(:Sniffs and dries tears from the corners of her eyes:) It's getting harder and harder to update this story... I really don't want it to end either... (:grins:) but the show must go on.

So the baby is born. I have a surprise for you Lara... read on.

This is a little like when I had my son... sans the siblings so there is a bit of realism there. Labor took forever! I believe that I was actually begging to be sent home... (as if it was going to feel better if I went home) until I got that wondeful epidural.

Okay.. a little too much 411 there. Enjoy--- S.K.

And the Winner is

Mac lay in the labor and delivery room at the local hospital, with two guards posted outside of her door. Her family was with her. Her husband and mother were on either side of her. Kate stroked her hair, as Mac sucked on a block of ice. She had been in labor since six o'clock in the morning. It was now six in the evening and her water had not burst. She was definitely in active labor, and she was still doing well neither she nor the baby were in distress.

The six family members sat in the room staring at the polls; Mac had won Connecticut, the Carolinas, Georgia and all of New England and New York. She had won Ohio and Illinois. She had California but the polls had not been open for too long there. The race was so close. That hadn't happened since the Bush /Kerry debacle.

"Oh..." Mac groaned turning to the side. She was tired and in pain because her Epidural had worn off. When she shifted she felt a familiar pop as her water broke and felt the baby drop hard against her pelvis. "I can't do this again." She whimpered she was not loud, she refused to scream in pain, but her threshold was wearing thin. She thought this time labor should have been quicker, but it wasn't.

"Listen to me honey, you can do this," her mother said.

William came to her and placed his hand on her back rubbing her there. "You'll be fine darling."

"Don't darling me." Mac snapped, "How the hell would you know anyway?" Kate looked at William over Macs head and gave him a reassuring smile. Amy giggled and the twins just ignored the whole thing. They had been pushed to the corner of the room as soon as they came. She told them all to sit down and shut up.

"Mackenzie be nice." Kate said to her daughter.

"Fuck nice, this hurts." Mac said forgetting that her children were in the room.

Kate turned to the twins; "Okay guys could you take Amy to the gift shop?"

They nodded and took their little sister out. Kate turned back to her daughter she was breathing deeply trying to focus. She looked at the television; the news would alternate between the poll results and her condition in the hospital. Every time they would mention that she was giving birth they posted empathy ratings from the viewers in her favor.

"Madame president, how're we doing?" Dr. Perkins her regular GYN asked coming into the room after being gone only fifteen minutes.

"My water broke." Mac answered and Kate's mouth made an "O" with the understanding as to why Mac was getting more uncomfortable.

"Let's take a look." The doctor said as she sat on the stool at the bottom of the bed to bring her level with the exit point. Mac placed her legs on the stirrups. "Woah."

"What is it?" William asked taking a look. His face went Ashen as the doctor pushed him back towards Mac's head.

"You're ready to push darlin'." The doctor said to the laboring woman pushing a nurse call button. "Dad if you could take hold of her leg. Grandma try to keep her focused on something."

The nurses assigned to Mac came right inside the private room and one took position at her other side and held her leg the same as William had been. Mac felt like a turkey ready to be stuffed. The Doctor rubbed some local anesthesia near the baby's head and said, "Mac you know the drill push and hold for ten counts. Wait for the contraction."

Dr. Perkins watched the machine and then when she saw the contraction coming she said, "Okay baby push."

Mac pushed, "Oh god, please let it be menopause the next time."

The doctor laughed when she finished counting. "One of my funniest patients this one." The baby's head was out. She cleaned her nose and mouth out as they waited for the next contraction "come on honey one more time' big push, we'll get her shoulders out then the hard part will be over."

Mac took a deep breath, "Are you kidding?This is cake." She chuckled tiredly at her own joke and groaned into a push as the next contraction hit her.

"That's it, that's it. One big push and I'll vote for you."

"Too late," Mac said as the doctor lifted the baby and placed her on her chest.

"Hello there princess." The Doctor said cleaning the infant up then pinching her little foot. The baby wailed as the doctor clamped the umbilical chord. "Dad want to cut?"

William was eager to do his part. He took the instrument from the doctor and cut between the clamps as indicated and watched as the two women he loved the most looked each other with great interest.

"I'll vote for you in four years, I swear. You are my shero." Dr. Perkins told the president as she removed the child and handed her to a nurse. Mac laughed lightly as the doctor rubbed her tummy to work the placenta all the way out of Mac's body.

"If I don't win today, four years from now would be a moot point." Mac was drowsy and the motion on her abdomen made her eyelids droop.

"Sleep honey, we'll be here when you wake up." Kate whispered and Mac was only slightly aware that one of the Royal guard came to get William just before she fell asleep.

A few hours later an exhausted Mac wakens to see her husband rocking the baby in the rocking chair next to her. There was a veritable party outside of her room. "What's going on?" She asked groggily as she sat up in bed wincing at the pain between her legs.

"Here, she's hungry." William said quietly handing her the baby.

Mac looked at her husband. He looked conflicted as if the best thing and the worst thing in the world had happened to him. She instinctively held the baby close to her chest. The infant began to fuss as she rooted around for a nipple. Mac helped her by releasing a breast and bringing the child to it. Without looking up, Mac asked again. "William, what's going on?"

"You've won." He whispered running his fingers through her hair.

She furrowed her brow. That was obviously not the problem. She didn't want to look up and find out that it just may be the problem after all. She caught a glimpse of the baby's hospital bracelet. Diana Katherine was typed out on it.William had conceded to name her Diana as long as the baby had both grandmothers' names. "What's wrong William?"

"My father has died." He answered gravely, " I must go to England immediately."

Mac closed her eyes as she let that statement sink in. "I'll go to you as soon as I can." She said tearfully.

He kissed her forehead and whispered, "Congratulations," and without another word, he walked out of the room. Mac wept for him, because she knew he couldn't and this was all she wanted to do.

How about that?...Two more chappies guys.