Steve nearly stumbled in the shower when he heard her shout. "PEGGY!", Steve yelled as he quickly got out and covered himself before rushing into the room to see her.
"Easy, Steve, it's alright!", Peggy gave a small laugh at just the sheer sight of him panicking. "You've got some time...".
Steve replied, "Are you sure? Should I call them over?", and Peggy said, "I'm sure I still have some time, and no, not yet...And besides, I'd really need Mum for the actual part of childbirth...And I would hate for Dad to be wrecked all night if he knew already...".
"Okay...Do you need anything right now?", Steve asked urgently, and Peggy replied, "Some snacks and such. It'd be a long night...", before taking a deep breath and moaned at another contraction.
Steve nodded, "Right, right, I'll be right back!", and Peggy replied, "Don't rush! You know food can't be raw for me.", and Steve took deep breaths as he nodded, leaving the room, focusing on his job to support his wife with everything including food and such.
Peggy rubbed her belly, chuckling, "You know, if your grandmother on your daddy's side was here, she would have berated him for panicking like a chicken with no eyes or something.", and so, for at least three hours, the contractions were mild yet painful, with occasional rest, exercise, and food before they then suddenly changed at midnight, becoming even stronger and more painful, with the water bag breaking.
"Steve, I think you should call Mum and Dad now!", Peggy panted, clenching into the table after she was drinking tea at one of the seats, and having walked a few feet to pass the teacup to Steve's hands for rinsing and all, clearly a puddle gushing out into the floor.
Steve moved to reach her, "But you're shaking, and you might fall!", and Peggy glared at him, "Damn call them on the phone now, Steve! And I can watch myself just fine!", her fiery hormones on full charge as she wobbled steadily from the puddle, taking deep breaths, barely hearing Steve dial the phone, making it across the kitchen border before shouting in pain as a fresh contraction came, her hand clenching into the threshold of the hallway, catching herself before she actually got to fall.
"Peggy! Hurry, Mum, Dad, please!", Steve's voice shouted before she heard him all but sprinting over to her, "Peggy? Hey, breathe, focus on me...Honey?", and Peggy looked up at him, as this then hit her that she's actually in labor...to give life to their daughter...but what if it is so hard?
Tears prickle at her eyes as Peggy whispered, "Steve...I'm scared...", as her other hand wrapped loosely around her baby bump.
"It'll be alright...", Steve told her as he took a few deep breaths. "We'll get through this together... I won't leave you...", he promised her as he bit his lip, "Damn it all, Sweet, really could use you to be around today...". He honestly would've felt more comfortable if Sweet was around at this moment.
But he would have to trust Amanda as she had gone through this twice herself with Peggy and Michael. Peggy replied, "I know, but Mum is the next best thing to Sweet...Help me to the bed, Steve...", and Steve nodded, helping her, supporting her as they made it to the bedroom.
With pillows fluffed and resting in a pile behind Peggy, with a loose robe and a blanket, Peggy cried in pain, taking deep breaths as contractions kept going, faintly hearing the door open and close, with Amanda commanding Harrison, "Boil water, Harrison! I got the towels!", as she came into the bedroom, closing the door mostly.
"What a time that this grandchild chose to come on their uncle's anniversary of his sacrifice!", Amanda replied, shaking her head in amazement as she got on the bed, and Peggy widened her eyes, "Wait, it's early morning?", tears in shock.
Amanda smiled bittersweetly, "Yep. Looks like Michael wants today to be a miraculous day for us all to welcome this little one into the world. Now, let's see how far you are. Saw the puddle. When did that happen?".
Peggy was both overjoyed that her brother's here in a way and shocked that her daughter chose today of all days, and replied, "About 10 minutes ago, but I was having contractions for the past three hours.".
Amanda nodded, taking a look, "Looks like you're halfway clear, gonna be a while...", and Peggy groaned in frustration, "Please tell me that I didn't take forever for you, Mum.".
"Well, it certainly felt like forever with the pain, but it was gratefully shorter and easier, about 6 hours for you, through it was 10 hours for Michael as I was a first-time mom then with him.", Amanda replied.
Peggy nodded but she was worried. Herself and Michael were one thing, but this... the Atlantean genes, God, she was getting scared that they might not be able to get her daughter out; or that they would have to take more drastic measures to deliver. Not to mention that it might be much more painful than, say if she was just giving birth to a normal child.
Steve squeezed her hand as he saw her lost in thought, "Hey, we will get through this. If I am going to say those words for a thousand times, so be it. You are strong, Peggy. Hell, you trained to be an agent, to be a fighter, to be the most amazing and confident woman I've ever fell in love with, and your parents raised you right, giving you a life to lead you to incredible things, and this is one of those incredible things..".
Peggy gave a watery chuckle, "Oh, luv...", as Amanda replied, "Your husband's right...So, be the remarkable daughter I'm proud of.", and Peggy smiled before gasping, crying out in pain from another contraction, taking deep breaths once more.
And so, with Harrison covertly delivering hot water, some food, and all, it went on for 4 hours with dilation getting more and more clear in the progress, and contractions getting intense, it was finally time when Amanda announced, "You're in the clear now, push!".
Steve let her hand hold his hand tighter as Peggy listened to her body and pushed, crying out loud in pain as she felt her daughter starting to move downwards, lasting for an hour, as Peggy shouted, "How much longer?!".
Amanda replied, "You're only halfway down...Here, let me check...", gently putting in her hand, feeling around, and nodded, "Good, it's headfirst, and oh, it's a hearty one...", before pulling out her hand, "Steady now. Best to let yourself stretch to fit them. I know it sucks if it's taking longer, but it's best to be safe.".
Peggy nodded, panting, and Steve brushed her hair back, "You heard her, our baby's on the way...Our daughter is wanting to come out...You got this, push.", kissing her on the temple.
Nodding with a small, tired smile, barely noticing that it is first light of the sky lightening to meet the rising sun outside their home, Peggy took deep breaths and pushed steadily, crying out in pain, lasting 30 minutes before she shouted in pain as she felt a new sensation, hearing her mum announce, "I see hair! It's slowly crowning!".
Peggy groaned and then screamed a few times as the pain was absolutely excruciating; part of her wondered if Steve felt almost the same when he was in the chamber. At least in that case, Steve might be one of the few men on Earth who could truly feel something similar to all that.
"It's almost over, Peggy...", Steve squeezed her hand. "Just a little more! Just a little more!".
Peggy was tired yet hearing encouragement like that, she had to keep going as she pushed, screaming in pain, having to be slow as her mum was right in her daughter being a hearty size...at least Steve would be happy that she is healthy and not a preemie as he had feared.
"That's it, Maggie, the shoulders are almost out! One more push!", Amanda encouraged her daughter as she held into her grandchild, covered in mucus, blood, and goop, and Peggy lurched forward, taking a deep breath, and grunted, pushing as she screamed once more in pain.
Amanda shouted, "Oh, you did it!", grabbing a very warm soaked towel to clean the baby as Peggy collapsed into the pillows, panting, tears falling, and then time seemed to freeze when a ear-piercing wail came a few moments later, and with a small burst of energy, Peggy looked up to see her baby wiggling and shivering and all as her mum laughed, "It's a girl!", smiling at Peggy and Steve.
Peggy sobbed happily, reaching out and Amanda, without question, smiled in understanding as she put the shivering and crying nude baby girl on Peggy's chest and in her arms, and Steve watched with tears and awe as Peggy kissed their daughter, "Shh, it's okay...Oh, I'm right here...You're so beautiful...You got your daddy's hair...We did it, Steve...", as their daughter got little fine hairs of sunshine gold.
"We did...", Steve sighed as he gently placed a finger on her head and gently brushed a few of the hairs. "She's so perfect, Peggy...", he whispered.
As the baby warmed up within her mother's skin and arms, the couple can see that their daughter has Peggy's nose, her grandmother Sarah's smile, her grandfather Harrison's dimples, and Steve's bronzed skin tone, and as their daughter realized that she is hearing her parents, she opened her eyes to reveal bicolored eyes, with Peggy's chocolate brown color on the left, and Steve's sky-blue color on the right.
"She's got different eyes...", Amanda said. "She just really didn't want to choose there, I guess then.", Steve joked.
Peggy smiled softly, "She's perfect all the same...I think I found the perfect first name for her...Brookyln...", and Steve widened his eyes, "You're naming her where I came from?".
"Why not? After all, she's part American like her daddy, and if it wasn't for our old friend who was there by changing our lives, you couldn't have been here, making this beautiful daughter with me...", Peggy smiled, referring to Abraham Erskine.
Steve exhaled with tears in his eyes, kissing Peggy's temple, "Brookyln...I love it...And since she is born on her uncle's great last fight, how about Michelle for her middle name to honor your brother?", with a gentle smile, barely hearing a gasp from Amanda.
Peggy teared up at that, smiling, "Brookyln Michelle Rogers...I love it...What do you think, sweetheart?", looking at their daughter who gurgled, cooing, and then her belly grumbled, and Peggy laughed, "Even for a healthy and hearty baby, you really had a long night.", gently adjusting her daughter to one of her breasts, almost naturally latching on, and began to suckle her first meal, as the sun warmed through the window, showing that it has become sunrise in the last few minutes.
"Quite a long night we've had...", Steve smiled as Peggy nodded. "Yeah, I think I'm going to sleep the entire day now once we get her to sleep.", Peggy said as Steve agreed, "Yeah; all this stress of the birth and all, my nerves are shot right now.".
Amanda chuckled, "I don't blame you two, and you are lucky, Steve. Most fathers aren't allowed in for the entire birth of their children these days...I'll leave you two for some time to feed and bond with Brookyln, and then before she gets sleepy, I'll bring Harrison in to meet his first granddaughter officially.", as she worked on the afterbirth, and gave the scissors for Steve to cut the cord to the belly button, and so, he did.
Peggy smiled warmly, "Thanks, Mum...for everything...", and Amanda smiled, "Oh, anything for you and this sweet one. I'm just glad and relieved that even with her hearty size, she managed to fit, and nothing bad happened.", nodding before she left the bedroom.
Steve sighed deeply as he settled in closer, wrapping his arm around his wife, eyes never leaving the sight of his suckling daughter upon Peggy's breast, "I still can't believe it...She is amazing...I strangely had the feeling when you were screaming in pain, it almost sounded like how I felt in that machine...I was really scared for a moment there, Peggy...Do you think it had to do with the fact that she looks like she's finally done with growing up for now, since she is technically a bit advanced?".
"Maybe... I don't know.", Peggy said as Steve nodded, "Yeah, I think Sweet, or more than likely, Erskine would know more about that. Just was thinking and all... either way, she's finally here now... our little Brooke.".
"Giving her a nickname already?", Peggy teased. Steve chuckled, "Can't call her Brooklyn all the time otherwise people would think that it's the place.", and Peggy laughed warmly, "Fair enough, through it'd be the most special name in Atlantis as it isn't definitely common there...I still can't believe she came upon Michael's anniversary...".
"She probably had figured it out as she felt your emotions lately and all...she got your smarts, after all...", Steve smiled gently, "Either way, I bet Michael is more than happy to realize that his own sister is now feeling much better...I mean, he and Mom would have known about...how we...", with a soft sigh, knowing that he would never forget those miserable two weeks after they lost their first one.
Peggy kissed him on the lips softly, "I know...it's okay...Somehow after all of this, I feel better and happier, and peaceful with them watching over us as they know that we got a miracle, a gift in our Brookyln...if that makes sense?".
"Makes perfect sense to me; the timing and all, I can't chalk that up to being just a sheer coincidence.", Steve said as Peggy gave a small remorseful smile and sighed, "I still wish he was here though...".
Steve kissed her back on the lips gently, "I know, Peggy...But the ones we love will never leave us, not truly, and our Brooke here will know the stories and such of her brave uncle, no doubt about it.", as he gently brushed Brookyln's hairs while she kept suckling her meal, though she is slowing down some, showing that she's getting full.
Peggy nodded softly, "You're right, Steve...", caressing her daughter's hand that moved to clench into one of her fingers, and she smiled, "She's strong too...she has definitely learned well to control her strength...".
They gazed upon their daughter with love and awe as they didn't need to say more for the next few minutes, and then Brookyln let go, blinking, and gurgling as she reached for Steve, and Peggy chuckled, "I think she wants her daddy to help burp her and all.".
Steve smiled, "Alright, darling, you got it...", picking her up from Peggy's arms as she settled easier into the pillows, resting back as she watched Steve naturally hold their daughter as he burped her, easing her back as she gave out a hearty belch.
"There you go...", Steve murmured as he settled her in his arms, and Brookyln cooed, blinking as she batted a hand on his crystal, gurgling, and he smiled, "I know...one day, you will get your own crystal, once we get everything done in the outside world, but right now, you're my whole world...you and your mummy...", caressing her belly, and her hand grabbed into his finger, "You're strong...", before blinking, "Ooh, there's the super part...Yep, you are a lot like me, alright...but that's okay...I love you as who you are, my Brookyln fighter...", kissing her little forehead as she cooed.
Peggy smiled, happy to see him acting like a true father, and it looks like his worries has dashed since he hadn't much good interactions with his father when he was younger and all...His mother truly has changed it all, and now he has a new family...
A knock at the door, with Amanda asking, "Can we come in now?", and Peggy adjusted her robe and the blanket, and nodded at Steve who called out gently, "Come in, guys.".
Amanda and Harrison came in, and Harrison locked eyes immediately on the little one in Steve's arms as they got closer, and as Harrison sat on the far edge of the bed, "Oh, she's beautiful...What is my granddaughter's name?".
Peggy and Steve realized that Amanda didn't reveal the name, only having told that it was a girl, and with a glance at Peggy, she nodded at Steve who smiled, "Darling, you're going to meet your granddad, Harrison Carter...", as he started to move, placing Brookyln into Harrison's arms gently, "Harrison, meet your granddaughter, Brookyln Michelle Rogers...".
Harrison raised an eyebrow as Steve motioned his head towards Peggy as he smiled. "Oh, so you came up with the name... I thought he sort of put his foot down on the name.", Harrison said as Peggy laughed.
"No, I came up with it all on my own, Steve had no idea. I just thought it was perfect for her, you two can easily call her Brooke if you wish.", she replied.
Harrison smiled, "Brooke, eh? I like it...And I suppose you came up with Michelle, huh, son?", and Steve smiled, "Yeah, but it wasn't just the meaning behind it...it is in honor of Michael...".
Harrison widened his eyes as his breath hitched, tears prickling, and he gazed upon his granddaughter, "Oh, it's perfect for you...Should have known that the date was coincidental...", as Brookyln gurgled, cooing at her grandfather.