Um yeah, seven months since I updated. I know I fail at life. :| And I'm sorry that I became one of those authors who leaves everyone hanging. I really am. Anyhow, this in unbeta'd cause my beta is super busy but when she is free again, I'll get it done. I've tried to keep the labor scene as accurate as possible and I looked at my development psychology books and notes for guidance and wiki and I think I mostly got it right.

But if there are any mistakes, let me know and I'll correct them. :)

And if anyone is still around reading, thank you for sticking around. You are probably awesome than sliced bread and ballerina flats. Epilogue should be up tomorrow. :)

"If the baby doesn't come out soon, I'm going to have to have to take some drastic measures," Tess said tiredly as she sank heavily on to the couch.

"What happened?" Jason asked looking up in alarm and panic. Was she experiencing any pain or discomfort?

"I just had to pee again for the fourth time in three hours," Tess stated dryly, lifting her feet up and placing them on the coffee table. God her feet ached, just like her back did, just like everything else in her body did. And then suddenly the tears started. She had a felt hormonal all through the pregnancy but in the last few months she found herself bursting into tears over the smallest of things like not finding her planner or not being able to fit into a dress.

It had thrown off a lot of people, especially Jason who had been horrified. Because before all of this, Jason had only seen her cry twice. Once when a gossip rag had derided her pretty badly and the next when she told him about the pregnancy.

Poor Jason had been stunned and not known what to do except gather her in his arms and sooth her. That helped of course. But it didn't stop the tears which seemed like they were going their own course.

-

Jason stared at her askance. Tess was crying again. He immediately moved closer to her and put an arm around her, comforting her and whispering sweet nothings.

"What's wrong Tess?" He gently asked.

"I just want this pregnancy to end and that makes me a very bad mother because who wants their baby to come out before the due date. I don't deserve to be a mother." And with that Tess started wailing all the more, her tears turning into sobs. Jason sighed. It was four days till the due date but the strain of the pregnancy was beginning to tell because the baby was exerting immense pressure on Tess's bladder and back. She was in lots of discomfort and though he tried to make her comfortable every which way he could, there was something he just couldn't do anything about, like the continual discomfort she was in.

"Tess, just because you want the baby to be born, it doesn't mean you are a bad mother. It's not bad to want to feel at least slightly comfortable." Jason said taking Tess into his arms and rubbing soothing circles on her back. Tess just continued sobbing into his shirt.

"I'm so scared and tired Jason," Tess said, her voice sounding muffled and exhausted.

"I know, I know," Jason murmured into her, wishing there was something he could. Unfortunately short of having the baby for her, there was nothing he could do. Not knowing what else to do, he began singing to her softly, tracing soothing patterns on her back.

Suddenly Tess sat up straight, her expression one of shock.

"What happened?" Jason asked confused. Was his singing annoying?

"Jason, I think my water just broke," Tess said, feeling under her dress, which was indeed wet.

"Wait what? But there are four days more?" Jason cried out in panic. But even he could see the tell tale signs of water on the couch. He immediately sprung into action. He raced upstairs; picked up the bag they had kept packed for the inevitable trip, grabbed his wallet and credit cards and raced out of the bedroom. He was just about to race down the stairs but then he remembered that he forgot something. It was eleven in the night and cold and he and Tess would definitely need their coats and Tess needed a new nightgown. He raced back in to the bedroom and got the things he forgot.

He raced down stairs and hastily gave Tess the dress and slippers while he quickly went around the house making sure every window and door was locked. Then he picked up his car keys and came back to the living room to find Tess slowly making her way to the door. He ran behind her, shut the door behind him, locked it and helped her into the car.

So far Tess had been keeping awfully quiet but now the panic was beginning to show on her face.

"Jason, the baby is four days early. What is something is wrong?" She said gripping his hand tightly as he reversed out of the driveway.

"Nothing is wrong Tess. Dr. Martindale said that all dates are not accurate to the tee. It's give or take a week, so don't worry. I'll get you to the hospital on time and everything will be fine." Jason said distractedly, keeping his eyes on the road but not before giving Tess a quick kiss for moral support. Tess meanwhile quickly sent a message to Caitlyn and the others who had demanded that she let them know when the baby was on its way.

Thankfully it was eleven o'clock and the streets were relatively empty and it allowed Jason to drive carefully but also like somewhat of a maniac. They had made this practice run many times but the practice run was nothing compared to the real deal. He already had the speech prepared for the police officer who just might catch them speeding. He hoped no one would catch him but if they did, he had due cause to be speeding. His fiancée was in labour!

They reached the hospital soon enough and Jason left the car in the parking lot and called out to an attendant who was walking near by. The attendant was prompt and he got Tess a wheelchair and helped her into and wheeled her to the hospital while Jason locked the car and then got the bags and all.

He found Tess waiting in the reception area as the receptionist found her room and called for her doctor. He stood next to her and dropped a kiss on her forehead and squeezed her shoulders comfortingly. Inwardly he was panicking but he couldn't let himself go to pieces, not when Tess needed him. Tess smiled up at him wanly. Her fear showed more plainly on her face.

Soon enough the others arrived.

Nate wrung Jason's hand warmly while Shane clapped him on the back. Jason smiled back weakly. He was going to be father soon. The thought was exciting and yet terrifying at the same time.

Caitlyn and Mitchie gave Tess hugs. Caitlyn whispered words of encouragements into her ears and Tess smiled back, feeling a little emotional and overwhelmed.

Nine months and they had finally reached the end. Soon enough, hopefully, she'd be holding her baby in her hands. But she wasn't ready. She didn't know what to do and there was a tiny person depending on her. Tess had never felt so scared in her whole life.

What is everything went wrong?

"Ms. Tyler, your room number is 207 and I've paged Dr. Martindale. She should be here soon." The nurse smiled pleasantly and the attendant wheeled her to the lift and Jason followed. He gripped the bag tightly. He wanted to make everything better for Tess but he didn't know how.

-

Soon enough the labor pains kicked in but there was nothing Dr. Martindale could do except tell Tess regretfully that there was nothing much that could be done because the baby hadn't started crowning as yet.

Jason held Tess's hand tightly all through the contractions and helped her do her breathing exercises. At times she gripped his hand so hard that he felt he blanched from the pain and thought it was going to break for sure. But Jason was a fair guy if nothing and he reminded himself that if his hand broke, it was the damn sperms' faults not his. He was just a vessel of sorts for the Y chromosome.

Meanwhile, Tess's forehead was bathed in perspiration and she felt like strangling someone with her bare hands. Pregnancy was supposed to inspire happiness but all she was feeling now was a lot of pain and exhaustion. Jason was being a dear and holding her hands and wiping her forehead and she felt terribly bad for almost cracking his hands on some occasions but it was as if he were her only link. That's why she didn't even feel like letting go.

At that moment Dr. Martindale walked in and checked on the baby's progress. She put Tess's gown back down and smiled at her.

"Ms. Tyler, the baby's head is crowning, start pushing." With that she went back under the gown, to receive the baby.

Tess stared at Jason with a mixture of fear and apprehension.

"Come on sweetheart, you can do it," Jason said encouragingly and gave her soft kiss on the forehead.

For the next two hours Tess pushed and pushed as hard as she could. Sometimes she felt so tired and just wanted to give up but Dr. Martindale and Jason kept encouraging her to keep going. And so she did.

Just when she thought she was going to collapse from exhaustion, the doctor congratulated her and she could hear the shrill cry of a little person who had just come into the world.

Tess weakly craned her head and saw a tiny little person covered in blood and fluids wriggling in the doctor's arms. Jason looked stunned and she herself felt equally stunned. There had been a little person growing inside of her all these month and that was that little person.

"Congratulations Mr. Gray and Ms. Tyler. You have a lovely little boy."

Jason was the first to find his voice, "Oh my god, look Tess, we have a little baby boy." Tears were streaming down his face and when he bent down to kiss Tess, even she was crying hard. The both clung to each other for a few moments, so in love and so happy.

Dr. Martindale handed the baby over to a nurse to get him cleaned and Tess's eyes followed him. She couldn't wait to hold him in her arms and look into his little face.

The nurse handed him over to her swaddled in blue cloth and Tess accepted him gingerly, afraid that she would harm him in some way or the other. Jason sat down beside her and they both gazed into the infant's face. It was wrinkly and puckered and yet Tess and Jason could feel their hearts brim over with emotion. This little boy was their very own creation.

Once more Tess felt her eyes flood with tears.

"He's the handsomest baby I've ever seen," she whispered to Jason as she marveled over his each tiny feature and the way his hands were tightly furled.

Jason nodded as he hesitantly reached out to touch his son's cheek. It was soft and warm and Jason could feel pride burst through his veins.

"I think this is the proudest and happiest moment of my life," he said to Tess as he kissed her.

The nurse came to them smiling and said that she had to take the baby way and put him in the nursery so that Tess could have some rest before giving the baby his first feed. Both of them didn't want to let go the baby, no their son but the nurse was quite firm.

"I suppose you had better take some rest know. If the kid is truly our kid, then he's going to run you ragged." Jason said with a grin as he tucked Tess into the bed. Tess would have replied with something witty and snarky but she was far too tired. And happy. So she just stuck out her tongue at Jason and smiled as he gave her a kiss.

Jason smiled when he saw that Tess had immediately fallen asleep. He sent up a quick prayer of thanks, grateful for the fact that women were such wonderful people for going through so much pain to bring a new person into the world and that he was glad that he was in love with a girl like Tess who was going to be wonderful mother and who obviously loved him enough to go through this pregnancy and not even try to strangle him even once.

He couldn't wait to tell the other's now.

-

Jason walked out as quickly as he could even though he wanted to run and found his friends sitting in the waiting area with tense looks on their faces.

"You guys, I'm a father!" Jason yelled as soon as he got close enough to them. Caitlyn was the first to tackle hug him and pretty soon, Jason was buried under a group hug.

"I'm so happy for you Jason!" Nate said looking extremely excited.

"So tell us, is it a boy or a girl?" Shane asked excitedly as he hopped from one foot to another.

"It's a boy," Jason said beaming widely.

"Yes! I can't wait to be the cool uncle who introduces him to hot girls." This earned Shane a sharp whack on the head from Mitchie.

"Excuse my idiotic boyfriend Jason." Mitchie said apologetically to Jason as she then turned on Shane and glared. "You will do no such thing." Shane pouted at this but he couldn't stay grumpy for very long, given the circumstances.

"Is Tess awake?" Caitlyn asked. She wanted to go congratulate her and tell her that her parents couldn't be here because they were out of town and couldn't get a return flight until tomorrow morning. Also Jason's family was still on the way.

"Nah, she was pretty tired so they made her take rest." Caitlyn nodded. She could always tell Tess later.

"You know Jason, why don't you go and get some rest too. We can go see the baby ourselves." Nate said kindly as he took in Jason's haggard appearance. Though Jason was happy, he was tired and he looked wiped out.

Jason looked doubtfully at them but the other's urged him on so he dragged himself back to the room.

Tess was sound asleep and he brought up a chair near the bed and tiredly fell into it.

He took Tess's hand in his and in a few moments he was a fast asleep too.

But before he went to sleep, there was one quick thought that flashed through his head.

That he was luckiest and most blessed man ever.

-

Meanwhile, Nate, Caitlyn, Mitchie and Shane had obtained permission to see the baby.

Shane peered into the cradle where the baby was sound asleep.

"He looks very wrinkly," Shane said critically. Mitchie once again whacked him on the head and led him out to give him a stern talking too despite his wounded protests. Nate and Caitlyn watched him amusement and then went back to looking at their nephew. Well he wasn't related by blood but Nate and Caitlyn considered themselves his aunt and uncles anyways.

"I never did understand why people raved about having kids and becoming parents but when I look at this little guy's face and I look at all the tired but ecstatic parents, it finally makes sense," Nate said thoughtfully.

Caitlyn gave him a peck on the cheek. Nate was so serious and reserved and a little awkward around children so she was glad to see that he finally saw what made all the pain and frustration and anxiety worth it. But she wouldn't push the subject now. She didn't want to scare him off just yet.

"We could just lift one from here and run away. No one would ever know." She said lightly as she watched her nephews purse his lips and move his little hands.

"Let us." At this Caitlyn's head shot up.

"I was kidding," she said warily.

"I'm not," Nate said grinning, his eyes alight.

Now it was Nate's turn to be whacked on the head and shepherded outside to receive a lecture from Caitlyn about the inadvisability of napping someone else's kids.

Meanwhile, the baby just slumbered on as did two exhausted new parents in a room a little distance away.

They had an appointment with each other later on today.

Because baby made three.

A new family.

-