CHAPTER 138

"What?" Nicole asked.

"Bella… she's in labor!"

Nicole's jaw dropped.

"What… she's… she's in labor?" Nicole asked. Finn nodded and started frantically grabbing his stuff.

"I need to go!" Finn exclaimed. Nicole ran after him and grabbed his car keys out of his hands.

"Finn, you've had 5 glasses of champagne. You're not getting behind the wheel!" Nicole exclaimed.

"Nicole, I've gotta go! My girlfriend is having my baby!" Finn shouted. Nicole nodded.

"I know. That's why I'm driving you!" Nicole replied. Finn smiled and handed her the keys. They burst out of the ballroom and ran through the hotel lobby - ignoring the fans that were gawking and pointing at them. When they ran out into the street, Finn's heart dropped when he realised something…

Today was the day of presidential rallies on the streets of downtown Manhattan, so the majority of the roads had been closed. There was no way to get to Queens! Politically charged people were all on the streets, chanting their messages to support their respective party. Finn swore and kicked a trash can next to him.

"FUCK! I'm going to miss the birth of my child!" He yelled. Nicole felt so bad. There was literally nothing she could do to help him. Unless…

"I have an idea! Follow me!" She exclaimed. Finn ran alongside her until they reached a policeman, who was riding a police horse.

"Excuse me, officer. Can I have your horse?" Nicole asked. The officer raised an eyebrow.

"Are you kidding me, ma'am?" The officer laughed, assuming they were joking around.

"I assure you I'm not. Please can we have your horse? My friend's girlfriend is going into labor in Queens and unless he rides a police horse to Queens, there's no way he's going to make it in time for the birth of his child!" Nicole pleaded. The officer chuckled.

"Do you know how many times I've heard that excuse today alone?" He asked.

"0?" Nicole guessed.

"6." The officer replied. "So sorry, but no dice."

Finn started to turn away, defeated, but Nicole wasn't giving up yet. She grabbed the officer by the scruff of his collar and yanked him close to her.

"Listen to me, punk." She growled. "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? That man is Finn Hudson and I'm Nicole Scherzinger. We are some of the most powerful celebrities in the city so you do NOT want us as your enemies. I swear to god, officer…" She spat the last word out sarcastically. "If you do not let us borrow that damn mule, I will shove that police baton so far up your ass that you're feeling splinters in your stool a fucking month from now!"

The policeman trembled slightly and got off his horse.

"Here. Take her! She's yours!"

The officer then ran away.

"That was easy." Nicole remarked. Finn shook his head.

"Look, Nicole, I really appreciate this, but I have no idea how to ride a horse, nor do I know how to get to Queens from here. It's over. I might as well just give up. I'm going to miss the birth of my daughter."

"No, you're not!" Nicole exclaimed, throwing herself onto the horse and holding a hand out to help Finn up. "Because I'm going to help you. I'm going to drive this mutt all the way to the hospital or my name isn't Nicole Scherzinger."

Finn didn't have to be told twice. He clambered onto the horse behind Nicole and he prayed to God that he arrived in one piece. If anything happened, at least his destination was a hospital!

"Good, now let's go! Spank it!"

Finn raised an eyebrow.

"Um… Nicole, I'm flattered, but I have a girlfriend…"

"Not me, you dumbass! The horse!" She laughed. "Slap the horse's ass and hold on tight."

"Um… okay?" Finn said, confused. He slapped the horse's butt and immediately, the horse bucked and took off.

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Meanwhile, Bella and Quinn had just made it to the hospital. Bella was put in a wheelchair and was wheeled inside by one of the nurses. Quinn ran alongside them.

"Q, did you manage to reach Finn?" Bella asked, crying out in pain. She was quickly wheeled into the private ward where she would be spending the next little while.

"No, I'm sorry. He's not picking up! I'm sorry!" Quinn replied, calling Finn for possibly the hundredth time.

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"My phone's ringing!" Finn exclaimed as he clung onto Nicole's waist to avoid being thrown off the galloping horse. He tried to grab it out of his pocket but at that moment, the horse decided to rear in the middle of the street. Nicole was thrown backwards and Finn had to drop his phone to help prevent her from falling off the horse. The phone slipped out of his hand and he vaguely saw it fall into a manhole. "Damn it!" Finn exclaimed, angrily.

"Sorry, Finn!" She cried, apologetically. Finn shrugged.

"It wasn't your fault. Can this stupid fat-ass animal go any faster?" Finn asked, digging his heels into its sides in frustration. It took off like a jet on a runway.

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"Ms. Sutton. You're at 10 centimeters. It's time to move you into the delivery room. Are you ready to have your baby?"

"No… my… my boyfriend! He's not here yet!" Bella exclaimed, and then turned to Finn. "Did you ever…"

Quinn shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I couldn't reach him."

Bella couldn't believe it. She knew how excited Finn was to see the birth of their daughter, but it's not like she could hold the baby in any longer.

"OK, let's do this." She said reluctantly.

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After what seemed like an eternity, Finn, Nicole and their dumbass horse charged into Queens and towards the hospital. They made it to the hospital fifteen minutes later, and Nicole forced the horse to a halt in front of the hospital entrance.

"Finn, GO! I'll find somewhere to put the horse!" Nicole exclaimed. Finn nodded and jumped off the horse. Once he was off, he almost fell over. He could barely move his legs. He felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to his groin area and then forced him onto a mechanical bull for an hour. He somehow managed to stumble into the hospital. He looked like actual crap: he had lost his tie at some point as Nicole had used it as a makeshift muzzle for the horse; his shirt was untucked and dirty; and his pants were all tattered. He sprinted to the reception desk of the hospital.

"Where's Bella?" Finn demanded.

"Pardon me?" The receptionist asked, confused.

"Bella Sutton. My girlfriend. Where is she?" He asked again. The nurse smiled reassuringly.

"She's on floor 6 in the delivery room."

Finn heard the words delivery room, and he barrelled towards the elevators and stairs. All of the elevators were too slow so Finn opted to take the stairs. He flew up twelve flights and eventually made it to the 6th floor. He saw Quinn immediately and he ran over and almost collapsed. Quinn's eyes widened.

"Wow! What happened to you?" She asked.

"Long story. Involves a horse. Where's Bella?" Finn asked. Quinn pointed to a room down the hall and Finn ran over to it.

"WHERE'S FINN?" He heard Bella scream from inside the room. He barged in, panting heavily.

"I'm here! I'm here!" He said, limping over to you.

"Baby! Are you okay? You look like you've been back to Afghanistan!" Bella exclaimed. Finn chuckled.

"Long story. I'll tell you, later. But I'm here now and… OH MY GOD is that the head?!" Finn exclaimed. The doctor nodded.

"Yup, the baby's crowning. Bella, when I tell you, you've gotta push. Ready… set… PUSH!"

Gripping Finn's hand like a vice, Bella pushed several times with all her might and 5 minutes later, they held their child for the first time. There was one surprise though. Their 'daughter' was actually a son! The doctors had read the ultrasound wrong apparently. Not that Finn or Bella were going to complain. They were just so overwhelmed and happy. A few lone tears leaked out of Finn's eyes as he held his son for the first time.

"You are the love of my life." He whispered to him. "Everything I have and everything I am is yours forever."

Bella also started crying with joy and happiness as she held her son and the baby fed from her for the first time.

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An hour later, Finn and Nicole were standing at the corner of the hospital room, watching their angel sleep peacefully in the crib.

"He's so handsome." Bella whispered. Finn nodded.

"Yeah, he is. He's clearly got your family's genes." Finn replied. Bella kissed him gently.

"Thank you, Finn." She said. Finn raised an eyebrow.

"What are you thanking me for? I should be the one thanking you. You went through the toughest 9 months of your life for this baby."

"They weren't." Bella said.

"Huh?" Finn asked.

"They weren't the toughest nine months of my life." Bella replied. "The toughest nine months were nine of the months I did get to spend with you. No matter how much my feet, ankles or stomach swelled up, and no matter how many mood swings I got, it would all be okay because I knew I always had you."

Finn kissed her gently.

"I love you so much, Bella Sutton." He whispered.

"I love you more." She replied.

"Not possible." He commented.

"So, what should we call him?" Bella asked. Finn's eyes widened.

"A name! I knew we had forgotten to do something!"

Bella laughed.

"Don't worry, babe. We've got time." She said. "I mean, not a lot of time because… he's here."

"You know, there's one thing I didn't forget." Finn said. Finn took her hand and they walked to the other side of the hospital room.

"Finn, what are you doing?" Bella asked.

"I've been wanting to do this for a really long time. But I wanted to wait until the baby got here. I love you, Bella. I have always loved you and I will always love you and baby to be named later."

Finn got down on one knee and took out the engagement ring Nicole had helped him pick out a couple of weeks ago.

"Bella Lauren Sutton, will you make me the happiest man in the world and do me the honor of being my wife?"

"You sure? Because you know I have a baby, right?" She joked.

"I have never been more sure of anything in my entire life. Marry me." He said.

"Yes. Absolutely yes I will marry you, Finn, I love you."

Finn slipped the ring onto Bella's finger and the two of them kissed. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Bella called and Nicole and Quinn walked in. When they walked in, their jaws dropped.

"Wait… Finn… did you just…" Nicole asked. Finn nodded.

"And Bella… did you say…" Quinn asked. Bella nodded.

"We're engaged!" She exclaimed.

"Son of a biscuit, you actually did it! I was convinced you were going to chicken out at the last moment!" Nicole exclaimed. Finn laughed.

"Wow, thanks for the faith!" He remarked.

"Wait, you knew about it?" Bella asked, surprised. Nicole nodded.

"Well… yeah. Who do you think helped him pick out the ring? I'll tell you there's no way Finn could've picked something like this on his own!"

Bella laughed.

"That's true."

"Yeah, I was totally sure Finn was going to back out too! He seemed so scared earlier!" Quinn added. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"You knew too? And you didn't tell me?"

"Well… yeah. Finn made me keep it a surprise. He wouldn't have told me at all but he had no idea what the hell a ring size was so I gave him one of the rings I borrowed from you to use as a model."

Bella's jaw dropped.

"You guys did all of that for me?" She asked.

"You're worth it." Quinn replied. "Now, have you guys decided on a name yet?"

Finn and Bella smiled at each other.

"Actually, we have." Finn said. "Our baby is going to be named after the person who brought Bella and I back together, and who saved my life countless times and is my best friend in the world. Meet baby Nicholas Hudson."

Tears sprang to Nicole's eyes as Finn carefully passed her the baby and she held her name-sake. The boy was adorable. Nicole quickly handed him back to Bella.

"Here before I cry on your baby!" She exclaimed. Finn gave her a hug.

"And, not to be outdone, but we took the middle name of the person who's been by my side every step of the way of way. Quinn you're my best friend in the world and that's why we're taking your middle name (Lucy) and are officially naming our son Nicholas Luke Hudson."

Quinn started crying at this point.

"Oh, and one more thing." Finn said. "God forbid something bad happens to Bella and I, we want you both to be the godparents of our son. We want him to stay in the family and let's face it… you guys are our family."

"Damn it, Finn, you're going to make me cry again!" Nicole exclaimed, fanning her eyes. As Finn held his son, he thought about how every moment in his entire life led up to this beautiful moment. He would go through every single nightmare - the suicidal mother, the abusive father, the 7 years of homelessness, the 6 months in foster care, the murder of Carole, the 4 months spent in Hawaii, the break up with Bella, the enlistment in the Army, being taken as a POW, coming back to the nightmare that was Lima - if it meant having this amazing of an experience again.

"We did it, babe." Bella whispered to him as they held their baby. Finn smiled.

"Yeah, we did."

A/N

OK, that's it. I'm officially done with this story. I've had so much fun writing this story. Thank you so much for all the support.

Be on the lookout on my page for a new story in the next few days. It might be the one I mentioned or I might do something else. I think I just need a few days break first though. This story took a lot of energy to write. I hope you enjoyed it!