A/N: Okay, we're almost done with this one, folks, and I think when you read this chapter, it'll become obvious why and where the ending is going to be ;) Thanks to all those still reading and still reviewing - much appreciated :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 35

Wade was woken by a jostling around in the bed beside him. He was well used to that. It was so rough on Zoe, trying to find some comfortable way to sleep all the time. Big as she was, suffering with back aches and such most of the time, it was never easy. Still, he was pretty sure he just heard some kind of whimpering sound and the space in the bed where Zoe usually laid was suddenly feeling big and empty.

"Zoe?" he whispered, mindful of both their fathers sleeping in their own rooms across the hall. "What's goin' on, baby?"

"Nothing," she told him, hissing right after with what had to be pain.

Wade was sitting up in a second, reaching to flip on the lamp on the nightstand. He rubbed his eyes and squinted into the half-light, catching sight of Zoe bent double at the foot of the bed, breathing heavily.

"Okay, that ain't nothin'," he said firmly, hopping out of bed and going over to her. "You should get back into bed, sweetheart," he urged her, worried she might just fall down if she didn't choose to at least sit very soon.

"I can't," she told him, looking up and shaking her head a little. "I really, really have to go to the bathroom. It's just... it's just the Braxton-Hicks thing again, I know it is," she assured him. "I'll be fine, I just... I need a minute."

Wade wished he could argue with her on this, but he knew better than that where Zoe was concerned. Not only was she the one who had read all the books on pregnancy and had all the important conversations with her daddy, the doctor, about what to expect and all, she just did not take disagreement well, especially not in her current state of being.

Between the stress and hormones, Wade just tended to nod and say nothing at all when any kind of issue might come up. On this, however, he felt the need to be kind of insistent.

"Zoe, this don't look like something you'll be over in a minute or two," he said carefully, one hand resting gently on her back. "Much as I hate to say it, sweetheart, you ain't lookin' so hot."

A strange gurgle of laughter escaped her lips at that remark. "I'm not sure I've exactly looked hot since you met me," she admitted, standing straight at last and meeting his gaze. "Please, Wade, don't freak out," she urged him, her hand going up to his cheek. "I'm okay, I really am. I probably just got out of bed too fast, but see, I'm fine now," she promised, taking a deep breath and letting it out slow. "Okay, bathroom."

Turning away from him, she headed for the door. She waddled as she went, as she did every time she had to move these days, but she did seem better now. Wade was tempted to follow her anyway, just in case, before realising that was probably a little creepy. As close as they were, he really didn't need to see her pee, he supposed, and there was little to no harm she could come to in the bathroom right down the hall.

Sitting down heavily on the edge of the bed to wait for her return, Wade sighed and ran both hands over his face and head. It was all kinds of stressful having a girlfriend that was just about ready to pop like Zoe was. Sometimes he wondered how he would ever deal, first with having to see her in the pain of labour, and second, helping her raise a baby and all.

Of course, the worry about these things was always countered by everything else he felt when he thought of Zoe. Put on the scales, his love for her easily outweighed any reservations he might have about them making it for the long haul. He had to be with her, there was no other choice. She was the love of his life and that was all there was to it.

"Oh, no!"

The sound of her yelled words, that were just this side of a panicked scream, made Wade's blood run cold. He was still for all of a split second and then he was up and running. He and Harley almost collided outside the bathroom door and Earl wasn't far behind them.

"Zoe!" they all seemed to yell at once, pounding on the door for good measure.

"Sweetheart, can you open the door?" Harley asked her desperately.

"Baby, please, what's goin' on?" said Wade right after.

No verbal answer came, just a horrible sound of pain that made all three men out on the landing wince simultaneously.

Trying the handle of the bathroom door, Wade wasn't surprised to find it was wouldn't budge, though he had hoped Zoe would think to leave it unlocked, given her condition.

"Doc, what in the hell do we do now?" he asked Harley, swallowing hard.

"She'd be clear of the door, right?" said Earl from behind them, getting the attention of both his son and the good doctor within a moment. "I figure we put our shoulders to it, it'll give out. Just a flimsy bolt on there, right?"

A nod of silent agreement passed between them all. Wade and Earl backed up as far as they could in front of the door, but Harley hesitated a moment.

"Zoe, sweetheart, stay right away from the door!" he called to her, before joining the others.

"On three," Wade said softly. "One, two, three!"

They rushed forward as one force, the lock giving way with ease and the door flying back to hit against the wall with an almighty thud. Nobody paid any mind to the hole in the drywall or anything else. All focus was on Zoe who was sitting on the tile in an enormous puddle, tears on her cheeks, and her face contorted with worry and pain.

"It's too early," she said, looking more at Harley than anyone else. "I can't be ready!"

"Now, now, Zoe, you know that's not how these things work," he told her, kneeling down beside her. "Thirty-seven weeks is time enough if baby's decided she wants out."

If Zoe wanted to answer him, whether to argue or agree, the choice was taken from her as a pain tore through her and she fought to get through the agonising moment. Wade winced for her, dropping down on her other side, with no thought for what he was kneeling in or what a mess the room was. All he saw was Zoe, all he cared about was helping her any way he could.

"I told you somethin' weren't right, stubborn woman," he told her, letting her take a hold of his hand and squeeze it just as tight as she needed to. "Why don't you ever listen to me?" he said softly, kissing her hair.

"Oh, Wade, I knew it was going to hurt, but this? This is so much worse than I imagined."

"I'm sorry, Zo," he told her, hugging her as best he could and as much as he dare. "Wish I could take some o' that pain for you, but I can't. This is all on you, sweetheart, but I'm gonna be right here with you, I promise."

He hadn't even noticed what Harley or Earl were doing. Not until Earl dumped a pile of towels and blankets down on the floor, then the doc suddenly had his bag in his hand and was asking Zoe questions.

Seemed everybody was just doing what needed to be done and Harley had gone right into professional mode, making sure the patient was doing okay. He didn't get much information out of Zoe before she had another one of those awful contractions. They sure did seem to be coming thick and fast.

"Three minutes," said Earl, eyes fixed on his watch.

Wade had to wonder if his father had gone right ahead and read his mind or something, but it didn't seem likely somehow. Of course, he recalled then that old Earl had been through this twice before, first when Jesse was born and then again with Wade himself. A woman giving birth wasn't freaking him out as much as a person might think, and of course, Harley was an old hand at this whole thing. They made Wade feel pretty dumb for a minute, until Zoe suddenly gripped his hand tighter and met his eyes.

"I don't think I could do this without you here," she told him, tears pouring from her eyes.

"Hey, that ain't my Zoe talkin'," he told her, wiping some of those tears away with his free hand. "Now, I am glad to be here and I ain't goin' anywhere, you know that, but even all by yourself, you know as well as I do, you could do this. You are the strongest woman I ever met my whole life, and sure, you're goin' through some pain right now, but it ain't nothin' you can't handle. I know it and you know it too, right?"

She looked a little uncertain and then her face contorted in pain as another contraction tore through her. She squeezed Wade's hand so tight, he thought she was going to break every bone he had in it, but just as fast as it started, it was over again.

"Okay," said Harley then. "Honey, I'm sorry, but I don't think we have time to call an ambulance and get you to a hospital."

"What?" Zoe squeaked, looking more than a little worried.

"Now, take a breath, sweetheart," her father urged her, getting all her attention onto him and meeting her eyes with own steady gaze. "Women have been having babies without hospitals since time began, and hey, at least you have your very own doctor right here," he said with a kind smile.

"Best doctor you could ask for, I say," said Earl without pause. "Delivered my boy Wade here. I sure wouldn't want nobody else tending to a person I cared anythin' about."

Something in the way he said it meant so much to Wade. He figured it probably meant as much to Zoe, or would, if she had a mind to be paying attention to anything but breathing and not screaming from the pain she was suffering yet.

"She gonna have this kid right here on the bathroom floor?" he asked Harley straight.

"I reckon she might just," he agreed, nodding his head. "Might be more comfortable if we could get her back to bed, but these contractions are awful close already."

"Better here," Zoe panted out. "Hard surface, easier clean up," she rambled some.

"Ever the practical one," said Harley, a hint of a chuckle in his voice.

Zoe seemed fit to laugh too, albeit her version sounded just a little hysterical.

"Oh, this is so much worse than I thought it was going to be," she admitted then.

"Look at it this way, sweetheart," Wade told her, "fast as all this is happening, I'm guessing the labour part won't last too long, right, doc?" he checked with Harley.

"Hard to say," the doctor admitted, checking in on what was happening. "Sometimes the process can kind of stall, just when you think you're getting somewhere, but there's every chance-"

His words were cut off by Zoe wailing with pain, once again gripping Wade's hand so tight, he could almost scream himself.

"Two minutes ten seconds," said Earl mechanically, his whole body half turned away from the action, Wade noted.

One thing he could always say for his old man, he had him some good old-fashioned manners, and damn, when he loved folks, if he didn't love them something fierce. Wade suspected that was where he got it from himself, because he couldn't love anybody as much as he loved Zoe, especially in this moment.

"Okay, things really are moving along fast," said Harley, gloves on and sleeves rolled up by now. "Zoe, sweetheart, we're reaching a point where I'm gonna need you to start pushin'."

"Really? Already?" she checked, obviously trying to be calm and finding it tough. "Wade," she said then, looking towards him. "Tell me again that I can do this," she urged him.

"Baby, you can. I am telling you, you can do just anythin' that you set your mind to," he promised her. "And I am right here to help if you need me at all."

"I really do," she said, nodding definitely.

"I don't believe there's anything you two can't achieve together," Harley told them then.

"You got my vote on that," Earl chipped in.

Zoe took a good deep breath and let it out slow. "Then I guess I'm ready."

To Be Continued...