Months later...

Labor was nothing like Marie had been preparing herself for. The best she could describe it, would be waves of pain, starting in her stomach and spreading to her stomach. They came off strong and quick, and she knew she had to get to the hospital.

But first- she had to call her sister. The past few months had been all right- uneventful. The darkness of Hank's death and Walt's part in it hung over their relationship like a dark cloud, but Marie had always convinced herself there would be time to deal with their problems. Tomorrow, she'd promised her therapist (and herself). But right now, more than ever, she needed Skylar- Marie sure as hell did not want to do this thing alone.

After leaving about a dozen messages on her sister's voice mail, Marie realized that she couldn't put it off any longer. She dialed 911 and hung up the phone, more scared than she had ever been in her life.

As she waited for her ride, she looked around the house- so much of Hank still remained. On the coffee table there was a book he'd been reading, still folded over to the page he'd been at when...no, Marie thought sadly. She couldn't think about that. Not now. Beside the book she had placed one thing- their wedding album. She flipped through it, smiled to herself, then tucked the book into her bag she'd had waiting by the door. God it was getting harder and harder to move around. Hank would have laughed at her for sure.

She made a mental checklist of everything she would need- thanks to Flynn, Skylar, Amy, and even Lindsay, she'd had the baby shower to end all baby showers. She wasn't hurting for anything, at least her child wasn't. Beside her bag was a diaper bag, filled with all sorts of things that she'd been advised a newborn would need. Clothes, blankets, onesies, pacifiers (as Flynn had pointed out, if the baby was anything like Hank, the baby would surely have use for a pacifier!)

They'd all been so good to her. Flynn's girlfriend had become one of the family. Quick to babysit, wonderful with Flynn, respectful to Marie and Skylar- even though the thought of Flynn dating had terrified both sisters, eventually they came to see that it was a good thing. A really good thing.

"I'm in here!" Marie called as the paramedics announced themselves. They brought in a wheelchair. God she felt so huge.

"Ma'am, let us help you to the chair...once we're outside we can transfer you to the stretcher. Do you think you can manage that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I can. Where is my sister? I want my sister!"

"We can call her for you if you like...we need her number..."

While Marie silently fumed, the paramedic made the call. "Mrs. Shraeder, we left a message, instructing your sister to meet us at the hospital. Is there anyone else you'd like us to call?"

Suddenly a burst of pain hit her like nothing she'd ever experienced in her life before. "I'd like you to call my husband, but that's never going to happen, now is it?" she snapped.

After the latest contraction subsided, Marie softened. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean..."

"It's okay. We understand. Now let's get you to the hospital. I think your little one is a little impatient to meet his mommy!"

The way he'd said that just hit Marie. A mommy. In a few hours she was truly going to be a mommy. Yes, she'd been preparing for a baby, there had been no getting around that. But for her to have someone who depended on her for everything, who looked to her for his every need- and who would love her more than anything in the world- well, the thought was more than a little daunting.

"Yes," Marie sniffed. "I'm ready."

00000

Skylar and Flynn knocked on the room. "Marie, honey- it's us. I'm so sorry we're late- Flynn had a doctor's appointment and you know how those can just drag on- Marie- are you okay? Can we come in?"

The nurse stepped out and approached them. "She's a little sleepy. Labor was pretty rough on her."

"Does that mean..."

"Your sister has now become a mommy! Congratulations. She's holding her son for a few minutes, then we need to take him to the nursery for a bit. She had been asking for you. But I have a feeling she's feeling nothing but content right now," the nurse smiled as she held open the door for Skylar and Flynn.

"Marie?" Skylar whispered, and her heart melted at the sight of her baby sister with a baby of her own.

Marie tearfully looked up. "Come on in. Ssh...he's sleeping. You have to see him..."

Flynn and Skylar approached carefully and when they looked down, they both broke into grins. "He's bald!" Flynn laughed.

Marie smiled. "He's bald and look at those cheeks...he's a big boy," she cooed to her newborn son.

"He looks like.."

"Flynn, not now," Skylar carefully cautioned.

Marie looked up. "It's okay. I know. He looks just like his daddy! It's okay, it really is."

"How are you doing?" Skylar asked with concern.

"Sore!" she laughed. "Where's Holly?"

"With Lindsay. Right now Flynn and I really wanted to be here with you...if there's anything you need, anything we can do..."

Marie, obviously choked up, took a deep breath. "He's the most beautiful, perfect thing I've ever seen in my life."

"Oh honey...you'll always remember the love you feel for this little guy. My little guy is all grown up, but to this day I'll never forget how much I fell in love with him the first time I saw him," Skylar grinned at Flynn, who just smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Flynn..." Marie looked at him. "Don't you want to know what I named him?"

"Yeah!" he laughed.

"I have you to thank. I know you've been calling him Henry for a while...and look at him, look at him! He just looks like a Henry, don't you think?" Marie grinned.

There was barely a dry eye in the room. "Oh, Marie," Skylar whispered. "That's perfect."

"I think so, too. Ssh, Henry...it's okay. Your mommy has you. It's okay," Marie cooed.

"He has a healthy set of lungs," Skylar commented.

"Just like Uncle Hank," Flynn laughed. Skylar shot him a dirty look.

Marie just laughed. "Just like his daddy." With that, she kissed her son on the cheek and wished that this moment would last forever.

tbc