Author's Note: Over the last few weeks, I have binged and finished watching Jane the Virgin. And for whatever reason, I am drawn to write about Jane and Michael. I think the show really did them dirty and I think they deserved better. So this is the result. I'm taking some creative liberties here - things in Chapter Fifty-Four have been amended for my purposes but other things about future episodes will remain the same with a Villadero/Cordueva lens. Not entirely sure how many chapters this will be but definitely a few.
Feedback is appreciated! I've been out of the fanfiction game for several years now (completely lost the mojo for Chicago Fire stuff that I was working on) so I sincerely thank you for taking the time to read this.
Chapter One
A false negative home pregnancy test and what the doctor had felt was a missed period due to increased stress levels at home were the center of a cosmic joke, and Jane was the punchline.
It seems fitting for the girl who was accidentally inseminated at 23 and tragically lost her husband to an aortic dissection at 25.
Her bottom lip trembled as thoughts of Michael invaded her brain.
"We had something. That kiss was magic."
"It doesn't matter where we live, 'cause wherever you are is home to me."
"We first kissed in the snow. This way, it's snowing on us forever.."
"This is not some other guy's kid. This is Mateo. And I love him, and I love Jane."
"Hon, it's going to be okay," Xiomara said softly and gently ran a hand over her daughter's hair. The physical touch soothed her for just a moment.
The mother and daughter had just been moved up to a medical bed so that the clinical team could observe Jane overnight. Xo had taken Jane to the ER at St. Luke's Hospital, despite feeble protests, when she was too nauseous to keep anything down and borderline dehydrated.
It had been a month since Michael had died, and Jane believed the lethargy and nausea were all a result of being a widow in her mid-twenties.
She had never given a thought that she could be pregnant. But as any competent physician should, they ran a pregnancy test before treating Jane.
And much like two years earlier, the strip turned pink as well as a second time when she demanded a retest.
Jane Villanueva Cordero was a pregnant widow, just over six weeks along. Like she denoted earlier: cosmic joke.
The physician had ordered a dose of Diclegis, and a nurse named Ruby had started an IV to begin hydrating her.
"Michael was so excited about the idea of a baby even though it had thrown our timeline out the window," Jane told Xo. "He seemed so disappointed when the test came back negative. Expanding our little family with him was all I ever wanted."
When he had been in the hospital after the shooting on their wedding night, she had seen their whole future. Jane had had crystal clear visions of their three children, vacations in the mountains, and holidays with all of their family by their sides. She could have never anticipated not getting to experience any of it.
"So you've made up your mind then? You're going to keep the baby?"
The moment that the doctor had told her that she was pregnant, she had known her decision.
Though tears clouded her vision, Jane nodded vehemently, and Xo kissed the back of her daughter's hand, a sign of solidarity and support for the challenges to come.
In her heart, she could feel that this baby was a gift so that she would always have a physical piece of Michael with her. And she would not let that gift slip away.
In the blink of an eye, seven months flew by, and Jane found herself back at St. Luke's but this time on the maternity ward.
She had taken the last several months to settle into the house that Rogelio was helping with on the rent. With a soon-to-be newborn and toddler, she needed the space for them to grow. In addition, the house was not even five minutes away from her abuela's, so she knew that if she needed anything, help was nearby.
She had been in the active labor stage for 16 hours, slowly inching towards being fully dilated and ready to push this baby was just as stubborn as she was.
Much like with Mateo, she pushed for over an hour and felt utterly exhausted because things were progressing so slowly.
"I can't anymore. I'm so tired," Jane lamented. "I can't do this without Michael." Her entire body trembled with a myriad of emotions. Trepidation at being a single mother to two kids under three. Anger that God had decided to take Michael from them. Sadness that Michael was not there to experience this. And extreme love that she already had for her new child.
"Janie, he's here. He's watching over you both," Xo said, "Now Petra would you like to do the honors?"
Petra Solano had become an unlikely but welcome friend. When Xiomara wasn't available to attend something with Jane, Petra was right there to go to a doctor's appointment or birthing class. And when it had come time to decide who would be in the delivery room to help her through the entire process, Petra was a clear choice. Her Abuela understood the decision and told Jane that she would be praying for her and the baby from the waiting room.
"Come on, Jane, five more minutes of pain for a lifetime of happiness. Now push, or your mother will yank that kid out herself."
Jane laughed at how Petra had changed the words that her mother had said to her during Mateo's birth.
"They're right, Jane. I can see the head," her doctor instructed. "Three more good pushes!"
Jane nodded, took a deep breath, and grabbed her mother's hand. She pushed hard and then fell back again.
Her doctor was right; three more pushes and Dr. Collins announced that the baby was here.
"Congratulations, you have a daughter," the doctor told her.
Jane watched with happy tears streaming down her face as they lifted the baby so that everyone could see her. Now all Jane needed to hear was her daughter's cry.
Seconds later, the baby wailed loudly, and Jane's heart swelled as that was the most beautiful sound that could have filled the room.
The nurses began to clean the baby off and offered the forceps for her mom to clip the umbilical cord and the proud grandmother did so perfectly.
Laying the baby in Jane's arms, the nurse stepped back and away. She stared down at her daughter, who looked around before blinking twice and then closed her eyes.
"She's gorgeous," Petra whispered her voice heavy with emotion.
"She looks just like you," Xo observed happily, her finger stroking across the baby's cheek.
"I see Michael," Jane said softly. She couldn't tear her eyes from the bundle already asleep on her breast.
Looking away from the baby, Jane lifted her eyes to look up at the ceiling.
"Thank you for her," she murmured. She's not sure if Michael would hear the message, but she hoped he could.
Meanwhile, a ranch hand was mucking stalls alongside one of the good friends that he had made since finding a job there.
As Jason picked up another pile of manure with his pitchfork, he was suddenly overcome by a blinding pain in his chest. The pain was so intense that he dropped the tool in his hand and doubled over as the feeling seemed to radiate. He groaned in pain and did his best to breathe through it.
"Hey champ, you okay?" Keith asked, surveying his friend in some discomfort and determining if he needed to call for help.
Jason blew out a harsh breath and stood up, sucking in more air as he stood. Then, wiping his brow, he consented that he was fine and didn't need medical attention.
"I'll be fine. Felt like a stubborn old mule kicked me in the chest."
His friend nodded and returned to his stall to continue the cleanup process.
But Jason didn't know what he didn't know.
At the exact moment that he had experienced that pain in his chest, his daughter had entered the world. And her mother could only wish that her husband had been there.
After feeding her daughter for the first time, Jane held the content infant in her arms, admiring the beautiful life she had just brought into the world.
At 7 lbs, 3 oz, and 20 inches long, she was only slightly bigger than her brother at birth.
But she could already see that the baby had a perfect mixture of Jane and Michael. Although her daughter's skin was lighter than her son's, as was the hair on her head, she had the trademark dark brown Villanueva eyes. Jane could already tell that she would be a natural beauty.
In the most challenging moments of her daughter's birth, Jane couldn't help but verbalize how much she had wanted a Michael to be there and to help her through it. She knew that if he had been, it would have been a day that they would have cherished forever, reminding each other about the little details each year as her birthday rolled around.
Michael would have been over-prepared, having multiple routes to the hospital planned, maybe even calling Dennis for a police escort. He would have read the books that she gave him and attended the birthing classes.
The door to her hospital room cracked open, and her father poked his head inside.
"Matelio wants to see his Mommy, and I wasn't sure if you were ready for visitors just yet."
Rogelio de la Vega had only been in her life for three years, but it was three years she wouldn't ever give back. He was the best father and abuelo, even though he preferred papa to make himself sound a bit younger.
"I'm always ready for Mr. Sweetface!" she said brightly. Rogelio carried Mateo into the recovery room, and Jane could see how curious her two-and-a-half-year-old son was about the going's on of today.
Jane directed her father to sit Mateo next to her against the large stack of pillows that the hospital provided and be ready to assist her son in holding his sister.
"Mateo," Jane said softly and began to maneuver the small bundle into his tiny outstretched arms. "This is your baby sister. You're a big brother now, little man, so you're going to have to protect her, love her, and teach her everything."
Mateo regarded the little girl that he assisted in holding before looking up at his mother. "Pretty baby," he decided to exclaim, and Jane felt her heart swell.
Despite all the heartache that came with welcoming her daughter without her husband by her side, she knew that Mateo would be a massive help as they both continued to grow. Plus, she would have assistance from the rest of her friends and family.
The door to the room opened again, and the rest of her support system looked to see if they could not only visit but learn the new addition's name. Petra scooped up the baby and rocked her gently so that Rogelio could get Mateo back onto his hip and Jane could focus on speaking to the group.
"I had to think long and hard about what name I would give her because I know I'm not only picking for me but Michael as well," Jane said. She caught Patricia's eye at that moment and wiped the tear that managed to escape the corner of her eye. "So I had to put on my Michael hat and examine every name critically. But I am pleased to introduce Luciana Gloriana Xiomara Cordero."
She heard her mom gasp at learning that the new baby had her name included. It was fitting - Jane wouldn't have been able to get through this pregnancy without her mom by her side.
"Another long one, Janie," Xo said with a wide smile.
"I know … but she'll be Lucy for short, and besides, Luciana means light. And she certainly has been a light for me considering everything." Jane looked at Patricia and Michael Sr. "Do you both want to hold her?"
Patricia quickly nodded and sanitized from the automatic pump on the wall. Petra slid the baby into the arms of Michael's mother, and Jane just watched as Lucy bonded with her other grandmother.
"I know you guys are not in the immediate area, but I want Lucy to know you both, so please promise me that you will come and visit often."
"You want us to visit?" Patricia asked, clearly surprised.
Their relationship had always been strained, but Jane wanted to put that in the past. Michael's death had put so much into perspective. Time was fleeting.
"Of course. Lucy is your granddaughter, and I know that you will also make sure that she knows who Michael was."
She could see that Patricia's eyes misted with tears but was hopeful it was more about ensuring their place in Luciana's life.
Judy, one of Jane's nurses, came in and announced that visiting hours were going to be ending. Patricia passed the baby back to her daughter-in-law and promised that she would see Jane and Lucy again soon.
As much as Jane was sad to see everyone leave for the night, she was also very ready to get some rest. Everyone said their goodbyes, but Dennis hung back so that he could speak with her.
"Just wanted to let you know that you've got a plainclothes officer on security duty. Everyone at the department felt strongly about ensuring that you and the little one remain safe, especially since our guy can't be here to protect you."
Jane mouthed thank you, not entirely sure that she could get the words out without bursting into tears. Michael's former coworkers not only took into account his absence but the history that existed for Jane as well. The support from everyone was incredible. He squeezed her hand before he left.
Judy returned and confirming the ID numbers on both Jane's hospital ID bracelet the band on Lucy's ankle took the baby to the nursery so that Jane could get some rest.
She would need it as she had two young children who needed not only her love but her strength as well.
