Title: Push (1/X)

Author: Romantique

Email:

Classification: A Gary-centric romance.

Rating: M for suggestive adult situations.

Summary: Sequel to "Play the Cards You've Been Dealt" and "Double Down" Takes place four months later. After marrying the love of his life, Gary and Kate await the arrival of their new family.

Disclaimer: Early Edition fan fiction occurs very in the early third season. This fan fiction would have taken place about 1998-99.

Legal: These characters do not belong to me. I'm just a fan and have not made a dime. Please email me to obtain permission to post.

The Hobson Residence

Four months later …

Gary came running into the front door of his flat, after a very long day. The Paper had cut him absolutely no slack as it was after 9 p.m., and he was just now arriving home. With a look of panic on his face, he quickly scanned the large, open floor space to find his extremely pregnant bride, seated at the dinner table with her feet propped up on a nearby chair."

"Oh, Kate," he rushed towards her, flustered due to the hour of his late arrival. "I … I … I hate being away from you right now." He leaned down to give his beautiful wife a kiss that communicated his relief at finding her the same way he left her. "I'm so worried because we're so close."

Kate reached for her husband's hand and placed it over her swollen abdomen. "We're still here, Honey." Pregnant with twins, now about 8 ½ months along and at the end of the day, she looked tired. As this was her second pregnancy, Kate was a little more nonchalant than was first-time father, Gary.

"There's a plate in the refrigerator to warm in the microwave," she petted him. "Come have dinner next to me."

He kissed her again. "Can I get you anything?"

Kate laughed. "Would you please give me a hand and help me stand up. I have to use the restroom … AGAIN."

Gary helped her gain her balance and then, he watched the love of his life literally waddle off to the bathroom. While she was predisposed, he re-warmed his dinner and poured himself a glass of milk. He also poured Kate a glass of juice and put a couple of oatmeal cookies out on the table for his bride, as this had been her late night snack of choice.

After a few moments, the microwave beeped as Gary slipped an oven mitt over his hand and carried the hot plate of pasta with chicken and asparagus to the table and took a seat. His legs were tired from running. A moment later, Kate returned, and he pulled out the chair next to him. As she sat down, he told her to put her swollen feet up in his lap. She gladly complied. Carrying the pregnancy weight of twins, her feet would swell at night after being upright all day.

The dinner smelled wonderful. Normally, Gary would be starving. He hadn't had anything to eat since he grabbed a taco for lunch, literally on the run. But this waiting and waiting for the babies to arrive was really beginning to get to him. He didn't know if he'd be able to make it for two or three more weeks.

"Don't you think we need to start looking for a bigger place?" Gary tried to start a conversation to take his mind off the waiting. "I can look while I'm out every day."

Kate smiled. "Are we going to have this conversation, again? Honey, I love you for wanting to give us the moon. But we're going to stay right here because for our lives, it makes the most sense. And besides, Cat likes it here."

She looked over at her nervous love. "I have an idea to help take your mind off of things."

"Really?" he asked, relishing the thought.

"Really," she smiled that same smile that made him fall in love with her that first night he saw her at McGinty's. "But you have to eat your dinner first." And she began to munch on her cookie. "Your body needs the nutrition."

After a few moments of silence while the two ate, Kate announced, "I ordered the bassinettes." They should arrive on Friday. We have plenty of room for them next to our bed. At least while the babies are so small, we won't have far to go in the middle of the night."

"Well, that's fine while the babies are little, but we can't stay here forever," he raked his fingers through his hair. He really was nervous.

Kate reached for his hand and gave it a calm and reassuring squeeze. "We'll get a Murphy bed when the twins are older. They have twin models. This flat is the perfect location for you, Honey. You know me. I'm all into minimal. We are going to be just fine right here for a long time. You'll see." And she smiled at him.

"How can you be so sure of everything?" Gary smiled back at her, amazed at her positive attitude about life and everything.

"Because," she kept smiling. "I just know."

After Gary finished his meal, Kate encouraged him to go and take a long, hot shower before bed while she tidied up the kitchen. Once again, Gary's wife was right. The hot, steamy water worked wonders on his aching limbs.

He emerged from the bathroom in his bathrobe, feeling so much better than when he went in, and he noticed all the lights were out except for some candles scented of lemon grass near the bed. Music played softly in background, and his beautiful bride lay in wait for him on the bed.

"So, you really have an idea about keeping my mind off of things?" Gary said in a low voice while crawling into bed next to Kate.

"I really do," she purred, gazing into his eyes that reflected the glow of the candlelight.

Gary came in closer until their lips met, and he wrapped her in his arms. Their kissing became deeper, matching a growing need to come together. Their tongues melted their kiss with Kate tasting the peppermint of her husband's toothpaste.

He gently stroked her long, luxurious dark hair that had grown quite a bit longer during her pregnancy, as they continued their kiss. Kate untied the belt to Gary's robe and pushed it off his shoulders, revealing his warm body that smelled so good, so clean. Her hands explored his firm, muscular arms and back, as he responded in spasms to her soft and sensual touch. His breathing became heavier, proportional to his rising desire.

Kate's breasts had become fuller with each passing month of her pregnancy, and Gary was enamored with her new, more feminine form. He loved touching her breasts that had become even more sensitive. The two became lost in their kisses and in their touch and in their breath.

Gary's breathing turned into low moans of pleasure as his desire continued to rise. Kate ached to feel her husband inside her. While continuing their kissing, she slowly positioned her very pregnant form on top of his. He was ready; she was ready, and soon they were one.

He moved against her, and then with her until their passions climbed higher and higher … until they fell into a trembling release. All the pressure of the day dissipated into nothingness.

"You really do," Gary whispered in breathless relief. "You really do."

Gary turned over onto his side and spooned his pregnant wife, as the two drifted into the most blissful sleep he'd had in some time.

The next morning ….

At 6:30 a.m. sharp, the alarm rang. Gary opened his eyes to find he was in bed, alone. Startled, he looked around to find Kate on the sofa.

"Kate?" he called out, trying to modulate the tone of his voice. "Babe, are you alright?" he asked as he stepped out of bed.

Then, he heard the sound of the paper hitting the door jam and Cat's meow.

His wife was sitting up and spoke as he neared the sofa. "I started having contractions. I called the doctor, and we're to wait until they are 5 minutes apart." Kate appeared to be very calm.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Gary nervously raked his fingers through his hair.

"Because there was no point in waking you. This could take hours," she explained to the new father.

"I wouldn't have cared. You shouldn't be going through this alone," Gary explained how it was to her.

"You were so tired last night, Honey. I wanted you to get as much rest as you could before the Paper arrived," she spoke softly. Then, she winced as another contraction began.

"Kate!" Gary reacted, going down on his knees next to her and taking her hand in his. He caressed her face and stroked her hair until it was over. Taking a hard swallow, he asked, "How far apart are they now?"

Glancing at her watch, she answered, "10 minutes apart."

"Well that's close enough for me," Gary said. And he stood and began to pace so he could think. "I think we should get you to the hospital. My God, we're having twins."

"Honey, what about the Paper?" Kate asked in all sincerity. You need to see what the day holds. Marissa and Crum can get me to the hospital.

"Oh, no," Gary laughed nervously, shaking his head. "No Paper today." And he went to the phone and began quickly punching in numbers. "Dad? Dad, I need your help,"

Kate looked at her husband in disbelief.

Gary, continued, "Kate is in labor, and I need you to watch the Paper so that I can go to the hospital."

"Thank you, Dad," Gary said with a sigh of relief. "I'll leave the Paper with Marissa." Then, he hung up the phone.

"Honey," Kate began. "You haven't even looked at the Paper; you don't know what the morning holds."

"And I'm not going to," Gary explained. "Not today. Not the day our babies will be born. I'm not leaving you, Kate. Yesterday, I thought I would go out of my mind." And he went back to her, knelt down and took her in his arms. "I'm not leaving you, today."

As he held her tight, he whispered, "I love you."

Cradled in Gary's strong arms, Kate breathed much easier as the next contraction began.

Still 10 minutes apart, Gary went into the bathroom and quickly got himself dressed and ready for the day. He helped Kate do the same, and then, he gathered up her hospital bag. As they left their flat, stepping over the Paper, the two carefully made their way down the stairs towards McGinty's.

"Gary?" Marissa asked as she heard the commotion.

"Marissa." Gary said, he was breathing hard. "Kate's gone into labor."

Marissa smiled. "Oh, how exciting!"

"Here, Babe, you sit right here while I get a cab," Gary instructed as he helped his wife sit down.

"Marissa, my folks are on their way here. Dad is going to take care of the Paper," Gary informed his partner. "It's right outside my door upstairs. I haven't touched it."

"You're kidding?" Marissa smiled broadly.

"What?" Gary looked at her, confused. His mind was going ninety miles a minute in too many directions.

"Oh, nothing," Marissa continued to smile. "I think it's wonderful." And she thought to herself that she'd always wondered exactly what it would take for Gary to voluntarily take a day off from the Paper. And this was it. "Weren't you going to hail a cab?" Marissa asked.

"A cab, oh, yeah," Gary was beginning to get flustered. And he went out the front door.

"How does he look?" Marissa asked Kate.

"A little green under the gills," Kate teased. "It's a good thing we're going to the hospital."

"Yeah," Marissa kept smiling. "I don't think he's ever been this excited. I mean, this is it … this is his dream … to have children, to have a family of his own." After a pause, she added, "He loves you, Kate. He truly, truly loves you."

"I know," Kate answered in a calm but sure fashion. "And I truly, truly love him, too."

Then, Gary came back in to announce a cab was waiting outside, just as Kate began having another contraction. Gary and Marissa helped talk her through this one. When it was over, Gary helped Kate stand and then, to the cab. Her contractions were now 8 minutes apart.

Northwestern Hospital

Maternity Floor

All checked into the birthing suite, Gary and Kate settled in for the duration. Kate's contractions were now 5 minutes apart.

Gary unpacked some items for Kate to have during the labor, running a mental check list through his mind. "I called Candice. She's going to schedule a flight out after the baby's are born. I guess everyone is into false labor but us."

"Oh, this isn't false labor, Honey," Kate assured him, as another contraction began. "We're definitely having our babies today."

After the contraction was over, Gary resumed going through his checklist. "We're agreed on the names?" he went over this point as methodically as he went over many others. "Zoey Elizabeth and Ezekial James, but we're calling him Zeke, right?"

"Yes, you've always had your heart set on Zeke," Kate said. "Zeke it is. I think Zoey is cute complimentary name."

As the next contraction began, now less than 3 minutes apart, Kate said, "Zoey and Zeke are coming fast. You'd better ring for the nurse."

About and hour later, Kate delivered Zoey first at 5 pounds, 2 ounces, and then a few minutes later came Ezekiel at 4 pounds 12 ounces. Their Apgar scores were very good, everything looked great. Gary was there to deliver the babies and cut their umbilical cords. To say he was in awe would have been an understatement. He was in awe of his wife, what she knowingly put herself through again, for him. He actually had tears in his eyes, as did Kate, when they saw the babies for the first time. He kissed her over and over again. The love in that room could have filled Soldier Field.