I've been pushing for over two very long hours.
There's music playing in the background and Chris is holding my hand.
"Mariska, I know you're in pain, and I know you've been at this for two hours, but your baby girl needs you to bring her into the world. I need another push." The doctor says gently.
Chris brushes my sweaty bangs out of my face.
"Baby, I know you can do it." Chris says.
"Dad, why don't you sit behind her and hold her legs back." The doctor says.
Chris sits behind me and holds my legs.
"You got his baby girl." Chris says
The contraction passes and I lay back against Chris.
The song switches and Chris smiles.
"Baby, it's our song." He whispers softly.
I smile just as another contraction tears through me.
"Push, Rish, push!" Chris says.
"Mariska, I can see her head." The doctor says calmly.
I drop back, my body exhausted from my labor.
I take a deep breath and I'm take by surprise when the strongest contraction I've ever had rips through my body.
I push for what feels like forever and I feel her slip from my body.
They lay her down to clean her off before they bring her over to me.
I hear her crying as they lay her on my chest.
She's absolutely beautiful. She's gorgeous.
"Hi sweet girl," I coo at her softly, "Welcome to the world."
"She's perfect, Mariska." Chris says softly.
I look up and he has tears in his eyes.
He kisses me, his hands cupping my face.
"God she looks so much like you..." He says, looking down at her.
"Except the eyes." I say, a tear falling down my cheek, "She has your gorgeous blue eyes."
I hand the baby to Chris and he smiles.
"What are we going to name this beautiful little girl?" He asks softly.
"We talked about names for all of ten minutes." I say with a soft chuckle.
"How did you come up with August's name?" He asks.
"I wanted his name to mean something." I say, "I found it in a book of German baby names, it just stuck out to me."
"What if we named her after Liv?" He asks.
He nuzzles her face with his nose, kissing her cheek.
"Liv, as in Olivia?" I ask.
"Yeah..." He says softly, sitting on the bed next to me.
"I love it, I do," I say, "She just doesn't look like an Olivia to me."
"I think your right." He says with a soft smile.
"I think I know her name." I say quietly.
"Yeah?" He asks.
"Bethany Jayne." I say, looking down at our daughter.
"Bethany Jayne." He repeats. "It's perfect, Mariska."
Chris steps outside to call my brother and sister to tell them the baby was born.
It's 8 am and they said they'd bring all three of the kids by in an hour.
The nurse comes to take Bethany to get a bunch of tests run.
"I need a shower..." I say through a yawn.
Chris helps me walk to the shower and I happily wash my hair, relaxing under the steaming water.
After I shower I step into pajama shorts and one of Chris's t-shirts.
I throw my wet hair up into a messy bun and Chris helps me get into bed.
The doctor walks in holding our daughter just as I settle into bed.
"She's absolutely perfect." She says, handing her to Chris.
Chris cradles her in his arms happily, his eyes never leaving her.
"Ms. Hargitay does your pediatrician do house calls?" She asks.
"Yes. She does." I say.
"And does your doctor?" She asks.
"Yes, she does. What's this about?" I ask.
"If you'd like, you can take your daughter home tonight, provided your pediatrician comes for a home visit before Christmas." She says.
"We can take Bethany home?" Chris says, "That's amazing."
"Alright!" She says, "I can discharge you as earlier as 6 tonight."
This is such good news. We'll be home for Christmas. I'll be home in time to wrap presents for the kids. I love Chris, but he is notoriously bad at wrapping presents.
Every year the cast gives each other presents And without having to look at the labels I would always know which one was from Chris because it was always the one with the worst wrapping paper. And I loved it. Everybody else's he paid for them to get wrapped, and had his assistant pick them out, but mine, he always picked himself, and wrapped himself.
The kids come to visit and they're in awe of their baby sister.
Miklos takes Sophia and Dante back to the apartment but Jayne stays with us so I can be with August for a little while longer.
He's cranky because he doesn't like to fall asleep without me or Chris holding him.
Jayne leaves with August just as soon as he falls asleep.
Chris packs everything up and I change from pajamas into leggings and a sweatshirt.
We put Bethany into a onesie and leggings with a hat. Jayne had bought us clothes to fit preemies instead of just new borns.
I put my hair into a messy mom bun and wait for the doctor to discharge us.
I'm standing up, going to pick up Bethany when I feel Chris's hands on my waist.
"Baby, she's fine, she's sleeping..." He says, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.
"She's just so perfect," I say quietly, "I can't take my eyes off of her."
"She's all you, baby girl..." He says sweetly.
He slaps my ass and pulls me into a kiss, one hand grabbing my ass and the other tangled in my hair.
There's a knock on the door and we pull apart.
"Now might be the time to tell you two that you can't have sex for at a minimum, 4 weeks." Dr. O'Hara says with a chuckle.
Chris groans slightly and I laugh.
"Mariska, both you and Bethany check out fine. All of her tests have come back perfectly, sign at the bottom of this sheet and you guys are free to go." She says happily.
I sign at the bottom of the clipboard and she smiles at me.
"I want you to take my card." She says, "Just in case, call me anytime, day or night. Christmas, anytime after. I'm here if anything happens that you feel the need to call about, with you or your daughter. Please don't be shy."
"Thank you." Chris says.
He straps the baby into the car seat and picks it up as we leave the hospital.
Chris and I both give each other knowing looks about what we're about to face. We both put on large aviator sunglasses and I pull on a baseball hat so you can't see my hardly any of my face.
We step outside and are immediately ambushed by dozens of paparazzi with flashing cameras.
I'm carrying the car seat and Chris, has his hand on my lower back, keeping me close to him, and the other pushing people out of the way.
"Mariska, Mariska!!!" They all yell, "Tell is what happened! The baby wasn't due for 7 weeks what happened?! What's her name?!"
Someone's hand lands on the car seat in an attempt to pull the blanket off and get a picture of the baby.
"You don't touch my fucking kid!" Chris yells at the man with camera.
The guy gets up in Chris's face, attempting to shove him but Chris punches him.
He takes my hand and we get into the car that was waiting for us.
"How's your fist?" I ask, taking his hand in mine.
"Hurts like a bitch but I'm fine." He says. "How's Bethany?"
I lift the blanket up and smile softly.
"Sound asleep." I say.
"Hard sleeper, just like her mama..." Chris says with a chuckle.
"You're protective over me," I say with a small laugh, "But Jesus, I could swear to god I was watching Elliot Stabler today."
He laughs and I smile.
I lean into his side and he kisses my temple.
"It's always an adventure with you baby girl..." He says with a smile.
"I love you, so much, Chris..." I say quietly, "And I look at our baby girl, and I love you all that much more for giving me her."
"I love you too..." He whispers, "More than you'll ever know."