A baby! YAY! (thank you for to my love, Hogwarts-Duo for reading it through!) Enjoy the babe!=)

The months crawled along at a snails pace for the entire family. Elsie and Glenna spent plenty of time knitting booties and sweaters, and Elsie had finished a quilt for the wee babe before the new year had come in. She had done it with scraps of Ella's old dresses and shirtwaists. It had all colors in it, just in case, but Elsie had a creeping suspicion as to what the babe was going to be, and she had a bet going with Glenna. Charles and John had built cribs for each house that the baby would undoubtedly stay and visit.

May had come slowly and everyone's nerves were on edge. Elsie had begun to consider retirement, and she and Charles had discussed it thoroughly. This would be her last year in service, and she would be able to spend time do things she always wanted to do. They had gone through the figures months ago, they had saved enough. (even with the addition of Ella on her savings, she had put a fair amount back, as had Charles.)

They had both gone to the cottage that evening and had eaten leftover stew. The couple were curled up on the settee and she had a book in her hands when they heard a knock.

Jack was at the door. Ella had gone into labor and she wanted Elsie. Charles grabbed their light coats and they started for their girls cottage.

They arrived in record time, not waiting to speak to Robb, Elsie took the stairs two at a time, stopping only to briefly knock before entering. Ella reached out for her mama, Elsie grabbed her hand and situated herself beside her girl.

-/-/-/-

Fourteen hours later, and Elsie knew something was wrong. Ella was exhausted, but Dr. Clarkson assured her that she was now ready to push. Ella pushed with Elsie supporting her at every turn. The room filled with the squall of a newborn after five Herculean pushes. The nurse busied herself with the babe, while Dr. Clarkson delivered the placenta. Elsie only then noticed the panicked look on his face and the lack of sound coming from her girl.

"Ella. Ella, you have a wee babe. Ella...Dr. Clarkson...she's not talking, she's not opening her eyes!" Elsie panicked as she watched the doctor curse under his breath and yell for Robb.

Robb came in and immediately snapped into his doctors face. They picked Ella up and rushed her down the stairs, out the back door and over into the surgical room. All Elsie could pick up, was that her girl was loosing too much blood, and a uterine rupture may be the cause.

The nurse quickly laid the squirming bundle into Elsie's arms and followed the doctors out. Elsie looked down to find two little eyes shaped like Ella's looking up at her. She took a peak and knew she had a granddaughter.

She went down to Charles and the rest of the family and she handed the wee lass over to Glenna whose eyes were eager.

Elsie looked at Charles whose eyes were full of questions, and she explained in a small voice what had happened. The pair rushed over to play a waiting game. Elsie wept into Charles's chest. How could something so miraculous go so wrong?

All they could do was wait and pray that Ella would make it, and meet her wee bairn.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Sorry about that! but let me know you all think!
Much Love,
Samantha