Chapter 9: Countdown

Of course there was a betting pool again. But Jamie didn't mind. In fact, she was amused about the ideas the crew had about names for the baby. Some crew members were close, but no one had managed to guess it right by now. Most people assumed the girl was going to be named Georgia or Georgina. And for some reason Victoria was in second place, followed by Leona and Eleonora. Christina was somewhere at the bottom at the list.

Sulu also ran more ideas by Jamie during the shifts on the bridge the next weeks. There were actually some really good ones among them.

The McCoy-Family back on Earth was also excited and Joanna had a few ideas on her own how she would like to call her sister. Jamie and Leonard kept the chosen name also a secret from them.

"Pleeeeeaaase, let me help you picking out the name for my sister", Joanna nagged from the view screen in the captain's quarters.

Jamie laughed. "Pumpkin, we have it already, but it shall be a surprise."

"But whyyyyyy?" Joanna pouted, more acted than real. "I wanna know what to call her."

"Oh, Jo-Jo", Leonard started with a chuckle, "you'll learn the name in a few weeks. She'll be born soon."

The twelve year old showed another pout. "I know you're gonna name her after Grandma. Why don't you admit it? That would be awesome, I could call her Nori." Now she grinned. "But it would be also great if it was something with J. Like my name and Jamie's. We would be the three Js."

Jamie laughed again. "Jo, you gotta decide. Do you want to know the name or do you want to have her the name you like?"

That threw Joanna off a little. "I, uhm... uh... both?"

Jamie and Leonard exchanged a look.

"I think, you'll like the name," Jamie finally said.

Eleonora McCoy stepped next to Joanna. "Joanna, you should start your homework now."

"But, Grandma, I wanna talk to Mama and Dad a little more."

Eleonora gently stroked over the girl's dark hair. "You can call them tomorrow again and you'll see them in a few weeks when they visit us with your newborn sister."

Joanna huffed a little, but nodded. She waved. "Bye, Mama. Bye, Daddy."

"Bye", Jamie and Leonard said in unison when the girl ran off.

"So..." Eleonora started. "I won't ask like Joanna or - as I am sure - the rest of you crew. I say just this: As much as I'd be honored, you don't need to name the baby after me. Please don't feel obliged to do so."

Jamie gave her a warm smile. "We know."

Her mother-in-law returned the smile. "See you soon."

Jamie and Leonard nodded, said their goodbyes and ended the connection.

"So, do we need to revise our decision?" Leonard asked, placing a hand on the very round belly of his wife.

She tilted her head. "Why would we?"

"Well, you said yourself how many nice names popped up over the last weeks."

Jamie put on a Mona-Lisa-smile. "Or we could just throw in a few more names?"

Leonard laughed. "Sure. Because Christina Eleonora Kirk-McCoy won't be long enough as it is."

Jamie punched him gently. "Hey! You were okay with both our last names."

Leonard placed a kiss at her temple. "More than okay."

She sighed and rubbed her belly. "I can't wait to meet her..."

Leonard stepped behind his wife and enwrapped her in his arms, covering her hands with his.

Jamie leant back against him. "Tomorrow's my last day on the bridge..."

He wasn't quite sure how to interpret those words. Sad? Happy? Both? "Just for a few months", he finally said.

She relaxed a little more. "I know... but I'm already missing it... although my back's killing me in the command chair and I'm actually glad that I'll have some time to prepare for her arrival." She suddenly chuckled. "You know, she won't be the only baby on the ship for long, do you?`"

Leonard kissed her neck and smiled. "Yeah. Lieutenant Warren's pregnant and Ensign Carrington, too."

"I guess Carrington might leave the ship. But Warren said she wants to stay. I think there will be more pregnancies in the future, so I might do some planning in the next weeks. Perhaps we could turn some rooms near Medbay into a Daycare."

Leonard laughed. "You can't sit still, can you? Not even off duty and already searching for a project, so you won't be bored. But, Darlin', believe me, you'll have enough to do with yourself and our baby."

"I know..." she whispered, pressing her back now more against him and starting to move a little.

He let out a light gasp when her movements went straight to his groin. "Planning something, Darlin'?"

She giggled. "Maybe?"

He decided to test his theory and trailed his fingers slowly from her belly to her breasts. A moan and her writhing in his arm was answer enough.

"Okay, fine..." Jamie admitted gasping under the movements of his hands. "I want you right now." She freed herself from his arms, zipped her uniform dress open and let it slide to the floor while walking towards the bedroom area.

Leonard followed her immediately.


The last shift before maternity leave was... weird. It was a normal, almost boring day. And it was like Jamie and Leonard assumed: She was sad, but looking forward of becoming a mother at the same time.

"So, this is it then..." she said and pressed a button on the arm rest of the command chair. "Captain's log, supplementary. My last shift is over and I'm entering maternity leave now. Commander Spock will be Acting Captain of the Enterprise for the next three to four months. Kirk out."

She slowly rose and ran a hand over her eight-month-baby-belly. "Spock, the chair is yours now."

The commander stepped next to her. "I expect you'll visit the bridge quite often?"

Jamie just grinned and there were a few chuckles all around. Everyone knew she wouldn't be able to stay away and drop in.

She took a good look around and placed one hand on her belly again. She felt the fabric of the uniform she would wear the last time today. The next weeks and months meant civil clothing...

... which had it perks as she realized a few days later. And it made Sulu send out some Pink Alerts.

Since Jamie's belly didn't fit into her husband's comfortable blue uniform shirts anymore and even his Ole Miss shirts had become too small she had some other clothes now. He favorite, bringing a Pink Alert, was a shirt with the words Be careful, don't eat water melon seeds.

But she wore also Does this shirt make me look pregnant? quite often.

She had a blue shirt with Doctor's Daughter Inside in addition to the pink one with for her announcement that the baby was a girl, too.

For the Doctor Who fans among the crew her "I swallowed a planet" shirt was the highlight.

And just to mess a little with the betting pool Jamie walked around in a shirt with about two dozen girl names printed all over the round belly.


The time until the birth was going by slowly. Jamie had set up everything for the baby very fast. Now she had the feeling she was just sitting around and waiting. She visited the bridge, Medbay or Engineering, but no one would let her help. She felt like she was going crazy. And the due day was still seven days away.

Leonard was currently off-planet with an away team and she wished she could have beamed down with them to have a change of scenery or to make herself useful.

But instead Jamie was pacing the hallways or sitting on the observation desk. Like now. And she didn't sometimes know anymore how sit or lay with her big belly.

Especially now. She was sitting on observation deck with an old fashioned book. But she constantly shifted, laid even down, not being able to find a comfortable position on the couch.

She sighed and cursed silently. She put the book aside and tried to press and rub the backache away. But it appeared to get even worse.

Finally Jamie got up and started walking up and down a few steps in the hope that it would help.

She huffed and contemplated if she should go to Medbay and ask M'Benga if he could give her something. She decided to do it before the pain drove her crazy and dropped the book off in her quarters on the way there.

"Jamie", M'Benga greeted her when he saw her entering Medbay. "What can I do for you?"

"I've got some backache again. It's worse than ever. I can't sit or lay down anymore. It's really annoying."

The doctor adjusted the tricorder he was already holding in his hands and started to scan her. He chuckled. "Backache, hm?"

Jamie put a hand on her back and tried to press her fingers against the aching again. "Yes", she answered and frowned. "Why, what does the scan say?"

M'Benga looked at her and smiled. "Oh, not much. Only that you're in labor."

She just stared at him.