Chapter 54: And Baby Makes Three Part 1

"Helen?" John called out in alarm and quickly crossed the room to reach her.

Panting she looked up at him and smiled weakly. "My water broke."

"I beg your pardon?" the stunned man asked stupidly.

"It's time, you git," his best friend announced as he joined them. To Helen he cheerfully said "See, you didn't have to drink that horrid pepper concoction after all. She decided she was ready all on her own."

"Yes," Helen laughed and then cringed as another contraction hit. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" she chanted painfully and rubbed at her stomach.

That seemed to snap Druitt out of his stupor. "The baby's coming now?" he asked and put an arm around her as she doubled over with a cry.

"Contractions are coming faster," Helen cried with a whimper. "Hospital. Now!" she panted.

James managed to grab a hold of John's shoulder before he could disappear with the ailing mother. A moment later they reappeared outside the local hospital in a sheltered spot off to the side where they knew no cameras were focused on. Arm supporting her, John quickly led them into the emergency room entrance while Watson followed in their wake. At the counter, John loudly announced the grimacing mother was in labor and needed a doctor. He angrily reached for and practically dragged the startled attendant across the counter when he was told he needed to fill out paperwork and a doctor would see them as soon as one was available. "She is in labor," John growled in the terrified attendant's face. "I want a doctor to see her NOW!"

"John," Helen reprimanded, "he's just doing his…" She then cried out in agony as the next set of contractions hit her like a tidal wave. Releasing the attendant, John grabbed her with both hands to support her as she doubled over screaming in pain.

"We require a doctor immediately," James calmly told the attendant as the harried man scrambled back down behind the counter. "She's in heavy labor and the child seems impatient to enter this world."

The attendant quickly picked up the phone to call for a doctor while a nurse who had heard the woman's shriek hustled over with a wheelchair. "He'll still need to do the paperwork," the attendant told Watson as he got off the phone and then jumped back as Druitt turned a furious look upon him.

"I'll take care of the paperwork," James loudly assured them. "Go do what you need to do," he ordered the worried father to be, who immediately rushed off to follow after Helen as the nurse wheeled her away. "May I borrow a pen," he politely asked the miffed attendant whose badge identified him as George.

"Your friend's a bit of a ruffian," George sniffed as he handed over the clipboard and pen.

"He's experiencing his first real opportunity at fatherhood," James apologized with a shrug. "He's a little jumpy." He ignored the bitter man's response of "I suppose so but there's no need for unnecessary roughness" and sat down in a nearby seat to fill out the information sheets.

"Mother's name… Helen Heatherington," he muttered as he began completing the first form. "Father's name… unworthy bastard." And so it went for four pages of mind numbing paperwork. Watson was well accustomed to filling out mind numbing paperwork.

In another section of the hospital John held fast to Helen's hand as the nurse tried to hook her up to monitoring equipment. "No time," Helen grimaced, "the baby's coming fast." She then flew back onto the pillow with a shriek as a strong contraction hit.

"Well, well, if it isn't Dr. and Mr. I'm not getting married," a familiar voice greeted them. "You're still in town."

The expectant parents looked up to find Dr. Lindstrom smiling at them as she hurried over to the bedside. What luck that the sassy, elderly doctor had been on call this evening. "I'd ask how you were doing but judging by that last scream I'd say you're ready to get this show on the road." A few more questions and accompanying screams brought the doctor up to speed as she went about checking how dilated the suffering mother to be was. The pale faced father grimaced as his partner squeezed his hand and at times sunk her nails into his flesh but never once did he pull away from her. Rather, he hung on for dear life, almost as if he were unconsciously fearful that she and their child will disappear away from him.

"Okay," the elderly doctor concluded and motioned for her nurse to join her. "Looks like baby Griffin is past the opening gate and heading towards the finishing line. Helen, get ready to push."

Panting hard, Helen rasped harshly between waves of intense pain, "The cord. Difficulties with first birth. Cord wrapped around baby's throat." She then let out a blood curdling scream that caused John to jump in his seat.

"Helen," he cried out in alarm and gave the attending doctor a wide eyed look. "Do something," he begged. "Please!"

"It's too late for an epidural," Dr. Lindstrom calmly declared. "Only thing left to do is to push for all you're worth. Come on mommy, push when you're told. I'll keep an eye out for the cord," she promised as she settled between Helen's legs to deliver the baby.

Ten minutes later a sweat drenched Helen was slumped back against the pillow gasping roughly for air. She'd forgotten how hard the delivery part was physically but then it had been over thirty years since she'd delivered Ashley. Eyes closed, the exhausted woman just wanted to go to sleep and wake up when the whole ordeal was over.

"You're doing great, Dr. Heatherington," the doctor encouraged her. "One more big push and your little one will make it over the finishing line."

"You need to push hard," John ordered excitedly. His child was almost here. He'd waited so long to finally be a father and all that was required was for her mother to push harder. "Push, Helen!"

"I'll push when I'm good and bloody ready!" she growled back at him as she opened one eye to glare at him. "If you want to push so bloody bad you can get up on this bed and do it yourself!"

"Focus," the doctor commanded as she supported the bulk of the baby's body and then ordered the mother to push one final time. "You're almost there."

"That's right," he nodded and gave his partner's hand a squeeze. "One more big push."

"You push!" Helen barked as she bore down and pushed as hard as she could. As she fell back on the pillow the loud pounding of her blood and racing heartbeat nearly drowned out the high pitched cry that suddenly filled the air.

John's head snapped up from its worried focus on Helen's face to locate the source the shrill crying.

"Welcome to the world little one," Dr. Lindstrom cooed to the bawling infant resting in her arms. "It's a bit bright I know but you'll adjust soon enough."

"She's alright?" Helen weakly asked and blinked blearily at the doctor. She was so tired yet she wanted to hold her daughter as soon as possible.

"I think so but give us a minute to clean her up and make sure all the bits are in place and in working order," the doctor stated.

"She's finally here," John exhaled and leaned down to kiss his partner's forehead. He didn't register the salty taste of her sweaty brow in his euphoric state. All he cared about was that he now had a daughter of his own to raise. One that would call him daddy and snuggle in his arms as he read to her each night before bedtime. One that would not fear him and look upon him as a monster.

"Yes," she murmured and gave him a tired smile as he stroked her cheek.

"I love you," he softly declared as he pressed his forehead against her temple. "For all eternity."

"I love you too," she whispered back.

A loud squawk of protest from the baby caused them to look over at the nurse and doctor with matching frowns. "The blood sample," she whispered.

"I'll get it before she leaves the room," he promised. His eyes lit up as the doctor moved towards them with a pink wrapped bundle.

"Ten perfect little fingers and ten perfect little toes," Dr. Lindstrom pronounced as she went to lay the little bundle into her excited mother's arms. "A healthy seven pounds eight ounces and eyes as blue as sapphires," she said as she backed away. "Quite the little stunner you have here."

Gently folding back the pink cloth to get a better look at her daughter Helen's heart caught in her throat as she was greeted by a pair of sleepy blue orbs that blinked at her from under a flutter of long, dark lashes and a tiny bow of a mouth that smacked together as the baby gave a loud yawn. "Oh, aren't you lovely," Helen murmured softly as a few tears of joy began to stream down her cheek.

"Simply magnificent," John croaked hoarsely as he pressed his cheek against hers and admired their prefect little creation. His hand gingerly reached out to touch the little fist resting near the baby's chest. The skin was so soft; the hand so tiny and fragile that tears began to spill from the corners of his gray-blue eyes. It had taken two long, difficult years to bring his family back to him. And once they reclaimed Ashley his family would be complete, the way it should have always been.

So enthralled were they with their newborn that Helen barely registered the nurse's parting words of "let me know if you need anything else" as she reached for the door handle. Dr. Lindstrom had left shortly before when her beeper went off.

"John," Helen hissed and elbowed him hard in the ribcage. Giving a loud grunt he turned a frown on her. "The nurse!" she cried and motioned to the closing door. "Hurry!"

He suddenly realized why she was so distressed and jumped up off the bed to set off after the nurse. He caught up with her halfway down the hall. Calling out "Nurse!" he barreled into her, knocking them both to the floor. "I'm so sorry!" he apologized and went to help her collect the items she'd dropped in the fall. "I just wanted to ask you an urgent question before you left. I apologize for my clumsiness."

"It's alright," the confused nurse answered as the big man helped lift her back to her feet and handed her the items she'd dropped. "What did you need to ask me?"

"Uh…" he stalled as his mind searched for a plausible excuse. "Uh… about the baby."

"What about the baby?" she said with a frown as she stared up at the flustered man.

"Diaper!" he cried. "What about the diapers? We didn't bring any with us in our haste to get to the hospital. We forgot everything at the house."

The nurse gave him an indulgent pat on the arm. "It's alright, Mr. Griffin. I'll be right back with a complimentary care bag. There are a few diapers in there and we can provide more if needed. You'll want to get someone to bring your partner a change of clothing though. She'll want to freshen up and put on something clean."

He blinked back in surprise. It hadn't occurred to him that Helen would need clean clothing. "Of course," he replied slowly. "Thank you." He began making his way back to their room then stopped and headed down another hallway. Three minutes later he reentered the emergency room waiting area and was relieved to see Watson seated in one of the chairs watching CNN on the overhead monitor and sipping from a white Styrofoam cup. Judging from the down turn of his mouth he wasn't enjoying his cup of coffee.

"That bad?" John called out as he approached.

"Absolute rubbish," James confirmed and stood up to toss the cup into a nearby trash can. "Everything okay?" he asked and received a big goofy grin in response.

"Mother and child are both fine," the proud father shared. "She's absolutely amazing, James. The doctor called her a little stunner."

"Ah, so she looks like her mother then," James teased. "Thank goodness. The thought of a miniature version of you in a baby bonnet is too horrifying to contemplate."

"Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of merely imagining you in a woman's bonnet," John returned in good humor. "It was beyond horrifying and I was scarred for life." The two men laughed. "Can you get a hold of Nick?" he asked. "In our haste to leave we didn't have a chance to get Helen a change of clothing or any necessities for the baby."

Watson made the call as they walked back to Helen's room and was relieved to be told that Lucy was there and would be more than willing to run the items to the hospital. Nick wouldn't have had a clue what type of clothing and supplies Helen and the baby would require. Entering the room the two men discovered the new mother humming Beautiful Dreamer as she gently rocking her newborn in her arms.

"How's our little angel?" the beaming father softly asked as he came to sit on the bed and look lovingly down upon their newborn.

"Fast asleep," she answered back softly without removing her gaze off of her baby's cherubic face. She would never tire of looking upon her baby's face or of touching her soft skin. The child's coloring was perfect too, thank goodness. She'd forgotten how overwhelming the experience was of holding her own child in her arms. Sensing movement to her left, Helen briefly looked up and smiled at James, who was leaning down to look at his godchild.

"She's beautiful, Helen," he softly praised of the napping infant. "She looks so much like Ashley did when she was born."

The innocent comment caused John to blink and a knot form in his throat. He had not been around when Ashley was born. Had never held his firstborn nor witnessed her first steps. Taking a deep, long breath he touched the baby's hand and silently swore to her that he'd make up for all the mistakes he'd made with her older sister. He would be a part of every important moment in her life. There would be no regrets with this one.

Unaware of the turmoil going on in his friend's head, James asked, "Has our little wonder been given a proper appellation yet? While I agree angel and beautiful are apropos descriptions she would no doubt appreciate something more personal to associate with herself."

"James Watson, I am pleased to introduce you to your newest godchild…" Helen stated then paused briefly while the baby shifted in her sleep to give a loud smack and press her tiny fist against her mouth. "Miss Patricia Amelia…"

"Druitt," John interrupted.

"Magnus," Helen finished and gave him a smirk.

James shook his head at their competitiveness. "That's quite a mouthful for one wee babe."

"We're going to call her Amelia," she laughed.

Reaching down to gently stroke the newborn's cheek, James said, "Well, Miss Amelia, it is very nice to meet you finally. I am your godfather and the one you'll be running to when you parents tell you no or try to ground you. Do try not to throw up or piddle on me like your big sister did."

Her parents laughed together aloud, causing the baby to give a low whimper at the noise intrusion. "Want to hold her?" Helen asked her partner, who gave her a lopsided grin and nodded his dark head. He very much wanted to hold his child for the first time.