Chapter 10

AN: Thanks so much for coming along with me on this, and for the wonderful reviews. Here comes baby Morgan.....

Penelope regretted it now. She wished she had gone to the Lamaze classes her doctor suggested. Derek was all for it; he really wanted to go. He was gung ho and chipper about everything. Penelope, on the other hand, was more bloated, more tired and more cranky, so she didn't feel like sitting on the floor with a bunch of younger moms panting and breathing.

"Hot stuff, we're sitting this one out," she had said with a growl. She didn't put her foot down very often when it came to things Derek wanted, but this one she did.

"We're kind of the blind leading the blind then, baby," he said. "I don't know squat about giving birth, you know."

"I just need you there, that's all," she said. He seemed okay with that and held her in his arms, reassuring her silently.

Now, feeling the sixth steady contraction in a row hit her, she was regretting it. Derek was still sleeping. He had been gone for two weeks, then finally returned yesterday. He was exhausted; she wanted to be able to let him sleep. The contractions were ten minutes apart, that wasn't very close…

She looked again at the clock. That one was only six minutes apart from the last. Well, that was a change of pace. She laid there waiting. Six minutes later, it hit so hard, she wanted to cry. "Ooh…ugh!" She grunted, holding on to her tummy, trying to make it past the pain.

Derek rolled over and looked at her with sleepy eyes. "P, you o-" Within a heartbeat, wide-eyed panic set in. "Oh, shit!"

She was remarkably calm, considering this was exactly what she thought it was. She knew it was coming, she was over forty weeks, so it was expected. Still, she thought she'd look like him rather than this calm feeling that came over her.

Derek, on the other hand, looked like he'd swallowed his liver. She tried to calm him down. "It's okay, sweetheart. They're not that close y-ooh!" Another one hit. She looked at the clock. Six minutes still. That was good, she thought.

Derek stood there, his eyes wide and helpless. He looked so adorably helpless, she wanted to laugh. That was pretty good, considering this hurt like hell. She went to stand up, he was right there, an arm around her. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice very hoarse.

"I'm fine, hot stuff. Just-"

She was interrupted by a slight popping noise, then water started to pool on her feet and his, too. She would've been embarrassed, if the pain didn't come ripping through her again. She held onto his arm tight, squeezing and concentrating against the pain.

She looked up at him when she got a chance. "Sweet cheeks, we better go."

Derek scooped her up in his arms, ready to run for the car. It made her smile; she was wrong, he still could pick her up.

This wouldn't do, though. "Honey, put me down. I have to change, then we can go."

"No," he said, scowling with his panic. "Let's go."

"I'm wet, I'm changing, that's that," she said firmly. She pulled off her gown, put on a new little dress that wasn't too hideous for a maternity dress, and a fresh pair of panties. She had two more contractions in the middle that slowed her down, otherwise, she was rather proud of herself.

"Now?" he pleaded.

She padded into the bathroom, brushed her hair but didn't put on any makeup. She didn't want to look like a total bed head when she walked in. Then she snickered to herself; most patients in the hospital had bed head. They didn't care, but she did.

She left the bathroom. Derek had her go bag and looked like he wanted to run. She smiled. "Okay, we're ready."
　
Once at the hospital, Pen was already dilated to a nine, and completely effaced. She was close to being able to push. The nurses thought she was a trooper for waiting so long to come in, especially with a first baby.

She felt kind of proud, and kind of stupid, too. Truth be told, she didn't think it was anything to worry about in the beginning. She wanted to be sure this was the real thing. She heard a lot of horror stories about false labor and having to go back home. She didn't want to wake up Derek after only a little sleep, then make him go home again because she was wrong.

Speaking of Derek, he was still pacing, still looking sick and worried. It was almost funny. For how calm he was under just about every situation, how smooth and controlled, he was sucking under this pressure. She was going to give him hell about it after, but only a little bit. He really looked adorable, she couldn't help but think that.

The time came to finally push. It was odd, the doctor didn't have to tell her. The nurses told her she would know when it was time, and she did. She felt like she had to move this baby out more than anything on this earth.

Now, she was finally scared. Derek held her hand and she squeezed hard, pushing with all her might. She turned beet red with her efforts, but nothing happened. She looked at poor Derek, he looked so worried and upset, it made her heartache. She heard women in labor called their spouses all sorts of nasty things. She didn't feel like that at all.

Finally, after a whole lot more exhaustive pushing and not a lot of rest in between, baby Morgan was here in this world. He wasn't a big, almost ten pound baby like Fran Morgan said he was going to be. He was a pretty little eight and a half pounder. She was right about all the hair and the indigestion though. He had a lot of black curly hair. He had beautiful long fingers just like his father, and tiny perfect little toes. He was everything she dreamed he'd be.

Derek was in awe. He could barely form words. He stared between Penelope and the baby, back and forth, teary eyed. He was obviously overwhelmed. She was so tired, but so happy. The first words he said after the baby's birth came out softly, "I love you, P."

"Love you, too," she said, smiling. The nurse came to get the baby and do measurements. "Love you, too. I love both of my Dereks."

He smiled. He fussed a little in the beginning when she said if the baby was a boy, she was going with Derek. He didn't think that was wise; Derek never felt like he was someone to look up to. He was still having a problem with that, even today.

"He should strive to be something else, not like his old man," he said softly. ""Cause you know, I'm no hero, honey."

"You will be to him," she said with a smile. "Trust me."