A/N Hey friend!!! I hope you all are starting the new year well! I hope you all are staying warm too. I'm from the south and it is freezing down here. Some of the coldest weather we have had. I wish it would snow but I doubt that will happen.
Well there is only one more chapter to the story and then that will be it I just want to thank everyone that has read, reviewed, and put me on their alert. You all have encouraged me to stick with this story.
Thanks Lilly moonlight for reading over this. Without her this would be full of mistakes!
Chapter 11
Mac honked the horn out of frustration for the tenth time in a matter of minutes even though he knew it was not going help the situation. He looked at Stella who was trying to stay calm but her face was etched with pain and worry.
She had called him earlier because she was having contractions. She had already been taken to the hospital twice with false labor but Mac went over to her apartment only to see that her contractions were getting harder. Once her contractions were nine minutes apart Mac helped her get her bag and get to the car. Once he got her settled into the car he got into the driver's side and pulled into traffic; they had managed to get a little ways out in to the traffic when things stopped.
"Mac I know you can't move the cars but I really need to stand or walk. I just need to move. My contractions are getting closer together," Stella said, then moaned when another contraction hit.
She was right he couldn't move the cars but he wished he could. He knew that even the lights and sirens wouldn't be able to move them because whatever had the traffic block had it blocked for miles like a sardine can. They had been in traffic for over an hour and only moved a mile, if that much. What worried him was her contractions had increased from every nine minutes to every six minutes.
"Mac please," Stella begged, as she unbuckled her seatbelt.
"Ok, Stella, maybe we can try to walk to one of the stores, that was back a ways, and try to get an ambulance down an alley or something. Do you think you can make it that far?" Mac asked, as he cut off the car and undid his seatbelt. He was anxious about if she could make it that far.
"Yeah I think I can make it. Have you been able to reach Flack, Hawkes, or any of the others?" she asked, as she opened the car door.
"No I guess where ever they are they don't have a cell signal but I'm going to keep trying," Mac said.
Stella carefully got out of the car. Mac met her around the car and put his arm around her waist for support and they began to make their way down the street. They hadn't gotten very far when Mac heard something behind them.
"Hey man get back in your car. We have enough problems without you parking in the middle of the street," an angry man shouted from besides his car.
Frustration flashed in Mac's eyes.
"Go tell him what's going on and that you will move the car as soon as possible," Stella said, calmly.
"You ok to walk by yourself?" Mac asked.
"I'll be fine. You just be careful," she said, then continued to make her way down the row of cars.
She was glad that it was not too cold today even though it looked like it could start to snow. She stopped when another pain hit her. This time she felt a gush of liquid roll down her legs. This wasn't good at all. She was scared now she knew once her water broke the baby would be coming soon. She heard a familiar voice followed by someone guiding her to a red sports car. The person opened the car door and helped sit the shocked Stella into the car. Soon Mike's face came into view.
"How are you doing?" Mike asked.
"My water just broke, my contractions are coming closer together and I'm stuck in traffic. So I am super!" she said, her voice rising.
"Well as long as you are staying calm," Mike chuckled.
"I need to get to a store so that I can call an ambulance so I won't have my baby in the middle of traffic," Stella explained, her voice shaking.
"Are you by yourself?" Mike asked, as he took her hand.
"No, my friend Mac is taking me to the hospital," Stella said.
"Ok well I think we need to get you back to your car. Since your water broke I don't think you're going to be able to make it to a store before the baby decides to come. So lets make our way to your car so you can lay down and we'll figure out how to get you to a hospital," Mike instructed.
"I can't have my baby in the car! I have to get to a hospital!" Stella insisted.
"Walking helps speeds up labor. If you keep walking you are going to have the baby on the street," Mike warned.
"She is not having a kid in my car. I just had the seats upholstered," a voice snapped from the driver's seat.
Stella could see a petite woman with red hair tapping her manicured nails on the steering wheel.
"Way to be compassionate Amber," Mike said, sarcastically.
"Well I'm sorry she's in labor but this car is my baby," Amber whined.
"Unbelievable!" he said, loudly.
Amber just rolled her eyes.
"Sorry about her one of my friends introduced me to her and we are suppose to be go camping with them if I can stand being with her that long," he whispered, shaking his head.
Stella was trying to remember her Lamaze breathing as another contraction hit but the pain was making it hard.
"That's right deep breathes," he coached as he felt her squeeze the life out of his hand.
"That was a strong one!" Stella panted.
"You did great," he encouraged.
"If you want her out of your car Amber I'm going to need your help," he snapped.
"What do you need me to do?" she asked cautiously.
"I need you to open the trunk and get my sleeping bag and the extra blankets out and help carry them to her car," he said, as he helped Stella stand.
Stella was really cold now with her pants being wet and on top of that it was starting to snow.
They hadn't made it very far from the car when she heard Mac's voice.
"Stella!" Mac called.
"Mac!" Stella called back.
At first she wasn't sure if he had heard her but then she saw him rush toward her. Mac pulled her close protectively since he did not know the blonde man with his arm around her waist.
"Mac we need to get back to the car my water broke and my contractions are five minutes apart," Stella explained, as she squeezed his arm lightly.
"I finally reached Flack and Hawkes. They are on their way with some help. So hang in there a little longer," Mac said, still holding on to her as he guided her to the car.
"I hope I can," she whimpered as another contraction hit.
"You can do this. Everything is going to be just fine," Mac whispered, as they stopped at the car.
Mike took the sleeping bag from Amber and laid it in the backseat of Mac's car then put a blanket on top of that. While Mac started the car back up and turned on the heat. Stella put a blanket around her waist so she could take off her wet pants. Mac and Nick then helped her lay down in the back seat. She was really starting to get scared as the pains got closer.
"Now that we got her settled I better go and make sure Amber doesn't leave me on the street or do you want me to stay and help?" Mike asked.
"No our help should be coming soon. Thank you for the help," Mac said, shaking his hand.
"No problem," Mike said and then walked away.
"You're doing great with your breathing Stella. Just keep calm," Mac said, as she had another contraction.
"Don't tell me to keep calm! I am being calm!" Stella gritted out as the contraction ended.
Mac was worried. Stella's contractions were getting closer together and he was afraid that the baby was going to come before help arrived. He did not want deliver her baby by himself. She began to cry as another contraction hit.
"I think she's ready to come soon, Mac," Stella moaned.
"Just hang in there a little longer," Mac said, as he wiped some damp curls from her face.
"I don't think I can, Mac. She wants to come out and I'm scared," she said, as she began to cry harder.
Mac squeezed himself out of the tight space, on the floor between the front and back seat, which he had gotten into to help support Stella. He climbed out of the car and went to the other side of the car as his phone rang.
"Hawkes," he answered, quickly.
"Yeah how is she doing?"
"Her contractions are close together and she said the baby is ready to come. I haven't checked her progress yet," Mac answered.
Suddenly Stella let out scream from inside the car that made Mac's blood run cold.
"Mac was that Stella? I just spotted your car I'm on my way," Hawkes said, urgently.
Mac opened the door to where Stella's legs were.
"Stella I'm going to check you progress ok?" he asked.
She shook her head and prepared herself for another contraction.
"How is she doing?" Don asked jogging up.
Stella let out another cry.
"Does that answer your question?" Mac asked, looking worried.
Mac stepped aside to let Hawkes look at Stella while Don went around the car and got in the car to help Stella sit up.
"Ok Stell the next contraction I want you to push," Hawkes said.
Stella grabbed Don's hand and pushed hard as she could.
"That's a girl," Don encouraged, cringing as she crushed his hand
She pushed several more times while saying a few choices words and squeezing the life out Don's hand.
"I can't," she moaned, after another push.
"Come on Stell just one more push and that is it," Hawkes encouraged.
"I can't!" she gritted out loudly.
"Come on Stell I can see her. She is almost out just one more push," Mac encouraged, from the front seat.
"You make it sound so easy Mac! You want to come do it if it so easy!" she snapped glaring at him. The fire in her eyes made Mac want to go stand out in the snow just to get away from her glare.
"Come on Stell just one more push and then you can hold your little girl," Don encouraged, as he wiped her sweaty forehead.
Stella moaned as she pushed one more time and then felt the baby slide out of her. It felt like an eternity before the baby started to scream. Then Stella started to cry. Hawkes held up the baby and she could see the baby already had a head full of dark curls. Mac handed Hawkes a pink blanket, which Stella had packed, to wrap the baby in.
"Here you go Stell she is beautiful," Hawkes said, handing the wrapped baby to her with tears in his eyes.
"She's ok?" Stella asked, looking at the little being in her arms.
"She has great color and looks healthy but we need to get you both to the hospital to get warm and checked over," Hawkes said, smiling.
"She's gorgeous Stell. What name did you decide on?" Don asked, as he gently touched the baby's head.
"Emily. Her name is Emily Claire," she said, smiling as she glanced up at the shocked look on Mac's face.
Stella never met Claire but from what Mac has told her Claire was a strong and determined person and that was some qualities Stella wanted her baby to have. She also wanted to see that proud look on her best friend's face. Mac turned away before she could see the tears in his eyes.
