Authors Note : December 13th is because 13 is one of my lucky numbers and the 30th is a very important date to the ladybug and me. Happy anniversary :o)
It was the of 13th December and a tired, very pregnant blonde was in firearms, trying to sort out a couple of knives, well more than a couple, as there was actually around twenty that needed sorting out.
Her hand was resting over the belly where her little one was floating around. She usually did that when she was working or troubling over something, when she was with a gun or puzzling out a clue on the other hand the baby stayed calm.
Calleigh felt her go back and forth inside her and smiled a little. The last month she and Horatio had been arguing about if she should take pregnancy leave or not, as he felt the job was too risky as she felt she had everything under control. The argument had gone back and forth until she had agreed to only work at the lab. So now she was more or less stuck there working out tool marks and guns, not that she minded it, just after two weeks at the lab she missed the field.
"Can't you just get out so I can go back to normal," she said with a huff.
"You honestly don't think Horatio will let you go back in the field the moment you had her," she heard Natalia's voice from behind.
"I don't see why not," she said.
"Because it's normal that the mother stays home with the child, at least for a while," Natalia pointed out.
Calleigh rolled her eyes knowing she was right and that that was probably what she should do, the trouble was only in Calleigh's case that she loved work and her baby the same. Well not exactly the same way as there were two very different things, but she still loved both dearly.
"I know that, but that is just not me, I mean I even hate being stuck here," she said with another huff as she started walking back and forth.
Natalia smiled and said, "Easy Calleigh, it's not the end of the world if you have to stop working for a little while."
"Well to me it is and call me crazy, but she really likes guns," said Calleigh with a smile.
"Like mother, like daughter," said Natalia.
"Time will show, if she only would get out of me," the young blonde said as she wondered how much longer it in fact would take.
It was Christmas Eve and Calleigh were still very pregnant and annoyed cause of it. Poor Horatio hardly knew what to do anymore and to make matters worse it was over her do date making her even more unbearable to live with.
"Horatio," she yelled from the nursery.
"Yes dear," he answered as he appeared.
"I'm not sure I like this wall paper after all, is there any chance you can switch it," she said.
"No, I am afraid not," he answered her.
She sighed sitting down in a rocking chair in the room saying, "And here I wanted to give her to your for Christmas."
He sat down in front of her, taking her hands in his saying, "I know sweetheart, but she will come when she is ready."
"Like you," said Calleigh with a giggle letting her finger reach out to push his nose playfully, making him smile.
"Yes like me," he answered her.
"I'm sorry for being sucha pain," she said as her eyes suddenly became sad.
"Sweetheart, you're never a pain," he assured her as his fingers gently caressed hers.
"Yes I am as all I do is nag and complain," she said.
"You're a mother to be and you have every right to do that, besides you only do it when it is something important and no matter how much you nag or complain I will never stop loving you," he said.
"You must be the most wonderful man in the world, and I love you too" she said and smiled a little.
"Only because I am with the most wonderful woman in the world," he said and reached up to kiss her soft lips.
That night Horatio fell asleep with his head on her lap and her fingers were resting in his red hair. The little one was on the other hand swimming around not seeming sleepy at all, not until early morning she settled down.
It was the 30th of December and Calleigh had gotten up really early for a change as she had to prepare everything for a party they were having for the team the next day.
She was humming happily as she got in the shower and even if her back was really hurting she really didn't mind it at all.
She did however still wondered when the little swimmer inside her wanted to come out, but she was much more relaxed about it now, and figured Horatio was right that she would come when she was ready.
That however didn't mean that she would come when it suited her mother. Which was what happened just this day.
Calleigh was at the time of the first contraction home alone as Horatio was working as usual. The only reason she wasn't was that she had agreed with Horatio to take a little time off up to the baby was born, just to be on the safe side as neither wanted anything to happen to the little swimmer.
The blonder was at the time as best it let itself do dancing to some music as she was reaching for a tray to put the food she was making on. It was highest up in the kitchen cabinet and just as she had gotten a hold of it the contraction hit her making her crouch in pain and drop the plate.
Calleigh cursed as it was one of her favorite trays that now lay in one million pieces on the floor. She slowly got up a little so she sat with her back against the counter as another contraction hit moments later.
"So I take it you are ready to come out," she said with a sigh as he reached for the house phone to call Horatio.
But the ballistics expert didn't get a hold of her boyfriend, instead she got his answering machine saying, "You have reached Horatio Caine and as I am busy right now I can not come to the phone, so please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can."
'Typical," she thought as she felt a more pain filled contraction run through her making her shiver a little.
"Please stay in there until I can get a hold of your father as I don't think I can do this alone," said Calleigh and called the crime lab.
"Miami Dade Crime lab, this is Natalia Boa Vista speaking," she heard Natalia in the other end.
"Hey Natalia it's me, you haven't seen Horatio around have you," she said, panting a little.
"I saw him around earlier, but I think he and Ryan went back out to the scene, do you need me to give him a message?" she offered.
"Yeah, you can tell him his girlfriend is giving birth and that she really needs him there," said Calleigh, holding her breath for a second.
"Are you sure?" Natalia asked shocked.
"I can of course not speak from experience, but of course I am sure," Calleigh answered.
"I'll find him, I promise, you just hold on," said Natalia and hung up.
'Hold on, like I am capable of doing anything else right now," Calleigh though, slowly getting up and into the living room, only to sink down on the couch as that was more comfortable than the kitchen floor.
She considered whether to call for an ambulance or not, but as she was uncomfortable with doctors she decided on waiting for a least a little while longer in case Natalia did manage to track down Horatio.
As Natalia didn't manage to get a hold off Horatio, she called Ryan instead and quickly heard him say, "Yo, it's Wolfe."
"Ryan, it's me, is Horatio by any chance with you?" she asked.
"He's in the other room why?" he asked.
"Because I really need to talk to him," she said.
"I'm not good enough?" he said, a bit offended.
"Of course, but it's regarding Calleigh and its really urgent," she answered.
"Oh I see, let me find him, oh here he is," he said and apparently handing over the phone as Horatio said, "Caine."
"Horatio, it's Natalia, I don't mean to interrupt, but Calleigh is in labor and she really needs you," Natalia quickly said.
"Are you sure?" he asked as shocked as she was a moment later.
"I am yes," she said calmly.
"I have to get to her," he said and hung up, looking at Ryan saying, "I have to go as Calleigh is giving birth, do you have everything under control?"
"Just go," he said smiling at his boss that hurried out of there it was moments later he discovered he didn't have a ride back. He sighed figuring he would call Natalia and Eric to get him when he was done.
Horatio practically stormed in the door to his house thirty minutes later yelling, "Calleigh, sweetheart, where are you?"
"Here," she yelled back from the living room, she was halfway sitting, halfway laying on the couch, panting and winching in pain.
He quickly sat down next to her and helped her a bit so she could lean on him before asking, "How are you feeling?"
"It's not pleasant, I can tell you that much," she replied, taking his hand and holding onto it hardly as she was panting loudly.
"Maybe we should get you to the hospital," he suggested.
"No, no, please, don't feel safe there," she whispered as she was shivering a bit more, making him stoke her gently to calm her.
"But Calleigh, I know nothing about delivering a baby," Horatio said, afraid that something would go wrong if he did it.
"Please handsome, I know we can do it together," she whispered, turning her head, hiding in him as she let out a little whimper.
"I suppose you are right, but if I feel we can not handle it I am calling an ambulance," he whispered, gently nuzzling the top of her head.
"Agreed," she said as she let a scream escape her lips as he whole body was tensing up.
Horatio slowly let her go only to move down to her other end and remove her pants and underwear to try to get a better view of things.
Calleigh on the other hand grabbed the couch hardly and twisted as tears started to fall from her eyes, never before had she felt pain like this and she knew this was only the start.
"Shhh easy sweetheart," Horatio whispered as a hand went up to caress her lover back.
"Get it out of me, get it out of me," she whispered tiredly, the birth had now been going on for seven hours and it was close to 8 PM.
"You know I can not do that, but by the looks of it, it seems like you are ready to push her out," he said with a relieved sigh.
"Hold my hand," she whispered.
As he gave it to her, she held on hardly as she slowly started to push. She was not screaming or whimpering as she was too tired and the pain was starting to wear her out in every way. Horatio was holding on hand as the other were carefully resting right below her entrance as his eyes were focusing on it, so that he could step in and catch the baby when it came out.
More tears and drops of sweat were running down Calleigh's face as Horatio said, "The head is crowning, just a little bit more."
Calleigh again pushed what she could master as Horatio let go of he hand to catch the body that were coming out of hers. As tiny little screams filled the room he gasped.
Calleigh in the haze of exhaustion saw the look on his face and with shivery voice ask, "Handsome, is something wrong?"
"No, everything is fine, it's just it's not a girl as we thought but a boy," he whispered, holding up the very tiny, little boy so she could see as well.
She smiled a little before her face again got twisted with pain whispering, "Handsome, something is wrong."
"What do you mean?" he asked confused.
"I, I, I am starting to think there is more than one inside me," she said looking at him with teary eyes as she now knew this for a fact and she didn't want to go through the pain of pushing one more out as it felt like the first one had ripped her pretty badly.
"How can you be sure, when the doctor has all along claimed it was one," said Horatio pretty shocked.
"I just do, please, please don't let go as I think this one will be in a hurry," she said, again reaching for his hand, looking at him with scared and tired eyes.
"I won't sweetheart, I promise," he whispered as his fingers entwined with hers.
Calleigh was right as about thirty minute later they welcomed a little girl and right after that the newborn mother dosed off as she was exhausted as the newborn father went to clean up the two newborns and get ride of some unpleasant things that the birth had caused.
He after putting the clean twins to rest in the safety off Calleigh's bed, carried her there and lay her down very carefully as well, before walking out in the hallway to get a doctor there to check on them all just in case as he kept an watchful eye on all tree, that proved to be the loves of his life.
After the doctor had left them after assuring them that everything was fine Horatio and a still very tired Calleigh started to discuss what to name to two newborns and after a very long discussion they ended up at Andrew Joshua and Melinda Emmaly Duquesne Caine.
Then the couple of course had to call the party guest and inform them of the current event and tell them that the party would proceed as planned, but at her place instead of his as she was still too weak to be moved.
And as the New Year ringed in the couple, their children and their friends watched the fireworks. And as Horatio watched Calleigh holding their twins and somehow pointing at the beautiful fireworks telling them about it as they had yet not opened their eyes, he couldn't help but think that non of this would have happened if he hadn't happen to meet her at his favorite bar at Valentine's. But he would be forever grateful that he did as all the things that happened between Valentine's and New Years had made him realize that he had become the luckiest man in the world walking into just that bad that night.
"Handsome are you coming so I can have my new years kiss?" he heard Calleigh interrupt her thoughts.
"Of course," he said and walked over and gently placed his arm around her waist and planted his lips gently upon her before slowly breaking free and whisper, "Happy new year Calleigh."
"Happy New year to you too handsome and you know I got a feeling the next will be even better," she said nuzzling his cheek a little.
"As do I and this year neither will end up at that bar alone on Valentine's s we will go there together if we at all do," he said with a little smile.
"That we will and Uncle Ryan and Aunt Natalia will take care of our children as they do now so we can have that night to ourselves," she whispered looking over at the other couple holding the twins.
"I think that is a wonderful idea, but what do you say to having them watch them for a little longer so we can get some rest?" he asked nodding towards her bedroom.
"I think that is a wonderful idea," she said with a yawn as she started to walk in that direction leaning on him as she thought that this was the best new years eve she had ever had as this time she knew that the one she had gotten the perfect new years kiss off would be there the next morning and not only this year, but for the rest of their lives. And he had given her the most beautiful gifts his love and their children all because she had ended up at a bar alone on Valentine's the year before.
Feedback always welcome and very much apriciated :o)