Chapter Eighty-Five: Someone Who Wants to Be With You Too

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Princess?"

Nathan, who had been intently staring at his laptop screen, abruptly dropped his gaze to his daughter. She was looking pleadingly at him, and though she was too young to communicate he guessed that she was being overlooked. Her Aunts were excitedly spending all their free time with Haley in preparation for the imminent baby.

He reached down and lifted her onto his lap. She sighed happily and fell against his chest. Eve was petite for her age, which she got from Haley. Everything else in her was Nathan's, from her long curly dark hair to her bright blue eyes. He wound a curl around his finger. Even after a year and a half, he was sometimes amazed that they could have made such a startlingly beautiful creature.

"I love you, Princess," he said. Eve stuck a thumb in her mouth and leaned around to look at her father.

He smiled as Devon and Hayden ran past. Used to their beachfront condo, they seemed amazed at the sheer vastness at both Scott houses.

"Come on, let's go find Auntie Leigh," he said, suspecting that his youngest sister would be less occupied.

Eve hopped off her father's knee and took the hand he offered before the two of them set off down the hall.

"Oh, Ryan. You and Jake are here? What's up?" he asked, temporarily dropping Eve's hand to embrace his little sister.

"Yeah. We just arrived. It's a full house," she said.

"I kind of like it. What's up?"

"Haley's convinced she's in labour. We need you to convince her she's not. Come on," she said, taking Eve's hand. Ryan was still Eve's favourite person.

Two days later, Haley had gone into labour at home and was waiting at the hospital for her water to break.

"Where's Eve?" she asked anxiously.

"Calm down. She's at the house with my secretary, Deb. And Dev and Hayden. Leigh, Ryan, and Brooke and Lucas are all around. You're not alone," he said comfortingly.

"I know. I'm scared," she admitted, placing a tentative hand on her huge belly.

"Don't be. I'm here for you. The best doctors in the country are here for you."

"Oh, there goes my water. Let's get started," she said, grinding her teeth together in pain as another contraction shook her.

"For God's sakes, isn't the second supposed to be easier?" asked Ryan Scott anxiously, pacing the length of the empty hospital room they'd occupied.

"She's going to be fine," said Jake comfortingly.

Ryan glared at him over her shoulder.

"Easy for you to say. Men," she said disparagingly. He fought to keep a straight face.

"Come here," he said, opening his arms.

She tucked herself into his embrace, and he kissed her forehead. She was too tall to be tucked under his chin.

"They're finally happy," she said softly, her voice muffled by the sweater he was wearing.

"Which means they will be for a lot longer. You're so tense," he said. She sighed. Ryan wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her head on his shoulder.

"I don't know how Brooke and Lucas are so calm," she said.

"They've both lived through two of these. And will probably live through at least one more. You will too. It'll stop being scary, I promise," he said.

"I hope so." Ryan leaned back, his arms anchoring her in place. Her long blonde hair fell around her shoulder, and for an instant he caught a whiff of lemon.

Slowly removing one hand from her waist, he cupped her cheek, running a finger down the side of her face. Her nerves tingled in response, as much as she tried to hide it.

"Jake?" she asked, her voice almost nonexistent.

"Ryan," he said in amazement. He scrutinized her for another moment. The light freckles sprinkled across her nose, her dark blue Scott eyes. The perfect symmetry of her features. Her beauty, radiating from within.

Slowly, he tiled her lips toward his and leaned down to brush a kiss on them. His tingled slightly, and he opened his mouth, tasting hers. She slid open her own lips and their tongues met. One hand reach up and tangled in his hair, while his slid down to her hips, feeling the curves of her body as they went. Throwing away her doubt, her insecurities, Ryan shut her eyes tightly and lost herself in the compelling, overwhelming sensation of his lips on hers.

Peyton Sawyer watched them in amazement. Not expecting her to show up, Brooke Davis had called her on the way to the hospital.

Peyton was fairly sure that eventually, someday, Jake would drop Ryan for her. But she'd never seem them kiss. Not like that. With their bodies glued together, their lips on fire. She dropped her shaking hand from the doorknob and forced herself to run from the room.

Nathan groaned and forced himself to remain composed as Haley's scream rang through his ears. It killed him, to have her in this much pain. He felt that it was the only thing he couldn't protect her from.

"Breath, darling. You're doing great," he said, smoothing sweaty hair away from her face.

Haley whimpered slightly as the doctor examined her progress.

"Push, Mrs. Scott. You're almost there, I can almost see the head."

"You can't almost see something. You either see it, or you can't," she said.

"I can. It's coming. PUSH," yelled the doctor. Haley groaned.

"It's coming, it's coming. Okay, here's a head," said the doctor. "A torso. Legs. And… she's out."

Haley fell back against her pillows, breathing heavily.

"She?" asked Nathan.

"A girl," said the doctor.

"Guess you're not a real man," teased Haley.

"Guess not," said Nathan, staring as the cleaned, blanket wrapped infant was placed in his wife's arms.

"She looks nothing like Eve," said Haley, yawning. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks. This was not an obligation child, nor was it a child made of their love.

"Well, we already have an Eve. So this works. She's beautiful," he said.

"I think she'll be tall."

"Well that's Scottlike," he said.

"What, did you think she wasn't yours?" asked Haley, speaking through her tears. Nathan reached down and took his daughter into his own arms.

Though he'd spent countless hours holding his eldest, rocking her to sleep, talking to her, carrying her around, he still felt he was going to break the new one in half. She was fragile, yet so solid in his arms after being only a dream for the last seven months.

Glancing down, he saw that Haley's eyelids were fluttering closed. Handing their daughter back to the nurse, he kissed her forehead and went off to find his family.

"Finally. What is it?" asked Ryan, curled up in Jake's arms.

"A girl. Blondish. Come on," said Nathan enthusiastically.

The Scotts (plus the one Jagielski) walked to the large window of the nursery.

"Uh, two down, one over," he said, pointing.

"She's beautiful," said Ryan.

"I think she'll look like you, Ry," said Jake. She smiled up at him before looking down at her toes in embarrassment.

"She's beautiful. Let's have a girl next time, Broody," said Brooke, leaning on her husband.

"What's her name?" asked Jake, gazing at his latest quasi niece.

"Ooh, I know. Can I say?" asked Brooke.

"Would she stop if I asked?" asked Nathan, directing his question toward his younger brother. Lucas shook his head.

"Her name is Nina Larisa Scott," said Nathan, speaking ahead of his sister-in-law.

They were silent for a time, digesting this.

"It's pretty. She's pretty. You guys are good at this," said Ryan.

"Thanks. I think. I should get back to Haley," said Nathan.

"Yeah. We'll go take care of Eve and the boys. And inform Leigh. See you later, big brother," said Brooke, kissing his cheek before walking off with the rest of them.

Nathan pressed a hand to the glass after they were gone, and gazed at his new daughter. Deep down, he'd been wishing for a son. He knew it didn't matter.

Ryan was right. They were good at his.