Rifiuto: Non Mirena

A/N: This chapter is the reason for the M rating, though I really tried to keep it to T. I swear, I tried. If I need too, I'll remove it.

Rain pounded on the windows, begging entry, only to be denied. She winced, wrapping her arms around her belly. Moments passed before her eyes snapped open and she choked out a gasp. A soft whimper escaped her lips as she pulled the covers from her body and scooted to the edge of the bed, legs dangling over the side; she couldn't deny the slickness sliding down her thighs any longer, and bit her lip, fingers curling tight around sheets beneath her. She took deep, controlled breaths, before pushing herself up and making her way from the bedroom.

"Zane?" Her husband sat on the sofa, putting the finishing touches on their baby's scrapbook, the soft strains of their song playing quietly in the background. He looked up, and instantly, his eyes sparked with worry. He was off the sofa, the scrapbook forgotten with one look at her face.

"It's time, isn't it?" He asked softly, wrapping an arm gently around her waist. She nodded, giving him a strained smile.

"Yeah. My... my water broke..."

"I'll call Zoe, and then shall I get everything ready or would you prefer to go to the infirmary, Jo?" AIDA asked. The laboring young woman shook her head.

"No. A... a homebirth, like we planned." Jo had made up her mind, not long after finding out that she was pregnant, to have a homebirth. The roots of her descision were ingrained in her life before Eureka- she herself had been born at home, as had her older brothers, her mother and aunts. When she was little, her mother had told her stories about how calm it had been the night she'd been born- with the patter of rain on the roof and the soft strains of The Drifters' number one hit playing softly in the background. Her brothers had always associated this song with her, and she'd always thought of it as hers. This was a special night- as special as her the day she'd gotten married; another milestone, and like every other milestone in her life, that song had always been there, and it would be here tonight, as she and Zane became parents.

"Zoe said she'll be right over."

"Thank you, AIDA." Zane replied, helping Jo onto the sofa. She leaned over, groaning softly as her labor began.

"Zane? Jo?" The door to forty-twenty Coriolis Loop swung shut behind the young woman, and she quickly rushed towards the voices in the living room.

"That's it, Jojo. Breathe, that's my good girl."

"How far is she?" Zoe asked, dropping her things on the floor and kneeling beside Jo.

"Started... about an hour ago..." The older woman whimpered, squeezing Zane's hand. He rubbed her back, pressing a fervent kiss to her temple. Zoe checked her over quickly, before noting the soft melody playing in the background.

"Michael Buble?" Jo nodded. "Nice." She watched Zane jump as Jo squeezed his hand, a cry of pain escaping her throat, and was suddenly brought back to the situation at hand. "Okay, um... let's get you in a more comfortable position, okay, Jo?"

"Are you sure you're qualified for this, Zoe?" Jo asked, as the younger woman helped her to her feet.

"I'm a certified midwife and doula, Jo. And I'm doing my OB residency at GD, remember? I'm plenty qualified. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you, Zo." The other woman replied as they helped her up the stairs to her and Zane's bedroom. The trio was forced to stop several times on their way as contractions stopped Jo in her tracks more than once, but they finally made it.

"We said a waterbirth, right? Or just a regular homebirth?" Zoe asked, coming back into the room with the things she'd left in the living room. AIDA was playing the soft tune throughout the house, having downloaded it from Jo's ipod onto her harddrive. Jo looked at Zane, who shrugged and resumed his rubbing of her back.

"Um..." Jo stopped, doubling over as a contraction grabbed hold. She struggled not to cry out, and Zoe was suddenly on her other side, rubbing her back and brushing her sweaty hair out of her eyes.

"Deep breaths, Jo. Deep breaths. You can scream, there's no rule in childbirth that says you can't scream. It's perfectly natural." Zoe whispered soothingly to her friend. A moment passed, before Jo did as told, her screams slicing the air. "That's a good girl, Jo. That's a good, good girl. Now, why don't you lay back and let me check you." As Jo did as told, Zoe pulled on a pair of hospital gloves, watching as Jo tiredly lifted her legs.

"I just want it to be over." She panted, turning to meet her husband's eyes.

"It will be, Jojo. Soon." The sound of Zoe getting off the bed and removing her gloves brought them both back to the present.

"You're nearly five centimenters, Jo. Why don't you get up and walk around, that'll help progress your labor."

"How did my mom do this? How did Allison do this?"

Zane chuckled softly and continued his rubbing of her back. He didn't say anything, just continued tending to his wife. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, with Jo crouched between his legs, leaning back against him. She rested her head against his chest, one hand gripping tightly to his thigh. Gently, he reached up, running his fingers through his wife's black hair, brushing it away from her eyes. She tilted her head back, looking up at him, taking quick, shallow breaths as the contraction ripped through her body.

"That's my Josefina." He whispered, continuing to stroke her hair. "You're doing good." He pressed a swift, gentle kiss to the top of her head, and she shut her eyes tight, digging her nails into the skin of his thigh as the next contraction hit. Zane barely winced, concern for his wife winning out. Once the contraction passed, he gently pushed her forward. "Come on, let's get you up and walking around again."

She rested against him, arms around her husband. Zane pressed a firm kiss to her hair, tightening his grip on his wife. They swayed gently to the music; every so often, Jo would tense as another contraction wrapped itself around her body, and she'd tighten her grip on his shirt. They'd walked up and down the hallway, stopping whenever a contraction hit. Eventually, they returned to the bedroom, and after Zoe checked her progress, Zane helped her to her feet, pulling her into his arms. The gentle swaying helped calm Jo down, and he found himself humming along to their tune.

She whimpered, shifting in his embrace; he never stopped swaying. "You know I love you so. So, so much. I'll never let you go, Jojo. I promise." He pressed a firm kiss to her head, and she chuckled softly as the contraction released her.

"What about her?" She asked softly, referring to the reason she was in this pain in the first place. He scoffed.

"I'll never let her go either. Neither one of you." She let her eyes close briefly, relishing the feel of his arms around her and his heartbeat in her ear. This would most likely be the last time they'd get to do this for a long time, and she treasured it. Their daughter would be here soon.

"This is nice." He nodded at her soft whisper, catching sight of Zoe snapping a picture out of the corner of his eye. He gave the younger Carter a small smile, which she returned. He had to make sure that image made it into the scrapbook. They continued to dance slowly to the music, before Jo whispered, "It's not exactly a salsa." He chuckled.

"No salsaing. Not with the state you're in, Jojo. Not for a while. Content yourself with this. You'll be back to salsaing soon. I promise." Her breathy chuckle made his heart flutter and he gripped her firmer.

"I'm holding you too that, Donovan." She pulled away to look up at him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, before she cried out and pulled away, doubling over. "Zoe?" The young doctor was at her friend's side in the blink of an eye. "They aren't... stopping..."

"That's because you're nearly dialated- or fully. Either way, it's time we got you settled." With Zoe's help, they managed to get the heavily laboring young woman to the bed, where a copious amount of pillows waited for her. Zane slipped behind her, holding his wife in his arms as she slid her legs up. Zoe pulled on a fresh pair of gloves and gently pried Jo's knees apart. "Jo, take deep breaths, okay?"

"I have been, Zoe! They don't help!" She snapped. The young doctor nodded.

"Well they're going to have to. And it looks like a waterbirth is out."

"Why is a waterbirth out?" Zane asked, as Jo dug her nails into his hand and let out a pain-filled bellow. Her head lolled back as the pain passed and she hungrily, greedily gulped air into her burning lungs. His blue eyes filled with worry, "Zoe, why is a waterbirth out?" The younger woman glanced at her friend.

"Because she's fully dialated. We don't have time to fix a waterbirth. So Zane, I want you keep her calm, okay?" He nodded, pressing a kiss to his wife's hair. "And Jo, when the next contraction comes, you're going to push. Can you do that for me?" The woman nodded. Zoe took a deep breath. "Ready Jo?" She asked, giving her friend a big, reassuring smile.

An earth-shattering, blood-curdling, pain-filled primal scream cut through the air. Her body screamed in pain, but nothing compared to the torture that was happening between her thighs.

"That's it, Jo! Keep pushing!" She barely registered Zoe's order, nor did she hear the gentle encouragement from her husband for the blood rushing in her ears. The familiar strains of her melody were the only thing she really registered through the massacre her body was going through, and she dug her nails deeper into her husband's flesh. "I can see her." Zoe told her, smile in her voice; Jo choked out a gasp. "You're doing great, Jo!"

Another scream ripped itself from her throat, once again primal and carnal in nature, and she buried her nails even deeper into Zane's hand, cutting right to the bone. His only concern was for his wife, and he gently brushed her hair off her neck. "I love you, Jojo." He whispered, and she tilted her head back, giving him a small, pained smile as she sucked in air and Zane helped her sit up.

"It hurts." She choked out, and Zoe nodded.

"I know. I... I don't know..." Jo and Zane stared at her as she struggled to speak. "What I meant, is that... the head is the biggest part of the baby, and it's always the most painful. That's... what they taught us in... medical school." She amended, and Jo nodded weakly. "I need one more push and then you can rest for a moment, okay?" Another nod, and Jo did as told, before collapsing back in Zane's arms.

"Please tell me that it's over." She choked out, as Zoe gently worked the cord from around the baby's neck.

"Not yet, Jo. You've still got a ways to go, but you're doing great." She chuckled. "She's got a head of black curls, like you." Jo took a deep breath.

"I just want to meet her."

"I know, darling. I do too." Zane whispered, adjusting his hold on her.

"It hurts, childbirth. War was nothing compared to this." He chuckled.

"You're comparing battle to bringing a new life into the world? War doesn't even compare. That's our baby coming into this world."

"Don't forget Donovan, I'm the one who's carried our baby. I'm the one pushing our baby out of my body." She struggled, and Zane quickly helped her into a sitting position. "I'm doing you a major service here, remember? I'm the one... going through all this pain-" She groaned, pushing again, her eyes screwing shut.

"To bring our baby into the world, I know, I know, darling." He finished softly for her. "And I love you for it." He scooted closer to her until she sat back against his chest, refocused his hold on her body and laced their fingers together.

"Zoe, I'm done... you hear me? I'm... done!" She cried, mid-push. Zane hummed softly in her ear, the strains of the melody floating throughout the house. The blonde's head popped up and she scoffed gently.

"You're not done yet, Jo. No matter how much you protest."

"I want you to bear down, Jo! As hard as you can, okay?" Zoe demanded, even as her friend's carnal scream drowned her out. "Come on, Jo! As hard as you can!"

"That's it, sweetheart. You're doing wonderful." Zane whispered.

"Zane!" She choked on his name as she struggled to take a breath, fighting the scream that desperately tried to race up her vocal cords.

"I'm right here, babe. I've got you right here in my arms; I'm not going anywhere." He told her, tightening his grip on her hand, even as she drove her nails further into his skin.

"That's it, Jo! I need you to push again for me! A strong, hard push; that's all I need! Just one more! Come on, Jo!"

"You heard Zoe. One more." Zane whispered. She looked back at him. 'One more?' She mouthed, and he nodded, a smile tugging at his lips, his eyes alight with uncontained eagerness to meet his daughter. "One more, Jojo. That's it. You can do it." She took a deep breath, and he pressed a firm kiss to the dip between her neck and shoulder. She did as ordered, gritting her teeth, eyes screwed shut. "That's it! You're doing good, sweetheart!"

"Harder, Jo!" Zoe ordered; the laboring mother continued to push, one final, very primal scream drowning out all other sound.

"Oh God... oh... God..." She was shaking, her voice raw as she collapsed back in her husband's embrace. Her chest rose and fell almost violently as she desperately, greedily sucked in much desired air. Her head tilted back, and she stared into her husband's eyes, a tired smile on her face. "Hi, Daddy."

He grinned at her. "Hi, Mommy." Then, still holding her hand, he pointed, and she slowly raised her head. "Look." Her exhausted gaze shifted, finally landing on the newborn. Jo's mouth fell open, and she stared in awe at the sight of her daughter, just born and still slick with blood and birth, wailing in her aunt's arms.

"That's her?" Jo asked, never taking her eyes off her daughter. Zane nodded, wrapping his arms around his wife from behind. He pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"That's our baby." He whispered, voice thick with tears. She turned to stare at him, and after a moment, pressed a firm, fervid kiss to his lips. He grinned when they broke the kiss, and rested his forehead to hers. "I love you, Jojo." She whispered it back, as Zoe laid the baby in her mother's arms. She watched as the younger woman quickly cleaned, measured and loosely wrapped the newborn. "There you go, little one. There's your mommy." Zoe whispered, as she laid the baby in her arms and Jo gently adjusted her hold on her daughter.

"She's beautiful." Zoe couldn't hide her smile as the emotion of the last six hours finally came crashing down on her friend.

"You did good, Jo." She reached out, patting her friend's knee. "She's healthy, with a strong set of lungs, like her mama. Seven pounds, five ounces. Not very big by today's standards- certainly not fourteen pounds, which is basically today's standards for newborns- but it's healthy. A good, healthy weight for a newborn baby girl." Zane chuckled.

"Do you always talk this much when you're excited?" The younger woman blushed.

"I got to deliver my best friend's baby. And... yes. I do." He shook his head, giving her a small smile before returning his gaze to his daughter.

"She looks like her mother." He whispered, suddenly struck by the realization that he and Jo had just had a baby. He was a father. The most amazing, most beautiful, most humbling experience had taken place before him, and had changed his life forever- he was a father. "We have a baby." Jo nodded, not trusting her vocal chords. He buried his nose in his wife's sweat-soaked hair, struggling to contain the tears that blurred the beautiful vision in front of him. "Thank you, Josefina." She smiled at the rough whisper, and shifted her hold on the baby, reaching up to stroke her husband's stubbled cheek. Her dark gaze never left the miracle in her arms. The baby stared at her with her father's eyes, and she felt her own well with tears. Zane pressed several firm kisses to the side of her head, before resting his chin on her shoulder, the tears slipping slowly down his cheeks. He whispered soft declarations of love to her, and she took his hand, squeezing firmly.

"She's perfect." Jo whispered, tears sliding down her own cheeks.

"So what's my niece's name?" Zoe asked, pulling the new parents from the awe before them. Zane turned tear-filled eyes to her, and tightened his hold on his wife, pressing a firm kiss to her cheek.

"Clarissa. Clarissa Abigail Donovan. For my mother-in-law." Zoe gave the two a small smile, and raised her phone.

"It's perfect." She whispered, snapping a quick family portrait. As Zane and Jo went back to admiring Clarissa, Zoe quickly sent the photo to everyone in their closeknit group- and which recieved immediate congratulations which she passed on to the new parents- with the caption,

WELCOME THE NEWEST MEMBER OF EUREKA:

MEET CLARISSA ABIGAIL DONOVAN,

BORN MAY SIXTH,

AT 1:15 AM

SEVEN POUNDS, FIVE OUNCES.