Eddie lifted her nine month pregnant body out of the sofa, balancing as best she could, bracing her back with her hand. She had felt such an unpleasant pressure along her back and stomach all day, but pain was something of a friend to her in the final days of her pregnancy. She wasn't alone, the apartment was always full with friends, Kara Walsh, Renzulli, Bob Reghetti…and of course, there was the family.
Frank and his detail stopped by every morning and every night to see how Eddie was doing and if there was anything she required. Henry would swing through in the afternoon to fix dinner and keep her company. Erin would float through around dinner time often sharing the large meal Henry made with her sister-in-law. Finally there was Danny, he had taken his death bed promise to Jamie to heart and was doing an exemplary job of caring for Eddie and her unborn baby.
As Eddie waddled to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea she passed the wedding picture with Jamie on the mantle. She missed her husband as if he passed yesterday instead of ten weeks ago. Each day had been hard for Eddie, she and Jamie had a wonderful marriage, a true partnership. That she would never find again with anyone.
Just as the kettle boiled, Eddie felt the pressure increase and a rush of water ooze out from between her legs. Eddie wrapped her arm around her belly and gasped as the pain intensified. Eddie reached for her phone and called Henry.
Henry was just about to deal a third hand of cards to his three poker buddies when Frank poked his head in, "Pop, the game is gonna have to wait. Eddie says it's time, her water broke."
Henry smiled, "Marty, you lock up the house huh? My great grandbaby is coming, I have to go. I'm the coach."
Henry's friends congratulated him and cleaned up as he and Frank headed off to pick Eddie up and drive her to the hospital. While Eddie was waiting, she called Danny. It was very important to her to have the baby's godfather there if the baby's father wasn't.
Danny promised Eddie he was on his way to join her in bringing his niece or nephew into the world. It took Danny forty-five minutes to get to the hospital, some resistance from Linda and traffic delayed his arrival. "Maternity?" he asked for the third time in his life. He felt as nervous as a father going to be at Eddie's side.
When Danny opened the door, he saw Eddie lying on her side, panting and perspiring in pain. "Oh Henry it hurts, it hurts too much…" Eddie sobbed holding her belly.
"I know it hurts, sweetie pie," Henry soothed. "In just a little while you'll have your baby."
"Yeah, I hear the pain goes away when you see them," Danny offered sitting beside Eddie's bed. "Remember the breathing, Eddie. Take long really deep breaths and blow them out, focus on your breath and on Pop's ring…that's how we practiced it."
Danny put his fist in the small of Eddie's back, relieving so much of the back labor and agony with just his words and that small action. Still nothing Danny or Henry could say could relieve the pain in Eddie's heart.
Eddie labored for ten hours. Erin came to visit, Nikki stopped by before school, and Kara and McKenna came by before their tour. It seemed even with the endless visitors that the labor was never going to end then finally…"It's time to push, Eddie. Your grandpa and your brother in law right?"
Eddie nodded holding tight to both men. She felt as if she was being cut in two, she was incredibly tired…when she shut her eyes she saw her Jamie. As the nurses got Eddie settled in the delivery room, Danny and Henry suited up for one of the biggest jobs of their lives, seeing this innocent life into his or her mother's arms.
When Eddie saw Danny and Henry step into the room she reached for Danny. With only his eyes visible, it was easy for her to put her late husband in his brother's shoes and lean on that to get her baby out and into her arms.
Danny held Eddie's hand tightly as they set to have her push. "I got you," he whispered so only she heard. Grimacing in pain Eddie grimaced pushing with all her might.
"Good Eddie," Danny praised using the cloth to wipe sweat from her face. He set the cloth aside to take her hand again with a firm grasp. "Focus and breath, you're doing great."
Eddie sobbed, "It hurts too much…I want Jamie…"
"I know you do," Danny soothed. "I wish he was here too, but he is here…in your body, in your heart, in mine, he's here. Bring out this baby for him, Eddie. Bring his baby into the world."
On the next contraction, Eddie squeezed Danny's hand as she gave another long push, coming up panting. "I see the head, one more and your home free," the doctor smiled.
Eddie looked up at Danny her eyes tired, face glowing with sweat ready to say she couldn't do it. Shaking his head Danny squeezed her hand. "I'm right here. Come on we promised Jamie, we both promised him. Come on now. I've got you."
With Danny by her side Eddie took a deep breath then pushed until she heard the joyful crying of her baby. Smiling teary eyed Danny and Eddie exchanged the same look with Danny hugging her.
"It's a girl!" the doctor announced as he held the squalling baby up for Eddie to see. Instinctively Eddie began to reach for her baby wanting to hold her. The doctor offered the Danny the scissors, "Would you like to cut the cord?"
"Oh, I'm just the uncle," Danny didn't know how Eddie would feel about this. He looked over to this side and saw Eddie's smile. "Please."
Danny nodded and took the scissors; he cut the cord and separated the newborn girl from her mother. The doctor placed the tiny newborn on her mother's chest and stood back while Eddie touched her baby for the first time. "Hello…hello, baby. I'm you Mommy…"
Danny stood back with Henry while Eddie bonded with her baby. "What's her name, sweetheart?" Henry asked softly.
"Margaret," Eddie replied. "Margaret Mary Reagan."
"That's a beautiful name," Danny whispered trying not to cry. "I'm going to step out and let the family know she's here."
In truth, Danny needed a moment to himself. He had been strong for Eddie during this, but it opened up all of the pain and loss again. Danny pulled out his phone and looked at it, fifteen missed calls, all from Linda. This was a trend that had been occurring on the job, she was on the phone with him checking up on him almost once an hour. It was touching at first but now, ten weeks since his brother's death it was becoming a painful reminder.
Danny returned Linda's call, "It's a girl," he announced when she picked up the phone.
"Thank God you're all right, it's been so many hours, I thought…" Linda began.
"Eddie had a hard labor," Danny replied. "Mother and baby are doing just fine. I'll be home after the family visits, or if you want to come down and let the boys meet their baby cousin."
Linda agreed to bring the boys down to join the rest of the family. Danny took a breath and headed to the waiting room where Frank, Erin, and Nikki were waiting. "It's a girl…they are just cleaning Eddie and the baby and you can go back and see her."
Frank stepped over and smiled at Danny, "Your brother would be so happy to see you by Eddie's side today."
"I just wish he was here Dad instead of me," Danny sighed. "She's a beauty, a real beauty."
"Let's go see her, try to rejoice in this moment," Frank advised. "That baby girl is a little piece of Jamie that we can touch and hold…and love…"
Danny smiled and followed the rest of the family back to Eddie's room. She was sitting up in bed holding the tiny girl to her breast. "Come meet, Margaret Mary Reagan…" She smiled up at Frank and offered the baby to him. "Grandpa, you can have first go at her."
Frank smiled and looked down at the baby smiling. She was tiny with a perfect little bow mouth and the smallest hands Frank had ever seen on a baby. "Well, hello there…" Frank cooed to his new grandchild. "Hello, we waited a long time for you…"
Margaret, who would be called, Maggie, opened her little eyes and looked cross eyes at her grandpa. Frank's heart clenched, she had her father's eyes.
Maggie made the rounds from her grandfather to her great-grandfather to her aunts and cousins until he finally landed in Danny's arms. Danny rocked the tiny baby and looked down into Jamie's eyes. "I promised your Daddy to be there for you, and I will. I'm Uncle Danny and I am going to teach you all the things your Daddy was going to teach you. When you and your Mom aren't seeing eye to eye, you can count on your old Uncle Danny." Danny tipped his head and kissed Maggie's head before handing her back to Eddie.
The baby began to cry in earnest, "She has Jamie's eyes but my appetite. Can I have the room?"
One by one the Reagans kissed Eddie's cheek and the baby's head before exiting leaving Eddie alone with her baby girl. "I'm so sorry your Daddy isn't here," Eddie told her infant as she latched onto her. "I wish that you could know him. He would have loved you so much…but I love you enough for a Mommy and a Daddy. You are all I have left of him…we will make him proud together."
Maggie cooed and suckled her mother's breast, not understanding that she didn't have a daddy or that she was a special little girl. All Maggie knew now was that she was safe, warm, and loved in her mother's arms. That seemed all right to her.
A/N: Welcome to my new weekly (I hope) story. It's not a post episode fic like Pillow Talk but it is different than most anything out there. I do hope everyone enjoys this story. There will be elements of Jamko through flashbacks.
Next Update – Eddie struggles with single motherhood, Danny once again steps up to the plate.