Take Me Out

Alternative Epilogue

warnings: mild angst, lots of fluff

***

The Birth

***

"There you go darling! Squeeze my hand as hard as you need to," Harrison murmurs, pushing hair out of your eyes.

"Haz, I-, ow! This baby wants to kill me," you cry, afraid you might break his hand as you squeeze it.

Your doctor, the one you met with the moment you arrived in Boston 5 months ago, Dr. Glenn, is encouraging you, telling you she sees the head.

You can hear the baby's cries and the sound brings tears to your eyes, happy tears.

"Almost there, excellent work Adeline," Dr. Glenn praises you, and all of a sudden a huge weight lifts off your shoulders as you give birth.

Harrison kisses your cheek as you let go of his hand, "Can I see him?" you ask, wiping the tears from your eyes as you watch Dr. Glenn clean your baby off and wrap him in a blue blanket.

"Happy, healthy, this little guy looks great," Dr. Glenn helps position your child in your arms and you swallow down a sob, because he has Tom's nose. And Tom is-

"Have you decided on a name yet?" one of the nurses asks as your baby coos and cries in your arms.

"I uh, I was thinking Phillip, Phil for short, like your mom," you looked anxiously up at Harrison, hoping he liked the idea.

His face lit up brighter than Christmas tree and you felt your heart fill with warmth as he nods.

"Hey there Phillip, you've got the best mommy in the entire world," Harrison smiles, reaching his hand out to rest on your shoulder.

***

8 Months Old

"No! I, I don't deserve to be his mother!" you shout, sitting down on the couch as Harrison paces the room.

"When are you going to- Y/N, I thought we got through this! I thought you- when you left to go back with Tom-,"

"Don't say his name."

"When you left with him all that time ago, you were better! You were happy! I thought you were ready to be a mom! With me," Harrison stops, turning toward you. Pleading with wide blue eyes, begging you to see you the way he sees you.

"I-,"

"I mean, what could have happened in four days that changed that? Is this because you-,"

"I killed him! Harrison, I killed the father of my child and now-,"

"Harrison! Y/N! Come quick!" Ian shouts from the kitchen and both of your eyes nearly bug out of your skulls, terrified something happened to Phillip.

By the time you and Harrison make it to the kitchen, Ian is sitting up against the fridge, clapping excitedly with a huge smile on his face.

"Where's Phillip? Is something wrong?" You ask, looking around for your son when you hear him babbling from behind the center island.

You watch him, gasping as he struggles to stand on two feet, clapping his chubby hands together.

"Mama!" He cries out, your mouth falling open in awe.

"Phillip, oh my goodness, look at you!" You praise, kneeling down on the floor next to Ian, opening your arms to encourage him to keep moving.

"His first steps, look at him, practically running already," Harrison chuckles, sitting next to you, the fight from earlier practically forgotten about.