Author's Note: Oh my gosh! We are getting so close to 500 reviews! I never even believed that I was going to get a quarter of that! Frankly, I didn't even think the story was going to get this far. I thought I wasn't going to get a single review and nobody would be interested in it. With that said, thank you so much to everybody who sticks around and makes those review numbers go up! I'm really sorry for not updating for so long. Unforeseen circumstances prevented that, but I promise I will try to update more frequently from now on. This chapter is dedicated to bauerfreak, for all the help and encouragement. I really could not have gotten this far without you. I salute you!
To heartagram: I'm glad you like them. Thanks for reviewing!
To MollyMKS: I actually love the name George. (And contrary to popular belief, it's not just because of George Eads.) I am so looking forward to writing about Nick with a daughter…or two…Thanks for reviewing!
To CSI-wanna-be23: Yeah, you figured it out! Pregnancy brain! Pregnant women seem to be so scatterbrained. It greatly amuses me. Thanks for reviewing!
To jd: Ooh, you read my mind! And my story. For which I thank you!
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: Let me see if I still have that 'proof of ownership' certificate lying around somewhere…nope.
"We've decided on names," Sara said to Dr. Holmes at her next appointment, two weeks before Sara's due date. Nick sat down on the now familiar chair next to the examination table.
"Oh, really?" she said curiously. "Do tell."
"Well, we're naming the boy Anthony Nicholas," she said.
"And one of the girls Ciara Michele," Nick said.
"And the last girl we're naming Brooke Elizabeth," Sara finished.
"Those are all beautiful names," Dr. Holmes said honestly. "So, how've you been feeling lately?" she asked both of them.
"Nervous," they answered in unison.
"I've been really scatterbrained lately," Sara said. "I forget the simplest things. Last week, we were processing a scene, and I almost forgot to put gloves on until a coworker reminded me. I forgot my car keys once and spent ten minutes sitting in the car trying to figure out what I'd forgotten. You know, that sort of thing."
"Pregnancy brain," Dr. Holmes said,smiling knowingly. "How about you, Nick?" She'd always been very good at including Nick whenever he came along.
"Eager, but really nervous. I'm excited that we're going to be parents so soon!"
"I know the feeling," she said. "You've been taking prenatal classes, right?"
Nick and Sara nodded in unison.
"And how are those coming along?"
"They're going well," Nick said.
"That's good," Dr. Holmes said. "Well, do you want to see your babies again?" she asked, holding up the ultrasound scanner.
"Of course," Nick said. He'd only seen them once before, a few weeks ago.
Sara rolled up the front of her gown and allowed the blonde to rub gel over her enormous belly. Dr. Holmes placed the scanner just above her bellybutton and started searching around. "Okay, here's Baby A again. That's a boy." Nick and Sara gazed in silent wonderment at the little life before them on the screen. Nick could feel his eyes welling up, and he willed himself not to cry. Dr. Holmes moved the scanner over to another spot and found a second heartbeat. "And, here's Baby B, a g-…wait…" She readjusted the scanner and squinted her eyes at the monitor. "Baby B isn't a girl, it's a boy!"
"A boy?" Nick exclaimed. He wasn't in the least disappointed, just surprised.
"Like father, like son," Sara teased, referring to Nick's sonogram incident. He smirked at her. She turned her attention back to the monitor when she felt the scanner being moved around again.
"And…Baby C is a girl for sure," Dr. Holmes said finally.
Nick let out a sigh of relief. He was still getting his baby girl.
"So, we have to pick out a boy's name," Sara said on the way home.
"Yeah…I don't really have any ideas. How about you?" he asked.
She stared straight forward, not answering, and just when he was thinking that maybe she didn't hear him, she said, "Do you like Logan?"
"Yeah, I do. I like it a lot, actually. And you know what else I like for a middle name?"
"What?" she asked.
"Tyler."
"Logan Tyler," she tried out. "I like that. How about that for our other boy?"
"Sounds good to me," he said. "So, Ciara Michele, Logan Tyler, and Anthony Nicholas?"
"Mmhmm," she said. They spent the rest of the short drive home talking about how excited they were, as had been their main topic of conversation lately.
"I'm actually kind of glad that we're only having one girl," Nick confessed.
"Why's that?" Sara asked.
He shrugged. "I don't really know…it's something I can't really explain. I just love little girls. I always wished, growing up, that I had a little sister. I never found myself wishing for a little brother. Don't get me wrong; I liked hanging out with boys too. But I find that it can be a lot more…I don't know…special if there's only one. I think I'll end up treating Ciara much differently than I will Logan and Anthony," he said, already using their names. "Not worse," he quickly added. "Just differently."
She nodded. "I can understand that. Oh boy, it'll be fun dealing with two boys, won't it?"
"Oh yeah, looking forward to that," he said sarcastically. "We'll have two Tasmanian devils on our hands."
"Mmhmm," she said, nodding. "But we'll love them to pieces," she said.
"Of course," Nick agreed, as he reached over the centre console and took her hand gently, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. They spent the next few minutes in comfortable silence, until Sara gasped.
"What's the matter?" Nick asked, suddenly worried. Her face was contorted in pain.
"I…I think I'm having a contraction!" she said.
"Already? But it's two weeks before you're due! And even then, they're premature!"
"I know, I know!" Sara managed to gasp out. Nick didn't know what to do as he watched his wife suffer through it for about thirty seconds. Suddenly her face relaxed, and her breathing returned to normal. "Okay, I think it stopped."
"Are you in labour?" he asked. He was a bit oblivious as to the mechanics of childbirth, despite having thirty-five nieces and nephews.
"I don't think so," she said. "Contractions don't always mean labour's starting," she explained. She'd already had several mild contractions throughout the pregnancy, as was normal, but Nick actually hadn't been around for any of them.
"Oh," he said, almost as though he already knew that. Sara began to rethink her statement when, eight minutes later, another contraction set on. "Sara, are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," she assured, as she concentrated on getting through the pain.
They arrived home just after her contraction ended, and she went to lie down on the couch. She needed a nap, and badly. Nick sat on the end of the couch and propped her feet up on his lap. He rubbed her feet gently, but just as she was about to fall asleep, he could feel her tense up as another contraction started.
"Sara, do you need to go to the hospital?" Nick asked, now genuinely worried that she might be in labour.
"No, no," she said through her pain.
He was doubtful and eyed her skeptically. She was so stubborn. "Are you sure?"
She reconsidered. "Alright, fine."
He helped her up and out to the car, and drove her to the hospital. They were quickly escorted to a room and Sara was told to change into an all-too familiar gown, and Dr. Holmes met them there fifteen minutes later.
"Hi, Sara, hi, Nick," she said as she entered. "How're you feeling?"
Sara answered, "I'm having contractions that are about seven or eight minutes apart."
"Do you think you're in labour?"
"I don't know," she said.
"Alright, I'm going to check to see how much you're dilated, and if you're dilated at all, then you're in labour and these babies are coming out today."
"Okay," Sara said nervously, as Dr. Holmes checked the degree of dilation.
"You're one centimetre dilated," she announced a minute later. "You're having these babies today."
Sara took a deep breath as she prepared herself for what was coming next.
She was going to be a mom.
Author's Note: Yes, a slight cliffie there. My apologies for that. Review!