"Seriously, I don't know why you still went to work this week, when the baby is due next week," Owen said, as he dropped off Cristina for her last day of the mercantile, before she went off on maternity leave. "You should be home, resting."

"I just want to make sure that the two women who are holding on for me, are absolutely sure of everything that needs to be done," Cristina said, holding her large stomach. "But I am leaving early, today. Maybe lunchtime, so I can help you with the dinner. Have you confirmed with everybody?"

"You don't have to help with your birthday dinner, Cristina. I can handle it. And yes, I have confirmed with everyone that they are coming this evening at 6.30 p.m. Mom and Richard and Derek and Meredith all said yes they are coming to celebrate your 26th birthday with you," Owen said. "Just imagine our baby's birthday will be close to yours."

"That's good. Don't forget to pick up the cake at the bakery, before you leave town," Cristina reminded him.

"Oh, yes, the cake. I forgot about that," he said, as he watched as her face fell that he could forget about something so important. He grinned. "Of course not, how could I forget my beautiful girlfriend's birthday cake? I ordered it myself." He got out of the car and went to the other side to open her door. He had long ceased using the truck, whenever he had to take Cristina, anywhere. Getting down from the truck was just too cumbersome for her in this highly pregnant state. He helped her get out of the car and then, he kissed her goodbye. He watched as she waddled into the mercantile. Gosh, he loved that woman so much, he thought.

He went to the bakery, Izzie's Irresistible Baked Delights, which was run by Izzie Karev, who had moved to Huntsville, after she and Alex had got married. "Good morning, Izzie," Owen said, as he went in.

"Good morning, Owen," Izzie chirped. "It is a lovely spring day, isn't it?" Like Cristina, Izzie was also pregnant and was due in three months.

"Yes, it is," Owen agreed. "Do you have Cristina's cake ready?"

"Yes," Izzie said, as she brought out the three-layered coconut cake that was covered in yellow and white frosted roses. It was beautiful. "I worked on it last night."

"It's beautiful. I am sure Cristina will love it," he said, admiring all of the intricate work.

"So she is due, any day, now?" Izzie asked, holding her own stomach.

"Yes," Owen said. "Today is her last day of work and the baby is due, next week. She is so looking forward to having this baby out of her."

"I understand how she feels," Izzie said. "I still have three months to go and I feel the same way. By the way, I'm having a girl. What about you guys?"

"Oh, we don't know as yet. We decided to keep that a surprise. We have been calling the baby, 'he.' But that is just a generic term," Owen said. He paid for the cake and said his goodbyes. He carefully placed the cake on the passenger seat. It really was a work of art. He had chosen the cake himself. He hoped that Cristina would really love it. He got back to the farm and put the cake into the refrigerator for later. He had some work to clear up on the farm and that was going to take him all morning. He was going to pick up Cristina at lunchtime, have lunch in town and then come back and work on the dinner. He was going to have a full day. He jumped in his truck and headed out to the fields.


Cristina was enjoying her last day of work. She had already spoken to the women, who would be sharing her job. The women worked elsewhere in the mercantile and they still had their jobs to do, in addition to Cristina's job. It was a good meeting and they had given her a present for the baby. It was a dozen onesies. They were so cute, she thought, as she examined each onesie.

Then, it happened, without warning. There was a sharp pain and a gush of liquid coming from her nether regions. "Oh, good grief, not now!" she said. It was so an inappropriate time, she thought. Today was her birthday. She was going to have a dinner and birthday cake, later today. Now, those plans were shot. Then, she caught herself. Those were less important things; she was going to have her baby and on her birthday, no less. She dialed Jackson's extension.

"Jackson, I need some help, here. I think I am having the baby. Please come," she told him. "Oh, my God," Jackson yelled on the other end. "I will be there."

She felt another sharp pain and it made her wince. She dialed the farm's number but it went straight to voice mail. That meant that Owen was out on the farm. She groaned, as Jackson burst through her office door.

"I think you will have to take me to the hospital in Brewster," Cristina said. "I can't get on to Owen, right now."

"That's okay, that is okay," Jackson said, as he helped her up. "Let's just get you to my car. It is out front." They slowly made it out to the mercantile. His grandfather saw them and said, "Jackson, where are you all going?"

Jackson turned back and yelled across the floor. "She's having the baby, Grandpa. I have to take her to Brewster. Can you get on to Owen Hunt and tell him where we are?" Cristina yelped, once again. "Hurry, Grandpa," Jackson yelled. Not only did Jackson inform his grandfather about the impending birth, he also told every single shopper in the mercantile. The buzz had started that the Hunt baby was coming. The news spread across the mercantile floor and spilled out on to the streets of Huntsville.

"Okay," Harper said. He tried the farm's number but to no meant that Hunt was out of the house. Cell service was spotty out on the farm. He would have no choice but to go down to the farm, himself and hope he found Hunt. "Fiona," he yelled to one of the sales associates. "Man the cash register for me." He ran out to his car and headed to the Hunt farm. He was halfway there when he realized that finding Hunt on his 200-acre farm was going to be a task. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, he thought. He finally made it to the farmhouse. It didn't seem that Hunt was around. The truck Owen usually used to drive out on the farm was not there. Mr. Avery was in a quandary. Then he saw it. It was like if the gods were smiling at him. It was a CB radio set on the porch. Owen had installed it when Cristina had moved in. He wanted to make sure she could contact him, when she was home and he was out on the farm.

"Oh, thank God," he said. He picked up the radio. "Hunt, Hunt, are you out there?" He waited for a few seconds, until he heard Owen's voice. "Yeah, I am out on the farm. Who's this?"

"It's me, Harper Avery. I've been trying to find you. It's about Cristina," Harper said, so relieved that he had found Hunt.

"What happened? Is she okay?" Owen said. Harper could hear the anxiety in his voice.

"Well, yes and no. She's going to have the baby. Jackson took her to Brewster," Harper said.

"Okay, I am just coming to the house to collect her bag and then, be on my way. Thank you very much," Owen said. "Over and out."

Harper put down the radio. He was so thankful that he got on to Hunt. He got back into his truck and headed back into Huntsville, which by this time, was totally abuzz with the impending birth of the Hunt baby.

Cristina, in the meantime, had made it to the Brewster hospital. She got herself registered and her OB, Dr Withers, had come to visit her. Everyone thought Jackson was the father but he immediately said that this was not the case.

"He is just a friend," Cristina said. "A good friend." She squeezed Jackson's hand, gratefully. Jackson smiled back at her. At one time, he did have designs on Cristina but once he admitted to himself that her affections lay elsewhere, he had backed off and just became her friend.

Owen made a pit stop to the house and grabbed the bag that Cristina had already packed for her stay at the hospital. It was a mad dash to get to the Brewster hospital. When he got there, he ran to the maternity area and found out where Cristina was. He entered the room, relieved to find her there. Jackson was sitting in a chair, keeping her company.

"Cristina! I knew you shouldn't have gone to work, today," Owen said, giving her a light kiss on the mouth.

"It was okay. Jackson brought me," she said. Owen looked at Jackson, who was sitting quietly in the corner. "Thank you so much, Jackson," Owen said. There had been a lot of friction between the two men, most of it concerning Cristina but he was grateful.

"It's okay, Owen. I just did what any friend would do. Well, I better head back to the mercantile. Grandpa is holding down the fort," he said. Owen shook Jackson's hand before he left.

"I brought your overnight bag," Owen said, putting it on the bedside table. She nodded, "Ah, good, I would need the stuff after the baby is born."

"Did the doctor check you?" he said.

"Yup, he says I am coming along nicely. A little faster than he expected but that's all good," she said. "Better the baby to get out of here." She patted her stomach. "It seems like forever that this baby is in there. Well, I guess the birthday dinner is off."

"We can have it when you get out of hospital. Is there a chance that the baby will come today?" he asked. "If he does, he will have the same birthday as you. Won't that be great? We can have a double celebration every year."

"Yes, more than likely, today, my doctor has said," Cristina answered. "He is determined to share his birthday with his mama." Just then, her phone rang. It was Meredith.

"Cristina," Meredith said. "I heard it on the Huntsville grapevine that you are having the baby! Everyone is very excited and that is all that they are talking about."

Cristina groaned. She knew that this would have happened when Jackson shouted to his grandpa at the mercantile.

Meredith giggled on the other end. "You wait, Meredith. When you get pregnant, everyone will be up in your business because you are having the sheriff's baby."

"Well, I will face that when the time comes," Meredith said, still laughing. "So, how are you doing?"

"I am doing alright," Cristina said. "I have been given drugs, so I am a little happier."

"Oh, by the way, happy birthday," Meredith said. "So no birthday dinner, tonight."

"Yeah, Owen says we will have it, afterwards," Cristina said. "So I will still expect lovely presents."

"Certainly, Ms. Yang," Meredith said. "Okay, Bailey is screaming in her office. I have to go now. Keep me posted on what's happening."

"Will do, Mer," Cristina said. She hung up the phone. Owen wondered whether he should call his mom. If Meredith knew, then his mom already knew. He dialed his mother's number.

"Owen," his mom's perky voice came on the line. "I am so excited. I just heard from Mrs. Bokhee that Cristina has gone to the hospital."

"Yeah, I figured you would have heard, already," Owen said. The small town grapevine was a well-oiled machine that was working well, he thought.

"Is she alright?" his mom asked.

"Yes, she is doing fine. I will let you know how things progress," Owen said. Owen never knew that having a baby would take so long. Six hours later, Cristina was ready to push. Owen held her hand, as she pushed. He felt his hand go numb as she squeezed it so hard but he could see all of her pain, so he couldn't complain. The relief finally came when the baby's head emerged out of her, with the rest of the baby's body slipping out easily.

"It's a boy, Cristina," Dr. Withers. "A good-looking boy." The doctor cut the umbilical cord, as the baby started to cry. "Healthy pair of lungs, too." The nurse took him and wrapped him in a blanket and placed him on Cristina.

"Hey, there, baby boy," Cristina whispered to her son. Owen stroked the baby boy's cheek. He could hardly believe it. He had a son.


A couple of hours later, after their boy was checked out and cleaned up, they brought the baby for Cristina.

"So what are we going to name him?" Owen said. "I mean we talked about names but we didn't really decide on any one name. He's here now and he needs a name."

"Do you have any objections to Spencer?" Cristina asked. "I have always liked that name."

"No, that is a great name," Owen said. "What about his middle name?"

"Oh, I knew his middle name before I knew his first name," Cristina said.

"What's his middle name?" he asked, a little puzzled that she would know their baby's second name before his first.

"His middle name was going to be Owen, regardless of what was his first name," Cristina said. "He was going to carry his daddy's name. He is Spencer Owen Hunt. In any case, he doesn't look like me. He looks like you. He is his daddy's boy."

Owen held the baby's hand in his own. He marveled at how tiny his fingers were. "Hey there, Spence, I am your dad." The baby wrapped his hand around Owen's finger. It was as if he knew.


A/N Please leave your comments. Thanks for your reviews. Only two chapters left.