They woke a few hours later, she turned to face him, kissing his lips, and he kissed her in return.
"I think the days of lying like this with not a care in the world are over", he said to her.
"I know, but it was nice to be able to sleep beside you again, after being in hospital".
"Who is minding the baby?"
"Relax Laura, Brad and Kate have it under control. I think we should get up and sort out dinner".
Downstairs Amelia and Adam were taking turns feeding Mathew, they were loving it. Kate changed nappies and Brad was making dinner.
When Laura and Robbie came down, they saw everything was under control.
"How did you sleep?" brad asked Laura.
"Like a log, thanks for looking after the baby".
"Not a problem, I bet you two must be starved?" looking from Laura to Robbie.
Both answered, "Yes".
"Dinner is nearly ready, go sit", pushing them towards the sofa.
"Bottles are washed, there are 2 more made up in the fridge", Kate said.
She took Robbie's hand looking at him, "god they have it all under control, let's go back to bed", laughing.
"If you do that, these two might run off with your son", nodding towards the twins who were watching a film on telling listening out for the baby.
"Don't worry, I will keep them in mind as baby sitters", they both heard this and fist bumped, "yeah".
All they others could do was laugh.
Robbie went back to work the following day, he would take time off when Brad went home.
He woke to a still sleeping Laura, he kissed her before leaving.
At work they all asked about the baby, he spotted jean as he walked to his office.
"Should you not be at home or in hospital having a baby?"
She looked fed up, "I am on the way, and just checking my replacement is here, how is Laura and the baby?"
"They are doing ok, thanks".
"Oh, here she is DCI Dodson, this is DI Lewis, he was off for a few days, his wife Dr Hobson our pathologist had a baby, DC Gray has been briefed on the job that Lewis is accompanying him with. I am out of here".
Both looked at her waddle down the hall.
"Ok, I will be on my way", Robbie said as he proceeded to his office.
"Right".
Outside jean got in the car with James set for the hospital.
"What took you so long?" James was asking her.
She just looked at him, "if men could be pregnant, it would be you carrying a melon, so less talk out of you", she said in a grumpy tone.
"Yes, boss", he saluted her, starting the car.
At the hospital, she was due to be sectioned, but had progressed on her own, she was at least 5cm dilated.
James was by her side, holding her hand, as the contractions were getting stronger, she wanted to push, and she still had James' hand.
"Jean, can you loosen the grip, my hand is losing blood supply".
Another one came, "gggrrr, no" looking at him.
The midwife encouraged him to talk to her, he was unsure what to say.
He was wiping her face with a damp cloth.
"James, I can't do this, I'm worn out".
"Hay you can, I have an idea about a wedding".
"Yeah, gggrrr" as another contraction came.
"What would your ideal location for a wedding be?" she was thinking about it.
"I always like the Isle of Man".
"Ok, would you have a sort of theme?"
She was breathing slowly, baby relaxed, he was taking her mind off things.
"It would have to be a James Bond theme, you remind me of Daniel Craig, gggrrr, sex on legs".
Another contraction came, James was blushing at jean's mention of James Bond.
"Ok, I can work with that"
"I hope you are not planning a surprise wedding?"
"You never know, but I got you to relax, do you feel ready to push jean?" he had been given instructions by the medical staff to keep her relaxed.
A few minutes later, Hannah Christine Hathaway was born.
Mammy and daddy were so proud.
"Jean, she is perfect", as they were shown their little girl before she was checked over.
He kissed her, "I love you".
"I love you too".
James got to feed the baby while jean rested. He was like a child with a new toy, all happy that he had a helping hand in making such a lovely little girl.
He sat with the baby, jean was looking at him, he was passing her the baby, "I think your daughter needs changing", making a face.
"Oh no you don't, you helped put the food in, you can help clean the mess", as she took the baby putting her on the bed to change her.
"So clever clogs, let's see you in action", giggling at him.
"Can you help me please?" indicating toward changing the baby, "as for action, you can have that once we get home", leaning in for a kiss.
"For god sake, pass me the nappy", as she rolled her eyes at him.
"Thank you, sexy momma", smiling at her.
"You boy, are heading the right way for a smacked bottom".
"Ooohhh, behave". (From Austin Powers)
She told him what to do in changing a nappy, he seemed to be doing ok, and he could tolerate the smell. Job done, cleaned up passing the baby to jean.
He came back to sit beside her on the bed, his arm around her looking down at their baby. He took out his phone to take a picture of the three of them. She sent it to Chris, he replied back, 'congrats you two, what is my little sister called?' They replied, 'your little sister is called Hannah Christine Hathaway'.
Jean had seen the texts Chris had sent, it was a good few minutes before Chris replied, James had his phone him when the next text came in, 'Hannah Hathaway sounds perfect, now you have to finish the rest, making my mother a Hathaway also' he was shocked reading this text, she could see it in his face there was something up.
He stood up, "I have to go out for a minute, I will be back", getting off the bed walking out to the hallway.
"Don't be long, Hannah wants her daddy to feed her again soon".
He acknowledged this.
Outside he rang Chris, "yeah, I did the asking back in February, I didn't have a ring, what she is going to think of me?"
"Hay, relax, I will pick up something, be there in about an hour, and can you get the chaplain to see if he is free?"
"Yeah, will sort that out, she is going to go mental".
"She won't if she does we can cuff her to the bed", laughing.
"Eeewww, Chris, don't be giving me ideas, if your mother throws anything at me you are my shield".
"Well I hope she doesn't, see you soon".
James went in search of the chaplain, he was available unless someone needed the last rites. His text Chris to say all was organised from his end, Chris had text back to say he had the ring.
He went back into the room to jean who was now feeding the baby, "sorry about that just needed to sort something out".
"Ok".
He sat on the bed again with his arm around jean kissing her head, he could see Chris in the corridor.
"Jean, I know you're going to be here for at least another day, but would you be free for a wedding?"
"James Hathaway if your backing singers are hiding out there, they are very quiet".
"No, jean, it is a quiet affair now, jean will you be my wife, loving mother of my child, woman I love?" he kissed her head as she still had the baby in her arms.
"Yes, James, I want to be your wife".
With that, Chris his partner Sandra and the chaplain came into the room.
She was surprised, "oh my, how did you get them here?" asking about Chris and Sandra.
"They helped plan it also", she passed the baby to James while she hugged Chris.
The chaplain got things underway.
"To all gathered here today, we are here to celebrate the wedding of Jean and James.
Sandra had taken the baby.
"James do you take Jean to be your wife, for now and forever?"
"I do".
"Do you Jean take James to be your husband, for now and forever?"
"I do".
Chris handed over the rings, "it was the best I could do at short notice", giving the chaplain two plain gold petite wedding bands.
"James", he took the ring.
"Take this ring as a token of how much I love you, even though you don't always believe it, but I do from the bottom of my heart".
"Jean".
"Take this ring as a token that there is no backing out", he was laughing at her, "but also of how much you mean to me, that I want you in my life till I am old and grey".
"The grey part is here already", he said leaning in close to her."
"Hay, cheeky sod", nudging him.
"I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride".
They locked lips without a care in the world.
They thanked the chaplain, who filled out the relevant paperwork,
"Well Mr and Mrs Hathaway, visiting time is over for now, we will be back later to celebrate", pointing from one to the other, "you two behave don't do anything I wouldn't do", laughing as he hugged them both, they put the baby back in her cot to sleep.
They sat on the bed together, arms around one another holding each other.
"Well this will be a memorable wedding night, stuck in a hospital bed, can't have a shag", she was giggling at him nudging him.
"Come on, at least we are together, look we know what can happen with a good shag", looking at the baby.
The doctor came in not long after.
"I hear we have something to celebrate here?" looking from one to the other.
Jean answered, "Yes, we do, we are married".
"Congrats to you both and on the birth of your child, sorry James do you mind stepping out for a few minutes while I check Jean over?"
"Yeah sure, just going for a coffee", kissing jean before he left.
When James was out of the room and the doctor checked jean over.
"I have another reason for you to celebrate, I am letting you go home, but you take it easy, no consummating your marriage, or you might be back in 9 months", giggling and nodding towards the baby.
"I am sure my handsome husband can be patient", giggling in return.
"I will let you get organised, I will look for your husband and let him know".
"Thanks".
A nurse found James, pretended to look sad, saying jean was looking for him.
He looked worried when he came into the room.
"What is wrong, the doctor did not sound so good?"
She stood beside him, putting her arms around his neck, whispering in his ear.
"I love you, I get to spend the night with you on our wedding night, although no sex, but the best part is I get to do this in our own bed".
He looked at her puzzled.
"I get to go home, I just need to get stuff for the baby".
He smiled like a Cheshire cat, "oh baby that is brilliant, I will ring Chris back".
He rang Chris asking him to bring clothes for his mother, car seat for the baby, blankets also a coat and hat for the baby.
He was back within an hour with everything.
"That is great news, Sandra and I will stay over to watch the baby, after all it is your wedding night".
"Thanks", they both said.
Back at the house they got settled, while James made some dinner. They sat and ate together, James put orange, juice, milk and water on the table.
"We may be celebrating our wedding night", pointing between himself and jean, "and although you are on childminding duties", pointing to Chris and Sandra, "it is not fair we drink bubbly and you don't, we don't want you dropping your sister, it was a better choice of beverage", they were laughing at James' comment to the bubbly.
"I don't think I would get away with anything in a house full of coppers now would I?" asking James.
"Probably not Chris, but mammy still loves you", as she rubbed his cheek, Sandra laughing embarrassed for him.
James moved closer to jean, "oh mammy's boy", giggling, but go a slap on the arm from jean.
Sandra and Chris tided up after dinner, jean to the baby settled, James went up to run a bath for jean and light a few candles to set the mood.
Jean made a few bottles to last until morning.
James came back down, took jean by the hand.
"You two go, we will be fine", said Chris to his mother and James.
"Thanks, see you in the morning".
He led jean up to the bathroom, helping her into the bath, she was still in a bit of pain since having the baby.
"Take your time jean", as she winced in pain while sitting into the bath.
He sat and talked to her, while washing her back, she was getting a little emotional and teary eyed.
"Hay there, relax, is everything ok?"
He held her hand, she nodded yes.
"Just a bit emotional, I'm glad you are here".
"Hay, not going anywhere jean, I love you".
He finished washing her, helping her out of the bath and drying her off.
"I have to say, you still look sexy to me baby, if I could I would", her eyes looking down when she noticed his erection.
"Oh, I still find you sexy Mr Hathaway whether you wear clothes or not", leaning into kiss him.
"Let's get you into that bed Mrs Hathaway, we have plenty of time for that", kissing her back.
As the lay in the bed together, he had put on a CD that he made for her.
As each song came on she laughed remembering each memory behind each one, they talked about each one. After about 4 songs she felt sleepy. He pulled the covers over her, he was not sleepy, he thought about going to check on the baby, but opted to read a book watching jean sleeping.
She began twisting and turning, he had an arm around her, "shush, its ok baby, shush", she seemed to settle turning in towards him, wrapping her arm around his waist.
After an hour, he was still awake, he could hear the baby cry which soon stopped probably with a bottle in her mouth.
Ah heck, he had to check for his own piece of mind.
He went downstairs, there was the baby quite content having her bottle, Sandra feeding her while Chris was asleep.
"Sorry, I don't know how men can sleep through a little person crying?"
"I was awake, I was coming down to check".
"Oh no, you were upstairs for a reason, but I mean in general", nodding towards Chris.
"Do you want me to finish feeding her?" James asked.
"I'm grand …if you want to?"
James took the baby.
"You look wrecked, you go off to bed, and I will be fine, thanks".
"No problem, night, I best get sleeping beauty here to bed".
"Well anything like his mother, probably is sleeping with his ears open", they both laughed as Chris woke up.
"What, what you two laughing at, you better not have done anything to me?" wiping his hand over his face and checking his body.
"Hay come on sleeping beauty, bed", pulling him up from the sofa for bed.
James sat feeding the baby and talking away to her, changed her nappy, and wrapped her up to take her up to the room to sleep. They cot was in the room. As James put the baby down, he began singing to her, she began to settle and was soon back asleep, this in turn woke jean who moved out beside James.
"Now Hannah has a song".
"Hay there, thought you were asleep?"
"I was, your singing woke me".
"Ah come on, I wasn't that bad, it worked wonders on this little one".
"Cheeky sod, get back in here and keep me warm".
He lay besides her falling back asleep, only to be woken 6 hours later by a hungry baby.
Jean woke, forgetting where she was, when she looked for the noise realised it was the baby. Chris was in the door to take the baby, James asleep.
"Go back asleep mam, I have this".
"Thanks".
She lay back down, James pulling her in close.
"This is going to take a bit of getting used to, not getting a full night's sleep until she is older, but jean, I wouldn't change it at all".
"Well fingers crossed, after a few weeks she will sleep through the night".
They went back asleep, they did not hear Chris bring her back in, just looked over to the two happy sleeping people. He was truly happy for his mother.
Well I have come to the end of this story, but I do have other branches to take from this, first I will try Laura's baby, possibly then Jean's baby.
Thank you all for reading and the comments from everyone.
Thank you.