A/N: HUGE apology for the long wait. Hope y'all like it. Please don't forget to read & review!

Corinne, You're my rock! Thank you for always believing in me, even when I don't believe in myself. xx

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Chapter 23
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~Jesse's POV~

When I stop and think about where I am right now it's hard to believe how much things have changed in a single year. True, there's been some shit; I nearly lost Beca, I was homeless, I got beaten up and I ended up with nothing. But on the flip side, I nearly lost Beca, I was homeless, I got beaten up and I ended up with nothing.

Let me explain.

I'm Jesse Christopher Swanson. I'm twenty nine years old and grew up in a trailer park that had a reputation of just being downright awful. If the cops did a drive by, there was always a minimum of three cars and they never entered the park if there was trouble. Instead, they just sent in the SWAT team who usually arrived in full uniform and more than ready to kick ass.

Luckily my sweet Granny, the only parent I ever knew, lived on the better side of the trailer park, the one that didn't smell like garbage and danger. I mean, she tried, she really tried and taught us right from wrong and kept us from the bad part of the park, which I am still thankful for, seeing that most of the guys I knew from school either ended up in prison or dead. With the exception of my excuse of a mother, my childhood was ok. I mean, yeah, we were hungry a lot of the time and had to make do with clothes we could afford from goodwill but Granny baked cookies when she could afford the ingredients and the trailer was always filled with singing and believe it or not, there are some good memories. For our birthdays, we were treated to a barbecue dinner, a small gift which was just for us and cake. For Christmas, we'd string up yards of popcorn and then spend most of the time pretending we weren't eating it. I loved Granny for everything she tried to do for us, all the sacrifices she made and every time she hauled my ass over the coals.

I fell in with a bad crowd despite her trying to keep me at home but I always had high hopes for myself, which I know makes me sound like I'm full of myself but I always knew I was better than prison. I did do time in juvie but it was just for stealing food and stuff that we needed. When I got out, I realized that everything I owned fit into a small backpack and it summed up my entire life. I was practically nothing but ultimately it was just the kick in the ass that I needed.

I could sing a little and I could play the guitar. But I knew that wasn't going to get me far on my own. I teamed up with some guys and we started a band going. But all the auditions, the try outs, the open mike nights... ended with jeering crowds, people not listening and hearing that 'thanks, but no thanks' plea which translates as 'get the fuck outta my club, asshole'.

We practiced like hell; every waking moment was spent trying to find places to get a gig and somehow we ended up on Battle of the Bands. That day. That day changed my entire life. Before that, we had slowly started to get our name out onto the music scene, and I was getting used to a few of the chicks pawing at me to get attention. And yeah, dammit, I loved the attention. On the day of Battle of the Bands, a tiny, dark haired, stunningly beautiful girl in the front row caught my eye. There was something about her. She never took her eyes off of me, watching my every move. True, I shook my hips a little more in her direction and maybe made eye contact a few too many times but, I can happily admit now, I liked what I saw and apparently she did too.

I never actually intended on falling for her.

I thought she would be a quick fuck, maybe even a morning treat but when I woke up, she'd cooked me breakfast and clearly was up for more as she dragged me off to the pool for more fun. I couldn't believe my luck. Telling Casey in modest details a few hours after I left, he asked what I'd managed to lift from the house and gave me the oddest look when I said nothing and that I'd just enjoyed my time with an amazing girl.

Beca didn't know about my background then. She just accepted me as Jesse, leader singer of The Riff, where as everyone else knew me as Jesse, the troublemaker, the kid from the bad part of town. I loved how she was trying to do nice things for me, although I know now that's just her way. I started to feel, dare I say it, happy. It was like the past twenty nine years of crap meant nothing if she was my reward.

She was the hottest woman I'd ever seen. She had a kick ass job, an incredible house and a car that slipped over the asphalt like a hot knife through butter. She cooked, she danced, she sang along to the radio when she thought no one was listening, she even sat through my painfully awkward attempts to be normal when the enormity of situations came crashing down on me. She asked for nothing in return but my love.

And I betrayed her.

I partied when she went away, took drugs, drank too much. My ass got put in jail and looking back now, I deserved every single damn second of that cold bench in cell number three. At the time, I felt she owed me though. Her friends, while accepting, were too good for the likes of me. Her best friend was cold, distant and I couldn't get through to him, despite Beca's desperate reassurances that he was a good guy deep down and would eventually come around.

I fucked up. I fucked it all up.

Spending my days and nights on the streets, getting beaten up for being a bum made me realize how fucking stupid I was, how I lost the best thing that had ever happened to me. I'd lost so much already; Granny, my brothers, my mom, the most stable and comfortable home I'd ever lived in but losing Beca was the hardest thing I'd ever had to endure.

I wanted to die but my friends Jack, Jim and Jose helped me through it. I had nothing to live for, no where to go and imagined I'd be on the streets for the rest of my miserable life until that day Beca found me again.

Like the angel she is, she took me back into her home. It didn't take long for her to open her heart to me and I played the game, did as she asked, got help for my addictions and proved my worth to her. Finding a job was a huge achievement for me, especially for a kid who spent time in juvie and had no real work experience. I can admit, while it's not an exciting job nor is it going to get me far in life, it is honest pay for honest work and it meant that I could contribute a tiny bit towards the household bills. Everything was coming together so well again that I just knew Beca was the one I was going to spend the rest of my life with. It wasn't hard to make that choice and I hoped and prayed she'd agree to spend the rest of her life with me.

She taught me to man up, work hard and began to accept my past for what it was. She didn't take my excuses or my weakness, she showed me where I had potential and where I lacked skills. And I listened, maybe for the first time in my life.

New Year's Eve was incredible and the perfect start to the rest of our lives together. January started with a bang. I was able to line up a meeting with Cynthia Rose to discuss a recording contract for the band. Beca agreed to wear my Granny's ring and wouldn't even entertain the idea of me getting her something else. But I will admit, the reason I knew that the year was going to be great was that small, rapidly growing, little nugget in Beca's belly.

I know a lot of people think that a guy can't be as involved with a pregnancy as a girl; I mean, aside from the obvious. No, we can't ever begin to understand what it feels like, what hurts, what tickles, what flutters but we see the changes in our girlfriend or wife. We see the contented smiles, the beautiful thoughts running through her mind and the yearning for the nine months to be over. We sit by and hold their hair as they puke, head out at three in the morning for a cheeseburger and rub swollen ankles.

But we also listen.

Because in the dead of night, you can hear a second heartbeat, you can see the movements as your baby rustles underneath the sheets, encased in safety in their mother's womb. You can watch as your partner reaches out a sleepy hand to calm a wiggling little nugget. And you love that tiny baby for everything they are giving to their mommy and that's when it hits you. That he or she is also a part of you and you get to start over. The baby doesn't care about your past, it's actually investing in your future. You get to make new plans, see the world through a child's eyes and get to do things that, for someone like me, was impossible just a year ago.

I'd already imagined taking my baby out in a stroller, just for a walk so Beca could get some rest. I knew I'd be around for the night feedings, the poopy diapers, the bedtime stories and everything else in between. Heck, if I was honest, I'd even thought about how I'd feel as my kid graduated. I had it all planned out, and nothing was going to change that.

And life was going ok. The band and I were ironing out the contract with Cynthia Rose, which made me so happy as I wanted to contribute more to the family budget. I wanted Beca to take the time out with the baby and not have to worry about bills as I had it covered. I wanted to paint the nursery over the last month, I had saved up the money for the paint. Casey, who was tickled about being an uncle, offered to come over and help. I'd even began to clear out the room that I knew Beca wanted to use as the nursery. It was right across the hall from the master suite and the only room Beca reassured me that Amy hadn't crop dusted.

I'd wanted to make a start while Beca was away in Las Vegas but I got caught up with a few things. I knew she wouldn't mind. I had most of the Monday to get a couple of walls painted and knew I could get a lot of the woodwork painted before she got home, later that afternoon. That is, until I got the phone call that I could just sense meant my happy bubble was potentially about to burst.

And I blamed myself for being happy.

Karma was kicking me in the balls with both feet.

In my rush to get out of the house after hanging up with Beca, I simply threw a quick change of clothes, a toothbrush and my phone charger into a backpack and ran for the door. My mind was racing despite Beca's forced calmness. I knew her well enough to know she was scared. And I was kicking myself as I pulled out of the driveway, angry that I'd let her go so far away from home on her own. Where the hell was Amy in all of this? She'd supposedly gone out there for the weekend so why was Beca on her own? What about the two women Beca was meeting up with? Where were they?

I'd gotten to the guard shack at the beginning of the gated community we lived in before I calmed down. Beca wouldn't want me angry and I breathed through the tension as I made the right onto the highway. I had a forty minute drive to LAX and careening off the road was not part of the plan. I had a crazy thought to just drive to Vegas to get to my family quicker but it was a good five hour journey and while I was stupidly alert for the time of night, three hundred miles was not an easy distance to cover.

I had to make the last flight out of LAX. I'd book a cab from the airport, straight to the hospital and I'd be there for Beca and my baby. I wasn't really a praying man, let alone any sort of religious nut but I found myself talking to God, asking him to do what He could to keep them both safe. I figured I had a one time pass, despite my checkered history where He would actually listen, rather than me have to leave a voicemail.

Oh man, I spilled my guts out in the car. I promised everything in return if this one tiny favor could be done for me. I swore I'd volunteer at the homeless shelter in return for Beca being ok and I'd take up damn crochet if it meant my son or daughter was safe. In my heart of hearts, I believe I was listened to as I felt a warmth grow between my shoulder blades that was exactly the same spot that my Granny used to rub when I was a small boy.

Granny was with me and it was all going to be ok.

The drive took forever but I made it to LAX albeit later than I thought I would. I took a couple of wrong turns coming off of the freeway and ended up in the cargo area of the airport. I was more tired than I thought and my emotional prayers and pleas had taken its toll on me. I pulled into the first available parking space, grabbed my backpack off the front seat and ran to the terminal.

I was acutely aware as I headed to the ticket counter just how empty the concourse was. The agent behind the desk looked up in surprise and I realized I must have looked a sight; the desperation must have been etched on my face as I approached him. In a rush, I explained I needed to get to Vegas an hour ago, I had no baggage to check and would sit on the toilet if I needed to.

But no matter how hard I pleaded, how much I offered to pay, I'd missed the last flight out by fifteen minutes. He was quick to offer me solutions, even called another nearby airport but there was no other option but to wait until the next flight which was in four hours.

I did the math in my head. Four hours wait could potentially mean four hours sleep and then an hour long plane ride and a probable second hour to get out of the airport to the hospital. Six hours. Yet, a voice in the back of my mind was telling me that I could drive it, if I drove above the speed limit, in less than five. And at least I'd be on the way and doing something. I could tell Beca I was coming and mean it and then hopefully she'd be the one to sleep easier.

Thanking Steve, I headed back to the car making a mental note to write to his employers to praise him for his help and understanding. I punched the hospital details into the sat navigation system and, slipping the car into drive, I drove with purpose back out on the freeway. Once I was on the interstate, I called Beca to let her know what was going on but it went straight through to voicemail. I told myself it was because she was sleeping. I left a message for her anyway.

"Hey baby, I hope your phone is going to voicemail because you're resting. I wanted to let you know that there's been a change of plans. I'm driving to Vegas instead. I just missed the last flight and there wasn't another one for four hours. I figured my time was better spent on the road than waiting at the airport. See you soon, I love you and Nugget more than you know."

I hung up and concentrated on the road. While there were other driver's out like me in the middle of the night, it obviously wasn't as busy as it usually was. Staring ahead with no other distractions, I began to feel the pull on the corner of my eyes; the telltale signs I was tired. Wishing that I'd taken an extra couple of minutes to brew some coffee, I kept my eyes out for a coffee shop and decided to make a pit stop at the first one I saw.

The good thing about driving late at night was that I could use the cruise control on Beca's car. There were no cops about so I drove above the speed limit and alternated between watching the speedometer and the road in front of me. Pretty soon, I saw a sign for a Starbucks and made the sharp turn off to the small and dusty set of services that boasted restrooms. Wishing Beca was with me to share the joke, I hopped out of the car and jogged to the Starbucks.

I couldn't quite believe my luck, when I saw the 'Closed' sign hanging from the door but tugged on the door anyway. It rattled and squeaked but it was most definitely locked. Taking a step back, I looked to see if they was another branded coffee place nearby but was conscious of the fact I was losing precious minutes. Close to tears, I ran my hand through my hair and was just about to turn around to get back in the car when the door opened.

"Hello? Are you ok?" A small blonde asked as a taller guy stepped up behind her.

"Yeah, just got a crazy emergency drive to Vegas and needed some caffeine. It's ok, I see you're closed."

"We've only just closed."

"Yeah, being a few minutes late seems to be my theme of the evening."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing. Don't worry. I gotta book. Thank-"

"-Wait a minute. You look like you could use some coffee. If you don't mind extra strong coffee, we brewed some for the night guard about ten minutes ago. It's still pretty hot if you want it."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, of course. Come on in."

The manager, who I learned was named Sarah as soon as the lights went up, bustled behind the counter for a minute or two as the guy, whose name I never did get, went into the kitchen area at the back of the store. Within a minute or so, Sarah handed me a very large to go cup of French roast coffee and a huge carafe of, what I assumed, was the rest of the pot.

"I just need a cup." I said, fishing around in my pants for some change.

"Take it, it's yours. I'd only have to throw it out anyway." Sarah said kindly. "You look like you need it and it would be a shame to waste it, umm... " She looked at me and I knew she was asking me my name.

"Jesse. Thanks, I really appreciate it." I said, feeling the warmth spread through me. "This evening has been one hell of a shock."

"Are you ok?" She asked again.

"Yeah. My fiancée, my pregnant fiancée flew out to Vegas for work and has ended up in hospital. She called for me and she's not the type to over dramatize a situation."

"Oh wow. I'm sorry to hear that. Truly. I understand the need for the coffee, that's a long trip you've got tonight."

"Yes ma'am. Look, I'd better get going."

"Yeah, I get it. Have a safe drive."

"How much do I owe you?"

"It's on the house."

"Are you serious?" I asked wondering if my chat with God had made an impact. "Come on, how much do I owe you?"

"I've already closed out the register and settled the credit card machine. It's on the house." Sarah said walking back to the other side of the counter. "Here… take this too." She said handing me a couple of muffins and chicken wraps that the guy in the kitchen had warmed up for me.

"No really… this is too much. The coffee is more than enough."

"You've got a long ride ahead of you. This will keep you from having to make anymore unnecessary stops. When you get the opportunity, just pay it forward… ok?"

"Thank you. This means a lot."

"Drive safely. I'll say a prayer for you, your fiancée and your baby." Sarah told me as she walked me out the front door. "I hope everything is ok."

"Thanks Sarah. I really appreciate that and I hope that one day soon I can pay your kindness forward."

"It was really nice meeting you Jesse."

"Same here… take care."

We parted ways and I couldn't believe my luck and the kind understanding of strangers. Before pulling out of the parking lot, I made a note of the address in my phone as I know that once I'd told Beca what Sarah had done for me, she'd want to send her a thank you note or something.

I was soon back on the road and very much alone with my thoughts. The longer I drove the more my mind wandered and not to very good places. I wondered how Beca was doing. I wondered if I'd lose Beca or if I'd lose both Beca and the baby. I couldn't let any of those things happen. Pounding on the steering wheel, I made a vow that when Beca was released from the hospital, I would do everything in my power to make the rest of her pregnancy as comfortable and worry free as possible.

My mind wandered to an event from a few weeks ago, something I hadn't told Beca about yet. I had intended to, I didn't like keeping secrets from her but it was something so huge, I didn't know where to start. I'd gotten home that night, sporting a couple of bruises that I needed to hide and a small knife nick in my gut that took a few days to heal. I wasn't ready to tell her about it just yet but I virtually kicked myself for not telling her immediately and now she's in the hospital. She's fragile and I probably shouldn't tell her right now.

I continued to drive like a bat out of hell, the hum of the road and music playing in the car doing absolutely nothing to calm my rapidly fraying nerves. I needed to get to Vegas as soon as I possibly could, Beca needed me and if I was honest, I needed her. With each mile I drove, I realized just how much I missed Beca and would occasionally glance over at the navigation screen to see how much longer it would be before I would be arriving in Vegas. Then I wondered… 'Should I call Anne and Will? Or should I wait until I know more?'

~Beca's POV~

"Well Beca, the baby sounds good. The heartbeat is strong and steady." Dr. Jackson told me. "I know it's hard but you need to try and relax. Your blood pressure is elevated and we really don't want you to get sick or pass out." He said kindly. "I'm going to do an ultrasound for you and then I'd like you to get some rest."

In that moment, I released the air I'd been holding onto and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. My baby was ok… for now and hopefully, he or she would stay that way for the foreseeable future. In such a short amount of time, this baby had come to mean the world to me and I realized that I'd do anything to keep it safe. I vowed to stand on my head for the next nineteen and a half weeks if it meant that my baby was safe.

I always knew that I wanted to be a mother and I always knew that I would that I would be the fierce momma bear that my own mother was and still is. My mom would walk to the end of the Earth across broken glass and hot coals for me and though I've only known this baby for a short time, I'd do the same thing.

Suddenly I remembered something that I hadn't thought about in years then I wondered why I hadn't thought about it when Jesse and I were discussing baby names. I had often wondered what baby brain was and I now had a small inkling! When I was fifteen years old we went to the beach for a long weekend. While laying on the beach with Amy and Aubrey, I noticed a family with two little girls, one of the girls was about three years old and the other was about five years old. The girls began screaming as they threw a handfuls of sand at each other. When the mom saw what they were doing, she called out "Molly! Arabella! Stop that!" and I thought, 'What beautiful names?' as I watched them play.

For whatever reason, when we got home from that trip, I looked up the meanings of the names Molly and Arabella and was pleasantly surprised to find out what the names meant. Molly means 'wished for child' and Arabella means 'beautiful answer to prayer'. From that moment on, I started praying that one day, when the time was right, that I would have a daughter and we would have a relationship like the one I have with my mom.

Fast forward to today and I'm not only fighting for my own life but for the life of my unborn baby. Any false or sudden moves could result in a further rupture of my placenta and one or both of us could die. As I lay here with nothing else to do, I'm forced to remember a bible verse I learned in religion class when I was ten years old, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart".

Since I've been forced to slow down and just lay here unable to do anything but think, I've been reminded of a faithful God who does, in fact, give us the desires of our hearts. Not only did I start praying for my pregnancy, but I prayed for a happy, healthy baby. God just had to hear my prayers and my pleas… right? It was in those quiet, peaceful, prayerful moments that I decided if this baby was a girl, her name would be Molly Arabella. It was a name that I was sure Jesse would love, especially given the current circumstances.

"Beca… I'm just going to draw some blood now." Ginger told me as she gently rubbed my upper arm and snapped me out of my thoughts. I hadn't even heard her come in.

Turning my head toward the windows, I straightened my arm toward Ginger and said, "Sure, do whatever you need to."

Dr. Jackson was completely unfazed by our brief exchange and continued with the ultrasound. He was being very thorough but wasn't saying much, only stopping to make notes in my chart.

As much as I wanted to know the baby's gender, I refrained from asking. Now wasn't the time and really, Jesse should be with me when we found out. I laid there silently wondering how long it would be before Jesse got here and if he had been able to catch a flight. Not long after thinking about Jesse, I thought I heard my phone ringing but couldn't get to it at the time.

I'm not one to admit fear but this was one of those times when I had to pull my head out of my own ass and admit that I was scared shitless. The pain in my abdomen was starting to dull but it never really went away. I could feel the baby kicking and hear its heartbeat so I just kept telling myself that was a good sign.

Dr. Jackson stood up and carefully wiped the gel from my belly. As he made a few more notes in my chart, he told me that we'd know more after the blood tests came back and that he wanted to continue to monitor me and the baby throughout the night. He told me that laying on my left side would increase blood flow and help with the pain. After giving me some medication for the pain, Ginger helped me get comfortable. They left the room, promising to be back in a hour to check on me and the baby and update me on our progress.

As I laid there on my left side, with my knees bent and a pillow between my legs, just as I was instructed, fear coursed through me as I wondered what would happen if I moved. Rubbing my belly, I also wondered if the doctor had told me everything or had he sugar coated things in hopes of keeping me calm? The only thing keeping me from completely losing my mind was the soothing sound of my baby's heartbeat. It was strong, loud and most of all it was steady… that had to mean something, at least that's what I kept telling myself.

"It's just you and me Nugget." I whispered softly, trying not to sound scared. I'm not sure who I was trying to convince, myself or the baby. "Daddy will be here soon."

I wasn't sure if I was finally giving in to exhaustion or if the medication was taking over, but I had to admit that I really didn't care. I was tired. For the first time in hours, I finally felt myself relaxing enough to drift off into a semi peaceful sleep. As I did, I prayed that the worst was over and that when I woke up, Jesse would be sitting in the chair next to my bed, ready to take me and our little nugget home. I missed him immensely.

I wasn't sleeping long when I heard the door open and someone walk in. Slowly I opened my eyes and turned just my head to look over my shoulder to see who was coming into the darkened room. Before my eyes could adjust, I called out, "Jess?"

"No, Beca… it's only me." Ginger said as she entered the room, flipping on the small light on the bedside table.

"Has it been an hour already?" I asked groggily.

"A little longer actually." Ginger said as she placed a tray on the rolling table at the foot of my bed. "I needed to check on you and then I realized that I hadn't asked you when the last time you'd eaten was so I thought you might like a little snack."

"That's really sweet. Is it ok to sit up?"

"Yes, I'll help you." Ginger carefully helped me roll over and adjusted the bed to a sitting position before pulling the tray closer to me. "It's only juice, fruit salad and some toast but it'll hold you over until breakfast."

"Thank you." I said thankful for the snack and for the fact that it was light since I wasn't in the habit of eating anything in the middle of the night.

Ginger watched me for a moment before stopping to ask me a couple of questions. "How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

Taking a deep breath, I put my fork down on the tray and wiped my mouth with a napkin. "The pain has subsided. It's more of a dull ache right now."

"That's good. It means the medication is working." She said with a smile as she checked the monitors and made a few notes. "Ok, I'll leave you to it. If you need anything just hit the call button and I'll be back." She said as she walked toward the door.

"Wait… Ginger, please don't go."

"Are you feeling ok? Do you need something?" She said quickly, spinning around to face me.

"Just some company, if you don't mind." I said shyly. Usually I was one who could spend hours alone and it wouldn't faze me in the least but right now I needed to know that I wasn't by myself.

"Sure. I can stay for a few minutes."

"You won't get into trouble, will you?"

"No, everyone else is asleep and if I'm needed Carrie knows where to find me." Ginger said pulling the chair up to the side of the bed and taking a seat. "Have you heard from your fiancé?"

"I heard my phone go off earlier but I haven't checked it. I'm sure he's on the way though."

"Sounds like a good guy."

"He's had a rough life. Things haven't been easy for him."

"Oh… How so?" Ginger asked, sounding truly interested.

"He was raised by his grandmother because his mother was a crack whore. She died a long time ago and until recently we didn't even know who his father was. He got into trouble, spent some time in juvie, fell into more bad luck but with some support from me, he's finally finding his way and putting his stamp on the world through his music." I said without realizing until afterwards how callous it sounded. "Until now, he really had no idea what the meaning of real family was."

"That's sad but it sounds like he's doing well."

"He is now." I admitted. "He's only been out of rehab for a few months."

"If you don't mind me asking, what was he in rehab for?"

"Drugs and alcohol but he's been doing really well. He goes to meetings and sees his sponsor once a week." When I realized how much information I had divulged I decided to change the subject. "So… what about you? Do you have a family?"

Ginger smiled. "Yes. My husband Dan and I have been together for eight years. We have five year old twin boys, Hudson and Holden and a two year old daughter named Harper."

"Oh wow! You have your hands full."

"I do but I wouldn't have it any other way." Ginger said. "Is this your first baby?"

Tears welled in my eyes as I rubbed my belly. "Yes and I'm so looking forward to meeting this little nugget."

"I remember that feeling with both of my pregnancies. Being a mommy is the hardest and most rewarding job there is."

"I can't wait."

Silence filled the room for several minutes. It was like neither of us knew how to carry the conversation any further with the elephant in the room. I was looking forward to motherhood but we were still unsure if I'd stay pregnant or for how long. I felt like a ticking time bomb.

"Ginger, I want to ask you something and even if the truth hurts I want you to tell me."

"Ok, I'll do my best."

I didn't mince words, but rather cut to the chase. "Am I going to lose my baby?"

"Right now, everything looks good. We're managing your pain and y-"

"-I need to mentally prepare myself for whatever is going to happen. You're a mother, please put yourself in my place."

"Beca, none of us knows what tomorrow will bring. Right now, everything is fine, and we have to hope and pray that it stays that way."

"Ok. When will Dr. Jackson get the results back?"

"It shouldn't be too much longer."

"And you'll come back with the results as soon as he has them?"

"I will."

"Thank you for sitting with me. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome Beca. I'm going to let you get some rest and will be by to check on you soon."

~Jesse's POV~

Everything had been smooth sailing on my drive until I got just past Halloran Springs. For more than forty miles there was ongoing road construction which brought all three lanes of interstate traffic down to just one. Because it was a construction zone, monitored by the police, I was forced to slow down from eighty five miles an hour to a mere thirty. I felt like I was going nowhere, like the car wasn't even moving. It was almost two in the morning and these guys were out on the road working like it was two in the afternoon. I was sure that I was going to go absolutely stir crazy as the car coasted along the road.

As I approached Mountain Pass I could see that I was almost past the construction. The closer I got the further away I felt. Once I was beyond the all of the construction, I continued to drive carefully for another mile, just to be sure that there weren't any cops around then I gunned the car in an effort to make up valuable time. At the rate I was going, I wouldn't get to the hospital until five in the morning and the damn construction added an hour to the already long drive.

My thoughts soon drifted to Beca and the baby. I hadn't heard from her in hours and hoped like hell that no news was good news. I hoped that it meant she and the baby were and that this was just a close call. When we got home, I'd call Sawyer to fill him in and hopefully, he'd agree with me that Beca needed to take a few days off to rest. She had more sick and vacation time than God and she needed to start taking some time off.

I looked at the navigation screen and was relieved to find that I had less than an hour to Vegas. Less than an hour! There was finally light at the end of the tunnel. It also meant that I'd soon be able to breathe again, if only I didn't have to stop and pee.

After a brief stop, I was back on the road and luck was no longer on my side. I could see the strip, the lights were bright enough to land planes but I couldn't get to where I needed to be because of a fatality accident. In addition to all the lights of the strip, there were lights from fire trucks, police cars and several ambulances.

Everything seemed to be conspiring against me.

I heard my phone ding and patted the seat next to me for the device. Thinking it was Beca, I quickly swiped the screen without taking my eyes off of the road. Pressing the left hand side button, the phone's metallic voice read out the message.

"Hey stud, whatcha doin'?"

Confused, I looked down at the phone and was surprised to see that the message was from Pepper. Slowing the car down a little, I typed out a quick reply.

"Pepper, this is Jesse. I think you have the wrong number."

"No, I definitely have the right number. I was just thinking about you."

"You don't usually send text messages. You call me."

"Well, maybe I wanted to try something new. You usually like it when we try new things."

"It's not a good idea to text right now."

"But I'm lonely. Call me."

"It's late. I'm in bed."

"No, you're not."

"Um, what?"

"You aren't home. I already tried coming by the house. I know Beca is outta town."

"How did you get past the guard shack?"

"As you already know, I can be very persuasive."

Needing to knock Pepper down a few pegs, I dialed her number and prayed that she'd answer quickly. Pepper excitedly picked up on the second ring.

"Hey babe!" She said excitedly.

"Pepper, what do you want?"

"You know what I want Jesse."

"Not now."

"You keep saying that. I can't wait forever."

"This is ridiculous. I told you where I stand."

"Where are you anyway?"

"Headed to Vegas."

"At this hour? Why?"

"Pepper, why are you-"

"-Have you told Beca about me?"

"What?"

"Have you?"

"There's nothing to tell."

"We'll see what she had to say about that, shall we?"

"What ... there's nothing ... hello? Pepper? Hello?"

I looked at my phone and saw that she'd cleared the call. The chick was crazy but I needed to keep her on my side to get the recording contact since Cynthia Rose was unwilling to bend. After that I had every intention of cutting her loose and doing my own thing with the guys but for now, I was going to be selfish.

As I sat and watched the clock, I couldn't believe that if I had just stayed at the airport and waited for that flight I was offered, that I'd already be with Beca or would I? Suddenly it hit me like a shit ton of bricks… what hospital did Beca say that she went to? Was it Desert Valley? Sunrise Springs? Vegas Springs? Why hadn't I asked her to to text me the hospital information? Shit! What the fuck is the name of the damn hospital?

After calling Beca twice and getting no answer, I decided that I'd just have to stop at every damn hospital in close proximity to the strip. Traffic was finally starting to move, albeit slowly due to bottlenecking no doubt, but at least it was moving.

I'd just typed in 'hospital' into the navigation system and followed it to the closest hospital, hoping that the first one was the right one. But according to the navigation system, there are quite a few hospitals… just my fucking luck. I'm prepared to go to each and every one of them in order to find my girl.

I pulled into the parking lot of the fourth hospital, I parked in the first and closest spot I could find then jumped out of the car and sprinted towards the door. As soon as I was inside, I located the front desk and began my quest to find Beca.

"Good evening sir. What's your emergency?"

Looking at the lady, I noticed her name tag. "Gloria, I need to find my fiancée."

"What's her name?"

"Beca… Rebeca. One c."

"Does Beca… Rebeca with one c have a middle initial and a last name?"

"Oh yeah… umm, Swanson."

"And the middle initial?"

"Shit! I don't remember her middle name."

"Well Mr..."

"Swanson… Jesse Swanson."

"I'm sorry Mr. Swanson, we don't have a Rebeca, with one c, no middle initial, last name Swanson as a registered patient."

"Elizabeth! Her middle name is Elizabeth!"

"I'm sorry sir, I don't have a Rebeca Elizabeth Swanson in the system."

"Mitchell…"

"Mitchell?"

"Her last name! Her last name is Mitchell, not Swanson. She won't be Swanson until May." I was rambling and Gloria, was rolling her eyes. "I'm sorry, would you please check again."

Gloria shook her head as she typed the information into the computer. "Rebeca, with one c, Elizabeth Mitchell." She said as she typed. "I'm sorry Mr. Swanson, she's not here."

"FUCK!"

Finding Beca was going to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Why wouldn't she just answer her damn phone? She had to know I'd be worried sick and that there was no way on Earth that I would know what hospital she was in.

"Mr. Swanson… would you like me to call Desert Springs for you? She might be there."

"Yes, please and thank you."

After several agonizing minutes, Gloria told me that Beca was in fact, at Desert Springs and under the care of Dr. Jackson. She wrote down the address and even gave me Beca's room number. I thanked Gloria profusely and apologized for my caveman like behavior before handing her a twenty dollar bill and telling her to "enjoy breakfast on me."

"Good luck Mr. Swanson! I hope and pray that Beca is ok." She called after me.

I found her! I finally found her. I entered the hospital address into the navigation system and I was on my way, pleased to find that I was less than five minutes from where I needed to be.

As I pulled into the parking garage, I parked in an "expectant parents" parking space and took a moment to collect myself. I couldn't let Beca see me this upset. She would already be disappointed that it literally took forever for me to get here, so going in scared and on edge wasn't going to help matters at all.

Grabbing my backpack and cellphone, I exited the car and made my way into the hospital. My legs felt like they were moving at warp speed yet I didn't seem to be going anywhere. Once I was in the elevator, I thanked God that I only had to go to the third floor because the damn thing seemed to be moving in slow motion.

Finally! The third floor! Sweet Jesus that elevator ride was the longest elevator ride in history! Now, to find Beca and room 307…

When I arrived at her room, I double checked that her name was on the door and took a deep breath before knocking softly and walking in. The room was quiet, peaceful and serene, softly lit by the lamp on the bedside table and the sun as it began to peek through the open window blinds, revealing the most beautiful sunrise over Sin City. Beca lay perfectly still, curled up on her left side facing the wall of windows, her back to the door.

"Beca?"