Grace

"Ok Ana we are fully dilated sweetheart, so when you're ready, on your next contraction I want you to push right down into your bottom like a good girl ok." Doctor Greene calls as she finishes examining Ana to see if she was ready as she'd been complaining that she needed to push.

"I can't." Ana groans leaning into my chest. "I'm so tired Grace..."

It's been a long labour. They say they get easier and often shorter with each one but it turns out this one will be Ana's longest. We arrived at the hospital around three pm yesterday afternoon. It's now six am. That's fifteen whole hours of active labour. Ana is beyond exhausted after being up most of the night. A quick word with Dr Greene outside in the middle of the night suggests it could be psychological following the rape, that her body is in a constant state of panic. She was worried it would mean an intervention birth or even a cesarean but thankfully Ana has continued to dilate through the night just slower than we'd have expected her too.

"I know sweetheart but this is it, it's almost over." I tell her just as she grips my hand, another contraction washing over her. She sits upright for a moment and begins to push.

"Grrrr." She grunts, her teeth smashed together as she uses whatever strength she has to push this baby into the world. It's incredible to witness, regardless of the fact she's tired and it's been a long and painful night Ana is using every little bit of strength she has left to bring this baby into the world.

Ana refused an epidural. She was offered it just so she could try and get some sleep but she point blank refused it. She was determined to do it without it even though she had an epidural with Phoebe and Teddy, she just thinks this time having delivered the twins the way she did, that this labour should be the same.

"That's it Ana good girl!" Dr Greene says as Ana slumps into my chest again and I kiss her head softly and my eyes meet Christian's, he nods at me and smiles, Ana has relied heavily on me during this labour. Christian thinks it's acceptance of her own Mom's weaknesses. She asked Carla to come to Teddy's birth but Carla declared she wasn't able to deal with all the blood, sweat and tears and left Christian and Ana to do it by themselves. With everything that's happened, it looks like Ana's accepted Carla's faults and has decided she can rely on me instead. It's sad in one sense but I'm also glad I can be here for her in a way she needs and in a way her mother never has been. She knows now she is not alone.

Christian told me he had always hoped Ana would have asked me to be there, even though the girls had the stupid pact, Ana's pure stubbornness prevented her every time. It should have been her own mother and when her mother once again failed to show up she didn't feel she was able to rely on anyone else. I'm glad this time she's realised she can.

"Arghhhh!" Ana yells as she pushes again, my hand is on fire as she grips me tight and pushes but that's ok, she can do whatever she needs to do. "Christian I can't." She sobs making him lean into her.

"You can. Anastasia, baby you're the strongest person I know. You can do this. This is it. The last hurdle baby you can do it." He says and I smile. See this is what I feel like missed out on with Teddy and Phoebe. Seeing Christian as this loyal husband, loving father, doing what he needs to do in this incredible moment.

"You've got this Ana." Amanda says coming to my side. "I want you to pant the next one, rest, we're not crowning yet so let's not exhaust you before the hardest part eh?" She says kindly and Ana's eyes close and she breathes deeply.

"You've got this sweetheart." I tell her squeezing her hand again. "You've got this, you are one of the most incredibly strong people I know, this is it Ana, last bit now. you've got this gorgeous girl." I encourage because it's all I can do. Christian meets my eye and nods at me, I guess that means this is helpful.

"Ok Ana again, next contraction push." Dr Greene says. These contractions are barely a minute apart the poor girl isn't getting any rest.

She nods as Christian mops the sweat off her brow with a cold damp cloth, she's almost there now she can do this.

"Ahhhhhh." She moans as she once again uses every ounce of strength she has to push this baby through.

"Good girl Ana, good girl." I tell her hoping I may be reassuring her but she sobs as she stops pushing, it's all getting too much.

"Ana, sweetheart if you've had enough, we can consider an assisted delivery..."

"No." Ana says at once.

"I'm worried Ana that you're too tired. Baby is ok at the moment, heart rate looks good but that could change in a moment..." she's cut off by another contraction and Ana squeezes her eyes shut and pushes with every ounce of strength she has left.

"Brilliant Ana. Just brilliant." Doctor Greene calls from between Ana's legs which are now in stirrups as Ana is struggling to hold them up anymore. She'd refused stirrups a few hours ago. Talked about wanting as natural a birth as possible but that's slipping through her fingers as she becomes more and more tired and other than the fact it's too late for an epidural I think she'd want one of those now if she could have one.

"Ana, it's ok not to be ok here. If we need to step in just say." Amanda says reassuringly.

"Stop beating yourself up too Anastasia." I tell her knowing she's feeling like a failure. "Sometimes baby just doesn't want to play ball and that's ok. If you need them to step in..."

"I can do this!" She yells as another contraction washes over her and she once again pushes with all of her might.

"Good girl Ana, we are crowning. I want you to relax now, let your body relax completely sweetie." Dr Greene calls and Amanda goes to her side ready to assist with the delivery.

Christian and I both hold tight to Ana's hands and come in close to her, shielding and supporting her as she inhales deeply and goes as limp as she can possibly manage.

"Good girl Ana. Good girl." I coo softly I able to help myself, she's done so incredible and it's almost over now.

"I'm so tired Grace." She cries quietly, tears spill down her cheeks, the exhaustion obvious in her red eyes, yet as always she's as beautiful as ever.

"Ok, next contraction Ana, breathe nice and deep and slow push into your bottom ok." Amanda says gently and Ana nods through her tears. She takes in the biggest inhale and hums rather than exhales, slowly pushing down. Her eyes are closed but we can feel the focus as she pushes down.

"That's it good girl, Ana you're doing amazing, that's it. Christian would you like to help deliver your son?" She asks and Christian looks at Ana who encourages him with a nod. He grins and hurries to Ana's feet.

Christian

Ana is just exhausted but as I stand at her feet watching as Dr Greene checks my son hasn't got his cord around his neck and doing suction to his nose Amanda brings my hands down to the head.

"Support the shoulders as they come, it might take a couple of goes." She says and I nod nervously. Holy shit I'm doing this.

"Ok Ana nice little pants whenever your body tells you to ok." Dr Greene says encouraging my wife through this final part of delivery. Mom is cooing softly in her ear and wiping her brow with the cloth now, giving me peace of mind that I'm doing the right thing being on this side this time.

When Teddy was born Ana was a mess and I stayed by her side from start to end. When Phoebe was born I did get to assist a little bit I kind of just watched because I was scared to touch anything. Then of course Mom delivered the twins. So this is a truly magical moment, knowing Ana is fully supported by my Mom allows me to fully be involved in the delivery of what will be my last newborn.

"That's it good girl, again just nice and gently." Amanda encourages as my hands literally cradle the head of our son as Dr Greene supports the shoulders. Ana screams again as finally our son slips free.

"Oh Ana!" I cry as I literally cradle my son in my hands. Ana isn't looking though I glance to see her sobbing into my Mom's shoulder.

"Put him here Christian." Dr Greene says and I place him down before she can give him a rub down. "Ok here we go Ana your beautiful baby boy." Dr Greene says passing him over to my wife who quickly takes him into her chest and sobs again. Mom just holds her and runs her fingers through Ana's hair as she cries and becomes acquainted with our son. I don't care, Ana has always said no pictures but I whip my phone out and begin snapping away for a moment because this is my Mom and my wife with this new life and it's such a beautiful moment I need to capture this forever.

"Christian would you like to cut the cord?" Dr Green asks and I quickly let her show me where to cut so that I can join my wife and my Mom.

When I approach Mom she quickly grabs me and wraps her arms around me and I embrace her back and have a moment with my head in the crook of her neck to have a little cry.

"They're beautiful." She says and I nod unable to form words at the moment. I'm so overwhelmed by it all. "She did amazing Christian. Thank you for letting me be a part of it."

"Ana needed you." I say lifting my head to look at her. "She's just never been able to admit how much she needs a mom, until Carla let her down for the last time." She wipes her own tears before kissing me again and then shoving me towards my wife and son. Ana is just looking at him against her chest, she's crying.

"Hey." I smile putting my arm around her shoulders. "You did amazing." I kiss her head before looking down at our new baby in her arms.

"He's perfect." She chokes and I nod before kissing her head lightly again. Mom just watches us, her own tears slipping freely down her cheeks.

"Ok Ana whenever you're ready, we can get him weighed and measured and get you more comfortable." Amanda says softly coming to join us as Dr Greene gets rid of all the waste. "You've torn a little so we've popped in a couple of stitches. When the pain relief wears off it's going to be a little uncomfortable." She explains and Ana just nods.

"Can I feed him?"

"Of course you can, do you need some help?" She asks and Ana nods. I hold the baby in my hands while Amanda adjusts the pillows. Ana opens her nightshirt a few buttons before taking our son and settling him against her breast. He latches on straight away and I can't resist kissing her head again. The miracle of life at its finest.

"Christian do you want to go and tell the family he's here?" Ana suggests and I look at her realising she wants a moment alone.

"Of course. His name?" I ask and she nods, we agreed on his name weeks ago and I just needed a confirmation that he was still in agreement. "Come on Mom." I say offering her my hand so I can lead her to the family room where we know the Grey clan will be waiting. Before the door has even fully shut behind us she hugs me again but says nothing. I hold her back. I fee a little guilty that she missed out on this with Mia now but the whole no Mom in the delivery suite was actually Mia's idea. She didn't think Mom could put her doctors hat to one side and just be a mom though she managed it with Ana. Maybe because she knew what Ana needed the most was a Mom, something I think we both realised this last year that Ana has never really had. I wish Ana had confided in me all these years what her Mom was like, she never really told me when she asked Carla to do things because she knew Carla would let her down and didn't want me to know that.

"Come on." She says when she's finally composed herself.

As we expected we find everyone in the waiting room where they've been waiting all night like we've done with every new baby. Other than the twins of course. They all stand when we enter the room.

"Well?" Mia asks.

"He's here. He's safe. Ana is amazing." I say as Mom holds my arm. "Sean Carrick Grey. Born at 7:35am. Ana is feeding him at the moment we don't know how much he weighs but he's amazing."

My Dad is crying. He finally has a grandson named after him and Ana was so determined when we found out he was a boy to find the perfect name to go with it. He's Sean as the Irish equivalent of John. Just as Ana wanted.

I receive everyone's hugs and congratulations and Dad holds me just a little tighter than he's ever done before Mom hugs me again. She's so emotional.

I leave Mom with the family and make my way back to Ana's room. I find her tucked up in bed with our new baby on her now covered chest. She runs her finger softly through the small tuft of dark hair he has.

"Well?"

"Dad cried." I tell her making her laugh. She's glowing and I don't think it's because of the dimly lit room and the bedside light. She's obviously changed and Amanda has helped make her more comfortable. Sean is also already dressed in a onesie.

"He's perfect Christian." She says. "He's six pounds and seven ounces. He's perfect."

"He is perfect. You did amazing Ana. So amazing." I say before capturing her lips in a gentle kiss.

"Amanda's just gone to get us some food and drink and then she's demanding I sleep." She says before yawning. "You need to sleep too."

"I'll sleep when you're rested." I tell her and she doesn't fight me on it thankfully because we both know if I sleep they'll take the baby to the nursery and neither of us want that.

Amanda returns with some sandwiches and coffee and Ana eats while Sean continues to snooze on her chest. When she's finished she feeds our son again before handing him to me so she can get some sleep. I kiss her softly knowing I get to bond with my son now and later our entire brood will be together.