It took the ambulance a good fifteen minutes after the birth to turn up. By that time Tori had rushed around trying to find get the newborn warmth and milk seeing as Jade refused to breastfeed. She refused to do anything but lay in the tub holding her tight against her body. Tori figured that the best thing to do was to leave them both there, Jade was providing her daughter with warmth and until the ambulance turned up that was all that could be done.
"I can't believe she's here." Tori finally sat down again. She reached her hands over and let the tiny baby wrap her fingers around Tori's thumb. "For months and months I imagined what she would be like, and she's more perfect than I imagined." Tori smiled at Jade who barely moved. "She looks like you. She has your nose." She ran her fingers gently over the babies face, her skin feeling as soft and as smooth as a cloud.
Jade wouldn't take her eyes off her, it was like she was checking her for everything, making sure she was ok. She looked at her like she'd never looked at anyone, not even Tori had seen that look on Jade's face. Jade rocked the baby gently across her body as she let out a few cries. She really was so tiny.
The sirens finally sounded loudly outside the cabin. Blue and red lights filtering through the blinds.
"Oh thank god." Tori screamed, almost falling down the stairs and flinging the door open for them. The snow was still thick on the ground, but the weather had calmed down. "She's upstairs." The panicked brunette rushed up after the paramedics. Jade lay still in the bathtub, still holding onto the baby, she hadn't moved since the birth.
"Jade." The first paramedic started as she knelt down beside the bath. "We're going to get you to the hospital as quick as possible. You did so good, now let us take over. Ok?" She reached her hands out towards the pink baby who was letting out slight cries.
"I'll take her." Jade finally spoke, she stood up with only a towel around her.
"Jade, we need to take her. We have to check her over."
Tori watched as Jade refused to let go of her daughter. "Jade, they are taking us all to the hospital. She's premature and they have to check her over. Think of her Jade."
Jade's eyes glared at Tori, before eventually handing her baby over to them.
"Thank you Jade. Let's get you all in the ambulance now." Tori and Jade followed behind slowly, neither of them speaking a word.
...
The hospital felt like a familiar place to the girls now. The white walls, the sterile smell and the smiling nurses all seemed so regular for them.
Jade and her daughter were taken to ICU the second they got there. Both of them needed to be checked over for infection and any complications. Tori was left sat in the waiting room, letting her worries eat away at her.
"Tori, is she ok? Is everything alright? Your Dad and I are on our way up now. You're in the main hospital right? Is that baby ok?" Deanna spoke down the phone.
Tori stood outside the hospital, kicking the snow away from her feet. "I don't know. Yeah the main hospital in Vegas. Mom I need you, I'm scared. Jade's barely spoke since she gave birth. I think the baby is alright. I just don't know." It was so cold Tori forced herself not to cry.
"Sweetie calm down. You need to be there for Jade. I know you're scared but think how scared she is right now. She just gave birth. Do not let her know you're scared."
"I know Mom. I'm trying. I just want them both to be ok."
"She will be alright. Jade is a fighter and her little girl sure must be too. Listen we'll be there in two hours. Make sure you eat and drink and if you see Jade stay strong for her. I love you Tor bear."
"I love you too Mom. Thank you."
The two hours passed slowly, all Tori could do was wait patiently. Nothing she did now could help anyone. She sat battling her thoughts, everything that had happened in the past six months crashed through her. How had they ended up like this? How had she fallen in love with someone she couldn't be with? Although Jade said she wanted her back, Jade was still Jade and could change her mind at any moment. She was too young for so much sorrow.
"Tori!" Deanna and David entered the hospital, their coats covered in light snowflakes.
"Mommy, Daddy!" She crashed into their bodies, tears flooding out of her like a waterfall. She wanted to stay strong but the fear crushed her.
"Shh. It's ok. We're here now." David wrapped his arms around his youngest daughter. "Are you alright?"
Tori nodded. "I'm fine."
"I take it you haven't heard anything about Jade or her baby yet then." Deanna bit her lip. "You gave birth to her baby then?" She said trying to lighten the mood. "That's amazing Tori. We're very proud of you."
"I am not becoming a midwife thats for sure." Tori smirked. It still hadn't sunk in that she had delivered the baby herself.
"Tori Vega?" A doctor entered the waiting room, a clipboard in his right hand. "Miss Vega?"
Tori stood up, raising her hand like she were in a classroom. "That's me!"
"You can visit Jade now." He smiled, pointing to a room down the hall.
"Will you two come with me? I'm scared of what she might say.." Tori took a few steps ahead of her parents as she headed down the hallway. The door was wide open, the bed in the centre of the room was messed up and the TV was on in the background. "Jade?"
"Tori?" Jade turned to face the door, throwing the blanket off her and running into Tori's arms. She pushed her lips onto Tori's without a second thought, placing her hands around her warm face. Tori tasted like mentos gum. Jade smiled as Tori kissed back with the perfect amount of passion. "Oh god I thought you had left me." She breathed during the kiss.
"Why would I leave you? I love you." Tori said breathlessly as she collapsed against Jade.
"I love you too." Jade whispered against Tori's neck.
A slight cough came from behind the two girls.
"Oh shit." Tori cursed, letting go of Jade and spinning around to her parents, wide grins on both of their faces.
"Finally!" Deanna squealed. "We've been routing for you two for months now!"
"What?" The girls said in sync.
David put his hands firmly on his daughter's shoulders. "I always taught you to love someone and when you do, to give them your all and that is exactly what you have done. Whether you're in love with a man or a woman I am always going to love and support you. I am so proud to call you my daughter Torrance."
Tori flicked away a few tears that formed in her eyes. "Thank you Daddy." Tori turned back to face Jade. "Are you alright? What happened?"
"I have a slight tear from when I delivered, they stitched me back up and gave me really strong pain killers to ease the pain, apart from that I'm fine. The baby is in ICU, they are checking her over and making sure she is healthy and has no complications."
"Oh that's such a relief." Tori wrapped her arms around Jade again, planting a kiss softly on her lips. "You should rest, get back into bed Jade." For once she did as Tori said.
"Jade do your parents know you had your baby?" Deanna sat beside the two girls.
Jade nodded. "My Mom sent me money for a flight back to LA."
"Ok." Deanna sighed. "What about the adoption parents, do they know? Are they on their way?"
Again, Jade nodded. "They arrive tomorrow morning and if everything is ok with her they get to take her tomorrow evening." The room was silent as Jade spoke. It was all real now, by tomorrow Jade's baby would be gone to the other side of America and Jade would go back to her old ways.
"We'll stay with you until you're allowed to leave." Tori reassured, squeezing her hand.
"Thanks. You can go see her if you like?" Jade stood up out of bed again. "She looks better now she's not covered in blood."
Tori followed Jade towards the ICU section of the hospital. The sound of babies cries could be heard from the moment they stepped into the ward. Jade stood in front of a room with a glass wall. "You see the one in the left corner, with the dark hair, really tiny? That's her." Jade pushed the door open, walking towards the baby.
Tori let a silent tear fall onto the floor. Seeing Jade's tiny baby connected to so many wires and tubes scared her. What if she had done something wrong during the labor and delivery that hurt her? "She's so little, isn't she?"
Jade nodded, looking away again. "They said she was just over 5lbs."
Tori let out a muffled sob. "She's so beautiful Jade. She's opened her eyes now, they are so blue. She looks healthy you know."
Jade stayed silent, looking at everybody elses babies but her own. "They all look so scrunched up."
Tori tried to laugh. "Have you held her since you got here?"
"No. I don't want too." Jade headed towards the door. "Let's go."
"I want to stay with her." Tori stood still, her index finger locked with the babies fingers.
"It'll only hurt more when you say goodbye if you stay." Jade's voice wobbled.
"My heart already hurts enough." Tori replied, sitting down beside the baby. "I won't leave you, I promise." She whispered.
Jade stood watching for a few moments before sitting down beside Tori.
"Does she have a name yet? We can't keep calling her 'baby'."
Jade paused. "I don't know what they are naming her."
"What do you want to name her?" Tori stopped looking at the baby and changed her eye level in line with Jade's.
"Effy." She said bluntly.
"Effy? I like it. Just Effy?" Tori replied, saying the name over and over again to herself.
"Effy Marilyn West. But I don't get to name her so thats not her name."
"Marilyn, as in Marilyn Manson?" Tori scrunched her nose.
"Nope. As in Marilyn Monroe. She's your favourite actress isn't she?"
Tori's lips flew into a smile. She'd told Jade about that months ago and hadn't expected her to remember such a small fact. "Effy Marilyn West, welcome to the world." Tori whispered quiet enough for Jade not to hear.
"Come on let's go. I've got a headache." Jade said, grabbing Tori's hand and pulling her away from the baby, she didn't even look back as she left the room.
A/N - Thanks for the name suggestions. I debated on the name for ages, i'm still not 100% happy with it so let me know what you think! (: