A/N: italics indicate a flashback. More notes at the end. Enojy!

"Good morning, everyone!" Miyana says cheerfully into the camera lens of her cell phone. She's talking to the tens of thousands of people who have chosen to follow her on social media. They've become family; a community. Mia can talk to them and they'll understand. They've seen her at her best and worst, and vice-versa. She loves them.

She's still laying in bed, a pregnancy pillow wrapped around her and a bulldog tucked firmly into her side. She pushes her hair out of her face and continues. "Happy Tuesday! How is everyone? It's just me, Goose, and Baby J this morning." The fifteen-second timer runs out, and before she records another clip, she pushes up into a sitting position.

Mia feels, and sees, her stomach tighten with another contraction. She pokes at her belly, feeling how tight it was; and hard, like a watermelon.

The contractions had been going on since the weekend. And after an anxious visit to her midwife's office first thing Monday morning confirmed it was merely prodromal labor, completely normal and nothing to worry about, Mia had been taking it easy around her apartment.

"We've just been hanging out this morning. I haven't even had my coffee yet!" she laughs, knowing they will get her humor; her caffeine addiction, and her love of coffee.

Like mother, like daughter.

"The apartment is a mess. I think that will be my big job for today: cleaning." She posts the clips to her profile and, reluctantly, gets out of bed.

Crossing her bedroom to the bathroom, she pauses in front of the full-length mirror and turns profile, and studies her belly, noting how different it looked. The same stretch marks, and her, now an outie, belly button that had popped a month ago. But she was definitely carrying lower now. Her belly had finally dropped; she could feel the relief on her diaphragm and lungs.

Mia opens her camera again and points it at her reflection. "Guys? I think my belly dropped! Can you see it?" She tries to make the camera see what she sees but doesn't know if she's doing a good enough job. "I'm gonna have to post side-by-side pictures or something because I swear it's lower than it was two days ago!" Miyana posts the short clip, ignoring her already large pile of notifications, and scours through her photo albums for a full-body shot to compare to that morning's revelation.

She finds one from the week prior when she'd gone to the theater for Allie's last show. Mia was disappointed as hell to not be up on that stage with her best friend for her final show as Sophie. It was nice to see everyone again and to get to watch from the wings as Allie took her final bow. Of course, everyone cried and when they circled up after the show to sing 'Happy Trails', they cried even harder. Mia, Brynn, and Allie had clung to each other; their two years in the show together had bonded them in ways no one would understand.

Miyana posts the photo next to one she quickly snaps and then tosses her phone onto the bed. She pauses again to wait out another contraction and then heads to the bathroom for a shower.

Once clean, and wearing something other than pajamas, Mia heads to her kitchen for coffee. While it brews, she checks her notifications and replies to as many messages as she can.

Her followers agree that her belly did indeed drop, and they are all very excited for her. Most knew that this meant Baby J would be there sooner than later. Which also meant that her name would also be revealed soon.

Mia laughs at more of the name guesses she reads. It had been the best secret to hold over their heads; only four people knew Baby J's name. Miyana had been dropping clues once a week since she'd gone on leave and, like a Taylor Swift album hint, her followers had scoured every inch of her profile to figure it out.

"What do you think, baby girl? Are you a Julie? Or maybe a Jessica?" Mia asks to her belly as she pours her coffee, putting in just enough creamer to make it the perfect color. Baby J answers her questions by stretching her limbs as far as they would go. Mia can feel them pressing against her skin. "Hey, don't get mad at me! I know your name. I'm just being silly." She goes to the couch, curling one leg under her as she sits, and while she is taking a sip of coffee, a new notification pops up on her phone.

It's a reply to the belly comparison photos she'd posted. A few emojis, and a short message saying 'your belly did drop! You look beautiful'

It's from Byron.

She should feel happy and it should make her smile.

But it makes her feel like crap. It hurts to even think of him checking her profile. Like ice in the pit of her stomach.

She's still so angry and hurt with him. She's tempted to delete the comment, but she can't bring herself to do it. So she spends the next while studying it; memorizing the words and emojis.

[][]

Cleaning the apartment seems to help Miyana get out of her funk. The fresh smell of clean laundry and an empty kitchen sink raise her spirits. Her mom takes her out for a late lunch and getting to vent a little bit also helps.

When she comes home later that evening, it hits Miyana how quiet their apartment is. She is quick to turn on the TV; the background drone of a comedy show helping to muffle the silence. She settles down into the couch, kicking her swollen feet up onto the coffee table in front of her.

In the back of her mind, the temptation to call Byron to catch up and hear his voice calls out. It's just after 6, he'd be getting ready for the evening show. Probably eating dinner or playing video games with the other male swings. Her finger hovers over the button, and she seconds away from calling him when Goose whines at her.

"You think it's stupid, don't you?" Mia asks.

The Bulldog tilts his head and snuffles loudly.

"I know! I know we're mad at him and we kicked him out and he hurt us. But I miss him." Her voice starts to crack at the end. Tears start to drip down her cheeks. Goose jumps up onto the couch next to her and curls up as close as he can.

She was so close to giving birth.

He should be here.

But her pride! Her soul. She didn't think she'd healed enough.

He should be here.

[][]

She wakes up early Wednesday morning, not remembering moving from the couch to the bed, to a contraction. One that not only tightens her stomach but radiates to her lower back and legs. It's not too painful, she can easily breathe through it, but it's different enough to make her take notice of it.

She falls back to sleep after a while and wakes up hours later to the warm summer sun coming through her window and Goose's desperate whine to be let outside.

Mia sits up, swinging her legs over the side of the mattress, another contraction comes. She sucks in a breath and squeezes her eyes shut.

"Okay. That one hurt," she says out loud. The logical part of her brain says she should stay home and rest and maybe start timing her contractions. But, it loses out to the pet-mom-needing-to-take-care-of-her-dog part. So, after brushing her hair and teeth and sliding into sandals, Mia takes her puppy on a walk.

The combination of their usual walking route, a stop for coffee, and the warm summer sun helps Miyana push her impending (read: already begun) labor and the issues with her boyfriend to the back of her brain. They stay out longer than necessary and even wander a bit through a flea market they'd stumbled upon.

By mid-morning, tote bag heavy with things she didn't need, they return home. Goose makes a beeline for his water bowl and sucks down as much as he can.

"Don't be so dramatic! We weren't gone that long!" Mia scoffs at him with an eye roll as she sets down her haul. She crosses the living room to the tiny alcove they'd made out of two bookshelves that was to be Baby J's nursery.

The white mini-crib with the star mobile hung above it; the small set of drawers stuffed full of clothes and blankets. Aside from real walls and a door, it was a nice room.

"I think I'm gonna have to reconcile with your Abba here soon, baby," Mia murmurs to her daughter, tapping on one of the grey felt stars, causing the whole thing to sway. "He needs to be here. And yeah, I know what he did was horrible and I probably shouldn't take him back. But I think we can work through this and be okay again."

[][]

Five minutes apart, for one minute, for an hour. Mia had to keep reminding herself of that rule when after four hours her contractions were still not consistent enough to go into the hospital.

She'd sat and rested for a while, but when that started to be too uncomfortable, she moved to standing. And eventually, she stood in the shower letting the hot water hit her back. And when that lost its appeal, she realized that dancing helped her the most.

Of course, it did. The only time in her entire pregnancy when Baby J was calm and still was when she was dancing.

So, Mia did the only thing that made sense: she started to half mark-half dance her Mamma Mia choreography. She blasts the song over their speakers and dances. She has to stop every so often to breathe through a contraction, but she dances. And it helps.

When she's gone through every dance twice, she sits back down. Mia tightens her messy bun and wipes the sweat from her face. "Hey, Siri? Call Byron."

The automated voice completes her request and soon the phone is ringing. But Byron doesn't answer, instead, she gets his voice mail.

"Hey, it's me," Mia says, "so, uh, I'm pretty sure I'm in labor. Ow—yeah, I'm in labor," she winces over a contraction. "I just wanted to keep you in the loop. So don't worry. Don't rush home or anything. I'll talk to you later." she waits a handful of seconds before speaking again, "Hey. It's not your fault. I see that now. You were just trying to clean up a mess your dad left and got caught up in it. I know. I think we can figure this out." She ends the call and sighs loudly, catching her face in her hands as she leans forward.

Leaning on the back of the couch a few hours later, Mia makes a call to her theater family. She knew if she went to the hospital without telling them, she'd never hear the end of it. The phone rings and rings, and she's scared she's gonna have to leave a message when someone picks up.

"Hello?"

"Gregory? Hey, it's Mia!"

"Oh my god! Hey! How are you?"

"I'm okay." She's trying not to cry. She missed hearing her stage manager's voice. "Hey, listen: you need to tell everyone that Baby J is coming."

Gregory screams and shouts out to anyone within earshot . "That's amazing! I'm so happy!"

"I know."

"I will let everyone know. Did you want one of us to tell Byron?"

"No, I just called him. But like don't intentionally keep it from him. If he hears, let it happen."

"Got it," Gregory affirms, knowing what she'd meant. "Do you need anything? I mean, we're about to call half-hour, but if you need something, I can make it work."

"No, no. Do the show! Baby J would want you to."

"Hell yeah, she would!" Gregory says, thinking of the same thing as Mia. A Wednesday night show quite similar to this one six months ago.

They'd had to jump through so many hoops to make this night happen. It didn't seem like a big deal to the three young actresses; they all ad-libbed all the time! But after meeting with Adam and Joanne and calling Catherine in England, they'd finally gotten approval.

Mia got an unusual flair of butterflies as she waited in the back of the house for her cue. She wasn't nervous, but very excited and mischievous. It made her tap her fingers together knowing what they were about to do.

Allie sings the last note of her opening solo, and Mia takes off running. "Sophie! Sophie!" She and Brynn shout, running down the aisle and up the stairs to their best friend. They hug and do their little best friend cheer, and then the moment arrives.

"I have a secret, and you're the only ones I can tell," Allie says.

"Oh. My. God. You're pregnant!" Brynn gasps.

"No, she's not. I am." Mia announces. Both her best friends stop and stare at her as she nods, biting her lip and trying not to cry.

They had written it into the show; just a tiny script change. Mia's real-life pregnancy could now officially be shared with her community, with her fans.

"Oh my god!" Both her best friends scream, hugging her. Allie touches her belly, smiling at her friend.

The audience cheers along with them, most knowing this was a change to the story, but a handful don't and just go along with it.

After a long moment, Mia continues with the show, still holding Brynn and Allie's hands. "Alright, enough about me. What was the big secret you wanted to tell us? Spill your guts, Sophie Sheridan."

"You gotta go. Go tell everyone and have a great show! I love you," Miyana tells Gregory, getting emotional over ending the conversation.

"Okay," he groans. "Love you too. We'll be waiting for updates, so don't leave us hanging, okay?"

"I'll try. Promise."

"Okay. Bye!"

Mia sees a clear image in her mind of Gregory slamming the phone down and running off to announce the news. He more than likely picked up the God Mic and announced it into the dressing rooms.

The uproar over it.

The thought makes Mia laugh.

She eats dinner and takes a shower. With every passing hour, her contractions get stronger and longer and closer together.

There comes a point, after sunset, where she can no longer talk through them. Everything needs to stop. Every sound; every movement. Dancing still helps relieve the pain and pressure, but when she feels one coming, Mia has to stand still and breathe.

She'd never called her sister faster than she did that night.

"Nemo? You need to come get me. It's go time"

[][]

The last thing Mia does before she goes down to meet her sister is give Goose a huge hug and kiss. "I'm gonna go get your sister. I'll be back soon, I promise. Love you." She closes the door, locks it, and takes the three flights of stairs down to the street.

"Hey, baby. How are you?" Finn asks, offering a hand to help her sister. She'd been at work all day and only knew what Mia had shared in her texts.

"I'm okay," Mia nods, groaning with a contraction.

"Okay. We're going." She pulls into traffic and soon they are on the toll roads into The City. "I texted mom and dad, they should be here soon. And Dani, I guess, saw your post from this morning and called me screaming. She wishes she could be here."

"Yeah, I bet," Miyana says, missing her sister. "And the boys?"

"Tin sends his love. All three of them are sick."

"Oh, no. That sucks"

"Yeah. And Bubby is coming. He texted me before I got here. He's grabbing his stuff and gonna meet us there."

"Good, good," Mia says, mentally checking off her list. She notices that Finn doesn't even mention Byron. She doesn't blame her sister; all of them are mad at him.

But it kind of hurts. She should have texted him.

It's a two-way street, she knows that. But right now, she can barely handle talking to her sister, she doesn't need Byron on her plate too.

Half an hour later, they are walking into triage. And not long after that, a nurse takes them back to a room and makes Mia change into a gown before hooking her up to monitors and taking her vitals.

"Yup, you're definitely contracting. That's good. How's your pain on a scale of 1-10?" She asks.

"A seven," Miyana answers honestly.

"Okay. Well, everything looks good. Your blood pressure is a little high, but I'm not too worried about it. A doctor will be in to see you soon." And with a quick flip of the curtain, the nurse leaves.

"Liam is downstairs. I'm gonna go get him. Be right back," Finn says looking at her phone and leaving the room.

Alone again, Mia listens to the whooshing of her daughter's heartbeat over the monitor. She stands and leans over the bed, using the mattress for support and rocks her hips as another contraction comes and goes.

"Hey, sissy," Liam says as he comes into the room. He removes his camera bag, sets it on the table in the corner, and starts setting up to photograph the delivery.

"Hi," Mia says, happy he's here but not in the mood for small talk.

"Mom and dad are waiting outside. They wanted me to tell you they love you." He says.

It had been her plan almost the whole time to not have her mom with her in the delivery room. She'd wanted just her, Byron, and Liam, but when everything fell apart, Finn became her person. And it was nothing personal, but she felt like this was something she didn't want her mom to see.

She hears the rhythmic click of Liam's camera and focuses on that and not the pain in her back and crotch.

Her midwife, Christina, comes to check on her and offers pain medicine, but when Mia declines, she simply leaves the offer open. She confirms that Mia is progressing and assures Mia that everything was going well. She leaves with word that she'll be back to check later.

"What do you need me to do?" Finn asks. She hated to see her sister in pain and to be directionless in how to help.

"Come here," Miyana directs Finn to stand behind her. "Put your hands on my hips and push on them." She moves her sister's hand to where she would like them to be and when Finn presses on her hips, the relief it gives makes her sigh loudly. "Thank you."

"Oh my god!" Mia gasps a while later when she's back to leaning over the bed. She stands upright and holds her hands up, not moving as something warm and wet drips down her leg. "My water just broke."

Finn goes to get some help and Liam helps his sister to sit down, careful to not step in the puddle on the floor. Nemo returns with a nurse, and after getting cleaned up, Mia decides to take up the offer for pain meds.

[][]

"I know it may not feel like you're rocking it because it's so intense, right? But you're the mom people get jealous of because of your labor. You're doing amazing right now," Christina comments as she comes into the room to check on Miyana again.

That's the word Mia needed; the word to describe what she'd been feeling.

Intensity.

Lots of pain and pressure, but mostly intensity.

The building of potential energy.

"Hey, look at me," the midwife orders, making Mia turn over her shoulder from where she's been kneeling against the head of the bed. "She's right there. So, if you feel the need to push, you go for it, okay?"

"Okay," Mia nods, and moments later feels that need to push. She groans and cries out, not caring in the least who hears her. "Ow! Ow! My hips, my hips," she whimpers, and Nemo comes over to offer what help she can. She pushes for another fifteen minutes or so when Christine speaks up again.

"There's gonna come a time here soon when I'm gonna tell you to stop pushing, okay? And no matter how intense it is, you need to listen. That's gonna inch her little head out and hopefully reduce tearing, okay?"

"Okay." Mia can barely get the word out before she has to push again. And when Christine tells her to stop, she listens. And then when it's okay too, she pushes again.

"You're doing amazing," Finn encourages, watching her niece be born.

Mia pushes one last time and Baby J is here.

"Grab your baby," Christina directs, putting the wet, slimy newborn into her mom's hands. Mia lifts her daughter until she's cradled against her chest and then flips them both to lay down on her back.

"Oh my god! She's here. She's here," Mia sobs. She stares at her daughter, crying. "That was the craziest thing I've ever had to do!"

"You did amazing," her siblings' comment.

Liam gets closer to take more photos and admire his new niece.

Once Mia is cleaned up, and Finn cuts her niece's umbilical cord, the baby is tucked warm and safe against her mom's chest, layered under a hospital gown and two blankets.

"She's sucking her thumb," Mia remarks, crying again. She was so happy and euphoric. This intense amount of love flowed from her body.

A/N: Whelp. That was part one of this story. I hope you enjoyed! This chapter is SO long, so I decided breaking it up would be the right choice. And I felt this was the best stopping point. Think of it like a commercial break.

Check back soon for part 2 which includes Mia-Byron content as well as the in-universe reveal of Baby J's name!