Buffy was pacing back and forth in the waiting room. Faith had taken Dawn to the bathroom and Spike had stayed with Buffy. Buffy was getting more and more anxious by the minute. As she continued to pace Spike watched her.
"Buffy? Buff...Buffy, would you stop that, please?" Spike asked, annoyed. "Jeez, sit the hell down." Buffy stopped pacing, but she didn't sit, she didn't look at Spike either.
"I'm scared," she said quietly. Spike's hard expression changed and he stood up.
"I'm sorry baby," he said.
"I'm so scared" Buffy said, teary-eyed and he hugged her.
"It's gonna be okay" he told her and she let out a small sob. It had been only a few minutes, but it seemed like a lifetime to Buffy. Faith and Dawn came back a couple seconds later.
"What happened? Have you heard anything?" Faith asked.
"Is the baby okay?" Dawn asked.
"We don't know. They haven't come out yet" Buffy said, wiping away the tears.
"Oh, honey" Faith said, hugging her sister. "Everything's gonna be okay."
"God I hope so" Buffy said, trying to hold back more tears. Just then the doctor came out and everyone quickly turned around.
"Is everything okay?" Faith asked.
"Your mother's doing fine" the doctor said.
"And the baby?" Buffy asked.
"The baby had to be taken to the NICU. He's in distress and he needed to be given oxygen" the doctor said.
"Wait, he? No, my mom had a girl" Buffy said.
"No, she had a boy. Six pounds seven ounces" the doctor said.
"A boy? Is he gonna be okay?" Faith asked.
"We're not sure. He's gonna need a tube down his throat to help him breathe and eat. Only time will tell" the doctor said.
"Well, can we see our mother?" Buffy asked.
"Not quite yet. We stitched her up, but we're not quite finished yet. Once we take her back to her room, you'll be able to see her" the doctor said.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Dawn asked.
"She'll be fine" the doctor said and went back into the room. Buffy and Faith sighed with relief and Faith and Dawn sat down. Buffy hugged Spike.
"A boy, can you believe it?" Buffy asked.
"No, we're gonna have to exchange all that stuff. He doesn't even have a name" Faith said.
"We can deal with that later. I just hope he's gonna be okay. I mean, the doctor said nothing about any distress signs" Buffy said.
"I wanna see mom" Dawn said.
"I know, Dawnie. We'll see her in a little bit" Faith said, putting her arm around her.
About a half an hour the doctor came out and told them that they could see Joyce.
"Hi mom" Buffy said, going to her mother's side along with her sisters.
"Hi girls, hi Spike" Joyce said.
"Hey Joyce" Spike said.
"How are you?" Dawn asked.
"Oh, I'm doing okay" Joyce said. "I had a boy."
"I know, we heard. Is he cute?" Faith asked.
"Oh, he's very cute" Joyce said. "I'm worried about him."
"If he's as strong as you are, Joyce, he'll be okay" Spike said.
"I wish we could see him" Dawn said.
"Oh, you'll be able to soon, honey" Joyce assured her.
"He needs a name, you know" Buffy said. "Do you have any idea what you're going to call him? I mean, you can't exactly call him Sara Marissa anymore."
"That's true" Joyce smiled. "I don't know. I didn't think of any boy names."
"Well, it's okay, we'll have time" Faith said.
"Yeah" Joyce said. "You girls, and Spike, you too. You all should go home, get some rest."
"No, we're not leaving you. We can sleep here" Buffy protested.
"Well, at least go home and change into some more comfortable clothing then" Joyce said.
"Okay, fine. We'll bring that baby name book too" Buffy said.
"You call us if anything happens, promise?" Faith asked.
"I promise, now go" Joyce said and they left.
Buffy told Spike to go home and get some sleep and he agreed and said that he would be back the next morning. Buffy, Faith and Dawn went home and changed into their pajamas and packed a change of clothes for the next morning. They also got their mother some things and got the baby name book so they could name their baby brother.
About an hour later they arrived back at the hospital dressed more comfortably. They quietly entered their mother's room because she was asleep.
"Why did this happen?" Dawn asked quietly and snuggled next to Buffy on the couch that was in the room. Buffy put her arm around her.
"I don't know, sweetie," Buffy told her. "Try to get some rest, okay." Dawn closed her eyes and went to sleep.
"I want to see the baby" Faith said.
"Me too, but I don't know when we can" Buffy said and the doctor came into the room to check Joyce's vitals.
"Doctor Wallis, when can we see the baby?" Faith asked him.
"Well, suppose you can now if you wanted. His under oxygen right now so you can't hold him, but you can see him if you wanted" Dr. Wallis said.
"Okay" Buffy said and she and Faith followed Dr. Wallis to the NICU. First they put on gowns and then they went into the room and over to a incubator that had the name Baby Summers.
"This is him" Dr. Wallis said.
"Oh my god. He's so beautiful" Buffy said, coming closer to the incubator. "Look at him."
"He's gorgeous" Faith said. "Hi little guy. We promise that you'll have a name soon."
"We love you little boy," Buffy said. "God, look at him."
"Be strong little guy" Faith said. "Please be strong."
"I'm sorry, but that's gonna have to be all for right now" the doctor said and Faith and Buffy blew kisses to their baby brother and left the room and went back to their mother's room. Joyce was now awake and sitting up.
"Girls, where've you been?" Joyce asked.
"We saw the baby. He's so cute" Buffy said.
"Isn't he" Joyce said. "He still needs a name though."
"What about Quinn?" Buffy asked.
"Quinn, that's a cute name. Where'd you come up with that?" Joyce asked.
"I remembered it in this book, let me see..." Buffy said, searching for the name. "Oh, here, it means fifth. He's the fifth person in the house."
"Well, that's clever. Quinn, I like it" Joyce said. "What do you think, Faith?"
"I like it too" Faith said.
"But Quinn what?" Buffy asked.
"Quinn Julian" Faith said.
"Nice, I like that a lot" Joyce said. "Quinn Julian Summers."
"Where'd you get that?" Buffy asked Faith.
"Don't know. I've just always liked that name" Faith said.
"Okay, Quinn Julian it is" Joyce said and Dawn woke. "Hey, honey."
"Hi, is everything okay?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah, we have a name for the baby" Buffy said.
"You do?" Dawn asked a little disappointed. "What is it?"
"Quinn Julian" Faith said.
"Oh, that's cute" Dawn said. "Have you seen him?"
"Yeah, we have" Buffy said. "Sorry we didn't wake you, but..."
"When can I see him?" Dawn asked.
"Well, I'll ask the doctor. We could all go into the NICU" Joyce said and pushed the call button and the nurse came into the room.
"Yes Ms. Summers?" she asked.
"Is it all right if my daughters and I go into the NICU and see my son?" Joyce asked.
"Of course" the nurse said. "You'll have to wash up and put on gowns."
Buffy wheeled Joyce as they followed the nurse to the NICU and washed up and put on gowns. They entered the room and went over to Quinn's incubator.
"Oh, look at him" Dawn smiled. "He's perfect."
"Yes he is" Joyce said, putting her hand in to stroke the baby's. "How's he doing?" she asked the nurse.
"He's doing great. The doctor said that he'd probably be able to go home in a couple days" the nurse said.
"That's great" Buffy said.
"Do you have a name for him?" the nurse asked. "We could put it here so everyone knows who he is."
"Yeah, his name is Quinn. Quinn Julian Summers" Joyce said.
"Quinn, that's a cute name" the nurse said and handed Joyce a sign. "Would you like to write it?"
"Sure" Joyce said and wrote Quinn Julian on the sign and the nurse hung it above the incubator.
"There, now everyone knows who he is" the nurse said.
"Can I hold him?" Joyce asked.
"I don't see why not" the nurse said and took the baby out and handed him to Joyce. He still had the feeding tube and IV in him and he was sleeping.
"Oh, hi baby boy. This is your mommy. Oh, you are so precious" Joyce smiled. "I can't wait to take you home and take care of you."
"Mom, can I...?" Buffy asked.
"Of course, sweetheart" Joyce said and handed Quinn to Buffy.
"Me next" Faith said.
"Then me" Dawn said.
"Hi little man" Buffy said. "God, look at you. You are so handsome, yes you are. Wait until Spike sees him."
"Where is, Spike?" Joyce asked.
"I told him to go home and get some sleep. He's been great" Buffy said.
"That's a good boyfriend you got there" Joyce said.
"Okay, me now" Faith said and Buffy kissed the baby and handed him to Faith.
"Hey little one. You know, it's gonna be hectic, living with four girls, but you'll manage, 'cause we love you very much" Faith said. "He looks like you, mom."
"Yeah, he does" Joyce smiled.
"Me now" Dawn said and Faith kissed the baby and handed him to Dawn.
"Okay, support his head" Joyce said. "There you go."
"Hi, Quinn. You are so cute" Dawn said. "I'm your big sister Dawn and this is Buffy and Faith, your other two big sisters. We can't wait to take you home forever."
"I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to come back later. Visiting hours are over" the nurse said. "You can come back later."
"Okay, honey" Joyce said. "Give the baby here." Dawn kissed him and handed him to Joyce who kissed him and handed him to the nurse who put him back in the incubator. Faith wheeled Joyce back to her room and the girls helped her into bed.
"Mom, when can we take Quinn home?" Dawn asked.
"In a couple days, honey" Joyce said. She was getting very tired and Buffy and Faith could see this.
"Uh, Dawnie, let's go take a walk okay" Buffy said. "Let's let mom get some rest."
"Oh, you girls don't have to go" Joyce said.
"It's okay, you rest" Faith said and she, Buffy and Dawn left the room. Joyce laid her head on the pillows and closed her eyes.
Buffy, Faith and Dawn went into the waiting room and sat on the sofa.
"He's so perfect" Buffy said and Dawn laid her head on Buffy lap and Faith laid her head on Buffy's shoulder.
"Yes he is" Faith said and shut her eyes. All three girls were tired also.
"I..." Dawn yawned. "I want to take him home."
"Me too, Dawnie" Buffy yawned.
"We will" Faith said. Five minutes later all three girls were asleep.