All characters that are from the TWILIGHT saga by Stephanie Meyer belong to Stephanie Meyer. All others belong to me. I do not receive profit for these stories except for the joyous enjoyment of reviews.
This story follows right after When I'm Gone: Third Installment to GONE Saga, so if you haven't read that one or the two before, please do.
The timeline of the story will coincide with Gabriel Michael Laskaris' growing up years, starting at Seth and Rosa's wedding day, April 12th and will progress from there.
AN: I apologize for taking so long to update. Life has been crazy hectic like you can't imagine. My brother is back stateside, which makes my mother breathe easier, and I am now employed at two different places, along with keeping up with my own business, not to mention trying to find some time to relax and write. I've gotten the opportunity to see SamJay (after eight years!) and am getting ready to switch shift time again -meaning, I'll be working a full time job at night and a part time job at day.
Anyway, I hope this chapter was worth the wait -I am excited to share the new additions this chapter introduces! Do know I've already started the next chapter. I know there's a lot of side-characters and stories, but mostly, I'm using them to tick away the time and to fill in but it won't be for long. Soon, the story will zero in on Gabe/Vivi and focus on them...and on some new surprise characters that were not planned or expected but since I've gotten to know them, they are quickly winning my heart as well as the hearts of those they...well, in time, you'll see.
As always, enjoy as you read and please, please, PLEASE review. It inspires me and your suggestions and opinions give me great ideas!
Chapter Eighty-One (16 yrs old)
November 9
Portland State University
"Yo Brad!" George Bennett leaned into his roommate's room, zeroing in on the huge guy sitting in his desk chair, feet up on the desk while he watched his TV, "Hey, we're ordering pizza for the game. You want in?"
"Sure," Bradley pulled out his wallet from the pocket of his jeans, handing George ten dollars, knowing with the other two roommates they shared a four room, two bathroom, living room suite with, it would be enough, "Order a large meat lovers for me, will you?"
"Yeah, sure," stepping further into the bedroom, George caught the images on the TV, "You're watching a fashion show? Are you gay?"
"Not that it's any of your business but no," Bradley kept watching the commentator, knowing from talking with his little sister her fashion line would be somewhere in the middle of the show, "It's my sisters' first fashion show and I promised I'd watch it, since I couldn't fly up to New York City with them."
"Your sisters?"
"Yeah," he looked over at George, chuckling at seeing the redheaded kid from Idaho had sat down on the edge of his bed, eyes glued to the television screen, "It's my little sister Lili's first fashion show –clothes designing and stuff. My twin, Bailey, is the spokes model."
"You have a twin?" George glanced over at Bradley, wondering what his twin sister looked like, what with him being six foot two and probably over two hundred pounds of pure muscle, "What does she look like?"
Brad shrugged as the announcer introduced the newest fashion line, commenting on how the designer was the youngest ever to be featured on Fashion Week, and how her new line would be officially launched stateside. The music started, a song he knew Bailey had picked out –it was one of those songs she listened to while getting ready for a party –and the models began to strut down the runway, their long thin bodies artfully draped with luxurious fabrics in rich toned colors, the practiced smirks on their faces detracting nothing from the fresh new outlines of their outfits.
"Holy shit," George straightened up at the sight of a tall, lean, absolutely gorgeous model as she headed down the runway, an amethyst colored dress floating like smoke around her long legs as they ate up the distance, "That is one hot babe!"
Grabbing one of the balled up papers on his desk –he'd been working on a research paper before catching sight of the time –he lobbed it at his roommate, aim true as it hit him right on the forehead, "That's my sister."
"No fucking way," George looked over at Bradley then back at the TV but she was walking away already...she was just as hot from the back as from the front, "That's your twin sister?"
"Yes," Bradley gave him a warning glare, "So keep your comments PG."
"What the hell's taking you guys so long," Tyler, a Texas computer geek who got into PSU on a football and academic scholarship, walked into the room, followed by Reggie, a dark skinned Cuban from Florida majoring on computer graphics, "The pizzas are getting here in ten minutes and the game's about to start."
George pointed at the TV, "We're watching Brad's sisters' fashion show."
Turning to the TV, they both stood and watched as the models continued to make their way down the runway, Tyler pointing at a tall blonde wearing a copper toned dress wrapped around her slim body, "I'd sure like to get her out of that dress."
Reggie laughed, almost choking as the next model made her way down the runway behind the blond, his eyes dilating in reaction to the beautiful long legged woman in a sapphire blue dress, "Damn! It's a crime for her to wear clothes."
George snickered as he watched Bradley kick Reggie in the gut, not too hard but with enough force to get him to double over as he gasped, "What the hell was that for?"
George answered for him, "That's his twin sister."
Tyler looked over at Brad then back at the TV as she walked away, "No fucking way that's your sister –she looks nothing like you."
Bradley laughed at the Texas drawled words, looking away from the TV as the announcer called out for his little sister to come onto the runway, "Believe it or not, she's a perfect blend between mom and dad while I look like dad and Lili looks like mom."
George pointed at the TV, turning their attention back to the fashion show as a petite brunette came to the middle of the runway, wearing a black dress with an empire waist and round neckline, black sequined flats on her feet, "That's your little sister?"
"That's my Lili-bug," Brad grinned as his little sister waved at the applauding crowd, a shy smile lighting up her beautifully round face as the camera flashes kept going off.
"She's a cute kid," Tyler crossed his arms over his wide chest, looking over at Bradley, "How old is she?"
"Thirteen," Bradley grinned at the surprised looks on his roommates' faces, "Some other designer saw Bailey's pictures in an article from a photo contest she won some years back. Lili did all of her wardrobe and it was mentioned in the article. Short story, the designer picked up the whole tab for this first fashion show."
"I don't really know clothes," Reggie was still rubbing at his aching abdominal muscles, "But I gotta say, those girls sure looked fine in what they were wearing."
"They sure did," Tyler gave Bradley a sly grin, "Your twin seeing anyone?"
A knock at the door reminded them they had ordered pizza, George handing over Bradley's contribution along with his to Reggie, who already had Tyler's money and his own.
"Last I heard, she got herself a very jealous, very possessive boyfriend," Bradley laughed at the groans, taking his cell phone out of his pocket and sliding his thumb across the screen, "I need to call my sisters before joining you guys."
"Alright," George stood up, Tyler already making his way out of Bradley's room to the shared living space where the big screen TV they'd all chipped in for was, "I'll keep them away from your pizza."
"Thanks. Close the door behind you, will ya?"
"Sure."
He smiled at the sound of his little sister's hello as she answered the phone midway through the sixth ring, "Hey there, Lili-bug."
"I've told you not to call me that."
He laughed at the lack of annoyance in her voice, able to tell she was flying high, "Older brother's prerogative. Great show, little sis."
"You watched it," her voice went up an octave in excitement, causing Brad to chuckle as he fought back a sudden attack of homesickness.
"I told you I would. My roommates were very impressed."
Lili's giggles floated across the connection, Brad picturing her sweet round face and sparkling dark eyes, "I would think you'd keep it a secret from them."
"Are you kidding," Brad dropped his feet to the floor, able to hear his roommates' hollering at the game they were watching, "I'm proud of my sisters. They thought your designs were great."
"What about Bailey?"
"Yeah, I won't repeat what they said about Bailey but none of it was negative just…descriptive."
"I'm sure," Lili didn't ask for further details, having heard the many ways boys 'complimented' their sister, "Are you liking college?"
"Yeah," Brad stretched as soon as he stood up, letting out a loud yawn, "Classes are interesting and the guys are pretty cool. They're all into computers, like me, so we have a lot to talk about."
"That's good. Brad, I need to go. Some reporter wants to talk to me. I'll have Bailey call you later, okay?"
"Okay, sweetie. Enjoy the moment, Lil. You deserve it."
"Thank you," he heard her sniff, not surprised his sensitive sister was getting emotionally overwhelmed, "I love you."
"Love you too, Lili-bug."
He laughed at the raspberry she blew into the phone before he swiped his finger across the screen to end the call, wishing he had been able to be with his family during this big moment in their lives.
Despite college being his dream since he was thirteen and building his first computer, it hadn't been easy leaving all that was familiar and known. It had been especially hard leaving while his twin sister was running in the woods on four legs, probably pissed as all get out because she didn't want Brady to witness how freaked out she really was.
They had all been expecting her to phase but it had still been a shock to everyone when it happened. Everyone involved had felt different degrees of gratitude for Brady and his willingness to help Bailey through the process, knowing, just as everyone did, she wasn't going to make it easy…or pleasant.
Loud cheers drifting in from the living room snapped him back into the present time. Stretching, he let out a yawn before heading out of his room, hoping his team was winning. He'd gotten lucky when placed into the Stephen Hepler Hall, thanks to being accepted into the Honors College; his three roommates, despite being from Texas, Idaho, and Florida –not to mention varying degrees of computer geeks –were big fans of football, and most importantly, supported the Seattle Seahawks, unless their own teams were playing, that is.
Dropping into one of the overstuffed armchairs, he let out a cheer as his team scored, easily catching the soda can Trevor tossed his way as he leaned forward to grab a slice of Meat Lover's pizza, "Any money riding on this game?"
"Twenty to one odds, Seahawk's favor," Reggie grinned over at Brad, his feet up on the corner of the coffee table, half eaten slice in one hand, "Want in?"
Glancing at the screen, he noted it was the first quarter and the Seahawks were ahead by one touchdown and currently on the second down. Calculating the odds in his head, he decided it was worth the risk, "Sure –twenty bucks on Seahawks winning by two downs."
Trevor grinned as a slouched down lower into the corner of the couch, "David across the hall has twenty on the Patriots winning by one down."
"Not gonna happen."
They all laughed, turning their attention back to the game as they munched on their pizza, occasionally letting out a groan or cheer, depending on what was happening with their team. They knew it was a matter of minutes before some of the other guys in the hallway made their way to their dorm suite –they did, after all, have the largest flat screen TV in the whole dorm.
However, the whole thing wouldn't get interesting until the girls started filtering in.
Now that, they sure as hell knew would make the whole thing much more enjoyable.
November 16
"What's that?"
Gabe quietly chuckled as he took the steel coil from Willy's curious little hands, visually tracking his cousin Carlos as he explored the garage, knowing he didn't need to worry about Xavier –his little brother sat cross-legged on the concrete floor, quietly watching as he put together the suspension for his bike, "It's a coil –it helps with the bike's suspension."
Willy scampered around him, picking up one of the many parts Gabe had accumulated over the year in his efforts to repair the motorcycle he'd bought off of Willy soon after getting his driver's license, "What about this?"
"That," he pointed at the piece of metal Willy held before gently taking it from him, "Is a caliper. It's part of the brakes. See this?"
"Uh-uh," Willy nodded, Xavier leaning in closer as Gabe carefully fitted the piston into the caliper, all the while explaining, "This is a piston. It's the most important part of the whole motorcycle. When you push down on the brakes, it creates intense pressure inside the engine; the piston will push these brake pads against this."
He set down the pieces to pick up a box, carefully pulling out the rather pricy rotor he'd bought last month, "This is a rotor –it goes between the brake pads –it's also the part where the tire goes. So when the tire is moving, so is the rotor. The piston pressures the brake pads against the rotor and that's what makes the tire stop."
"Cool," Willy grinned as he watched Gabe put the rotor back in its box.
"I'm bored," Carlos trotted over from the back of the garage where he'd been exploring, Gabe laughing at the grease stains on his green t-shirt and jeans, "I wanna do something fun."
Willy chimed in agreement, Xavier giving a nod when the two little boys looked at him for his opinion.
Setting aside the pieces he was holding, Gabe stood up as he wiped his hands down his work jeans, giving the three little musketeers a serious look, "You three want to help me put together that car's carburetor?"
Three little dark heads turned to the car Gabe was pointing at, their eyes –two dark pairs and one ice blue – widening as they took in the sporty red vehicle, "Yeah!"
Taking them to the work bench, he found three mismatched stools, sitting them down one at a time before finding small nuts and bolts, along with eight millimeter open ended wrenches, which easily fit their small hands, "Okay, I need you guys to twist these nuts into these bolts. Make sure they fit tight, okay? That's what the wrenches are for. Remember –lefty loosie, righty tighty."
"The new baby's Lucy," Carlos piped up (he was referring to Collin and Lynn's eight day old baby girl) a nut in his right hand, his left one wrapped tight around the wrench, "Jilly says she cries a lot."
"All babies do," Gabe picked up a wrench of his own, easily handling the blackened carburetor he was currently working on. Sam had offered him a weekend job working at the garage whenever he wasn't working on his own bike, which helped add to his spending money, which was good because he still had several parts to buy for his bike and he was fast running out of money. Turned out putting a bike together wasn't as cheap as he'd thought.
He looked over at the large window that looked into the office area, seeing Bailey still on the phone. She'd swung by to pay a visit, the little musketeers with her since she had offered to watch them, when she'd gotten a call from someone or other involved in the clothes business she and Lili were partners in.
It hadn't been a big deal to offer in watching the boys, knowing they wouldn't be able to sit still and quiet –Xavier, yeah, but definitely not Willy and Carlos –while Bailey talked business.
"I'm a have a baby," Carlos nodded as he looked over at Willy then at Xavier before tilting his head back to look at his cousin, "Daddy says it's a girl but mama says he says that all the time and I'm not a girl…Harry's not a girl."
Gabe chuckled as he looked away from the window, turning his attention back to the boys, "You two are definitely not girls."
He knew how much Uncle Seth really wanted a little girl, and this time around, they had gotten multiple ultrasounds done to find out but the baby hadn't cooperated in any of them, so they were due first month of the coming year without any clue as to whether it was a boy or a girl.
The door to Sam's office opened, Gabe looking up from helping Xavier with his bolt, "Everything okay?"
Bailey rolled her eyes as she walked across the garage floor, her sneakers squeaking against the smooth concrete floor, "It was the creative manager –she accepted an invitation to some big party in Los Angeles for us. It's at some club where lots of Hollywood celebrities go to so, obviously, Lili can't go which means I have to go."
Cocking an eyebrow, Gabe ruffled his little brother's hair as the five year old finally got the nut screwed onto the bolt, "Why?"
"It's a publicity thing," Bailey crossed her arms, leaning a hip against the edge of the workbench, her long legs crossed at the ankles, "She's got a one year contract with us as part of the investment agreement but once we get up and running, and profiting, we'll be able to buy out the investor and get rid of her."
"And you want to get rid of her because?"
"I don't like her," Bailey shrugged as she gave her cousin a smile, "She's a snooty bitch –you should have seen all the models she hired. They were stick skinny, anorexic bitches who kept making snide remarks about their weight management around Lili. My little sister ate nothing but salad and fat free ranch dressing the entire two weeks we were in New York. There's no way in hell I'm going to put up with that shit for long."
Gabe laughed, grabbing the rag hanging from the back pocket of his jeans to start cleaning dirty little hands, "Good thing Lili's got you looking out for her."
"She's my little sister," Bailey straightened, pulling at the hem of the purple razor back top she had paired with black Lycra leggings, knowing when it involved watching the little musketeers, she needed to be able to move fast, "And my business partner. Of course I'm looking out for her –she's too young to be listening to all that body shaming going on in modeling. You know, I heard one of those skeletons refer to me as a plus size model. How ridiculous is that?"
Gabe's smile grew into a grin as he looked her down then back up, "You're my cousin and all, but…if you're a plus size model…dang!"
Bailey laughed as she helped Willy down from the stool, Carlos and Xavier already hitching a ride down on Gabe's forearms, "Exactly what Brady says."
"TMI," Gabe alternated bicep curls, Xavier and Carlos squealing as they were lifted up off the floor then brought back until the toes of their sneakers touched the concrete, Willy letting out a belly laugh as Bailey easily swung him around and on her back for a piggy back ride, "So what are you up to for today?"
"Gonna take the musketeers to the mall park," Bailey headed towards the open garage door, easily side-stepping the parts laid out on a blue tarp, "Then do rounds with Brady and Doug tonight."
"I might join you three," Gabe followed behind Bailey, easily swinging the laughing little boys by their arms, "Better use of the night than trying to fall asleep."
"You're still having that nightmare," Bailey asked off-handedly, having learned from experience Gabe wasn't willing to share his feelings, and for some strange reason, her Alpha had the ability to keep his thoughts to himself at all times, something they all accredited to his werewolf genes as opposed to his shape-shifter genes.
Gabe didn't answer, instead setting the boys down on their feet, laughing as they rushed towards Bailey and wrapped themselves around her long legs as they stood on her sneakered feet, "Well, you boys have fun at the mall park –make sure you three scare off any guy who talks to Bales."
Bailey rolled her eyes, her mouth dropping open as Willy looked over at Gabe with a toothy grin, "Brady already told us to kick them and run."
"I'm going to kill that guy," Bailey growled under her breath as she headed down the road towards her parents' house, "I don't understand why he gets so jealous of other guys."
Gabe smirked as he wiped his hands with the rag he kept in his back pocket, well aware of the constant state of warfare Brady and Bailey's relationship was known for, "Yeah, 'cause you never turn into a jealous bitch."
She stuck her tongue out at him, not giving him the pleasure of getting her angry, instead shooting him one last comment, "Meant to tell you before –I like you better this way."
Gabe turned to look at her, having already been making his way back to the garage, "What way?"
"You know….without her."
He studied her face, able to see the sincerity in what she was saying, "What am I like –without her, that is."
"You're more…centered. Focused," Bailey tilted her head as her dark brown eyes studied her cousin and Alpha, "Calmer…even when you phase, you do it so easily, without having to get angry. Notice how you're the only one who doesn't go furry-mad since that first time it happened? And it's not like there's nothing around able to make you angry; it's just…like you're able to keep your logic even when everything else is going to hell in a handbasket."
Gabe grunted, looking down at his hands, scrubbing at a spot between his third and fourth knuckle, "Thanks, I suppose."
"You're a good Alpha, Gabe," Bailey gave her cousin a smile when he looked over at her; "Even Dad thinks so."
Nodding, he gave her a grateful smile, letting her know without words she needed to go.
He watched as she headed down the road with the three little musketeers clinging to her like monkeys. Once she was out of sight, he turned back to the garage, letting out a deep breath as her words played over and over through his head, along with those of his mother and father, both whom had expressed similar observations.
He himself wasn't sure what it all meant –the pain of her leaving him was still too raw for him to even see what they were seeing.
Seattle, WA
December 6th
"That was…interesting."
"I thought it was brilliant."
"Of course you would –you're an artist. You have an eye for that stuff."
"You don't have to be an artist to appreciate a unique exhibit like that one."
"Well, I found it to be a little too…pornographic for my taste."
Rose laughed, shifting in her seat, letting out a quiet sigh as the change of position alleviated the tightness in her lower back, "Your mind is the only thing that's pornographic –they were close-ups of flowers."
"Seriously," Seth looked over at her for a brief second, a grin flashing across his face before he turned his attention back to the road, absentmindedly noticing how the rain that had been a gentle mist when they left the gallery in Seattle was now falling down in heavy sheets, "And here I was wondering if Andy knew Minerva was the kinky sort before he married her."
Laughing as she shifted in the leather seat again, she turned to look at him, "I'm sure he's the one to blame."
Seth laughed as he lowered his speed a bit more, barely able to see the brake lights of the car ahead due to the torrential rain, "No doubt about that. There are many things you didn't do before me."
He waited for the retort he usually got but when all he got was silenced, he glanced over at her, noting the thin sheen of sweat along her upper lip and forehead along with the strained look on her pale face, "Hey, you're okay baby?"
She shook her head, taking in a deep breath through her nose before letting the air out in a rush, "Please pull over."
Seth looked at the rearview mirror then at her, "Rosie, it's raining cats and dogs. I can't even see –"
"Seth," Rose hissed between her teeth as she continued taking deep breaths, "Either you pull over or I throw up in here."
"Okay, hold on," Seth frantically looked at his mirrors, quickly jerking the Mustang into the right lane, moving forward several hundred feet before he carefully yet quickly pulled out of the highway's traffic flow and onto the shoulder, shifting the car into park, "Just take deep breaths, okay? With the car still, the nausea should go away."
He held her hand as she continued to take in air and holding it before letting it out in a measured rush, the low volume of the radio the only background sound to Rose's breathing.
"Better?"
Rose nodded, giving him a weak smile as she leaned back into the seat, "Yeah, I think it's gon–oh!"
"Oh," Seth studied her face, seeing the way her hazel eyes widened then dropped to her lap, "Oh what?"
"Uhm," Rose gave him a small apologetic smile as she rubbed her free hand across her round stomach, "I think my water just broke."
"What? No-no. No-no-no," Seth looked down at her lap, seeing the growing damp spot on her flowered skirt, "You still have three more weeks to go!"
"Apparently, your children like being early," the words came out strangled as she leaned forward, her fingernails digging into his palm as she panted through the contraction.
Seth grimaced at the pain of nails breaking skin, switching her hand to his other one as soon as it relaxed to slip the first one between the seat and her back in an attempt to rub the small of her back as best as he could, "Okay, deep breaths. I'll get us to a hospital, okay?"
Voice activating his GPS, he requested the nearest hospital from their location.
The nearest hospital is thirty miles southeast of your location.
Seth grimaced as Rose bend over, letting out a long drawn moan as the contraction gathered in her lower back then tightened before moving around to the front, "Okay, baby, breathe –breathe. I'll get us there, okay? We can make it."
Rose nodded, beads of sweat rolling down the side of her face as Seth let go of her hand, looking over his left shoulder to find an opening to ease into traffic. Relaxing back into the seat, Rose let out a long breath, already exhausted. A couple of minutes passed, Seth inching slowly forward but he couldn't see more than a few feet and the cars just kept coming, the headlights blurry in the falling rain.
"Dammit!"
"Oh –oh –oh," Rose groaned, undoing her seatbelt and leaning forward, white knuckled hands pushing against the dashboard. Seth coached her breathing as cars kept rushing by, the heavy rain seriously distorting his visibility, "You're doing good, baby. Keep breathing."
"I don't think we're going to make it to the hospital," Rose panted as she fell back into the seat, "That wasn't even two min –oh!"
Seth swore under his breath as he continued to try to inch in without success, finally throwing the Mustang into park before grabbing his phone, "I'll call an ambulance. Don't worry about anything just…just hold on, okay?"
The line rang twice before an operator answered just as Rose screamed, "I need to push!"
"No, no!" Seth reached out to grab her hand, the other holding tight to his phone, "Don't push, Rose! Whatever you do, don't push!"
"Sir, are you alright?"
"No, I'm not alright," Seth yelled into the phone as Rose hunched forward in pain, letting out a long drawn moan, "I'm stuck on the side of the highway, I can't get into fucking traffic to take my wife to the hospital because her water broke and she's got contractions and she's only thirty-seven weeks pregnant and it's raining like a mother –"
"Sir, I need you to take a deep breath, okay? I'm going to help you but I need you to calm down and focus, okay?"
Seth nodded as he sucked in air, his lungs burning when he held it a few seconds too long. Letting it out in a rush, he nodded again, "Okay. I'm calm –I'm calm."
"How far apart are the contractions?"
"Rose," Seth turned to his wife, "They want to know how far apart –"
Rose grabbed the phone from his hand and yelled into it as she bend over with another contraction, "They're on top of each other, they're lasting too long and I have to push!"
"Ma'am, an ambulance is on its way –"
"I'm not waiting for a damn ambulance," Rose panted as the wave of pain ebbed, her head barely touching the seat's headrest before she bend forward with another pang of mind-numbing pain, "Mujer imbecile! No voy a esperar a una ambulancia!"
Seth took the phone from Rose, "How far away is the ambulance?"
"About thirty minutes."
"Thirty minutes?! Are you fucking insane?!"
A short silence greeted his words before the operator spoke up, "I'm sorry, sir, but there's an accident several miles up the highway that is causing the delay."
"What," Seth yelled just as Rose let out another loud groan, "What the hell am I supposed to do?"
"Does your vehicle have a backseat?"
"Yeah."
"You need to move her into the backseat."
"What," Seth's voice cracked halfway through, "She already ruined my front seat and now you want me to –"
"Seth!"
"Okay, okay," Seth looked over his shoulder, opening the door and quickly stepping out, soaked right through in the minute it took to run around the front of his beloved Mustang to open Rose's door, "Come on, baby, let's get you into the backseat."
Rose grabbed his hands, awkwardly getting out, her feet sinking into a puddle but she didn't care as a contraction ripped across her back before gripping her lower abdomen. Breathing hard, she leaned into Seth's arms, her forehead resting on his chest as her hands gripped his broad shoulders, both of them completely drenched by that point. As soon as Seth felt Rose relax, he opened the back passenger door, helping her navigate the puddles before sitting her sideways.
It was difficult, and they had to stop several times for her to pant her way through contractions, but he eventually got her situated in the backseat, taking his leather jacket and rolling it up before wedging it under her head and shoulders, "You comfortable, baby?"
"No," Rose glared at him as she tried to find something, anything, to grab on to as another contraction rolled through her, "No voy a estar agusto hasta que nasca este niño!"
Seth nodded even though he did not understand a single word she'd said, looking around to find a nearby flat surface to set down as he set it on speaker, " –are you still there, sir?"
"Yeah, yeah, hold on," Seth give Rose an apologetic look as he set the phone on her rounded stomach, "I just need to set the phone down."
Rose let out a scream, Seth grimacing as he leaned forward to give her flailing hands something to grab on to, "Breathe, baby. Come on –he, he, ho. He, he, ho."
Rose couldn't reply to his idiotic verbal breathing, letting out a scream through gritted teeth as another contraction made its way around to the front of her abdomen, the operator's voice almost drowned out by her agony, "Sir, I'm going to need you to check how much she's dilated."
Seth winced in pain as Rose's nails dug into the backs of his hands hard enough to break skin, "Okay, baby, I'm going to have to let go of your hands so I can –"
Rose let out another scream, grabbing on to the headrest of the driver's seat, her left foot swinging upward and almost colliding with Seth's jaw before settling on his shoulder as he lifted up the sodden skirt of her dress, "Okay, so what exactly am I doing?"
"You'll be checking her cervix with your fingers –"
Rose let out a drawn-out moan as Seth looked up from between her knees, "Yeah, that's not gonna happen."
"Sir, I need to know how far her cervix is dilated before she starts to push. Just insert your fingers into the –"
"Yeah, I know where my fingers go, and I'm pretty sure I can find her cervix without you having to draw a map for me," Seth snapped at the operator, grimacing as Rose's right foot landed on his other shoulder hard enough to hurt, "What I'm trying to say is there's…something blocking the place where I would be…inserting my fingers."
"Sir, is the baby crowning?"
Seth cringed as he looked back down, "It's either that or a seriously scary horror film 'cause that looks nothing like the top of any baby's head I've ever seen before."
"The ambulance will arrive in five minutes."
"Five minutes," he gave his panting wife a hopeful look, unable to keep himself from asking, "Think you can…hold him in?"
"Oh my God," Rose glared at him as she tried to breathe through another contraction, the urge to push overwhelming her as Seth quickly apologized, "Sorry, sorry, stupid question, I know. Okay, so let's –oh dear God!"
"Sir?"
"Something's peeking," Seth shouted, unable to look away from what was happening, "What do I do?! What do I do?!"
"Sir, please take a deep breath. I need you to tell your wife to get ready to push with the next contraction."
"I can hear you, you stupid bitch!"
"Okay, Rose, honey," Seth gave his wife a pleading smile, too freaked out to laugh at her uncharacteristic cursing, "You need to be nice to the only person who can help me keep it together right now."
Letting out a scream, she grabbed on to the headrest, her other hand holding on to the seatbelt buckle by her hip, her feet pushing against his shoulders as he leaned forward to give her the needed tension as she bared down, her face sweaty and red, "You're doing good, baby, you're doing good –oh, this is seriously the grossest thing I've ever seen."
"Is this your first child?"
"No, this is our third but the first two were born in a hospital and I stayed at the head of the bed," he gave Rose's thigh a comforting squeeze as she fell back, her head hitting the door's arm rest hard enough to make him wince, "You're doing good, baby. Just keep pushing –oh, man, I don't think I'm ever going to be able to have sex with you again."
Rose's face reddened as she lunged forward, grabbing on to his wrist as she pushed with the contraction currently ripping through her, "That's fine by me!"
"Sir, I really recommend that you stop talking," there was obvious laughter in the operator's voice but Seth was too freaked out over what was happening at the moment to take any offense over the entertainment she was obviously deriving from his situation, "Just focus on coaching your wife through this, okay? The ambulance should be there in a couple of minutes."
"Yeah, I can hear –" Seth's eyes widened as Rose began pushing once more, the heels of her feet digging into his shoulders but he was no longer cognizant of anything but what he was seeing, "He's coming! Oh, god, he's coming!"
"You said it was a girl," Rose's words came through gritted teeth, letting go of the headrest to grab on to the back of her thigh, her right hand holding on tight to Seth's forearm as he gave her a lopsided grin, "Yeah, but when have I ever been right?"
"Never," Rose fell back, her head once again hitting the armrest, tears running down her face as she quietly sobbed, "I'm so tired…"
"I know, baby," Seth reached out for her hands, giving them a squeeze then bracing himself as he noticed the returning strain to her face, "One more push, Rosa Maria, and he'll be out."
Tightening her jaw, she pulled at his arms as she pushed her feet against his shoulders, holding her breath as she pushed for all she was worth, which at the moment, didn't feel like much.
Letting go of her hand, he reached down with trembling fingers, speaking towards the phone, "I can see his head –what do I do now?"
"Put your hand under the baby's head. Don't pull; just be prepared to support the head once it comes out completely."
"Oh god, the head's out," Seth laughed as Rose let go of his other hand, reaching down to touch the little head as well, her fingers glancing off a forehead and tiny nose, "He's so beautiful."
"I need you to gently turn his head to the side and reach into his mouth with your pinkie –make sure it's curled. You'll find mucus in his mouth –gently remove it without pushing it further in."
Seth nodded; it didn't cross his mind his response couldn't be seen, he was so focused on gently prying his baby's mouth open to do what the operator instructed.
"Why isn't he crying," Rose sucked in air as she felt another contraction gathering at the base of her spine, "Oh god."
"Shh, baby, it's okay," Seth slowly pulled out a glob of mucus, tossing it aside without even paying attention as to where it landed, letting out a relieved laugh as the baby sucked in air then let out a wailing scream, "See? He's okay –he's okay."
"The EMTs should be there –"
"We're here, Madge," a voice called out but Seth didn't look over his shoulder, keeping his focus where it was currently needed, "You're doing good."
"Do we need to switch places," Seth asked, eyes widening as more of his baby was revealed, the EMT giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he offered further instruction, "Nah, you're doing just fine. As the shoulders come out, you need to turn the baby gently to the side –use both hands."
"Which way do I turn him?"
"Pick a side," the EMT kept a watchful eye over Seth's shoulder, grinning as the baby's shoulders slipped free, "There you go –just like that. Good job, man. The rest should slip right out."
Seth's breath rushed out in an explosion of sound as the rest of the baby's warm body slipped right into his hands, his brown-green eyes widening before he started laughing, tears running down his cheeks as he looked up at his wife, "It's a girl…we have a daughter."
"What," Rose pushed herself onto her elbow, watching as Seth cradled the little body against his chest, tiny arms and legs tucked in and equally small head nestled in his big hand, "It's a girl?"
Seth nodded, his throat too thick with tears as he stared down at the sweet little angel he had in his arms, his thumb gently stroking her cheek and temple as the EMT instructed him to keep her warm, "Can you hand me my jacket?"
Rose gave him a strange look as she took the leather bomber jacket draped over the middle console between the two front seats, "Your leather jacket?"
"Yeah," he quirked a smile at her as he took the expensive jacket and wrapped it around his tiny little treasure, uncaring of all the white and bloody gunk still clinging to her skin, his smile widening as she let out another loud cry, "It's okay, baby girl, Daddy's here. I promise you, little angel, there will not be a little girl more loved or protected than you."
"Or spoiled," Rose wiped away at a tear as she watched her big, tough husband cooing at the tiny little baby he'd wrapped in his jacket, wondering if she was even going to get to see her baby, "She's probably crying because she's hungry."
Seth looked up at Rose, his face settled into a frown before he muttered under his breath as he maneuvered himself into the remaining space of the back of his Mustang to hand his precious bundle over, "See, that's not fair. I can't feed her –not the good stuff, anyway."
Rose grinned at his grumbling, her hazel eyes filling with tears as he settled their baby in her arms, gently opening the heavy jacket to explore the perfect little body of their wailing daughter, "She's so beautiful, Seth…so perfect."
Seth swallowed back tears, sniffling as he smoothed his fingers over the matted dark hair covering her tiny little head, "Just like you, baby."
Rose let out a soft laugh, her face creasing with sudden tension, Seth's eyes widening as he looked over at the EMT currently tying off their baby's umbilical cord, "What's wrong?"
The EMT looked up, giving them a reassuring smile, "It's just the afterbirth. It's still raining too hard for us to transfer her over to the ambulance without getting them both wet so my partner requested a police escort. If you're okay with me driving your car, you can ride back here with your family."
Seth gave the EMT a nodding consent, catching the look of surprise on his wife's face, "What? The car's already a mess, so what's the big deal if I let someone else drive it," he looked down at his daughter, a tender smile on his face as he watched her nurse at her mother's breast, "This is going to be your car, little princess."
"Seth."
"What?"
Rose slowly shook her head as she playfully scolded him, "She's not even an hour old and you're already giving her a car."
Leaning in, he kissed her cheek, resting his forehead against her temple as they both looked down at their newest blessing, "Considering she pretty much put her mark all over it, there's nothing else I can do…besides, when the boys find out exactly what happened, they're not going to want it."
They both laughed, neither paying attention to the closing doors, or the starting of the car, or the sound of the sirens as they were taken to the nearest hospital; no, they were both too enthralled with their precious little angel to pay attention to anything outside their little bubble.
Without a doubt, this little darling had entered the world with the biggest fanfare possible and now held her parents' hearts in her tiny little hands, not at all aware she would be holding so many more before the day was over.
