Author's Note: I think this is it. I'll add an epilogue, but I think it's done. It's been a long time in the works, so if anyone wants to beta read and re-read the whole story and give me their thoughts, feel free to reach out. Hope you enjoyed it!

Chapter 24

The following week dragged on at a sluggish pace. Elizabeth's discomfort reached new heights—her sleep was sporadic, frequent trips to the bathroom interrupted her nights, and her body ached persistently. In an attempt to encourage the baby's arrival, they experimented with spicy foods, embarked on lengthy walks, and explored a few other methods recommended by the doctor.

On the afternoon preceding her scheduled appointment, Elizabeth sensed a shift. Regular contractions started to make their presence known. Growing in frequency and duration, she shared her experience with William. His immediate response was to reach for the phone and prepare to head to the hospital. However, Elizabeth, wanting to be certain, opted to wait, explaining that the contractions were still more than ten minutes apart.

After a compromise, they decided to call the doctor for guidance. The doctor, understanding Elizabeth's concerns, reiterated her advice to wait until the contractions were closer together or until her water broke. The doctor assured them that she would check Elizabeth at her scheduled appointment the next day and make a decision about the next steps based on her assessment. The couple, finding reassurance in the doctor's counsel, prepared for what they hoped would be the final stage before welcoming their baby into the world.

As the contractions continued their rhythm, William anxiously paced the room while Elizabeth attempted to manage her discomfort.

"Elizabeth, are you sure we shouldn't be heading to the hospital now?" William asked as concern was etched across his face.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I want to wait a bit longer, sweetheart. The doctor said it's best to wait until the contractions get closer together."

"But what if things progress quickly? What if we're cutting it too close?" William fretted his protective instincts in full swing.

Elizabeth managed a reassuring smile. "We've got time, William. Let's trust the doctor's advice for now. If things change, we can always reassess."

He nodded, reluctantly conceding to her judgment. "Okay, but promise me you'll tell me if anything feels different or if the contractions get stronger."

"I promise," Elizabeth assured, appreciating his concern.

William remained visibly anxious, though he attempted to distract Elizabeth with light conversation about whatever came to mind from the past, present, and future. Several times the couple erupted in laughter over some silly comment that did not fit the conversation, as one member of the couple was distracted by something.

Elizabeth was no less anxious, though she concealed it more adeptly. Outwardly, she projected an air of calm, mindful not to reveal her inner turmoil as she harbored concerns that displaying any sign of unease might inadvertently heighten her husband's. Over the months of their marriage, she had observed that her outward composure had a reassuring effect on William, providing him with the strength to weather his own nerves.

The minutes ticked by, and despite their attempt at distraction, William carefully noted the time of each contraction on his phone. When the next contraction was exactly seven minutes from the previous one, he stood. "That's it, Elizabeth, it is time to go to the hospital."

She struggled not to laugh. "It is nearly midnight, Will, are you sure we should go now? You are not too tired to drive."

"Elizabeth Darcy, if you do not go to the car willingly, I will carry you there myself," he demanded. "The doctor said seven minutes."

She let loose her laughter then. "Will, you are ridiculous. But I will attempt not to frustrate you further and will go to the car willingly. Let's go, mo ghràdh."

He stood staring at her and her laughable attempt at mimicking his accent and tone. "You are the ridiculous one. Neither of us will get any rest tonight, and according to some of the blokes at Pemberley, we will never rest again after the baby comes."

"Darling, if you have rested any in the last few months, you have done better than I. This child has not let me sleep a full night this year, perhaps not even since I reached the last trimester. I sometimes feel I have not slept more than a couple of hours at a time in ages."

Will grinned. "He or she is already preparing you for its arrival. Again, according to all the so-called 'experts', you can expect this to continue or some time."

"You are not helping," she complained. "And I hope you plan to be next to me for some of the late nights."

"Why would I be? You insisted on feeding the bairn by yourself, and I do not have the necessary parts to help with that."

"You can change diapers and get the baby to bring her to me."

"It's a her today?"

"I don't care what it is anymore; I just want it out of me. Take me to the hospital, Will, and let's see if we can convince them to let us stay until the baby comes."

With that, they made their way to the car, grabbing their 'go-bags' en route to ensure they had everything necessary for their hospital stay. These bags had been packed for weeks and contained snacks, a nightgown, and a robe for Elizabeth, along with slippers, socks, and an outfit for the baby to wear home. Despite the hospital providing a baby box, they chose to bring along everything they might need, including the two outfits they had selected—one for a boy and another for a girl, both chosen with care for their upcoming arrival.

The car's safety seat had already been securely installed in Will's car. After settling Elizabeth comfortably in the passenger seat, they embarked on the journey to the hospital. On the way, Will utilized his car's Bluetooth to call the doctor's answering service, providing them with a heads-up about their imminent arrival. He followed up with a call to the obstetric unit at the local hospital, ensuring they were prepared for their arrival.

After arriving at the hospital, after a quick check of her progress, they were admitted to the labor ward. Elizabeth was hooked to various monitors while William waited, and before long, they were left alone and were waiting yet again for the labor to progress. Both attempted to catch what sleep they could, though it was difficult. William was able to get a little more, as he was not constantly in pain, and Elizabeth opted to allow him the chance to rest, even if she could not.

It was nearing dawn when Elizabeth felt something a little different and realized the bed was wet. She pushed the button to call for the nurse, though nearly as soon as she did, a nurse came in to check on her once again.

"Are ye' well, dearie?" the matronly nurse asked, her voice gentle, taking note of the sleeping man beside Elizabeth.

"I think my water just broke," Elizabeth groaned, the intensity of her contractions increasing.

William stirred awake at the sound of Elizabeth's voice, his eyes widening as he heard her words and the pain in her tone. "Och, shite," he blurted out, flushing as he realized his choice of words. "Elizabeth, are ye' well?"

"Dinna fash, laddie, I've heard much worse in here," the nurse chuckled.

"My water broke, Will. I think the baby's coming soon," Elizabeth informed him as soon as she could speak after the contraction.

The nurse's laughter filled the room. "This is yer first, aye?" Elizabeth nodded, prompting the nurse to continue. "This certainly means things are moving along, but there's no guarantee it'll be soon. You've probably got some time to wait yet, but let me check on you to see how things are progressing."

What she found was a different story. Elizabeth was now almost fully effaced, and the nurse told them Elizabeth was nine centimeters dilated, meaning that she was far closer to giving birth than the nurse might have predicted otherwise.

Regardless of this, it seemed as though the morning dragged by as they waited. Elizabeth's contractions were now only a few minutes apart, but William could tell they had increased in intensity, in part due to the grip she had on his hand during each. Idly, he wondered if any of the dozens of bones in his hand might have been broken as she squeezed, but he seemed all right for the most part, and he discreetly attempted to stretch his hand to relieve some of the pain between contractions.

It felt like ages later, though truly it was only a few hours, when, just before noon, the doctor arrived and pronounced Elizabeth ready to push. Things seemed to move more quickly then, and before William knew it, he heard a new cry in the room. "It's a boy," the doctor pronounced and asked William for his assistance in cutting the baby's cord. The baby was cleaned a little and then placed carefully on Elizabeth's nearly bare chest for what they called "kangaroo care" which more or less amounted to allowing the child to be placed on its mother's chest as both mother and child recovered from giving birth.

Soon, everything else that needed to be done was done, and the couple were left alone. William leaned down and gently kissed her forehead before moving to kiss and touch his son. "We have a son," he whispered to his wife.

"William Alexander?" she asked.

"I like it if you do."

"I did like that name best of all those we talked about. Did you have a different suggestion?"

"No, I am pleased you want to name him after me." He leaned in again to chastely kiss her lips this time.

"We are parents now."

He laughed. "We are. I couldn't be happier, Elizabeth."

"I love you, Will."

"And I love you, mo ghràdh."