chapter 19- Once upon another time

Laurens POV

Dad and Ab's had been and gone before I knew t. Zoe had happily gone with them, more than please with her surprise sleepover. Working as calmly as ever Joey had driven to the hospital, and had got me there in one piece, which for the way he was driving was an absolute miracle.

The twins had decided pretty quickly that they didn't like the idea of being in there forever, it was a bit too cramped in there for them and by the way I was feeling they seemed pretty adamant they were coming now. I'd had a horrible icky crampy feeling for most of the day but like most days I assumed they were Braxton hicks. It wasn't until my waters actually broke I realised I was actually in labour. My contractions weren't really contractions like I had thought they would be, they weren't "painful" like cutting your finger or something, they were just uncomfortable. In the car as Joe drove the contractions were becoming a little more intense but still not painful as such. I'd downloaded an app on the I-pone a few weeks ago that was a contraction timer and according to that they were about 15 minutes apart and lasting around 20-30 seconds, we probably should have gone to hospital a lot sooner considering they were twins, but like I said, until my waters went I had no idea I was in labour.

One thing I know though is I do not recommend traveling in a car when in labour- ever, it's awful. Every speed bump was horrible and I now had the very present feeling of sick in my stomach too. "Baby you ok ?"

I nodded by head as Joey eased me out of the car and walked us towards the Maternity ward of the hospital. The contractions were getting worse now and I could no longer move without stopping for a few seconds. We reached the desk and as if on cue I had a contraction. Joey's hand ran up and down my spine trying to rid the tension from me as I clutched to the desk breathing out after it finished.

After Joey had handed my details over we were taken to a birthing room. It was really nice, much more comforting than expected to be honest. I'd got a birth plan, which right now was pretty much intact. I'd said I didn't want to use pain relief for as long as I could, but I wouldn't be opposed to it either. Obviously being twins there was a higher risk of me needed to have a C-section, Which I was completely crapping myself about. If I was having these babies I was bringing them into the world myself. I got settled in the room, feeling more relaxed now I was here.

They'd hooked me up to the belly monitor to take a continuous reading of the contractions and I there were two smaller monitors reading each baby's heart rate. I was on the bed curled on my side facing Joey. His fingers were brushing softly through my hair moving it away from my forehead. "How you feeling baby?" he whispered softly through a smile.

"Tired, scared…excited too"

"Why don't you get some sleep in, while you can...I'll still be hear when you wake up" he softly kissed my forehead and I already felt myself drifting off to sleep.

I don't remember how long I'd slept but when I woke Joey was sleeping too and Pam was sitting at the opposite end of the room. I looked at the clock and it was about 9pm I'd had a good two hours sleep. "ahh…o wow" I had the most painful contraction so far which Jolted Joey awake too.

"Just breath through it baby…that's it babe" He gently eased me back up to a sitting position "That one more painful ?"

"Much more" The door opened several minuets later and my midwife came in to examine me again. The first time they checked me I was only 2 cm dilated so I was hoping to have progressed a little, it definitely felt like I was.

"Well everything's going good Lauren, your about 4cm now so you've progressed really well. The twins are very happy… I'll back in about an hour".

Half hour later and I'd dropped back off for a short time and now Pam was talking to me and Joey. I attempted to listen and join in, but my mind was elsewhere. The pain was getting much worse, and I was finding it hard to get comfortable at all. "Joe…can you help me move?"

"Of course where do you want to go?" I shrugged a little "Do you want to walk for a bit? It's mean to help speed things up, we could get some food too?"

I was having a very hard time relaxing through the contractions. I would ball up my fists and squeeze during each one. Joey's hand was taking a lot of the pain to be honest and it helped a lot. It let me focus on something other than the pain and to not tense up my lower region. Once the hell of a contraction had finished I nodded to Joey and we began to wander slowly down the corridor to the café.

We were back in the room not long after, the twins didn't agree with food so I was sick several times and felt pretty painful all over.

"Ok Lauren, I'm going to check you again alright?" Joey was instantly at my side whispering calming words as the midwife examined me "ok, how's the pain ?"

"Painful…I feel tense all over" she frowned a little and Panic struck through me "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong darling, you've progressed really quickly, you're at 9cm so, I'm going to go and alert the rest of the team and then I'll stick around in here. I don't think you'll be too long"

So I kind of freaked at that point. This was actually happening. Joey leaned over the bed, his fingertips caressing my cheek, sensing I was on the verge of a meltdown. "Baby look at me… you've done so brilliant, you have got this far with no pain relief that's incredible baby"

"Joeys right Lauren, I had full pain relief with both Joe and Alice, and you're having twins sweetie you're doing amazing"

It seemed like an eternity before the midwife showed up again to examine me and to be quite honest I was feeling sufficiently more in pain than the last time. "Ok Lauren do you feel like you need to push?" I shook my head and told her no, not even close, then again I didn't know what it felt like when you needed to push, but I was assured that when I did I would know.

At about half 2 in the morning a good 8 hours after my waters broke, I felt the urge to push, like really push. "Joey…I think I need to push"

"Ok baby… just stay calm…Mum" He nodded to the doors so she could get the midwife who had chosen the seconds before to leave the room for the first time in about 2 hours.

A lot of what happened next is kind of a blur, mostly just getting comfortable and dealing with each contraction one by one by one. I kept thinking that there was just no way they could ever get worse than they are now, that all my muscles in my stomach would just rip in two if they got any harder, but oh did they get harder! With every contraction I could feel the first baby moving down and the need to push intensified a little.

"Are you comfortable like this Babe?" Joey asked. I was on all fours on the bed and in response to his question I shook my head. No it was comfortable in the slightest but I guessed no other position would be either. "Do you want to move? Try laying down"

"Please…" I breathed "ahh..ow" I murmured in pain as between them, Joey, Pam and the miwife adjusted my position.

Once comfortable (as much as I could be) I was told to push with my next contraction. That next contraction took forever to come. When it did though I tried to push, but seemed to have little strength to do so, I dint feel like I moving anything so to speak.

"Lauren your doing amazing, when you push, I can see the tip of baby's head…you just need to hold them a little longer for me ok?" Obviously I was doing much better than I thought.

"Come on baby…" Joey kissed be softly as I continued to push following the instructions to the letter.

I was so tired by this point; it had been nearly 10 hours of labour. During the pushing stage my contractions had spaced out a bit, so I was able to rest a little.

"Lauren… baby's head is right there darling…you can feel if you like?"

Joey moved a little lower down the bed and took a look "Oh Lauren… baby, it's amazing…touch them baby…it's ok." I nodded and Joey guided my hand the head. Baby A, our son was right there.

That was when it really hit me that I was having a baby. Until then it had all been a bit of a blurr, the twins were only on images obviously I could feel them and we could see them growing but this was beyond real. Now here the baby was, its own little being separate from me. When I touched his head I couldn't quite describe the feeling that flooded though me. I felt his fuzzy hair and realized that inside me right now was a human being that I created with my husband. It was truly amazing.

After that I was ready to have my baby in my arms, I could see from the monitors they were getting tired, their heart rates dipping occasional. I pushed and I pushed like no tomorrow.

Towards the end when he was crowning it killed. I really did feel as though I was going to rip in two. I had to slow down pushing so I wouldn't tear, but it was difficult for me to just push a little, it was either all or nothing, I managed, but not easily, to do smaller pushed having Joey pant with me to calm me. I did my best to slowly ease out his head, and as his head was coming out I could feel his ears! That was so strange to me. I feel a small amount of sympathy for the women who can't feel the whole experience because of drugs or epidurals. It was so wonderful and like nothing I ever thought it would be.

"Oh my god…Joey" I whispered as with a final push, His head came out; his eyes screwed shut. Once his head was out, I gave two more decent pushes to get the rest of him out and he was instantly laid him on my chest and started drying him off to keep him warm. He didn't cry right away, but he was fine, still attached. I collapsed to the back of the bed crying as Joey kissed my head repeatedly his own tears falling.

"Congratulations Lauren, that's your baby boy"

I looked down in complete wonder, Joeys arm draped around my shoulder as my hands ran over the small baby on my chest. He sneezed then he started to cry, a good healthy cry. He was warming a little more each second as he fidgeted against me.

"Joey would you like to cut the cord?" The midwife asked, with a little encouragement from Pam joey cut the cord. As soon as Joe was back by my side I was feeling the need to push again. In the excitement I'd forgot I'd got to do this again. Our son was bundled over to the other end of the room, to be weighed and checked over.

"Ok Lauren, Just like last time I need you start with a big push to get her moving alright… she shouldn't take as long so I need you to do exactly what I say"

I wasn't really doing anything this time it felt like my body did all the pushing automatically, I couldn't feel the contractions anymore, whether it was through the pain or just complete euphoria I didn't know but right now I didn't care either I was just trying to remember to breath, the dull cried of our little boy echoed over the other side of the room and I was only just absorbing Joeys whispered encouragement. A couple more pushes and I was fully crowning again. One more push and the head was out. Another push and most of the baby's body was out. The wave of continuous contractions ended though, so the midwife instructed me to give one more push to get the baby out. I gave one hard push and with that, our daughter was born.

She was beautiful. She quietly looked around and took her first peaceful breath letting out a big cry. She was placed on my chest like her brother had been, and she settled much quicker. I could tell the weight difference too, there wasn't much but she was definitely a little smaller.

"Well done baby" Joey beamed and kissed my lips in a deep, pride filled kiss.

Just as before Joey cut her cord and then she was taken to join her brother for some checks. Pam congratulated us and left to go and call my Dad and Abs and tell them they could visit in the morning. I'd delivered the placenta a while later and the twins had been brought back over too us, both wrapped in the blankets we'd brought with us. The midwife propped the bed up and placed a large cushion across my knees when they were raised slightly. The twins were laid across it each sleeping already.

"Baby A, your son was born at 3am on November 3rd weighing 6pounds,3 and Baby B, your little girl was born at 3:24am on November 3rd weighing 5pounds 9. Both babies are nice and pink and healthy and respond well to everything."

"I can't believe we did it joey… we made them" I stared down at the baby boy in my arms, Joey holing our daughter.

"We did good didn't we?" He smiled "And you did amazing babe, I'm so proud of you, you wouldn't believe. She looks so much Like you Lauren." Joey was staring deeply into her eyes as she curled closer to his chest. She did look a little like me but there was no denying she was like a miniature Zoe.

"I think they look like you, your son is the spit of you Joe and she looks like Zoe" I frowned a little and looked at Joey.

"What? Is something wrong? Are you hurt?"

"They don't have names…" I whispered "we didn't decide"

"Didn't you say you liked Max?" Joey asked "I think it would be perfect, and I know it would mean the world to your Dad babe…"

"Are you sure?" Joey nodded "Well I think Max it is then… would you be opposed to having Bradley as his middle name, after my brother ?" Joey shook his head

"I think that's perfect baby… and I know your Dad will love it too" A soft silence fell across us as we thought about a name for our daughter now. The twins were soundly sleeping their tiny bodies rising and falling with each breath. "What about Polly?"

"Polly…Ye I like that, I like that a lot, we could have Maria as her Middle name after…"

"My Grandmother" Joey said looking up at me as I nodded. "Polly Maria Branning and Maxwell Bradley Branning"

"Sounds perfect doesn't it?"

Next Morning we were given the all clear and we'd be allowed home later that afternoon all being well. Our first night had run surprisingly well, we discovered Max was a perfect sleeper and only woke twice for his feed. Polly on the other hand was Fussy. She took the longest to settle and wouldn't stay asleep for long. They were both settled now after being fed and changed, both Craving their daddy's attention whilst I was changing. I walked back in the room settling back on the bed, I was still a bit sore to be honest, but nothing a bit of Paracetamol couldn't cure.

Joe and I were both sitting with the babies when there was a gentle knock at the door. It opened and in walked a beaming Dad with Zoe.

"Mummy! Daddy!" she shouted.

"Zoe…you got to be quite sweetie your brother and sister are sleeping" Dad said lifting her up into his arms. she looked around the room and saw me and Joe with the twins. Her eyes widened and then whispered something to Dad who chuckled.

"No sweetie I don't think Mummy and Daddy have called them Pedro and Zuzu" Zoe looked from me to Joey and frowned a little. "Shall we see what they are called baby?"

"No…Pedro and Zuzu"

"Zoe, listen to me baby, your brother and sister have really special names, Me and Mummy thought it might be nice if they had their own names not one's from Peppa pig".

"Ok" She pouted squirming from Dads arms. "Can I see?" I nodded and patted the bed beside me.

"course you can baby" Dad placed her on the bed next to me . "Hi Daddy" I whispered him kissing my cheek as he looked at Polly I was holding.

"Congratulations honey, they are perfect… look just like their Dad" I nodded "What's their names then?"

Joey moved to site the other side of me holding Max, he nodded at me to go first. "Well this is your Little sister Zoe, and she's called Polly" Dad smiled his fingers running over Polly's cheek.

"Polly?" Zoe questioned looked her.

"Ye baby girl, Polly and Your little brother..." Joey looked to me

"Dad do you want to hold your grandson… Max" Dad's eyes filled with tears and took a step nearer to Joey. "He's name's Maxwell Bradley Branning, two of the best Branning Men I know"

"I don't know what to say Lauren, Joey… Thank you"

Dad took Max from Joey and I passed Polly across to Joe so I could have my cuddles with my other baby- Zoe. She climbed into my arms and sat quietly hugging me occasionally whispering little things in my ear. This was perfect, I had my dream family, It was my fairy tale come true. I could only wish for once upon another time, because at this time I had everything I could have possible wanted- three beautiful children an amazing husband and a Dad who was out of this would. It was just now to take those scary steps into the hidden territories of parenthood- from the beginning.

So that was the last official chapter of this story… the final post will be up Sunday because I've read through it today and it needs some work so I hope you enjoyed this chapter ! Thank you all so much for your support of these two stories it's been incredible to hear all your lovely feedback hope you enjoy the Epilogue xx