Gene wasn't sure just how such a "joyous" occasion could be accompanied by so much screaming. Or swearing. Or blood. It was his first time at a birth, Sarah had insisted that he stayed outside for Sophie's and Georgia's. Yet another difference between his ex and Alex: when he had suggested standing outside this time, the look Alex gave him had a very clear meaning. So, here he was, with his hand about to be squeezed off, putting up with all manner of abuse- and loving every second of it.
"C'mon, one more push now, darlin', there's a good girl." Smiled the overly cheery nurse at the foot of the bed. What right had she to be so bloody cheerful? Especially at 3 in the morning. But, Alex obeyed, and suddenly a second crying sound filled the room.
"Congratulations, you have a little baby girl!"
Half an hour later.
She's beautiful."
"I know."
"Absolutely perfect."
"Yeah." Tearing his eyes away from the perfect little bundle in his girlfriend's arms, Gene whispered:
"You did really well, Bolls. I'm really proud of you."
"You make it sound like I arrested someone!" The two of them smiled at each other.
"No, I mean it. Really well. She's…"
"Amazing? Wonderful? Brilliant? Is there one superlative you haven't used yet?" Gene gave the matter some thought and eventually shook his head.
"No- no I don't think there is." The three of them sat in comfortable silence for awhile, each lost in their own thoughts.
Gene reflected on the fact that he now had another daughter, and wondered whether or not he should ring Georgia and tell her she was a big sister. He also considered just how much the child looked like him: he knew all babies had blue eyes, but hers seemed special, like they were his. He did admit that at first he'd been reluctant to believe that the baby was his when Alex first told him the news, as much as she'd babbled on about dates and stuff Gene didn't understand, well, the way she'd behaved in her first few months in CID proved she'd had no trouble 'adjusting' as it were. But her eyes- her eyes would never change from the way they were at that moment-
"Perfect."
Alex also wondered about her other daughter. Evan would take care of Molly, but that didn't stop her worrying: any mother worries when separated from her offspring, and Alexandra Victoria Drake was no different. She hoped Molly'd be happy, and Alex would probably wonder what her little girl would look like as a woman until the day she died. Above all, she wished she could see Molly again, but by now she realised it wasn't possible, and was beginning to accept it.
And the baby? The baby prayed it would get a name soon, and wondered who those two strange people were hovering over her. But, obviously it mustn't have bothered her that much as a few moments after she'd dimly registered the strangers that she drifted off to sleep, accompanied by soft coos from her mother.
"She needs a name." Murmured Alex, shifting the baby's weight to her other arm.
"Well, this… this is going to sound stupid, but…"
"Go on, Gene."
"Could we call her Samantha?" Alex smiled at the DCI she'd fallen in love with, and gently stroked their child's forehead.
"It suits her." she said in an almost whisper.
"Samantha Rose Hunt?"
"Samantha Rose Hunt."
