"This is so much better" I sighed, sitting back as the epidural took effect.

"It's kicking in?" Mrs. Truscott asked, smiling.

"Oh yeah, it's kicking in."

"Good" she agreed, "because you're ready to push."

"But I just got here!" I protested, opening my eyes to glare at her. I was just getting used to the epidural. It wasn't painless, but so much better, and now she wanted me to push? No way!

"I can't control these things" she answered, shrugging, "but we still have a couple of minutes for instructions. Push when you feel like it, especially through contractions. If I give you any instructions, listen, because I only want to help this go smoothly, okay?"

"Okay" I agreed, pulling Jake and Lilly to my side. The room was simple, with the bed in the middle and a couple of comfy and plastic chairs against the window-wall. Jackson was playing Nintendo against Oliver, occasionally yelled out, adding to the sreams of neighboring rooms where others were already giving birth. Aunt Dolly and Dad were glaring at the two and standing on my right as Jake and Lilly hovered on my left. "Can I just use the bathroom first?"

"Sure" she agreed, helping my pull back the covers. The medicine had started numbing my lower body, so she helped me to the toilet. No contractions hit on the way there, but on the way back, just as I neared the bed a big one hit. Squatting, I breathed heavily as everyone tried to coach me through. Unknowingly, I pushed.

"Owwwww" I moaned, not knowing that the feeling I was experiencing was due to the baby starting to rip its way through me.

"Just don't push" Dad coached, I nodded, thinking I wasn't.

"It hurts" I told him, hanging onto the IV.

"I know baby" he answered, "just bear through it and you'll get to the bed, okay?"

"It's over" Mrs. Truscott announced, reading the machine next to the bed.

"No it's not" I informed them, still crouching close to the floor.

"Come on Miley," dad said, pulling my up, "let's sit on the bed." Unwillingly, I followed his arm to sit on the side of the bed. I was still pushing, and realizing what was happening.

"Jake!" I cried, reaching for his arm to crush. "It's coming Jake."

"Miley, can…," he stuttered nervously, "can I see?" nodding, I lifted the hospital gown over my stomach to reveal that a little of the head had escaped. Trembling, he reached out to touch the head. Laughing, I nodded him on, not pushing any more.

"Miley you have to keep pushing" Mrs. Truscott instructed, kneeling next to me. "I can help Jake catch the baby if you want."

"I'd like that" I told her as she helped me swing my legs onto the bed. Moaning in the tremendous pain, I pushed, not noticing people shift around me. Jake was now at my legs with Lilly and Oliver "getting ice" in the hallway. Jackson had followed them as Aunt Dolly and dad encouraged me. The thing I noticed least was the TV camera circling me.

An hour of fruitless pushing past before I worked up the courage to ask a question, "Can I go back to squatting?" I asked, "I didn't hurt so much there." I explained to ward off questions. Within a minute I was squatting again, dad supporting me from behind and Jake in front of me as I leaned on him, his hand underneath me to support the head. The camera attempted to wedge itself between Jake and I.

"auuhhgg" I moaned, giving a hard push. On the bed that push hadn't gotten very far, but with gravity helping I felt the baby dropped from eyes out to the entire head.

"You have to feel this" Jake told me. As I protested, he brought my hands down to cradling the little head. "It's a baby" he said, smiling.

"I'm having a baby" I agreed, as if this thought had only just dawned on me. "I'm having a baby Jake."

"You are"

"There's a baby coming out of me"

"Let's get it out" he suggested, but I wanted to savor the moment.

"There's a real live baby" I wondered, feeling around the little face carefully.

"A real baby" he agreed as the adults started yelling for me to push. I did, scaring myself with the strange noise of pain coming from my mouth as I did so.

"It's not coming" I cried ten minutes later. "It hurts and it's not coming."

"Let me see" Mrs. Truscott offered, scooting Jake aside. "Give a big push Miles" she instructed as she tightly held the little head. Another scary sound escaped my lips as she pulled and I pushed. Jake and my hands were still cradling the baby as I suddenly felt all the pressure escape my body, and a new body wriggling in my arms. Together, we placed the little body on my chest as I leaned into my father. Closing my eyes, I listened as they cut the chord.

I must have fallen asleep like that, because the next thing I remember is waking up with Jake holding a little baby beside me. I was on the bed, a new, clean gown on as well as clean sheets. Blinking, the people around me were all talking; no one had noticed I was awake until…

"Hey there" Jake said, leaning over me, "your awake."

"I'm achy" I told him truthfully, looking with wonder at the baby in his arms. My baby.

AN: ya like? Everyone I pmed, if you didn't respond, I'm sorry, but I just couldn't wait any longer! Please review!