I hope you all like the new chapter. I'll be the first to admit I have a very limited medical knowledge of what happens when women give birth so I'm sorry if things seem wildly inaccurate. Enjoy!

For John Bates time almost seemed to be moving backward. It had been quite some time since he and Mrs. Smith had returned home to find that Anna's labour had begun. The day had passed and night had fallen but still the babies had not come. John had stayed with Anna while her mother made her way back to town to fetch the doctor. The pains had come over her every few minutes as he sat with her. He hated seeing her in pain though he knew it was what happened to women when they were giving birth. Each cry of agony that filtered down from their bedroom upstairs sent a stab of grief through Bates' heart. He wished he had something useful to do to keep his mind busy but all his attempts to divert his thoughts had failed. He'd tried to read a little but the words didn't seem to register as he looked over the page. He tried to do a little mending on an old coat of his but his fingers couldn't seem to make the thread go through the needle's eye. Dr. Clarkson must have somehow told his wife what was happening because Mrs. Hughes had made her way to the little cottage to bring them a little dinner and to make sure her former head housemaid was doing alright. She told Bates that Lord Grantham knew that the babies were coming and sent word with her that Bates didn't need to come in to work for the next few days. Also the servants had sent their well wishes and there was even a bundle full of little baby booties and a few articles of clothing including many nappies. Bates thanked Mrs. Hughes wholeheartedly and sent his gratitude for all the kindness from the servants. The woman must have sensed how worried he was for she gave him a huge hug before she left, something she'd never done to Bates before. He'd managed to eat some dinner and Dr. Clarkson and Mrs. Smith had both come down in turns. Dr. Clarkson had reckoned that the babies might not arrive before noon the next day as Anna's labour seemed to be progressing slowly. Bates face had filled with alarm but the doctor assure him that it was not uncommon for first time mothers to take much longer to deliver. The doctor had even left for a little while to check on another patient and to check in at the hospital before coming back a few hours later. Now Bates was on his feet again, pacing nervously in the living room. His eyes were bleary with tiredness and his hair was mussed where he kept fiddling with it in a fit of nerves. He nearly leapt out of his skin when he heard the door open and close upstairs and footsteps coming down the stairs. John limped over apprehensively to see Mrs. Smith coming down the stairs, her face belying how tired she must have been. She'd been up the whole time with Anna despite the doctor telling her to get some rest. She went into the kitchen to fetch a cold glass of water for Anna.

"Is everything alright," Bates asked worriedly.

"Oh yes Mr. Bates, she's quite tired yet she seems to be doing well, but the doctor still thinks it might be quite some time. You should really try to get some rest," she responded, taking in his weary appearance.

"Are you going to rest until the babies are here?" John asked.

"Well no I suppose I couldn't. And neither I suppose could you," the woman answered with a kind smile. She came over and gave John a reassuring pat on the arm. While doing so another cry of pain came from upstairs and she broke away, making her way swiftly back to her labouring daughter.

Anna felt as if she could go on no longer. She wasn't even sure how long she'd been in labour. The curtained window was black so it was certainly after dark. The pain was coming fast now. She barely had time to catch her breath before the next wave of agony took hold of her. She tried her best to breathe through the pain but she was quickly becoming more and more exhausted. Her entire body was drenched in sweat, her hair stuck to her forehead and down her back; between her legs she felt sticky from the issue of her birth fluids. She had done everything the doctor had told her to, even getting out of the bed every so often to move around the room a bit. Her mother stuck to her side during the whole ordeal, offering her a hand to hold as the birth pains struck again and again. She placed a cool cloth on Anna's forehead and neck to help soothe her. The time had come for Anna to start pushing but she felt as if she had no strength left in her body.

"Anna, it's time for the real work to begin I'm afraid. It's time for you to push. I'm going to have you lie here with the pillow propped up behind you and I'll be at your feet waiting for the first baby to show itself to me," Dr. Clarkson instructed her. Anna did what he told her and situated herself.

"When you next feel a contraction I want you to bear down and push with all your might Anna," the doctor told her. Anna nodded her understanding and felt the pain begin. She took a deep breath and did what the doctor told her, pushing with all the strength left in her body. She cried out in pain as she struggled to bring forth her baby. Through her efforts she could hear the doctor counting. When he reached ten he told her to relax and the pain subsided. Her mother was sitting on the bed beside Anna, whispering encouraging words in her ear and wiping the sweat from her brow with a soft, cool cloth. Ana fought to catch her breath as she felt the next contraction come. She started pushing again, harder this time though she wasn't sure where the strength was coming from. This cycle of pushing and resting continued for what must have been hours. Finally the doctor announced that he could see the baby's head. He urged Anna to give another mighty push and she did, crying out wordlessly as she felt a new kind of pain as the baby started to make its way out of her body. Anna could only describe the feeling as being almost ripped in half.

"That's very good Anna, we're nearly there, just a bit more and your first baby will be here," the doctor urged. Anna closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths and when she felt the contraction again she gave all of herself over to her work. She did this thrice more and on the third push she could feel that the baby was free. She held her breath as Dr. Clarkson cut the cord and took the babe over to the waiting table and with his finger cleared its mouth. A strangled cry erupted from the infant and Anna could feel relief flood through her veins.

"It's a girl Anna," the doctor said, smiling. He then handed the first baby to Mrs. Smith so she could be cleaned and swaddled in the waiting blankets and took up his position again, waiting for baby number two.

At the same time downstairs Bates froze where he was standing, his heart nearly beating out of his chest as he heard his baby's first cry from upstairs. The child's cry was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard and he was so enthralled he barely felt the hot tears that had started to stream down his face. He sat down at the kitchen table to steady himself. He couldn't wait for the door to open and for them to beckon him up…But until then he continued to wait..

The second baby came easier, its sibling making way for it. This child did not cry quite so loud as the first. Dr. Clarkson worked over the baby the same as he did the first, cleaning it himself and wrapping it in the white blanket that Mrs. Smith had brought up earlier.

"Another girl my dear." Anna laughed then. Poor John would be so outnumbered. As Anna laughed she began to feel very weak and dizzy. Clarkson then returned to Anna, startled by what he found. Blood stained the blanket under her and flowed fast from her body. He cursed as he saw what was happening and set about working to stop the hemorrhage. Mrs. Smith could do nothing to help, she had one baby in her arms and was watching over the other as the doctor attended to Anna. He rubbed her abdomen trying to make the bleeding stop. He did all he knew to do. Anna was feeling weaker and weaker. Finally when she though she would pass out the doctor breathed a sigh of relief as the placenta was delivered and the bleeding subsided and finally arrested.

"The bleeding seems to have stopped Anna. Sometimes these things happen right at the end. Let's get you cleaned up and then Mr. Bates can come up and meet his daughters."

Bates tapped his fingers nervously on the kitchen table as he waited for the all clear to go to his Anna. He'd heard both infants cry and he'd never been so grateful for a single sound in his entire life. All manner of horrible worries had gone through his mind as he waited and waited for his children to arrive. Finally the door open and Mrs. Smith emerged with a huge basket of soiled linens and blankets. John shot up from his chair like a bolt as she came down the stairs, a proud smile plastered across her tired face.

"You can go up now John, they're waiting for you," she told him. He didn't need a second telling. He went up the stairs as quickly as he could manage and pushed open the bedroom door tentatively. The room smelled of sweat and blood, a scent John recognized from his time in Africa. But this was different. Where there the smell meant agony and death, here it meant the very opposite, joy and life. The window was open now and the first rays of dawn were making their way into the room. Dr. Clarkson was still here, one of the babies bundled in his arms. The other baby was in Anna's arms as she lay propped up in the bed. The room was still dim enough to need a few candles. In the soft light John could see the toll the ordeal had taken on Anna. She seemed completely exhausted yet her face, though quite pale, held a serene look as she gazed down on her newborn infant. Wonder filled John's face at the vision before him. Never did he think in his life he would ever feel such utter joy. John walked over and sat down gingerly next to Anna on the bed, not wanting to jostle her or the baby. Anna looked up and gave John a smile like he'd never seen before. He leaned in and planted a kiss on her forehead and then did the same to the tiny baby in her arms.

"You are so beautiful," John said, both speaking to his wife and to their baby. He placed his hand gently on the baby's head and stroked her black hair, amazed by how soft it was. The doctor came over to John then, still holding the other bundle.

"Would you like to hold her?" he asked.

"Her?"

"Yes her. Here's your daughter Mr. Bates. They're both girls."

"Two girls…" John took the tiny baby carefully into his arms. She had a shock of black hair, much as the other baby did. John hoped that his coloring was all they'd inherit from him physically. He wanted them to grow up and be beautiful like their mother. Her eyes were closed, sleeping. He traced his finger over her eyebrows, softly caressing her tiny face. He watched over her in wonder and amazement. He made a silent vow to both of them then. He would never, ever let harm come to them and he would work day and night to make sure they had everything they needed or wanted. John planted a kiss on the little girl's forehead, the same as he had with her sister. She opened her eyes then and met his own eyes with her bright blue ones. He was thunderstruck by his daughter locking eyes with him. She then closed her eyes again and went back to sleep. Dr. Clarkson left as the two new parents sat together, holding their daughters and basking in the love that filled the room. John's voice broke the silence after what felt like an eternity.

"Oh little girls. Your mum and I are very glad to meet you. And we love you, and we will always."