Chapter 28


"In other news, Llanview, Pennsylvania is seeing some of their coldest weather in years. There is a severe blizzard warning in place for tonight, so make sure you stock up…"

Natalie, eyes closed tightly against the bright sunlight flooding the room, finally found the snooze button and sighed in relief as the radio alarm quieted. Smiling, she felt herself drift back off to sleep in John's arms.

It had been four months since she and Shane had been kidnapped. Jenkins was in a maximum-security prison, having been indicted on new charges and sentenced to life with no possibility of parole.

And she and John had never been happier.

"Did you hear what they were saying about the blizzard?" Natalie asked casually from the bathroom doorway, watching John pull his socks on.

"Yeah. Think it's a real possibility?"

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time."

"Well, I'll try to be home early just in case," he said, pulling on a shoe.

"Yeah, because you've been coming in so late these days," Natalie teased with a wink. It was true; John had taken in to coming home early ever since she had passed the nine-month mark in her pregnancy.

Smiling, she walked over to stand in front of him, gently caressing her swollen stomach. "But thank you. I'd feel a lot better knowing that there was someone in this house who could deliver this little one if it comes to that."

John smirked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close so that he could kiss her belly. "You wouldn't be the only one who'd feel better."

Natalie wrapped her arms around John's neck, bending down to press a kiss to the top of his head. "I love you," she whispered, her voice muffled by his hair.

Just as John opened his mouth to reply a loud crash came from the other room, followed by Shane screaming, "I didn't do it!"

Natalie groaned as she reluctantly drew back. "Well, duty calls. I'll be right back." She leaned down to brush a gentle kiss across his lips before walking out of the room.

"Oh, thank god. I was getting worried," Natalie said, throwing her arms around John's neck and hugging him tightly, heedless of the cold weather.

He returned the embrace, pulling her as close to him as her stomach would allow as he walked them backwards so that he could shut the door. "I'm sorry. There were a lot of cops who couldn't make it in because of the weather, so I had to go out on some of the calls."

"Here," she said, pulling back as she realized that John's clothes were wet and sticky from the snow falling outside. Glancing down, she saw that it had soaked through to her own sweater during their embrace. "Let me go change shirts and you go sit by the fireplace to warm up."

John grinned. "Yes ma'am," he saluted her, and she grinned as she turned around and began to make her way up the stairs.

Walking into the living room, John's grin widened at the sight of Shane. He was lying on his stomach on the floor, concentrating intently on the picture he was coloring.

"Hey buddy, what are you coloring?" John asked, moving to sit in the floor beside him.

"Mommy asked me to color a picture for the baby's room," Shane replied, never taking his eyes off the picture. He made one final decisive scribble and then looked at John, smiling. "Wanna see?"

"I'd love to," he replied, smiling at Shane's enthusiasm.

Shane held up the coloring book proudly. "Will the baby like it?"

"Will the baby like it? The baby's going to love it. You did a good job son."

"Really Daddy?" Shane threw his arms around John's neck, the coloring book dangling from his hands. "I love you."

John returned the embrace, smiling as he blinked back tears. No matter how many times Shane called him 'Daddy', it never failed to send a rush of pure love shooting through him—or to remind him of just how lucky he was.

"I think that you should color a picture too," Shane said, pulling back from the embrace and settling back onto the floor.

"Yeah? I think you're right," John replied, lying down on his stomach beside his son.

Shane began to flip through the pages of his coloring book, intently searching for a perfect picture. "What do you think about this one?" he finally asked, sliding the book over to John.

He took in the picture with a grin—it was of a sleeping baby in a crib. The baby was obviously a girl when you took in the dolls surrounding her. "Well, I like it but what if we have a boy?" he asked.

"We won't," Shane replied confidently. "I asked the stork to bring me a new baby sister, and Mommy said he always comes through."

"Oh, she did huh?" John chuckled, wondering how Natalie would explain a boy if the need arose.

Nodding, Shane smiled. "So do you wanna color it?"

"I would love to." John reached for the crayons and went to work.

A few minutes later Natalie, wearing a black sweater with matching sweatpants peeked around the corner of the living room and smiled at the sight of her boys.

As she stood there, she brought her hand to her stomach and said a quick silent prayer of thanks before walking into the living room.

"What are my guys up to?" she asked.

"Coloring pictures for the baby," Shane replied. "I already got one done, but me and Daddy coloring more."

"Good, the baby needs a lot of pictures for his nursery."

"Oh, according to this guy we're definitely having a girl," John replied, nodding his head towards Shane as he continued to color.

"Oh we are?"

Shane nodded, finally putting down his crayon and turning to face her. "Uh-huh, we are."

"What gave you that idea baby?"

"Well, you told me the stork always comes through and I asked for a baby sister."

Natalie fought back the slight laugh bubbling up and just smiled. "Oh. Well baby, I really meant that he always comes through with the baby we were meant to have," she said carefully. "And if this baby is a boy you'll love him as much as you would a baby sister right?"

Shane wrinkled up his nose as he thought about it. "I don't know," he finally answered after a moment.

"Well, will you at least try?"

He thought for a moment more. "I guess," he said slowly. "But I won't have to, because we're having a girl," he finished matter-of-factly, turning back to his coloring as though the subject were closed.

Choosing not to say anything more, Natalie turned her attention to John. "So honey, having fun?"

"Yeah, actually. Want to join us?"

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'm gonna go start dinner. Your child and I are getting pretty hungry."

John smiled, sitting up and turning around to press a kiss to her belly. "Is that so?"

Natalie laughed, ruffling his hair affectionately as she gently pulled away and began to walk to the kitchen. "We're famished. Meat loaf sound good to everyone?"

"Of course it does," John replied even as Shane began his protests. Natalie made her escape quickly after that, knowing that once the food was on the table her son would devour it as if it was his favorite food ever.

"Okay buddy, want to color until the food is done?"

Shane smiled, his protests immediately stopping as he turned back to his picture.

"John, wake up!" Natalie said urgently, shaking him even as her body was racked by another contraction. "Ow," she groaned, the sound doing what her shaking couldn't as John's eyes opened.

"What's wrong?" he asked, immediately reaching out and grabbing the gun on the bedside table.

"I think I'm in labor."

"What?" John asked numbly.

"I've been having pains since a little after you left—I thought they were the Braxton Hicks again so I didn't say anything."

John was out of bed by this point and pulling on his jeans. "So what are you waiting for? Get dressed!"

"Um, John? There's a blizzard outside and all the roads are closed remember?" Natalie asked, pointing to the window. She winced as she had another contraction, and suddenly her eyes widened.

"Honey," she said carefully, as he was already panicking, walking around the room as he muttered to himself about police training and how they didn't prepare you for the real thing.

"Yeah?" he asked, stopping short to look at her.

"My water just broke."

TO BE CONTINUED