Chapter 28

Dropping into a chair that was standing opposite to the delivery room, Dave let his head fall into his hands. Never before in his entire 54 years had he felt so helpless, so completely out of control as in this moment. Not knowing what was going on in there, how serious JJ's or the baby's condition was, he felt like he was about to lose his mind. Usually one to pace around nervously, he now couldn't even raise his head. He just sat there, motionless, hoping and praying that God wouldn't take them away from him. For a second, the thought of calling Hotch and his mother flashed through his mind, but it was gone just as fast before he could act on it.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting there in the cold, white neon lights of the hospital floor. It could have been hours for all he knew, or maybe only minutes after all, but when he suddenly heard the loud cries of his newborn baby erupting from inside, his head jerked up. These cries were the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard, and it felt as if at least part of the heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders.

Feeling the first tears run down his cheeks, he stood up and went over to the door, trying to get a look at what was going on inside, hoping that someone was going to come over and tell him.

He didn't have to wait too long until one of the nurses came out, even though it had felt like an eternity again.

"Mr. Rossi? Congratulations, you're having a beautiful baby daughter."

Dave was stunned. "A girl? Really? I-I mean... Is she okay?" he stuttered as more and more tears began to run freely. "Wh-what about Jennifer?"

"Your wife's being taken care of at the moment. It wasn't as dramatic as it looked like, but when her blood pressure dropped, we opted for the anesthesia as a precaution. The doctor's stitching the wound up as we speak, and she should wake up in about an hour. The pediatrician is currently examining your daughter, but she appears to be nothing but a healthy little baby." The nurse explained with Dave hanging on her lips, taking in every single word she said.

Dave let out a relieved sigh and sent a quick prayer to heaven, a small smile appearing on his face as he asked: "When can I see her? Them, I mean?"

"The doctor will be done in a few minutes. I'll get you then. Your wife will be brought back into her room later and you can go to her with your daughter once we're finished."

He nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes as the nurse went back inside. This time pacing up and down the floor while he waited, he thanked all his lucky stars that everything had apparently ended so well. He noticed just now that the nurse had referred to JJ as his wife all the time, and he hadn't even thought about correcting her. Smiling lightly at this thought, he realized that that was what he eventually wanted Jennifer to be. But with everything that had happened between them, this goal would be pretty hard to achieve, and he knew it would take time. Right now, all he cared about, though, was that they were both okay, his Jennifer, and his daughter. Everything else would come with time.

"Mr. Rossi?" The nurse called for him about ten minutes later. "You can come with me now."

He followed her into the room next to the delivery ward were JJ was still lying, and the first thing he saw was the pediatrician walking towards him with the small bundle on his arms that was his daughter.

"Congratulations, Mr. Rossi. You have a strong and healthy daughter," he said, placing the baby who was loosely wrapped in a white towel, carefully into his waiting arms. Dave began to cry again as he looked at his daughter for the first time, wondering how he could ever even have thought about not wanting to be in her life. She was the most beautiful and innocent thing he'd ever seen, with her little arms and legs sticking out of the towel, and currently crying on top of her lungs. Pressing her carefully and protectively against his chest, not caring that she was still covered in blood, he whispered softly: "Shh, sweetheart, Daddy's here," rubbing a gentle hand up and down her small back.

"Mr. Rossi, why don't you follow me. We're going to weigh and measure her and you can help me bathe and dress her." The nurse suggested after a few minutes.

Dave nodded, but looked uncertainly over to the other room were JJ was.

"Don't worry, Sir. When we're finished with your daughter, your wife will be brought to her room and you both can go see her."

She held out her arm, and had Dave come with her.

"So, have you and Jennifer already decided for a name?" She asked him, taking the girl out of his arms, and removing the towel before placing her onto the balance.

"I...we," Dave stuttered. Finding coherent words still seemed somewhat impossible for him. "I-I mean, no, we haven't decided yet." He realized just now that they hadn't actually spoken about names, at least not seriously. "I want Jennifer to decide for a name," he murmured more to himself than to the nurse, who was more focused on the balance anyway.

"6 lb, 6 oz," she said contently, picking the baby up again and laid her down on the examination table.

Being totally naked again, the little girl made sure to let her displeasure be known to everyone.

"You're taking after your Daddy then, I'm guessing," the nurse chuckled, winking at Dave as she thought about the scene from earlier in the operating room. Dave only smiled proudly as the nurse continued.

"Just a few more minutes, sweetheart, and you'll be all warm and dry in your daddy's arms again," she went on trying to calm down the little girl as she handled with the tape measure.

"The head circumference is 13'', and overall she's 18"9 long," she informed Dave. "You're a tiny little princess, aren't you, sweetheart? Come on, let's have your first bath."

She gestured Dave to follow her to a washbowl, which was already prepared with warm water.

"You know how to do this, Daddy?" The nurse asked Dave, who nodded, having helped JJ with Henry a couple of times when the boy was younger.

Taking his daughter into his arms, the nurse was impressed at how professionally he held her and cleaned her tiny body.

"This is not your first kid, huh?" She asked, grinning widely.

"Well, it sort of is," Dave replied. Seeing the quizzical look on the nurses face, he added: "Jennifer has a son already." Who'll hopefully be mine as well soon, he added in his mind,

Fifteen minutes later, the little girl was bathed and dressed, and was peacefully slumbering in her father's arms, as they were on their way over to Jennifer's room.

A/N: I'm not exactly sure about the baby's measurements. Here in Germany we're using gramms and kilos and centimeters to measure something (or someone in this case), and those pounds and ounces and inches are always, let's say, cryptic to me. I used the internet for converting the numbers, but they may not be 100 % correct. For comparison: The baby's supposed to weigh about 2900 gr, is 48 cm long and the head circumference is about 33 cm.