Cut Out All The Ropes: Chapter 15
"Jesus you're like a fucking fire! Get off of me!" Steve heard Stiles' voice ring out across the hallway and he flinched when he heard the loud 'thunk' of a body hitting the floor. He leaned against the door way, watching with amusement as Derek stumbled out of the room, rubbing at his elbow. The wolf looked at him with a hopeless look on his face before Steve gestured for the boy to follow him downstairs.
"I don't get it," Derek said quietly, sitting down at the counter as Steve made coffee. He rubbed at his arm, the bruise already having healed. "He called me and asked me to come over and cuddle and watch a movie with him. And I did. I even let him pick the movie. And I'd been here all of 10 minutes and he's elbowing me out of bed and telling me to get away from him. I mean, I'm doing what he asked me to do in the first place aren't I?" Steve chuckled, pulling two coffee mugs out of the cabinet and setting them on the counter.
"It's the hormones," Steve said with a smile. "That was nothing compared to how his mother used to be."
"Really?" Derek asked, taking the mug from Steve after he filled it with coffee.
"Meredith had really weird cravings when she was pregnant with Stiles. And knowing Stiles as you do, I'm sure that's not a surprise. She'd wake me up in the middle of the night asking for things pineapple ice cream covered with chili sauce, cherry pie filling, and saltine cracker crumbs. There was always at least one ingredient we didn't have and the 24-hour Wal-Mart hadn't come to town yet. So I'd be driving all over town to find a gas station or something that would have pineapple ice cream or hummus without garlic in it. Always at 2 or 3 o'clock in the morning. And I'd finally get home and get everything ready for her and take it up to our room and she'd be pissed. Mere would start screaming and yelling at me how I couldn't leave her and how she knew I was always going to leave her behind."
"Wow, really?" Derek asked, cocking a brow as Steve grinned.
"Yeah. And I'd explain to her that I'd been out trying to get the things she'd asked for. Then she'd see the bowl and be like 'oh, good! I was hungry!' And she'd be just fine. Those were the longest nine months ever. Or they were until she got sick, of course. If I could, I'd go back and do it all again. Just to have her back."
"I would have loved to meet her," Derek said, giving the man a small smile. "And I wish she could have met the twins."
"Me, too," Steve said, and Derek could tell that the man's eyes weren't focusing on anything in particular. After a moment he shook his head and gave Derek a small smile. "You've just got to put up with the hormones a bit longer. Then you'll have too little brats that'll be wrapped around your little finger. It'll be worth it."
"Yeah, I know. I'm getting kind of nervous, actually," Derek said, running hand through his hair. "I mean, what if I mess them up? I'm not the most stable parent they could have."
"Like Stiles is?" Steve said with a grin, opening the cabinet to his right and pulling out his secret stash of Pop Tarts that Stiles didn't know about. He handed a pack to Derek, who smiled. "They'll be your kids, Derek. You can't mess them up. And besides, you've got a mess of people around to help if you think you are."
"Thanks," Derek said, breaking off a piece of Pop Tart and popping it in his mouth. Steve nodded, doing the same.
"Now, get back up there and finish your movie. I'm sure he'll probably let you back in the bed this time. And if not, you can always watch baseball down here with me."
"I'll keep that in mind," Derek said with a grin, climbing the stairs slowly.
"So what's the plan, Stilinski?" Jackson asks as the lounged around the lake on the first day of their summer vacation. Stiles was sitting in the trunk of Jackson's parents SUV so he didn't have to get himself off the ground later on.
"The plan for what?" Stiles asked, leaning back on his hands, his feet kicking back and forth where they dangled out of the back of the car.
"I think Jackson wants to know your birthing plan," Danny said, rolling his eyes at his boyfriend. "You know, natural birth? C-Section? Drugs? No Drugs? What's the plan."
"Oh," Stiles said, blushing slightly. "Um, I'm planning on doing it natural. But with lots and lots of drugs. Like as many drugs as they'll give me."
"Ugh," Scott grunted, staring at Stiles with a shocked face. "But won't that hurt?"
"Well, child birth typically does, Scott," Stiles said, rolling his eyes.
"No, but really," Lydia said, giving him a concerned look. "This isn't like a really big bowel movement, Stiles."
"Please don't say bowel movement," Isaac mumbled from under the book that was lying across his face.
"I mean, you're going to be pushing two moderately sized baby's out of a very small hole."
"I'm aware," Stiles said, rolling his eyes again. "But trust me, I've done the research. I've read all the reports. I've talked it over with Dr. Jeffers and a few other people she's suggested I talk to. The recovery time for a male C-Section is a lot longer than a female. And as vain as it sounds, I'd prefer they didn't cut through all those muscles so I can hopefully have a stomach like Derek's at some point. And besides, the male's body adjust just like a females body for a natural birth, just with a different hole. Dr. Jeffers and I have agreed one the natural birth unless something goes wrong. And if that should happen, then she has permission to cut me open. But only if it's an emergency."
"Wow," Allison said, sitting up so she could smile at him. "You've really thought this through."
"Well yeah," Stiles said with a shrug. "I mean it's my body going through a traumatic event. And even if my body is pretty used to traumatic event, it's always best to be prepared."
"I don't want to be there," Scott said with a grimace. "I mean in the room when it's happening. I don't want to see that."
"Well that's, great, because I wasn't planning on having you in the room with me, anyway."
"Oh, good!" Scott said, grinning at Stiles who laughed in shook his head "Why do you wanna know anyway, Jackson?"
The teen mumbled something, his cheeks going red as he looked away. Danny laughed, shoving him slightly.
"Yeah, sorry, I don't have werewolf ears. What was that?" Stiles asked, his nose crinkled in confusion.
"He has the gene," Danny said, elbowing Jackson when he growled at his mate. "Not like we're planning on switching it up anytime soon and letting me top, but it's nice to know our options."
"Wait, you have the gene?" Stiles asked, pushing himself into a more upright position. "Didn't you make fun of Alex Cutkosky and Mitch Keller, and fucking Greenburg? And pretty much everyone else in the class who admitted they had it?"
"Yes, I'm a piece of shit. We know Stilinski."
"No, I get it. Making fun of it would mean no one would ever guess you actually had it! I'm guessing Danny was the only one who knew?"
"Well yeah," Danny said, rummaging in the cooler that sat on the ground in front of Stiles. "I know everything about this kid. I know him more than I know myself sometimes I think.
"Huh…" Stiles trailed off, a smirk forming on his face. "You know, if you hurry Jackson we could still raise our kids together!"
"Fuck off, Stilinski," Jackson said, rolling his eyes. He pulled his shirt off to work on his tan, flinging his t-shirt at Stiles who laughed.
"Are you getting excited?" Allison asked, rolling over on her stomach so she could see Stiles better. He shrugged, rubbing at his stomach when one of the twins kicked him.
"I mean I've been excited this whole time. I think I'm more nervous at this point. I just want them to be here already, though."
"I bet they're going to be adorable," Lydia gushed, crawling into the back of the SUV so she was sitting with Stiles. "Can I buy them little leather jackets?"
"Well, duh. They'll need them if they're going to fit in this pack. I'm surprised you haven't already."
"Oh, I will. Don't worry," Lydia grinned, a glint in her eye.
"They're going to be little heart breakers," Allison giggled and Stiles snorted, rolling his eyes.
"Between Derek, and the rest of these idiots they'll never be allowed to date."
"Oh, Auntie Lydia and Auntie Allie will take care of that," Lydia said and Stiles laughed, nudging her with his elbow.
Stiles trailed behind Derek, a hand on the small of his back. He tried to keep the grimace off his face as another twinge shot through his body. Derek glanced over his shoulder as he added a case of water to their cart. He furrowed his brow at Stiles, turning completely around to face him.
"You okay?" He asked, reaching out to place a hand on Stiles' stomach. Stiles gave him a small smile, nodding his head.
"Yeah, I'm fine. My back's just really tight right now," Stiles lied, rubbing at his back.
"I'll give you a massage when we get home, okay?" Derek said, placing a kiss to Stiles' forehead.
"Sounds amazing," Stiles said, letting his eyes fall shut. They continued making their way through the store, their cart slowly filling up. They got in line behind Mr. Bartlet, the middle school algebra teacher who kept trying to make conversation with Stiles. Stiles tried to keep his voice cheery, but the random pains radiating through him made it complicated. Finally the man left and the couple aid for their groceries.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Derek asked as he loaded the cart with their bags. Stiles finished signing his name on the card reader, schooling his face before turning back to Derek.
"Yeah," he said, keeping his voice calm. He gave Derek a small smile, pushing the cart out of the store. He kept his eyes closed on the car ride home, focusing on his breathing. Stiles carried a few of the lighter bags into the house, putting the milk and other cold items away. He leaned against the counter, his forehead rest on the cold surface as another bought of pain tore through him.
"Okay, you're not okay," Derek's voice ran through the air, his hands on his hips. "And this isn't just your back."
"These can't be contractions," Stiles mumbled, glancing up at Derek. His face was paler than Derek had ever seen. The alpha crossed the room, placing a hand on the small of his back. "I've still got another month before they're due."
"Let's just take you to the hospital to get these checked out. Just in case. With everything that's happened to you through this pregnancy I wouldn't be surprised if they were early." Stiles nodded, chewing on his lip. "Here, sit down. I'll run upstairs and get your bag."
A few moments later Derek was back downstairs, the bag Stiles had packed a month ago thrown over his shoulder. He came up behind Stiles, grabbing his elbow and helping to his feet.
"These can't be contractions," Stiles whispered again, closing his eyes as the pain racked through him again.
"Let's just go and get them checked out. Come on," Derek said, gently lowering Stiles back into the car.
Derek drove fast. Stiles could tell, even with his eyes shut. Before he knew it, Derek had slid into the parking lot, pulling into the closest spot he could find by the ER door. The Alpha jumped out of the car, mumbling for Stiles to wait there. A few moments later he returned with a wheelchair that he helped Stiles into.
"Hi, yeah, hi," Derek said as he pushed Stiles up to the nurse's station. "I, uh, think my boyfriend's having contractions." The nurse looked up and smiled down at Stiles.
"Back already, sweetheart?" she asked and Stiles recognized her as one of the nurses that had taken care of him after the car accident.
"Yeah, I guess," he said, giving her a strained smile.
"Well let's get you back here and will take a look," she said, and Derek nodded, pushing Stiles behind her.
Two hours later, Stiles was sitting in a bed in the ER in a hospital gown. He had a fetal monitor wrapped around his swollen stomach and heart monitors attached to his chest. He played idly with the pulse monitor clipped to his finger, watching his toe wiggle under the blanket.
"They should be back in soon," Derek said, checking his watch. "And you're dad should be getting back in town anytime now."
"I know," Stiles said quietly, giving Derek a small smile. He looked up again when the curtain around his bed slid open to reveal Dr. Jeffers.
"Well, Stiles," she said, flipping through his test results. "You're not in labor."
"What?" Stiles and Derek asked at the same time.
"But the contractions?" Stiles said, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Those weren't real contractions. And I promise you once you start having the real ones, there will be no question if you're in labor or not. These are what we call Braxton Hicks contractions, or practice contractions. It's just your body getting ready for the real thing."
"But there's still a month until my due date…" Stiles trailed off, glancing at Derek before back to Dr. Jeffers.
"Right, but remember how I told you it could be before or after that? Anything after 36 weeks will be safe. So As long as you make it another week, everything should be okay. So just make sure you stay hydrated. I'm going to suggest you stay off your feet. I'm not going to mandate bed rest, but try your best to just relax. But you did a good thing coming in today. If you feel uncomfortable or unsure, just go ahead and come on in."
"Are you sure?" Derek asked, standing to sit on the edge of Stiles' bed.
"I'm sure, Mr. Hale. Both of you go home and get some rest."
They both thanked Dr. Jeffers. Derek pulled out his phone and called the Sheriff to let him know what was going on while Stiles slowly got changed. He waved goodbye to the friendly nurse as they walked out.
The Braxton Hicks contractions happened a couple more times while Stiles was home on his modified bed rest. Each time he followed Dr. Jeffers suggestions; drink lots of waters, stay on your left side to help with the pain, empty you bladder as much as you can. Each time Derek, or his dad, or someone from the pack would stare down at him in worry and suggest going back to the hospital. And each time Stiles simply shrugged them off, saying that this wasn't the real thing.
The day the real thing finally happened, however, Stiles was completely alone. He was 37 weeks along and even though he knew the twins could come at any time, Stiles still insisted that he was perfectly fine to be left alone while both his dad and Derek went to work. Jackson was supposed to be coming by the house to hang out later in the morning and Stiles promised over and over that he wouldn't do anything stupid while waiting for him.
Stiles' back had been aching since early in the morning, but he brushed it off because his back almost always ached. He'd felt a couple of twinges of pain, but he brushed those off, too, because they hadn't been much stronger than the Braxton Hicks contractions he'd been having. But as he waited for Jackson to show up, the cramping became more intense and more frequent. He laid with his eyes shut his hands on either side of his stomach. He took deep breathes, trying to keep the tears out of his eyes. The pain finally stopped as he heard the back door open and he laid panting on the couch when Jackson came strutting into the living room. The boy froze though when he saw the panicked look on Stiles' face.
"What's wrong?" He asked, his eyes flicking up and down Stiles body.
"I uh, I think this is for real," Stiles said, looking up at Jackson with wide eyes. Jackson swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair.
"Okay. Okay. Where's your bag?" Stiles pointed to the duffle bag sitting in front of the coat closet next to the front door. Jackson grabbed the bag, putting Stiles wallet in there, too. He crossed the room and gently helped Stiles off the coach. Stiles swayed slightly, closing his eyes. "How close together are your contractions?" Jackson asked, leading Stiles to the back door.
"Like 30 minutes? I don't have them timed exactly. But they go for a couple minutes. "
"Okay," Jackson said again, helping Stiles climb into the car. "You're last one was over at 9:57, right?"
"Yeah, I guess. Whatever time you got to my house," Stiles said, his eyes closed as Jackson pulled out of the drive way.
"So it started at like 9:55-ish. So we have a time to track."
"Okay," Stiles said, pulling out his phone. He sent a quick text to his dad telling him Jackson was taking him to the hospital before dialing Derek's number. The phone rang and rang before finally going to Derek's voicemail.
"Uh, hey Der. I think these are real contractions. Jackson's taking me to the hospital right now. So whenever you can get there would be great. Okay. I'll see you there."
"You ready for this, Stilinski?" Jackson asked, pulling into the parking lot.
"Why does everyone keep asking me that? I don't really have a choice now do I?" Stiles asked, his voice cracking. Jackson smirked as he pulled up to the double doors, Melissa McCall standing and waiting for them.
AN: My good computer crashed. Luckily I was able to get everything off of it, but I'm not sure when I'll updated because my old laptop sucks. Thanks for reading!