AN. And now, the last month. Oh dear, oh what could happen...oh, let me guess...labour?

Chapter Nine – The Last Month

Jun read her book quietly, her legs tucked up beneath her. Her eyes were focused on the words, flying over them at a fast rate. Her stomach had grown bigger now, and was also lower down on her stomach, forcing her to wear maternity dresses instead of shirts and pants. Jin moved more often as well, showing his active state of mind.

Jun's eyes widened as a cramp tore through her stomach. She dropped her book to the floor and stared down at her stomach, putting both hands over her stomach. She felt something within her break, and a rush of warm water gushed from between her legs, soaking the armchair.

"Oh dear God," she said. She struggled to her feet and stared at the wetness on the chair. Her hands clutched her stomach, and she felt that same cramp again. "No, not now. Anytime but now."

She wasn't prepared for this. She thought labour would start in a couple of days, that she would have more warning than this.

There was a loud knock on the door and she rushed to open it. Lei was standing there, his prepared smile disappearing as soon as he saw her panic-stricken face and the water soaking the lower half of her dress, still dripping down her calves.

"Lei," she said, collapsing against him, relief spreading through her. "Lei, it's starting. I need to get to a hospital."

Lei nodded, grabbing her and starting to half-carry, half-drag her towards the edge of the forest. She stumbled behind him, letting out quiet cries as more contractions gripped her stomach in a vice. Lei got her to his police-cruiser in record time, opening the back door and pushing her inside.

She lay on the back seat, her face twisting as fresh contractions ripped through her. She panted between each one, trying hard to breathe deeply. She braced herself with her hands as Lei suddenly started the car, revving the engine so it jumped forward. He flipped a switch on the dashboard and the flashing blue light on top of the car began to wail.

"You just wait, Jun," he said. "We'll be there in no time."

"I...hope...so," Jun said, deep breaths punctuating each word.

Lei glanced over his shoulder at her, worry creasing his forehead. Jun paid no attention to him, concentrating on the contractions which came at shorter and shorter intervals. She had read up on pregnancy and, as a result, labour, and wondered why the contractions had come so quickly.

It occurred to her after a moment that the Devil gene in Jin probably sped the reaction up a bit. Whatever it was causing this, she hoped it would wait until she got to the hospital. Lei sped around corners and Jun had to keep steadying herself, concentrating on her breathing as much as she could.

With each contraction she let out a little gasp, her fingers gripping the plastic covers on the seats below her.

"Hang on, Jun," Lei said desperately, hunching over his dashboard. "We're almost there."

Jun didn't answer, clenching her eyes shut as another contraction pulled at her stomach. The car screeched to a halt a few minutes later, and Lei was outside her door instantly to help her out. She was pulled into the hospital, where a wheelchair was immediately pulled up for her.

She sat down, still clutching her stomach and breathing deeply. A nurse came and started to wheel her into the maternity ward. Lei followed, his hand seeking Jun's.

"What is your relation to the baby?" the nurse asked, staring at Lei.

He paused before saying, "I'm its father."

Jun stiffened and glared at him, before turning to the nurse. "He's not the father. He has no relation to me or my baby."

"I'm sorry, sir," the nurse said, turning to Lei. "I'm afraid I can't let you into the delivery room."

She wheeled Jun through a double door, the doors shutting behind them in Lei's face. Jun felt a small hint of triumph, before another contraction distracted her.

Once in the delivery room, she was helped onto a bed. Her feet were put up in stirrups and another contraction ripped through her.

A doctor came in a moment later, bending down to examine her.

"You're fully dilated," he said, glancing up at her. "You should be giving birth any minute now."

Jun nodded, clenching her stomach muscles. The doctor smiled and went to a sink on the wall. He washed his hands with an extensive amount of soap and pulled on a pair of sterilised gloves. Jun pushed again as he approached her. He let out an exclamation of surprise, and she cried out slightly as she felt something push out of her.

"It's already crowning," he said, surprised. "This is the fastest birth I've ever attended to."

"Guess I'm just lucky," Jun said, pushing again. She let out a quiet scream as she did so, twisting her fingers in the sheet beneath her.

The doctor positioned his hands between her legs, and Jun felt something slide from her. The doctor held up her baby, her son, her Jin, and stuck one finger in his mouth. Jin let out a strong scream, and Jun inhaled in wonder at the sound. The doctor handed Jin to a nurse and Jun felt something snap, something that had bound the two of them together for the past nine months.

Jin cried out as he was placed on a towel and wiped down. He was wrapped in a different towel and handed to Jun.

She cradled him in her arms, smiling down at his small face. He stopped crying almost instantly, his wide brown eyes blinking innocently up at her. She held one finger above him, and he clutched at it with one chubby hand.

"Jin," she whispered, one tear sliding down her cheek. "You're so beautiful."

Her heart was thrumming in her chest, each beat indistinguishable from the next. There was a warmth all through her, a sense of love so deep and profound that she had difficulty believing that such a feeling could exist. Her love for Kazuya had been strong, true and powerful, but this love, a mother's love, was so different. The two couldn't be compared.

Jin let out a soft gurgle, and she stroked one hand over his sparse black hair, his soft skin. She counted his fingers and toes, tickled his tiny tummy and pressed kiss after kiss to him.

"Ma'am," the doctor said, a smile on his face. "Would you like to give a name to your baby?"

"Yes," Jun whispered, holding Jin close to her. "His name is Jin Kazama." The doctor nodded and whispered something to the nurse. Jun didn't care what it was. She cradled Jin to her breast, her lips pressed gently on his forehead. Jin cooed softly, his tiny hands stroking over her cheek.

"Oh, Jin," she whispered against his forehead. "I love you so much."

AN. Now, I'm guessing the bit about a mother holding her child for the first time. I couldn't ask my own mother because the first time she held me she was...well...unconscious (hurrah for emergency C-sections!) and so I pieced it together from my own imaginings and what my dad felt (which is subtly different, so I imagine). Review if you wish. I hope you all had an excellent New Year's Eve and have a prosperous 2009. I think it's going to be a good year XD (can you tell I'm really tired??)