Jane held the precious bundle close to her as she looked with adoration into her new daughter's sweet sleeping face; all thoughts of the excruciating pain of a 15 hour labour a distance memory as she memorized her beautiful baby face eternally into her mind and heart.
Her beautiful daughter who was blessed with a cap of dark hair, a cute button nose, adorably pointy ears and her father's (and grandmothers) deep soulful brown eyes.
Yes. Her daughter was a dead ringer for her faithless father and Jane lips twitched into a smile despite herself as she imagined Spock's face when he saw his doppelganger daughter for the first time.
Jane shouldn't have bothered for a genetic work up after all; her daughters paternity was written all over her beautiful small face.
"Have you decided on a name yet?" The blonde nurse who had been assigned to her looked up from Jane chart.
Still staring in wonder at her sleeping baby face, Jane just shook her head "Not yet."
There was a knock on the door and Amanda peeked in "Can I come in?" she asked sounding characteristically unsure of herself.
Looking at the woman that she could privately admit to herself, who had been a god send from the very moment Jane water had broke.
Amanda had steadfastly refused to leave her (ex) daughter in law side for even one moment, much to Jane's unspoken relief; the one part of labour she had been dreading had been the fact that she had known from the start that she would fact it alone.
Amanda had not even spoken Spock's name, which considering how loyal and loving a mother she was much had been hard work.
No, all Amanda had done, was support and encouraged Jane through the fifteen agonizing hours it had taken to bring Jane's daughter and Amanda's granddaughter safely into the world.
"Of course" Jane said softly, smiling gently as her daughter who was blinkingly waking up and looking solemnly at her mother "Would you like a hold?"
All anger at her (ex) mother in law had drained away as Amanda had patiently encouraged her through her hard labour; bringing her ice chips and wiping the sweat off of her face and now all she felt was gratitude towards the woman who was looking at her daughter with such awe and love.
Arm stretched out eagerly, Amanda readily took the precious bundle from Jane's arms as she lovingly gathered her first born grandchild against her chest, blinking back tears as she looked into her grandchild's eerily familiar, solemn face "She looks just like Spock did when he was a baby"
"I know" Jane said soberly; she had oohed and aahed over Spock's baby photos that Amanda had pressed upon her on the first formal 'in law' meeting and the resemblance between father and daughter was remarkable.
Jane watched as tears started to pool in Amanda eyes and drip slowly down her face, "I never thought this moment would happen" Amanda admitted. "We were told from birth that Spock was sterile. That he would never be able to have children of his own due to his hybrid nature which rendered him sterile"
Jane was lost for words as the reality of Spock's defence of his crimes against her hit home as she watched with prim and proper Mother in law dissolve into tears; how awe inspiring must this moment be for Amanda? To hold the grandchild that she never dreamed she would have.
And how more awesome would it be for Spock? To look at and behold a child that he was always told (and mocked came a cynical voice in Jane's head.) was an impossibility
"I thought we might call her Isobel" Jane cleared her voice, the decision about her child's name suddenly clear..
"Isobel?" Amanda's head snapped up "Like..." she left it hanging.
"After your mother. After Spock's grandmother" Spock had always spoken with a quiet reverence about his grandmother; a woman who had delighted in Spock's once a year visits to earth.
A woman who had loved Spock almost as much as his much loved mother and who had died just before Spock had bucked his father's expectation and refused the VSA and entered Star fleet at eighteen.
Once when they were discussing the possibilities of adoption as a way to have children, Spock had spoken of his desire to name his daughter after the woman who had meant so much to both himself and his mother.
Jane had rejected the name out of hand during her pregnancy, Spock's betrayal cutting like a knife but now as she looked at Isobel cradled so lovingly in her grandmothers arm Jane could not imagine another name that would suit her daughter more.
"Isobel" Amanda breathed, running one gentle hand over a plumb, smooth cheek.
"Isobel Kirk" Jane confirmed.
A nurse, brunette this time, wandered in and looked indulgently at the scene in front of her before saying "Your bond mate is outside" pausing she added with a questioning tone "It mentioned in your file that he would need your permission to see your daughter..." The nurses curiosity over Jane's request and subsequent private life was rampant in her eyes as she added "And you"
The moment broken, Jane looked at the nurse in a daze "Spock is outside" she questioned as her eyes travelled to her suddenly tense mother in law.
"I informed him of his daughter's birth" Amanda said seeing the question in Jane's eyes.
Closing her eyes for a moment Jane took a deep breath. What had she expected? Amanda was Spock's mother after all; her loyalty was clear.
And Spock did after all have a right to know he was a father and hadn't she promised her daughter (and Spock) that she would never try to deny them knowledge or a relationship with each other.
Wasn't that the reason she had sent the genetic testing results to Spock in the first place?
Not so she could win back her faithless bond mate but so her daughter could have a father:
A father who was apparently eager to meet her.
"It's fine" she reassured both the nurse and her nervous mother in law "You can let him in"
The nurse smiled and went to retrieve the waiting Vulcan.
"Thank you" Amanda murmured
"I'm not doing this for Spock" Jane wanted to make that clear "Or you for that matter." Jane informed her. The only reason I am letting Spock through that door is because Isobel does have a right to know her father. "
"Yes she does" Amanda agreed "And Spock will make a good father if you will let him"
"As long as he is a better father than he was a bondmate" Jane said more meanly than she had meant to, regretting the words almost from the instant they left her mouth.
Amanda's eyes dropped to the loved bundle in her arms and Jane sighed suddenly remorseful; why did she always put her foot in it?
Spock of course chose that moment to enter the room; his face showing no emotion as he took in the sight in front of him; his wife in the white sheeted bed and his mother seated beside the bed cradling a swaddled bundle in her arms.
His facial expression did not change but his eyes dwelled solely and seemingly hungrily on the pink blanketed bundle and he walked forward towards her and his mother, even as Amanda rose from her seat.
Before he reached his apparent target however he turned to his wife who was watching his approach warily "Jane" he greeted her; although he longed to call her another name "Are you well? The hospital would not give me any personal information about you while I waited."
"You waited" Jane's face reflected her surprise."How long have you been at the hospital?"
"I messaged Spock the moment you went into labour" Amanda confessed.
"And you came to the hospital; even though you knew I would not see you?"Damn hormones Jane could not help but think as a lump rose in her throat.
"I could not do anything else when my bondmate was giving birth to my child." Spock told her quietly.
"Why did you not tell me Spock was at the hospital" Jane demanded looking at Amanda.
"You were in such pain, the birth was a long and hard one" Amanda frowned "And I didn't think you would want to know; it is not like you would have wanted him there as you gave birth"
"NO" Jane shook her head vehemently,
"But your health is optimal?" Spock obviously was trying to change the topic.
"I'm fine" Jane shrugged.
"Fine has variable definitions" Spock told her with familiar worry in his voice "Fine is unacceptable."
"I am in excellent health" Jane held back a laugh "Considering I just gave birth to a 8 pound six baby."
"The baby" Spock moved towards his mother once again.
"Is in perfect health too" Jane said softly "She is just... perfect."
Amanda had also moved closer to Spock; obviously ready to transfer the precious bundle into her father's eager (maybe not noticeably so to a stranger; but Jane had been bonded to Spock for over 2 years) arms.
Spock however froze and turned slightly towards Jane again "May I?"
Jane's icy heart melted just ever so slightly at the vulnerable look in her (ex) bondmates eyes "I think she wants to meet her daddy." She told him thickly; emotions rising (hey she had just given birth) "Go on"
Spock turned back to his mother (and daughter) arms reaching out as he awkwardly removed his daughter from Amanda's arms and settled her into his chest, his expression the most open Jane had ever seen it as he looked adoringly at his new daughter who looked just as transfixed back.
Jane felt tears rise to her eyes as she took in the scene in front of her of her serious, stern (ex) bond mate holding the small bundle so carefully and tenderly in his arms as he looked into his new daughter face with a look of upmost awe and love in his eyes.
"What did you choose to name her" He asked softly.
"Isobel "Jane told him just as softly, looking intently at him; she knew what this would mean for him even if, in true Vulcan style, he would never admit it.
Spocks brown eyes cut to meet her blue ones a look of soft wonder in them "Jane..." he was uncharacteristically lost for words.
"Thank you" he finally managed to edge out... "Th'yla"
