Disclaimer: Doc Martin is the property of Buffalo Pictures. I own nothing except my imagination.

Chapter 1 – Following straight on from the end of series four, Louisa has been taken to the hospital after giving birth in the pub.

Martin walked back into the hospital room in the maternity unit - he had left while Louisa was being examined to phone Auntie Joan to let her know the events of the day and to arrange staying with her for now. He looked at Louisa as she lay in the hospital bed, looking very beautiful even in a hospital gown, but she was also pale and exhausted. Martin took Louisa's medical notes from the end of the bed, quickly read through them, and was reassured that everything seemed normal. He really wanted to check her over himself, but when he tried and started to take her pulse, Louisa had told him not to make a fuss, she had been examined and she was fine.

Then he looked down at the baby, their baby, asleep in his plastic hospital crib. Martin had watched intently as first the midwife had cleaned up, weighed and measured the baby, and then when the paediatrician had checked him over and pronounced him to be a perfectly healthy, normal baby boy. The baby had cried lustily throughout, hence why he was now sleeping, having worn himself out.

"He weighs 8lbs 10oz, and measures 21 inches, so I'm guessing that he is going to be tall like his father," the midwife had said, eying Martin up and down.

"But he was over 2 weeks early, and Doctor Montgomery said I was having a small baby. I've been worried for weeks about how small my baby would be!" exclaimed Louisa.

"Well I reckon he would have been over 9lbs had he gone to term. Just goes to show that these doctors don't always know everything," said the midwife.

Martin couldn't stop looking at the baby. Even though he was a doctor, a man of science, he still found it incredible that their act of love had created this perfect new life. He remembered what Roger Fenn had said about his twins, how every parent feels immense love for their offspring. Martin had doubted him, thinking of his own parents, his mother in particular who had cold heartedly told him that she had not wanted him, that he had ruined her marriage, and had certainly never professed any love for him, her only child. Martin had feared that he would be like this, and not feel anything for the baby (the Ellingham curse, Auntie Joan called it) so he had not tried to persuade Louisa to let him be involved. He was sure that Louisa felt that he would be a terrible father, and that it was best to let her bring up the child on her own. What Martin had not reckoned on was this surge of love so strong, so protective that it took his breath away and left his chest feeling tight.

Of course Louisa had known, well hoped anyhow, that if only Martin was around when their baby was born, some sort of instinct would kick in and a bond would be formed. It was natures way after all. She had studied his face intently when he had held their baby for the first time, hardly daring to believe that he was really there, realising that his reluctance was really a lack of confidence in his ability with babies. She had offered him an olive branch when she had said that he could learn about babies and even Martin had realised that this was his very last chance with Louisa, that if he turned this offer down, that really would close the door on their relationship. However, he couldn't help but be brutally honest when Louisa had said how beautiful their baby was, as he pointed out that the baby's head was misshapen from the birth process. Louisa was surprised yet again, at just how insensitive Martin could be and not even realise that he was doing it. As far as he was concerned, he was just stating a fact, and had no idea why Louisa looked at him in disbelief. Luckily the moment passed as Louisa and the baby were moved into the ambulance to go to hospital, and Martin followed in his car.

Martin sat down on the edge of the bed next to Louisa. "Have you chosen a name for him?" he asked.

"Well I do have a name in mind, but if you hate it then maybe we could choose one together," said Louisa. "I like the name Luke, it means 'bringer of light' and also St Luke is the patron saint of doctors, which I thought was a nice link. Then for his middle name, Martin after you, so Luke Martin Glasson. I think that goes together pretty well, what do you think?"

Martin scowled. Louisa looked at him, and said "You don't like it I take it?"

"I don't mind Luke Martin, I quite like it actually, but why can't he be Ellingham – I want him to be Ellingham," stated Martin.

"Well I don't want him growing up and going to school with a different name to mine," argued Louisa, "And it may have escaped your memory, but up until a few hours ago, you weren't going to be around, you were going to be in London, so I had planned on the baby taking Glasson as a surname."

"Yes, well I told you that I was wrong about leaving, I'm not going to London. Anyway, there is an easy solution to you having a different name. We get married, and then we will all have the same name," Martin suggested, in a rather business like manner.

"Oh I see, just get married to have the same name. You're such a romantic. I don't think so Martin," said Louisa icily.

Martin cursed inwardly as he realised that yet again he had said the wrong thing, and had upset and offended Louisa. He hadn't meant to blurt out a proposal like that, but he did actually want Louisa to be his wife more than anything else. However, it had sounded terrible, even he knew that.

Louisa looked across at Martin in a challenging way.

"Anyway Martin, if you're not going to London, that means that you have no job, and no home. You are in the middle of moving, your possessions are in a removal van as we speak. Today has been very emotional, so you need to think long and hard, in the cold light of day, what it is you really want. I never stopped loving you, even after we broke up. I want you to stay with me in Cornwall and be a father to our baby, but only if that is really what you want. If being a surgeon in London, with Edith, is where your heart truly is, then that is what you should do. That's why I told you I didn't want you involved with me and the baby when I came back from London – I saw you with Edith and realised that you had moved on with your life. I also saw the look of horror and sheer panic in your eyes when you saw that I was pregnant. I would rather bring the baby up on my own than have a father who doesn't really want to be there, or resents us for holding him back from his career. We would all end up being miserable, and I will not do that to our son. It's not a good idea to rush into anything. That was our problem last time, we rushed into getting married without thinking things through, we let our hearts rule our heads. I really don't think I could bear to go through all that again."

Martin couldn't deny that Louisa was talking a lot of sense, because at the moment he really didn't have much to offer her, did he? But he also knew that he wanted to work things out with Louisa, whatever it took.

"OK well, trust me, I will sort everything, but I can see that you are very tired, and I think it appropriate that I should leave you to rest. I will come back and visit tomorrow, and we can try to sort things out when we have both had time to think things through," said Martin.

"Well I hope to come home tomorrow, I don't like being in hospital, and everything is fine with me and the baby," Louisa declared.

Martin looked at her in disbelief.

"Are you completely mad woman? You've been in a car accident and given birth, all in an afternoon. I strongly advise you to stay in hospital for a few days to recover, rest and be monitored," he bellowed at her.

"Thank you Doctor, but I can rest better at home. I can manage, and I can organize a taxi to take me home," said Louisa defiantly.

"YOU ARE NOT GOING HOME IN A TAXI! Not after what happened today. God, you're so stubborn, let me take you home if you insist on going, just ring me when you know what's happening – yes? I have arranged to stay at Joan's for now, and the removal men are putting everything in her barn," Martin pleaded with her.

Louisa looked back at him intently and said "OK, well if you mean it about coming back tomorrow and taking me home, could you collect some things from my house if I give you my keys? I'll write you a list, I need the baby car seat, and I had a bag packed ready for taking to hospital when the time came, except of course I didn't have it with me when the time did come. There are a few other things, I'm sure Joan could help you."

"I believe that I'm capable of managing with a list, I'm not a complete moron," said Martin, looking straight back at her.

"Hmm," said Louisa uncertainly, handing him her keys and a hastily written list.

With that, Martin gently leant over Louisa, kissed her tenderly on her cheek, looked down at the sleeping baby for the last time, and then strode out of the room. "Get some rest," he called over his shoulder.