Semper Fi

Welcome to the World

"Damn it!" She gripped his hand and buried her face in the pillow on the verge of tears again as her stomach tightened. The contractions were getting more intense and she knew with each one that brought her closer to the birth.

"I'm going to fucking kill him when he gets here," she seethed when the contraction was over to Fin's enjoyment.

"What.... are you... grinning at?" she choked out between breaths.

"I have to admit Liv. I didn't take you for one of the typical women who curse the father during childbirth. What's next? You're going to say it's all his fault that you are going through this?"

She couldn't help but laugh a little. "No, I won't go there. I guess this one is on me."

He held up his hand to stop her. "I don't need the details."

She asked Fin to take the Semper Fi medal out of her bag and put it on a table in the room. She read the week before that it was a good idea to have something to focus on during contractions and she couldn't think of anything more perfect.

He stayed by her side for the next half hour while she continued to have contractions talking to her and holding her hand.

"Fin?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Yeah."

"Thank you for being here."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else."

He left the room while the doctor checked her again.

"Ok Olivia looks like you are making good progress. You are almost five centimeters. If you want to get an epidural now is definitely the time," Dr. Wilder explained.

She was drained, in pain and didn't feel like thinking about anything. She put her hands over her face in frustration as the tears rolled down her face landing on her pillow.

"She's ready for the epidural."

She gasped at the familiar sound. Her tears abruptly stopped as she focused on the figure standing in the door. It was Elliot.

"Oh my god," she cried reaching for him and he was by her side in an instant. "You made it. I thought you were going to miss it."

He grabbed her face, placing kisses all over, dropping his forehead to hers.

"I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner. There's no way I'm going to miss this," he cried pushing her hair out of her face and kissing her on the lips.

She buried her face in his shirt, drowning herself in his scent and the feel of him against her. "How in the hell did you get here so fast?"

"I wasn't going to let anything stop me from being here," he answered his voice thick with emotion.

Lizzie entered the room, tearing up at the exchange between the two. "I told you I would get him here Liv. You can relax now."

Elliot attempted to give Olivia a scolding look, "Don't tell me you haven't been a good patient."

"She's been just fine. Just missing you that's all and now that you are here we can get this show on the road. I'm going to get the anesthesiologist so we can get her epidural and get this little girl here," Dr. Wilder asserted leaving the room.

No one was allowed in the room while Olivia was given the epidural so Elliot spent his time catching up with everyone in the waiting room. Casey, Alex, Don, Munch and most of the kids showed up to lend their support and wait for Charlotte to make her arrival. Lucy stayed with Eli and Noah at home. Once the doctor gave them the word they all filed back into Olivia's room. Elliot was concerned that it was a little too much for her while she was in labor, but Olivia insisted on keeping everyone there. She had already spent so much of her life alone, she appreciated having such a large support system around.