A/N: This chapter's been bugging me a lot lately, (hence the long update) it's not how I exactly planned this chapter to happen, how to add in the Preface, but I didn't want to keep you guys waiting.
IMPORTANT
Note the date of this chapter. This is the day of the events in the Preface (first chapter). I'll mark when the preface is and I have added it in again so the chapter and the next one run together with a jump.
August 3rd 2012
Using the creature as a test subject, Walter determined that Olivia's fire power (no pun intended) varied depending on her emotions. The highest she could get was 40o, but Walter believed she could go up to 60o Celsius (140 Fahrenheit), but both Olivia and Peter refused to even try because of the baby.
With the new knowledge that the light actually burns them, not just repels them, Walter wanted to harness Olivia's power in 'bottles' as he said. If they had a fire weapon that could be used to kill the creatures, they may survive just a little longer.
"Walter, we said no!" Olivia exclaimed for the umpteenth time that hour. As Walter began to protest, and Olivia prepared to yell at him again, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach.
She stood still, pain rippled across her face; her hand clutched her stomach, her eyes wide. Walter was still rambling, un-noticing of Olivia's pain. John was the first one to notice.
"Liv, you alright?" he asked over Walter's voice.
Everyone in the lab instantly turned, conversing on Olivia. They were all throwing questions at her.
"Olivia, what's wrong?"
"Liv, where's the pain?"
The pained look on her face vanished and she stood straight again,
"It's okay. The baby's been doing that every now and then, I think it's just turning over, or something." She waved it off.
"Well, why don't you go into the sensory deprivation tank? Talk to the baby, you can figure out what's wrong." Walter suggested,
"That's not such a bad idea, but no drugs Walter." Olivia agreed,
Olivia stripped down to her underwear and bra, her belly protruding way past her tiny figure.
She slipped into the water, Walter closing the doors.
20 minutes later, Olivia exited the tank.
"Nothing. Nothing happened, I couldn't see the baby." She complained, she was on the verge of tears, thinking something was wrong.
"Maybe it's because the baby is in you. Not like when we were accessing your mind, this is part of you, 'mind, body and soul'."
"What if I went in with her?" Peter spoke up,
Peter stripped and climbed into the tank, Olivia floating beside him.
Peter could feel a surge of energy between him and Olivia. Olivia was sleeping, is that the right word for it? he wondered, peacefully next to him.
He found himself standing in the middle of a sky blue . . . place.
Looking around he saw a small child. A boy, couldn't be more then 7, maybe 8 years old.
"Hi, Daddy." The child spoke.
Peter was lost for words, "You're my son? We're having a boy" he managed to choke.
The child simply nodded.
The child looked happy and healthy. He was the spitting image of Olivia. Blonde hair, soft skin, but he had Peter's eyes.
"Do you have a name?"
"You haven't named me yet. You'll know my name when I'm born."
"When will you be born?" Peter asked, better safe than sorry. Baby's had a tendency to 'not like their due dates' and pain their mothers by waiting another week or coming early.
"Don't worry, I'll be born when you need me the most."
This confused Peter. But he didn't have a chance to ask before the child spoke again,
"Tell mum that I'm just moving around a bit, it's nothing to worry about." The child waved goodbye as Peter was pulled back into the land of the conscious.
Everyone was eagerly waiting as Peter helped Olivia out of the tank.
Once the two were dressed again Astrid spoke first, "So...?"
"It's a boy. He didn't tell me his name," Peter turned to Olivia, "He's happy and healthy. He's just moving around that's all."
Olivia couldn't help the onslaught of tears that now streamed down her face.
"A boy, we're having a boy?" she asked with a huge smile.
"Yeah," Peter titled her chin so she looked up at him. The kiss was soft and passionate. The circle around them dissipated, giving them some privacy.
POPOPOPOPOP
The rest of the day went by without any problems. Astrid, Ella and Walter played games with the deck of cards. Broyles, John, Peter and Charlie were cleaning their collection of guns, preparing for the night.
Charlie looked at the falling sun out the window. They had about 2 hours before the sun set and all hell broke loose.
Since they 'kidnapped' (creature-napped?) one of the creatures, the others have been attacking with all they've got, a deranged type of revenge. Broyles and John had counted 18 the previous night, and 14 of them attacked. Charlie killed 3, John 5 and Broyles 3. No doubt, they would have to do something and soon otherwise they were in trouble.
John and Peter had spent the first half of the day searching the city for any other place they could move to that had equal or better protection for them. They came up empty, but vowed to search again the following day.
John and Peter's relationship was better. John, no longer arrogant, was now caring and accepting. They were good friends now, both caring for Olivia's safety, and now the baby's safety.
Charlie stood, looking around the lab.
"Hey, Peter. Where's Olivia?" he asked, a slight hint of concern in his voice.
"She's down the hall. Sleeping, away from the noise."
"I'll get her."
"Down the hall, right at the office and then the eighth door on the left. There's a storage room that had a bed in it."
Charlie followed Peter's directions. The door was ajar slightly and Charlie could see the sleeping figure of Olivia. The rise and fall of her stomach from under the sheet told him she was sleeping peacefully, unlike the last few nights with the creatures.
He walked in, kneeling beside her and gently waking her.
"Hey, Liv. Time to go," But she didn't wake. Instead she rolled over mumbling something about staying.
Charlie sighed in defeat. He couldn't wake her. She was finally sleeping, and she looked so calm, unburdened. He bent over, picking her up in her arms.
Charlie carried her back to the lab, placing her on the bundle of worn mattresses and blankets they had put together for her and the baby.
She settled on the, none the wiser about the change in setting. She curled up against a bunched up blanket, hugging it close to her body.
It had only been an hour since Charlie had moved her into the lab, when she woke with extreme pain in her stomach. Sweat lined her forehead and her hands clutching at her stomach.
"Peter." She called out.
Peter turned away from the gun on the table, looking over at Olivia.
"Yeah?"
"Peter, Peter, Peter! Something's wrong. It hurts."
Peter rushed to her side, taking her hand.
"Peter, it hurts." She stifled a groan of pain.
"Liv—" Peter started but stopped when he felt the part of the mattresses near his leaning hand dampen. Olivia looked down, her face full of shock.
"I think you're water just broke." Peter stated, watching the emotions play across her face. Shock, confusion, shock again, pain...
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I still have 2 weeks."
"Liv, I think the baby is coming."
"No, not now, not now, Peter." He voice was full of desperation,
"Charlie, can you get me some warm water and a towel, Astrid I need you to clear off a corner of the lab, put down clean blankets for Olivia."
"Son, is something wrong?" None had noticed Olivia's current state, all occupied with their own devices.
"Olivia's water just broke. She's going into labour."
The second the word 'labour' left his mouth, everyone started moving, trying to do something to help.
Peter hurried to move Ella and Walter into the office. Astrid helped Olivia hobble over the blankets. Just as she sat down a contraction hit. It wasn't what her sister had told her they were like. They hurt, a LOT! But Rachel had painkillers, nurses, a hospital! She had the right people and equipment when she went through labour. Olivia didn't. She was stuck in the lab with night approaching.
As teh sun neared its horizon decent, Charlie remembered,
"We forget the alarms! We forgot the frickin' alarms!"
"Astrid watch over Olivia for me." Peter kissed Olivia quickly, "I'll be back in a minute."
The men ran out of the lab. They had developed an early warning system in case the creatures got into the hallways of Havard. It would tell them how close they were and give them a chance to set up a defence near the lab doors. But this night, they had been so preoccupied with Olivia that they nearly forgot. It was nearly dark and they were racing against time to set it up. Several rope-wire floor triggers would set off a series of 'bell' noises every time one was tripped. There was a different noise for how close they got. This had been set up since the creatures had become bolder in their attacks. It wasn't perfect but it was safest.
Astrid sat with Olivia, trying to coax her into sitting upright and preparing her for delivery.
^^**-Okay this is where the Preface comes in.-**^^
"Hey, Olivia, look at me? Don't go to sleep, look at me!" Astrid's voice called to her.
Olivia Dunham. She never showed pain, she never showed weakness, she never gave up. The end of the world and ten months of surviving it can change a person.
Olivia was slumped over on the floor of the Walter's lab. Her back resting against the wall, her knees at her chest. Astrid was knelt at her feet, struggling to keep her awake.
"No, no, Astrid, let me sleep, please. I want to sleep." She begged her. But Astrid refused to let her. She wiped her forehead with a wet washer, stroking her cheek calmingly.
"Liv, sweetie, I need to you push now. Okay?" Astrid instructed. She had laid old clothing and towels down to make the floor more comfortable. Laying Olivia down as best she could, she knelt between her legs. The tattered ends of the blue dress Olivia worn, falling to her waist.
Olivia muffled a scream, "Ahhhhhh! It hurts, Astrid, make it stop!" she begged her as another contraction hit. Olivia was panting and sweating madly.
"Liv, there's no more painkillers, you'll have to tough it out, come on, just breathe. I need to you push, come on, Olivia." Astrid tried to keep a smile on her face, to reassure not only Olivia, but also herself. She was scared out of her mind about delivering the baby.
Astrid had read through whatever books on pregnancy remained in the decaying ruins of the library. Little information that had survived, told Astrid just enough to deliver the baby safely, but in their current situation, the baby was safer inside Olivia then in . . . in this horrid place the world had become. No child should be born into such a place.
"No, not yet. I'm so tired, Astrid." Olivia struggled in Astrid's arms. She looked over shoulder, out the broken window. The sun was setting and her eyes suddenly became wide with fear. "Astrid!" she called desperately.
"What, what's wrong sweetie?"
"Astrid, the sun!" Astrid followed Olivia's stare.
"Oh no!"
As the sun disappeared, and Boston was plunged into darkness, gunshots ringed out through the lab. The cry and howling of the creatures outside caused an already panicked Ella to start crying. Ella and Walter were huddled up in the office, Walter having wrapped a blanket around Ella to keep her warm. He started singing, trying to get her to fall asleep. It had started to work until a loud scream echoed down to the office from behind the doors to the lab. Ella crawled into Walter's arms. Walter had become a 'better man', he was more understanding, more thoughtful and cared dearly for Ella. Always talking to her, calming her, entertaining her.
The fire in the middle of the room flickered, giving the room an extra eeriness.
There was shouting and a tormenting silence, before Charlie Francis, John Scott and Peter Bishop crashed through the doors of the lab. They stood just feet from the door, guns armed, prepared to shoot whatever came through them.
"Where is he?" Peter yelled,
More gunfire erupted followed by the shrill cries of the creatures dying.
Seconds later Broyles dived through the door, sliding onto the floor, shooting several rounds at the looming creatures that stalked him. They shrieked as the bullets tore through their skin, backing off slightly; allowing Charlie and John enough time to deadlock and secure the door.
The creatures pounded on the door, like they did every night when the sun went down.
Peter immediately ran to Olivia's side, holding her hand. She squeezed it, hard, as another contraction shook through her delicate body.
Charlie did what he could, wiping her forehead, keeping her cool. Broyles and John stood guard, watching out the windows, watching the creatures do their usual hunt for anything moving, hunting for meat.
"There's more of them tonight." John noted aloud. There were at least a dozen circling the buildings.
"Well, we're probably the only people for miles; we're like a buffet for these . . . creatures. I mean, seriously, what the hell are they?" Charlie asked, turning towards Walter as he closed the door to the office with a now sleeping Ella.
"I believe these creatures are more evolved then their parents, the creature's that we first encountered." Walter began to explain, "They have developed more for hunting, and they have heightened senses and strategic attack methods. We can fight them off, but at the way they breed, we won't be able to out run them, unless we find a poison to kill them. Maybe some kind of gas . . . or, or liquid, in their drinking supply?" Walter began rambling several formulas.
"Hate to bust your mood Walter, but I have a baby trying to get out over here!" Olivia cried, she rubbed her large stomach, trying to calm the baby. She was determined to keep it in. Holding her legs to her chest again, breathing evenly.
It couldn't come out, not now, not just yet. She would make him wait until daylight, it wasn't safe, but it was safer than during the night.
"Oh, yes right, Agent Dunham." Walter said, suddenly remembering the pregnant blond women.
"John, third window!" Broyles shouted,
John ran to the third window from the left; a creature was peering through, clawing at the bars. He shot it, killing it with ease.
"You know, they're getting sloppy, or we're just getting better at killing them." John beamed. John had been happier killing the creatures; he was less aggravated towards Peter, and had backed off trying to get Olivia back, especially since she became pregnant.
John turned his back to the window, smiling widely at the group, bragging mentally about his 89th kill.
Olivia looked up at him, smiling. She then noticed two huge black eyes peering through the bars, glistening from the light of the small fire they had built.
"John!" she called to him, trying to warn him.
It was too late. Thick claws sliced through the gap in the bars, cutting into John's back, ripping his shirt and cutting deep into his flesh.
Broyles killed it instantly, and then firing warning shots out the window for other to hear. John's body slumped to the floor, blood pooling from his wounds in his back.
"Astrid, help him!" Peter ordered, taking over her position as she tended to John.
Astrid was the only one, other than Walter who knew how to properly tend to deep flesh wounds. She applied pressure, wrapping and bandaging what she could.
Olivia had gone from breaking Astrid's fingers, to Peter's, squeezing his hand as the 8th contraction in the last 10 minutes came.
"Peter! Peter, Peter, Peter! I think its coming. The baby, he's coming!" she was scared, more likely terrified. She was giving birth to a baby, in the middle of a lab, during the middle of the night, whilst being attacked by creatures determined to kill and eat them, after the world had ended, and now John gravely injured. She wondered, Could the night get any worse?
Olivia regretted the thought instantly. Something would definitely go wrong now.
A/N: Okay this was just to catch up to the events in the preface – the chapter after this will be up in an hour or so, cos I did this as one then decided to split it up since I added the preface again.