Chapter Sixty-Seven: Perfect Fit
"Where are you going?" asked Nathan, his protective instincts instantly aroused when he saw his pregnant wife prepare to go out. She scowled at him over her shoulder.
"Out. With Brooke and the boys," she said
"Come on Haley, cut me some slack. It's been months, and you're about to go in to labour," he said.
Haley left silently. As she walked, one hand unconsciously wrapped around her round stomach. He sighed. She was everything to him, she carried even more, and currently she wouldn't have cared if he dropped off the face of the Earth.
Brooke joined her in the entrance hall, pushing a stroller and herding Devon with her hand.
"I'll push," volunteered Haley. Brooke smiled gratefully.
"Thanks. Lucas and I never dare to venture out alone. You sure you're feeling okay? You don't want to stay home and rest?" asked Brooke worriedly.
"I'm not due for another two weeks, I'm fine. And I need to get out of here. It's so oppressive," said Haley.
"Do you guys still have sex?" asked Brooke, as they began to move down the street.
"Brooke, I'm pregnant," she said blushing.
"I know. That's how it happens," she said. Haley smiled.
"Not really. We did like hourly for the first part, and then I found out he loved me and we did it like all night, which was sort of a rain induced accident, but since then we've barely touched," she said.
"I was so horny during my pregnancies," said Brooke, sounding sympathetic.
"Me too. But I just can't. And I feel so guilty. I hate that," she said.
"It's not your fault you're so loveable," said Brooke.
"Do you guys still? As much as you ever did?" asked Haley.
"As much as we can. We're pretty busy. But yeah. We've always been active. It's what originally brought us together," said Brooke. The sunlight caught the diamond on her ring finger, and Haley scrutinized her own ring.
"Aren't we too young for this?" asked Haley.
"What, falling in love? Having babies? I don't know about you, but I'd wanted to fall in love again since Mouth left. I just never thought I would. And you, Haley? You've never felt for anyone what you felt, and still feel, for Nathan. If you really didn't want to, you wouldn't have married him. You'd have lived asexually, or worn protection. You would have left him when you found he'd betrayed you. You'd have kept your name. But you did none of these things. So I guess I have to make the obvious conclusion… Haley?" Brooke stopped her tirade and glanced backward, to where Haley was clutching Devon's hand and standing in a puddle of water. Brooke's eyes widened and she instantly opened her cell phone.
"Nathan? We're just down the block. Get the car down here, Haley's in labour. And bring Lucas," she said desperately in to the phone. She backtracked to where Haley was standing, looking terrified.
"Breathe. You'll be fine. You'll be more than fine, you're just about to have a baby. Nathan's on his way," said Brooke. Brooke lifted her elder son into her arms as the dark shiny car pulled up to the curb. Nathan leapt out, ran toward them and immediately lifted Haley into his arms. Disregarding their relationship of the last few months, Haley clung to him as he carried her to the car and laid her across the seat. Brooke handed Devon to Lucas, in the front seat, and entered the back with Hayden, watching her sister-in-law in concern.
"This is my wife, Haley Scott. She's in labour. She started having contractions in the car," said Nathan to the nurse.
"We'll get her a room immediately, Mr. Scott. You'll be joining her?" she asked, looking slightly awed and amazed to see so many Scotts in the hospital.
"Yes, of course," he said.
"How are you feeling, Mrs. Scott?" asked the nurse.
"I could use an Advil," said Haley, wincing as she had another contraction. Nathan glanced at his watch and began to time it.
"Dude, calm down," said Lucas, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. Nathan looked between his two nephews.
"Easy for you to say. Did someone call Jake and Ryan?" he asked. Brooke nodded.
"They're coming. Look, they're ready for her," said Lucas, as a nurse with a wheelchair arrived for Haley.
Someone handed Nathan a set of scrubs, and he followed her chair down the hall. Brooke and Lucas laced their hands together as they watched them go.
"We really are growing up," said Brooke, almost sadly. Lucas smiled at her. Some days, she couldn't help but blame him for it.
Ryan and Jake arrived moments later. Settling down into uncomfortable chairs, the six of them waited for hours until Nathan ran in and announced the birth of their daughter.
"It's a girl!" said the doctor, as Haley pushed for the final time, and the doctor caught the reddish baby.
Nathan watched as they washed his daughter and cut her umbilical cord. He glanced back to Haley, her eyes moist. He dropped into a chair by her bed and took her hand.
"Good job, Babe. She's beautiful," he said. Haley turned to him and smiled slowly. Caught in the moment, he lifted her hand to his lips before leaning in to kiss her.
"She's got dark hair," said Haley, watching her daughter after she broke away from her husband.
"Do you two have a name ready?" asked the doctor, watching them intently.
"Eva Elizabeth Scott," said Nathan, reciting the name they'd chosen in one of their few tender moments over the last months.
"Pretty. Here," she said, handing the baby to Haley.
Her eyes filled with tears as her arms curled around her infant daughter. The baby, wrapped tightly in her blanket, was unable to move, and looked completely exhausted, almost as exhausted as Haley felt. Nathan cautiously touched her hand, and Eva's fingers curled around his.
"You should go tell everyone," said Haley, her eyes fast on her daughter.
"Yeah. Yeah, I should," he said, kissing her forehead before departing.
Nathan raced out to get his sister, his brother, his brother's wife, and Jake. The five of them went back to the room, and gained admittance purely based on their social status.
"It's a girl. I was convinced Hayden would be a girl," said Brooke happily, watching her niece.
Ryan laughed appreciatively, and knelt to better examine the new baby. Haley noticed her glance briefly at Jake. She wondered what was worse: loving someone who'd never love you, or being loved by someone you could never love.
"It's a pretty name," she said eventually.
Haley reached out and placed her hand on Ryan's cheek. The younger girl looked up in surprise, and attempted a look of naivety on her face.
"Ry, you look exhausted. Take her home, Jake?" asked Nathan. Ryan stood, looking slightly exhausted. Noting this, Jake instantly adopted the protective older brother look that Nathan was wearing.
"Yeah. I'll call Leigh," she said, leaning on Jake as he put an arm around her to lead her out.
Nathan took the seat by her bed again and carefully took his daughter into his own arms. Rocking her slightly, he smiled when she opened her eyes briefly and revealed them to be big blue, Scott eyes.
"She's so beautiful," said Brooke reverently.
"We'd like you two to be godparents," said Haley, looking up at them.
"We'd be honoured," said Lucas, speaking for himself and his wife.
"Mrs. Scott, we'll take the baby now. You should rest," said a nurse sternly. Nathan smiled to himself when Brooke and Haley turned to her simultaneously. Nathan handed the baby to the nurse.
Lucas and Brooke stood to go, and Nathan made to join them. Haley caught his hand.
"Stay with me? Please?" she said. He immediately stood and took her hand again.
"Always," he promised her.