Chapter 68: Delivery Day and it's not FedEX!
Kate and Elliot's little girl was a little angel or so Ana decided as she held Ellison Katherine or Ellie in her arms. She was amazed by the child's long fingers and her sweetest little rosebud mouth. Her strawberry blonde hair was in ringlets about her head. She had to be an angel! "Oh, Kate, she is perfect. You did good, girlfriend." Ana softly kissed the little bundle. "How are the boys taking this?"
Kate laughed. "Disappointed. They wanted a pony." Ana's soft laughter joined with Kates.
"I am sure Ava is happy."
"For now, but wait until she has to share her Daddy, or her Uncle Chris with Ellie. All hell will break loose."
"I feel ya, Sister. This one has two sisters and three brothers to contend and compete with." Ana rubbed her belly. She was so ready to deliver. She had hoped that she would be delivered by now, but oh no, Baby Grey was as stubborn as a mule. Just like Christian! She was overdue by three days and it was pissing her off. "I think I still have feet. I haven't seen them in a while."
"You look beautiful, Ana. Pregnancy becomes you." Kate took Ellie back when she started to fuss and offered her breast. "So, is this the last one?"
"Yes!" Ana exclaimed without any hesitation. "Six children is enough." Ana got comfortable on the sofa in Kate's family room. "How about you and Elliot?"
"We are done, also. He's already got an appointment for the big snip."
Ana's eyes went a wide blue pool of shock. "You got Elliot to agree to a vasectomy?"
"If he ever wants to fuck me again, he has to go under the knife. Four children are enough for us. We have two of each."
Ana rolled her eyes knowing that if she demanded that Christian go under the knife, he would be more than stubborn and refuse to do it. She was about to call Dr. Green and say let's do a C-section and while you are in there, fix my over-fertile lady parts! She still believed that the drugs administered to her to support the pregnancy with Andrew led to the "Grips". She was shocked that there was just one baby in there now. "I love all my children, but I would like to have my body back now."
"Do you think the rest of the family is done?" Kate lifted her baby girl over her shoulder to burp her. "I can see Mia having another."
Ana agreed with her. "I can't believe I am still preggers. I thought for sure I was going into labor on New Year's Eve. Damn Braxton Hicks!" She covered her mouth to try to hide her little burp. This child was causing heartburn and indigestion. "Excuse me." Ana said softly.
"Don't worry about it, Annie. I've been there…burps, farts, throwing up, and let's not forget that lovely feeling of peeing your pants! That is the part I will not miss."
"Well, don't worry, wait until menopause and we will go through all that again."
Both ladies groaned. Having babies was hard enough, and now they had menopause to look forward to.
The whole family was on baby watch. Both Eva and Ana were overdue. They got thru the New Year's Eve festivities without going into labor, and now it was January 10 and still no babies. Gideon was nearly insane with the waiting. He wanted to get this over with and know that his wife and child was safe. Every little moan or groan that came from Eva sent him into a tailspin. She just laughed at him from her bed and pat her rounded belly.
"In due time, Ace, in due time. Just relax." She would say with that little smile on her face. She was too calm.
But, Gideon could not relax. He paced the floors every night just waiting for her to call out. He couldn't go into work or keep his mind on business. All he could think about was his wife. Could she have the baby naturally as she wanted or should she have a C-section? All these ideas rolled around in his head and would not let him rest. Gideon Cross was exhausted.
Christian Grey was almost as bad. Ana was not bedridden but he worried about her all the same. She was still working … at home, but it was still working. There were days that he heard her raised voice as she gave whoever on the other end of the phone pure hell! He just knew that she would end up delivering in her office while on the phone negotiating another deal. She was as bad as he was when it came to deal making and her bottom line!
Christian leaned against the door jam and watched his beautiful wife as she frowned at the computer screen. She sighed heavily and clicked off the laptop as if she was disgusted with it. "Hard day at the office, my love?" He asked as he considered her. She was indeed beautiful when heavy with his child. Her pregnancy told the world that she was his, he was hers and their love was growing every day.
"Just the usual, people don't want to work when the big boss is away." She slowly arose from her chair. "Do you have that problem?"
"Not so much anymore. Everyone is scared of Roz." He offered with a smile. "So, how are we today? Any pains? Is this little one ready to come out and meet the ole man?"
"I don't think this little one wants to leave. Why leave a perfectly made space with temperature control and delivered meals?"
"Good point, Mrs. Grey." Christian gathered her into his arms and kissed her deeply. "I have something to tell you."
"What?"
"The House on the Sound sold again." He saw her warning look. "And, no I did not purchase it. A family from California purchased it."
"I hope it is a happy place for them." She gave him a tight smile. The House on the Sound had been their fairytale dream home but it turned into her nightmare as their first attempt at marriage went down the toilet. "Anything else?"
"Yeah," He kissed her once again. "I love you so much."
She sighed heavily in contentment. "I love you, too, Christian." She kissed him softly on the right side of his beautiful male mouth, then on the left side and gave little flutter kisses over his chin. "You know, I read that a good hard round of sex can get labor going. You game?"
"Baby, I am always game if your sweet little pussy is involved." He swept her up into his arms and carried her from her office, pass their children who were having their after-school snack, Gail and Jason, the other members of the security team to their downstairs bedroom. He kicked the door shut and placed her on the bed. "Now, what to do…what to do…I think I will start with slowly taking your clothes off and inspecting every inch of your delicious body with my tongue." He was about to pull of her slipper when a knock came at the door. "Not now! We are busy."
"It's Eva…it's time. She's having contractions." Gideon's frantic voice called out. "She wants Ana."
"Oh, crap! Help me up, Christian!" Ana yelled frustrated that she could hardly move without assistance. "Eva needs me." His strong hand took hers and pulled her carefully to her feet. She took one step and cried out. "Oh, god…it can't be…oh, god…my water…broke!" Her big blue eyes swelled up in tears. Her baby was coming and she couldn't be with her sister. "Christian, get me to the hospital…now." She was about to give another command when she felt her whole middle move in a giant ripple toward her hips and the pressure was excruciating. This baby was on its way and nothing could stop it. She had enough babies to know when she was about to pop a baby out! "I won't make it…the birthing center… and call your Mom and whoever else Gideon has on call!"
The Cross house was once again baby central as Eva refused to go to the hospital without Ana. She was adamant that she was going to have this child naturally. Grace and the midwives were running back and forth between the sisters as their labor progressed. Grace gave the girls one more chance to be taken to the hospital, but they both refused. They wanted to have their babies at home and together. Grace just nodded and told the midwife to get Dr. Green notified and have two ambulances on stand-by. Gideon stood by his wife and held her hand as a contraction ripped through her body and breathed with her. He kept a cool cloth on her heated brow and did his best to make her comfortable.
Christian was doing the same with his wife but she was dilated more than her sister. She was already at eight and it looked like she was progressing very quickly with contractions coming stronger and quicker. Grace knew that her newest grandchild would enter this world by her own hand. Eva was dilated at six and her labor was slower and not as intense. Another hour passed.
"How is she, Gideon? Is Ana alright? Is she going to be okay?" Eva asked as another contraction began.
"She is doing great, baby. Christian is with her. Now, you concentrate on our baby." He kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you, Eva."
"I love you, too Gideon." She grimaced and moaned aloud. 'It hurts so much."
"I know, baby, I know."
"How in the hell do you know? Have you had a Volkswagen pulled out of your ass? That's what it feels like! My twat is on fire…oh god?" She pulled up her knees and wanted to push which got Grace's attention. She ran to her other daughter-in-law's bed.
"Don't push, Eva. Let me check you." Grace slid on another pair of gloves. "She's fully dilated. Good Lord, you go fast."
"This one is dilated to ten also." The midwife replied.
"I guess it's a race to see who comes down the birth canal first." Grace smiled at the girls hoping that they would see the humor in her words, but they were laboring with intensity. Grace motioned for one of the nurses. "Where is Dr. Green?"
"She is in delivery and will get here as soon as possible." The nurse said lowly.
"Crap." Grace whispered more to herself. She looked to the mid-wife and motioned her to meet in the middle of the room. "Dr. Green probably won't make it. Can you deliver Ana? I think I should stay with Eva."
"I think that is a good idea, Dr. Grey." The mid-wife agreed. "I will notify the ambulance outside about our situation just in case they are needed and have the nurses prepare the neonatal carts."
"We have this." Grace said with all the confidence in the world. She worked ER and was used to multiple patients and this wasn't her first time delivering two babies at the same time. She just never had to perform these procedures with someone in her own family. Grace took a calming breath and returned to Eva's side. She looked over to Ana's side of the room to find those big blue eyes pleading with her to keep Eva safe. Even when in hard labor, Ana worried about her sister. Grace had never seen a love as deep as was between these two women. It was a beautiful sight to see! The good Doctor turned back to Eva and Gideon. "Alright, kids, we are going to have a baby soon. I will be delivering you, and Sandy, the Mid-wife will deliver Ana. Everything is under control and we will be just fine."
Carrick kept staring at the doors that led to Cross's Birthing Center as Elliot liked to call it. He could hear mumbled voices and every now and then a loud moan. He began to pace which made his two other children and their spouses smile.
"Dad, it's going to be alright. Sit down and relax." Elliot said shaking his head. "Mom, knows what she is doing."
"It's too much, Elliot. Two babies at the same time with no other Doctor." Carrick sat for about five seconds then was back on his feet. "How long has it been?"
"A minute or so since that last time you asked about the time." Kate replied with Ellie in her arms fast asleep. "Dad, please, just sit down. You are making me dizzy with your pacing in circles."
Mia was about to smart off to her Dad in hopes to getting him to relax and laugh a bit. She knew he was worried just as much about Eva as he was with Ana. So many things could go wrong in there with Eva's delivery. Before she could say anything they heard a baby cry, a man's holler of joy then silence for what seemed like eternity … then another cry, another baby's cry!
"Oh, god, they delivered at the same time." Mia began to laugh until the tears fell over her cheeks. These two babies would share a special bond just as her son, Emery did with his little cousin Ellie. "We have babies." She hugged Ethan close and kissed him. "More babies."
Gideon held his son in his large hands and cried. This baby was perfect with his mother's blonde hair and grey eyes. "Eva, our son."
"He's all mine, this one." She softly whispered. "We did good, Ace."
"Yeah, we did."
Christian sat behind his wife as she held their daughter. They both had tears in their eyes. She was beautiful with auburn curls and the prettiest little upturned nose. Christian prayed that she would have blue eyes like her mother. "She is you." He whispered still in awe of his wife.
Ana nodded. "She is both of us."
"So, are we sticking with the name you want?"
"Yes, it is a lovely name." Ana smiled at her newest baby. "Hello, Krista Lynn Grey, welcome to the family. You are named after your Daddy and the Lynn comes from my birthfather, Franklyn Lambert. You are well loved named and loved, my princess."
Carrick was hugging Mia as they celebrated the two new lives that came into their large family when both Christian and Gideon came from behind the doors. "Son, are they alright?" He asked still worried.
Christian nodded. "We have a daughter and her name is Krista Lynn." The tears were running down his face. "She weighs 7 pounds 10 ounces and measures 20 inches long. She has auburn curls and I hope and pray she has Ana's blue eyes."
A round of congratulations was bestowed upon Christian then the attention went to Gideon.
"Eva and I are the proud parents of a bouncing baby boy who weighed in at 8 pounds even and is 20 inches long. His name is Franklyn Victor Christian Cross. He has blonde hair and I swear to god, he has gray eyes just like his mother."
"But, who was born first." Elliot asked.
Christian and Gideon looked at each other and began to laugh. "They were born at the same time, at 6:21." The two men hugged each other. "Grace was perfect with Eva." Gideon offered.
"And, Sandy delivered Krista like a pro!" Christian added proudly. He had his arm about Gideon's shoulder. "Dad, you need to break out the champagne. We need to celebrate all these babies of the Grey, Cross, and Kavanaugh families!"
