Hamish rubbed her back as she trembled through another rough contraction, as much as he'd asked her to just go ahead and get the epidural but Vera was just soldiering on. He held her hand letting her attempt to crush it as hard as she wanted because she really couldn't hurt him. It was hard watching her be in so much pain, tears rolling down her face when she closed her eyes tight and tried breathing through it. Once this one had ended Vera laid back down on the bed looking more and more exhausted each time. "You are doing so great."

"This isn't my first time Hamish so, yeah." Vera sounded a bit pissy, no not a bit, she sounded very pissy. Again pain brought out the worst in people and Vera had now had a good sum of nurses and doctors coming in and out of the room pestering her and causing her great annoyance. When another nurse came in Vera took in a deep breath, "Is it time to get this kid out of me yet?" The idea of having her body back to herself was so appealing right now. She hadn't been expecting to be so alright with not carrying this baby anymore since it was the easiest way to keep her safe. However right now Vera's uterus wasn't even going to post an eviction notice, it was more just a 'get the hell out now'.

"Not quite yet."

"Fuck." Vera huffed.

"Are you okay?" Hamish kept rubbing her back trying to make it at least a little easier on her.

"No, I'm really considering never having sex with you again."

"Alright, I would believe that if you weren't always the one wanting it." Not that Hamish ever complained, Vera was a frisky little bastard and he loved her to bits for it but yeah, yeah their bad planning and maybe not paying too much attention when they were ripping each other's clothes off had landed them in this whole situation.

"This really sucks but I don't regret it."

"Me either." Vera grabbed his hand again going through another contraction. He was starting to rate them himself by how hard she was holding his hand and this one was certainly in a lot of pain right now. "Vera." She was grinding her teeth a bit now before trying to take in a breath. "Okay keep breathing." It felt like they were lasting so much longer now too.

The nurse went to check on Vera finally saying something Vera had been waiting for, "I'll go get the doctor."

"Oh, thank god." Hamish rubbed her arm feeling like he was having trouble sitting still now. He wanted to pace around the room but he didn't want to leave Vera's side either. Instead it just made Hamish shake a little, almost as much as Vera was. "Calm down, you're making me anxious."

"Sorry." He kissed her on the cheek. "You are so wonderful Vera." Even tired and in pain and sweaty Vera looked so stunning.

"So I hear you are all ready to have a baby in here." The doctor came in making Hamish feel a bit nervous again.

"Oh god yes, this kid has really overstayed her welcome today."

"Vera, don't sound so bitter about the baby, she needs to come into the world in a nice calm environment so it's all a smooth transition."

"I'm not bitter about the baby, I'm bitter at the baby." She started having another contraction making her grab his hand and hold it tight again as she leaned forward a little. Hamish couldn't help but feel a little weirded out at the doctor having to be down there staring at Vera's lady bits, he tried not to glare at him too much though because if he was honest he didn't want to be down there right now. It was one thing to wake up covered in blood after running around as Tundra but it was another to see it coming out of a still living person.

Things went quickly from that point on, not only with Vera virtually getting no break at all but it hadn't been much longer before she had to start pushing. Hamish wrapped an arm around her holding her tight as she grit her teeth and gave it her all. Before this day Hamish didn't know really a whole lot about crowning outside of being a ceremony of naming a member of a monarchy king or queen but apparently when it came to babies that was the point that Vera grabs your tie and nearly strangles you to death with it while also holding in a scream. That had been the worst of it though and afterwards it hadn't even taken a minute longer before Hamish could hear loud cries.

He looked over to the end of the bed as the doctor held up a very pale shaking and super wet baby. Despite her being covered in all kinds of grossness they still set the screaming shivering baby down on Vera's chest giving Hamish a moment to stand there just looking at her and feeling like he wasn't even living his life right now. None of it felt real even though it was. They got to work drying off his daughter while Hamish just looked at them both. Then it finally all came in at one, soaking down into his new reality and hitting him in the heart like a ton of bricks. That screaming cold little thing was his, that was his daughter, he helped make her and he was so proud.

It was good to see he wasn't alone in crying, even Vera had tears in her eyes. "It's okay Theo." They gave her some time to hold her and bond with their daughter, the doctor clamping her cord and asking Hamish if he wanted to cut it. "I'm good." No way could he get anything sharp next to that baby, she was so tiny and precious, he wanted someone with much more skill cutting it and in fact even just watching him made Hamish feel like he was about the faint. Hamish followed them as they took her over to a little table and started to run the standard newborn tests on her. Theo kept screaming and crying, clearly not happy about the strangers and everything they were doing to her. She must have been so uncomfortable and frightened. Come out into this big bright world only to be taken away from your mom and be poked at.

His overly protective daddy instincts had kicked in quickly, never for a second leaving Theo's side in case something happened. The best moment was when they had her all swaddled up and brought her back to Vera though. For having been a screaming and crying bundle of disappointed in everything she calmed right down in her mother's arms hearing her voice again. "Hi Theo, hi, I've been waiting for so long to meet you." Their baby settled down looking up at Vera with the biggest grey eyes imaginable.

"Vera, she's got your eyes, I was hoping she would get your big beautiful eyes." If there was anything he'd wanted his daughter to get from her mother it was that and her mother's unwavering strength. Vera was a mother now, well she had been a mother before, she was technically a mother even before Theo was born but she was someone's mom now. It was precious seeing Theo study Vera's face looking a little like she knew Vera and yet she didn't.

Theo's little content sigh melted both of their hearts but it especially made Vera get all emotional as she really started to cry. She'd needed this so badly, a second chance, the ability to really have something to love, something to fight for other than the Order. Something that means more to her than magic and being Grand Magus. He knew he could never bring her daughter back to her, he knew that pain would always be in her heart and would always haunt her but he was happy he could give her this daughter. For every painful memory in her past she could have a happy one watching Theo grow up.

The baby huffed a few times acting like she was still trying to figure out how lungs worked. Closing her eyes she made a little coo sound that continued to melt Hamish's heart. She could have done anything right now and he would have just fallen apart over it. "She likes you so much." He smiled and sat down on the bed beside Vera wrapping an arm around her. Hamish carefully touched her feeling like Theo was made of glass. He ran his fingers over her cheek looking at her mouth move a little. "Did she just smile?"

"Babies this young can't smile." Vera could say that all she wanted but He thought Theo had smiled. Why wouldn't she have, she was an absolute angel. Eventually they were left alone to have time together as a new family and for Vera to nurse Theo even if she was more keen on taking a nap. For a kid who was hyperactive in the womb she sure could pass out easily. Vera had to keep waking her up just so she would get enough to eat. Afterwards Vera had fallen asleep needing a much needed rest. After all this he didn't blame her for saying she needed two good weeks of just recovering.

Holding Theo as he sat in his chair next to Vera's bed he glanced over to her thankful she could finally get some sleep after a certain tiny someone kept her up most nights putting on a dance recital. Even with Theo sleeping in his arms Hamish didn't want to put her down. He knew he should but he couldn't. "Just wait until you see your house, it's big with a big backyard and a big tree. When you get bigger we are going to put a treehouse in that tree, just you and me." He paused. "Mommy can help too if she wants."

He looked up at Vera with a smile on his face, "She's the most remarkable person you'll ever meet Theo. She's a tough boss lady so you always listen to her and do what she says. She'll pretend to be hard on you and sometimes she might even frighten you but she's got the biggest heart and she'll constantly worry about you. If you ever get into trouble she will be the greatest unstoppable force to get you back out of it. She's smart and she's funny when she wants to be. You are so lucky you have her and never forget that." He kissed the baby on the forehead as she cooed again. "Oh, I promised the knights I was going to live chat them so they could see you."

Hamish carefully held the baby in one arm as he turned his phone on and sent a group chat to let everyone know Theo was born. He went live waiting for the knights to log on. Everyone was at the den apparently so they gathered around Randal's phone. Once he saw the group standing and sitting around the couch Hamish smiled. "Hey guys, I'd like to introduce you to our newest knight. This is Theodora Margot Duke. She's a very intimidating 5 pounds 5 ounces. Say hi to the knights Theo." Hamish looked at his daughter as she huffed again in her sleep. "She says hi."

Gabrielle was the first to chime in, "Oh my god she's so cute. So when can we come visit?"

"Vera wants two weeks to just recover so after that then you guys can all come over but probably not all at once. Vera did so great, she's exhausted so she's taking a nap otherwise she'd probably chat with you guys too."

"Congratulations Hamish." Jack spoke up. "She's very cute."

"I think she looks a lot like me but she's got Vera's lips, and her nose, and her eyes." Hamish looked back down at Theo as she squirmed in his arm a little. "Well I should go, I need to call my mother and sisters because they want to see the baby too. I haven't even told them that Vera and I were at the hospital yet so it's going to be a bit of a surprise." Hamish raised his arm slightly so Theo was sitting up a bit more. "Say goodbye to the other wolves Theo." He smirked watching her suck on her tongue like she was dreaming, probably about eating if anything. "Bye." He turned off the chat and shifted her to his other arm. For as tiny as she was she actually could feel pretty heavy. "At five pounds child you are more like a chihuahua than a werewolf." And as much as Hamish wished she would stay this little and sweet forever he knew eventually she was going to grow up. He just hoped she took her sweet time getting there.