Prompt: Timing

Rating: T

Their baby, Jess decided, had somehow already inherited its sense of timing from its parents. Neither she or Becker liked to be late for anything and it was a running joke between their teammates that the couple would always arrive first for any appointments or get together's they arranged.

They liked being on time, Jess liked to argue in their defence. And being on time usually meant getting there a few minutes before to make sure they weren't late, Becker added with a wink in his wife's direction.

Unfortunately, the same could be said for their child as the twinges she'd felt at home were definitely not going away.

Not in the slightest.

"Your timing sucks," she told her unborn child after muting the comms for the third time to exhale deeply as a contraction struck. "We're going to have words about this when you're born," she threatened, feeling the muscles of her abdomen go hard beneath the hand she'd let rest over it.

"Talking to yourself, Mrs Becker?" Lester's voice startled her and she turned slightly, breathing through the pain to see him standing beside her.

A few feet away, the two Field Co-ordinators she'd been training worked together to talk the team through their current incursion.

An incursion her husband was out in the field helping to take care of.

"I'm fine." The reassurance was automatic, accompanied by a fake smile Jess knew Lester would be able to see through.

"You're not fine." Lester's eyes widened and she might have laughed at his expression if the situation had been different. "Jess," he glanced around them, lowering his voice even though there was no one else around. "Are you in labour?"

"No." It wasn't as convincing through gritted teeth but Jess did her best. She tightened her hold on the edge of the desk as one of the trainee Field Co-ordinators swivelled around in her chair to see her. "I'm not."

"Mrs Becker?" The Co-ordinator, Louisa, the female half of the duo she'd been training throughout her pregnancy, stared at her in concern. "Another anomaly has opened. Do we mobilise another unit?"

"Yes." Pushing all thoughts of labour and bad timing out of her mind, Jess waddled with as much dignity as she could muster to the ADD, reaching a hand up to turn on her comm. link just in time to hear Becker ask where she was. "I'm here, Becker. Lester needed me for a minute. Louisa, alert the Beta team and tell them to switch channels. You can coordinate them and Mark can keep working with the Alpha team."

Her trainees both nodded and got to work, sharing the multitude of keyboards and screens laid out before them at the ADD. It was strange, Jess thought, to be taking a backseat and not being as involved as she would be normally but she couldn't bring herself to be too sad about it, not when she could barely concentrate on one team whilst in labour let alone two.

She stood over her trainees as they got to work, listened to them direct the men and women in the field with minimal hesitation. She was proud of them; as much as she loved her job and was looking forward to getting back to it after her maternity leave, she was pleased she'd be leaving her people in good hands until she was ready to return.

Lester hovered at her elbow so he noticed when the next contraction began to build. Jess bit her lip to hold back a groan, beads of sweat breaking out across her brow as she lifted her hand to deactivate her comm. link again.

"Ms Hargreaves," Lester spoke, addressing Louisa. "Please inform Captain Becker –"

"No." Jess cut him off, reaching out to grab his arm. She tightened her grip as the contraction hit fully and closed her eyes, breathing through it the way she'd been taught in her antenatal classes. "Please don't tell him," she begged when she was able, opening her eyes to plead with Lester. "I don't want him to worry or be distracted, not when they're dealing with an incursion."

"Sir?" Louisa, on the comms with the Beta team, glanced at the ARC Director over her shoulder.

"Never mind," Lester said with a sigh. "But you," he continued, addressing Jess as she gave him a grateful smile," are going straight to the medical bay."

"I'm fine," Jess protested. "I need to be here, Sir. I need –"

"You go to the medical bay or I tell your husband you're in labour." Lester's expression made it clear there was no alternative option available to her.

Rolling her eyes, Jess tried to glare at him but the effect was ruined when she felt another contraction begin. "Okay, you win. I'll go to the med bay." She glanced at the ADD to find both of her trainees looking at her nervously. "You guys will be fine. But please don't tell Becker where I am. Just say... say Lester called me away to deal with something," she suggested, giving her boss another glare even as he wrapped an arm around her waist to support her as the contraction continued to build. "And if you can help them close the anomaly soon so my husband can get back here, I'd really appreciate it."

Mark nodded and turned his attention back to the Alpha team. Louisa gave her a nervous smile and turned her attention back to the Beta team.

"You'll come with me?" Jess asked Lester quietly through her panting breaths. "Please, Lester."

His expression softened and he inclined his head. "I'll come with you," he promised, helping guide her out of the Hub towards the door out of the Ops room.

"Will you stay with me?" She murmured, clutching his arm as they navigated both the stairs and her concerned colleagues who gave her reassuring smiles when she glanced at them. "Until Becker gets here?"

"Of course." He glanced at his watch out of the corner of his eye, making a mental note to start timing the gap between her contractions. "I won't leave you alone, Jess. I promise."

Continued in 'Surprise'