Disclaimer : I still don't own anything DS related , just playing around in the universe .
The drive to St. Schneider's United Hospital was loud and excruciating to Trina who had started having contractions en route and nearly squeezed Spencer's hand to death as Robbie maneuvered the traffic with Cat trying to soothe all of those in the vehicle .
Tori and Andre led the caravan of vehicles with the party with Gibby and Carly , Freddie and Sam, and Beck and Jade following closely behind .
David and Holly Vega were already waiting at the hospital , anxious and excited to welcome their new grandbaby into the world .
" Oh my God ! Why did I let you do this to me , Spencer Shay ! I should have never let you put your hands on me ! " screeched Trina as another contraction ripped through her and she dug her fingernails into her husbands arm , painfully .
" Why didn't we let somebody else carry our baby ! This is really painful ! "
Spencer winced and tried to rub slow circles across her back to comfort her as he proceeded to freak out . This wasn't exactly how they had planned this pregnancy and he couldn't even remember half of what they practiced in Lamaze class together or pregnant couples yoga that Trina insisted would be helpful .
" Breathe , Trina, whooo heee who heeee who heeee heee hooo ! Ummmmm Ummm Ohm ! " Spencer gulped down the nervousness in his pit of the stomach as he worked on prying her nails off of him before she drew blood ," come on, honey, I know you can do it ."
Trina slapped his face as she tried to concentrate on the breathing techniques but fear made her frightened and unreasonable to think straight at the moment .
" Oh who he yourself ," snapped Trina , holding her tummy and grabbing hold of the back of the seat and yanked on Robbie's dark curls ," Robbie, if you don't drive faster I will borrow Jade's old scissors that are sharp and rusty and stab you with them ! "
" We're almost there " spoke up Robbie , swallowing the lump in his throat as Cat reached over to hold his hand ," uh, no need to pull my hair out , Trina , I am driving the best that I can without being pulled over by the police ."
" The hospital is just around the corner " added Cat, helpfully .
Trina glared angrily at the couple ." My Dad is a cop ! Step on it , Shapiro ! I don't want to have this baby in this boring, stupid car of yours ! "
" Trina, be nice "
" This isn't as natural as the classes say , Cat ," said Trina , turning into her husbands arms as the contraction settled a bit ," don't let Robbie knock you up "
Robbie pulled the car into the ER , honking furiously , as they were greeted by a few nurses with Holly and David rushing outside to help their daughter out of the car and into the wheelchair much to the dismay of the agitated nurse who was trying to do her job .
" Oh thank God, baby , " gushed a frantic Holly , hovering as close to her oldest daughter as she was allowed ," we were ready to send out an ambulance to get you ."
" I didn't need an ambulance, Mom ," reassured Trina , looking around for her hubby ," Robbie didn't get us stuck in traffic and the contractions have kind of slowed down now . "
" Let's get you checked in and in a room " interceded the nurse, stepping in between the parents ," Dr. Dody is on the way, Mrs. . Shay ."
" Spencer ? "
" I'm here , I'm here ," Spencer untangled his long legs from the backseat of the vehicle and flanked Trina's side as she reached for his hand ," how you doing ?"
Her smile trembled , just the slightest as she looked up at his concerned face .
" I'm a little scared, Spence, " Trina's voice was barely a whisper ," its early . Dr. Dody never said a thing about what if the baby was early , what if the baby yoga was a bad idea and I did something wrong ."
Spencer bent down and took hold of both of her hands , gently . He was every bit as scared as his wife was at the moment but she needed him to be strong for her .
He could be a rock .
" Everything will be okay, darling, I promise ," declared Spencer , firmly believing it to be the truth ," you did everything just right . I love you , Trina ."
" I love you too, Spencer " Trina lifted her face for a sweet kiss as Tori and Carly jumped out of the vehicles and barreled over to their little group surrounding her wheelchair to join in the chaoes .
" Enough mushy stuff , did you forget your having the baby ?" demanded an impatient Tori , getting behind the wheelchair to try to help push her sister inside the hospital .
" Tori is right ! Spencer , why are you all hanging outside the dang ER when your wife is in labor ! " interjected Carly, hands on her hips and fixing her big brother with a stern look.
" Why don't we let this nice nurse find Trina a room while Spencer checks her in " David grasped Holly's shoulders and pulled her back to allow the nurse room to wheel their daughter inside the hospital ," Carly , did you try your Dad again ? I kept getting his machine and voicemail when I tried earlier ."
" I swear if Dad is out fishing again and left his cell behind again, I will kill that man " muttered Carly , under her breath . Since her father had retired from the military and moved down to South Carolina , he was darn right impossible to get a hold of these days .
He loved the easy, relaxing appeal and history that Charleston had in droves and had a nice little place around Rainbow Row that made him quite happy .
" Why don't you all go take a seat in the waiting room while I get Mrs. Shay settled into a room " suggested the nurse , taking charge and rolled Trina briskly into the hospital and towards the room that had been prepared for her while her husband finished checking her in .
" Here's our insurance card , actually its Trina's because Fizenne Shoes has way better insurance than I do ," rambled Spencer , handing the nurse the card as he filled out the forms she gave him ," my wife is the feet of Fizenne .She really doesn't like hospitals or taking medicine or anything so she might get a little loony , little crazy ."
Gibby and Andre joined the group who were loitering near the coffee machine though it appeared a nurse was trying to usher them into the waiting room down the hall .
Gibby clamped a hand on Spencer's shoulder , felt his old friend relax , slightly .
" Spencer, why don't you sit down ," suggested Gibby, helpfully ," I'll help you with the paperwork so you can go be with Trina ."
Spencer looked grave and green around the gills. " Okay ," Spencer sat down on the hard wooden seats , sighing as he filled in what Trina was allergic to ," out of all the adult things in life , I really , really hate paperwork . Don't they have a file on all this stuff already ? Trina hasn't been eating shellfish and I don't get what that has to do with her having our baby ….."
" Paperwork does suck ," agreed Gibby ," I usually do the restaurant chizz though so Sam doesn't get mad about it and throw things . Just think you hurry up and get this crap done then you can go in and be with Trina ."
" Good point, Gib ," Spencer heaved a sigh ," God, I need to get a grip . I cant let Trina know I'm freaking out because she is already worrying about the baby ….where is Cat ? You know , I think Cat should go in with her and keep her distracted while I finish this up ."
He knew the sweet redhead 's cheerful attitude and disposition would help more so than her well meaning mother who was bound to be driving her up the wall by now .
He noticed Robbie and Cat along with Beck and Jade had made it into the hospital and called out to them . He was amazed that he could think straight at all with all the litany of things and lists running through his mind .He and Trina weren't really list people which was weird since he had long winded lists in his mind at the time .
" Cat," called out Spencer ," could you please do me a favor ? "
" Of course, Spencer, anything " chimed in Cat, smiling warmly at him .
" Go keep Trina company " Spencer waved the clipboard in the air ," tell her I will be in to see her in a few minutes ."
" Sure " Cat kissed Robbie's cheek then went to her friends private room leaving the men to flank the father-to-be side ," this is sooo wonderful ! A baby ! "
As Cat took off , her heels clicking on the floor, Jade looked at her friends then her own husband and lifted her shoulders loosely in a shrug .
" I'm getting coffee "
Beck raised a brow ." Jade , we talked about the coffee and the baby ."
Jade sighed and managed a tight smile ." I want coffee but I wont drink it ," growled Jade , understanding his concern ," your drinking it for me , Beck ."
" Right " agreed an amicable Beck , stuffing the hands in the front pockets of his jacket ," what ? " He ignored the pointed look Robbie and Andre shot his way ," She's pregnant and I am so not messing with her mood swings . I can drink the coffee ."
" Wise idea " spoke up Spencer , calmly ," by the way, Beck, sorry we ruined your night and your announcement . Not to mention Trina's water breaking all over your kitchen floor ….Trin and I are really happy for you guys about the pregnancy and all ."
" Its fine , " reassured Beck, simply ," Jade and I didn't want to make a big deal out of it and this way, we really didn't and my wife didn't want to tell people separately so it all worked out
" In that case, glad we could help " Spencer shot off to the desk handing the paperwork to the receptionist behind it ," here , here is all the dang , stupid paperwork ! what room is my wife in ? Trina Shay ! '
Gibby shook his head and exchanged curious gazes with the guys .
" I hope Trina has the baby soon or its gonna get nuts in here "
************************HA*****************************************
The private room wasn't luxurious at Spencer and Trina couldn't afford the extras but it was comfortable and done up in soft colors , a warm beige overstuffed sofa and chair had its spot in the corner and a landscape of the ocean hung on the wall behind it .
The television on the wall was muted as an old soap opera played on while Trina adjusted the thin sheet around her legs as her mother and sister took turns rambling on .
She knew they meant well but they were driving her insane .
Where in the chizz was Spencer ? Hadn't her Dad already filled out some of the paperwork for him ?
" Are you still having contractions ? How far apart are they ? Why are you being so quiet ? Mom, maybe we should find a nurse for Trina "
" I don't know , I think it stopped ," answered Trina , wishing someone would give her information soon ," or maybe its so slow I don't know …..Tori, stop pacing before I get out of this bed and kill you myself ."
Tori caught herself and plopped down on the sofa, crossing her legs and tried not to be offended . She understood that Trina was nervous and she wanted to help her but she didn't know what to do . Trina was the first in their family to be having a baby .
" I'm sorry ," sighed Tori, picking up her pear phone to hold ," I just want to help you but I don't know what to do . Do you want water ? I can go find you some water to drink ."
" Water would be awesome " Trina caught her mothers eye and Holly sat down on the edge of the bed ," and my own nightgown . This hospital gown is so disgusting and Spencer bought me a new one but its in my bag ."
" I will go find Andre ," Tori jumped up as Cat entered the room ," we have your bag . Mom, why don't you help me make sure that we packed everything that Trina needs ?"
Holly patted Trina's hand and looked from her oldest to her youngest daughter with apprehension . She didn't want to leave Trina's side , it was important that she be here for her baby, and she was weary about leaving her for a second .
" I am sure you two packed everything just fine , dear, " said Holly ," though you really ought to see what is taking Spencer so long . Now isn't the time for him to be lolly gagging around the hospital when Trina needs him with her .."
" Spencer is finishing up paperwork ," offered Cat, pulling a light blanket off the shelf in the corner and bringing it over to her friend ," he'll be here really soon ."
" Thank God " Trina fiddled with the remote ," Mom, go help Tori , please ."
Holly hesitated , unsure ." Oh, I don't know , honey , I shouldn't leave you by your lonesome .."
" Cat is with her " Tori knew what she had to do and took her arm ," come on, Mom, why don't you find Dad and go try to track down Dr. Dody for Trina ."
" I suppose I could do that …."
" Mom, I swear I haven't hated you since I was a teenager but will you please give me a break ," begged an impatient Trina ," pretty sure I am not having those fake contractions but I would feel better if you found that nice nurse or a doctor to check me out for sure ."
" Of course , sweetheart " Holly allowed her daughter to pull her out of the room and into the hall as Cat covered Trina's feet with the blanket .
" Your Mom means well, you know , she just worries ," smiled Cat, moving to sit near her ," I can only imagine how my Mom will be when I have a baby . I love my mother but she hovers way more than your mom does , Trina ."
" I know that ," replied Trina, picking at her manicure , nervously ," Mom still has residual guilt leftover too that rears up at odd moments . Is Jade pissed at me ? She and Beck should have totally made the big announcement right off the bat before the party got started …."
" I don't think Jade is mad ," says a truthful Cat ," she didn't seem mad . You know , Zoey sent me a picture of your dress for my wedding and its just going to look fantastic on you. She put the finishing touches on it this morning …"
" Cool and since I am having the baby now Jade gets to be the pregnant maid of honor ," beamed Trina ," I really like the sound of that much better than me being a whale in all of your pictures "
Cat couldn't help but to chuckle though she suspected that Jade wouldn't appreciate the reminder regardless of how happy she was now that she was expecting as well.
She fiddled with her engagement ring on her finger and restrained herself from fussing over her friend and decided talking about other things might have been more of what Spencer expected her to do .
" Well you'll both be glowing ," decided Cat, " and all of you will look amazing . Did I tell you that I think we're going to make the decorations for the backyard ourselves ? Dad and Steven are insisting upon building an arch for us which works out so well since Robbie isn't handy with tools or wood building …I thought fairy lights and flowers would look gorgeous ."
" I'm still amazed that Robbie can swing a hammer " joked Trina , biting her lower lip ," God, Cat, I don't understand why someone isn't checking on me ..what kind of hospital is this ?"
Cat squeezed her hand , soothingly ." I am sure your Mom and Tori will be in with a doctor very soon, Trina ."
Trina closed her eyes, exhaled slowly , and stared down at the wedding ring on her finger and the chunky diamond winked back at her . It wasn't the most extravagant ring but she had loved it when Spencer had surprised her with it and looking back on her life was so grateful she had answered his add for a model that summer after she had graduated Hollywood Arts . Nearly running over Spencer with her car then falling head over heels in love with him had been the most wonderful thing to ever happen to her .
Losing the baby last year had been a trial on their marriage but they had fought to preserve their love and she felt it had made them all the more stronger .
Now as she lay on the bed waiting for the next contraction or the doctor , Trina felt weepy and wistful . She reached out for Cat's hand and patted it , lightly .
" Thank you for being here with me, Cat ," spoke up a sincere Trina ," you've always been such a good friend to me ."
" No thanks are necessary " Cat beamed at her ," just being a friend like I always have .. so, are you still not going to tell us if it's a boy or a girl ?"
" Sorry, Cat, but we'll find out soon enough ," answered Spencer, meeting Trina's gaze ," I think Sam has a betting pool going on if you want in on the kitty No pun intended either."
" Sam never changes , does she " sighed Cat, standing ,' I'm going to join the others ."
Once Cat left the room, Spencer pressed a kiss against his wife's lips and sat down beside her , putting an arm around her and feeling her anxiety bouncing off her in waves .
That wouldn't do at all .
" Stop worrying ," countered Spencer, gently ," you got this , Trina . You know it makes sense that our baby would want to come out early, I mean, look at me and you . Neither has any sort of patience for waiting and our kid doesn't either ."
Trina touched his chin and rested her head against his shoulder ." Good point "
**************************************HA********************************
The waiting room was jammed packed with the friends and family of Trina and Spencer making the room appear smaller than it actually was with Andre and Tori sitting on one of the beige sofas and Jade on the other , talking on her phone while Cat and Robbie sat closely on the end . Beck nursed a cup of coffee and glanced at the clock .
How had they only been here forty -five minutes ? It felt much , much longer .
" I thought first babies were supposed to be fast " said Beck, off-hand .
Holly wrung her hands together and folded the light sweater jacket across her waist .
" Sometimes that is true , Beck ," brought up Holly ," Trina certainly didn't waste anytime coming when I had her but then Tori was a long labor . " She turned her blue eyes upon her husband ," maybe we should check on Trina again, David ."
David shook his head and patted her arm ." I am sure that Dr. Dody is with her now ."
" I finally got a hold of Dad ," Carly came into the room , followed by a quiet Gibby ," he was at the market and forgot his cell but he is catching the first flight out to California that he can get ."
Gibby hesitated but took her hand into his own ." Spencer will be glad about it ."
" I know "
Jade shot up off of the sofa and ran a hand through her dark hair , chewing on her lip .
Hospitals brought back all sorts of memories for her and not all of them good . She put a hand on her own tummy and sighed for her own baby . She had beeen so against having babies for so long secretly fearing she would be a horrible mother but now everything was so very different .She and Beck were staying at their home right up until she needed a hospital to deliver their kid and he would just have to deal with it .
" This is boring ," announced Jade ," maybe we should have brought our party here ."
" Jade , I doubt very much the hospital would appreciate the rest of our friends gathering in the waiting room for a party while we wait for Trina to have a baby " reminded Beck, taking another drink of coffee for her . Atleast it wasn't bad coffee .
" Logan is famous ," figured Jade ,' he could probably bribe and charm all the nurses . It'd be fine and we wouldn't be sitting in here like a bunch of logs I hate waiting almost as much as I hate yellow ducks ."
" First, pretty sure Quinn might kill him if he tried that ,' offered Beck , knowingly ," second, we are here for Spencer and Trina , not to continue our party ."
Jade shot him a filthy look ." I'm going to go for a walk "
As Jade left the waiting room, Sam and Freddie entered , the blonde carrying a couple buckets of fried chicken while Freddie had a pizza which they sat on the coffee table .
" Oh my gosh "
" Oh stuff your gosh, Robbie ," said a sarcastic Sam, " we all have to eat so Freddie and I snuck in some good food . Better than this slop the cafeteria serves here ."
" Well I for one am starved ," declared Andre ,' hand me a chicken wing , Sam ."
The foodie rolled her eyes but handed him a piece of chicken as Cat let out a fit of giggles which had them all turning to stare at her in confusion . Sam sneaking in food really wasn't new or hysterical for that manner .
" Cat , care to share whats so funny ?' inquired Freddie , perching on the edge of the chair while Sam munched on a large piece of chicken herself .
" I was just thinking that here we all are sharing chicken and chatting in the waiting room while we wait on Spencer and Trina to have a baby ," explained Cat as if it was the simplest thing ever ," kind of reminds me of how we all met that summer at the hospital after Trina almost ran Spencer over with her car ."
Tori groaned and bumped her shoulder with her boyfriend ." I thought Spencer was going to sue us and there was Trina hitting on him right in the middle of the ER ."
" Oh God , I was a wreck ," recalled Carly , mortified at the memory of that fateful day ," I thought Spencer was hurt badly or in a coma and there he was acting all goofy around Trina ."
" Then you hit on Robbie " reminded Andre , helpfully .
" I didn't hit on Robbie at the hospital , I was being nice and maybe a little flirty, Andre "
" Same difference " dismissed an amused Andre ," those were good times . Insane ."
Tori placed an arm around Andre's shoulder and kissed him ." We got back together in Seattle at that old karoke bar they took us too ."
" I always knew that a lot more went on in Seattle that summer than what you kids had told us " chuckled a good natured David ," looking back, I am happy that Trina found Spencer even though it was the most spontaneous romance I'd ever seen ."
Holly fidgeted , ignoring the chatter and afraid her negativity was seeping into the room .
She really needed to do something to be useful and listening to the group discuss their high school summer hi-jinks would probably send her into a bonafide wreck .
" I'm just going to go find Dr. Dody and have a word with him " declared Holly ," Honestly , his Father was much more on the ball than he is proving to be ."
David heaved a tired sigh and hugged Tori to his side ." You want to help me cut your Mom off at the pass before I have to cuff her for harassing the hospital staff , Tori ?"
" I'll go to the nurses station and try to talk her down " declared Tori, unphased by her mothers craziness . She loved her Mom but she was relieved that Trina had gotten all of her crazy traits and that she was still the baby of the family .She had gotten her Dads sense of practicality
" I'll try to find the doctor before your Mom browbeats him to death '
The Vegas left the room as the others settled into comfortable silence as they ate the supper that Freddie and Sam had brought in and played watch the clock as they reminisced together .
**********************************HA**********************************
Dr. Dody had finished up his rounds and bopped to check up on Trina Shay and her husband narrowly missing running into Holly Vega who would no doubt raise hell with him about patient priorities and not getting to her daughter upon arrival .
His father had been the Vega family doctor since the girls were babies and though he had retired more than five years ago and turned over his patients to his son, Travis Dody still felt the censure of Holly whenever he had to deal with the woman .
Trina sat up in bed , the contractions had started back up and was feeling the pain and the uncomforablenss as Spencer added another pillow behind her back .
" Is that any better ? Want me to find more pillows , Trina , because I will go find you as many pillows as you need "
Trina pursed her lips together and rolled her eyes . " The damn pillow is fine ! I'm the one who isn't fine unless you want to try to have this baby , you moron ! "
Spencer pasted an understanding expression on his face and refused to take offense to her words . He knew it was the whole being in labor thing was painful and this was Trina's way of handling what was happening to her .He bit back the biting retort that was on the tip of his tongue and tried to remember the soothing mantra they studied in the yoga class that Trina had wanted them to take together .
" Ah honey, I would if I could ," said Spencer , softly , hoping to soothe ," how about I put on some nice , relaxing sounds of the ocean ? "
" I don't want to listen to the ocean , why would I want to listen to the ocean ? GRRRRR! " Trina clutched at her stomach as another pain went through her and she tried to power through it , catching the handsome , young doctor out of the corner of her eye ," Oh thank God, you're here , Dr. Dody ! I think I am having the baby ."
Dr . Dody sent her a winning smile that charmed many a nurse or all of his female patients as he moved to examine her .
" Trina ," replied Dody , glancing at her husband and nodding politely at him," I think you still might have some time before the little one wants out but lets have a look and see to be sure ."
" Contractions are kind of taking their time , Dr. Dody ," babbled Spencer , staring up at the light in the room and not the handsome doctor checking out his wife's lady parts and wiped at his brow which felt awfully sweaty .
When did the room get to be so hot ? Was Trina sweating ? He didn't think that she was because of the extra blanket covering her legs but man, he needed to have the nurse crank up the air conditioner in here .
" Everything looks just fine ," reassured the doctor ," how are you feeling , Trina ?"
" Not comfy and my back hurts " admitted Trina , latching onto Spencer's arm before he bolted and made a run for the hills ," but otherwise just peachy keen ."
" Trina , be nice " warned Spencer , fluffing her pillow and earning him another reproachful look from his wife ," so no baby right now ?"
" No but listen , Dad, you can help Trina ," suggested Dody ," maybe give her a back rub or help her get up and go for a walk . That might help the contractions along a bit more and I understand you have a lot of family here so the more support the better ."
" I can do all of those things and those relaxing poses we learned in yoga "
" Good then I will check in on you later " Picking up his clipboard the doctor left his room , not wanting to be around Trina if the yoga comment was too much .
He had dated Trina once back in high school as a favor to his mother and it had been unlike any date he had ever had . Trina had always been hot but the woman was to over the top and dramatic for his taste and though it had been years, he had learned when she became his patient that though she had changed quite a lot over the years , she could still do the over the top better than most he knew .
" I know you mean well, Spencer ," muttered Trina , playing with the satin belt of her purple robe ," and I know those techniques are supposed to help me relax but I'm finding it really hard to relax right now . My back hurts so bad ! "
Spencer dropped a kiss on top of her head and scooted closer to her on the bed .
" I may not have hands like Gibby but let me take care of that for you " Spencer raised his brows , twisted his hands together , unlocked them and then began rubbing slow circles on her lower back and felt her sigh .
" Spencer , that is an image that I can live without " said Trina , drolly .
" Sorry but the Gibby gives damn good massages ," brought up spencer as a light bulb went off in his head," you know what , he is out there with Carly . I bet he would be glad to give you a world class Gibby back rub if I asked him, sweetheart "
Trina grabbed the neck of his shirt and their eyes connected in a fierce stare .
" I don't want a massage or a rub of any kind from Gibby ," snapped Trina with a shudder ," that is so disgusting ."
" You like Gibby "
" No thank you ," replied Trina with a disgusted noise ," I don't want your sisters boyfriend rubbing me in anyway whatsoever ."
Spencer blew out a long winded breath and looking towards the sky, prayed for strength .
*****************************HA*********************************
While David and Tori were keeping tabs on Holly , Cat had kicked off her heels and scooted closer to Robbie watching intently as he emailed Chase a new scene for their latest chapter . He stroked Cat's hair and smiled lovingly at her .
" So, Chase tells me his friend Logan has offered the guys the use of his man cave for my bachelor party ," brought up Robbie , conversationally ," he lives in Santa Barbara . Sounds like it is going to be really cool ."
Beck looked up from the new script he was reading and lifted a perfect brow .
" Logan Reese ? That's cool of him , Rob, especially since he barely knows you "
" Chase says it wasn't a big deal " added Robbie with a careless shrug ," I am really touched that you guys are even throwing me a bachelor party at all ."
Andre put down the cards he was playing to look at his friend with a knowing look .
" No need to get at sappy like a woman, man ," told Andre , non-plussed ," and I wouldn't get all that pumped yet because Steven is picking out the entertainment ."
Cat toyed with the edge of her skirt , thoughtfully ." Steven as in my big brother ?"
" No worries , Lil Red , your Dad is invited to so its not like we can get all out raunchy "
He flashed a wide grin at Beck and Robbie ," maybe a little dirty ."
Cat fixed Robbie with a pout as she folded her arm across her chest ." There better not be a bunch of skanky grunches at this party , Robbie Shapiro ."
Robbie shrugged , helpless, as he pointed at his two best buds ." Cat , dear heart , I have no clue what they have planned but I most certainly would not want anything lewd like grunches "
Beck held two fingers up, mimicking a tiny violin ." Relax, Cat, its not as if we're inviting Roxanne or …I'll retract that thought ."
" You had better not , Beck Oliver " declared Cat , wagging a finger at him ," but even if you did decide to do stupid guy things like in that old Bachelor party movie that Dad has on DVD , I trust my Robbie ."
" I love you too, sweetie " Robbie lowered his mouth to hers , kissing her as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him and she was . Cat sighed into the kiss until Sam pelted them with a handful of popcorn before Freddie took it away from his wife .
" Give it a rest , you two ! " said Sam , swinging her legs around on Freddie's lap ," hey Cat, are you sure your Mom is cool with me and Gibby prepping the meal in her fancy kitchen the day of the wedding ?'
" Mom is fine with it ," says Cat , pulling a pink notebook out of her purse," and Robbie and I really loved the chocolate strawberries you made for our engagment party so we would love if you could make more for the reception , Sam ."
" Those are Gibby's specialities so yeah , we can make them for you "
" Oh and Andre , Cat and I have been working on a play list if you will of our favorite songs ," brought up Robbie , " songs we love that have special meaning to us that we want you and Tori to sing at our reception ."
Andre met his gaze , evenly ." You didn't like the songs Tori and I picked out ?"
" No, no , those are great ," intercepted Cat, not wanting to hurt their friends feelings ," you know Robbie and I love all of your duets , Andre, but there are a few old love songs that we want included is all ."
" Gotcha " conceded Andre , turning over the card in his own game of Solataire ," you know , waiting rooms are boring . Hospitals should totally have its own Jet Brew and a karoke machine in here to take away all the stress and pressure we have going on in here ."
**************************HA******************************************
Carly had walked the hospital halls briskly , pausing to check in on her brother who didn't appear to be cracking under the pressure and Trina's constant threats and violent hand smacking so she paused to join Jade who was standing in front of the large window to the nursery staring softly at the newborn babies .
A baby with tuff of black hair let out a shrill cry causing Jade's lips to curve in a wistful smile and lift a hand to the glass, lightly .
" That little one there ," muttered Jade , feeling particarly emotional ," it could be mine and Beck's kid . We'd have a screamer ….I like to think our baby will have a hell of a set of lungs on him or her "
" Your excited about having the baby " observed Carly , still marveling at the softer side to the former Goth girl ," I never really pictured you as being a Mom type , Jade ."
She paused , leery that the woman still might want to kill her but found Jade at ease .
" I never did want to be a Mom or have kids ," explained Jade , her lips curving around her mouth ," I fought with Beck over it tooth and nail for the longest time but now I don't know what happened but I cant wait . I just hope I don't have the puking reflux cause that is really disgusting …"
" I don't think I deserve Gibby " blurted out Carly, chewing on her fingernail, nervously .
" Probably not but for whatever hilarious reason that man is still in love with you ," brought up Jade , not mincing words ," the kitchen sex was a good start to making up but have you actually talked to him about getting back together or married or whatever ."
" I am afraid to , Jade ," Carly paced across the linoluem ," I lied to him badly and I made a horrible , horrible mess of our life together . There cant be enough sorry's for what I did this time plus I think I would die if he decided he did hate my guts ."
Jade glowered at her ." We all got the memo from Sam and Freddie plus the footnotes you supplied , " continued Jade , turning around to cross her arms ," you know what would be good about now ?"
" Trina said I should grovel more and Sam was a bit more graphic than that "
" No, stop whining about all this chizz ," countered an annoyed Jade ," don't make me want to slap you, Carly . Learn from this crap and find the man and have it out so your either together or its over for good ."
Carly started to protest that she didn't whine but realized she would be lying to everyone and herself . Every single one of her friends had helpful though sometimes annoying advice for her but the gist of it was all the same to make amends .
She had been trying to and thought the other night had been progress but Gibby had been unusually reserved since they had almost made love in the kitchen of Hollywood Arts .
Did he regret it ?
Would it be just meaningless sex to him ?
Why was everything ten times harder for her in life ? What if Gibby didn't want to take her back ?
What if he wanted to reconnect with his first girlfriend who just happened to live in L.A.?
When did her life become a blasted soap opera ?
Before Carly could continue with the what ifs , they spotted Trina who was walking down the hall now dressed in a purple satin nightgown with Spencer hovering near her while Holly babbled on the other side of the couple , oblivious to their pained expressions .
" Maybe you should consider a C section, dear ," Holly was on high alert, checking her watch once more ," Its already been nearly two hours and I know the doctor surely has considered all of your options . What about an epidural ?"
Trina bit her lip hard and sunk her fingernails in her husbands arm , drawing blood and making him wince . She had a hell of a grip !
" Holly , we appreciate everything you are saying , we do, " muttered Spencer , swallowing his fear of his mother in law ," but Dr. Dody says everything is going along good so far . No need to bring up the idea of cutting into Trina unless its needed and we ..that is Trina wants to give birth naturally ."
" Of course she does but I was just reminding you of the other options available " Holly stared hard at her daughters face wishing she could take away the strain on her face .
" Dad ! Dad ! " Spencer waved wildly at his father in law , all but one step away from begging the man to take Holly away before Trina blew a gasket or he lost it next .
David managed a weary sigh and made a beeline to rescue the couple from his wife .
Holly meant well but she was overzealous where Trina was concerned and though the girls had made up long ago, he knew she still harbored feelings that she was a bad mom which is why she was giving overprotective Mom a whole new level .
David raised his eyes meeting Spencer's panicked ones and sent him a smile .
" How are my girls doing, Spencer ?" asked David , leaning over to drop a kiss on his daughters cheek ," hows my baby girl , Trina ?"
" I'm okay , about half tempted to see if I can yoga this baby out " admitted Trina , tilting her head slightly ," which I totally would if Dr. Dody wouldn't have a cow over it . He doesn't believe in all this New Age hooey as he calls it - I cant believe I ever went out on a date with him ."
" You should pay attention to the doctor , honey, " cut in Holly ," he knows what to do ."
" Holly , " David put his arms on her shoulders ," it looks like we might be here for awhile and I just realized you never talked to Andre about his good news ."
Holly frowned , pushed a dark strand of hair behind her ear ." Nonsense , I told Tori to tell Andre how happy I was for him after she called us about the good news ."
" Which isn't really personal , Holly ," lectured David , hoping to pull her in the other direction instead ," Do you want Andre to feel as if we arent happy for him ? I mean , Cat tells me that he and Tori are actually discussing an engagment in the possible near future ."
Holly gaped at her husband as if he had sprouted wings and a horn suddenly . " Your being ridiculous , David ," said Holly , adjusting the strap of her purse ," Andre is practically family ." She paused to reconsider the possibility of his words ," Are we sure this isn't something that Cat misunderstood ? I mean, Andre has been commitment shy forever and Tori never said a word to me ."
" It's a wonder why she didn't ….." muttered Spencer, looking away and cracked a loopy smile at his sister and Jade who were window shopping the babies it would seem .
" Its totally true , Mom , " added Trina, helpfully ," you should go encourage Andre to pop the big ole put a ring on her finger to Tori question before she turns thirty ."
Holly looked suspiciously from her husband then to her oldest daughter , shaking her head and letting out a breath .
" Are you trying to get rid of me ?"
" No "
" Yes "
" Maybe a little bit ," David took her hand into his own ," why don't we leave Spencer and Trina be for a while and go harass Andre and Tori ."
" I thought you didn't like it when I did that , dear "
A smile slid across the cops handsome face ." Only on certain occasions but I want to see Tori and Andre married before I retire "
" You should use that on Andre " suggested Holly , getting into the idea . It seemed like such a long time since she and David had tag teamed their daughters and the boyfriend .
" Good cop ? Bad cop ?"
Holly chuckled ," Tori would hate us for days if we did ."
" She'd get over it ," chimed in an approving Trina ," go , read them the riot act "
" We'll just be in the waiting room …if you need us or when its closer to the baby coming " trailed Holly as she rushed off with David with wishes and dreams of planning the big wedding for Tori that Trina hadn't wanted and her wedding gown .
*********************************BABY*********************************
Gibby was feeling out of place among his friends wedding planning , Andre and Tori's songwriting session , and Freddie and Sam's improntou discssion on whether they should try for kids soon which was how he found himself aimlessly walking down the halls of the hospital . His foray into the area of the ER was a little too much for him so he found himself in the wing where all of the newborn babies were and was surprised to find Carly chatting with Jade .
She turned slightly and caught his eye as her pink lips lifted in a hesistant smile .
" That's my cue to walk away " declared Jade , waving at the man and went in search of Beck . She figured he would be studying lines for the latest episode of Bent .
" So, no baby yet " said Gibby, conversationally .
" Nope ," managed Carly , locking her fingers together and forcing herself to meet his gaze ," Spencer just might explode before Trina has the baby ." She laughed to hide her nervousness ," Gibby, about what happened between us the other night , I know we havent exactly talked about what it means and I've been afraid to rock the boat anymore between us. I know I've apologized profusely to you about what I did to destroy us …."
" Why , Carly , why did you push me away ? You tell me that you still love me but for months all that you have done is make me think you must hate me "
Carly closed her eyes , willed herself not to succumb to tears and be the weepy woman again and nodded .
" I could never hate you but I wasn't liking who I was becoming ," Carly stumbled over her words as he took her hand into his own and led her down the empty corridor where they could have privacy ," Somehow I thought I should love teaching at Ridgeway . It was my dream job ! It was what I wanted and ..and you and Sam and the restaurant was becoming more successful ."
" I don't understand how this has to do with our relationship " said a perplexed Gibby , pulling her into an empty janitors closet and staring at her .
Carly bit her lip , swallowed the lump lodged in her throat and stomach and knew it was truth telling time . No more white lies, no more tip-toeying around her guilt and the mess she had made .
No more going back to her teenage stupidity when her adult stupidity was vying for the win .
" I hated it ! Okay I hated my job and helping Tyler sort of made me feel like it did when we used to do iCarly ," Carly turned away from him, trying to get it out in a quick breath and not throw up ," except when he started hitting on me ! Yes , I am a horrible , horrible person because I told you he didn't but he did "
" You were attracted to Tyler ? " He clenched his fists, resisting the urge to hit something and recalling every conversation he and Carly had ever had about her helping with the after school arts program .
"No..I mean, maybe a little bit but I never did anything because I am in love with you ," continued Carly , pleading with him to believe her ," I swear to you , I didn't betray you ! I just I thought I didn't deserve you….and I felt really lost and you were making these big plans and I ..I just lost it . " Her hair fell over her eye and she pushed it away ," I cant explain it ! Call me crazy ! "
She dragged a hand across her face and brushed a hand under her eye as if she could push away those blasted , stupid tears !
" I didn't tell you , I don't know why I didn't tell you but I applied for two teaching positions ," went on Carly , picking up a bottle of Windex and holding onto it ," one at Hollywood Arts and the other at Pacific Coast Academy . I haven't decided which job that I should take and I know your restaurant is in Seattle so I drove you away . "
Gibby was at a loss of speech .
This is what she wrecked their relationship over ? Had the woman gone nuts ?
Except that he knew that deep down beneath the always perky side of Carlotta Shay was a scared , young girl hiding from love . They had dealt with her insecurities a bit over the years when they had first started dating but this took the proverbial cake any day of the week .
Gibby sucked in a breath of his own , took a step forward bringing him closer to her and smoothed his hands lightly down her arms , feeling her shiver at his touch .
" Carly, you could have just talked to me about all of this instead of picking fights with me every other night ," chuckled Gibby , working through the last vestiges of his anger with her," I should be furious with you but I am really tired of being angry at you. How did you think that I wouldn't understand ? "
A frown turned into a pout ." I just didn't ….can I blame it on the fact that I am bad at the whole being a part of a couple thing ?"
Gibby moved closer yet and took both of her hands into his own ." You make really bad decisions , Carls, but the thing is those are things we need to talk about like we should talk about why you turned down my proposal …and the fact that I considered for about two minutes reconnecting with Tasha "
" I thought I made you hate me so I couldn't marry you ! You deserve someone who isn't mentally crazy , Gibby , but dammit , this was less confusing in my head ! "
That silly was his Carly and maybe despite and in spite of all the insane chizz she had pulled and maybe he was a bit on the sick side too , he knew he couldn't lose her or them Gibby knew Carly well enough to know that this was her fighting to save them .
" If your taking lessons off of Cat, darling, I have to tell you ," grinned Gibby, pulling her into the circle of his arms ," its working for you ."
Carly reached out, touching the side of his face , eyes wide and hopeful ." Figures since Cat is the one person I didn't take advice from "
She pressed her forehead to his , breathing in his nearness ." I want to make things right between us , Gib, please , tell me how I can do that ."
He brushed his lips across hers and felt her sigh against the kiss . " Maybe we should talk about all of that later when we talk about my ideas for moving to L.A. if Sam doesn't murder me first . Are you alright with us making plans together ?"
Carly slid her arms around his neck and a soft smile played around her lips ." I am more than alright with that and ..and can we maybe put marriage back on the table ?"
" One thing at a time, Carly ," Gibby gathered her hair in his hand , his expression filled with intensity and love ," just promise me that next time before you think about doing anything insane , you'll talk to me about it ."
" Agreed "
" Does this mean that we're back together ? "
It was such a teenage thing to ask but given the circumastances that had led up to this moment , Gibby and Carly didn't mind so much and it might have been funny if they weren't having a private conversation in a janitors closet in a hospital .
" I love you, Carly Shay " Gibby drew her into a long, lingering kiss that took away any of their lingering doubts that they weren't a couple . They understood that this conversation was far from over and that there still were important conversations to be had but right now in this moment , love was all that mattered .
Love would get them through the rest and prevail .
***************************************HA******************************
Three long hours later with much craziness ensuing in the waiting room and with the nurses discovery that Beck Oliver of Bent was hanging out with his friends at the hospital , Trina 's labor increased with her contractions coming at every hour .
Although everyone wanted to be present when the baby was born, Trina just wanted her husband by her side , encouraging her through the pushing process .
" Oh my God ! This is the only baby we are ever having , Spencer ! I am not going through this again ! " Trina gripped a hunk of his hair hard as she pushed harder as Spencer groaned in pain , trying to hold her hand instead .
" You are kicking butt, Trina , that's my woman " encouraged Spencer as the nurse encouraged him to keep with the pep talk as things were close now .
" I can see the baby , Trina ," said Dr. Dody ," I know your tired but give me a nice , big push "
Her eyes watered as she stared at the doctor and gathered up her energy ." The baby ? "
" Wants to see mommmy and daddy so come on , Trina , how about another one of those pushes "
" Come on, Trina, I love you " Spencer clutched her hand , pressed a kiss to her damp hair ," I know your beat but our kid wants to see us now . "
" I love you too , Spencer " Trina forgot everything , the long labor , her emotions and then on a long sigh, she concentrated on her child and pushed , barely registering the voices around her in the room or that her parents and Spencer's dad had joined them as her baby was brought into the world with a loud wail filling the room .
" OOOOH my gosh ! "
Dr. Dody wrapped the baby in a thin blanket and held it up for the proud parents to see .
" Looks like it's a boy "
Trina let out a little sob of relief and delight and held out her arms ." A boy …we have a boy, honey " She lifted her face for his kiss " Our baby boy Shay "
The doctor placed the baby in her arms , his little face scrunched up at his parents , bright brown eyes looking at them and a tuff of brown hair like both Spencer and Trina .
" He looks just like you " Spencer reached out , touching his sons finger and felt a rush of emotion that he and Trina could have created someone so perfect .
He felt moisture on his cheek aware that he was crying but didn't care . He was so happy .
" He is going to be tall like his dad ," noted Trina , taking in how long her child was as she pressed a soft kiss to the top of his head ," everyone say hello to Malcolm Shay ."
Malcolm let out another hearty wail making Spencer grin like a loon .
" Mal for short " added Spencer , wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulder and kissing her , lovingly ," hey there buddy, are we happy to meet you . Your Mom and I have been waiting a long time to see you and we love you like crazy ."
Holly sniffled as David held her tight and Steven placed a reassuring hand on his sons shoulder as the door burst open bringing in a tall, lanky man with wild blonde hair and wearing a tuxedo burst in the room .
" Uncle Socko is here "
Trina ignored her own tears , marveling at the baby in her arms then encompassed the rest of her family as they overfilled the tiny room much to the protest of the nurse which they promptly ignored as she gave up with one last warning look at the new parents .
Gibby had his arm around Carly as she aahed over her nephew as Tori openly sobbed happy tears while Andre held her tight .
Beck placed a hand on Jade's belly while she swiped at her own happy tears for their friends while Cat murmured and cried into Robbie's shoulder about the new baby.
Even though Sam was unusually quiet a look passed between her and Freddie that spoke volumes .
" Mal, meet the rest of your family "