Five Months Later
"Come on Courtney." Rachael said softly, rubbing her sister-in-laws hand gently. "You're doing really great." Courtney gasped in pain and squeezed Rachael's hand tightly. Rachael turned and flipped open her cell phone and put it to her ear.
"Eric, where the hell is Wes?" She whispered angrily.
"I have no idea, but I'm going to kill him when I find him." Eric snapped back. Rachael rolled her eyes and sighed angrily.
"Throw a punch for me." She muttered.
"Me too." Courtney moaned from the bed.
"One for me, one for Courtney." Rachael was grinning now. And Eric laughed despite himself
"You got it. I'll call you when I find him. Love you."
"I love you too." Rachael murmured before hanging up.
Eric drove through Silver Hills almost insanely to find Wes. No one had seen him all day, and Courtney had already been in labor for hours already. Suddenly Eric spotted a speck of red across the park near the reflecting pond. He parked the SUV and sprinted across the park. Wes was sitting under the tree staring intently at the water and it looked as if he'd been crying. Most of his anger melted away at seeing Wes look more pathetic than usual and Eric cleared his throat to get the other red ranger's attention.
"Hey Eric." He muttered.
"What's wrong?" Eric asked curiously.
"I love her." Wes said simply. "I love them both." He buried his face in his hands and made an angry noise. Eric closed his eyes when he realized who Wes was talking about.
"It's not wrong." He said quietly. "You can love them both. You'll always love Jen, but Courtney is here and can love you back. She needs you Wes."
"I feel guilty." Wes muttered, lifting his head and looking up at Eric. "I feel like I'm going to hurt her."
"You're hurting her right now by not being there for her." Eric frowned.
"What?" Wes tilted his head in confusion and Eric rolled his eyes.
"Great, you don't even know. Get in the SUV, Courtney's in labor." Wes paled and jumped up immediately and both ran to the car and drove to the hospital in silence. They both sprinted through the hospital to the maternity ward.
"I'm looking for my wife, Courtney Collins?"
"Wes!" Rachael's voice carried through the hallway. They both saw her standing in the there, relief flooding her face as the two men came up to her. "Get in there!" She pointed to the door and he dodged in it, right up to Courtney's side. Eric placed a hand on the baby bump between him and Rachael and grinned.
"Did she scare you?" He asked with a grin.
"Nah." Rachael grinned and then winced.
"What?" Eric asked, alarmed.
"Relax." She laughed and grabbed his hand, sliding it to the side of her stomach. He felt a thud against his hand and grinned. "Just two more months until we're in here."
"Yup, and I'll be swearing at you." She buried her face in his chest and sighed contentedly. "I can wait two more months though."
"Bronwyn and Lucas's wedding is first."
"That, I'm half not excited about." She mumbled into his chest. "I'm not going to fit in my bridesmaid's dress." Eric laughed and hugged her.
"You'll be the prettiest one there." He kissed her forehead and she leaned her head upward and he grinned at what she wanted. He bent down and kissed her lips softly before leading her to the chairs across the large hallway where they sat, arms wrapped around each other, for news. After a few more hours of labor, Alan Collins came through the doors of the wing and saw his daughter and son-in-law.
"Dad, you came." She smiled softly and Alan hugged his little girl.
"Of course, I'm about to have a grandchild." He grinned and then nodded to Eric who returned the gesture. "I had an important meeting until now, how is she?"
"So far, so good," Rachael replied, "After we finally found Wes." She rolled her eyes. Just then Courtney's family started to show up. Her mother, older brother and identical twin sisters sat with them as they all waited for the baby. Rachael spent the time talking with Kaitlynn, the older of the twins about Courtney growing up while Eric talked to Liam, her older brother.
After another hour or so of waiting they heard the familiar sound of a baby crying and Rachael's hands flew up to her mouth, her eyes alight with happiness. The four women jumped up and crowded by the door as Wes came out and pulled his sister into a hug, one hand on her pregnant stomach.
"It's a boy." He said against her hair and Rachael looked up and hugged him tightly. All the family members said their congratulations and gave Wes hugs before he went back in to see his wife and son. A half an hour later they were allowed in, and they all 'oohed' and 'aahed' over the baby.
"So, what's his name?" Rachael asked, touching the sleeping child's head gently.
"Christopher." Courtney whispered softly, "Christopher Schuyler Collins."
"But we'll call him Sky." Wes grinned from the other side of her.
"Chris." Courtney shot him a look that only made him grin. Their families laughed at the exchange between the couple and the baby took a trip around the room, held by each person before landing in Eric's arms. Rachael wrapped her arms around him and looked at her husband holding their nephew.
"Excited?" She whispered, laying her hand on her seven month stomach. Eric turned his head and kissed her temple.
"Thrilled."
Months Later, Millennium City, year 3002
Bronwyn paced the floor, nervous and wringing her hands. "I can't do this."
"And why not." Rachael didn't even bother forming it as a question.
"I don't know."
"Exactly." Rachael leaned forward and rested her hand on her overlarge stomach. "Now, stop pacing and let me do your hair, I can only stand for so long these days." Bronwyn looked back at her best friend and grinned, sitting down in obedience.
"Thank you." Rachael grinned and took pieces of Bronwyn's now longer blonde hair in her hands and started pulling it back, wrapping it into curls and around the tiara and veil. "Very pretty." She grinned, putting her face down by Bronwyn's.
"Thanks for coming." The blonde said tearfully, smiling at her best friend.
"No problem, now stop crying before you ruin your make-up." Rachael gripped her best friend's shoulders. "Now, you love him and he loves you. You are going to walk down that aisle and say "I do" and live happily ever after, got it?"
"What if he leaves?" Bronwyn's eyes were filled angst at this thought.
"Why would you think that, he's not going to leave you." Rachael shook her head.
"Jen hasn't been so lucky." Bronwyn muttered.
"What?" Rachael stood back. "I thought you said he was a good guy!" Her eyes were wide and her hand flew to her stomach.
"He was, she left him."
"Bronwyn, you and Lucas had your problems, those are solved, and when more arise you can handle it! Do you think Eric and I get along perfectly now? I wish!" She sat Bronwyn down in front of the mirror and put the final touches on her hair and make-up. "Just last week we were at each other's throats about naming this kid." Laughing, she placed Bronwyn's veil on her head. "The important thing is that at the end of the day we still love each other, and instead of holding it in for twenty years and getting divorced, it's out in the open to deal with now."
"That's remarkably intelligent." The blonde woman commented.
"Thank you now put on that dress and let's get you married." Rachael smiled and hugged her best friend tightly.
December 21st 2003
"She's beautiful." Rachael whispered softly, staring down at the tiny baby in her arms. Her husband was perched on the edge of her bed, arm around her shoulder, the other hand gently touching the dark wisps of hair on the baby's head. This small person, lying in the arms of the woman he'd been in love with for what seemed like as long as he could remember, was his daughter. He hadn't realized until just now how much he could love a single person, and now he was completely absorbed by two. His daughter was his newest love, one he'd never let go, but although he'd thought it impossible, he loved Rachael more today than he had any other time in his life. And now with her in his arms, and their daughter in hers, he felt whole.
"She already looks like you." He murmured softly, his finger brushing along her tiny cheek. Rachael turned her head to look at him, her nose gently brushing his cheek and he looked to her as well.
"She's ours." She whispered softly, her eyes welling up. Eric smiled and kissed her cheek, tightening his arm around her, and as she tipped her head downward he pressed his lips against her forehead.
"She needs a name." He said softly, looking back down at the sleeping child. "And you didn't like anything else I suggested."
Rachael laughed lightly, "I liked Elizabeth, your mother's name."
"I don't think she's an Elizabeth." Eric said and looked at the baby who was stirring, yawning and shifting in her mother's arms. "Lauren." He grinned at his daughter. "Lauren Elizabeth."
"Myers." Rachael filled in with a smile. "Lauren Elizabeth Myers. It's perfect."
"Perfect." Eric kissed his wife gently.
Six Years Later
"Mom! I don't want to leave!"
Rachael laughed at her daughter's persistence. "Babe we have to go, Uncle Wes and Aunt Courtney have to go to the hospital to get the new baby."
"But I wanna play with Chris." Lauren pouted.
"Chris and Miranda are coming with us; now put your coat on." Rachael hurried her daughter who seemed to go into hyperdrive getting ready. Soon she had all three kids in her car and called her husband from the road using her Bluetooth.
"Hey, Wes and Courtney are going to the hospital, so we have two dinner guests." She grinned.
"Sounds good, I'll pick up the pizza." Eric replied, a grin in his voice. A few hours later he pulled in the driveway and brought in two round pizzas, one with only cheese, and a second with other toppings for himself and Rachael. "Rach!" He called out, walking through the three running children that were having fun in their yard.
"Hey." Rachael came out of the kitchen with a smile on her face and took the pizzas from him to put on the counters while he took off his jacket. "Wes just called, so far everything's fine."
"Awesome." Eric threw his jacket down and kissed his wife. "How's ours?"
"Thrilled that her cousins could come home with her." Rachael replied with a grin. "Although the moment they realize that you brought the pizza they'll be in here before we can breathe." Eric pulled her into his arms and kissed her again.
"Then we should be quick."
"Pizza!!" Three small voices yelled with joy as they piled into the kitchen from the back door. Eric and Rachael separated and assisted the two five year olds and four year old Miranda Collins with their food. Pizza, a movie, and a lot of protesting later, all three were tucked into bed, the two girls in Lauren's bed, Chris on the living room couch in a sleeping bag.
"Finally." Rachael leaned against the kitchen sink and released a breath. "Let's not have three, I can't take that all the time." She smiled wearily at her husband who pulled her into his arms again. She closed her eyes and leaned her face against his chest and breathed deeply, but as the phone rang her head jolted upward and she grabbed it. "Hello? Wes." She smiled, but it didn't last. In a few seconds her face shifted from joy to complete horror, her eyes widening with fear. "Oh my God." She fell against the counter, her free hand gripping the marble with all the strength in her body. "I'll be right there." She said softly. "I love you, bye." The phone made a defined click as she hung up.
"What's wrong?" Eric asked anxiously, and Rachael looked up at him, tears starting to well up in her eyes.
"Courtney's gone. Eric, she died."
