"John! What a pleasant surprise! Come in dear, take a load off." Mrs Hudson fussed as she ushered John into the building. "Detective Inspector, always a pleasure," she greeted as Greg walked in behind them.
"You can call me Greg, ma'am." he reminded her.
"Of course." She smiled. "So what brings you two here? Shouldn't you be in bed John? You look like you're about to pop."
John rubbed his 8 and a half month belly, slightly embarrassed. "Yes, well. I was going mad staying in all day, so I thought I'd pop 'round for a visit. And..." he then glanced at Greg who watched the two from his chair. "To let you know that, I'd like you to be the twins' god-grandmother."
"Oh dear!" She sprang up and enveloped John in yet another hug, this time with a few tears in her eyes. "I'd be more than happy to! Oh, you know how to make an old woman cry, don't you?"
"Not my intention." John chuckled, gently rubbing the back of the closest thing to a mother he's had in so many years.
"Oh, I can't wait to meet them! I'm sure you four will make an adorable little family!" she gushed.
"F-Four?" John gasped. He hadn't told her he and Greg were dating, but given the look on her face, she'd probably known for who knows how long. She knew about him and Sherlock instantly. He just broke down into a chuckle. "How do you do it, Mrs. Hudson?"
"You don't live to be my age without learning to spot love." She winked. "By the way, John. It's Marie."
"Hm?" he deftly responded.
"My name...it's Marie. Have I not told you, dear?"
John paused and reeled at the fact that not only had he never know her first name, he'd never really thought to ask. "Uh, no. You hadn't. Well, given that you're family, I should know basic things like that." he laughed. The other two adults joined him in laughter and they sat and enjoyed each other's company.
John was perched on his and Greg's bed, unpacking his clothes and putting away. He had to sit down because not only were his feet in pain, but he'd had a nagging irregular pain in his back all day. He just shrugged it off as being towards the end of his pregnancy and saw Greg off to work this morning. It was now about four in the afternoon and he was getting a bit hungry. He set his last shirt on the bed and with a bit of difficulty, stood to head to the kitchen. It was at that moment an intense pain shot up his back and across his lower regions. He dropped to his knees in pain and grit his teeth in anger at his stupidity. The pains he'd been passing off were early contractions. He should have been to the hospital hours ago. He was a doctor, for crying out loud. Granted it was his first pregnancy, but he saw it as no excuse. He reached for his cell phone atop his dresser and dialed Greg's office number. He didn't receive an answer. He tried his cell phone...nothing. Just as he was about to call for emergency services, another contraction hit him and he dropped the phone in shock.
'They're too close together...FUCK. This is not good.'
He grabbed his phone once more and tried both numbers leaving a very terse and panicked message on both. Giving up, he dialed for an ambulance and waited on the floor.
Greg had just finished getting a statement from a murder victim's sister and he was on his way back to the station. Before he started the car, he grabbed the phone to let John know he'd be a little late tonight and to just order some take-aways for himself. He saw he had two missed calls from John and a voicemail. As he listened to the voicemail, he went white as a sheet. He fumbled with his seat belt and sped off towards his home. He called Donovan and told her to not expect him back at the office tonight.
"But sir, what about the statement? Is everything all right? What's going on?"
"I'm about to become a dad!" he yelled and swiftly hung up.
After a few minutes of driving at the speed of sound, he arrived at his house just as an ambulance was pulling in. He jumped out of the car and ran inside, paramedics in hot pursuit.
"JOHN!" he yelled. "John! Where are you?!"
"U-h-re!" came a muffled response from upstairs. Taking them three at a time, Greg darted upstairs and found John writhing on the ground in what he was sure was pure agony.
"Hey! I'm here...Trying to start this whole fatherhood thing without me?" he joked.
"Not my intention." he said through gritted teeth. The paramedics swooped in and surrounded John. They carefully picked him up and loaded him into the ambulance. Greg hopped in and they zoomed towards St. Bart's.