A/N: Happy Saturday and thanks for continuing to read, follow and review! It definitely keeps me going. Please make sure to read the author's notes at the end of this. Alright, no need to write more up here. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!
/
Bianca was sitting in the couple's bed with her back pressed against the headboard, the lower half of her body under the covers. She had to admit she was exhausted. It had been fun having family and friends over to celebrate the adoptions and name changes, but it was a lot of work doing so. They had to clean the house before everyone came over, get all of the food ready and everything set up, and after everything was over, they needed to put everything away and clean up again. It left her worn out, and if she felt that way, she knew her wife did.
Marissa exited the bathroom with a mixture of emotions playing across her face.
"Rissa, is everything okay? Something's wrong. I can tell. What is it?" Bianca's anxiety over her wife reached an all-time high. Little things she had observed all day caused it to build, and now, seeing Marissa's expression, it was pushed over the edge.
"Bianca, I … I … I'm not sure, but I … I … I think it's time."
/
It only took a moment for those words to fully sink in and register with Bianca. The blankets were flung off, and she'd crossed the floor to stand before her wife in the blink of an eye. "It's time?! As in it's time time?! Are … are you sure?"
"Well, it's either time and my water just broke a minute ago, or I've lost complete control of my bladder." Marissa joked. The redhead was almost positive she was having real contractions, and while they weren't off the chart in intensity at the moment, she was sure they were the real deal and not Braxton Hicks. She'd had a couple of bouts with those false labor pains previously. What she was experiencing now was definitely more intense than what she had in the past. Plus, there was the fact that her water had broken while she was in the bathroom. Granted, she'd never gone through any of this before, but Marissa was fairly certain it was her water breaking and not the total loss of bladder control. She was shocked when she'd felt a small gush of liquid as she was washing up, but then, she saw what was most likely the mucus plug she'd read about. It was then that Marissa started checking off items on the list she'd made in her mind of the signs of labor.
"Okay then. Okay. Um … You … You should sit down." Bianca was flustered. She'd never been on this side before, and she had to admit that it was a little terrifying.
Marissa couldn't help but think her wife looked so adorable at this moment. The redhead had always thought that she would be the nervous one when this happened, but right now, that wasn't the case.
"Bianca."
"Yeah … You … You need to sit down."
"Bianca."
"Okay. What do we need to do? Oh, you had a list! I'll get that." Bianca started rummaging through the drawers of Marissa's nightstand.
"Bianca."
"It's not here. I'll check mine." The brunette dashed to her side of the bed, stubbing her toe on the way. "Dammit." She limped to the nightstand and looked inside. "I don't understand. It's not here either."
"Bianca!"
"What?!"
"Breathe."
It only took a moment before that one word cut through her rapidly frazzling nerves causing Bianca to actually take a breath which was quickly followed by a chuckle. "Shouldn't that be my line to you?"
Marissa smiled. There she was. There was a glimpse of her normally cool headed wife. "I'm sure you'll have your chance soon enough."
Bianca took another breath and helped Marissa to their bed after realizing that her wife was still standing. "Alright. I'll be right back. I'm just going to check the bathroom. We should start timing the contractions." She handed her wife her cellphone, and both made note of the time.
/
Bianca returned a couple of minutes later. "Yeah, you're right on your water breaking. I'll worry about cleaning it up later. For now, I threw a couple of towels down. How are you doing?"
"I'm okay." Marissa suddenly winced in pain as a contraction hit. She squeezed Bianca's hand and tried to listen to her wife's calming voice urging her to breathe. When the contraction was over, Marissa checked the time. "Seven minutes apart. Uh, we should probably call Dr. Abbott."
Taking a deep breath in an effort to slow and calm down her brain that was racing a mile a minute, Bianca nodded. "I think you're right. Uh, okay."
"Why don't I call her and you get Jessica? She and Jo can keep an eye on the kids for us." Marissa suggested.
"Good idea! I'll be right back." Bianca tripped over her feet but quickly righted herself before racing out of the room.
/
Marissa glanced out the bay window in their bedroom. The snow was really starting to pick up. Why now? It was April and supposed to be spring for god's sake. Why today of all days did there have to be a freak snowstorm? Marissa sighed and tried to push the thought out of her mind. She needed to focus. The redhead scrolled through her contact list and found her doctor.
After two rings, the call was answered. "Maura Abbott."
"Dr. Abbott, hi. It's Marissa Tasker-Montgomery."
"Hello, Marissa."
"I'm sorry to be calling so late."
"Don't worry about the time. Do I need to guess why you're calling? How are you doing?"
"No, you probably don't have to guess. It seems my water broke, and my contractions are about seven minutes apart." Marissa heard rustling on the other side of the line before her doctor started talking again.
"It looks like the snow picked up. You and Bianca head over to the hospital now. I would normally tell you to wait until the contractions were a little closer together, but I don't want to chance it with the weather. Are you okay to get there?"
"Yeah, we've got new tires and 4-wheel drive, and you know Bianca will be extra cautious."
The doctor chuckled. "Yes, she will. What about AJ, Miranda and Gabby?"
"We actually lucked out there. There are friends from out of town staying with us. Bianca is waking one of them up now to let them know what's going on."
"Good. How are you doing now?"
Marissa just realized that the doctor was distracting a little and helping calm her down. "Better after talking to you. Thanks."
"That's part of my job. Okay, I'll meet you at the hospital."
"We'll see you there, Dr. Abbott."
/
Jessica squinted at the clock on her phone and tried to gain her bearings. What had woken her up? Oh, it was someone at the door. Then, it hit her. She was out of the bed and grabbing her robe in no time flat as the frantic knocking continued. "Come in."
Bianca opened the door. "Hi, I'm sorry to wake you up, but it's … it's time."
"It is?!" Seeing the brunette nod, Jessica put on her slippers and followed her. "You're sure?"
"Yeah, Rissa's water broke, and contractions are seven minutes apart. She's calling the doctor now. We'll need you to watch the kids for us."
"Of course. You don't even have to ask." Jessica quickly took note of the brunette's appearance. "Bianca, are you alright?"
"I don't know. I've been through this before, but right now, I feel like I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Why am I acting like this?"
"Yes, you have been through this before, twice to be exact, but it's different this time. It's not you in labor. It's your wife whom you love dearly, and you don't like seeing her in pain. I know you would give anything to take her place right now to save her from that, but you know you can't so you're feeling a little lost and helpless, if I were to take a guess."
Bianca sighed. "Yeah, I guess that's pretty much it."
"That's all perfectly understandable. I'm here to tell you though that you've got this. You can do this. Marissa's going to need you probably like she's never needed you before, but again, you can do it. You are one of the strongest women I've ever met. You're a Kane woman after all."
Bianca chuckled. "You're right. I am, and I can and will. Thanks for the pep talk."
"My pleasure. Now, let's go check on Marissa. You're both going to need to change. While you're doing that, I can get her bag together and whatever else you need me to do."
/
Marissa was just hanging up with her doctor when Bianca and Jessica entered the room.
Jessica smiled brightly seeing her friend. "How are you doing?"
"Okay, I think for the most part, a little nervous though." Marissa looked at her wife. "Dr. Abbott said we should head to the hospital. Normally, she'd have us wait until the contractions were a little closer together, but because of the snow, she thinks it's best if we go now."
Bianca nodded. She was feeling calmer and much more in control after her chat with Jessica. "I thought she might say that, and she's right. It's most likely going to take us longer to get there as it is so I definitely don't want to be rushing to get there, especially if we don't know how bad the roads are. We need to get changed. Your bag?"
"It's in the closet."
Jessica started towards the closet. "I'll grab it and take it to the car now."
"Thank you." Marissa smiled. "I'm so glad you and Jo are here."
"So am I, dear." Jessica grabbed the bag and padded down the hallway.
/
Marissa winced again, and Bianca quickly noted the time as her wife squeezed the brunette's hand.
"Breathe." Bianca knew this really was just starting and that the pain would increase. She also knew Jessica was right. If she could, Bianca would take this pain on from her wife in a heartbeat, but that wasn't possible. At the end of this though, it would all be forgotten the instant they saw and held their little one. They just had to get to that point.
The contraction finally passed, and Marissa eased her grip. "Still seven minutes?"
"Yeah, let's get moving. I'll get you something comfortable to wear."
"Okay."
/
Several minutes and two more contractions later, the couple made their way out of their bedroom, down the hallway and into the kitchen. Jessica and Jo greeted them by the door leading to the garage.
"Hey."
"Your mom woke you up, huh?" Marissa smiled, clearly touched by the excitement on her friends' faces.
"Are you kidding? Of course she did. She knew there would be hell to pay if she didn't. I can't wait to meet Sparky, and see if I have a new niece or nephew. Don't worry about anything here. Mom and I are on it and will be waiting for your call. Bianca, drive safe. Marissa, you're going to do great. Good luck you guys!" Jo hugged the couple before moving to let her mother say her goodbye.
"Like Jo said, we've got things covered here. The kids will be just fine. We'll let them sleep and not say anything until they wake up. We love you and will be waiting for your call about my new granddaughter or grandson! I know I don't have to tell you, Bianca, but be careful out there. You'll be driving precious cargo. Marissa, I'm so proud, and Jo is right. You're going to do great."
Marissa hugged Jessica tightly. "Thank you. We love you too."
"Your purse is in the SUV along with Marissa's bag and your cellphone, Bianca." Jessica held out the car keys to Bianca who took them with a chuckle.
"Thank you." Bianca gave Jessica a heartfelt hug. "We'll call as soon as we know something. Rissa, we need to go."
/
Jessica and Jo watched as the couple headed to the garage.
"We're not going back to bed, are we?" Jo asked her mother even though she already knew the answer.
"Well, you can, but there's not a chance in hell that I am."
"Oh no, I'm definitely not. I don't think I could even if I wanted to."
Jessica chuckled and checked the time. It was 1:30 in the morning, and things were just getting interesting. "I'll make us some coffee."
/
After helping Marissa into the SUV, Bianca quickly moved to the driver's side. She shared a smile with her wife. "Are you ready?"
Marissa nodded. "I am. Let's go."
Bianca started the car, pressed a button to open the garage door and slowly backed the car out. When the car was facing forward, the couple was finally able to see exactly how much snow had fallen. At that point, it looked like six inches of snow was on the ground with more falling. The couple shared a nervous glance.
"I trust you. You'll get us there safe and sound."
Taking a deep breath, Bianca nodded and slowly pressed the gas pedal as she shifted the SUV into a lower gear. The couple remained quiet as their car made its way up the long driveway.
When they were halfway up, a dark blur darted in front of them out of nowhere causing Bianca to slam on the brakes. The SUV spun and slid over to the side of the road inches from a tree.
/
Bianca threw the car into park and quickly whipped around to Marissa as her hands started to assess her wife for any sign of injury. "Rissa, are you alright?!"
Marissa sat stunned, unable to catch her breath as a contraction hit at that very moment.
"Rissa?" Bianca then noticed her wife's breathing and knew what was happening. "Breathe and squeeze my hand."
When the contraction passed, Marissa relaxed.
"Are you alright?"
"I think so. I didn't jerk forward. Sorry. That contraction just happened when you asked."
"It's okay."
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I am."
"What the hell happened?"
"A deer ran in front of us."
"Son of a …"
Both women took several deep breaths in an effort to calm their racing hearts.
"Okay. Are you ready to try this again?"
Bianca looked at her wife and saw nothing but faith and trust. She could do this. She had to do this. "I am. We need to get you and Sparky to the hospital." The brunette put the car in reverse and backed it up onto the road. She put the car into a lower gear and started up the driveway again.
Both women breathed a little easier when they were on the main road and saw it wasn't as bad as they thought it would be. While it was covered, they could tell a snowplow had passed through there and treated it, something they were extremely grateful for. The couple drove in silence for a few minutes until another contraction hit. Bianca did her best to talk her wife through it. She really wanted to give Marissa one of her hands to squeeze, but they both knew it was safer if the brunette kept both hands on the steering wheel in this weather.
When the contraction passed, Marissa broke the silence. "Five minutes apart."
Bianca nodded. "Are you still doing okay?"
"Yeah, I think so, as well as I can be right now at least. Do you think we should call Kendall now? I mean, we did promise her that we would when I went into labor. The same goes for your Mom."
"I guess we probably should but tell them not to go to the hospital yet. We don't know how far along you really are at this point, and there's no sense in them being out in this mess if they can avoid it. Hopefully by the time we get to hospital and know more, the roads will be better for them."
"I agree, and Kendall especially doesn't need to be driving in this. I'll call her and ask her to call your Mom. Kendall will probably have better luck than I will convincing Erica to stay put for now."
Bianca chuckled. "You're probably right."
"Dammit, another contraction."
/
"Who the hell is calling us this late?" Zach groaned at being woken up by his wife's ringing cellphone.
"I don't know." Kendall yawned. "It's either a wrong number or something important. Oh my god!" She stopped and grabbed her phone. "It's Bianca!"
Zach sat up, fully awake now.
"Hey, Binx! What's up?"
"Hey, Kendall. It's Marissa, and I think you can guess what's up."
"Seriously?! Sparky's coming?! Like really coming?!"
"Yeah, Sparky's really coming. We're on our way to the hospital now. Jo and Jessica are watching the kids. I guess it worked out that they were in town, huh? Anyway, we wanted to let you know but also tell you to wait before you come. There's several inches of snow, and the roads are messy."
"Alright. How are you doing?"
"I think I'm doing okay. My water broke, and the contractions are five minutes apart."
"Sparky is serious about getting here. How's Bianca?"
"She's doing great, taking it nice and steady. I think we're maybe halfway to the hospital. Hold on."
Kendall could hear Marissa breathing heavy and Bianca offering her support. She took that moment to let Zach know what was going on. "Marissa's in labor, and they're on their way to the hospital. She said the roads are kind of bad, but Bianca is taking it slow and steady. Marissa's in the middle of a contraction right now."
"Kendall."
"Yeah, Red, I'm still here. You okay?"
"Yeah, I probably should get off of here though. Could you do us a favor and call Erica? I don't want her driving in this mess either. It doesn't matter to us when you get there as long as you get there safe. Got it?"
"I got it, and I'll take care of Mom. Focus on Sparky and yourself. Get there safe. I love you both."
"Thanks. We love you too. We'll give you an update as soon as we know something."
/
"I know what you're thinking, and I'm telling you to think again." Zach addressed Kendall after she disconnected the call with Marissa. He knew that look all too well, and while normally he was okay with it, he wasn't this time.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb with me because we both know you are far from it. I checked outside, and the roads look pretty bad. If I had to guess, I'm betting that Marissa wanted you to wait before going to the hospital. Neither she nor Bianca want you out there right now. How am I doing?"
Kendall rolled her eyes and huffed. "Fine. You're right, but …"
Zach held up a hand. "I know you're not an invalid and perfectly capable, but you have to be a little more careful right now. Driving in this would stress you out, and we both know that's not good for your heart. You have enough stress on it right now. You don't need more."
Releasing a sigh, Kendall conceded the point. "You're right. It's just that I want to be there for them."
"I know, and you will be, when it's time. Look, if we had someone here to watch the boys, I would drive you over there right now."
Kendall caressed Zach's cheek. "I know you would. I'm sorry. Okay, we both know I'm not going back to sleep, at least not until I hear back from them."
"Yeah, I know." Zach could see his wife was thinking of something else, and given the expression on her face, it wasn't something she was happy about. "What?"
"Marissa asked if I would call Mom for them and also tell her to wait before going to the hospital."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Of course she pulled the whole 'having a contraction' thing when she asked too." Kendall smirked.
Zach laughed. "Wow, that was pretty sneaky of her."
"Tell me about it. She's going to owe big time for this." They both knew Kendall was joking. "Alright, I better get this out of the way."
"I think I'll check on the boys." Zach got out of bed and headed for the bedroom door.
Kendall rolled her eyes. "Wow. Thanks for deserting me."
"Hey, it's every man for himself." Zach smirked before padding out of the room.
Kendall looked at her cellphone and had an idea. She sent a quick text and then resigned herself to what she needed to do next. "No sense in putting this off."
/
Erica glanced at her cellphone when she heard it ringing. The diva was actually still up and had just wrapped up a conference call with her personal manager and several European connections who wanted to book her for various appearances. After all these years, Erica Kane was still very much in demand. Seeing the name displayed on the caller id, Erica answered immediately rather than have the call go to voicemail like she normally would at this hour. Noting the time, Erica knew the possible reasons for her oldest to be calling were limited and important.
"Kendall, dear, is everything alright?"
"Yes, Mom, it is. In fact, it's more than alright. I just got off the phone with Marissa, and they are on their way to the hospital. It seems Sparky is ready to make his or her appearance. She would've called you herself, but she was busy with a contraction."
"That is wonderful news! I'll head over …"
"Hold on, Mom. Have you checked outside lately? The roads are pretty bad, and Marissa asked that we wait to head to the hospital until we hear from them again. They're hoping the roads will be cleared more by then."
"But …"
"I know, trust me, but I think they're right. The last thing they need right now is to worry about either of us driving in this stuff."
Erica huffed. "I suppose you're right. Fine. I'll wait, but the moment we hear back from them, I'm leaving and going straight over there. I missed the births of Bianca's other children, and I will not miss this one."
Both women knew one of the real reasons they were anxious though neither would admit it. No matter how much time passed, the events of what had occurred when Miranda and AJ were born cast a pall over them. Those memories would haunt them forever.
"I'm completely on board with that."
"What about the children?"
"Jo and Jessica are watching them. They won't say anything to the kids until the morning and they hear from Bianca and Marissa."
"I have to say it's a good thing they're in town for the party and stayed over."
"Definitely. It's one less to have to worry about. Score one for us."
"And Marissa is doing okay?"
"Yes, she is or as okay as she can be while in labor."
"Oh, I remember what that was like, but she has Bianca."
"And we both know that she's in the best possible hands."
"Yes, we do. Please keep me posted."
"You know I will. Talk to you soon."
"Goodbye, dear."
/
"Is everything alright?"
Erica glanced up and saw Jack standing in the doorway. "What are you doing up? I didn't wake you, did I?"
Jack crossed the room and took a seat on the sofa. "No, you didn't, but I did miss you. I was expecting you to come to bed a while ago."
"I'm sorry. The call went longer than I thought it would."
"Are you coming to bed now that it's over?"
"I'm afraid not. I just got off the phone with Kendall."
"Kendall? At this time of night? Is everything alright?"
"Yes. It seems that Marissa has gone into labor."
"She has? That's amazing news."
"It is. She and Bianca are on their way to the hospital."
"And you want to head over there, don't you? Have you looked outside?"
Erica chuckled. Jack really did know her. "Yes, I do want to go over there, and while I haven't looked outside, I have been warned of the road conditions and asked to stay here until we know more. I agreed after Kendall pointed out that they don't need to worry about me driving in this weather."
"She's right, and I'm glad you realized that. Alright, you go change, and I'll make us some coffee." Jack glanced at Erica. "What? You forget that I know you, and I know you're going to want to go over there the instant we hear something. What better way to make that happen than by getting ready now. You also know that there is no way I'm staying here when the newest member of our family is about to grace us with their appearance. So after I get the coffee started, I'll be back to change, and I'll drive us over when it's time."
"Very well." Erica gave him a quick kiss as she stood.
"I have to tell you that I'm excited to meet Sparky."
Erica rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you're using that ridiculous nickname that Kendall gave the baby." She couldn't help but smile as Jack simply shrugged. Erica would never admit it to anyone, but the name was growing on her as well. "I can't wait to meet our newest family member either."
/
After a white-knuckled drive through Pine Valley, the hospital was in sight. Marissa's contractions had progressed to being three minutes apart, letting them know Sparky was definitely arriving sooner rather than later. Neither woman was happier to see the hospital than they were at that moment.
"Bianca, why do you think there is a fire truck in front of the hospital?"
"I have no clue, but I'm not liking it. Please god let the hospital be taking patients."
Bianca drove towards the emergency room entrance and was stopped by a police officer she didn't recognize. "Hello, officer. What's going on? Is the hospital open?"
"There was a small fire in the laundry room. It's been taken care of, and the hospital is open."
"Oh thank god. My wife is in labor. I'll just go park."
"I'm sorry, but you can't park here, ma'am. You'll have to park over there." The police officer pointed to a lot fairly far away.
"You want us to park all the way over there? I'm sorry, but we can't do that. My wife is in labor. There's no way she can walk that far, especially with this snow."
"Ma'am, there's nothing I can do about that. I have regulations to consider. You're going to have to park over there and walk."
"But …"
"Hanson, what's going up?"
"This lady is refusing to park in the lot over there and walk, Sarge."
"I'm not refusing. I'm just trying to explain …"
"Bianca?"
"Brot?" The brunette was so happy to see the newly promoted police sergeant.
"What's going on?"
"Marissa's in labor."
At that particular moment, a strong contraction hit the redhead, and she grunted in pain.
Brot poked his head inside as Bianca's attention was immediately drawn to her wife. He could see Marissa wincing and trying to breathe her way through the contraction. "How close are the contractions?"
"Three minutes, and her water has already broken."
"Sarge, she's going to have to move the car."
Brot pulled his head out of the car and glared in disbelief at the other man. "Are you kidding me? The woman is in active labor, and you expect her to walk that distance in this snow? Give me a break, Hanson. I can't even believe you." He looked back in the car. "Is the contraction over?"
Marissa nodded. "Yeah. Hi, Brot."
"Hi." Brot chuckled. "Leave your car here, and I'll take care of it. You just worry about getting inside and having that baby."
Bianca sighed gratefully as she started to get out of the car. "Thank you."
"Yeager. Lawson." Brot called out to two other police officers who quickly made their way over to the SUV.
"Yeah, Sarge. What's up?"
"I've got something I need you to do. Yeager, this woman is in labor, and I want you to help them inside."
"You got it. Do you have a bag? My wife did when she had our daughter."
Bianca nodded. "It's in the back."
"I'll grab it and then help you. Wait for me because it's a little slippery."
"Lawson, when they leave, I want you to park their car for them and then bring the keys back to me. I'll take it from there. As for you, Hanson, I know you want to go strictly by the book, but there are times when you have to bend. This is one of those times. Just go somewhere else right now. We'll be talking later. I can't even deal with you."
"Alright, ma'am." Officer Yeager held out his arm for Marissa to take. "Let's go."
Bianca glanced over her shoulder. "Thanks, Brot."
"You're welcome. Good luck with Sparky!"
/
"Marissa!" Angie glanced over at the emergency room entrance and saw the redhead being helped inside. She knew that situation instantly and called over to an orderly. "Get me a wheelchair."
"Dr. Hubbard, this woman is in labor."
Angie smiled at the police officer and knew he was trying to be helpful even though he was stating the obvious. "I can see that, Officer Yeager. Please help her into that wheelchair for me. Bianca, I'm guessing you've called her doctor."
"Hi, Angie. Yes, Dr. Abbott is on her way."
"Dr. Abbott is here."
"Maura, it's good to see you again, and I'm glad you made it here safely."
"It's good to see you too, Angie. Bianca, Marissa, how are you doing?"
"Better now that we're here and are seeing you." Marissa grimaced.
"Her contractions are three minutes apart."
"Alright, let's get to maternity." Dr. Abbott started removing her coat and headed towards the elevator as the orderly pushed Marissa in the wheelchair with Bianca following closely behind.
/
Dr. Abbott directed the orderly to a birthing suite and had a nurse go over to help get Marissa situated while she went to change into scrubs.
Soon, Marissa was in a hospital gown and bed with monitors hooked up to her. Bianca was right by her side as a nurse did an exam.
"Well, it seems your baby wants to get here quickly."
"Talk to me, Kelly." Dr. Abbott said as she joined them.
"Marissa is 90% effaced and 8 centimeters dilated."
"It looks like Sparky means business and is going to be here soon. I hate to break the news, but it's too late for an epidural."
"I was afraid you were going to say that."
"I'm really sorry. You hanging in there for me?"
"Yeah, I am, but I have to say I'll be glad when this is over and Sparky's here."
The doctor squeezed the redhead's hand. "I know. I'll be right back. If there's anyone you would like to call, I suggest you do it now because we are going to be busy very soon."
"I better call Kendall." Bianca pulled out her cellphone.
Marissa nodded and took a deep and weary breath. "Tell her if the roads are still too bad though to wait."
/
"Greenlee, what a surprise to see you." Zach glanced over to his wife.
"What?" Kendall asked innocently.
"You're impossible sometimes."
"In all fairness, you didn't want her to drive in this weather. You didn't say anything about me. Besides, they've cleared the roads pretty well, and they're not as bad as they were earlier." Greenlee grinned as she started to remove her coat. Greenlee tended to stay up later on the weekends and was awake when she received Kendall's text. As soon as she read it, she started to change and prepare for the trip. When Ryan had woken up as a result of all of her moving around, Greenlee told him what was happening. He knew there was no way he was going to stop her. So, he threw on some shoes and coat and got the car ready for her.
"So, you brought in reinforcements."
"I have to go. You know I do." Kendall stated.
"I know."
Kendall's cellphone rang. "Binx?"
Zach and Greenlee waited to hear what Bianca was telling Kendall on the other end of the line.
When she disconnected the call, Kendall looked at Greenlee. "Put your coat back on. Sparky is coming, now."
Zach grabbed his wife's coat and helped her with it. "Please be careful."
"You know I will."
"Give Marissa and Bianca my love, and let me know if Sparky is my niece or nephew."
"I will." Kendall gave Zach a quick kiss. "Let's go, Greenlee. I'll call Mom from the car."
Greenlee cut Zach off before he could say anything to her. "I promise I'll be careful. She's precious to me too."
"I know. Thank you."
/
"Hello, Kendall."
"Hey, Mom. Sparky's is definitely coming. I'm headed over to the hospital now."
"You're not driving, are you?"
"Greenlee's driving, and the roads are looking better."
"Good. I'll see you there."
Jack already had Erica's coat ready and waiting for her when she finished the call. "Let's go."
After her coat was on, Erica turned and gave her perennial fiancée a quick kiss. "Thank you."
/
Jessica jumped as soon as her phone rang. "Kendall?"
"Hey, Jessica. I just got off the phone with Bianca. Sparky should be here soon. I'm on my way to the hospital. They still want you to wait before waking up the kids."
"I will. Thank you for calling. Give them my love."
"You know that I will. I'll call you back as soon as I know something more."
Jo looked at her Mom. "Well?"
"Soon. Very soon."
/
"Kendall? What time is it?"
"Morning, Krystal. Bianca wanted me to call you. Marissa is in labor, and they are at the hospital."
"She is?! I'm on my way."
"I'll see you soon."
/
Dr. Abbott returned as Bianca was coaching Marissa through another contraction. She couldn't help but chuckle seeing the t-shirt the brunette was wearing. It was a gray t-shirt in the middle of which in bright red were the words 'All-Star Coach'. When the contraction finished, she smiled at the couple. "I like your shirt."
Bianca smiled proudly. "Rissa got it for me."
"I figured 'why not'. Besides, she is as advertised." Marissa added gratefully as Bianca wiped her brow before giving her some ice chips.
"So I see. Alright, let's see how you're doing." The doctor said as she put on surgical gloves.
By this time, there was another nurse along with Kelly in the room, each setting about their duties of checking the monitor and prepping for the delivery.
Dr. Abbott glanced up at the expectant couple. "It's time for Sparky to get here and meet his or her Moms. Marissa, when I say to, I want you to push, okay?"
"Okay."
Kelly assisted the redhead in getting into a position that would help her push.
Bianca kissed her wife and took her hand. "You're doing great, and I'm right here."
"Okay, Marissa, push."
/
"Angie!"
"Kendall. Greenlee. It's good to see you, and I'm pretty sure I know why you're here. Come on. Follow me. I'll take you up to maternity."
"Thanks. Any word yet?" Kendall asked.
"No, not yet. Oh here, before I forget, give these to Bianca. She doesn't need them right now, but she will eventually."
"Car keys?"
"Yes, Brot gave them to me along with the location of her car. I'll text that to her. She'll need that eventually as well."
"Oookay. I'm confused. Why did Brot have my sister's car keys?"
"And does it have anything to do with this place looking like a fricking maze with all the doors closed?" Greenlee asked.
Angie chuckled. "Yes, it does. There was a fire earlier in the laundry room, very small and put out immediately. We didn't have to evacuate any patients or shut down. Bianca and Marissa arrived while the fire department was still here. I'm a little fuzzy on what happened outside with them, but a police officer helped them inside. Brot stopped by later with the keys. When I asked him about them, he rolled his eyes and said one of his officers was an idiot that he would be dealing with later. As for the doors being shut, it's a safety precaution for when things happen like tonight's laundry room incident. They close automatically."
Greenlee looked at her friend. "Nothing is ever simple with this family, is it?"
"Nope, but at least this baby is being born in a hospital with an actual doctor present. I'd say that's a definite improvement." Kendall grinned.
"I can't argue with that. That's definitely something different for this family." Greenlee chuckled.
/
"Okay, Marissa, I can see Sparky's head. Give me a big push."
Marissa grunted in pain as she did as requested.
"You're doing great, Rissa." Bianca coached as her hand was squeezed tightly. She didn't think her hand was seriously hurt, but damn if it wasn't painful. The brunette was smart enough not complain about it though because she knew it was nothing compared to what Marissa was going through.
"Sparky's head is out. I need you to stop pushing for a minute while we suction just a little." After a moment, the doctor continued. "You are doing fantastic. Now, let's get those shoulders out."
/
"Mom. Jack."
"Kendall, dear, any word?"
"Not yet, other than that she's in active labor as we speak. Oh, apparently there's a story involving the police and a fire here. I have no idea what all of that's about. So, we'll have to get them to clear it up for us, later."
/
"One last push, Marissa, and Sparky will be here." The doctor urged.
"I don't think I can do it, Bianca."
"Honey, I know you're exhausted and that this hurts. You can do this though. I know you can. Sparky is almost here and needs you to do this last push. Please, Rissa. I know you can do this. I promise it's almost over."
Marissa swallowed hard and grit her teeth. "Okay." She gave one final push before a wave of relief washed over her with the baby being fully out.
There was a brief pause as they suctioned the newborn's mouth and nose before the baby's wail could be heard loud and clear.
"Congratulations! It's a …"
/
A/N: Mwhahahahahaha! Sorry, but yeah, my evil side won out again on how this chapter ended. In my defense, shows do this all the time, and it's a fun cliffhanger. I promise all of you that Dr. Abbott will finish that sentence at the beginning of the next chapter, cross my heart! You'll also find out Sparky's name and why it was chosen. Alright, here's what I wanted you all to know. So, Marissa's experience is based on that of one of my sisters several years ago. With her, this happened in February and not April. She was pregnant for the first time and went into labor six weeks early so she really wasn't sure on the water breaking. I was in college at the time and living at home. This was to be my first niece or nephew. I answered the phone when she called and asked to talk to our mom who encouraged her to call the doctor. I knew there was no way I was going back to sleep just as I knew our mom was going to want to go to the hospital to see her first grandchild as soon we knew something. So, I got dressed and started cleaning off my car. My mom doesn't know how to drive. When we got the next call telling us it was definitely a 'go', we headed out. I did slide once on the drive over but got us there safe. All of the doors were closed because of a small fire in the laundry room. That made it even more interesting for my sister and her husband when they got there although they didn't have an issue with a police officer like Bianca and Marissa did. They did, however, have an issue with getting one of their cars to start. Her labor was actually quicker than Marissa's so my nephew was there by the time we were. All of my sister's deliveries were interesting. Her next child was a girl, my first niece, and she started to go into labor six weeks early again. When they called to tell me she was in labor, I broke I don't know how many speeding limits to get over to their house to watch my nephew while they went to the hospital. Imagine my surprise when they returned a couple of hours later with no newborn. The doctors were able to stop the delivery that time, but she was on bed rest and a wreck because of the medication they gave her for a few weeks. Her last child was also a girl and even more exciting. She didn't go into labor as early, but she went through it even faster and ended up having my niece at home, before the paramedics could get there. Oh, and it was in the middle of the night too and my oldest niece slept through it all, even the paramedics hitting her door with a gurney. She didn't know anything about what happened until I woke her up for school. I did some cleanup for her when I went over to watch the kids. It wasn't pretty but needed to be done. So, I could have picked any of those for Sparky's arrival. God knows, she gave me enough material to choose from. I thought Option A was a little less traumatic for them and everyone else. I thought I would give you a little insight into why I wrote what I did and the fact that it was definitely based in reality. Alright, I've started the next chapter so please put the pitchforks away. See you soon!