At 25 weeks pregnant Jessica had suddenly started to become worried about giving birth. Jessica looked at herself in the mirror and caressed her belly. She loved to see it grow. Kyle was absolutely obsessed with feeling the baby kick. Jessica thought it was good that he was so happy about the baby. Today, Clark and Irene were coming down for a visit. It was their second visit to Jessica and Horatio's home. But not their second to Miami, they had been in Miami many times before. Henry wasn't coming because he had to work, but it was okay.
"I look like a hippo." Jessica sighed.
Her mother had told her that it was normal to feel that way during a pregnancy. Irene herself had constantly worried that Clark thought she had looked like an elephant when she had been pregnant with her kids.
"You are the most beautiful hippo I've ever seen." Horatio smiled from the doorway.
"Aw, you're just saying that because it's true." Jessica teased.
"Absolutely." Horatio grinned and hugged her from behind.
As he started kissing her neck softly, Jessica moaned and then looked at the time.
"Mom and dad will be here soon." She moaned.
"Not for at least thirty minutes." Horatio said and kissed her lips.
As they stood in their bedroom making out, Clark and Irene pulled up in the driveway and watched as Kyle came out of the garage, covered in dirt.
"Kyle aren't you too old to play around in the dirt?" Clark teased the young man and patted his back.
"Oh not at all, haven't you heard? It's the latest thing!" Kyle chuckled, "How was the drive here?"
"Long, but also relaxing." Clark smiled, "We're a little early though."
"I'm sure dad and Jessica have been waiting for you all morning." Kyle smiled and lead Irene and Clark to the front door.
"Why are you covered in dirt by the way?" Irene asked.
"I was just working a little bit on dad's Buick." Kyle smiled, "I looked at the engine."
"Is something wrong with it?" Irene asked.
"No, I just need to know everything I can about my future car." Kyle grinned widely.
He couldn't wait for the day when Horatio would give him the beauty in the garage. Kyle opened the door and stepped aside to let Clark and Irene inside. On the same time in the bedroom, Jessica and Horatio, who were half-naked realized that Irene and Clark had arrived already.
"Oh god!" Jessica groaned and put on her bra and blouse, "They're early. Typical when dad is driving."
"You can't be sure he was driving." Horatio said as he put on his shirt.
"If they are here early then he was the one driving." Jessica said and exited the bedroom.
She hugged her parents and lead them to the living room. Clark and Irene shared a knowing glance. Jessica's messed up hair and flushed face let them know they had caught her and Horatio at a bad time. Horatio exited the bedroom shortly after Jessica and greeted Irene and Clark.
"Can I get you anything?" Horatio asked.
"Coffee would be great, please." Irene smiled.
"For me too, please son." Clark smiled.
Horatio and Jessica shared a grin. Clark had never called Horatio son before. Kyle took a shower while the adults had some coffee in the living room. Unfortunately the rain was pouring down outside so there was no point in going out on the beach.
"So have you been to another ultrasound yet?" Irene asked.
"Yeah, everything is fine with the baby so far." Jessica said.
"Why do I sense that it's not completely true?" Clark asked.
Jessica groaned and rolled her eyes. She could never lie to her dad. He was a cop after all, just like Horatio.
"Okay, okay, I've been a little stressed lately and of course the baby got stressed as well." Jessica said, "Now, everything is fine."
"Why were you stressed?" Irene asked.
"She's a little worried about giving birth." Horatio said and squeezed Jessica's hand softly.
"Oh sweetheart, I know the feeling. I was too. You won't remember it later on." Irene smiled, "When you're giving birth you will be so tired and angry that you'll do anything to get the baby out."
"Including almost crushing your man's hand." Clark chuckled.
Jessica and Horatio laughed. Clark and Irene had never told them that before.
"Mom, crushed your hand dad?"
"Yeah, both when she gave birth to Henry and to you." Clark smirked, "But it's okay."
"Now I'm getting worried!" Horatio chuckled.
When Kyle exited the bathroom he told Clark and Irene about the time Jessica had punched Rebecca Nevins two weeks earlier. Clark and Irene laughed so hard that they had tears falling from their eyes.
"Well, when Irene was pregnant with Henry she punched Santa Claus at a mall." Clark grinned.
"Mom!" Jessica gasped.
"Well, he was just trying to joke with me and asked me if I wanted diet pills for Christmas." Irene said, "And for that I broke his nose."
"He actually said that?" Kyle asked in disbelief.
"I guess he didn't understand that you don't mess with pregnant women. Irene was just two weeks away from giving birth too, so she was visibly pregnant." Clark explained, "The guy's brain just wasn't connected with his mouth."
-I-
After dinner Clark and Horatio were having a beer on the back porch. Irene and Jessica were in the kitchen talking about childbirth. Kyle was in his room.
"What kind of a dad are you?" Clark suddenly asked.
Horatio knew that Clark was interrogating him and that he meant well.
"I know you didn't raise Kyle from the beginning so it's hard to know how you'll handle the baby-stage." Clark explained, "Kyle is a great kid so I don't doubt your ability to be a dad, I'm just curious to know you're thoughts about fatherhood."
"Well um, I see it as a blessing." Horatio smiled, "And I would do anything for my children."
"Just want to be sure you're not the kind of dad that gives the kids to mommy when they're crying."
"Oh no, no! Not at all." Horatio said, "I believe Jessica and I will be loving and funny parents, but we also have rules and I guess when you raise a child you the best you can."
"That's what I said too." Clark smiled, "What were your parents like?"
"My mother was sweet as sugar. She would never hurt a fly. My dad wasn't a very nice man."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."
"It's okay. He did teach me one good thing in life though." Horatio said, "How not to treat children."
Clark smiled and patted Horatio's back. When Clark had grown up he had had the kind of father that never really paid attention to the his children. He worked all the time and must have had three mistresses. It was always Clark's mother that had to take care of the children. However, all that changed one day when Clark was 10 and came home and said he wanted his father to either move out or become a real dad.
As Clark told Horatio this, Horatio wished he would have been just as strong as Clark. He wished he would have stood up against his father. But it was such a long time ago and he couldn't change that now.
"And what happened?"
"He broke up with his mistresses. He changed his job and even though he only got half the salary he used to have, he was happier than ever before." Clark smiled, "He became the dad I will always love."
"And your role model I guess?"
"Absolutely." Clark nodded.
Clark was about to say something when Irene opened the door.
"Jessica is in pain, she says it's in her abdomen!" Irene panted.
Horatio and Clark rushed inside the house and found Jessica in the kitchen, supporting herself against the kitchen counter. Clark called for an ambulance, while Horatio lead Jessica to the couch.
"I don't understand why this is happening!" Jessica gasped.
"Have you felt stressed lately?" Horatio asked.
"Yes, I mean no. I have taken it easy." Jessica said and then groaned in pain.
Irene and Horatio sat next to Jessica and she panted and groaned in pain.
"We were just talking about childbirth. I talked about that everything was going to be fine." Irene said, she feared that by talking about giving birth she had caused Jessica to get stressed again.
"Mom, it's not your fault." Jessica panted.
"Breathe honey." Horatio said.
"Oh god, I can't!" Jessica groaned.
Kyle came down the stairs and was stunned at what he saw. Clark managed to bring him back to the here and now and the two of them helped the paramedics inside the house. Jessica was put on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. Horatio sat next to her in the ambulance. Kyle drove the car as he, Clark and Irene followed the ambulance.
Once they arrived to the ER, Jessica was taken to an emergency room and Horatio had to wait outside. He was pacing in the waiting area when Kyle, Clark and Irene arrived.
"Where is she?" Clark asked.
"They took her away. I wasn't allowed to go with her." Horatio sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair.
It seemed like it took forever, but in only took an hour before a doctor finally came to talk to them.
"Well, Ms. Stanley has round ligament pain." The doctor explained, "She will be fine, but she has to cut back on being so active. I would suggest she tries to stay in bed as much as possible, especially when she feels pain."
"So she's not in any danger?" Horatio asked.
"No, she'll be fine. I want to her to stay overnight though. Just to observe her and the baby." The doctor said.
"Okay, thanks doc." Horatio said.
"She's in room 456." The doctor smiled and walked away.
Kyle gave his dad a supporting hug.
"Can we go see her?" He asked.
Horatio nodded and the foursome went to the room. When Horatio peeked inside he smiled as Jessica reached out her arms to him.
"Round ligament pain. What a funny thing to have during the pregnancy." Jessica sighed heavily.
Horatio hugged her and kissed her lips softly. He knew she was only being sarcastic. Clark and Irene hugged their daughter and Kyle have her a kiss on the cheek. Everyone were happy that Jessica was fine, well not completely fine, having round ligament pain wasn't exactly nice and it would break their hearts to know she was in pain.
"I'll be fine guys." Jessica said as if she had read their thoughts, "Everything will work out."
"From now a lot of bed rest." Horatio said.
"You're going to carry me everywhere right?"
"Absolutely." Horatio smiled and kissed Jessica again.
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