Much to Monroe and Nick's surprise, the rest of January and most of February passed almost entirely without incident, well, barring Monroe spending the better half of a week avoiding Nick so that he wouldn't catch the cold he had.

Therefore, even though Monroe had sensed that they were in the calm of the storm, as it were, he wasn't quite prepared for things to come to a head the way that they did. But, just as always, he weathered it the best could.

Nick was meant to have his scheduled C-Section the Thursday after next; there was even a cryptic, to the uniformed, letter C taking up the space for the entire day on the calendar on their refrigerator. However, in the middle of the night on Monday, Nick urgently shook Monroe awake telling him that he thought he was having contractions, a shadow of fear cast across his eyes, his unspoken worries mirrored in Monroe's eyes.

Although they had been told that this was a possibility, Monroe found that he couldn't help freaking out just a little. Or maybe a lot.

"Oh God... Okay. Call Dr. Lehrer," Monroe said as he pressed Nick's cell phone into his hand. "I'm putting on pants, and then we'll go. Don't worry about changing."

Nick looked like he was going to protest, on what grounds, Monroe had no idea. But after opening his mouth and seeming to think better of it, he wandered into the hallway with the phone pressed against his ear.

Twenty minutes later, Monroe was trying to keep calm, cool, and collected, for Nick's sake, and just get him to Dr. Lehrer's clinic as quickly as possible. Despite this, he was now driving down the freeway in an erratic state of panic.

Nick kept telling him to slow down, but the edge of pain in his voice only made Monroe want to go faster. But he was now wishing he had listened, as he found that the flashing red and blue lights that were now blinking through the rearview mirror of his Volkswagen were doing nothing to quell to his anxiety.

"Just pull over," Nick said, clutching at his abdomen, his face pinched with vague signs of pain and discomfort. "I can try and show them my badge. We have time... probably."

"You have no idea if that's true. Not to mention, you don't even have your badge," Monroe pointed out as they'd left the house in far too much of a hurry for that. He was reluctant to follow Nick's instructions since their concept of time and that of the state highway patrol might differ drastically. He sighed in frustration thinking that if they were in a movie from the fifties and Nick were a woman, not only would they get to the hospital in time, a police escort would have been what made sure of it.

But realizing that unless he actually wanted the police to follow them to the Wesen clinic, he was going to have to give up the ghost, Monroe reluctantly came to a stop on the side of the freeway. Nick moaned piteously as he slid into the passenger side door as he reached for Monroe's registration.

Monroe was torn between wanting to yell at Nick for doing things he shouldn't be doing, which at the moment he deemed anything other than sitting still, or pulling him close because he just wanted this whole ordeal to be over for him. However, he was currently incapable of doing either because there was a cocky-looking, young female officer peering into his window asking if he knew just how fast he was going.

Before Monroe had a chance to reply, Nick, who had apparently lost his mind, leaned over the center console and lightly batted his eyes at the woman. "Miss, Monroe here is taking me to the hospital. Now, I'm a detective for the Portland PD, and right now, I'm playing the part of the good cop. It's late, and I'm sure you'd rather head home than write a last minute ticket. I'm sure your shift's almost over." He gave the digital clock on the dashboard a brief glance as if to confirm this while the woman nodded along, looking vaguely annoyed. Then he switched tacks, "Now, if you don't let us go, my partner is going to play the part of the bad cop."

He winked at Monroe, a gesture which mostly lost its effect as another contraction forced his eyes closed, and he leaned completely into Monroe's shoulder.

The woman gave Nick a suspicious once over then said, "I have to write down your license and make a report regardless of your standing, idetective. /i I can drive you to the hospital myself. But you need to tell me, as an officer of the law yourself, why wouldn't you call an ambulance?"

They both knew that that was the tip of the iceberg on questions they couldn't answer so Monroe did the only thing that he knew for sure would prevent further ones. He woged.

The woman gasped violently before backing away quickly and shaking her head. Then after blinking at them a few times, she walked back to her patrol car and urgently waved them on.

"Now, so that doesn't happen again, can you try to go at least close to the speed limit? Just try to calm down, for me? Okay?" Nick asked as he placed his hand lightly on Monroe's shoulder. "We're going to get there in time."

It sounded to Monroe that Nick was reassuring himself, and he bristled at that. He should be there for Nick right now, not the other way around, "Of course, we will. In the nick of time, knowing us. Now get back in your seat."

Nick laughed slightly more than Monroe thought was warranted by the comment before crossing his arms across his chest and leaning forward over the shoulder strap of his seatbelt.

Monroe frowned at him for a moment before turning his eyes back to the road. Then, thinking that it would at least give Nick something to keep his mind off of the direness of the current situation, "Hey, why don't you call Hank and Rosalee? I'm sure they'll want to know that they're going to be Godparents, uh, sooner than they thought. Besides, I think Dr. Lehrer wanted Rosalee's help."

After Nick spoke with each of them briefly, he went back to hugging his chest, looking deeply uncomfortable. Monroe tried to focus on the road and not Nick, trying his best to keep in mind that what he was currently doing was the best thing he could be doing.

However, the closer they got to the clinic, the more worried about Nick he became. He was becoming progressively less responsive to the things Monroe was saying. Sure, it was mostly just him rambling, but usually that was something Nick at least attempted to put a stop to.

Consequently, he was rather relieved to see Rosalee running up to them as he parked the car.

"How you guys doing?" She asked as she pulled the passenger side door open and started trying to help Nick out. He neither replied nor moved.

"He's hardly said two words since he called you and Hank," Monroe said as he climbed out and slung Nick's duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Hmm," Rosalee pursed her lips together and rested her hand on Nick's shoulder. "Nick, I know you're afraid something's going to go wrong, but we can't do anything for you if you're sitting in the car out here."

"Rosalee, what are we going to do if he won't get out?" Monroe whispered in her ear as he came up beside her. He noticed now that Nick was sitting stock still with his hands cupped around the edges of the seat; he was staring straight ahead, though his eyes didn't seem to be fixed on anything in particular.

"Well, worst case scenario, we'll have to knock him out," Rosalee said. She didn't whisper. "But hopefully it won't come to that. Will it, Nick?"

Nick shook his head, seeming to snap out of it, before reaching out to both of them as he climbed out, "I'm really sorry, guys. I don't know what came over me... I'm just... really freaked out."

"Yeah, you probably should be," Monroe said as he and Rosalee wrapped their arms around Nick's torso, leading him inside. "But we're here now, and it's going to be okay. Okay? No need to go catatonic on us."

"Yeah, well, I'll try," Nick said. "No promises."

XXX

After answering some questions for Dr. Lehrer, Nick had tried to really engage with Monroe and Rosalee and not let what happened in the car happen again, but his worries were still getting the better of him.

"Oh god. Nick, this is bad. Your freaking out is freaking me out. And I don't know what's going to happen, and I'm not completely sure Dr. Lehrer or Rosalee do either and," Monroe said as he paced a half a foot away from the bed Nick should be lying down on. He was, in point of fact, half sitting up sincerely wishing that he i wasn't /i still freaking out. But he couldn't help it.

They couldn't do the C-Section if he was in labor. While Dr. Lehrer had given him a strong dose of magnesium sulfate tempered with some Wesen mixture to stop, or, at the very least, slow down the natural -or, in his opinion, very unnatural- course of things, he could not stop thinking about what would happen if it didn't work.

i Castration by baby /i was how Monroe had so elegantly put it after their last visit to Dr. Lehrer. And in this case, quite likely, lethal castration.

And of course, it was all a vicious cycle. Monroe being anxious about it was making him more anxious, and so on. He was trying not to focus on Monroe's dizzying loop around the tile, but he couldn't focus on anything else. Dr. Lehrer, Rosalee, and the nurse had all gone to find a few additional supplies - not being in an actual hospital was slightly inconvenient for everyone, but they had all agreed that there would be too many unanswerable questions if they were.

"Monroe!" Rosalee said pointedly, not quite shouting from the door. It was instantly effective.

"I know. I know. I'm not helping. But I don't know what to do," Monroe said, looking abashed and upset. Then he took up a sudden interest in the medical supplies on the far counter. Nick wished he would come over to the chair by him and i just sit. /i That would actually be helpful. Even though he was just on the other side of the room, it felt like he was too far away. But for some reason, saying anything felt like a lot of effort. Like there was a weight pressing on his lungs and vocal cords. He didn't really understand why.

Then another contraction seized him, and he gasped in pain as he wrapped his hand firmly around the bed rail. They were getting more painful and closer together. Which was totally the opposite of what should be happening. He tried not to think about it. But it was all he could think about.

"Nick...?" Rosalee said, looking concerned, as she gripped his other hand. "They haven't stopped?"

He shook his head because he couldn't get the words out. His arms and legs were trembling, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. Which was ridiculous. Of course, he could breathe. That wasn't the problem. Everything else was the problem.

Rosalee leaned in closer and really looked at him, "Nick, can you answer me?"

He shook his head again, still gasping for air. The room was spinning, and he really, really couldn't breathe.

The next thing he knew, Rosalee was pulling an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, "Nick, I think you're having a panic attack. You need to breathe, okay?"

Nick tried to nod. He didn't actually know if he could do what she was asking, but he knew he needed to try. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Monroe turn around, trying not to woge.

Nick gulped at the oxygen. It helped. Sort of. Or, at least, the room stopped spinning.

"Thank you, Rosalee. You're not wrong. Keep that oxygen mask on him," Dr. Lehrer said. She and the nurse walked back into the room and started setting up at the foot of the bed. "Nick, you need to lie down, and, like Rosalee said, breathe. Just breathe. That substance will take a little time to get in your system, but it should be working very soon. You're going to be fine. I promise."

He nodded as Rosalee squeezed his hand. He wanted to believe her, he really did.

But more than that, he wanted Monroe. He was beyond freaked out at this point, and maybe Monroe and his filter free rambling wasn't the best thing for the situation, but it didn't matter. He was still who Nick wanted to hold his hand through this. Rosalee was merely playing a very good second fiddle.

Nick let his eyes roam until they locked with Monroe's, then he motioned with them and a slight tilt of his head for Monroe to come back over to him. It didn't quite get the message across. Thankfully, Rosalee did.

"Monroe, get over here, and sit down," Rosalee shouted. "Nick needs you."

"Dude, I'm sorry. I just... this is so not my area," Monroe said, his eyes hollow, as he sank into the chair next to the bed. "This has already been a trial and half of tribulation for you. And I'm worried about you. And I was making it worse, and man, I do not want to make this worse."

Nick didn't really think that's what he'd done. He wanted to say so too, but with the oxygen mask on, he couldn't really. In lieu of words, he shook his head slightly as he stretched his hand out towards Monroe's. Monroe took it, and he laced their fingers together.

"Nick, I need you to stay as still as you can, we're going to give you a shot of anesthesia for the pain," Dr. Lehrer said as she drew a needle over his other arm. It pinched slightly. Then she and the nurse started placing a sheet over his abdomen. "I'm going to make sure the contractions have stopped. Once I'm sure they have, we're going to start."

Nick tightened his grip on Monroe's hand. He had known this was coming, but, well, he was not any less unglued about the whole ordeal.

"Nick, breathe," Monroe said, his face contorting slightly. He didn't say it in the calm, controlled way Rosalee had either. He sounded truly worried that Nick was going to stop. "Please breathe. Don't have another panic attack. I can't deal with that and neither can you."

As Nick narrowed his eyes at him, Monroe seemed to realize that this was probably not the best approach. He stopped and took a deep breath himself.

"Okay, just focus on me," Monroe said. "We're going to meditate the way I do in yoga. Don't focus on anything in this room other than me. No one here but the two of us, got it?"

Under any other circumstances, Nick would have laughed. Instead, he did exactly what Monroe asked. He nodded at Monroe and waited.

"Close your eyes and listen," Monroe said before beginning to describe a waterfall vividly enough that Nick felt like he'd recognize it if it happened to be real, and he happened to stumble upon it. He let Monroe guide him across a river at the bottom of a waterfall as he felt the cool tip of some medical tool graze against his abdomen. He swallowed hard.

He knew Monroe had to have felt his arm twitch too, but Monroe just kept going so he kept trying to listen. As he heard Dr. Lehrer, Rosalee, and the nurse debating about something medical that he didn't really want to understand, he reminded himself that he didn't need to. He could feel gloved hands and metal tools moving across his chest. But they didn't matter. It was just him and Monroe. Him and Monroe. And a waterfall. Nothing weird going. He most definitely wasn't in the middle of giving birth right now.

And that was how it went for the next half hour or so. He faded in and out of the guided imagery Monroe was creating for him, trying his best to ignore everything going on around him.

Until Monroe abruptly let go of his hand, and he heard the sound of a baby crying. He opened his eyes wide, but he couldn't see anything past the oxygen mask and the strange green sheet over him. He knew his daughter was there, but he couldn't see her. And at the end of all this, that was all he wanted.

"She's beautiful, Nick," Monroe said, his voice now coming from across the room. Nick couldn't see him anywhere. Unbidden tears started to stream down his cheeks. "Just beautiful."

He started pulling at the oxygen mask so he could say something. Rosalee was over his shoulder instantly, "Nick, I don't think that's a good idea. Not yet. We still have to stitch you up."

He pushed her hand away and pulled it up anyway, "Rosalee, I want to see her. I can't see her."

"You'll see her in a minute; I promise. They're washing blood and amniotic fluid off of her," Rosalee said, stroking her thumb down his cheek, tracing the line of one of his tears. "She'll be a better sight for you when they're done."

"I don't care what she looks like. I just want to see her," Nick said, and he really meant that. Bloody mess or not, he just wanted to see his daughter.

"I know you do," Rosalee said. "She's your reward for all of this. You did great, by the way. I didn't know Monroe could get you to concentrate like that."

"Neither did I," Nick admitted. "I've never really tried to meditate before. It's not easy. But easier than whatever you were doing, I'm sure."

Rosalee laughed lightly at that, "I'm sure. "

She leaned down and kissed Nick on the forehead. Nick smiled weakly as his eyes flickered across the room. He really just wanted one thing right now, and that was to hold Clara. He could still hear her crying.

Finally, Monroe, holding what looked like a bundle of blankets and beaming, walked slowly over to them. He looked down at Nick before handing her to him, "You got her?"

"Yeah," Nick said. He levered her head up with his palm so he could really look at her. She had a small wisp of brown hair and barely opened seemingly brown eyes. Monroe wasn't wrong. She was beautiful.

He whispered to her, "Hello, Clara. It's so nice to see you on the outside."

Then he held her close to his chest as he kissed her on the forehead. And that was the last thing he remembered doing because as far as he could tell, he'd simply blacked out after that.

Monroe or Rosalee rescued Clara from him; he wasn't really sure which. The retellings he got from them later never had it exactly the same.