A/N: sorry for the huge time gap, I was starting to get writer's block and that's no fun.
December 24, 2014
- Veronica's POV -
Being a lawyer really sucked sometimes. I had to work on Christmas Eve, which was John's due date, and he wouldn't let me stay home for some reason.
I spent most of my day worrying instead of working on my assignments and John didn't call which only made things worse. I was scared of his water breaking while I wasn't there or something happening where he had to push, it was scary being at work with a very pregnant person in my home.
"Veronica, there's a call on line 1 for you." A man mumbled while he put a piece of paper on my desk. I quickly reached over for the phone and I dialled '1'.
"Veronica Deacon speaking." I could feel my hands shaking for some reason.
"Hey, sweetie, I need you to come home now." John's breathing sounded shaky which made me want to cry.
"Is everything okay?" I quickly stood up and I started putting on my jacket and whatnot.
"I-I had a contraction and they're starting to get bad. I just need someone here." He panted and I nodded. "Your babies aren't very patient." He laughed, awkwardly, and I smiled.
"Okay, I'll be there in like 15 minutes." I breathed out then I hung up. "Jack, I'm taking my month off now, my babies are coming!" I squealed then I walked out of the office.
I drove home as quickly as I could, without breaking the speed limit, then I was in our driveway after 10ish minutes.
"Honey? I'm home!" I called while I walked through the front door.
"I'm in our room!" John called back so I dropped my bag and I ran up the stairs.
When I got to our bedroom, John was kneeling on the bed, he was holding onto the headboard and swaying his hips a bit- he didn't look like he was in pain, honestly.
"Hi, baby." I stood beside the bed and I kissed his damp forehead. "How're you feeling?" I ran my hand down his bare back to feel all of the sweat- it was a little gross.
"It hurts, honestly." John giggled after he panted through, what I thought was, a contraction. "And I think Michael is dropping already." He ran his hand over his belly to feel the bottom. "See?" He pulled my hand down and I could feel a part bulging, Michael's head was there and he was resting on the bottom of John's bump.
"They're really getting close now." I mumbled and John nodded.
It was actually kind of scary- our babies were only a small sac and a couple pushes away from us, it was all so real now.
"Do you want to go to the hospital?" I asked, quietly, and John gave me a small nod. "Is your bag ready?" I looked around the room for the duffle bag and I couldn't find it anywhere.
"I-it's downstairs- I put it by the door after my first contraction." His voice was so shaky that it scared me a bit.
"Come on then, let's get you off of this bed." I helped him up and he had to hold onto my shoulders for a minute. "You're doing so well, honey, I'm so proud of you." I whispered then I kissed his head- it was something we had learned in Lamaze.
"I-I need you to call Freddie a-and Julia, I guess Jim, too." My husband muttered while he slipped on his slippers.
I took my phone out of my pocket and I dialled the number to the Hutton household. After several rings, Julia answered:
"Hello?" She sounded so happy and I just smiled.
"Hey, Jules, it's Veronica. John just wanted me to call and tell you that the babies are coming- they'll most likely be here tonight, everything's moving along rather quickly." John was mouthing words to me so I knew what to say.
"He-he's having the babies right now?!" Julia exclaimed and I let out a small 'yes'. "Oh, my God, can you please call me when it's done? I want to see them as soon as you'll let me!" She was so excited.
"Of course we'll call you. Okay, I should get him there before he has the babies in the entranceway. Have a great day, sweetie." It was just before noon so she had a whole day left.
Julia and I said goodbyes then we hung up. I walked back over to John and I slung the bags over my shoulders.
"Do you need help with the bags?" John asked, quietly, while I walked him out to the vehicle.
"Not at all, honey, you just focus on breathing and staying calm." I nodded while I put the bags in the backseat.
John needed help getting into the car so I had to go around and help him in. I buckled him up then I gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
"Are you ready to have some babies?" I asked while I pressed my forehead to his.
"I've been ready for a while now." John closed his eyes and he laughed. "Let's go and have some babies." He breathed out with a huge smile.
I got in on the driver's side then I started the car. John reached over and he held my hand while he stared at the road ahead. Just as I got to a stop light, he started to breathe heavily from his nose- his facial expression didn't change but he was obviously having a contraction.
"Are you okay?" I asked while he pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket.
"Yeah, they're just contractions." The man shrugged while he went to a timer. "We need to get to the hospital as soon as possible so we can stop these contractions." He chuckled then I started driving again.
It amazed me how he could say that they were "just contractions". Most women say that it's the most painful thing to experience but John seemed fine- maybe it was different with male carriers. But then again, comparing his pregnancy to Freddie's made it look so much easier- Freddie was ill in the beginning and he was always telling us how sore he was, John was never like that. Maybe my husband was made for carrying babies.
Once we arrived at the hospital, the lady said that John already called in and that they had a room ready- he was so prepared. We were taken to the room and John was given a hospital gown and a housecoat.
"Do you want to go for a walk?" I asked while I helped him into the thin pieces of clothing.
"Y-yeah." He stuttered while he wrapped the sash over his massive bump. "Can-can you hold my hand?" He held his hand out and I smiled while I grabbed it.
"So are you wanting any medications?" I asked while I held the small of John's back.
"No, I want to do this as natural as possible- I would've done it in our house if you weren't so stubborn." He laughed while he rested his head on my shoulder. "It won't be long now, Michael is really dropping now." He breathed out while he rubbed his belly.
John and I did several laps around the labour and delivery floor then he said that he felt like he needed to push- we went back to our room and I called the doctor. My husband didn't want to see doctors until he had to push so we got to do everything on our own, which was really cool.
"How're you feeling, John?" Doctor Cox asked while she walked into the room.
"Like I need to push." John grunted back while he breathed through a contraction.
"Okay, let's get you positioned so we can check out how you are." She nodded then she took John and I to the little mat in the corner.
I sat on the chair and John squatted between my legs- he rested his arms on my thighs and his head was against my stomach.
Doctor Cox knelt in front of him and she checked his dilation. He was the full 10cm which meant he got to push during his next contraction. John told me that he wanted the gown off so I untied it and it fell to the floor- Doctor Cox and I were both completely fine with him being naked, he was comfortable and that was all that really mattered.
"Okay, John, when your body is ready to push, just listen to it and push." Doctor Cox spoke softly and John nodded while he waited for another contraction.
"You can do this, baby." I patted his shoulder and he nodded again, maybe a contraction was getting close.
John's grip tightened on my knee and he let out a little grunt as he pushed, it must've been a small contraction because he was finished after a second or two.
It only took several minutes for another contraction to come around- it was a bigger one because John's legs were shaking and he had to raise himself up on his tippy toes to stay balanced.
"Oh, my God!" He panted while he threw his head back into my stomach. "Stretching. Burns." He muttered while he let his hand go down to his spread legs.
"Yeah, it'll hurt for a couple seconds, baby A is crowning." Doctor Cox chuckled while she pulled a cot closer to her. "Its head is almost out, we just need another big push." She patted John's knee and he took several deep breaths- he moved his hand back to my leg and he went back down to his flat feet.
"Come on." John grunted while he gave her another big push. "Veronica!" He gasped while his hand flew down to his bum.
"What?" I giggled while I raked my fingers through his sweaty hair.
"It has a head! Our baby has a head!" My husband exclaimed while he felt around where the baby's head was.
"Yeah, I know that babies have heads." I chuckled then I kissed his head. "Our baby is almost here, honey, keep going." I encouraged then he pushed again- he screamed this time because the baby's shoulders were coming through, it was the only time that he actually screamed.
"Wanna pull him out." John's hands shook as he took them down to the baby, Doctor Cox nodded and she let him do his thing. "Oh, it's my baby." He squeaked while he brought the wrinkly little thing to his chest. "It's my baby." He cried while he rubbed the baby's bare back.
"Do you want to cut the cord, Veronica?" Doctor Cox asked and I nodded.
John moved off of me, so I could stand up. I walked over to where the doctor was crouching then I cut the umbilical cord.
"Hey there, little baby." I crouched next to John and I stroked the baby's arm.
"It's Michael." John smiled when he looked up at me. "We have a son." He was so cute when he was excited like this.
Doctor Cox gave John a blanket, for Michael, and he wiped off the baby goo. My husband closed his eyes then he hummed to the baby while he rubbed its back- he must've been starting the scenting thing, his bare chest was pressed to the baby's and he looked so happy.
"Can you um, take him?" John asked when he opened his eyes. "I think I need to push again." He sighed- I don't think he liked pushing too much.
"Come here, big guy." I took the chubby baby, from my husband, and I gave him a quick kiss before placing him in the cot. "He's heavy." I chuckled while I took my spot on the chair. "Now it's Michelle." I kissed John's head and he hummed.
"Now it's Michelle." He repeated then he tucked his chin in and he pushed as hard as he could.
"Come on, honey, you're almost there." I encouraged as his face turned bright red. "You need to breathe, John, just take a minute." I think he really wanted to hold her so he was trying to push her out as fast as possible.
"I don't want to breathe." John whined while he tried to catch his breath. "I just want her out." He threw his head back and he moaned out a push while he rubbed his belly.
"There you go, John, you're bulging now and she'll be out right away." Doctor Cox nodded and John took his hand off of my knee to feel the bulge- he was very hands on and he didn't really want the doctor touching him.
"Come out now, baby." He muttered then he gave light pushes until he gasped. "Her head, I can feel her head." He breathed out then he continued with the small pushes until it came out. "Hi, sweetie." He looked down, between his legs, and he patted his flattening stomach. "Come out." He continued pushing on his belly and he gave another little grunt before our baby slid out.
"There she is." Doctor Cox chuckled then John brought the baby to his chest- she was awfully chubby as well.
"Hi, honey." John cried while he kissed our daughter's head. "Yeah, hello." He cooed when she started crying.
Both of our babies were finally here and we couldn't have been happier.
--
- Freddie's POV -
Julia sat by the phone all day, she would just stare at it for small amounts of time then she'd go back to doing her winter reading, for her English class. Jim and I sat on the couch and we watched her- it was the weirdest thing.
"Remember when you and your Dad went into the garage, while we were in Ireland?" I asked, suddenly remembering the event. Jim nodded while he rested his head on my belly, leaning against my side. "I know that you know absolutely nothing about cars, Jimmy- what were you talking about?" I was actually really curious.
"Nothing, you'll see tomorrow." Jim muttered while he turned my head to place soft kisses on the top of my belly.
"Tell me now." I whined while I raked my fingers through his hair. "I want to know now." This was so frustrating.
"No, you'll see tomorrow." My boyfriend turned his head and he frowned at me. "You're going to ruin your Christmas present." He smiled.
"Is the present here already?" I asked, excitedly, and Jim nodded. "Where is it?!" I knew it was in the house and now I wanted to find it.
"You aren't allowed to know." Jim grunted while he sat up. "You'll find out tomorrow, okay? It's a Christmas present for you and Baby Nug-Face, that's all I'm going to say." He smirked then he walked out of the room.
It was going to be something great, Joseph always made the best gifts. He did a lot of woodwork, and he would always make things to sell at the farmer's market, so I felt like it was going to be a rocking chair or something.
The phone started ringing and Julia quickly answered it.
"Hello?" She almost screamed into the phone. "Really? Oh that's so great!" She smiled and I couldn't help but smile at it. "Yeah, I'll tell them and we'll be there soon." She said goodbye, to whomever she was talking to, then she squealed.
"Who was on the phone, dear?" Jim asked when he walked back into the living room.
"Veronica. John just had the babies and he wants to see us." She had the biggest smile ever and I felt overjoyed for my friend.
All of us were speechless for a moment then we went to put our boots on- we had to see these little Christmas babies.
Jim drove us to the hospital and we spoke to the receptionist as soon as we got there. We ran, I waddled, down the hallway and to the elevator- Julia pressed the buttons then we were on the 3rd floor. We walked through the hallway until we found John's room- room 339. I quietly knocked then we waited.
"You guys can come in." Veronica laughed from the other side of the door.
"Well I didn't want to barge in on John feeding or scenting, it's an intimate time." I laughed while we walked in.
Scenting was just skin-to-skin time, the carrier got to radiate their scent onto the baby so they would always be a family. It was an act of love and acceptance, I couldn't wait to do it to my baby- we didn't do it with James because he wasn't alive for that long and I hadn't done it with Julia because it was hard to do it with a non-related person.
"No, no, we did all of that earlier." John muttered, sleepily, while he moved the baby from one arm to the other- he had one and Veronica had one. "Sit, sit." He motioned to some chairs in the corner of the room and we pulled them to the bed.
"How're you feeling, John?" Julia asked while she ran her hand over the starchy hospital sheet.
"Uh, really good, actually." John smiled. "The babies were easy to get out and stuff- it didn't take that long." He smiled down at the baby in his arms and the three of us nodded.
"Here, Julia, do you want to hold Michelle?" Veronica asked and Julia nodded, excitedly.
The woman stood up and she walked over to the chair. Julia held her arms out then the little baby was placed in them.
"This is auntie Julia, Michelle." Veronica whispered while she adjusted the baby's hat.
"Auntie Julia?" My daughter gasped while Veronica walked back to her seat- John nodded with a small smile then he reached over for his little glass of water.
"We wanted the babies to have an actual auntie figure and you're always around so they'll grow to be rather fond of you." John rasped after he finished his sip of water. "Freddie, do you want him?" He asked and I gave him a small smile while nodding.
"Oh, hello there." I cooed while I took the little boy from John. "Oh yeah, big stretch." I giggled while the baby tried to stretch out, it was difficult because he was swaddled.
The room was almost silent, we were all listening to the grunting and squeaking coming from the twins.
After some time, Michelle made a squawking noise then she started bawling.
"Uh, i-is someone going to take her?" Julia was always timid around crying babies, she told me that she always felt like she was the one that made them cry.
"Here, I'll take her." Veronica smiled while she took the little baby. "I think she's hungry again, John." She nodded while she gave the baby to her husband- his face turned bright red and he looked so embarrassed.
"I- d-do you mi-mind if I..?" I really didn't know why he was so embarrassed, I was going to be doing it, too, in a couple months.
"Just do it, John, it's normal for us and Jim doesn't mind it at all." I giggled then he lowered his hospital gown to feed- Julia made a strange face but I chose to ignore it.
It was so weird to watch but it was so intimate. I couldn't stop staring at John, he looked so happy and at peace, it was like he was made to do this and only this.
It didn't take long for the chubby baby to be full, John patted her back after and she let out a milky burp.
"There we go, that's a good girl." John whispered while he put her back into a cradling position. "D-does anyone w-want to hold her?" He was so awkward and shy now, it was strange.
"You can hold her, she looks comfortable." Jim smiled and John gave him a small nod.
"You can have him, Jim, I need to use the loo." I whispered then I passed the little boy to my boyfriend.
I went to the washroom and I did my thing, the baby was really pressing on my bladder- maybe she was jealous of Michael.
"Oh, knock it off." I giggled while I patted my belly. "Just let me hold the baby, I'll hold you when you get here." I chuckled then I walked out of the room.
"Visiting hours are over now, Freddie, we have to go home." Jim informed me when I walked over to the bed.
"Oh, okay." I nodded while I grabbed my jacket. "Let me kiss the babies again." I muttered then I gave each baby a kiss on the forehead. "They're so cute!" I squealed a bit then I pulled on my jacket.
"Do you want to come and visit them tomorrow?" John sounded like he really wanted us to come back.
"Sure, we'll come over after our presents and stuff- I have stuff for them anyways." I smiled then we walked out.
Just seeing them made me even more excited for my own baby.