Jack jerked awake when he heard Katherine groaning next to him. "Ace? Hey what's wrong?" He asked, sitting up and placing a hand on her nine month pregnant stomach.
Katherine gritted her teeth and turned to face him. "The baby's coming." She said with a harsh growl, sitting up and glaring at him.
"How long?" He asked gently, rubbing her stomach.
"Well they're getting closer together." She said, taking his hand and squeezing it harshly every time she felt a contraction.
"Ace, why didn't youse wake me up?" Jack asked, helping her stand up and looking at her. "Should wes go ta the hospital?" He asked, walking over and grabbing the bag they'd had packed just in case the baby decided to come.
Katherine nodded, squeezing his hand again."I think we should." She whispered, resting her head against his. "We're gonna have a baby."
Jack laughed, wrapping an arm around her waist and helping her towards the door. "Wes gonna have a baby." He said, leading her towards the street. He hailed a cab and helped her into it.
"Should we call the boys?" She asked as the cab started driving to the hospital.
"No, wes can call them after youse had the baby." He said, rubbing her stomach as she squeezed his hand again.
"It hurts." Katherine whispered, resting her forehead against his shoulder. She let out a strangled sigh as another contraction started.
"I know Ace. It'll be over soon." Jack said, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.
--------
Jack dropped his forehead down to rest against Katherine's as she let out a strangled sob. "Ya doin great Ace. They're nearly here" He said, as the doctor told her she needed to push again.
Katherine screamed, tears streaming down her face before flopping back down on the pillow. "I can't, I can't." She sobbed.
"Yes youse can." Jack said, "But now youse have to push." He said, pulling her up into a slightly more sitting position and squeezing her hand again.
"I hate you for this." She snarled, the pain in her eyes breaking his heart.
"Katherine you have to start pushing again." The doctor said from the other end of the bed.
Katherine shook her head, grabbing the back of Jack's neck and holding his forehead against hers. "You do it for me." She cried, closing her eyes. "I'm tired."
"I know Ace, I know. Just a little more. Just a little more." Jack said, squeezing her hand and kissing her cheek gently. "Push."
Katherine screamed and squeezed his hand, flopping back on the bed when she heard a babies cry. "Is she here?" She asked, trying to look around for her daughter.
Jack nodded, kissing her forehead. "Yeah Ace, youse did it." He whispered, squeezing her hand again.
"Where is she?" Katherine panted, frantically looking around the room. She needed her daughter.
"They're cleaning her off Ace." He said, watching as the nurse brought their daughter over. He helped the nurse place her into Katherine's tired arms and he rested his arms under Katherine's.
Tears dripped down Katherine's face as she looked at her daughter. She'd made this. She'd grown this in her stomach for the last nine months. "Hi baby." She whispered, running her sweaty fingers gently over her daughter's tiny cheeks.
Jack smiled, perching on the edge of the bed and looked down at his two girls. He kissed Katherine's temple and pushed some of her sweat slicked hair out of her face and kissed her forehead.
"Does she have a name yet?" The doctor asked, smiling widely at the young couple.
"I think we agreed on Stephanie, right Ace?" Jack said, knowing that if Katherine spoke she'd cry.
Katherine nodded, not looking up from her daughter. "I'm tired." She whispered to Jack, her eyes drooping slightly.
Jack chuckled, "I ain't surprised Ace." He whispered, kissing her temple again.
--------
Jack looked over at Katherine, who was dozing in her hospital bed, before looking down at the ground again. When Katherine was pregnant, he'd spent the entire time reassuring her, telling her the labour wouldn't hurt. He'd been so caught up in comforting her and making her feel safe that he hadn't even thought about his own worries.
And now his daughter was here. His baby girl. And he had no idea what to do. He knew Katherine had nothing to worry about. She was a natural mother, her maternal instincts were amazing.
But he himself? No way. He could hardly cook anything without it being burnt and he was terrible at comforting his friends. He knew nothing about children. Let alone babies.
And now he had this new tiny life to care for. And he was sure he was going to mess up. But at least Katherine would be able to forgive him, right?
But what if she didn't? What if he messed up so badly she packed up her stuff and left? What if he hurt his daughter? What if he hurt Katherine? What if he hurt both of them? What if something happened?
"Jack." Katherine mumbled groggily, pulling herself into a sitting position and reaching a hand out. "Come up here."
Jack smiled hesitantly, moving up to sit next to her as she shuffled over. He kicked off his shoes before sitting properly in the bed, letting her rest against his chest.
Katherine looked up at him and ran her finger along his cheek. "What are you thinking about?" She whispered, trying to smooth the crease between his eyebrows with her thumb.
"Just, our daughter." Jack said slowly, resting his head atop hers. He ran his fingers up and down her arm and kissed the top of her head.
Katherine smiled dreamily, "She's beautiful." She whispered, thinking of how tiny her daughter was. "But that's not the only thing you're thinking of." She said, resting her head against his.
"What if I mess up?" Jack whispered, not meeting her eye and looking everywhere but Katherine. He gently placed her back down on the bed and went to sit on the chair in the corner of her room.
"Honey, what are you talking about?" Katherine asked, sitting up and trying to get out of bed. She winced in pain but still waddle over to him, dropping down next to him.
"Ace, get back in bed." Jack said harshly, picking her up and carrying her back to bed. He placed her down and kissed her forehead, running his fingers across her cheek.
"Jack, talk to me." She whispered, pulling him back into her arms and resting her head against his chest.
"I'm just scared that I'll mess up. That I'll hurt her, or you. I don't know anything about children." Jack said, looking around the room. He pulled her into his arms a bit more, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her gently.
"You won't mess up sweetheart." Katherine promised, "You know loads about children, you've looked after Les when he was younger. You've looked after my sisters." She said, feeling tears fill her eyes whether from Jack's feelings or tiredness she didn't know.
Jack moved his hands from her waist and to her face and gently wiped her eyes. "Don't cry Ace." He pleaded, stroking her face with his fingers. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Katherine smiled softly, "No, don't be sorry. Talk to me. Before they bring in Stephanie for feeding." She said, tilting his chin down to kiss him gently.
"I'm just scared that I'll do something so bad, I'll mess up so bad, and youse will leave. I'm scared youse is gonna take her away from me. God knows I've already messed up enough as a husband and I don't wanna mess our kid up." Jack let out a shuddering sigh, running a hand over his face.
"I already love her so much, I can't even believe how much I love her and I don't want ta hurt her. And I love you, I love you so much more than I ever thought I could love a girl. And I don't want ta mess up."
Katherine listened to him and hugged one of his arms to her chest. "Jack, you are going to mess up." She said, earning a groan and shoulder bump from him. "And so am I. That's what being a new parent means. But it doesn't matter, because when we mess up, it won't matter. Because she'll be ours. And she'll be our mess."
"Our mess?" Jack whispered, kissing her head and looking over when the door opened and the nurse entered with Stephanie.
"Our mess sweetheart." She promised as the nurse handed her their daughter. "Like this?" She asked the nurse, starting trying to get their daughter to breastfeed.
Jack looked down at their daughter. "She's beautiful." He whispered, stroking Katherine's arm gently as she breastfed their daughter.
The nurse smiled at the family, they looked so happy. "I'll be back soon to talk her back to the nursery." She said softly before walking out of the room.
Jack moved his arms to rest under Katherine's and he pressed a gentle kiss to her hair. At that moment, he knew, he knew no matter what happened he would be fine, they would be fine. He had nothing to worry about because he and Katherine, they were a team. And they would figure this out together.