Chapter Three- February

It seemed like no time at all before February was here. Anthony was growing fast. He could roll onto his front when he was on the floor. We had to keep an eye on him more. He was also sleeping on his own in the nursery which had been hard to get used to. Sometimes, Daniel would be up before me he would go and bring James and put him in the bed with us. These moments were precious. Daniel was back at work again now so the moments we had as a family were important. But when Daniel wasn't at work, I had plenty of visitors to keep me busy. If it wasn't Dad and Mum, it was Keira (Daniel's younger sister) or Sally or Emily.

February was also important for another special reason. Emily Lestrade had her first child at the end of the month. Here's how it went:

It was late February and I was out walking round the park with Anthony. I liked to have him out in the fresh air and he was good company. I got a call as I was on the bus home. It was from Sally. She told me that Emily had gone into labour and that I should get to the hospital quickly. (I was her birthing partner along with Sally). I got off the bus at the next stop and walked to the tube line. I got on and went to Euston Square. I had texted Dad to meet me outside the hospital and he was there. He had promised to look after Anthony for me.

"Thanks for doing this Dad." I said as I handed him the pram. "He's got his dummy and nappies in the changing bag. If you need a change of clothes, text Dan and he should bring you something. Um, he'll probably need feeding around one this afternoon and then he should sleep after that. Any problems just call."

"Abi, I got this, it's ok. You go help your friend." Dad said, kissing me on the cheek.

"You sure?" I said.

"Yes!" he laughed, "Now go!"

I smiled and went to Anthony. "Bye bye, kid. Mummy loves you. Be good for Grandpa Sherlock." And I gave him a kiss.

"Thanks Dad. See you soon." And I ran off into the building.

The hospital was huge. I had no idea where I was going so I went to reception.

"Hey." I said to the receptionist. "I'm looking for the labour ward. Can you tell me where it is?"

"Are you family?" she asked.

"I'm her sister in law and her birthing partner." I said.

"Ok, you need to go to the second floor. Obstetrics is the sign you are looking for."

"Thank you!" and I ran off to the second floor.

Sally was waiting for me outside.

"I'm sorry. I was walking round Hyde Park with Anthony when I got your text. Has much happened?"

Sally shook her head. "We've got her admitted and she's just getting settled as best she can right now." Sally led me through the ward. "Who's got the little man?" she asked.

"Dad and Mum if she's at home." I said. "Dad met me outside the hospital and took him."

"He'll be ok." Said Sally touching my arm.

"I know. This is the first time I've been away from him is all. But I'm here to help Emily." I said smiling.

Johnny stepped out of the relative room as we walked past.

"Oh Abi!" he said, "I'm so glad you're here!" and he gave me a hug.

"I'm glad she asked me." I said, hugging him back. "How are you?"

"Excited, nervous, terrified. Mainly for her. I'll sort myself out when it's all over."

I smiled at him. Just then a midwife came out to find us.

"Sally and Abigail?" she asked. We nodded. "You can come in now." And she went back into Sally's room.

"Good luck." I said to Johnny, giving him a quick hug as we left.

As we entered Emily's room, I was struck by how homely it seemed. Emily had gone out of her way to make it look not like a hospital. She was lying on the bed and smiled wearily as we entered.

"Hey." I said softly.

"You made it." She sighed offering her hand to me. I held it tightly.

"Of course I did. I would have crossed hell and high water to get here." I smiled at her.

She laughed. "Who has the little man?"

"Sherlock and Molly." I said. "Who has Claire?"

"My parents in Surrey. I've been staying with Em for a few days so that I didn't have far to come." She explained.

"Luckily, I was in London this morning." I said smiling. "Dan's back at work so I took Anthony for a walk round Hyde Park."

"Very nice." Emily said, "Did he enjoy it?" She winced slightly as another contraction hit her.

"Yeah. He was all wrapped up in the snow suit you and Johnny bought him for Christmas and he was awake and looking around. He doesn't like birds at the moment."

Sally, Emily and I laughed.

"Do you remember when we all met for the first time?" asked Sally.

Emily and I nodded.

"Didn't your dad have a summer party and we were all invited?" asked Emily. "It was a Saturday in July, scorcher of a day and by the end of it, we were chucking jugs of water over each other?"

I smiled. "Yep. That was it. I had to fight to get Sherlock to go cause obviously I was just a foster kid then so I couldn't go wandering around London by myself. But eventually he agreed and we came. I was so nervous."

"Why?" asked Emily.

"She hadn't seen myself or Johnny for what 6 years?"

"Seven. The last time we had seen each other was in a school hall on July 7 2005. I had no idea what they looked like then or what they would be like as people. I had no idea. Yet when we saw each other, it was just like old times."

We all thought for a minute and then Emily got another contraction. "Think of something else!" she gasped, "It helps!"

"Remember when we all got our GCSEs?" I said. "We all looked so pale and awful when we went in."

"Yeah, that's cause Daniel had convinced us we were all going to fail!" Sally said.

I laughed, "I forgot he was an arse in year 11!" I said. "The teachers were amazing and kept us happy all morning, even if we had done appallingly."

"But none of us did." Said Sally.

"I came out with 2As 6Bs and 2Cs." I said, trying to remember.

"4As 6Bs." Sally said.

"2A*s, 5As and 3Bs." Said Emily.

"And now look at us, an Anthropologist in labour, a police officer with a two year old and a student midwife on maternity leave!" commented Sally.

"Who would have thought that this is how life would be?" said Emily.

"We wouldn't have had it any other way!" I said.

"No, that is true." Emily laughed.

Just then the midwife came over to examine Emily. I looked at my two best friends. We had done everything together, always. There was no way anyone could have separated us.

"She's almost ready." Said the midwife.

Emily looked worried. I held her hand again. "This bit is the hard bit. I won't lie to you. But we're here and we're not going anywhere ok. So if it hurts, you squeeze down on my hand ok?"

Em nodded and looked calmer. For five seconds anyway before another contraction hit her. She squeezed down on our hands hard and screamed out.

"Breath," I told her, "Just breathe. It helps to calm you down."

Emily slowed her breathing down and she looked a lot calmer. Sally was stroking her arm.

"When the next pain hits, just focus on your breathing." I said.

"Or take some gas and air." Said Sally, "You'd be hilarious on Entonox." She said laughing. I hit her on the arm. "Hey!" she said.

"Not funny Sal." I looked at Em, "Though you would be pretty funny."

Emily glared at the two of us. "Thanks guys."

Sally reached for the gas and air as Emily braced herself for the next contraction. She reached for the tube from Sally's hand and breathed it in deeply. She moaned softly as the drug helped her to relax and the pain dissipated. For the next few hours this is what happened. A couple of times I left the room to update Johnny. Daniel had got off of work and was sat with him trying to calm him down and distract him. Then at around one thirty the following morning, the midwife told her that she was ready to push. Emily looked exhausted. 8 hours in labour that had been going nowhere had taken its toll on her. Sally and I were pretty tired too but the news that we could see a baby in the next few hours had us boosted again.

"Come on Em!" I said, encouragingly. "This is the last bit. You'll have your baby in no time. Ok? Just think about that."

Emily nodded weakly and shifted herself. The midwife was down between her legs again.

"Ok, Emily, on your next contraction, I need you to push." She said.

"It's ok, Em, we're here all the way." Said Sally. "Just hold our hands."

Emily squeezed down, time after time for a solid hour. By that time all of us were drained. It was now half four in the morning.

"Emily, the head is crowning. I need small pushes now, baby ones." Said the midwife. Emily panted softly as her baby's head was born.

"Ok, on the next contraction, I need one big push. One last push for me Emily. Do you hear me?" Emily nodded. She screwed her eyes up tight, clenched down on our hands and pushed with all of her might, screaming loudly.

It went silent for a few seconds.

Then, a piercing cry filled the room. Emily gasped as she heard her baby's cry for the first time. Sally and I chucked, tears in our eyes. I patted her shoulder and smiled.

"You have a boy!" said the midwife, holding him up for us to see.

"A boy?" Emily said, hardly daring to believe it.

"Congratulations Em!" said Sally, giving her a hug.

"Thanks. I have a boy!" she said smiling.

"Well done Em!" I said, hugging her also.

"Thanks Abi. Could you go out and tell Johnny that he has a son?"

I nodded and left the room. Once outside, I breathed a sigh of relief, mum and baby had made it through ok and Emily had a baby boy. I walked, almost ran, to the relatives room, where Johnny and Dan were.

"It's a boy!" I said smiling widely at Johnny. "You have a son!"

Johnny gasped in amazement as Dan clapped him on the back.

"Congrats mate!" he said smiling.

"Can I go see her?" he asked.

"Yeah sure!" I said and he ran out of the room.

I looked at Dan. He was smiling and as handsome as ever. I walked over to him and hugged him tightly.

"I love you, you know that?" I said looking up into his brown eyes.

"I love you too. How's Emily?" He asked.

"Exahusted." I said, "But happy!"

"I bet." He said. "How are you?"

"Shattered." I said.

"Let's get you home then." He replied, kissing me, softly. I kissed him back.

Daniel took me home and I fell asleep until eleven that morning. After a quick shower, change of clothes and a quick bite to eat, we drove to Dad's to pick up Anthony and tell them the news and then we went to the hospital so that Daniel could meet his nephew and Anthony could meet his cousin.

We got up to the ward and Johnny showed us to the room. Emily was lying in the bed with her son in her arms. She looked up as she saw us enter the room.

"Hey." She said softly.

"Hey you!" I said back, "Look at you mummy!"

Emily laughed. "He's perfect." She said looking down at her son, "Completely perfect."

"Hey, Emily." Said Daniel, "Can I?"

"Yeah sure." She said, holding her son up for Daniel to take.

"What have you called him?" I asked.

"Elijah." She said, "Elijah James."

"That's a beautiful name." said Daniel.

"Thanks."

"Anthony, meet your cousin." I said, wandering over to Daniel, holding Anthony. "Elijah."

Anthony looked for a minute at the baby sleeping in his father's arms, almost as if he was thinking about something. He then held out his hand and put it on Elijah's head.

Emily and Elijah came home the next day and we all went to theirs to celebrate.

A new baby had joined our ever growing family.