I hate to do this, but this is the end! If it's any comfort at all there will be an epilogue soon. Thank you for all of your support throughout this process! Enjoy!

Chapter Nineteen

Whatever Charlie had put in Ella's tea really worked. She didn't wake up until the next evening. The same hazy fog surrounded her, but it quickly disappeared and the previous days' memories hit her like a freight train. She didn't want to get up, but her stomach growled ferociously. When she got heavily to her feet it wasn't for her, but for the baby.

Tying her robe above her swollen stomach, Ella made her way heavily down the stairs. In the kitchen, she completely ignored George who was sitting at the kitchen with his large hands wrapped around a steaming mug of tea. She went about making some peanut butter toast and taking her potion.

"Ella-" George whispered her name.

Before he could blink Ella had cut him off. "You know, George, there was a reason I wasn't excited to have this baby, but you didn't understand why. Maybe you get it now." She put her hands on the counter and took a deep breath. "If I'm going to have to do this on my own, let's not pretend otherwise."

"You don't have to do this alone," George said weakly. "I want to be here."

"Clearly you want to be here so much that you left without a word yesterday." She put a hand to her stomach.

"I panicked, Ella. It's all so real now." His hand ran though his red hair. "I don't know if I'm ready for this."

Ella winced slightly and rubbed her belly. "I've panicked for eight months, George. Unfortunately, I can't walk away from this. But you, you just feel free to walk away whenever this gets too real for you." She took a deep breath as the baby kicked hard. "If this is how it's going to be I don't want to raise this baby together."

Ella inhaled sharply. The baby was restless.

"Ella, don't say that to me. I want this to work. It has to." George stood up and moved toward his wife. "I can figure this out."

Gripping the counter, Ella looked up at George. The baby wasn't restless, it was coming. "I can't give you any more time to figure out."

"I know you've given me thousands of chances, El. I've screwed up countless times, but I only need one more chance." He hung his head.

"George, you are so bloody thick. I can't give you any more time because the baby is coming." Ella groaned quietly as the first real contraction rolled over her.

George's head snapped up and he could only stare.

"As in we need to go to the Burrow," Ella said softly.

"Right!" George snapped into action and ran upstairs. Ella tidied up the kitchen to keeper herself from worry too much.

George came back downstairs with a bag and car keys in his hand. Mr. Weasley, as he had done for all of his children so far, had given George the old Ford Anglia, because it was the safest mode of transportation for an expecting woman. "Ready?" George asked nervously.

"That doesn't really matter, does it?" Ella asked. The pain hadn't really set in on her yet and she walked out of the house and got settled in the car.

By the time they reached the Burrow the pain had gotten progressively worse. Ella clung to George's hand as they entered the house. He must've notified Mrs. Weasley, because she was waiting at the door for them.

"How do you feel, dear?" She asked with a cheery smile. It was much easier to become a grandmother than a mother.

"Like I'm being repeatedly run over by a train," Ella replied dryly.

"Well it's only going to get worse before it can get better." Mrs. Weasley led them upstairs and George deposited the bag.

"I'll be back in a bit. You don't need me just yet." Mrs. Weasley at the pair, having no idea of their strife under the surface.

They looked at each other uncertainly, clearly never having been in such a situation. Another fierce pain rolled over Ella and she pressed a hand to her stomach. "It felt better when we moved," she muttered through clenched teeth.

George slipped his hand in hers and led her out of the bedroom and down a hallway. They ended up in the back yard with a great view of the orchard that was just down the hill.

"Ella," George said quietly.

"I don't want to talk about it right now, George," she said.

"What do you want right now?" He asked, rubbing her upper arms.

"I don't know."

And so they walked and walked until Ella knew with an intense certainty that she had to go inside. George kissed her on the mouth before opening the door and helping her up the stairs.

-ooooOoooo-

"It's a boy!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed nearly three hours later.

Ella slumped back on the pillows and George wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her temple. Ella watched in sister-in-laws clean the baby off. The baby wailed loudly and only quit when he was wrapped tightly in a soft blanket.

Mrs. Weasley gingerly placed the bundle in Ella's arms. George reached around to help hold his son.

Ella gazed down at the baby she held. In all reality, her son wasn't adorable. His skin was purplish, his eyes were shut tight, and he looked very similar to an extremely old man. Despite all of that, however, Ella had never felt such a love. She had been instantly bonded to the young life she held. Tears pricked her green eyes and she stroked the baby's plump cheek.

"Fred," George said quietly next to her.

"Ella nodded. "Fred."

Everyone in the room was crying, but Mrs. Weasley was still in her authority comfort zone. "You need to feed him, dear," she said quietly.

"Alright. Do you have a bottle made for him?" Ella asked.

All of the women looked scandalized at the request.

"Ella, dear, it would be much better for him if-" Mrs. Weasley began.

"Molly, don't tell me what is best for him. I'm his mother," Ella cut her mother-in-law off and the women were even more shocked.

"But really, dear, everyone else thought that being so close to their babies was a wonderful experience." Mrs. Weasley put her hands on her hips.

Ella, still very hormonal, wasn't willing to give an inch. "That's all well and good, but I'm not doing it. I've done everything else like you've wanted me to, but not this."

"Just make a bloody bottle, Mum," George sighed.

Mrs. Weasley huffed and went to make a bottle. A few minutes later it was handed to Ella.

"Let's leave the new family alone, give them some peace," Mrs. Weasley said, shooing the other women out in front of her.

Ella put the bottle to Fred's rosebud lips and nudged it into his mouth. It took a minute, but the baby began to eat for the first time.

"Can I have a minute?" Ella asked, not looked up at George.

He didn't say anything, just got up and shut the door quietly behind him. Ella stared down at the baby in her arms. Her eyes welled with tears, but she didn't bother to wipe them away.

Fred opened his eyes and looked at Ella for the first time. His eyes were the standard issue blue of all babies, but Ella knew without a doubt that they would eventually mirror George's brown ones. She also knew without a doubt that Fred's brown eyes wouldn't be the only ones she would want to look at when they left the Burrow.

When George came back in the room Ella began to speak before he closed the door.

"I want this to work, George. I want our son to know what a family is. He deserves that. I want him to know his parents together, because that's when they're at their best." George sat next to his wife and baby. He pulled Ella closer to him and kissed her temple.

"I won't' have this conversation again. It works this time or it doesn't, because now it's not just you and me. It's about the baby." Ella looked up at George.

He only nodded and kissed her lips deeply.

"I love you," he whispered, his forehead resting on Ella's. He looked down at Fred and bushed his soft cheek with the back of his knuckles. "I love you both."

The End

There you go! I hope you loved it! Thanks again for all of your support! I love reviews!

Happy reading,

Avonmora