Just as she started to drift into sleep, Regina felt yet another sharp pain in her abdomen and lower back. All-day she had dismissed them as Braxton kicks, but they were coming in minute intervals now.
"Momma ?" Rebecca's sleep-addled voice interrupted her from oncoming panic.
"Yes, dear?" Regina sighed, as she decided if now was a good time to call her fiancé.
"Your tummy is tight. " The toddler tilted her head in confusion as she pressed her hands to her mother's stomach.
"The baby is getting ready to meet its family." Regina's smile faltered as another contraction attacked her lower body. She had no idea why they were coming so quickly. Henry's birth took over ten hours.
Time to call Emmett. The first call didn't go through and when the second and the third went to voicemail, the panic set in. She had done this before, but in a hospital and certainly not with a just turned four year old for moral support. So she called David.
"Hey, Regina what's up ?" David answered, cheerfully swinging his legs onto the desk in front of him.
"David, I've gone into labour."
The chair fell over in David's haste as he stood up, grabbed his keys and ran out of the Sheriff's Station.
"Hey Regina, stay online with me alright? Did you call Emmett ?"
"It went to voicemail." Regina sniffed, this child was not waiting for anyone." David! David my water broke. I can't-can't do this alone David, not again. And Rebecca is with me ."
"Regina, you have to calm down. Emmett probably forgot his phone somewhere. I'll be there with him in ten minutes. Hang tight."
David jumped into the cruiser and sped to Granny's where his son and grandson were getting dinner.
"Emmett! Regina's gone into labour!"
"Whoa! What?!" Emmett sputtered, his hot chocolate spilling onto his jeans. "She's not due for another two weeks."
"Yeah well tell that to the kid. You came early too, let's just go. She'll kill you and me if you miss anything."
With that Emmett grabbed their food and an excited Henry away from his crush and hurried to Mifflin Street.
"I'm sorry Momma ."
"Oh baby, you haven't done anything wrong. It just hurts. Your brother or sister wants to meet you very badly." Regina wiped away a tear and rolled onto her side to get up. "Okay Becca, let's go for a walk."
"Can we pick apples, Momma ?" Rebecca asked, holding out a hand for her mother to take.
"Sure darling."
Mother, daughter and unborn child picked as many ripe apples as they could reach and when a particularly painful contraction ripped through the brunette, she would sit in a squat and breathe through it with the help of Rebecca's counting. Rebecca had counted up to 100 three times before the pain relented and by then Emmett was rushing to her side.
"I'm so sorry Gina."
"You're here now. That's all that matters. " Regina sighed tiredly.
Regina stood pushing into the wall, trying to get some form of counter pressure ."Urgh, I can't do this anymore !"
"Regina I don't think you have a choice in the matter ." Emmett misunderstood.
"No you idiot, I can't keep standing like this. My back feels like it's on fire."
Emmett checked his watch, Regina had been in labour for at least 12 hours. "Are you sure you don't want the epidural babe ?" He'd been trying to convince the woman for the past half hour to no avail.
"No, I don't want it. I was built for this -"
"Emmett I - I can't. M'tired. " The woman slurred and blinked up at him through bleary eyes.
"Come, baby. I know you can do it. You're the strongest person I know. Come on Gina push." Emmett encouraged, pressing a kiss to her damp temple.
"All Right Regina, this is the last one. I need you to push." Dr Whale looked up at Regina from his position between her legs. Emmett tried not to cringe at the scene, he really disliked the man. "Just the shoulders and the kids out Regina."
Sweat beaded against Regina's forehead as she grit her teeth one last time and pushed with all her strength. After feeling the miniature body leave her own the tired woman collapsed against the pillows, exhausted.
"It's a girl! " Whale informed as he placed the tiny body on Regina's chest.
Emmett's hands shook with excitement and nerves as he cut the umbilical cord where the doctor directed.
After both mother and infant were cleaned up, Emmett nervously hovered near Regina's hospital bed.
"Darling ?" Regina watched the pacing man curiously.
"Hmm. Yeah?" Emmett's head snapped up from his fidgeting hands.
"Come here." Regina motioned to the space next to her. "You aren't going to hurt her." She smiled as she handed the newborn to him.
"She's so tiny. She can't do anything for herself." Emmett looked down at the baby and smiled.
"That is why we will protect her along with Henry and Rebecca. I trust you with not only my life but also our children's lives. You could never hurt them." Regina tucked a slender hand underneath a bearded chin. "I don't think I've ever seen you cry before."
Emmett laughed loudly, startling the sleeping child in his arms.
"Oh! Hey, I'm sorry kid I didn't mean to scare you. " He tried, unsuccessfully to soothe the bawling infant," Why won't she stop? Did I break her ?" Wide panic-struck eyes darted to Regina.
"She's just hungry love. " The woman chuckled, taking the child, " Right Bubby, you love your Papa." She cooed as she slipped the hospital gown down.
"What's it feel like ?" Emmett asked as he watched the tired mother stroke their daughter's dirty blonde hair.
Regina spared Emmett a glance, not wanting to take her eyes off the little being in her arms, " It's wonderful, one of the most wonderful feelings in the world. When Henry first latched on I felt as if my world was completed. I was so happy - now, I'm even happier."
Emmett quirked an eyebrow playfully, "So Bubby?"
The brunette flushed," I- its something I used to call Henry. I haven't called him that in years. Do you think he'll mind?"
Emmett shook his head, "Nah, she's gonna have him wrapped around her little finger. Just like Becca. He will mind that doesn't have a name though."
Regina looked at him sheepishly, "I may have already picked on. But if you don't like it we can change it."
"It's okay, I have a name too. We can use it as a middle name. What is it?"
"Luna. I- I would watch you at night when you would leave our bed to look out the window."
Emmett's cheeks tinted in embarrassment," Gina, I-"
The woman shifted the nursing child," Let me finish, One night, I saw you looking at the moon and it seemed as if you were talking to yourself. You are a wonderful father my love and it doesn't matter that you weren't there to hold Henry, and missed the things you did. That's on me. I would never hold that against you. I am not the best mother in the world, some may argue that I'm not the best of people, but together we are all our children need. You are all they need and you could never fail us or me." Regina took a sip of water from the cup on the bedside table," So yes that's how I came up with her name."
Emmett chuckled, teary eyes shining bright with love for the woman in front of him," Damn you woman," he growled jokingly as he wiped any evidence of tears from his face.
"You're gonna ruin my badass reputation."