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Chapter Seventeen: Circle of Friends


"Is the food done yet?" Nick whined for what seemed like the millionth time as Kevin tended to the meat sizzling on the large grill. The five men and their respected wives were gathered on the beach for an intimate barbeque. Though the youngest of the group was getting quite impatient to start eating.

"Nick, I swear... if you ask me one more time," Kevin threatened, waving the forked tong at Nick with furled eyebrows.

"What?" Nick tempted with another loud whine, causing Ana to physically cringe as she curled quietly on her large beach blanket. "What are you going to do, old man?"

"You're going to end up barbequed if you don't stop that damn whining--"

"Kevy, that's not how you shut up Nick. This is how!" Tierja took a marshmellow she had been roasting in the beach firepit and shoved it into Nick's mouth.

"Mmm," Nick delighted as he chomped on the goey mess, leaning to smack a stick kiss on Tierja's lips. "Thanks, Baby!"

"Eww!" Tierja groaned as Nick left a trail of marshmellow on her face and lips as Nick laughed in triumph which was quickly halted as she pushed another marshmellow into his mouth. "My plan backfired so bad it's not even funny!"

"You looked hungry..." Nick mumbled.

"It would have worked better with a pacifier," Ana groaned.

"As long as it got him to stop whining, I don't even care," Kevin shook his head with a chuckle as he watched Howie stumble from a game of ultimate frisbee with Leighanne, Brian and AJ to cuddle with Ana on the beach blanket. It was a perfect day to spend with his best friends and family.

"Did you lose?" Ana yelped in surprise as she felt a pair of hands snake around her and pull her close.

"Yeah, with a great big thud," Howie nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck.

"I don't think beach sports are your thing, Babe. Maybe Minnesota lake sand is different than Florida ocean sand."

"Or it could just be that Howie sucks at ultimate frisbee," Tierja and Nick snickered.

"That's because instead of practicing how to toss a stupid frisbee like some mindless idiot assuming it's a hard task, Howie was improving his qualities in the bedroom," Ana fired back sweetly at her friends, immediately coming to the defense of her husband with a fixed scowl.

"Did not need to know that," Nick whined yet again as he covered his ears.

"Where do you think babies come from, you eejit?" Tierja rolled her eyes, placing a hand to her aching back as she stood up to get a bottle of water. "Anyone want something to drink?"

"Not what you have to offer, that's for damn sure," Ana murmured, wrinkling her nose at the wet sand forming between Tierja's legs as she stood.

"Huh?"

"Look down at the sand."

"What-- holy shit, my water broke! Damnit and this is my favorite sundress!" Tierja whined, just like everyone had predicted for months.

"Amniotic fluid washes out, don't worry," Ana sighed, faintly rolling her eyes. Carefully, she eased herself off the blanket, watching Kevin pale dramatically. Thankfully, since Ana was a paramedic, she had delivered several dozen children, most not even in a hospital setting. And, she knew that Tierja had awhile before the child would even be delivered. "You just don't want to know what's contained in it."

"Please don't tell me," Tierja retorted as Howie called the others in and doused the fire since Kevin was just standing there with his jaw dropped open. "Do all expecting fathers act like him? Just standing there?"

"Some faint, some scream... his reaction is normal."

"That's normal?" Tierja growled, throwing her empty bottle of water at her fiance. "Jerk! Wake up!"

"Tierj, let's go get your hospital bag," Ana laughed, reaching to hold her friend so they could waddle toward the house.

"Old man, come on! You've got a baby coming!" Nick jumped on Kevin's back to get him going with the help of the other three men. Leighanne just shook her head with a chuckle, jogging to catch up with Ana and Tierja.

~*~*~*~

"Jeez, this fucking hurts! Damnit!" Tierja cursed as a sharp contraction hit her stomach, the nurse simply reading the machine hooked to her abdomen that recorded the strength of each contraction.

"You're the idiot that's refusing the epidural," Ana sighed as she reached to grasp her friend's hand. To say she was exhausted would be a mute point, because Tierja had been in labor for well over ten hours. Usually, emergency labors all occured in a matter of minutes, so Ana was used to catching a child like some kind of football between the mother's legs. To see a 'normal' labor was different and Kevin seemed to be no help. He just rested on the side of Tierja's bed, stroking her sweaty locks as he remained mute. Every so often when another firm contraction hit, she would strike him, which caused him to say sorry. Only, the entertainment value had dissipated after the fifth hour, but would probably escalate against when the contractions became closer and the baby's head presented.

"Because you're the one that told me what they do and I ain't keen on having that happen," Tierja groaned as the pain finally dissapated, closing her eyes and breathing heavy.

"It probably wouldn't be so bad if your fiancee would actually say something," Ana threw a wet washcloth at Kevin's face.

"Sorry," Kevin mumbled as the cold water slapped sharply against his stubbled face. He jerked from his position on the bed, tumbling hard to the floor just in front of the nurse. It seemed to snap him from his trance, causing him to blush a furious smile at the nurse. "Whoops..."

"Finally awake?" the nurse chuckled, helping him get back into his chair.

"About damn time," Tierja muttered.

"It's just a little scary..." Kevin admitted as he rubbed his wet face, offering a look of thanks toward Ana for getting his thoughts cleared.

"Want me to take a walk?" Ana offered.

"Only if you--"

"I think I should... got to let everyone know what's going on," Ana stood up and waddled towards the door.

"Guess it might have been slightly selfish of us to ask her to be the second labor coach when she's eight months pregnant and twice as miserable as you were at that stage," Kevin sighed, reaching to gently kissing Tierja's sweaty forehead. Tasting the saltiness, he frowned, grasping the washcloth that had been tossed at him and dabbing his fiancee's face. "How you feeling?"

"Howie will make her rest."

"I know. How are you feeling, though?"

"It hurts really bad... I'm getting scared, what if I can't push him or her out?" Tierja whimpered, biting on the inside of her cheek.

"The doctor said the labor process is long... And you'll know when you're ready to push. It'll happen naturally, I promise," Kevin tried to assure, rubbing his fingers across her forehead. "You're doing wonderfully."

"I'm sorry I hit you," Tierja concentrated on the sensation of his fingers on her forehead.

"It's alright, I deserved it. I was just scared..."

"Me, too," she whispered, clenching as another contraction washed over her body. She immediately reached for Ana's hand, frowning when she remembered the younger girl had scurried off. Tears of pain crossed into her blue-gray eyes as she reached for her fiance's hands. "Tell me the names we picked. Keep me concentrated on something, please."

"Elizabeth Ann, Catherine Ann, Laura Ann... remember, you were insistant on having my mother's first name as the middle name?" Kevin glanced at the machine, noticing the contraction hit its peak as she squeezed his hands tighter. "Kevin Scott, Jr., Jerald Scott and Colin Jacob in case we have a boy. Come on, Sweetheart, you're almost done, just take deep breaths."

"W-Where's my Trouble?"

"She's out in the waiting room resting. The poor girl was exhausted and we don't need her going into early labor--"

"But the baby's coming," Tierja gritted as the nurse excused herself to find the doctor. It was obvious that she was moving into the next phase of labor, the active phase, where the baby actually was expelled from the mother's body. "I need my Trouble now."

"Tier, I think Howie wants her to rest--"

"I need her!"

"Well, what the Hell am I doing here then?" Kevin scoffed sarcastically as the nurse came back in. He attempted to remove himself from the bed, but Tierja yanked him down by the collar with disgust as another contraction hit. He wheezed in shock, glancing toward the nurse. "Can you get Anastacia Dorough from the waiting room, please?"

"I would, but she's just been admitted herself," the nurse replied, marking a few things onto the paper that was being printed out each time Tierja had a contraction.

"What?!"

"Her water broke on the way back to the waiting room. Her room is right next to yours."

"Howie's going to kill us," Kevin immediately groaned in disbelief.

"Maybe so, but you two are going to be welcoming a child to this world very soon--"

"About right now," the doctor agreed as he seated himself between Tierja's legs, lifting the white sheet covering her lower half. "You've dialated wonderfully, Tierja."

"Well thanks, but let's cut the chit-chat because this baby wants to come out!"

"Don't push until I say, Tierja."

"How could you possibly know when I need to--"

"Deep breath and bear down like you're having a bowel movement," the doctor instructed, causing Kevin to make a disgusted face.

"Bossy doctor," Tierja muttered under her breath before doing what he said, grunting loudly in pain.

"You'll be relieved and thankful you listened in a few moments," he promised none the less, motioning for the two nurses to be ready to take the child for a quick clean and assessment. Sure enough, with a few more hard pushes, the child was guided easily into his hands. He hurriedly wrapped him into the towel, cutting the umbilical cord because Kevin had requested not to and allowed the nurses to clean the airway. "Congratulations!"

"Oh God," Tierja fell back onto the pillows, panting heavily as she listened to their child cry. Tears began falling down her cheeks as she grasped Kevin's hand.

"Perfectly healthy!" the nurse announced. "Nine pounds, twenty two inches long!"

"What is it?" Kevin questioned as she walked over to deliver the bundle into his arms.

"A beautiful boy!"

"A son... we have a son."

"Cadence is officially betrothed," Tierja panted with sweet relief, cooing as the nurse helped Kevin place the baby boy onto his mother's chest. He immediately began to suckle at her breast, filling Tierja with an overwhelming satisfaction of warmth. She sobbed softly as she brushed her fingers down his straight dark locks, assessing to make sure his tiny hands and kissing his little fingers. "You're gorgeous."

"Just like his mother," Kevin praised, leaning up to kiss her forehead and then their son's. "I love you both so very much."

"I love you, too," Tierja promised with a whisper, beckoning Kevin down to kiss him lovingly. "And Jerald Scott loves you, too."

~*~*~*~

"I changed my mind, Cadence can stay inside me forever! I really don't mind!" Ana wailed as her stomach panged with a fierce contraction.

"I told you to rest instead of going into the delivery room with Tierja and Kevin. I told you that it'd be way too much stress for you to deal with. Yet, you don't listen to me and go sliding halfway across the Emergency Room as your water breaks. Damnit, Ana," Howie cursed with worry, frowning as the nurse moved to strap a fetal heart monitor to Ana's aching abdomen. Since she was a month early, the doctor wanted to monitor the labor process closely. She was sure that there probably would be any dangerous complications, but she didn't want to take the chance. So, Ana had even refused the epidural, knowing it could depress her daughter's respiratory system. And, it seemed far more important during this delivery, dozens of health care workers popping in to see the Adrenaline Junkie's miracle baby.

"Thanks for the sympathy, really," Ana heaved, biting down hard on her bottom lip as the contraction ended. She decided not to watch her husband's angry facial features, glancing over to the fetal heart monitor.

"I'm worried, can you blame me? Cadence is a month early and I'm a little scared!"

"You don't think I'm scared? It'll be my fault if something happens--"

"Ana, don't you be talking like that," her nurse interrupted the argument, squeezing her hand gently. "Dr. Anderson won't let anything happen and it's not your fault that Cadence wanted to come now. She's just like you, always wanting to be around the excitement."

"Well can you at least give my husband an epidural from the waist up, then?" Ana breathed, allowing the nurse to bend down and hug her tightly. She felt tears of worry start to glisten against her blue-green eyes, hating that Howie was so furious at her. The birth of an eight months old wasn't entirely abnormal, it happened more frequently than others realized. And, besides, she had been a premature infant, too.

"I think you both need to give each other a break. Howie, preemies at eight months isn't what we want, but it's perfectly normal. We're just monitoring the baby to be safe. Ana, you don't have to worry, you've delivered preemies before in every condition."

"I just want her to be okay and I want her to love me," Ana answered, glancing away from her nurse and her husband. She blinked away some furious tears, feeling another contraction hit. She reached for the rails of the bed, holding her breath.

"She's going to be okay and she's going to love you because you're the best mother around," Howie promised, taking her hands from the rails and into his own, which made her turn and look into his eyes. "Just take deep breaths, you remember the drills from lamaze class. You can do it, Baby."

"Why aren't you yelling?" Ana whimpered, biting down hard on her bottom lip to keep from crying.

"I shouldn't have been yelling at you. I was just so worried and you need comforting words. I'm sorry, Ana."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go into labor--"

"You can't control when you go into labor. Don't be sorry, because that just means Cadence will be with us sooner."

"O-Okay," Ana breathed as the contraction died.

"You're doing so good, Ana. Just hang on, soon enough you can pu--"

"Bullshit, she ain't coming out--"

"I don't think you can decide that--"

"The Hell I can't--"

"Adrenaline Junkie in active labor... I think it's officially a bit chilly in Hell," Dr. Anderson teased as she entered the birthing room to see Howie attempting to help Ana through the heavier contraction.

"Funny, real funny," Ana seethed, biting hard on her bottom lip as the physician examined her lower portion.

"You'll thnk this is really funny then, because it's time for you to push."

"I beg your pardon?" Ana questioned, leaning up to catch her obstetrician's gaze.

"You're fully dialated."

"That's real cute," Ana labored, glancing toward her physician as she signaled when to push during the contraction. Mustering every ounce of courage in her system, Ana beared down as hard as she possibly could with the push. A strong pain washed over her system, but she was persistent. Just as persistent as she had been in the tunnel of rubble during the tornado. Her fierce bravery caused her to wrinkle her nose into a look of adorable persistence as a huge relief washed over as the child released into her physician's awaiting arms. Immediately, Ana boosted herself into a sitting position as the nurse and neonatologist took the child over to the incubator for assessments and possible intervention. "Breathe... Please, breathe, Cadence."

"She will, Ana. She will--" Howie's encouragements were interrupted by a squeal and then a long wailing cry.

"She's got her mother's lungs, that's for sure," Dr. Anderson chuckled as she walked over to Ana with the precious bundle. Carefully, she helped Ana nestle the child onto her chest, deciding it was best for the child to start nursing from her mother's breast. "Congratulations, Sweetheart. She's gorgeous. Five pounds, eighteen inches, but she'll fatten up with her Daddy's appetite."

"Thanks," Ana whispered with true relief, peeling back the pink blanket that held her tiny daughter. Sure enough, her tiny daughter lay nestled inside, sweetly sucking on her mother's breast. Her dark black curls were abundantly thick, layering her carmel forehead. She was slightly wrinkled from the birthing process and beefy red, but she was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous and Ana was instantly attached. "Hey there, baby girl."

"She's so beautiful," Howie whispered in awe, leaning over on the bed to gaze at their brand new daughter. At the sound of her father's voice, Cadence peeked her eyes open to reveal the same emerald-blues that she inherited from her mother. "Hello, Angel Baby. Momma and Daddy are so glad that you're here."

"Good thing Momma got your nursery done early, too, huh?" Ana laughed, brushing her fingertips down Cadence's soft cheek. She smiled as Cadence averted her eyes toward Ana, curling her tiny fingers against the warmth of her mother's breast. "You're absolutely perfect, Sweetheart. I was so scared to have a daughter, but I wouldn't want anyone else... I'm going to be the best for you... The very best..."

"My perfect little family," Howie spoke after a few minutes of just watching Ana and Cadence bond. He had dreamed of starting a family with Ana and now it was starting to come true.

"Your two favorite girls," Ana commented, motioning for him to sit on the bed.

"My two favorite, absolutely, positively beautiful girls," Howie sat down at her side and pressed a gentle kiss on Cadence's cheek before giving his wife a deep kiss. "I love you both."

"We love you, too," Ana promised, gently touching his face before leaning to give him another kiss.