Ana

When we arrived back from our babymoon last Friday, we'd barely touched down when the call came to say that the jury was out. It's now a whole week later and they're still not back.

It makes no sense to me. They've been out longer than the court case took. The judge is getting antsy and I'm at my wits end.

"It doesn't look good does it?" I sigh as I sit at my desk chair with Grace and Tamara. Christian is hanging around the courthouse with Melissa waiting for them to say the jury is back but at the moment we're still waiting.

Christian did message to say the judge had called the jury back into the court to have a chat with them. I'm waiting to hear from Christian what he said, it makes me so anxious.

"This is just the way it is sometimes Ana." Grace says and I nod, I get that, I do but it doesn't make it any easier. The waiting is so hard.

The phone rings and I glance at it, Christian.

"Hey babe..." I say trying to sound as light and as positive as I possibly can.

"Hi An...so the judge asked the jury whether or not they felt they could reach a unanimous verdict. They sounded positive that they would but that they were going over the testimony because they wanted to be sure as the case doesn't feel black and white."

"Oh ok." I sigh and rub my bump, I've got major cramps, baby has been moving like crazy in there the last day or so and I'm hurting for it today.

"So Judge has told them they have a duty to do their best to reach a verdict and to do it as quickly as possible the jury have said they likely won't reach it by the end of the day and the judge has asked them to continue to deliberate over the weekend to which they have agreed. We could have a verdict by Monday."

"Ok, so take-home message, don't sit by the phone waiting it isn't going to happen today." I reply.

"Sorry baby I wish I had better news." Christian sighs.

"It's not your doing." I reply trying not to sound as frustrated as I feel.

"Listen I'm going to pop to Grey House to sort some bits with Ros. I'll be home later. Is that ok?"

"Sure Christian. I'm fine here. I'll make your Mom and Tamara some lunch. Take your time. I'm going to need you here when this baby comes." I laugh, Christian always works until baby comes and then takes a few weeks off before doing a phased return, he amazed me when Teddy came with that but I've appreciated it every time, he took longer with the twins too which was great. Handling two babies at the same time is completely different from handling one.

"Ok baby. I love you." He says.

"Love you too." I end the call and sigh and look at Tamara and Grace.

"The judge asked the jury if they were going to reach a verdict. They think they will and will continue to deliberate over the weekend."

"Well, at least you can relax a little now. How about I go and make us some lunch?" And before I can answer her Grace makes herself scarce.

"Are you ok Ana?" Tamara questions answered I realise Grace leaving was done deliberately so I could have a moment with the shrink.

"I'm ok. Grace is right I can relax a little now." I reply rubbing my bump. God I wish these cramps would bugger off.

"Will you relax though?" She asks and I shrug just as a wave washes over me, a familiar wave that I've had with each of my babies. "Ana?"

"I've just had a contraction." I tell her as I clutch my bump. I know what a contraction is, and I remember how different they are from Braxton Hicks, that was definitely a contraction.

"Oh...ok." Tamara looks a little dumbstruck.

"Let's go find Grace. I want a coffee and something to eat before this show gets on the road." I say and Tamara is quick to follow me. She's obviously freaking out inside but doesn't want to show me. This is my fourth labour, I'll know in the next half hour what to expect, if they're anything like the twins they'll be here by then but if I know my body, I'm already anticipating a longer labour.

"Grace..." I say heading into the kitchen. "I'm in labour."

"Oh!" She gasps. "Really?"

"Well one contraction." I say making her laugh.

"Well, time for a drink and something to eat then." She says laughing and while Grace is as relaxed as I am I look at Tamara who looks like she's seen a ghost.

"Tamara I'm fine." I tell her. "Honestly."

"Ok." She says but I see her uncertainty.

"I'll eat then I'll let Christian know." I say as Grace pops a sandwich in front of me. "You know he'll drop everything and come running if I message him now." And he doesn't need to be here till things start moving because he will start demanding we make our way to the hospital, he did with Phoebe and they ended up sending me home because I wasn't dilated.

Grace

I can't believe how calm Ana is being after everything with the twins. Over the last hour she's had around four contractions so things aren't moving fast at all but I really thought after everything with the twins she'd have wanted to be in the hospital to be on the safe side.

"Hey baby. I thought you might want to know I'm in Labour...I've had four contractions in the last hour so they're not really close yet but you might want to make your way home... no I'm fine Christian your Mom and Tamara are with me and the pain is nothing. I'm fine... well I'll be here... see you soon. I love you too." Ana comes off the phone and rolls her eyes making me laugh. Christian has never been calm when Ana has gone into labour, bless his heart. I'm expecting him to be worse this time after everything with the twins too.

Ana's relaxing on the big birth ball when Christian bursts through the front door calling her name. Ana meets my eye and laughs. This is exactly why she didn't call Christian sooner.

"In here Christian!" I call and he comes in looking like he's seen a ghost.

"Seriously? There's no need to panic Christian I'm fine." Ana says as he collapses to his knees in front of her, his hand goes to her cheek in what is a very private and intimate moment.

"Promise?" He asks like a little boy.

"I Promise." She says before kissing him just as another contraction washes over her I know because she starts to rotate her hips every time it happens as if it's going to weaken the pain.

"Wouldn't this be better at a hospital?" He asks making Ana chuckle.

"I'm spoken to Amanda, everything is fine Christian. We'll go when the contractions are a bit closer together. We're ok right now." Ana reassures him but he really looks like he wants to put her on his shoulder and fireman lift her into the car.

"How about I make you a coffee Christian?" Tamara asks and I smile at her. Ana needs space and Christian needs to calm down. It's a good idea for her to take him out of the room a moment.

"Go. I'm right here not going anywhere." Ana says and he reluctantly peels himself away to follow Tamara out the room. "I'd almost forgotten how overbearing he became in Labour." Ana chuckles.

"Well he didn't get the chance with the twins." I say laughing. I don't think any of us had the chance to think with their labour, it all happened so quickly and I think that's what makes us all so nervous this time around.

"Even though based on how the pain has increased I doubt it, I don't think he realises this could go on for a couple of days." Ana says giggling away.

"You don't think so though?" I enquire.

"No. They're increasing in intensity and they're getting closer together. Another hour or two I think we'll be on our way to the hospital." Ana admits and I nod, it all has to be on her terms and at her pace especially following on from the rape, though I don't voice that. Tamara told me so when Ana was getting the birth ball ready and making herself comfortable by changing into some leggins and a long t-shirt.

Christian comes back in and sits in the armchair looking a bit like a lost boy. Ana sits on her ball in front of me and I start rubbing her back for her. It's nice because other than the twins I've always been excluded from being involved too much in the labour. All the girls preferring to make me suffer and wait with all the men.

"I want you there." Ana says suddenly turning to me. "When this baby comes I want you there." She says almost glaring at me, threatening me to disagree.

"I'd love that Ana." I tell her cupping her cheek. She turns again and I imagine she's meeting Christian's eye because he smiles and nods at her.

True enough an hour and a half later and we're in the car on the way to the hospital. Ana's contractions are a good fifteen minutes apart but they're intensely painful and she's wanting pain relief and monitoring, needing that reassurance that the baby is ok.

Christian

We get to the hospital and Amanda meets us as the door and takes us straight through to a side room, just Ana and I for now. She's quick to get Ana into a gown so she can be examined.

"Ok Ana looking great you're at four centimetres so we're going to get you up to the Labour Ward now and settled in your own room. We can talk pain relief and just take it a minute at a time ok?" Amanda says as she removes her gloves.

It really is showtime. Mom has to impatiently wait while we get Ana settled in the room, she changes into her chosen nightdress, one that's designed like a shirt so she can open it to breastfeed when the baby is born and then she stands leaning on the bed with the gas and air, breathing through the contractions while I do the only thing I can and rub her back which she groans at, it must feel nice enough then.

Mom comes in looking extremely excited and she kisses my cheek before going to sit on the bed beside Ana. I have a funny feeling I'll be a spare part in this labour and delivery but... that's completely ok with me. Ana needs Mom and that's perfectly ok. It's a huge step for Ana to have asked Mom in here, I get that. Ana is also more scared this time than she was with Phoebe and the twins, though nothing will every top Teddy's which was a first for both of us. After everything though, we need everything to go ok with this one.