AN: Here it is everyone. The long-anticipated birth of Baby Morgan. I hope you all like how it turned out. PLZ R&R!
Disclaimer: See first chapter.
Chapter 21
Everyone was still stationed around the private waiting room. JJ and Will were occupying the younger kids with board games and puzzles. The adults were trying not to show their anxiety as the hours dragged on. Hotch and Rossi came back into the room with food and drinks for everyone.
Tim slowly sat up, but was stopped when he realized that Skylar was sleeping against him. He gently shook her and her eyes slowly opened.
"Did Aunt Pen have the baby yet?" she mumbled sleepily.
"Not yet," he told her.
"I'm starting to feel a little nauseous," she slowly sat up.
"I think you need to eat," Emily brought a deli sandwich over to her along with a bottle of iced tea. "I don't remember seeing you eat since we got here."
"That's not good for the baby," Tim told his oldest daughter. "You need to keep up your strength."
"Pen told us that you like turkey," Emily smiled at her. "It's all healthy for the baby."
"Thank you," Skylar took the sandwich and slowly took a bite.
"There's Ma," Desiree saw Fran walking down the hall.
"No baby yet," Fran ducked her head in. "I'm just taking a break to get some coffee."
"How's Penelope doing?" Hotch asked.
"She's getting through it. She's dilated six centimeters. I can tell that it's difficult for her. She just wants it over with."
"She'll be fine," Rossi stated. "She's a strong one."
"Hopefully the next time I come out it will be to tell you that the baby is here."
"Let them know that we're all still here," Mitchell told her.
"And we're not going anywhere," Joe added.
"I will," Fran went to go get her coffee and went back towards Penelope's room.
"Will Aunt Pen be ok?" Jazzlynn asked suddenly.
"Of course she will," Shelley assured her.
"Why is it taking so long?" Tanner sighed.
"First time births take awhile," Olivia told him.
The head of Penelope's bed was raised into a semi-upright position as her legs were put into the stirrups. She averted her gaze from the nearby tray lined with medical supplies. Derek smiled at her as a sheet was positioned just above her waist.
"Almost here, Sweetness." He kissed her forehead.
"I love you," she said in between contractions.
"I love you too."
"Ok Penelope," Dr. Cannon's voice interrupted them. "The baby is starting to crown. It's time to start pushing. On your next contraction, I want a big one to start this off."
Penelope screamed out as she clutched Derek and Fran's hands tightly and pushed with all her might. She faintly heard Derek and Fran encouraging her as Dr. Cannon kept telling her to continue to push.
"Ok Penelope, the head is out." Dr. Cannon told her. "Once we get the shoulders out, the baby should just slip out."
"You're doing so good Baby Girl." Derek told her as she readied herself for the next contraction.
"Just get it out," Penelope moaned.
"It's almost over," Fran assured her.
"Oh," Penelope screamed out as another contraction came on.
"Ok Penelope, the shoulder is out." Dr. Cannon told her. "So give me one more big push."
Penelope gathered herself once again and sent out a shrill scream as she felt the baby slip out of her. Penelope collapsed back on the bed as Derek let go of her hand so that he could cut the umbilical cord.
"You did great honey," Fran told her.
"Here we are," the nurses came over to her and placed the baby on her chest and covered it with a blanket.
"Beautiful," Fran smiled as she started taking pictures of the new family of three. "I'm going to go let everyone know that the baby is here so that you guys can have a little family time before they all converge on you."
"Thank you for everything," Penelope told her.
"Thanks Ma," Derek smiled at her.
"It's no problem," Fran smiled at the new family as she left the room.
Everyone was getting restless as they waited for any kind of word on Penelope and the baby. Most of the kids were sitting on the floor around the table as they played a card game. Reid looked up as he saw Fran rushing down the hall with a smile on her face.
"Mrs. Morgan is coming," Reid stated and they all stood up as she came into them.
"The baby has arrived," she announced and they all smiled.
"Boy or girl?" Desiree asked.
"They're still not saying,"
"How big?" JJ asked.
"7 lbs, 8 ozs."
"How's Penelope?" Hotch asked.
"She's exhausted, but she's going to be fine."
"So when can we see them?" Emily asked.
"I'd say about an hour. They still need to get the baby cleaned up and the nurses are going to help Penelope with her first feeding."
"So we have more waiting," Sarah sighed.
"Not too much more," Fran assured them all as she was finally able to sit down and relax.
"How was it in there really?" Mitchell asked her.
"It was a difficult labor," Fran told them. "They had her on oxygen for a little bit because the baby was crowding her lungs and she couldn't breathe."
"But she's definitely ok now right?" Michael asked.
"She's absolutely fine," Fran smiled.
Derek sat in the chair beside the bed as the nurse helped Penelope give the baby the first feeding. She lifted the baby to her shoulder and gently started patting its back to bring up a burp. They both looked up as there was a knock at the door and another nurse came in.
"How's it going?" she asked them. "The group down the hall is getting very antsy."
"We can't keep them away any longer," Derek looked at Penelope as the baby was snuggled back in her arms wrapped tightly in the blanket. "Are you ready, Baby Girl?"
"Get the hat so that they'll know as soon as they walk in," Penelope told him and he went to get the knit hat and placed it on the baby's head.
"The fact that you two were able to keep the sex of the baby a secret from all of them is surprising," one of the nurses commented. "They seem to be a very nosy bunch."
"They can be," Derek got settled on the bed beside his family. "All right. I believe we're ready for all of them now."
Penelope smiled as they heard a crowd of people outside the door. The nurses gathered their supplies and left as everyone filed into the room. Fran, Desiree and Sarah were leading the pack and rushed right over to the bed.
"Little ones in front so they can all see," Penelope ordered and all her nieces and nephews made their way to stand closer to the bed.
"Blue hat," JJ commented as she lifted Henry into her arms so that he could see. "So does that mean-"
"It's a boy!" Derek announced and everyone smiled.
"So what's his name?" Emily asked.
"Xavier James," Penelope smiled brightly.
"He is just so precious," Desiree smiled at her nephew.
"Can we hold him now?" Sarah asked.
"I think his godfather should be the first one to hold him," Derek picked up his son and took him right over to Reid. "What do you say, Pretty Boy? Would you like another godson?"
"Really?" Reid smiled brightly as he took Xavier into his arms.
"And the second one should be his godmother," Penelope stated. "So when you're done Reid, hand him over to JJ."
"What?" JJ gasped. "Really?"
"Really," Derek stated. "What do you guys say?"
"Absolutely," Reid smiled.
"I would be honored," JJ added.
Everyone anxiously waited for their turn to hold the baby as Xavier was passed around to each person in the room. Jazzlynn went up to the bed and placed a bag near her Aunt Pen.
"Congratulations," she told her.
"Thank you, Jazzy." Penelope smiled at her youngest niece. "Is this for us?"
"It's something to hang in the nursery," Derek and Penelope pulled off the tissue paper and pulled out a framed photo of all of the Garcia cousins. "Mom said in a few weeks, we'll get one done with Xavier and Skylar's baby in it."
"We love it," Derk picked up Jazzy. "Thank you very much."
Penelope watched as Skylar slowly sat in the chair on the other side of the bed.
"How are you feeling kiddo?" she asked her.
"I'm just tired," she sighed.
"In a couple months, it'll be you in the hospital bed having your baby," Penelope smiled at her.
"Are you ready for it?" Derek asked.
"Nope," she shook her head.
"You'll be fine," he told her. "You'll be a great mother, too."
"You really think so?" Skylar glanced at him.
"With a big extended family like this, how could you not be?"
"Thanks," Sky smiled at him as her dad brought Xavier over so she could have a turn holding him.
Everyone stayed for the next several hours until the doctor came in and told them all that visiting hours were long over. They all departed from the room, promising to come back the next day. Derek got settled on the small cot that the nurses had brought in as Penelope got settled back on the bed.
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather sleep in our very comfortable bed tonight?" she asked him. "Instead of waking up with a bad back because of that thing?"
"I'm staying where my family is," he replied. "How are you feeling?"
"Still sore," she lay her head back. "I don't think I would've been able to get through everything without you and your mom being here to help me."
"So was it all worth it?" he asked her and she knew that he wasn't just asking about the birth of Xavier.
"Everything was worth it," she smiled at him. "I'm glad I have you."
"I'm glad I have you too," he smiled at her.
They continued to talk for several more minutes until Penelope could barely keep her eyes open. Derek pulled the covers up over her when she finally fell asleep and climbed onto the cot and tried to get some sleep. He glanced over at Penelope sleeping soundly one last time before turning out the lights.
He attempted to find a comfortable position and realized that this was the happiest that he remembered being in a very long time. He knew that he would continue to be happy as long as he had Penelope by his side. He would be make sure that he kept her happy for as long as he possibly could.
As he finally drifted off to sleep, he thought about how lucky he was that night in the bar; the night that changed the entire course of his life. He knew that he had luck on his side that night. Everything happens for a reason after all.
AN: So what'd you all think? I hope you liked how it turned out. What'd you think of the name? There will be one more chapter to try to wrap everything up. I'll try to post it this weekend sometime. PLZ R&R!