Chapter 11: Special Delivery

Ashley sighed as she stood in front of Andros. "Why are you leaving?" She asked. Andros sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'll be back in a few days," he assured her.

"Andros…I'm due in a few days!"

"I'll be back before the baby's born."

Andros kissed her briefly. "I love you," he murmured. Ashley hugged him with a sigh.

"I love you too," she answered.

He kissed her again and then he left to go back to KO-35. Ashley sighed and Cassie drove her home.

(Two Days Later)

Ashley was sitting in the living room, rocking back and forth in her rocking chair, reading her favorite book. She had a set of headphones on her stomach and smiled when she kept feeling the baby kick. She looked up when the door opened. "Ashley," a voice called. Ashley tilted her head back.

"Fate please don't be mean," she muttered.

Denise came in and she stopped when she saw the headphones on her daughter's stomach. "What on Earth are you doing?" She asked.

"I read that if you play music while the baby's still in the womb, the baby will respond," Ashley replied.

"And is it?" Denise asked.

Ashley rubbed her stomach when the baby kicked again. "Yep," she replied. Denise looked around the house. "Before you judge, I picked out this house," she informed.

"Sweetheart, it's too small," Denise insisted.

"Too small my ass. There's four rooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a study, a huge back yard, and a huge front yard. Mom, we don't need anymore rooms."

Ashley jumped when the baby kicked again. Denise went upstairs and she went into Andros and Ashley's room. Ashley sighed as she took the headphones from her stomach and she followed her mother.

Denise saw a cradle at the end of the bed. "Why is there a cradle at the end of the bed?" She asked.

"For my baby to sleep," Ashley replied.

"Why would you have your baby sleep in the same room?"

"So Andros and I can get to the baby when it cries at night."

Denise stared at the cradle. "And who is your doctor?" She asked.

"Actually midwife," Ashley replied.

Denise looked at Ashley as if she had grown another head. "A midwife!" She asked in disbelief. Ashley rubbed her stomach.

"Yeah, I thought it'd be a good idea," Ashley replied.

"Will the midwife have an epidural with her?"

Denise had her back turned to her while asking. "No," Ashley replied. Denise turned around in shock.

"And why not?" She asked.

"I told her not to bring one," she replied.

"Are you insane!"

Ashley rubbed her stomach. "Just following customs of the people of KO-35," she answered. Denise grabbed her daughter's arms.

"Ashley! You're not Karovan," she hissed.

"You can't tell me where and how I want my baby," Ashley snapped.

"THIS IS INSANE!"

Ashley pushed her back. "This is my and Andros's baby not yours, mother," she snapped. Denise glared at her. "The midwife is coming to tell me what to do to be prepared and I don't want you here," she snapped. Denise glared at her.

"I'm going to stay here, and remind you that you're making a mistake to follow that planet's childbirth customs," she snapped.

Later that afternoon, Ashley was laying back on the bed with the midwife checking her. "Going to your Lamaze classes?" The midwife asked.

"Yep," she replied.

"How is that going?"

"Very well."

Denise stood there watching. "And where is Andros?" She asked.

"He's gone back to KO-35 for a couple of days," Ashley replied.

The midwife checked Ashley's stomach. "You're pretty big to be carrying one baby," she commented.

"I asked the doctor about that. He said he could only see one," she answered.

Ashley sighed and she rubbed her forehead. "How are you feeling today?" She asked.

"A little tired, my feet hurt, my back hurts, I have to pee every fifteen minutes, and today I'm starting to feel…cramps or something," Ashley replied.

"Cramps?" The midwife asked.

"Yeah."

The midwife went to check Ashley. "Hate to break this to you, hun, but those aren't cramps, you've been feeling contractions," she informed. Ashley's eyes widened in shock.

"What?" She asked.

The midwife nodded. "It's time," she replied. Ashley felt her heart stop.

"No, no, no, I can't have the baby now," Ashley insisted.

She sat up. "I can't have the baby now!" she repeated. Tears pressed against her eyes. "Andros promised he'd be here," she insisted.

"No way to stop it," the midwife answered.

Ashley felt a tear fall down her face. "He promised he'd be here," she murmured. Denise saw Ashley's heartbroken expression.

"I'm going to hate myself for this," she thought.

Denise went down the hall and into Andros's study.

(Three Hours Later)

The contractions were coming harder and it was just pure agony for Ashley. Greg sat next to his daughter and held her hand. "You're doing fine, princess," he assured her. Ashley whimpered in pain and she buried her head into her pillow.

"Oh God this hurts!" She hissed.

Karone was sitting on the other side of Ashley and she stroked her hair. Greg ran circles over her back and looked up when the door opened. "Before you throw me out, I have something that Ashley wants," Denise informed. Andros came running in and Ashley looked up.

"Andros…" she murmured.

Karone got up and Andros sat in Karone's place and hugged Ashley tight. "I went to maximum speed all the way here," he told her. Ashley let out a sob.

"You came," she sobbed.

He kissed the side of her head. "I promised I'd be here," he answered. Andros sighed as he held onto her. "I love you," he murmured. Denise stood in the corner and just watched Andros. The midwife walked over to Andros.

"Okay, I need you to sit behind her," she informed.

Andros nodded as he sat up against the headboard and Ashley sat between his legs and was leaning back against his chest. "Just keep her relaxed," she instructed.

"Got it," Andros answered.

Denise bit her tongue. Andros ran his hands up and down Ashley's arms. Ashley closed her eyes and let out a sigh. Denise watched as Andros did everything he could to keep Ashley relaxed. She was proven totally wrong about Andros. All this time she thought he was nothing but an immature, unreliable boy. Now as she's watching him be a responsible, loving husband to her daughter.

(Two Hours)

"We have a boy," the midwife announced. Ashley smiled and she let out a small sob. Andros smiled and kissed the side of Ashley's head.

"Hayden…" Ashley murmured.

However, before she could relax, she had the need to push again. "No…" she murmured.

"What?" Andros asked.

"Andros…I need to push again," she replied.

"What?"

"We're having twins…"

Karone held Hayden while the midwife got Ashley to push again. "Andros, remind me to shoot the damn doctor," she hissed.

"Shoot doctor got it," he answered.

Five minutes later, the midwife was holding the second baby. "It's a girl," she announced. Denise felt tears press against her eyes as she looked at her two grandchildren for the first time. She bit her lip as she left an envelope on the shelf and she left without being noticed.

That night, Andros was sitting next to Ashley on the bed, holding Hayden while Ashley was holding their daughter, Jamie. "You did great, Ash," he commented. He kissed her forehead. Ashley smiled.

"Well, I won't be going through this again," she answered.

Andros laughed and he kissed her gently before he took the twins and set them in the cradle. "Be thankful your dad bought a big cradle," he commented. Ashley laughed. He got into the bed and he wrapped his arms around her. Ashley placed her head on his chest and sighed.

"I love you," she whispered.

He kissed the top of her head. "I love you too," he answered. Then they both fell into a deep sleep.