Month Nine: April 12

I should be sleeping right now. Because, crazy as it sounds, that's just what people do at four in the morning. On a Tuesday. Before they go to work in the cursed hours of daybreak.

But no. I wasn't sleeping. I was sitting up in my bed, chin resting atop my knees, glaring at my wife. She was unaware of this of course, but that didn't stop me from giving her the evil eye.

I watched as she flipped abruptly from one side to the other, flailing an arm that smacked into my leg. I grimaced. She continued drooling on her pillow.

Her belly had grown and now I could just barely fit my arms around her. Not that I had the chance to with all her squirming. I'd been up for half an hour already. I waited another five minutes, and when she appeared to be settled, I nestled back into the blankets.

It wasn't two seconds until she rolled onto her side, her foot colliding harshly with my thigh. If she was anyone but Cameron Morgan I would have beheaded her with a firm smack of my pillow. But alas, she was indeed my Gallagher Girl, so I settled for imagining said pillow ambush.

It was ten past four now and I could hear cars chugging past on the street outside. Headlights sent slivers of light through the blinds on my window and cast shadows in the room. One idiotic teenager drove by blasting rap music and that's when I decided sleep was not coming again.

When Cammie found me, there was already a dozen blueberry waffles stacked up high on the kitchen counter. I had the coffee maker running and newspaper on the table. She looked on approvingly from the doorway.

"Good. You're already up." She smiled. I rolled my eyes.

"Couldn't sleep with you kicking like a dying cow."

"Good morning to you too sunshine." She picked up a waffle and nibbled on the edge. Then she gave me a nod. "Delicious as always."

Despite myself, I grinned. "There was plenty of time to make them. Considering I've been up for three hours." I stood. "Speaking of which, I better leave for work. The director is holding an early meeting today and he-"

"No you don't have to go in today." She interrupted me. I gave her a look.

"Why?"

"The baby's coming today. My water broke when I was in the shower a few minutes ago."

The plate in my hand slipped and smashed on the floor. "What?"

She laughed. "I'm not cleaning that up."

I ignored the comment, already pulling on my shoes frantically. "When did you plan on telling me this?"

"I'm telling you right now silly." She smiled innocently, sitting down at the table and taking a sip of my coffee.

"Stop that!" I said to her. She gave me a funny look.

"Stop what?"

"Being so nonchalant about this. We need to go. You gotta pop that sucker out so I can finally be a dad!"

She slowly lowered the mug from her lips. "You want me to pop this sucker out?"

I was in a frenzy, grabbing everything we could possibly need: car keys, wallet, water bottle, taser. "Yeah, c'mon."

"I'm pretty sure that's not how it works Zach. If you could just pop 'em out, I probably wouldn't be an only child."

I threw her a jacket. "Let's go. Get in the car."

She shot me a look I'd become all too familiar with.

"Get in the car please."

She stood with a smile. "Better."

"Are you comfortable?"

"As comfortable as I'm gonna get."

"Do you need some water? I can run over to the-"

"I still have some from your last trip Zach." She nodded towards the styrofoam cup on the bedside table.

"Right." I nodded. "Are you sure you're fine? There's nothing-"

"Zach, babe, stop it."

"Of course."

The doctor came in then with a chart in his hands. He was an older gentleman, proabably in his sixties, with gray-tipped hair and crinkles around his eyes that appeared when he smiled "So how's the little lady feeling?"

"Just fine." Cammie told him. I wondered how she could be so calm. I was worried and anxious and uncomfortable and- well, you get the picture.

"Wonderful." He grinned and began rambling on about medical things that I preferred to ignore.

When it appeared he'd finished, I asked my question. "So when will our baby be coming?"

Cammie narrowed her eyes. "Weren't you listening? He said I'm barely dilated. It could be several hours."

I'll admit. I pouted. "Hours? I've already waited nine months."

Again, Cam glared. "If anyone should be complaining it's me. I'm the one who's had to carry him. And now I'm the one who has to bring him into the world. So shut up."

I flinched slightly but did as she asked and kept quiet. This was going to be a long day.

"Does it hurt?"

"I hate you."

"C'mon babe, you're strong. You can do this."

"I'm going to kill you."

"We'll get through this. It's okay Cam."

"After I kill you, I'm going to burn you. And dance on your ashes."

I wondered what she would be like during the actual birth. These contractions were already threatening my health. This day may not be as magical as I'd imagined.

She held my hand, even though she wasn't my biggest fan at the moment. Or maybe that was her plan. She'd just squeeze the life out of me, one finger at a time. She was doing a fine job if you asked me.

"She's dilated nine centimeters!" The doctor announced cheerily while I winced. "Almost there!"

From the look on Cammie's face, I could tell she didn't appreciate the Doc's eagerness. I hoped she didn't hurl death threats at him too. Luckily, the doctor exited before she got the chance.

"Zach." She looked up at me, serious and exhausted.

"Yeah babe?"

"You have to take it from here. I'm tired and hungry and sad."

I wanted to laugh, but I feared she might strangle me with her IV. So I didn't. I just rolled my thumb over the back of her hand and kissed her forehead.

"Gallagher girl, if I could do this for you I would. But I really, really can't."

"You men are so useless." She growled.

And we were back to angry sweaty lady.

In the delivery room, everything was white, and bright, and clean just like the rest of the hospital. The only difference? The screaming woman.

It might sound stupid, but I really didn't think it would be like this. I figured the movies were dramatized and the stories were meant to scare youngsters into 'withstanding from ungodly temptations'. I thought Cammie knew pain and she'd breeze through this. I was wrong. So wrong.

Her hand gripped my tie and she yanked it down. Hard. I was nose-to-nose with a very sweaty, very angry, Cameron Morgan.

"This is all your fault." She snarled, her voice dangerously low.

"I know." I agreed, even though I didn't agree. If I remember biology correctly, humans are not asexually reproducing beings. Therefore, this whole baby thing takes two people.

"And you need to get this thing out of me. Right now!"

"I can't!" I said desperately. The fiery look in her eyes scared me.

"Goode!"

Holy cow. Holy cow, she just last named me. This was it. I was going to die. Right there. The doctor was shouting in the background, but I didn't process what he said. I was scared out of my wits.

I'm not really sure what happened, but I felt a searing pain in the center of my face, and the world flipped. The lights were staring me down harshly and I heard wailing on my left. Someone squatted beside me, a nurse I think, and asked me if I was okay. But I wasn't sure.

Little black dots blinked in and out of my vision and I was starting to see less of the blinding white and more of the welcoming dark.

I tried to sit up, reassuring the nurse that I was indeed fine. But I didn't quite make it and things started getting dizzy. The lights went out.

Her eyes would droop, so close to closing that her top lashes would graze over the bottom ones. Then they'd shoot open. She'd look at the little blue bundle in her arms and smile, far past exhausted.

I stayed in my uncomfortable hospital chair and watched. She didn't want to let him go. It'd been an hour, but she couldn't give him up. Not yet.

I let another five minutes pass of her almost-sleeping cycle before speaking up. "Cammie." I whispered to her.

She peered at me. She was so happy, I could see joy physically radiating from her. But she was tired too. Way too tired.

I reached over rested my hand on her forehead. "Babe, you're exhausted."

"It's okay Zach. I'm fine." She murmured, pulling James's blankets tighter.

"No it's not." My thumb brushed over her skin. "You need some sleep Gallagher Girl."

"I know but-"

"Cam." I hushed her. It caught her attention. Her droopy eyes locked with mine. I think my determination got to her. "I'll keep him safe. I promise."

She looked down at him. He was so small. Delicate. Innocent. I watched as she gulped down her arguments. "Okay." She whispered.

"I won't leave. I'll stay right here."

She nodded, kissing his sleeping face. I didn't dare take him away. I let her give him up. Slowly, she held him out to me. I wrapped my arms around him, supporting his head and bottom just like she'd taught me.

James squirmed slightly at the movement. Cammie went even paler.

"It's ok Cam. He's fine." I reassured her, leaning back into the chair. His head rested against my chest comfortably.

"Be careful." She muttered, still fighting to stay awake. "Wake me up if he gets hungry. Or he's crying. Maybe I should just wait-"

"It'll be okay Cammie." I promised. "Get some rest. I'll keep him safe."

She seemed to get a little peace from the picture in front of her: a beautiful baby boy wrapped up tightly by an overly-adoring father, her family. "Of course you will." She murmured. I thought she was done speaking, but her voice carried on. "I'm sorry for punching your face."

"I know."

"It felt really good though."

"You're lucky I put up with you."

I thought she'd retort with some smart-aleck remark, but she just smiled. "I know."

I smiled back. Her eyelids fell a little lower. A little lower. Almost closed. And then she was out.

"Night Gallagher Girl." I smirked.

The little guy in my arms moved. I looked down to see him groping his hands in the air so I offered him my hand. He grasped it lightly. There wasn't any strength in his freshly-born muscles.

"Hey there buddy." I whispered. "You're pretty cute, you know that?"

James fingers tightened around my own. They were so tiny and frail, the color of untouched snow. I couldn't help falling in love with him. His itty bitty hands. The chubby legs. Little wisps of barely-there blonde hair. He was perfect. More than perfect. It was unbelievable almost. I'd help make something this beautiful. This innocent.

I felt so weak with him in my arms. I'd never had a weakness like this, I realized. Sure, Cammie was dangerous. Loving anyone was dangerous. But Cammie was strong. She was trained. The baby boy in my arms was pure, heavenly, innocence. He had nothing to do with the evil world around him. And there was nothing he could do to protect himself. I was his protection. My arms subconsciously tightened.

"I'm gonna keep you safe." I murmured to him, afraid of waking Cammie. "I'll always keep you safe. Promise." He gurgled in response. I smiled, leaning down and letting my lips touch his forehead.

So guess what guys; I got sick and had plenty of time to kill today. Thus, we finally have Month Nine. Yay! I hope it was worth waiting for. Now don't get grumpy just yet! There will be an epilogue! Woo! I won't let y'all go that easy. Yes. I just said y'all. I'm from the South and it's what we do. ;) Ha, well have a wonderful evening fellow readers! Thank you all for so much support and please drop a review! God bless.

~SpaceNut