"Are you certain that you should be here, Erin?"

"I have to be, I told Director Shepperd that I planned on working through November, so that my maternity leave would last through February. I'm fine, just really tired. My back has been aching since yesterday, and I'm blaming it on the fact that the service ran longer than it should have, and pews are not the most comfortable thing to sit in for long periods of time right now. I see that Aaron is absent today, given that Alpha is still here."

"Oh, yes, he's at the hospital with Haley. Their son has finally decided to enter the world."

Erin nodded as she winced, rubbing her stomach absently. "I, I think that you're right, I shouldn't be here," she whispered as she leaned against Helen's desk. "I'm sorry."

"What do you have to be sorry for?"

"I think my water just broke, and it is going to be bitch to clean up." She didn't mean to swear, but a contraction started to roll over her in that moment, and she gripped the edge of her desk in an effort to keep from crying out. "I, I need you to call David, and have him meet me at our hospital, and I have to call Doctor Brunner to let her know that I'm in labor. Last time, it was only five hours from when my water broke until Tabitha was here."

Helen nodded as she came around to help Erin over to one of the chairs in her outer office. "I can do this. And as soon as Dave knows, I'll call an ambulance?"

"No, I need you to drive me. We can take my car, but it's not an emergency."

"Erin, you're a month early! I think that constitutes an emergency."

She shook her head as she pulled out her phone and hurriedly called Doctor Brunner, letting her know that she was on her way to the hospital. As she listened to Helen finish up her conversation with David, Erin absently rubbed her stomach, trying to push back the fear that she felt start to eat at the back of her brain. "You live with her! You should know that you can't order her to do anything! I'll meet you at the hospital with her. I know, but I don't want to kick up a fuss. All right, I will take care with your precious cargo. Good bye."

"Let me guess, he wants you to call an ambulance?"

"Yes, and while I agree with him, you're still my boss, and as long as you feel safe, we'll do things your way."

"Thank you," she murmured as they got to their feet, and she welcomed Helen's hand on her elbow as they awkwardly made their way over to the elevators. As the doors opened, Penelope stepped out, giving her a concerned look as they switched places. "I'll be fine, Penelope. It's just that our little one has decided to grace us with her presence a bit early."

"An entire month, Ma'am! I've been keeping track." Penelope blushed a little at the look Erin shot her before shrugging a little. "I wanted to make certain that everything went well for you and Rossi. I'll stop by the hospital later to check on you and see the baby, if you don't mind?"

"That would be fine, Penelope." She winced as another contraction hit her. "But, we have to go now. I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for!" Penelope leaned in and hugged her quickly before scurrying over to the bullpen.

"She certainly is a lot."

"But in the best way." Erin continued to rub her stomach as they made their way over to her car, and she awkwardly climbed inside the passenger side, handing the keys over to Helen and trying to make herself as comfortable as possible as her assistant drove towards the hospital. She had three more contractions during the drive, which put her at ten minutes apart, letting her know that perhaps she had been in labor longer than she had thought, and Erin rubbed her lips together as she silently begged Helen to drive faster, not relishing the idea of giving birth in her car on the side of the road. Finally, though, they arrived, and Helen helped her inside only to have David run up and greet them both, tears in his eyes. "Darling, I'm fine. I've done this three times before."

"The last time I did this, James didn't come home. Forgive me for being worried, stellina." She nodded and allowed him to pull her into a tight hug before guiding her over to the check in desk, telling the woman there what was going on. Soon, they were being ushered up to the labor and delivery ward, and Erin gasped a little to see a familiar head disappear into a room down the hall from where their room is. "What is it?"

"I, I think that Aaron and Haley are here, too. I knew that she had gone into labor, but I didn't think that she would be brought to this hospital."

A fresh wave of anxiety washed over her body as she was wheeled into her birthing room, and she turned to look at Helen. "What do you need me to do, Erin?"

"Check and see if I'm right, if Aaron and Haley really are here? And then, come back and let us know before heading back to work, telling Penelope where I am, and getting your office professionally cleaned. Feel free to use my office to finish up your work for the day, and until things are back to normal for you. All right?"

Helen nodded as she turned and scurried from the room as David helped Erin onto the bed. In just a few minutes, she had told the nurse everything that she needed to know while her partner pulled out the nightgown that she had chosen to wear while birthing her daughter, and as soon as the woman was gone, he helped her to change and get settled in the bed. "Do you feel okay?" he asked anxiously as he pulled out her brush and began to run it through her hair. "And I hope you don't mind this. Carolyn found comfort in the motions."

"I will never mind physical affection from you, David," she replied as she scooted forward, allowing him to have room to sit behind her in order to better run the brush through her hair. "If that's really him, you're going to run into him at some point, you know."

"I know, but we'll cross that bridge when we get here, stellina." He pressed a tender kiss to the back of her head, and she sighed before groaning as another contraction hit her. "Breathe, Erin, breathe." She nodded and reached back for his hand, gripping it tightly as she tried to breathe through the contraction. "All right, have you settled on her name?"

"Yes, but I'm still not going to say it aloud until she is here, and I hear her cry. I know it's a foolish superstition, but everything about this pregnancy has been cursed. Except for you, you have been the blessing in the mess." Erin leaned back against him as the contraction passed. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Erin." They sighed in unison, and Erin pulled his hand around to rest on her belly. "I am so glad that you allowed me to be part of this journey."

"I can't imagine where I'd be without you." She was going to say more when Helen came back into the room. "Well, what news do you have for us?"

"Your eyes were right, the Hotchners are here. Aaron didn't see me, but I was able to clock where they are on the ward. It looks like they're four doors down from you, so I would be careful when you go out for food or something to drink, sir."

David nodded as he held Erin closer to his chest. "Thank you for looking out for us, Helen."

"As if I could do anything else. I'll head back to the office now, and take care of things there. May, may I hug you?"

Erin gave her assistant a small nod, breathing out deeply as Helen hugged her tightly, rubbing her back softly. "Thank you for looking out for me during these last few months."

"And I'll continue to do so until you retire. If I can be that presumptuous."

"I would never let you go, unless you found a better job." Helen stepped away from her side and gave her a watery smile before waving at them and then leaving her room, closing the door behind her. "I don't know how I managed to find someone as loyal as her, David."

"You were blessed. There is some good that has come out of this pregnancy, so that is what we're going to focus on from here on out, all right?" She nodded and relaxed against his chest, knowing that she would need to conserve her energy for the rest of the labor she would experience in just a few short hours.