Robin groaned in pain as another contraction hit. She was nine centimeters dilated, and the labor was going fast. "Make it stop hurting," she pleaded. Robin couldn't take this pain anymore.
"I'm sorry, Robin. I would if I could," Barney soothed, grabbing his wife's hand. Marshall and Lily were on her other side, and Lily was holding her other hand. Ted and Morgan were out in the waiting room because there were already too many people in the room with Robin.
"I want this to be over soon," Robin sobbed as the contraction finally ended. She knew that contractions would hurt a lot, but she had never expected them to hurt this badly.
"It will be," Lily comforted. She couldn't wait to meet her baby, but she felt horribly for her best friend. Robin's back had been hurting all day, and no one had realized she was in labor until her water broke. She was too far along in the labor to get an epidural, something the group of friends wished she had.
"I love you so much. Everything's going to be okay," Barney said. He didn't want Robin to experience this ever again. If he and his wife had a baby of their own, it would be with an epidural.
"I can't believe women go through this every day," sobbed Robin. She couldn't wait to have Marshall and Lily's daughter. At least the pain would finally be over.
"You're going to be fine soon, Baby." Barney hoped that Robin's labor continued to progress and she gave birth. It was driving him up the wall not being able to help Robin get through this.
The doctor on call –Dr. Davison- came into the room. Robin's regular doctor had been injured in a car accident a few days earlier and hadn't returned to work yet. "How are you feeling, Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson?" she questioned.
"I want this baby out of me," Robin explained, wishing that another contraction wasn't about to hit. Her thoughts didn't deter the next one, however. She groaned in pain again.
"I know you do, Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson. Let me just check to see if you're ready to start pushing yet," Dr. Davison replied.
"You are the best friend ever," Lily told Robin. She and Marshall definitely needed to make this up to Robin somehow. She deserved a gift for willingly going through this pain.
"I hate you all right now," Robin spat out as the contraction finally began to wane. She hated everyone at this very moment. They should all go drown themselves and leave her alone.
"We understand your hate right now," Marshall answered. He couldn't blame Robin for lashing out at everyone in sight. He was a little scared of her, though. Robin in labor was really mean, compared to the hormonally charged pregnant Robin. During her pregnancy, she had had some mood swings that left the group scared, but not like this.
"Sorry, Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson. You're e still nine centimeters dilated. You'll be at ten centimeters soon enough, and then you can start pushing," Dr. Davison explained. She would come back into the room in a half hour.
Robin glared at her. "You're evil." She was really craving some chicken wings right now, but that wasn't an option. At least she could go back to drinking alcoholic beverages soon. She hadn't had anything alcoholic since the first attempt at IVF. That had been over a year ago.
Dr. Davison laughed. "I've heard that a lot. I'll be back in a half hour. I hope you'll work your way to ten centimeters by the time I get back." The doctor left the room and went to go check on another patient.
"I'm hungry," Robin whined. Her only choices were ice chips and the crappy hospital cafeteria food. Robin didn't like those choices very much.
"I'll get you something." Marshall wanted to escape the room, because he was scared of Robin. Besides, he wanted to talk to Ted and Morgan.
"Hurry up," Barney frantically whispered. He didn't think that he and Lily could handle Robin in pain on their own.
Marshall laughed. "I will hurry up. See you three, hopefully four, soon." He practically bolted out of Robin's room and headed towards the waiting room.
"Is the baby here yet?" asked Morgan. She and Ted were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Baby Girl Eriksen. They were also coming up with names for their second child. She was three months pregnant. Morgan and Ted had successfully conceived baby number in Robin's sixth month of pregnancy.
Marshall shook his head. "I had to get out of the room. Robin's scary in labor. I have to go down to the cafeteria to get her something. You two want to go with me?"
"I'm hungry. I'll go with you. You need anything?" Ted asked his wife. He wanted Morgan to eat something despite the morning sickness.
"I'll have some something with chocolate," Morgan answered. She was craving chocolate, and hoped her morning sickness didn't kick in after eating it.
Ted laughed. "Okay," he agreed. He followed Marshall to the elevators and down to the cafeteria to get food for Robin and Morgan.
XXXXXXX
Half an hour later, Dr. Davison returned to Robin's hospital room. She had delivered a baby five minutes after leaving the first time, and wished she was going to deliver another one.
"Is it time to push yet?" asked a hopeful Robin. She didn't feel like pushing, but the contractions seemed to be getting closer and closer together.
"Sorry, but that's a no. I'll check on you in another hour. Maybe you'll be ten centimeters dilated by then. The baby is fine and so are you. I'll see you soon," Dr. Davison replied. She left the room again.
"I can't wait for this baby to be born," Robin informed her husband just before another contraction rippled through her body. She groaned loudly.
"Me neither, Baby. Just breathe," Barney encouraged. He quit talking when everyone in the room glared at him.
"You're not helping. She's going to kill you," Lily hissed. Barney was sometimes helpful at this comforting Robin thing, but he also sucked at it a little bit.
Marshall laughed. "She's in too much pain to kill any of us." He really hoped that Robin had his daughter soon. He couldn't wait to meet his little girl. She was going to be so beautiful.
"Shut up and stay that way!" Robin yelled as the contraction finally went away. She was sick of everyone talking. Why wouldn't they be quiet?
"We're sorry," Barney apologized. He didn't know why he was apologizing, but figured that the apology was needed.
"We're really sorry," Lily tried. At this moment, she was thrilled that she wasn't the one experiencing labor. It seemed to hurt so much.
"We all love you," Marshall told her. He figured he had to try. It couldn't hurt anything, even if Robin was scaring him now.
"And we're so proud of you for doing this," Barney said. He loved Robin so much, and he was still happy about her doing this totally selfless favor for Marshall and Lily.
"I hope you guys like the name I picked out for the baby," Robin said as another contraction passed. She had looked through the baby books for months until she and Barney had chosen the perfect name.
"It'll be beautiful," Lily assured her. She and Marshall had chosen the middle name after the ultrasound. They hoped that it went with the name Barney and Robin had picked out.
Ted and Morgan came into the room. "We decided to visit you," Morgan explained. She and Ted had snuck into the room.
"Are you okay?" asked Ted. He figured she wasn't, but it didn't hurt to ask. Except when Robin was contracting.
"What do you think?" Robin snapped. She couldn't believe how many stupid questions her friends and husband were asking. What was wrong with them?
"Tell her that your sorry," Barney ordered. He didn't want Robin to be mad anymore, although that probably wasn't going to happen anytime soon. She was in a lot of pain.
"I'm sorry." Morgan figured she'd be the one acting like this in six months. She couldn't wait, actually. Meeting her second child was going to be amazing.
"It's okay. You're fine," Robin assured her. She wasn't really mad at anyone, but this hurt way more than she had expected it to. Labor sucked so much.
"See, she likes us," Ted told them. He was glad that he and Morgan had stayed out in the waiting room for a few hours. They had escaped Robin's wrath.
"Not for long," Lily sing-songed. She couldn't wait to see Robin go off on Ted and Morgan soon. Lily needed a break from all the yelling. She wanted to meet her daughter soon, too.
"Don't get her mad," Marshall whispered to his wife. He didn't want Robin to scream at them again. She was scary.
"I'm right here!" Robin snarled. She was sick of everyone talking behind her back when she was in immense pain. They needed to suffer too. Wow, she was mean in labor. No wonder everyone was terrified of her.
"How are you feeling?" Barney questioned. He felt stupid for asking, but Barney was really worried about his wife. He wanted her to have the baby soon so she could stop being in so much pain. He hated seeing her like this.
"Like I want to kick you," Robin answered. She hated being so mean to her husband, but Robin couldn't help it. He was asking really stupid questions.
"That's fair. I love you." Barney kissed his wife, despite the fact that she could probably kill him if she wanted to.
"I love you too," Robin mumbled. Barney was the best thing to ever happen to her, but if they had their own children, she was definitely getting an epidural. Robin was not going to take no for an answer. The doctor would get punched if she didn't get an epidural.
Dr. Davison entered Robin's room. "I came back early. I'm going to take another look, Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson. Hopefully, you've reached ten centimeters and can begin to push." She hoped that Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson was ready to push. Dr. Davison really wanted to go home soon.
"I hope so," Robin muttered. She couldn't take anymore of this pain. Pushing actually sounded really good right now.
"Congratulations. It's time to start pushing. Who's here to stay and who's leaving?" Dr. Davison asked. There were a whole lot of people in her patient's room, and she wasn't sure she liked that.
"I'm here for my wife," Barney declared. He wasn't about to leave Robin now. She was giving birth. He had to be there for that.
"We're the parents, so we're staying," Marshall told her. He and Lily weren't about to leave. They were going to meet their beautiful baby girl.
"I guess we'll go," Ted said, sighing. He didn't mind that much. Marshall, Lily, and Barney deserved to be in the room with Robin. He and Morgan returned to the waiting room, waiting anxiously to hear news.
"Start pushing," Dr. Davison instructed. She was thrilled that Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson's labor had progressed so fast in the amount of time she had been gone.
Robin bore down and began to push. Barney was holding his wife's hand, while Marshall and Lily were holding her other hand. A crack was heard around the room.
"What was that?" questioned Lily. She couldn't believe she was about to be a mommy. Five failed pregnancies had led to a daughter.
"I think she broke my hand," Barney admitted. He very quickly switched hands and gave the other one to his wife to hold.
"Sorry," Robin sobbed as she continued to push. This was so hard. At least she would give birth soon and Marshall and Lily would have a baby.
"It's okay. I don't care. I'll go down to the emergency room soon," Barney comforted. His hand was really throbbing right now.
A few minutes later, Robin was able to stop pushing. "It's a girl. Congratulations, Mrs. Aldrin and Mr. Eriksen," Dr. Davison told them. She did some things with the baby girl, who started to cry, and then handed her to the nurse.
"Congratulations. She's seven pounds, four ounces, and twenty and a half inches long. Her APGAR scores were good," the nurse explained a few minutes later. She handed Baby Girl Eriksen to a crying Lily.
"She's so beautiful," Lily sobbed. She was finally a mother. Lily couldn't believe it. She had a daughter. This was so surreal.
"Thank you so much," Marshall told Robin, looking over his wife's shoulder at the newborn. He was actually a father. It had taken so long to get to this point, and it was worth it.
"You're welcome," Robin answered. She was thrilled that she could do this for her best friends. And that she had finally given birth. Nine months of pregnancy was finally over, and Robin couldn't believe it.
"She's adorable you guys," Barney said to Marshall and Lily. His hand was still throbbing, but he couldn't stop staring at the little girl.
"Thanks, Barney," Lily answered. She couldn't focus on anything but the baby in her arms. She couldn't wait to take her home.
"So what name did you choose?" Marshall asked about twenty minutes later. Ted and Morgan had taken Barney down to the emergency room. Robin had delivered the placenta, and was now resting.
"Can I wait until Barney comes back? Because he helped me with the name and this is important to him," Robin explained. It was so weird to not have a baby inside of her anymore. Robin was used to constant kicking and bathroom trips.
"Of course we can. We've waited this long to have her," Lily replied. She had reluctantly handed the baby off to Marshall, who wasn't giving his daughter up.
About an hour later, Barney finally returned. Marshall and Lily's daughter was sleeping in her incubator, and Robin was fast asleep in her bed. She had finally succumbed to exhaustion.
"How is she?" Barney questioned. His hand was now encased in a cast. Ted and Morgan had followed Barney back up to the room to see the baby again.
"Which one? Your wife or our baby?" asked Marshall. Lily couldn't take her eyes off the baby, which wasn't all that surprising.
"Both," Barney answered. His niece was adorable, especially since his wife had given birth to her and she was Marshall and Lily's daughter.
"I know Robin's asleep right now, but I'm really impatient. What name did you choose for our little girl?" Lily asked. She wanted to hear the name to see if it fit her.
Barney laughed. "The name that Robin and I picked out a few weeks ago is Isabella," he said, finally revealing the secret.
Lily squealed. "Isabella is such a beautiful name!" she cried excitedly. It also went with the middle name. Isabella fit her daughter.
"Robin's going to be mad that you revealed the name when she was sleeping, but it's still pretty," Ted informed Barney, his arm around his wife's shoulder. He and Morgan couldn't wait to go home.
"I think Robin's going to be too exhausted to be mad. Plus, she broke my hand. She'll feel way too guilty about that," Barney replied. He wasn't going to throw it in Robin's face that she had broken his hand, because Barney really didn't mind. Robin had been in way more pain than his broken hand had given him.
"Good point," Ted conceded. He wanted to go home to Christopher. He was having flashbacks to his son's birth right now. Ted really couldn't wait until Morgan had their second baby. He hoped she had a girl. Their family could be complete. It would still be complete with two boys, but a son and a daughter would be nice.
"Why don't you guys go home now?" Lily suggested. She, Marshall, and Barney would probably stay for awhile. Lily really didn't want o leave Isabella. Isabella needed her mommy and daddy.
"I am pretty tired," Morgan admitted. She couldn't wait to go home. And then throw up, like usual, because that's all she seemed to do lately. The first trimester sucked so much.
"See you later. Tell Robin we say bye. Bye, Baby Isabella," Ted cooed. He and Morgan left and decided to head home.
"What's her middle name?" asked Barney. He was curious about it now. He hoped it went with Isabella. She was still sleeping. Isabella already seemed like such a happy baby, and that was pretty cool.
"We're not telling you until Robin wakes up," Marshall replied. He wasn't about to tell anyone that yet. Robin needed to hear the middle name.
"Okay. Whatever. I can't wait to hear her full name. I'm really tired," Barney answered. He didn't know why he had gotten so tired all of a sudden, but it was annoying.
"Lay down. We'll watch Robin and Isabella," Lily promised. She wasn't going to leave Isabella's side for a long time. She and Marshall weren' t sure if they were going to have another baby eventually, but Isabella was enough for now.
Barney nodded and laid down next to his wife in the bed. He quickly fell asleep and began dreaming about his and Robin's own daughter.
He woke up several hours later to find Robin staring at him. "Hi, Barney," she said. Robin was wide awake now. Isabella was in the nursery, and Marshall and Lily had reluctantly gone home to get some rest. They had immediately called their families to tell them the news.
"You feel any better, Baby?" He hoped that she was. Barney didn't want Robin to be in pain anymore. She didn't deserve that.
Robin nodded. "I feel a whole lot better. I'm thrilled to finally have the baby. So you spilled the name?" She didn't mind that Barney had revealed the name. She had been too tired to even remember the name before she fell asleep.
"Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson, would you like to hold your niece?" asked a nurse coming into the room. She realized that the surrogate probably wanted to actually hold the baby she had given birth to.
Robin nodded. "Of course I would. Barney, why don't you go home? I want to be alone for a lttle while. I'll be fine," she explained. She was tired of so many people being around her. Some alone time would be nice.
"Okay. I love you, Robin. I'll be back later," Barney replied. He got up and left the hospital. It was weird not having Robin in the apartment, but she would be home soon.
XXXXXXX
"Hi, beautiful little girl," Robin told Isabella. She couldn't believe that she had given birth to this little girl. She was so glad to have done this for Marshall and Lily.
Isabella didn't say anything. She just stared at her aunt. "I love you, Baby Girl. I know I'm just your aunt, but I'm so happy that I gave you to your mommy and daddy. I'm going to be the best aunt ever. I'm so sad to have to give you up, but I know that you're going to a good home," Robin sobbed. She wished she wasn't crying, but that was to be expected. Post-partum emotions and all that. Plus the fact that she had carried Isabella inside her for nine months.
She handed the baby back to a nurse about five minutes later and went to sleep. Robin woke up feeling a whole lot better than she had before.
"You ready to leave soon?" Barney asked his wife. He couldn't wait to take her home. This was the first time in a long time that they wouldn't have to worry about what she was eating.
"I can't wait to go home," Robin admitted. She would miss Isabella, but the little girl was Marshall and Lily's. Robin would just go over and visit a lot.
Marshall and Lily came into the room. Isabella was in Lily's arms. The new mother still didn't want to let her daughter go. "Hi," Lily said to the two.
"Hi back," Robin replied. She couldn't wait to hold the baby again. However, Robin wouldn't ask to hold Isabella again until later. She figured that Marshall and Lily should hold the little girl they had tried so many times for.
"So are we going to hear Isabella's full name now?" questioned Morgan as she and Ted bolted into the hospital room. Christopher was with Morgan's parents again.
Lily nodded and handed the baby off to Marshall. "Guys, her full name is Isabella Robin Eriksen. Robin did such a great thing for us, and we love her so much for it. You and Barney can take her for overnight visits as much as you want," she explained. Lily already knew how attached Robin was to Isabella, and didn't fault her for that.
Robin began to cry. "Thank you so much. I'm so glad that I did this for you. You guys deserved a baby, and I'm glad I gave Isabella to you. I can't wait to take her for overnight visits." She held her arms out and Marshall gave the baby to her aunt.
"When can you leave?" Morgan asked. She couldn't wait for Christopher and Isabella to meet. He would get some practice in being an older brother by playing with the newborn.
"I'm pretty sure I can leave today or tomorrow." Robin couldn't really focus on anything but Isabella at the moment. The little girl was yawning, and it was so cute.
"That's good. Can I hold the baby now?" Morgan really wanted to hold Marshall and Lily's daughter. She had been waiting months to see her.
Robin laughed and handed the baby over. "I can't wait to go home. Plus, I get to drink now and eat foods I couldn't believe. As much as I loved being pregnant with this cute little girl, I'm so glad I'm done with pregnancy."
"Are you guys having your own eventually?" Ted knew that his friends had talked about it, but he wasn't sure if they had changed their minds. He wondered if they were going to.
Robin and Barney exchanged a look. "We're thinking about it. If it happens, it happens. A baby would be nice, but we don't have to have one," Barney explained. He and Robin had settled on that plan a month earlier, and they would follow it. It would be fine if Robin got pregnant, but it would also be okay if she didn't get pregnant.
"That does seem like a good plan," Lily agreed. She liked that idea. Robin and Barney had been dead set against kids for years, and this might just work.
XXXXXXX
The next day, both Robin and Isabella were allowed to go home. It took a long time to pry Isabella away from Robin, but Lily and Marshall promised to bring her over in a few days.
"I'm so glad to be home," Robin told her husband. It was weird not being pregnant anymore, but she liked it. For the first time in a long time, she and Barney could enjoy time alone. Robin didn't have to go back to work for a few more weeks, and she would enjoy it. One thing Robin was happy to miss was sleepless nights. She and Barney didn't have to go through that. She felt bad that Marshall and Lily did, but it would be nice to get sleep.
"I'm glad you're home too," Barney replied. He kissed his wife. They couldn't have sex for six weeks, but he and Robin could handle it. They hadn't been having sex for a few months anyway.
"I love you." Robin couldn't stop saying it, but Barney didn't mind. He loved her too. Robin had known that for a long time now, and couldn't believe how oblivious she had been before.
Barney brought out Feely the Share Bear from behind his arms. "I love you too, Robin. I also realized you probably need somebody to share your feelings with, so here you go." He handed the bear to his wife.
Robin took Feely and went into the bedroom. She talked to the bear for two hours.
Robin and Barney visited Marshall, Lily, and Isabella the next day. Robin and Lily discussed what the events they thought would occur in Isabella's life.
The next eighteen years would pass by quickly for the group. It was going to be a great eighteen years , but filled with some trials and tribulations.
