A/N: I know it took me forever to post this chapter. But I've had so much work; I've been up until 1:30 in the morning on school nights almost every night doing stuff. Plus, I wanted this to be an extra special chapter, just in case . . . but we'll get to that another time. – Smiles. – Anyway, I have a big report Wednesday that I've barely put a dent in. So I'm just going to go through the reviews and answer basic questions this time.
A lot of people were happy I brought back the original Power of Three. I'm so glad you liked it! As of now, however, I don't know how long they'll be staying and I don't have a name picked out for the baby – though I'm not just restricted to "P" names, so I have a very broad selection to choose from. Any suggestions? Let me know! Your in put always matters! As some can testify, I often take ideas suggested in reviews and use them, but often change them around (damn copyright laws, lol). And then there's Scott, whom many of you are shooting flaming daggers at . . .
On to chapter 36!
PS: CORRECTION: Last chapter at the end, right before Melinda's water breaks, Piper says it's almost dinnertime – but it should be lunch time, since a few lines before that it says that "early one morning…" Also, Melinda is wearing a nightgown from the beginning of this chapter until further notice because it was still early enough that she hadn't gotten dressed.
Please enjoy and please review!
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The contractions came slow at first, and weren't too painful. Melinda was pretty calm – compared to Wyatt and Chris, at least, who were going flippy.
Piper had gone to get wet washcloths, dry washcloths, and a bucket of warm water. Paige had orbed upstairs to get Melinda's bed ready, making sure the pillows were propped up and a towel was on the blankets so they wouldn't get stained and ruined. Phoebe was trying to calm Chris and Wyatt down, who were running ragged with last minute questions, concerns, etc.
"Guys, it's not the end of the world, I promise you. Just decide now who gets to have their hand crushed while she delivers," Phoebe joked. She turned to Melinda while Chris and Wyatt started at each other, dumbly trying to figure out what Phoebe meant.
"Okay, sweetie, are you feeling any pain?" Phoebe asked.
Melinda made a face. "Well, let's see: I'm pregnant and going into labor with mild, but still intolerable cramps that will only get worse. Nope, no pain at all."
Phoebe narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "Very funny."
Melinda shrugged innocently, but then doubled over as a contraction, that was worse than before, hit. The contractions were getting closer together and worse pain wise.
"We better get you upstairs – now," Phoebe said. She quickly but calmly helped Melinda up the steps and down the hall (Wyatt and Chris trailing behind) to her room where Piper and Paige waited.
Phoebe gently helped Melinda lay on her bed with her feet on the edge of the mattress, her pillows propped behind her on the middle of the bed.
Wyatt and Chris went to stand by their aunts who were at the end of the bed.
Melinda pulled a face. "Ew, no, don't stand there. I have to"
"Trust me, sweetie," Phoebe said, smiling warily. "Once the contractions get closer and the real pain comes, you're brain won't be able to register embarrassment or the fact that your cousins are going to be seeing more than what they want to see."
Melinda gulped. The idea of pain was enough to make her forget about her dignity.
"However," Phoebe turned to Wyatt and Chris and motioned for them to move where they couldn't see any below the belt stuff – to save Melinda from the embarrassment.
Wyatt and Chris moved immediately.
Another contraction came. Melinda cringed and whimpered. Her mom was right; they were getting worse. Much worse.
"Let's see how dilated you are," Paige said. "It'll give us an idea of what we have to do or not do next."
After checking, Paige frowned, glancing nervously at everyone. Melinda cried with pain as another contraction hit her hard and painful.
"She's dilating too fast, unnaturally fast. It should normally take a few hours, but this is happening in minutes," Paige said nervously.
"This baby wants out," Piper commented, looking at Melinda nervously.
"What do we do? Is this bad?" Wyatt asked.
"Well, not completely. It's happened before to other women. It's just . . . weird, is all," Paige replied.
"AH!" Melinda cried, cringing in pain and clutching at the blankets.
Paige frowned and checked Melinda again. She was already seven, maybe eight centimeters dilated already. At this rate, she'd be fully dilated in a few minutes and nowhere near mentally and physically ready to give birth.
Phoebe, though technically dead, was still an empath (all the sisters still had their powers) and could sense Paige's fears. The power had grown to such where Phoebe could almost read thoughts. She wished, though, that Paige would calm down; Melinda's fear and anxiety was enough to make her dizzy, as it were.
Ten minutes later, Melinda's contractions were only seconds apart and the pain was overwhelming, for both the mother to be and Phoebe.
Paige did one more check, a grim expression on her face. "It's time," she told everyone.
Melinda whimpered and shook her head. "No, no, no."
"'Afraid so," Paige sighed. "Who's delivering? She asked her sisters.
Phoebe walked to Melinda's side, held her hand, and dabbed her forehead with a damp washcloth.
Piper casually walked to the other side of the bed and rubbed Melinda's arm gently.
Paige scowled. "Okay . . ."
Wyatt and Chris stood on the sidelines, watching, pale and slightly uncomfortable.
Paige got ready, taking a deep breath. "Okay, sweetie, you're going to have to stat pushing," she told Melinda gently.
"No," Melinda cried, the pain overwhelming and the idea of pushing not very welcoming.
"I'm sorry, but you have to," Paige replied with a frown.
"Once it's all over, you'll be so happy that the pain will only have been a minor inconvenience," Phoebe assured her daughter.
"You can do it, Melly."
Melinda froze. The room became silent. Only one person called her Melly and she recognized that voice.
She turned her head to her door and saw him, standing their out of breath as if he'd run the whole way here, yet he'd most likely driven his sleek black RSX.
"Scott-" Melinda gasped, wondering if her eyes were deceiving her. How long had he been standing there? How had he know she was labor?
"Just in time," Piper said, smiling."
Oh, so that's why Piper had gotten to the house after Phoebe and Paige, Melinda realized.
Tears spilled onto her face and she nodded as Scott came to her side and Piper moved back so he could hold his girlfriend's hand. A smile, brighter than the suns rays, formed on both Melinda's and Scott's faces.
Then a really painful contraction hit hard and Melinda screamed, squeezing Scott's hand tightly.
"Start pushing Melinda, you have to,' Paige said firmly.
Squeezing the life out of Scott's hand, Melinda began to push with all her might. Paige counted out loud to ten and told Melinda to stop and take a breath.
"The baby's crowning!' Paige said excitedly. "Another big push. You're doing great, sweetie."
Melinda's grip tightened on both Scott's and Phoebe's hands as she pushed again, her face going red with the effort. After ten seconds, Paige had her stop for a second, then push again.
"The heads out. Push! Really hard this time."
Melinda took a deep breath and pushed as hard as she could, screaming in pain as the most difficult part of the baby came out – the shoulders. After that, it was a little easier.
"You're almost done, Mel. Push again," Paige instructed, holding the baby under the head and back to support it.
Melinda gave an exasperated, exhausted, painful moan, but pushed.
"One more should do it," Paige assured her. "Nice big push!"
Melinda took a deep breath, pushed, and-"
"Waaaaaah!"
The whole room visibly relaxed. Paige laughed.
"You have a baby girl." Shed cut the umbilical cord, cleaned the tiny baby up, and wrapped her in the Halliwell Baby Blanket, then passed her to Melinda, who was smiling broadly, the pain already forgotten.
She grinned at Scott. "She had your smile."
"And your eyes," Scott replied.
"So, what are you guys going to name her?" Phoebe asked, tears dancing in her eyes.
"Well, we thought about this awhile back, when we were only thinking about kids," Melinda explained. "And we decided on-"
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A/N: Sorry for the cut off. My evil mom is making me go to bed cause I'm getting up early to go driving tomorrow. Anyway, I stopped there because I want some name suggestions! Please review, hope you loved it, and sorry it took so long!