am."
"And take care of him for me, will you? Because I am not going to be around to kick his ass and he's going to need it," she whispers, feeling tears starting to burn behind her eyes. "He's-"
"Santana..." Dave manages to catch her flailing hands, holding them in both of his own. "Seb will be fine. I'll make sure of it."
She sighs tiredly, knowing that Dave is right. Sebastian will be all right. He'll have his hands full chasing around a little girl that he probably won't have much time to miss her. She does want him to miss her but she wants him to remember her and live on with his life.
Ten years before, she never would have imagined that she and Sebastian would have come such a long way. Ten years ago, they were constantly bitching at each other over their respective glee clubs and throwing slushies in each other's faces. Ten years ago, she never would have thought she would have a baby with the guy.
But after high school, they began to run into each other a lot more and thought, what the hell? It's better to be partners in crime than enemies and from that was born a friendship that would last forever. Right then, she knew that she would do anything for that man. Hell, she just had a baby for him and his husband.
She finds him walking alone early in the morning, Annie cradled in his arms.
"What are you doing out here so early?" she whispers, slowly coming up beside him.
He doesn't even jump at her silent arrival, glancing down at Annie who is still sound asleep.
"I still can't comprehend what's going to happen. Especially after her," he murmurs, the tip of his finger skimming over Annie's forehead.
"You can't think about that, Seb," she says. "You really can't because you won't be able to live life that way."
He glances at her emaciated frame. The pregnancy had taken a lot out of her but she had known the risks. Less than forty eight hours after Annie's birth, she had went right back on chemo, starting up the sickening rounds of treatment once again. But it only took two rounds before she had said she was done.
"I am not going to live what time I have left hooked up to machines," she whispers. "I want to live it spending time with the people I love and watching this little duckling grow like a weed."
He chuckles, feeling tears starting to blur his vision. He then leans over, brushing his lips against her forehead.
"I love you, Santana."
She sighs, a tiny smile pulling the corners of her lips up. "I love you too, Seb."
Suddenly, the baby awakes with a loud snort. Both parents look down on her with surprise.
"Are you okay, Annie?" Sebastian murmurs. It is then when both realize what he just said. "Oh, dear..."
Santana leans forward, pressing her cheek against his, her lips a breath's away from his ear. "It's going to be all right."
And she's right, it will be all right. Despite was is sure to come, the love and the real family will live on forever. It's that simplicity of love, that tiny bit of joy that was born into a child.
It's funny how friendships can be born out of a rivalry. And it's funny how those friendships are the ones that last forever, even with the prospect of death hanging over them. It didn't really matter anymore, except that their love for each other and for this tiny little baby would live on forever.
I don't know why I decided to write this but I did. Hope you liked. Reviews are much appreciated.