"Stop fussing! I'm fine!" It had taken about ninety minutes to finish the train journey and get to the hospital. Ruth's midwife had said that she was indeed in the early stages of labour, but it would be a while yet before the baby would make its appearance. And Harry had been fussing over her like mad, driving her up the wall.

"Please, do me a favour," she asked.

"Anything," he said instantly.

"Call in to the grid and catch up with everything. Spend an hour shouting at people and then come back."

"I'm driving you mad aren't I?" he asked. She nodded, smiling though.

"I love you, but if I have to put up with this for the next few hours, I'll end up killing you." He kissed the top of her head gently.

"Do you need anything?"

"Just stop worrying," she said. "That'll do me." He kissed her again, then left. Ruth closed her eyes, enjoying the peace for a few moments. Until her entire body cramped with pain for a while. She sighed as she relaxed, just waiting for her baby to make his or her appearance.

Harry did spend about forty minutes on the phone with the grid. Firstly, it stopped him from worrying about Ruth, and secondly he knew he was winding her up, by worrying so much. Ruth being in labour bothered him, and he didn't know why. After all, it wasn't unexpected. She was heavily pregnant, she was going to go into labour sooner or later. It was obvious. Maybe it was the lack of control that he didn't like. In this situation there was absolutely nothing he could do. He couldn't be in charge, and he could do nothing to help her. It was a strange feeling to him, so used to being the boss and having his words obeyed. Here he was beyond useless.

He sighed heavily, as he fully appreciated his complete uselessness, and he went back to Ruth's hospital room. Opening the door, he was amazed to see her curled on her side asleep. He sat on the chair next to her bed and she lifted her head. "I'm just dozing," she murmured.

"How are you so comfortable?" he asked.

"I'm not," she said without moving. "I'm… oh!" Still with her eyes shut, she curled around her belly in pain as a contraction went through her. Harry didn't say anything until she let out a breath with a sigh. "I am highly uncomfortable," she said honestly. "I feel like I want to explode, but I just have to put up with this until the baby's here. And from my research, it's only going to get worse."

"That's the woman I know and love," he said with a smile.

"What?"

"When in doubt, read about it." She smiled at him warmly. "So you haven't got to the stage where you want to castrate me yet?"

"No, not yet," she agreed. "I'll let you know when I'm there though."

"Fair enough."

Ruth moaned in pain as yet another contraction went through her. Harry held her hand, saying nothing. There was absolutely nothing he could do for her, and he knew it. That helplessness was not a comfortable feeling for him. And it had been more than fifteen hours now. Ruth was tired, and in a lot of pain.

"Please," she said quietly to the midwife. "Please tell me that I'm going to give birth soon! I'm exhausted."

"Yes," the midwife said, checking her over. "When you feel the next contraction, push."

"This better be over soon," she said, her hair sticking to her forehead, covered in sweat. "Please. Ah!"

"Push Ruth!" the midwife said. Harry winced as she squeezed his hand painfully.

"I can't do it anymore," she said quietly. "I'm too tired and it hurts too much."

"Of course you can," Harry said holding her hand. "You can do anything you set your mind to, and you know it." She couldn't reply, instead she groaned as the urge to push suddenly overwhelmed her.

"Hold on," the midwife said. "Don't push." The tone alarmed Harry immensely.

"What's wrong?"

"The cord's wrapped around the baby's neck," the midwife said. "Do not push!"

"Is it going to be okay?" she almost cried with a mixture of pain and desperation.

"Yeah, everything will be fine," the midwife said, concentrating on untangling the cord. A few moments later. "Right, push!"

Ruth let out a high pitched scream as she did so, her grip bruising Harry's hand. She pushed, and then suddenly relaxed, all the energy having gone out of her. Her eyes closed and she looked completely spent. Then she heard a tiny little cry and she smiled. Tiredly, but she smiled.

"It's a boy."

"A boy, really?" she asked, tired and very happy.

"Yes," the midwife said, wrapping the baby up in a blanket.

"Is he okay?" Harry asked, a massive smile on his face.

"He's fine," the midwife said, handing the crying baby to the new mother.

"No, he's perfect," Ruth said, her voice just audible over the crying baby, who now seemed to have found his lungs, getting louder with every passing second. Ruth rocked him, trying to get him to quieten, but that just seemed to make him even louder. "Oh come on sweetheart, I'm not that bad," Ruth cooed, still smiling.

"Try feeding him," the midwife said. Ruth attempted to undo her hospital gown, but couldn't with her arms carrying their son. Harry silently undid it for her, smiling at his new family. She put the baby to her breast, and he latched on greedily at once. The silence in the room was a relief to everyone. Harry leaned over Ruth and kissed her incredibly softly. Ruth smiled, her eyes bright blue and brimming with emotion. Harry cupped his sons head with his hand, feeling the light fuzz of hair against his skin.

"He's incredible," Harry said.

"Do we have a name?" the midwife asked kindly, clipboard in hand, clearly filling out the forms for the newborn.

"Benjamin?" Ruth asked, looking at Harry. He nodded slightly. "Benjamin Pearce," she told the midwife certainly with a smile.

"Welcome to the world little Benjamin," Harry said, voice hoarse with emotion.

More soon! Thank you for the reviews so far.