Bit of a short chapter but I hope you still enjoy it nonetheless. Apologies for any grammatical or spelling errors.

Six hours had passed. At first, they had been worried that it was happening awfully fast. Too fast. But their doctor had assured them that, while things were progressing quickly, everything else was perfectly textbook. Though a little sped up than what was expected, everything was just as it should be. Even with this reassurance, the thought continued to linger uncomfortably in the back of Emily's mind. She couldn't quite accept that nothing would go wrong.

When had her life ever been textbook?

Her pregnancy had been rather uneventful. There had been no problems or dramatics. This was something that she was not used to at all. And instead of letting herself fully relax, with every day that passed without issue, Emily's mind became increasingly convinced that she was due for some bad luck. That something horrible was about to happen. Years of living on the cusp of danger had put Emily onto high alert when it came to any part of her life. Despite her trepidation, fate had decided that, for once, everything could go perfectly to plan in Emily Prentiss' life. As the clock neared six in the evening and the final strokes of sunlight crept into the room, Emily and Andrew found themselves moments away from meeting their child.

Andrew thought he was fully prepared for this. After all, this wasn't his first time as the father-to-be. However, he wasn't turning out as cool-headed as he wanted to be. He struggled to remain in one spot, his anxious energy translating into the occasional pace around the room. Though he was adamant that he would remain as together as possible for Emily. He did and Emily took comfort in having him by her side. Andrew watched on as the hours passed with an intoxicating mixture of love, amazement, and nervousness. He had found this experience vastly different from Keely's birth. If anything he had been calmer then than now. Both were magical but Andrew was somewhat astounded by how composed Emily had remained, especially as they now approached the end. He knew she had her concerns, but to him, it was almost like she had done this a thousand times before.

Though behind her focused exterior, Andrew could see the pain even if she didn't voice it. Emily felt as if her insides were being violently ripped apart. It may have been shaping up to be a quick labor, but she needed it to be over and soon.

"It hurts" Her voice was barely audible. Excluding the rare occasional pained groan or escaped cry, this was the first time she had given any vocal indication that she was suffering. Andrews's heart leaped to his throat as he noticed her cheeks glistening under the lights. She was crying. He let her grip his hand as he continued to speak words of encouragement.

Andrew hoped she wasn't holding back anything. He wanted to be there for her, already feeling helpless as things were. Her labor had progressed too quickly, they'd missed the chance for an epidural, something they'd discussed. He knew it had been something she wanted. But Emily had barely complained when told it was no longer possible. Andrew wasn't totally surprised by her reaction, he knew that this was what she did to cope. She needed to block it all out. He had learned that Emily was never overly forthcoming with emotions when it came to herself. So they had developed this almost unspoken manner of support. She knew he was right there and ready when she needed him.

And she did need him. Right now and he was here. Everything was perfect.

To her own surprise, she was doing fine.

Everything was fine.

The doctor briefly looked up and noticed the familiar look of shock that had fallen upon Andrew's face. She smiled as the man opened his mouth to speak, already anticipating the question.

"Is that?" Andrew asked. The doctor simply nodded in response before returning her focus to Emily.

"I can see the baby!" He announced his voice somewhere between excitement and panic. He turned his head back towards Emily who had barely registered his words. By this point, she had fallen into her own world of pain and exhaustion. Andrew moved his body closer to her, rubbing his free hand up and down her back and placing a tender kiss on her temple. "Sweetheart, you're so close." He whispered into her ear.

Emily's chin was pressed tightly down against her chest. She momentarily opened her eyes upon hearing Andrews's soothing voice in her ear. It wasn't long before the pain of another contraction forced them to shut again, but she was able to get the smallest glance at what he was talking about. Her baby. Her baby was right there. At this realization, Emily felt a desperate urge to have her baby near.

"One more time Emily, that's all." The doctor encouraged and within minutes a strong cry pierced the room.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed but all of a sudden Emily felt a warm weight being placed onto her bare chest. The crying almost immediately ceased as the newborn found their mother's skin. There were various voices as people shuffled around her but Emily was entirely focused on the tiny body now lying on top of her. She could feel every moment the newborn was making against her skin. The rise and fall of their small chest. Emily gently brushed her hand over her baby's damp head of hair. Andrew and Emily's eyes were fixed on the newborn, taking in every perfect feature as the world blurred around them.

The button nose. The Ten tiny fingers. The pink pursed lips.

"It's a girl" Emily spoke breathlessly after finally registering what the doctor had announced a moment before.

"I'm so proud of you." Andrew smiled, holding Emily tighter as he moved to place his hand on the back of his daughter. He was almost scared to do so, she was so tiny and precious, but the feeling, once he did, was indescribable. Andrew through his heart would explode.

Emily looked up at Andrew, barely able to stop even more tears from escaping. She saw the look of complete and utter love in his eyes as he gazed at their daughter. A father's love. She couldn't believe that they had created this together. Something so wonderful.

"She's a girl" Emily repeated. It almost didn't seem real. "We have a daughter."

Please do let me know if you would like to see more of this series or not.