Thirty Six Weeks

And

Counting

(Week Forty)

"Hardison, get the hell out of my house." Eliot looked at the hacker.

"You…I told you…it wasn't…"

"Get out." Eliot took a step forward and Hardison turned and fled out the door.

"He really was just trying to help." Kenna said from the couch.

"First he puts a hole in our wall and now this." Eliot looked at the ceiling fan that was hanging haphazardly in the kitchen.

"He'll fix it." Kenna answered. Eliot looked over at her. She had been quiet for the past two days. He wasn't sure if he should be worried or not. They were getting close to nailing Cole and Eliot hoped that they would wrap it before the baby decided it was time to come.

"What do you want for dinner?" He went over to the couch and she was fast asleep. He grabbed the quilt that was over the back of the couch and put it over her.

"Eliot?" He looked up to find Nate standing in his door way.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"We need you down at Cole's office. Parker needs to get copies of all the wrongful death patients."

"Yeah, okay give me a minute."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, she just fell asleep and I don't want to leave without her knowing."

"Make sure she has an ear bud close."

"I will, thanks." Nat left and Eliot sat on the edge of the couch. "Hey Kenna." He sat on the edge of the couch. "Darlin' I have to go out for awhile."

"Lock the doors." She rolled to her side and snuggled into the blanket.

"I love you." He kissed her cheek.

"Love you too." She returned not opening her eyes.

"There's an ear bud on the coffee table if you need anything."

"Kay, be careful." She touched his cheek. Eliot chuckled and pulled the blanket snuggly around her. He didn't want to leave her. There was something telling him that he should just tell Nate to wait until tomorrow but he knew when the medical community was involved Nate didn't back down till the job was done. Eliot kissed her one last time and headed out to do his job.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Kenna drifter out of sleep slowly and stretched. Her arm slipped out from under the covers and the first thing she noticed is she was cold. The second was that it was dark. Very dark. She sat up. As she did a sharp, agonizing pain shot through her. It left her breathless and a bit scared. Reaching for the com on the table her hands were trembling.

"E..Eliot?" Kenna could barley catch her breath. The com crackled a bit like they might have been just out of range. She reached for her phone. Hitting the button she put the phone to her ear. The voice on the phone echoed that all circuits were busy. "You've got to be kidding." Kenna put her feet on the floor. "Damn it Eliot, where the hell are you?" She looked out the window and saw that the snow was falling hard and fast. Hardison had back up power so the lights shouldn't have gone out. Kenna let her eyes get used to the darkness and she went to the door. If the lights were out and the backup generator wasn't working that meant the alarms were out too. For the first time in a very long time Kenna was really kind of scared.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0o

"Nate, I'm headed home." Eliot looked in the rear view mirror. He had lost the tail that had been following for more than sixty miles. There was not a whole lot of room for maneuvering on the snow covered roads. Nate and the other's decided to stay at a small motel just outside the city because of the roads. It was nearly midnight and Kenna was probably worried about him. Coms and cell service had been down for hours and he was more than a little worried.

"Are you sure you're clear?"

"Yeah, there's not another car on the road. Nate if you here from Kenna tell her I'm on my way."

"You still haven't gotten a hold of her?"

"No."

"We'll start back."

"No, the roads are slicker than snot and I'm barley keeping the truck on the road."

"Okay, be careful and call us when you can." The com started breaking up the farther he got from Nate and the closer to the city. Soon there was no voices in his head but soon there was sobbing.

"Kenna?" Eliot said. There was still a whole lot of static.

"Eli…Eliot, where…where are you?"

"I'm almost home…baby what's wrong?"

"The baby, she's coming."

"Of course she is. It's the worst blizzard on the east coast has seen in thirty years."

"No time to be a smart ass Spencer." Her breathing was labored.

"How far apart are the contractions?"

"FIf…fifteen minutes."

"I'll be there in five minutes."

"Down, down in the bar." She sounded scared. "Mike closed early. The backup generator didn't kick in so…Eliot I can't have our baby in a bar."

"You're not going to have our baby in the bar. I'm coming to get you and we'll drive to the hospital and you'll have her in a nice hospital room."

"If Cole's on call maybe the bar is the best place." She told him.

"Cole won't be delivering anyone's baby for a very long time. Bonanno arrested him on conspiracy charges so it's safe to go to the hospital. I'm pulling up now."

"Hurry." She hissed. Eliot parked the truck in front of the bar and jumped out. He unlocked the front door and headed toward the back steps. He found Kenna on the landing of the steps. "It's about time Spencer." She smiled at him.

"I'm so sorry darlin' it wasn't supposed to take all night." He brushed the hair out of her face. "I'll go upstairs and get your jacket and bag." She was clinging to him, a contraction about ready t start.

"I've changed my mind. I can't do this." Her breath came in pants as she tried to ride the pain out.

"It's a little late for that Kenna." He ran his hands down her arms.

"Go, get my coat…I don't want to have this baby here." Eliot left her alone for less than five minutes as he grabbed her coat and bag. He also grabbed the quilt off the couch just in case.

"Okay, let's get you to the hospital." He helped her up and got her coat on. "Kenna, I'm so sorry I wasn't here."

"You always make it on time." He led her to the door.

"It's a mess out there." He wrapped the blanked around her and he opened the door. Helping her into the truck he got her settled before he went back and locked up the bar. When he got into the truck Kenna was shaking. "Kenna, are you okay?"

"It's really cold." Eliot wrapped the blanket more tightly around her. He looked at his phone to see if he had any signal yet but it was blank. "Where is everyone?"

"They stayed back. The roads were really bad."

"I'm glad you didn't. The closer the contractions became the more worried I got." He pulled away from the bar and headed toward the hospital. There was at least an inch of ice under the foot of snow.

"We went to Cole's office and Parker got the papers we needed to confront him about the law suits. Both him and his father in law are going away for a very long time."

"Did you at least get to deck the bastard once?" Kenna asked as she took a deep breath trying to get comfortable on the seat.

"Yeah, I got in a few good punches. Maybe you'd be more comfortable in the back seat."

"Eliot I think the only place I'm going to be happy is…." The next pain hit her like a ton of bricks. She tried breathing through it but the pain racked through her body like nothing she'd ever felt. She had been shot, stabbed and beaten but she knew what she was feeling now was going to end on a much brighter note but it didn't make it any less intense.

"Breath baby." Eliot reached over and took her hand. "I am so sorry I wasn't there when you needed me."

"Eliot, don't. This job had to be done and now that Cole is out of the way we can breathe easier." The pain subsided and Kenna started laughing.

"What's so funny?" He looked at her.

"I think I just made a bigger mess in your truck than Hardison's slushy." She couldn't help herself. The laughter bubbled out of her. If she didn't know better she might think she was a hysterical at the moment. Eliot looked at her. "My water just broke."

"That's bad right?"

"No it just means you daughter is in kind of a hurry to see her daddy." She knew it could be hours before the baby came but she also knew it could be any minute.

"How close are the contractions?"

"Eight minutes." She breathed. "It could be hours before she comes."

"At the rate we're going it take that long. There's three feet of snow covering the ice we got last night." Eliot looked over at Kenna. Her hair was still wet from the short walk from the bar to the car. The com in his ear crackled. "Nate?"

"Yeah, Eliot. Did you get home?"

"Yeah but we're heading to the hospital. Nate, Kenna's in labor."

"Oh man. How is she doing?"

"I'm hanging in there Nate." She hadn't taken out her ear bud.

"How close are you to the hospital?"

"Staying off the highway its slow going. About fifteen minutes if I'm lucky. Contractions are eight minutes apart."

"Do you want us to head back?"

"NO!" Both Kenna and Eliot said.

"Knowing you're on the road in this will only worry both of us." Kenna said.

"Okay just breathe Kenna." Nate said in a soothing voice. Sometimes it was nice having voices in your head.

"Eliot…I hate to rush you or anything but I think maybe we need to get to the hospital soon." Kenna closed her eyes fighting back the urge to scream. The pain was racking her body with a force she wasn't accustoming no. Hell, no one should get accustom to pain like that.

"Kenna?" Eliot looked over at her. She was clenching the handle of the door like it was her life line. "Kenna, do want me to stop?"

"Get me to the hospital now Eliot." She said almost calmly.

"Kenna, talk to me." He said softly.

"I'm scared." She didn't care that the four other people might have heard her confession. They were family. If she had her way they would all be in a nice warm hospital waiting for Faith to make her appearance.

"I'm here baby." He held her hand tight.

"We're all here Kenna." Nate said.

"Thank you." She said softly. The pain was coming faster now. Kenna knew that they weren't going to make it to the hospital if her contractions continued at the rate they were coming. The snow was falling harder and she knew Eliot was having a hard time keeping the truck on the road.

"Don't get quiet on me Kenna Shane."

"Three minutes." She said her voice tensing.

"Do I stop…or you want me to keep going?" He looked at her and pulled over not waiting for an answer. "Nate, I'm on Beacon and Fairfield. Get me an ambulance."

"I'm on it."

"Kenna?"

"She's not waiting Eliot." She was panting now.

"Tell me what I need to do." He knew the basics; every good soldier knew some first aid but hell who learned how to deliver a baby in the middle of a snow storm?

"Slide my pants down. Get them all the way off." Eliot shook his head.

"Darlin' there are easier ways for me to get you naked..." He wanted her to smile. Needed to know that she wasn't going to shut down. The small smile she gave made him breathe a little easier. Undoing her boots he threw them on the floor. Genially he pulled her flannel pajama pants down and off. Turning on the dome light and he took a deep breath.

"It's not like it's the first time you've been down there cowboy." He looked at her.

"The last time I was down there a kid wasn't shooting out of you so can the smart talk." He moved the blanket aside.

"What do you see?" She said feeling another contraction coming on.

"Our kids going to be a brunette." Eliot started getting worried. He knew a lot about a lot of things but delivering a baby, his baby, was one of those things you just never expect to do.

"That close huh?" Kenna said.

" Yeah, that close." He looked around the truck. He grabbed a couple of pillows and a blanket from the back seat. They had gone up the farm a few weeks ago and had left them in there. Now he was happy he did. "Okay I'm gonna get the back seat ready because I can't work with the steering wheel just hang on okay."

"Yeah, you do what you have to do." Kenna panted.

"Kenna, its Nate. Helps on the way. They're having just as much trouble getting around then you did so it might take awhile. I know you and Eliot can do this just like I you everything."

"Glad you have faith in us Nate." The pain started. She bit back the feeling she was losing control. Eliot came around and opened the door.

"Come on sweetheart." He lifted her out and put her in the back seat.

"I'm sorry about the seat." She clung to him.

"I was planning to trade her in anyway." He sat her on the back seat and she pushed herself back. "How far apart are the contractions?"

"Let's just say it's one long suck ass pain." She gripped the back of the front seat. "Eliot this baby is going to be here in like two minutes and I don't think I'm ready." She looked at him.

"Again, a little late to change your mind honey." Eliot grabbed the first aid kit from under the seat and grabbed some gloves. "Breath through the pain sweetheart. I know that sounds a really crappy idea at the moment but it's all I got."

"I knew I could count on you Spencer." She looked at him. "I guess we can't do anything normal, can we?"

"I thought we got you pregnant in a pretty normal way."

"In a bar parking lot behind the dumpster is normal?"

"Well if you decided that's when it happened." He felt her relax a little. "Let's not tell Faith that's how it all happened okay?"

"Deal."

"But now I know. Guys over sharing." Nate said. Kenna started laughing and Eliot turned a shade of red that Kenna had never seen before.

"Hey, Nate."

"You'll be glad to know that everyone else has gone to bed. I didn't tell them what was going on or there was no keeping them from starting back."

"Good thinking." Eliot told him. "Kenna, how's it going?" He felt her legs tense.

"This is it, cowboy." The pain was in evident in her eyes but she wasn't giving any more away. Her breathing was labored. He had seen movies where the woman screamed and cried with the pain that was racking her body. That wasn't Kenna.

"Just tell me what you need me to do." She gripped her hands around her thighs.

"Just don't drop her." Kenna smiled. Her breathing was more labored than ever and she pushed. The scream that left her was something he would never forget. Tears fell from her eyes.

"Push baby, that's it." Eliot moved closer and let his hands guide the baby. "Okay Kenna she's coming out."

"Make… sure… her airway is… clear." Kenna panted. He did as he was told and he felt her tease even more as the contraction hit her hard. She pushed and the baby's shoulders came out. "Eliot…." Her hand clamped onto his shoulder and her nail bit into it.

"I got her Kenna…" Eliot told her as he eased the baby the rest of the way into the world. "She's beautiful." He laid the baby on Kenna's stomach. The little girl let out a wail.

"You…need to …tie the …cord." She reached over and pulled the blanket over the baby and held her close. Eliot dug in the first aid kit and found a suture kit and got the suture string and tied the cord.

"Hanging in there girls?" He looked up. Kenna was looking down at the child on her stomach, tears in her eyes. She nodded. "We're not done darlin'. You think you got one more push in you?" He whispered. Kenna nodded. Eliot heard the ambulance in the distance. Kenna held the baby close. The last push shouldn't have been the most painful but it was."It's almost over baby." The ambulance pulled up just as Eliot finished with the afterbirth.

"Eliot?" Kenna reached for him.

"I'm here darlin'." He came next to her.

"We did it." She whispered. Eliot looked at the baby lying on her mother's stomach. Head full of dark brown hair grasping onto her mother's finger.

"Yeah…we did it." Eliot touched the baby's head. The sound of the paramedics didn't break the spell.

"Nate?" Kenna whispered.

"Yeah, I'm still here."

"Tell everyone Faith is here and she's okay. We're all okay." She looked at Eliot. The three of them were a mess but Eliot knew that Parker would want conformation so he took his phone and took the best picture he could and sent it to Nate.

"She's beautiful Kenna." Nate told her. "We'll be there as soon as they can get us plowed out. Eliot, take care of our girls."

"With my life." He answered and turned off his com and took Kenna's out of her ear before the paramedics came to the tuck. "Kenna Shane I love you." He leaned over and kissed her. The little girl lying on her stomach squeaked. "I love you too Faith Valentine." Eliot let the paramedics take over and he slipped out of the truck.

"Hey Kenna, you can't do anything easy, can you?" The younger paramedic looked at her.

"You know me Jack, gotta have a little excitement in my life."

"Angie is gonna love this." He helped her out of the truck and onto the gurney. "How's daddy holding up?" Jack looked at Eliot standing in the falling snow on the other side of the truck.

"I think he may make it." Kenna smiled. They loaded her into the ambulance.

"Eliot? You coming?" Jack asked.

"Yeah." He grabbed his jacket out of the truck and locked it up. He got into the ambulance and shut the door. "How are they doing Jack?" Eliot watched the man work on Kenna.

"You want to cut the cord?" Eliot nodded. Handing him the scissors Jack shifted the baby and showed Eliot where to cut. He cut the cord and Jack wrapped Faith tightly in a warm blanket and handed her back to her mother.

"You both did a great job. On the delivery and on the kid. She's beautiful."

"Thanks." Jack smiled. Eliot looked at the sight of his daughter in her mother's arm and he thought he just might be happier than he had ever been in his entire life. He leaned over and kissed Kenna and ran a hand over Faith's brown hair that was standing straight up. The sound of metal hitting metal jarred Eliot out of his thoughts. He felt the force of the crash a second later and instinct threw his body over the woman and child next to him. The ambulance shook and before he could take another breath the vehicle shifted and flipped sending supplies and passengers flying. The last coherent thought he had was that this might end up being the worst day of his life.