Jess fidgeted with a stray thread as she bounced up and down with excitement. Becker, her husband, sat beside her, a smug, satisfied smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
'Please?' she pleaded again, her voice reaching new levels as her impatience grew. She had never been great when it came to surprises.
'No,' came his firm response, and she pouted at him like a child before turning back to stare straight in front of her.
Out the corner of his eye, Becker could see the taxi driver give a knowing smile, and he winked back, enjoying being the one in control for once. The entire wedding had been organised by Jess and her friends – but the honeymoon, she had reluctantly agreed, could be his to do with as he pleased. Now they were on their way to the airport, and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep their destination a secret for much longer.
'I hate you.'
'No, you don't,' he immediately replied, unable to stop smiling. He had truly never felt so blissfully happy in his entire life.
'Well... no, I don't. But I wish I did, because it would make this whole situation a lot easier!'
He chuckled lightly before wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. 'You know that's not true. And what difference does it make where we're going – it's the company that's important, right?'
He was guilt-tripping her and she knew it, but she sighed in defeat nonetheless. Jess could easily phone the airport right now and find out what flight they were booked on, but there was still a small part of her – her inner-child – which loved that feeling of eagerness mixed with nerves, and she didn't want to spoilt that just yet.
'It better be good,' she said finally as they rounded the corner and turned into Luton Airport. Becker simply nodded, feeling rather proud of himself for what he'd done. It had been difficult to organise, and he had had to rely on Connor's technical skills as well as Lester's reputation a great deal to get it sorted. Though he liked to stick by the rules, he was not averse to Connor hacking into computer systems if it meant Jess was happy. And that truly was the main thing – that she was happy. He would do anything to keep that smile on her face.
'Well, here we are, my dear,' he said, hurrying out the car and round to her door so he could help her out. He gave 'the bump' a light stroke, his eyes gleaming with pride, before placing a hand on the small of her back and leading her through the doors of the airport.
'Wait! What about our bags! They're in the taxi!' Jess cried out, her whole body spinning round as she saw the black cab drive away.
Becker kissed her bare shoulder and she could feel his smile radiate against her skin. 'My men have got them, so stop worrying. And that's an order,' he added for good measure, remembering the last time he had said those words. The worst day of his life...
'Go on then, you might as well tell me now,' Jess said, staring up at her gorgeous husband as she waited for a response.
'You really want to know?' he asked, determined to draw it out for as long as possible. Teasing Jess was one of his many past-times, and it was so enjoyable.
She put a hand on her hip and gave him a menacing look. 'Becker, I would very much like to know where we are going.'
He hid the smile which had been brought on by her serious tone, and brought his lips close to her ear. She felt his breath caressing her cheek and shivered, unable to bear the wait much longer.
'Ow.'
The sharp pain which had caused Jess to speak suddenly made Becker move back, his eyes travelling from her puzzled eyes down to 'the bump'.
'What is it? What's wrong?' he asked, words tumbling over each other to get out quicker.
Jess stood very still for a moment, waiting to see if the pain had passed, but when another wave hit her she knew something wasn't right.
'Becker... I think- I think it's the baby,' she whispered incredulously, placing her small hands on her belly protectively as the pain hit her once more.
xxx
'Keep breathing, chickie,' the nurse said behind Jess as she was wheeled through the corridor of the maternity wing.
Jess, shaking and terrified, focused on inhaling and exhaling as calmly as possible while gripping Becker's hand like a vice. For someone so tiny, she had a bloody strong grip! he thought to himself.
'It's all right, Jess. We're almost there. We're gonna be fine-'
'We? What do you mean 'we'? I'm the one about to give birth, Hilary, not you!' He could hear the quiver in her voice and knew she was scared – God, so was he! They had never expected it to be early. It had never even crossed his mind. Granted only by two weeks, but still...
'It hurts,' he heard Jess whisper, and squeezed her hand for reassurance considering all words failed him. His heart slammed against his chest as they were directed into the private room set up by Lester for the baby's arrival.
'Right, dear. It's time. We're going to get you up onto the bed, and then we'll take it from there.' The nurse gave a jovial smile but it didn't put either of them at their ease.
'Oh God, I can't do this. I can't do this, Becker, I just-'
'Jess,' he interrupted suddenly, 'if you can fight dinosaurs, survive a bug infestation, and put up with me, then you can certainly have a baby.'
He gave her a smile that would have melted stone, but his eyes gave away just how truly uncertain he felt. He had no idea what to expect, what to do, what to say... They had spent months reading every baby book they could find, and yet still he didn't feel prepared! All his time in the army, where preparation and training was key, seemed useless to him now. Damn Sandhurst for not preparing him to be a father!
He sprung back to reality with the arrival of the midwife- A male midwife!
'Hang on,' Becker began, ready to do battle with the man who was going to be taking care of his wife and child. No way was this stranger, this man, going to be touching Jess-
'Becker, shut up and give me your hand,' Jess said frantically, her shaking fingers digging into his flesh as she breathed heavily.
'If there's a problem-'
'Yes.'
'No,' they said simultaneously, and Becker knew not to argue when Jess was just about to give birth. She could be scary enough at the best of times.
The midwife smiled, having seen it a hundred times. 'OK, then. Let's see what we're dealing with, shall we?'
xxx
The double doors burst open again as the entire ARC team sprinted towards the maternity ward. Abby and Emily led the way, considering they were the only two smart enough to ask where it was, while the three men behind them hurried to keep up.
'We would have found it eventually,' Matt mumbled, having never been one for asking for directions.
'Yes, after it was all over,' Emily called back over her shoulder as they finally turned the last bend. Before anyone could say anything else, a piercing scream rung out and deafened them all.
'Bloody hell, she certainly has a pair of lungs,' Connor commented before being elbowed by Abby.
'I'd like to see you give birth without any complaint,' she retorted, and Connor reluctantly agreed with his wife. There was no way he could do what Jess was having to do.
The five of them sat down on the hard, plastic chairs outside the room, completely silent as they waited for Jess to scream again. It wasn't long before she did, and all of them instantly grimaced.
'That sounds painful,' Abby whispered to Emily, who simply smiled. It's worth every second to have such a wonderful gift at the end, she thought sadly and trained her eyes on the floor. She could feel Matt's gaze watching her, and she was desperate not to reveal her true feelings.
'Well, I suppose this is as good a time as any to go buy a stuffed animal or a balloon – what is customary nowadays for a newborn?' Lester asked coolly, and the team tried hard not to laugh.
'I think either would be appropriate,' Matt replied, and Lester gave a curt nod before turning on his heel to leave.
'No offence, Lester, but I doubt you're the best person to choose something for a child. Why not leave it to our own resident toddler here?' Abby suggested, gesturing to her husband who was staring vacantly at the posters on the wall.
'A fine idea, Abigail,' the older man replied, and Abby pulled Connor to his feet and dragged him off with Lester in the direction of the gift shop.
Once they had gone, the hallway grew quieter, and Matt shuffled along the seats to sit next to Emily. He heard her sigh and knew what she was thinking instantly.
'I'm sorry,' he said softly, entwining his fingers with hers as she rested her head on his shoulder.
'I know. It can't be helped,' she replied, feeling a little better for Matt's support. In her own time, it would have been simple for her to have a child – expected, even – but she had sacrificed that privilege to be with Matt, and she knew if she could choose again, she would do exactly the same as she had done before. It didn't make it any easier to accept, though.
'There are other possibilities, Emily. Adoption, for example. Don't give up hope just yet,' he said, kissing her cheek lightly and letting his lips brush down her neck to her collar bone. She whimpered slightly before burying her head in his chest, letting the tears trickle silently onto his shirt.
xxx
[3 hours later]
'One last push, Jessica,' the midwife called, smiling encouragingly at her livid face.
'My. Name. Is. Jess!' she yelled back, before strangling Becker's hand as she gave the final push. As soon as she relaxed, Becker sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around her tightly.
'It's a girl,' the midwife said, and Becker's head shot up at the word.
'Did you hear that, Jess? A girl... We have a baby girl,' he breathed, kissing her forehead and trying hard not to let the tears show.
Jess smiled knowingly, but the smile faded as the room remained silent. 'Why isn't she crying?'
The couple froze, both waiting for their child's first cry, and when the midwife didn't answer, Jess knew instinctively what she had feared for so long. 'She's not...'
'Can we get some help in here!' the midwife called as a team of nurses and doctors entered to save their precious bundle. Jess could feel her chest tighten, her heart like a caged bird trying to break free. Her baby, her darling daughter...
'Becker, please,' she pleaded, watching these strangers huddled over her baby. 'Don't let them hurt her. Oh God, this is all my fault-'
'Shh. She's a little fighter, just like you. Don't you even dare...' Becker broke off as tears threatened to engulf his voice. He saw the tiny oxygen mask, he saw the tubes and wires, and finally he saw a tiny hand just above the blanket.
Please, God, don't let her die. Don't let my sweet, beautiful daughter die, he prayed, his eyes squeezed shut as he rocked Jess in his arms. He could feel her sobbing uncontrollably, her whole body convulsing as she cried.
Just at that moment, Connor, Abby and the rest of the team burst through the doors with an array of cuddly toys, all grinning like madmen – until they saw the scene before them, and suddenly they could find nothing to smile about.
'What the-' Matt started, before he saw Becker's crumpled face and realised just how serious things were.
'Oh no,' Emily whispered, having seen the look so often before and never having imagined she would see it again. The expression of pure grief which could only come at the loss of a child.
'If I could ask you to leave,' one of the nurses said quietly, her face solemn as she tried to herd the group out of the doors.
'Not bloody likely,' Lester spat angrily. 'We're staying until...' He trailed off, not wanting to tempt fate by saying the actual word.
The nurse reluctantly nodded before returning to her colleagues who were still busy working on the tiny baby lying still on the table.
'Still no pulse,' one said, the words echoing through each and every one of them. This couldn't be happening, this just couldn't be happening.
The parents waited. The team waited. Seconds ticked by and still the silence continued, as if it was never going to end. The only noise was Jess quietly praying to whoever would listen to save her child. Her fingers were crossed, her hands clasped – she would have done any damn ritual or voodoo dance if it just meant-
Without warning, a wail resonated out across the room, and Jess gave a gasp as she jumped. Another cry, and suddenly a never-ending scream as the baby reached out for someone to hold her, just as terrified as the rest of them. Jess, her heart aching with loss and relief, shakily tried to push herself off the bed to go and hold her.
'Wait, Jess, your fragile. I'll go,' Becker whispered, his voice hoarse from tears. She nodded silently, her eyes never leaving the tiny baby now back swaddled in the blankets.
Becker cautiously manoeuvred his way past the rest of the team who were all staring in disbelief, and towards his daughter. He had never felt so many emotions at once, and when the medical staff parted to let him through, suddenly his feelings concentrated into just one: love. Love for the precious little girl now clawing at the air with unbelievably small hands, waiting to be held. He reached out, the contrast between his own large hand and the small baby surprising him, before he gently lifted her into his arms.
The room was deathly silent, all eyes on their strong, invincible soldier now unable to hold back tears of joy as he kissed the little girl's forehead. He gave the team a smile, assuring them everything was fine, and finally a collective sigh sounded as they realised the baby was alive and well.
'Becker...?' Jess whispered, her eyes wide as she saw her child squirming in her father's arms. She couldn't yet believe that she was all right, and all Jess could think about was holding her close and never letting go.
The soldier moved back towards the bed, leaning over to Jess' waiting arms. The usually bubbly field coordinator was speechless as she felt her baby for the first time, her breath catching as she breathed in the sweet smell. As soon as the baby was settled in her mother's arms, the little girl halted her tears and yawned.
'Oh, Becker, look! She yawned! Her first yawn!' Jess breathed, her smile lighting up her entire face. Becker kissed his wife's forehead, unable to say a word, and gestured for the team to come over instead of standing their like lemons.
Connor, strangely, was the first to rush forwards, climbing up onto the bed so he could look down on the sweet child. 'Hello, girlie. My name is Connor, but you can call me Uncle.'
Abby smiled lovingly at her dopey husband and then climbed up next to him. 'And if Uncle evergets tiring, you can always come and tell me, and I promise I'll sort him out.'
Becker laughed and Jess smiled, before looking up at a rather impatient looking Emily. 'Do you want to hold her?'
The young Victorian woman's eyes widened in shock, desperately wanting to say yes but not trusting herself. It only took a gentle nudge from Matt, who could see just how much she wanted to, and Emily hopped across the bed to sit next to the new Mum. As Jess showed Emily how to hold her, Matt came to stand next to Becker who was currently beaming.
'So... how does it feel?' he asked quietly, out of earshot from everyone but the father.
Becker rocked back on his heels as he folded his arms across his chest. 'I can't even describe it. I thought the happiest day of my life was marrying Jess, and it still is, but this... Well, there aren't words.'
Matt nodded, trying not to envy the man who he now considered as one of his closest friends. Of course he had imagined having children, having a family, but there were so many complications with himself and also with Emily, and it hurt knowing it wouldn't be so easy for them as it had been for Jess and Becker.
'Where's Lester?' Jess called, looking over Connor's shoulder to see their boss standing awkwardly behind them all. 'Why are you over there? Don't you want to see your God-daughter?'
The team all rounded on Jess, who just smiled, before turning to see Lester's reaction.
'You know Miss. Parker, I take back everything I said about you. You truly are a very devious young lady.'
'Is that a yes, then?'
There was a pause, in which everyone seemed to hold their breath. 'Fine - it's the next best thing to a knighthood, I suppose.'
I doubt I have ever spent so long on one chapter, and I've certainly never put so much of my own emotions in before! Half the time I was laughing, and then suddenly I would break down in tears. If I wasn't fifteen, I'd think I was having a mid-life crisis!
Anyway, I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter, as it is sort of the end of the fluffy stuff now. I know, it breaks my heart too, but I'd like to pull in the dark, sinister stuff that Primeval does so well, and I'm sure most of you would like to know what the future has in store for poor Jess, Bella and Becker.
As always, please review as it does make me update faster (PROVEN FACT), and let me know if you would like to see anything in later chapters :)