A/N: Big thanks to everyone who's read the entire thing. As long as I keep getting reviews, I will keep writing this.

"Do you want me to call anyone? Your mum? Dad?" Charlie and Claire had been in the hospital for over an hour, and the doctor predicted it would be awhile longer before the baby was born. While Claire lay on the bed breathing heavily and waiting for the next contraction to hit, Charlie paced nervously. They had never really discussed Claire's family before and now was an uncomfortable time to bring them up.

"I never really knew my father, and my mum...she wouldn't come." Charlie nodded as if he understood, but looked curious too. He didn't dare ask any more questions.

"Well your aunt then? You're close with her right? Or maybe Karen? She went through this, and I was a bloody wreck then too. Although that was because Liam wasn't there-"

"Charlie," Claire rolled her eyes as she cut him off. Whenever he was nervous he talked too fast and ended up babbling on and on until someone stopped him.

"Right. Sorry. So your Aunt. Lindsay right? Should I call her or not?" Claire had barely spoken to her aunt since the day she told her she was keeping the baby. She wasn't too sure that Lindsay would want to be involved so she was about to say no when another contraction came on. Claire bit her lip and nodded as she clutched her belly. When Charlie came back a few minutes later the pain had subsided and she leaned back against her pillows. "She didn't answer, I left a message."

"Thanks," Claire said.

"No problem."

"No, I mean thanks for everything. Without you, I would have been in that plane crash, probably dead. I wouldn't be keeping my baby, that's for sure."

"Don't worry about it," Charlie replied easily. "I got myself out of the crash too." He paused. "So what are you going to name the baby?" Claire hadn't even thought of that, which seemed silly after all the planning she had done over the last four weeks.

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"Well if it's a boy, I'd say Charlie. It's fitting for a strong, good looking lad. Don't you agree?" Claire laughed.

"And for a girl?"

"You know, Charlie can be a girls name too." Claire shook her head.

"You're not helping."

"OK, OK, seriously? I always imagined if I had a son that I would name him Dexter, after my great-grandfather. For a girl, I don't know. I like the name Julia."

"Dexter." Claire repeated. "You would name your son that?"

"After my great-grandfather! He was a brilliant man! What have you got then?"

"My mum's name is Carole," Claire replied quietly. "I thought about having a daughter and naming her that."

"That's good." Again, he didn't ask questions, but the way he looked at her suggested that he wanted to know more.

"When I was a teenager, we were in a car wreck, me and my mum. I was fine, but she...they don't think she will ever wake up." Charlie sat down in the chair beside her bed and held her hand in his. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. "What was that for?" She asked when he pulled away. Charlie shrugged.

"Does it need a reason?"

"No, I guess not. What do you think of the name Aaron?"

"I myself still prefer Charlie, but Aaron's pretty nice as far as names go. What made you think of that?"

"I don't know, I just like it."

"Fair enough. Do you want to play a game while we wait?"

"What kind of a game?" Claire asked suspiciously. Just then the door burst open and Lindsay walked into the room.

"Claire, I need to talk to you. Alone." She could tell by the tone in her voice that this was not going to be good. She glanced nervously from Lindsay to Charlie and then back again.

"I can't really leave." Lindsay glared at Charlie who got up immediately.

"No, Charlie, you don't have to go."

"It's fine, I'll go get a snack." Once Charlie had left the room, Lindsay took his seat beside Claire.

"Claire, you really don't know what you are getting into do you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I just got a message, from him, that you were in labor. I can't let you do this. Your mother wouldn't want it."

"What wouldn't she want?"

"Now listen, I watched her go through this with you and your father. He said he would be there for you two, but in the end he ran off to be with his wife and son- his real family."

"Charlie is not like that. You can't judge a guy you've never even met Aunt Lindsay! The baby isn't even his, he doesn't need to be here."

"Well you certainly can't do this by yourself can you? You may think you are making the right decision but you have no idea." Claire was shocked by the way her aunt was reacting. Just because her father had abandoned Claire and her mother, that didn't mean Charlie would abandon her too. They were two completely different people.

"What do you want me to do? He drove me to the hospital, he's been sitting with me all this time, he lives with me! He's staying, and if you don't like it, don't be a part of my baby's life." Lindsay looked as if she had been slapped.

"Fine then." Lindsay stood up to leave. "Have a great life with your rock star boyfriend." She added sarcastically before exiting.

"Well," Charlie said as he walked in, a package of cupcakes in his hand, "That seemed to go quite lovely." Claire was about to respond before she felt another contraction.

"Oh God, I think they're getting closer together now."

"Really?" Charlie stood up so fast he dropped his cupcake. "You think you're going to have it now?" The doctor walked in just then and smiled.

"Did I hear something about having a baby right now?" After a quick check, the doctor confirmed, "It looks like it's just about time."

- - - - - - -

"Push! Push! Come on Claire, you're almost done!" Claire concentrated on Charlie's words and no one else's as she gave birth. She squeezed his hand so hard that she was afraid she was breaking his bones.

"I can't push anymore!" She declared. The nurse said something then, something that Claire did not hear.

"Look at me, Claire. I know you can do this just look at me and squeeze my hand as hard as it hurts." Claire nodded and briefly heard the doctor speak.

"One final push should get the head out."

"Did you hear that Claire? One more and you have a baby!" With Charlie's encouragement, Claire gave one final push and heard the cry of an infant.

"It's a boy!" A few seconds later the baby was cleaned up and placed in Claire's lap.

"I have a son!" Claire laughed with joy and kissed the top of her baby's head. "I have a son!"