Seven Years Ago.
Jack held Selena's hand and stroked her head as she laid on the examination bed, the both of their eyes on the screen where their baby was supposed to show up.
The young doctor who sat in the chair in front of the screen applied cold gel on top of Selena's stomach. "Any reason why you two waited so long to find the gender out?"
"We wanted it to be a surprise..." Jack began. "But we figured it'd be easier to have the nursery ready if we knew if it was a boy or girl."
Dr. Bowman laughed and nodded her head. "Makes sense." She grabbed the transducer and moved it back and forth over Selena's stomach. "Have you two decided on a name?"
Selena smiled and gazed up at Jack before looking back at Dr. Bowman. "Yeah. Lydia for a girl and Dylan for a boy."
"Mhm. Well, I'm sure Dylan will be lucky to have the both of you as his parents."
Selena let out a gasp as Jack grinned and let out a soft laugh. He leaned down and kissed her hard and sweetly. When he pulled away, Jack could see tears on her cheeks, so he thumbed them away.
"Is that him moving around?" Selena asked, feeling her heart flip euphorically.
"Yep, little man is always moving around, even when he was just cells, he was always moving."
"Do you feel him moving?" Jack asked, staring at the screen, his heart warming each second.
Selena shook her head. "No. Sometimes I do, but not like that."
Jack chuckled. "Wow, that's our son."
Flipping through the channels on tv, Jack heard the door open then close and heels clicking against the tiled floor.
He looked over his shoulder to see Selena setting a big brown paper bag on top of the kitchen counter. "You went to the store dressed like that?" He laughed, referring to her purple silk pajamas and a black silk trench coat.
"For your information, yes I did, and I put on heels and lipstick on so I don't look as bummy as I feel."
"It makes you look less pregnant than you usually do, if that helps." He smiled.
Selena gave him a sarcastic smirk. "Thanks babe. You're so romantic." She quipped, pulling out Chinese food and bringing it over to the couch.
"I hope you know that these pregnancy jokes are to only lighten the mood." Jack told her, putting an arm around her as she snuggled closer to his body.
Selena snickered. "Your jokes aren't funny and there is no mood to lighten, but your intentions seem good, so thanks buddy."
Jack almost choked on his egg roll when he snorted a laugh. "Did you just call me buddy? Ugh, I hate that. I feel like I just got friend zoned."
Selena swallowed her tso's chicken before responding. "There's no such thing as the friend zone."
"How?"
"Because, why should a girl or guy have to be in relationship just because he or she has been friendly to her or him. Like if you and I were just friends, and you liked me and I didn't like you, then why should I have to feel obligated to make you feel like you aren't in the friend zone. That's basically saying that someone's friendship isn't worth anything unless you're fucking them. Agree?"
Jack took a second to take everything in before nodding decisively. "Agree." He took his hand and let it fall against her ass harshly.
"Ow." She yelped, pushing Jack's chest.
"Hurry up and have this baby, so we can have sex." He groaned, his head falling on the back of the couch. "I'm lost without it."
"Just a few more days." Selena hummed, placing a kiss on his cheek then getting up from the couch. "I'll be back, I'll get us a blanket."
Jack sat his food aside and reached forward to pinch Selena's ass, getting another yelp from her.
"Stop doing that!" She told him, balling up her fist to hit his shoulder, only getting a laugh out of Jack.
As Selena went to get them a blanket, Jack scrolled through his phone, avoiding any gossip blogs or anything that had to do with his business out for everyone to know.
Jack tossed his phone aside then heard Selena call his name from upstairs. "Jack!"
"Yeah, babe!"
"I think my water broke!"
Jack jumped off the couch and sprinted upstairs to the bedroom, coming to a halt in the doorway once he seen Selena's face screwed in pain and a small dark spot on the carpet.
Jack let out a noise of disgust. "Water actually comes out? That's so gross."
Selena's eyes flickered over to him. "Jack, I am going to kill you if you don't get me into the car and in the hospital." She growled.
Jack snapped back and helped Selena into the car. He drove as fast as he could without getting them pulled over or anyone hurt.
Moments Later.
Selena wanted this baby out of her. Her family and the doctors who were helping deliver Dylan were melting into the background as if they weren't even there, the excruciating pain made her feel isolated.
"Just breathe, babe." Jack said, attempting to coach her through everything.
Selena let out a groan and squeezed Jack's hand as hard as she could, getting him to squirm and try to release her. "Jack, if you don't shut up, I swear to you I will break those lips off your face. Just shut up until this is over."
"You're doing great, sweetheart." She heard her mother, Theresa say. "You're almost done."
With a guttural grunt, she continued to push and felt everything that was happening down there.
"He's almost here!" Brooke exclaimed with a teeth showing grin.
"Smile for the camera, Lena." Chris spoke, one eye squeezed shut as the other was behind the video camera lens.
The camera and Chris got closer to Selena, earning a hiss from her. "Get that camera out my face!" She swatted it as hard as she could, getting it to fumble in Chris's hands.
Finally pushing two more times, she felt the pressure go away and then she heard a sound that she never thought she'd find beautiful, a babies cry, and it was precious.
"He's here." One of the doctor's sang. "You did amazing."
They dried Dylan off and put a cap on his head then wrapped him into a blanket, where Selena's two siblings and mother cooed.
"C'mon, let's go get your father." Theresa said, walking out the room to get Brian.
The doctor carried him over to Selena and for the first time in forever, she knew exactly what love was and so did Jack. This was true love. This was unconditional.
His blue eyes gazed up at Jack and Selena, knowing who they were and how familiar their voices were. This wasn't their first time meeting, he knew them for nine months and he felt safe.
"I am so proud of you, babe." Jack whispered before pecking Selena on her lips and continuing to smile down at their child.
Selena wiped her flooded eyes as Dylan's cheek pressed against her chest. All the pain of the moments before faded away and she knew every contraction was worth this moment.
"Can I hold him?" Jack asked, his voice cracking with a hopeful look in his eyes.
Selena grinned up at him. "Of course." She handed Dylan over to Jack and watched him carefully hold him.
He was so beautiful. Jack never seen something this perfect. He was so light and all Jack knew was that he loved this little boy and he didn't want to let anything hurt him.
Tiny fingers curled around Jack's pinky as Dylan's smile formed slowly on his face, giving him the sunshine he never knew existed. He looked back at Selena who was smiling at them. "He's so beautiful, Selena." A tear sliding down his cheek.
"I know." She responded softly. "He looks just like you."
Selena only wanted sleep and silence. She barely ate or slept and all Dylan did was cry and scream his lungs out. Every time she started to get settled and fall asleep, he'd start crying.
Life was completely out of control for her right now.
Selena rocked Dylan back and forth in the dead of the night as she sat in the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery. His mouth was stretched wide where shrill cries escaped, his body squirming to get out of her arms as he waved his fat fist in the air.
Just as Selena was ready to pull every strand of her hair out, Jack walked into the nursery and shrugged off his jacket. "Hey, babygirl."
"Hi." She muttered. "I would've loved a call from you to tell me that you'd be home late."
Jack shrugged and walked over to them. "I was in the studio busting my ass, I'm sorry. I'll just leave early tomorrow then and come home to help out."
Selena shook her head as Jack took Dylan out of her hands. "I'm sorry. Do what you have to do tomorrow, I'll be fine."
The harsh cries softened to snuffles as Jack hummed a tune. In seconds, Dylan was snoring softly and finally at peace.
Selena let out a huff. "Wow. The second you touch him, he stops crying. That's so unfair. Why is it that, I'm at home all the time, losing my mind over this and when you come home, you put in little effort and he does just fine."
Jack gently bounced Dylan and took a short glance at Selena then back at his son. "Maybe because you're so frustrated and it effects him."
Rolling her eyes, she folded her arms. "Yeah, whatever."
Jack grinned down at Dylan when he seen him smile in his sleep. "Babe, why don't you go and get some sleep and I'll go make you some food when I put him in the crib."
"Thanks." Selena got up from the chair and left the room.
Jack gazed down at the most precious gift he could have ever asked for. He would never let this precious bundle go no matter what came, he would protect him, even to the point of death.