Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the little plot bunny (kinder!)
A/N: So the real HEA is upon us here ;) Hope you enjoy!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- When The Sky Falls -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"You do realise I never expected to be in here waiting for you to give birth while Derek goes and alerts the masses," Drew said blankly and looked at Penelope as gave him a tired grin. "I mean never ever did I expect to be waiting on my sister to give me a nephew."
"Or a niece," Penelope told him back quickly.
"Nah, me and Derek are rooting for a little boy," He told her smoothly and coolly as he remained leaning over onto the bed from the foot of it. "I guess I'll have to be fine with a niece," He teased Penelope.
Penelope laughed at that and his attitude. Moving slowly, she arched her back against the discomfort and shifted to lay on her side. "By the feel of it, you'll be waiting another nine months to meet whatever baby Morgan has been baking in my belly."
Laughing a little, Drew looked at the monitors that were tracing both Penelope's and the baby's heart beat before looking at back at his sister, "I guess it might feel like that, but that baby will be in your arms before you know it."
"See, I knew there was a reason I kept you around and I knew it was more than just for that smile," Penelope responded as she felt the discomfort escalating even more, and felt her brother responding to it just as Derek walked into the room.
"We've got a brood of excited messes," Derek said as he noticed Penelope's mood and expression. "How's it going?"
"Slowly," Penelope said as her hand slipped to grip the railing on the bed as a contraction cascaded her body and took over her ability to do anything else in that moment. Even without a groan, Derek was right by her bedside soothing her how she had only imagined he would; massaging her back, holding her hand as she squeezed it tightly.
"They're getting closer," Drew pointed out, "It's been less than four minutes now."
"Well good," Penelope said strained, "It's about time these contractions got closer together." She relaxed and rolled onto her back a little, looking up at Derek. "How longs it been?"
He checked his watch and counted, "Coming on nine hours so far, Baby, but if you're getting closer then surely you won't have much longer."
As the midwife came in, Drew stood up and went and gave Penelope a kiss, "Dibs on third hugs." He told her jokingly, "I'll be just outside, Penny." He told her, leaving Derek alone to do what he needed to do, to be the sole support that Penelope needed.
It was hours later that Penelope could feel that something wasn't quite right, but Derek seemed to be able to keep a lid on both of their worries, allowing the doctor and nurses to do their job as the new morning settled in slowly. It was still dark outside, but the sun was causing a light burst across the horizon. It looked much like the sky did that fateful day when survival was their only option.
The doctor looked up at the nurse next to her, "I need you to call ahead to OR two, tell them to prep for us if we need it."
"OR?" Penelope gasped, her nerves breaking. She looked up at Derek for help, "Derek? What does she mean OR?"
"Penelope," The doctor spoke up before Derek could soften Penelope with sweet lies, "It's just that you've been in labour a long time, and you've not progressed very far. The baby will soon become distressed and we want to avoid that at all costs. Plus the longer we withhold, the more you're body is going to exhaust itself."
Derek, sensing Penelope's distress looked down at her, "Hey, hey, this is going to be fine. You're going to be fine, Baby Girl. Whatever happens, everything is going to work out just okay. You just gotta believe with me and have faith in the doctor okay?" Watching her nod panicky at him, he smiled, "Everything's going to be okay." He repeated as if a mantra. "You survived the end of the world, you can get through this."
"Penelope, we're going to try one more try to get this moving along before we decide where to take this," The doctor told her and prepared a needle ready to inject. "This should fasten everything up and fully dilate you. Then it should be easy running from there." She administered the drug with ease and confidence, "But you're doing amazingly so far."
Trying to remain calm, Penelope took the strength that Derek was bringing to the room, and used it. She could feel herself trying to calm the best she could, but she knew the more she tired, the more likely rash emergency actions were needed. She just hoped that whatever the doctor had given was going to work and make this pregnancy be easy.
She didn't want to believe her luck had run out today of all days.
Groaning she felt a contraction take over and went with it as she had been for hours now. She let it grip her body, and as it calmed and the next one kicked in not long after, she knew her progress was a lot faster than it had been. She could feel her body readying for the last run of the labour. Penelope was just praying it wasn't her wishful thinking kicking in.
She knew that wasn't true when she felt the urge to push and the doctor encouraged her profusely to push as much as she could to deliver this baby. She knew it wasn't her imagination as her grip tightened even more than humanly possible around Derek's and she felt the strain happening on her body and the exhaustion clinging to her every fibre even more.
Then she felt a rush of relief wash over her entire body.
Having heard the first cry, both Derek and Penelope broke their resolve and relished the sound. After a long and difficult birth they were finally parents.
Derek looked down at his wife and saw how in all her exhaustion and worry, she was now completely relaxed. "We did it," he whispered as he kissed her, "You did it, Baby Girl." He continued, trying his hardest not to cry at the moment, he couldn't withhold his joy entirely and wiped a tear away quickly before catching Penelope's.
"We'll clean up and then we'll allow the new parents to have a few moments alone," The doctor said, but could tell both parents were now on a new high awaiting to hold their newborn daughter.
"You are amazing," Derek said as Penelope remained slumped tiredly against his chest, her face glistening with the last remnants of perspiration, her eyes heavy with wary exhaustion after hours of labour. He just held her as she readied to get her first cuddle that had seemed to be once a million light years away and was now a moment of minutes away.
Watching a nurse approach with a small bundle in her eyes, she smiled as she laid the baby onto Penelope's chest gently, "There you go," she said softly as the baby squirmed a little before settling. "She's a very healthy little girl. Ten fingers, ten toes."
Penelope smiled and felt Derek plant a kiss to her forehead before she even looked at her daughter.
Looking down at the little pink bundle in her arms, Penelope couldn't quite believe that she was now a mom. After six months of knowing and waiting, this was entirely different. This was better than ever being told you were pregnant.
"Hey baby," she said tearfully and smiled as Derek leant in, "I'm your mommy, and this is your daddy and we love you very, very much," she told her daughter and kissed her forehead.
"Thank you," Derek told her and kissed her to show her just a little dose of his gratitude to giving him one of the best gifts ever.
"She needs a name," Penelope replied and smiled up at Derek. They were still searching for the most perfect name for their daughter and were still undecided.
Derek could see his wife's energy dropping more and more, "I think knowing she's loved is more important for the meantime, Baby Girl." Derek told her and kissed her, "We'll think of a perfect name."
"Guess we just needed to meet her before we decided."
"Exactly," He said happily, "Want me to go and tell everyone to come in?" He watched Penelope nod before he took one last look at his family and left a proud man.
Moments later Drew stepped into the room, followed by everyone else. Penelope shot him an exhausted smirk and waited for everyone to gather. Derek squeezed passed and resumed his place on the edge of the bed with his wife and daughter.
"It's a girl," Drew spoke up, stating the obvious and Penelope laughed at his tone.
"So I guess you'll have to love her," Penelope teased back with a wink before the congratulations and rounds of admirations came.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- When The Sky Falls -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-