She was always a fast reader, but him sitting there behind her, watching her have distracted her way more than her contractions. Every now and then she would feel that strong pain in the lower part of her stomach, but she just pushed it though, as reading his journal really took all of the other stuff out of the picture for her. She felt his hand reach out to her every time she cringed in pain. And she was grateful, she was. But it did toke her attention even more. She was trying to read for God's sake. Finally, he had given her his journal. And it was… it was nothing she would imagine it to be. She got to read all of his feelings. Everything she had no idea about. His story started from the day she shared that first conversation with Lord Debling actually. She had no idea he witnessed it even. Reading page after page, she could not stop herself. As suddenly the door opened taking them both by surprise.

"Were you asking for me?" Violet asked, standing in the middle of the room. Penelope was glad to see her, as a warm smile filled her face. But she just wished she could continue reading instead. Instead of all of this pain building up inside her.

"Yes, Penelope said…" Just as Colin was about to explain, Pen cried out once again, louder this time, as her frame leaned back on his chest. His hands instantly reached out over her body to hers, as she let go of the journal and put it aside.

"Oh, I see." Violet said simply, making her way to their bed. "How are you feeling, Penelope?" Pen was taken aback by this question. So far no one asked her that question. Of course, Colin didn't need to. He knew. He knew exactly how she was feeling. But how could she tell, that she was indeed very scared to his own mother?

"I… I'm not good…" She tried to say, but her scared gaze running from Violet to Colin and her strong hold on his hands told Violet more than enough.

"It's okay to be scared, Pen." Violet suddenly said, as Pen swiftly looked at Colin and back to Violet. Did he tell her? But Violet did notice Pen's reaction and before either Pen or Colin had anything to say, she continued. "Are you? Scared I mean"

"Yes. Very." Pen answered silently.

"It's okay. Just think about soon meeting your first child." Violet said, as Pen for the first time since weeks actually looked at all this process from this perspective. Indeed, she would soon see her first child. And most probably one and only, but it wasn't a time to say such thinks to his mother, so she kept her mouth shut. "Do you need anything?" Violet asked.

"I just need for this to end." Penelope murmured under her breath, as another wave of pain hit her and she squeezed Colin's hands in her.

"Some wet towels won't hurt, right?" Violet said sort of not even asking, as she went out to get some.

Penelope felt pain going off again, as her body relaxed once again in Colin's strong arms. He felt it too, running his hands up and down her shoulders in a caring way, trying to calm her down.

"How are you feeling truly?" He whispered in her ear.

"Slightly better." She whispered back. Her eyes went back to his journal laying on the other side of the bed. "Is that truly how you felt, when you find out about my possible engagement to Lord Debling?" She asked, as he took a deep breath. That was indeed nothing of what he was expecting to hear from her now.

"I really don't want to talk about him now, Pen." He said as he caressed her belly once again.

"I wasn't talking about him. I asked about you."

"Everything in there is true." He said and left a small kiss in her hair. "But if you want to talk about my journal, please choose any other moment." He said lightly laughing, hugging her frame from behind.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" She asked once again.

"I tried to. I wanted to. I planned to. But you changed the rules quite fast." He chuckled at his own words. "But I did." He hugged her closer and asked. "Are you comfortable?"

"In your arms? Oh, yes." She said as a smile hit her face once again. But shortly after another wave took it off even faster. Just in time for that Violet entered the room, bringing wet towels with her.

"Breath with me, darling." Violet said, as she situated herself near Colin and showed Pen how to breath during those waves. Pen couldn't say it wasn't better when she started breathing exactly as Violet showed her. In the end of each wave, she felt she could even relax better and had more power than before. Maybe, just maybe, I can do it. – she thought.

She felt his arms holding her tight with each wave. She felt his body breathing together with her. She felt cold wet towel on her forehead and soft hand of Violet on her face. It continued like that until the pain started to be truly unbearable and with each wave, she would scream like she would die there and then. What she didn't see was Colin's face being now truly concerned for her. It felt each time she would just start getting somehow comfortable it would hit again. And again. And again.

"By the sound of it, we're almost there. Let me take a look once more." She heard Doctor's voice back in the room. She didn't even notice him coming in. All she tried to concentrate on was Colin's voice in her ear telling her to breath.

It took a few more minutes for the Doctor to announce it was finally time to push. And there, Pen felt her whole-body tense and froze.

"You can do it, it's okay, I'm here. I'm right here." She heard Colin whisper in her ear. Surely, he also felt her froze. But she could not even answer. By this time, she already felt too exhausted. How could she do even more than just breath? – she thought.

"Maybe we should change your position slightly." Violet said, waving for Colin to move on the left side of the bed near Pen. But as soon as Colin's chest left her back, she reached out and grabbed his arm as if she expected him to leave her.

"I'm here. I'm here." He said as he not letting go of her hand moved over her to her other side. Violet quickly put a few more pillows behind Pen's back.

"Don't go." Pen said desperately looking at Colin.

"I am here. Not going anywhere." He reassured her once again, as she felt his hand squeeze hers.

"It will just be more comfortable for you like that." Violet explained, as the Doctor situated himself between Pen's legs. The sight of him looking right there terrified her even more.

"Okay, the next time you'll feel pain – push hard, Ms. Bridgerton." He said, looking right at her face. But all she could do was send a terrified look at Violet and quickly look back at Colin. She felt Violet's hand holding her right hand, as it felt Colin was all over her left.

"Are you ready?" But just as Violet asked that, another wave hit her hard.

"Nooooo…" Pushing and screaming her answer, she squeezed both of their hands hard.

She heard Colin say something along the lines of 'It's okay. You can do it.' But she really didn't feel like she could at that moment.

"Okay, another one." Doctor said again, as all that Pen thought was 'How much more?'

After what felt like hours, she fell back on the pillows and cried out. "I can't. I just can't!"

She felt Colin's body hover over her, trying to make her look up at him. His hands on her face.

"Pen. Pen! Look at me!" He said as she just continued crying shaking her head no. "Pen, please. Just look at me." She opened her eyes to see his serious face. He wasn't scared. Not at all. Not even concerned. He looked determined. "Can I look?" He said, looking down her body, as she just silently nodded her head. She felt another wave of pain, but she just cried put once again, trying to catch her breath, not even making attempt to push. She felt Violet's hand caressing her own caringly, while wiping sweat from her head with a towel.

"Ms. Bridgerton, you need to push!" Doctor said, but Colin just made a motion at him asking for a second.

Taking a deep breath he looked between her legs, as finally just now he felt like he understood her more. His jaw fell open for a second as he tried to gather himself back quickly. He hurried back to hover over Pen's face.

"I get it." He said looking at her half-closed eyes. "I get it. Come on, we will do it together." He said as he reached to put his hand behind her back, making her look up at him. "Pillow!" He said, quickly looking at his mother, as she reached out for another pillow and put it behind Penelope's back. She was half sitting now. Colin swiftly moved his arm pulling Pen's leg more up, letting it swing on his elbow, as he grabbed her hand once again. He reached for her cheek with his other hand, caressing it slowly.

"We will do it together." He said looking deeply in her eyes.

"I…" She started, but he quickly shut her down, by leaving one small unexpected kiss on her lips.

"Breathe with me." He said as she started mirroring his breathing. Eyes locked. "I get it. It's a lot." He whispered, as he lowered his forehead to hers. "But I am here. And we will do it. And soon enough we will meet our child, Pen." He whispered as he looked up back at her.

She didn't know what it was exactly, but she felt another wave of energy inside her body. His hand holding the back of her neck. Her leg swinging on his arm. He was there.

What they didn't notice was a soft look of Violet at them. She was mesmerized and deeply proud of her son at that moment. She was happy to be there to witness this love. This new beginning.

As another wave hit, Penelope pushed, and she could swear she felt him push with her. She couldn't explain it, but she felt it. She truly did.

"Just a few more." Doctor said, as another wave was over. Colin slowly lowered Pen's head back to the pillow.

"You're doing great. You heard? Just a few more." Colin said living small kisses down her shoulder.

They stayed intertwined like that for the next few waves, as suddenly she fell back to the pillow, felling as this child finally exited her body once and for all. They heard a loud scream, but all he could look at was her. Exhausted, sweaty, hair sticking to her face. He reached out to put her hair away from her face, as Violet exhaled a joyous sound of happiness, looking at their child.

"It's a boy!" Violet announced happily, as Pen opened her eyes to look herself. He still couldn't take his eyes off of her. Mesmerized by her willpower.

Doctor carefully put the child on Pen, as she started crying once again. But this time it was tears of happiness. She noticed Colin glance towards their child and tears started to show in his own eyes.

"Are you okay?" He looked back at Pen, holding their child.

"Yes." She looked at him with a biggest smile he would ever see on his face.

She was happy.

He was content.

Watching this love send the sweetest feeling right to Violet's heart.

Soon enough Doctor asked Violet to take a child and give him a bath. "We have a few more things to finish here." As Pen heard it, she looked right at Doctor with a biggest question written all over her face. Seeing her face, he added. "We have to get the placenta out."

"The WHAT?" Pen asked loudly, surprised and scared.

"Placenta. That might hurt." Doctor said, as put yet another towel under her bum. "Mr. Bridgerton, you might want to leave for this one." He suggested, as Pen quickly send Colin yet the most scared of her looks.

"No, I'll stay." Colin quickly said to the Doctor, as he felt Pen grabbing his hand hard. He looked at her and calmly said. "I'm here. I'm here. Not going anywhere."

"Now push again." Doctor said looking between her legs once again, one arm on her still round belly.

"What?" Pen surprisingly looked between Doctor and Colin and simply stated. "No!"

"We have to get the placenta out of your body, you have to push, whenever you feel ready to." Doctor said, trying to calming her down.

"I am not ready! I won't be!" Penelope looked at Colin as if he could change it somehow.

"Pen, it's okay, it's okay. Just a few more times." Colin tried to reassure her, caressing his hands all over her shoulders and arms.

"And what after?" She suddenly asked, looking at Doctor.

"Then we will stitch you up and we'll be done." He explained.

"See? Just a few more times." Colin tried again, holding her hand.

"He said it will hurt!" She looked at Colin in disbelief.

"Not more than just a few moments ago." Doctor cut in.

"That hurt like HELL!" She screamed back.

"Just a few more time. Together? Okay?" Colin tried to grab her attention back to him, looking her deeply in her dark blue eyes.

"Okay." She whispered back to Colin.

And she pushed as hard as she could as if that would speed up the process. But right as she started, she felt someone's hand pushing down on her stomach hard. She screamed so hard, Colin's eyes became enormous looking at her.

"What were you doing?" She screamed at Doctor, as he stopped pushing on her belly and let her relax for a second.

"We have to do it. I said it will hurt."

"Colin! Nooo…." She screamed in loud pain, as Doctor pushed at her stomach once again encouraging her to push also. Colin was lost for words. Not even before he saw her in that kind of pain. He squeezed her hand harder, as it she reached for his shoulders, holding on for her dear life.

It broke his heart to see her in that kind of pain, but just as he was about to stop it, Doctor announced that this part was over. Penelope fell back on the pillows crying hard.

Colin rushed to hover over her, trying to not put any weight on her, as his forehead met hers. With one arm holding his weight, he caressed her cheek with the other. "It's okay. It's over. You did it." He whispered in her ear, as she continued sobbing under his body. "You did great." He reached for another wet towel and carefully wiped her face and chest with it.

"Okay, the stitches are done. You truly did great Ms. Bridgerton. Now you can change clothes, take a quick bath or clean yourself with wet towels and I'll be there tomorrow to check on you." Doctor said lastly, as he let himself out.

"Do you want a bath?" Colin asked carefully.

"I don't think I can move." She whispered back.

Just right at this time Violet got back into the room with their son. And Portia followed closely after her.

"He looked great. Have you decided on the name?" Portia asked, looking at her grandson in Violet's arms.

"Um… No, not yet." Colin answered back, still looking at Pen still laying in bed under him completely exhausted.

"How are you doing, darling?" Portia asked carefully, standing near Pen.

"I will be fine. But I don't think I can move." Pen answered breathlessly. She looked up at her mom, and reached out for her hand. "Can you both…" She looked at Violet and Portia "take him away just for a few minutes, so I could…" She squeezed her mama's hand and she understood instantly.

"Yes, yes, sure." Portia and Violet said quickly, turning to leave her and Colin alone.

"And ask the maid to come in, please." Colin added quickly.

"Of course." Violet said, as they left with a newborn.

Just a few minutes after a maid had come in.

"Good, can you bring some more clean wet towels and change the bedsheets after?"

"Sure, Sir." She said and quickly left to get towels.

"Okay, let's get you up." Colin said at Pen, as he got up and went to her side of the bed.

"I can't…" Pen wined.

"Of course, you can. I'll help you." He reached under her body and pulled her body to sit.

"Ouch!" She exhaled loudly.

"Just move closer to me, I'll help you." He said and she did. Wincing at every move, finally she stood up. Or more like she was hanging on him, as he pulled her nightgown down from her body.

He took care cleaning her whole body carefully with wet towels, as maid quickly changed their sheets and left.

"Do you want to wear something to bed?" He asked whispering in her ear.

"I don't think I have power for that, just help get back in."

He carefully put her frame in back, put the towel under her, as she was still bleeding. And covered her with light blanket.

Soon enough their mothers returned with a child and helped Pen to feed him for the first time.

As the three of them now laid in that bed half asleep and completely exhausted, he heard Pen say.

"Don't you think he looks like Andrew?"

"Are we going in alphabetical order?" He smiled at her in the dark.

"There's no need to go in alphabetical order, when this is our only child." She said seriously. "That was too much. I am not doing it again, Colin. No!"

"Okay, okay, relax." He said, taking a child off of her arms and putting it in the basinet near their bed. "Andrew." He tried saying this name, almost as tasting in on his tongue. "I like it."

That night the fell asleep too fast. Neither of them having the energy even to say goodnight. Both of them waking up just hours later from Andrew's loud cry.