"Emily, darling, take a deep breath." Penny directed her. In the room with her currently were Penny, Lou and Buck. The others were either in the main room or outside. Rachel was running in between with hot water, clean sheets and whatever else is needed. "I need you to push."

Emily screamed and pushed.

"Good job!" Penny encouraged. "Scream if you want, and lay back and rest as much as you can."

After several hours, the baby still had not come. Penny's worry had increased. She was using every skill she had but this was a difficult case. Emily's increasing weakness was really concerning as well. She did not want a stillborn, especially in the company she was in. Any time Mr. Hickok would come near her, she'd glance at his ,not one, but,two guns on either hip. She knew of the stories of Wild Bill, to be in his presence, even as handsome as he was, was terrifying. The others were all armed too which was something she wasn't used to living in the city.

Her parents had moved out west only recently. She stayed behind with a family friend when her Pa decided he wanted the adventure and promise of the West. Emily wanted to study medicine but it was frowned upon since she was a woman. She settled for assisting with midwifery. She had been an assistant since she was 15.

Finally Emily progresses enough to deliver the baby soon. The question was, at what state would the baby be in? "You're doing so well. Just a few more pushes." Penny said. Rachel was holding Emily at her shoulders, with Buck and Lou on each side. Penny had never seen a man present at a birth but this was a very unusual group of people, clearly unrelated. The Indian man, Buck, Emily's husband, was so concerned she was not about to say anything. Maybe it was something Indians did. She wasn't going to question it. Today has been a day of first and unexpected events for her. She was at her parents home and heard of a woman in a difficult labor and she immediately went out the door not knowing she'd have to ride, not in a wagon, but on the back of a horse holding on to a strange man, that she only knew as Billy. The one who had taken her younger sister to the dance some time ago. Right now, she wanted both to live, first the baby, then the mother.

"I see a head! We're almost there!" Penny said excitedly. "One big push." And with that, the baby slid out.

"It's a boy!" Buck announced. Penny held him close to her. His eyes were closed, he wasn't kicking and squealing like little Thomas Granger. Buck's heart dropped. He watched as Penny rubbed the baby. He looked over at Emily who had fallen back into the bed. She deserved the rest. "You did real well Emily. You have a son." he told her but she probably didn't hear him. He smoothed her wet hair out of her face, and kissed her on the forehead.

Penny carried the baby to the other room near the stove. Everyone gathered around her, with exception of Lou, who stood with Emily whispering into her ear, telling her about the baby. Penny ignored all the eyes, only directing Rachel to help with the silent infant. She called for more blankets and held him by his feet hitting his back. Doing various things with such quick movements, Buck wasn't even sure all she was doing.

Then Buck heard the most heart warming sound. The infant boy began crying, a sound that his father did not make. He opened his eyes. And Penny had him immediately washed and wrapped in a blanket. She carried him back over to the room. Little fists shaking in the air. Buck took him from Penny and held his whole world in his arms. He never knew he could love something so small, so much. He immediately turned and took him to Emily.

Meanwhile, at the sound of an infant's wail, the room cheered.

At the sound, Emily opened her eyes and weakly held up her arms. "You have a son, Emily. A healthy baby boy. He gave us a scare for a bit, but he's a fighter." He put the baby into his mother's arms. "He's got a full head of brown hair like his Ma, and Green eyes just like his Pa."

Emily looked at her child. "He's so beautiful." She weakly said. The baby immediately calmed at hearing his mother's voice and being in her arms.

"He sure is." Lou told her.

"Most beautiful baby I've ever seen." Said Rachel.

"Emily, we never discussed what you wanted to name him. I was thinking of Ike, Issac. What do you think of Issac Metcalfe McSwain?" Buck asked her.

She nodded and smiled at her baby. "I'm so happy." She said with great effort. She'd only hold her head up a few minutes then drop it back. She lightly touched Issac's check. "You promise he'll be read to every night?" It came out as almost a whisper.

"Of course, every night." Buck responded. Touching the baby's soft brown hair. "He's going to be the most well read, cultured, child ever."

"Good." She said then laid her head back and closed her eyes. "Buck?"

"Yes, Emily?"

"Name him Cross."

"Whatever you want Emily. It'll be done."

There was silence in the room. "Ike -" Emily did not finish the sentence. With her love's name on her lips, she breathed her last breath.

Buck sat there stunned. Lou cried out, "Emily! Emily! You have a baby who needs you!" She started to cry out loud. Rachael looked over at Penny.

"I'm so sorry." Penny said. "She had so much going against her. I'm so sorry. She fought so hard to bring that baby into this world. She had nothing left." Suddenly the tiny room was full. "I'll help clean her up. Someone will have to hold the baby and hold him close to keep him warm."

"I'll help you." Rachel said, her voice cracking.

Lou was inconsolable. Kid put his arms around her and led her outside. "I'm so sorry, Honey." He murmured to her.

Buck picked up Baby Ike and he whined from being removed from his mother's arms. "Shhh, I got you. I'll always have you." He whispered to him. Someone managed to guide him to the living room and into a rocking chair, where he broke down and cried. It was Noah who tried to get the baby, for fear he'd fall but Buck just held on tighter.

The room again was silent but for the sobs of a broken heart. Buck cried for them all, an infant who will never know his father, now his mother, and for himself who lost his friend, again.

—-

A/N: I'm so sorry.