CHAPTER 15: IT'S TIME
Emma was sitting down giving that's all she could really do now, she was over nine months pregnant and it wasn't fun at all. She could barely move, the baby's kicks were now hitting her kidneys at times and she kept having to go to the bathroom too. She was having trouble sleeping which meant her husband had trouble sleeping as well.
Vincent had actually just slept on a couch in the living room a few nights just to get a decent nights sleep, she didn't totally blame him for wanting to though. The damn thing was she was two weeks past her due date. She was due literally at any time but two whole weeks late? It was maddening she wanted to scream out and just get the kid out of her.
At one point she considered Kitty to phase the baby out of her just to by pass her giving birth but that was way too risky. Although if this ended up being any longer she may have to consider it, so here she was sitting down feeling miserable. Emma had been getting all crabby and irritable lately and people were trying to avoid her if they could she wasn't pleasant to be around.
But she didn't blame anyone really although Emma wished it was over, she and her husband had stopped going to those Lamaze classes that they had taken besides they knew everything they needed to know. Emma sighed getting up which wasn't exactly that easy for her either, and walked through the mansion.
School was back in so thankfully the place was pretty much deserted except for the usual people. She tapped Vincent's mind as he was in the hanger helping out with keeping the X-Jet maintained. He liked working with his hands and found he was a good at fixing the equipment once he figured it out. So far he was working on the number two engine with Logan since it had been giving them some trouble lately.
Laura was with them making it also a 'class' in teaching her the elements of mechanics and such. She looked elsewhere and fond Mystique and Irene talking with Ororo and Sage in one of the rooms. The women were the only adults so after Storm got over her distrust of Mystique the four of them were getting nice and close.
Remy was working on his bike at the moment since he hadn't gotten to use it much in the winter months. She sighed to herself as she got into the kitchen for a snack finding it with August, Wanda and Rogue. The three didn't go to school well August was getting her GED and Wanda and Rogue were taking a year off to figure out what they would want to do if they got into college.
August looked up as she was pouring herself some coffee, "Hey Emma how are you?"
"Like I have a beach ball filled with sand in my stomach, I can't stop peeing and my back aches, other then that fabulous."
"Sarcasm like that doesn't become you," August said back with a grin.
"I'm pregnant blame it on the hormones." The blond shot back getting herself a meal, "I just wish he'd hurry up and come out already. This is getting ridiculous and I'm not sure how much more I can take."
Rogue made a face at everything she had gone through Rogue had watched everything that she had endured over the past nine months. "Okay it's official ah am not havin' kids anytime soon."
"Maybe this is a way to prevent teen pregnancy, have a pregnant woman walk in and tell them all the downsides to having a child," Wanda stated out loud watching her take a drink out of the fridge and sit down.
Emma snorted, "If I did that then you can bet with what I would tell them no girl in high school may ever want sex again after that."
"Or they'd just sleep with other girls after all it's perfectly save that way," August smirked at them and Emma rolled her eyes at that. She was about to take a drink when she felt a pang in her stomach and flinched. "Kicking again?"
"I…I guess although that was a bit harder then…" She felt it again only this time a lot stronger. "Oh god I'm…I'm not sure if that was a kick…"
All three girls took on a more alert pose and went to Emma, "Are y'all okay?" Rogue asked placing a hand on her arm.
"I just…Oww!" Emma gripped the table at the sharp pain that sure as hell wasn't a kick that's for sure. But she wasn't sure what it could be then she felt it again followed by something else. A large amount of fluids just rushed out of her body, "Oh god…I think my water just broke."
The girls looked down seeing her pants were getting wetter as more liquids came out. "Oh shit…" Wanda said not sure what the hell to do.
"Oh god it's coming, the baby is coming," Emma said quickly as her breathing got all excited. "I…I need to get to the medical wing."
"Yeah here let meh help ya out," Rogue said helping the other woman to walk.
"Someone get the adults and someone get Vince!" Emma cried out as they tried to hurry.
"I-I'll go and get Vince," August said running off to find Emma's husband.
"Yeah I'll go and see if I can get Mr. McCoy." Wanda ran off then leaving Rogue to help and carry Emma to the medical ward. Emma had a arm around the goth but also a hand on her stomach it wasn't a feeling she never knew existed. She just hoped that she could make it to her medical wing it seemed like it was so long away.
- 6 hours later-
"AAARRGH!" Emma cried out it was unbearable what kind of just god would make it for women to suffer though this? She was sweating a lot from the strain her hair plastered all over her head and face. She had her legs propped up as she was nearing the final stage.
Vincent was there holding her hand and he was thankful that his body was rough he could feel the strain she was putting on it. If he had been normal she might have actually fractured one of the bones. "It's alright honey you're doing great we're almost there."
"We? You mean me! God damn it I'm the one doing all the fucking work here! Shit! Can't you give me anything else?" Emma yelled at Sage.
"I'm afraid not anything more will result in permanent damage," She apologized. Sage had only partial training thanks to all the knowledge her computer like mind had taken but still she had no real experience in this. Hank had never done this either but he was the closest thing they had, Xavier had hoped to have a doctor on stand by but that doctor had been called away on a family emergency at the last moment.
"FUCKING HELL!" Emma gritted her teeth as another contraction hit her. Even that she-bitch Selene couldn't dish out punishment like this and she had suffered three days under that woman when she tried to runaway from the Hellfire Club. Of course Selene had been ordered to 'go easy' on her but still this was nothing.
She felt like she was trying to pass a watermelon through her body. Vincent got her to remember her breathing.
"Please can't I push yet?" Emma asked him.
"You're almost ready you still have to expand a bit more please just hold on," Hank said to her he was trying to hide his nervousness in this.
Emma laid her head back and closed her eyes she had lost track of the time it felt like forever. Then she felt a hand on forehead and looked up into those caring blue eyes that she loved about her husband. "It's going to be okay Emma I know you can do this. I'm here for you never forget that."
She took a small comfort from that but then another contraction hit her, "AWWWW! How much longer?"
"Okay…get ready to push Emma," Hank said wiping his brow. "Okay on the next one I want you to start pushing."
Vince placed and arm around her shoulder as she gripped his hand tightly. She waited and then she felt it and pushed. She cried out as she felt him starting to come out, when the contraction stopped she took a breather. "You're doing great just keep it up almost there hon." Vincent said to her holding her close.
After several more pushes later Hank finally said what they were waiting for, "I see the head, a few more Emma just a few more."
She cried out as she pushed with another contraction. "God damn it why does it have to be like this? This is just fucking insane! I swear if there is any way for you to deal with this kind of shit you're getting pregnant next time!"
"If it's possible." He said humoring her although his hand was going a little numb from her grip.
"I'll devote some funding for it! For all women everywhere!" Emma cried out and pushed one last time. Then it was gone the pressure on the inside of her body. She was confused until she heard a cry and not just any cry a baby's cry.
Vincent looked up seeing Sage help to clean the baby off and then there was a snip sound most likely the cord being cut. "There we go," Sage smiled seeing the little bundle in her arms as she passed it to Emma. "Looks like you have a perfectly healthy baby boy."
Emma reached out tears in her eyes as she held her baby for the first time. He was so small he seemed bigger coming out. He had small brown hair her natural hair color and when he opened his eyes she smiled seeing his father's eyes. She was just so chocked up she couldn't eve say anything as she felt tears stream down her face.
Vincent reached over to touch his son. His son, if felt so weird and yet so perfect at the same time. This was a little life that was a part of him and Emma and he loved it with all his heart already. He felt tears in his own eyes just looking at him as he was there no longer crying snuggled against his mother's bosom.
"God…He's so perfect…" Vince whispered out as he held his little hands. They were so tiny and small compared to his own hand. He was so beautiful and perfect he couldn't believe this was his child that they had made something so beautiful in this world.
Vince looked to Emma's tear stained face and the joy on it he could feel her emotions through their link and they both shared a look. They didn't even need their link to each other to tell how the other felt they just knew. He leaned forward kissing her lightly as he smiled brushing some of her hair out of her face.
"I love you." He said to her.
She smiled back, "I love you too."
Outside the room by now the hallway was packed, everyone was there waiting for as long as they could. Some had brought down chairs others either stood or sat down on the ground. They all had been waiting outside and they could hear some muffled cries now and then. Some of them didn't really like that sound especially the women there.
For someone like Mystique she knew what Emma was going through and when they started to hear that she only muttered 'that brings me back' which didn't help matters for them. Several of the girls were a bit paled at the thought that's what they could look forward to. Betsy and Jean were very quiet as they were focusing all their energy one keeping anything from Emma out of their heads.
Being a telepath had its down size and this was one of them, since neither one wanted to feel what Emma was feeling at this moment.
"God how long does this kind of thing last?" Bobby asked sitting down on the ground.
Mystique gave him a look, "As long as it takes I was in labor for nearly nine hours with Kurt. Sometimes it can even take longer then that." Bobby was surprised by that answer as Jubilee next to him shifted a little uneasily.
When it got quiet that's when everyone was looking at the door waiting to see what had happened. Betsy and Jean shared a look wondering if things were okay. 'Are you going to check?' Jean asked the purpled haired woman next to her.
'Fuck no, I'm not bloody stupid enough to link with a woman that's giving birth,' She sent back.
Jean scowled at her crossing her arms, 'Well I'm not doing it.'
'Well one of us should check out she's been awfully quiet.'
'Then you do it.'
'You're the Godparent here so you check.'
Jean sighed this could go on all day so she opened the walls a crack and decided to check on Vincent's emotions first. She both nothing but relief mixed in with a great amount of joy. She quickly went to Emma and found the same thing. Jean got a huge smile on her face at the emotion she was feeling that a tear came to her face.
"Jean are you okay?" Scott had seen her tear and wiped it away with his hand.
She turned to him smiling with misty eyes, "Everything's fine."
Scott was a bit confused but then Sage came out to the hall and everyone looked up at her she had on a small smile. "Well Emma just gave birth to a healthy baby boy." Everyone was up on their feet in joy at that. There were a few laughs and excited squeals of joy among the mutants. She was soon bombarded by questions on what the baby looked like, how was Emma, could they see the baby.
Sage held up a hand, "Hold it! Okay Emma is fine but she's really tired. You can all see the baby but you'll have to be quick and only in no more then four at a time okay? Now please line up and you'll all get your chance."
Everyone agreed that it was the best thing to do and there was a little arguing over placement but the adults helped out with that. The first four up were the oldest students with Jean, Scott, Betsy and Warren stepping into the room quietly.
They made their way and then they came upon the couple. Hank was hooking an IV into Emma's arm to help her after all the stress her body went under. She seemed to be sleeping soundly with Vincent next to her cradling the bundle in his arms.
He smiled as he saw who came, "Hey guys say hello to Jack Freeman."
They all walked up and took a look at the little buy in a white blanket sleeping like his mother. Vincent was the very picture of a proud parent as they looked on. Scott and Warren had on grins as Jean and Betsy knelt down as they started to talk in baby talk already to the little baby.
"Oh he's so adorable," Jean said looking at the little guy.
"He should be given his parents," Came a weak voice and they saw Emma looking at them with a small smile.
"I thought you were sleeping." Warren asked seeing her awake.
She gave a small grin, "Who can sleep with all of this going on?"
"We didn't want to wake you sorry about that," Scott told her and she gave a small shrug. Sure she was wiped out but she couldn't really sleep. And now everyone would want to see the baby not that she blamed them he was so adorable. She looked over seeing Vincent there holding their child as Jean and Betsy cooed over the little bundle.
It sure was hell to get out but after it was all over it was worth it. She had her child a child that she once never thought she would get the chance to have. She looked at her family her own real family that she would start over with. She wouldn't make the same mistakes her own parents made with her. Her husband was ten times the man her father ever could hope to become. She wasn't a drunk like her mother drinking her pain away. Her sisters wouldn't have any influence in their child either.
This was now her family, her husband and child and nothing could take that away. For the very first time she felt fully complete in her life. And she could sense the same from Vincent as he looked lovingly at his son. It brought a smile to her tired face, after everything they both had been through life had given them a moment of joy that seemed to make it all worth it.
Vincent watched and held their child as the parade of people walked in to congratulate them and to see the baby. He was glad that the kid was a good sport about all of this and truth be told he didn't want to put him down. He just said thank you to everyone and spoke on autopilot his mind fully on the baby.
He then noticed Emma smiling at him and he smiled back knowing what was going through her head. By the time the last people left it was getting late and the little guy was squirming a bit. "Do you know what he wants?" Vince asked his wife given having a telepath for a wife will defiantly help in raising a baby.
Emma concentrated a little and smile, "Give him here he's hungry." He got up and went over as Emma unfastened her top it was a simple wrap around that was comfortable and exposed part of her chest. Vincent handed him over to her and she held him close to her breast. Little Jack went to feeding immediately eagerly taking his mother's milk. Emma smile caressing his head as he took his fill, this was one of the greatest days in her life.
Vincent was next to her stroking her own hair lovingly, "We did a good thing didn't we? You know bringing him into this world." She nodded her head agreeing with that wholeheartedly. "You think we'll be good parents?"
She looked up at him, "Yes I think we'll do just fine my love."
He took her reassurance and kissed her gently on the lips, smiling after the kiss they both went back to watching their child. It was so strange and yet it felt so right at the same time, and they felt they would never get tired of this. They knew this would change their lives and they would have to work around having a baby to raise but they were up for it.
This was the start of their true family together and together they would overcome everything.
NEXT UP CHAPTER 16: EPILOGUE