Jeff went into labor a week early. It was 10 p.m., and they were just getting ready for bed when Jeff suddenly felt the contractions. Alan didn’t waste any time. He carefully carried Jeff to the car and drove straight to the hospital, his mind consumed with the safety of Jeff and their baby boy.
At the hospital, nurses quickly rushed to help, taking Jeff straight to the delivery room. Suddenly remembered that in his rush, he had forgotten to bring the bag Jeff had carefully packed with the baby’s essentials. Realizing he needed help, he decided to call Charlie since he lived nearby.
“Charlie, are you asleep?” Alan asked, his voice tinged with urgency.
“Not yet, what’s going on?” Charlie replied, alertness creeping into his voice.
“We’re at the hospital...” Alan started, and immediately heard concern in Charlie’s tone.
“Is everything okay? Who is it?” Babe's voice was faint in the background, clearly catching on to the seriousness of the situation.
“Yeah, Jeff’s gone into labor,” Alan said, hearing a gasp from the other end of the line.
“But he still had a week, didn’t he?” Babe took over the conversation.
“It came early,” Alan replied. “I called because I need your help. I forgot to bring the bag Jeff packed with the baby’s stuff.”
“Don’t worry about it, Alan. We’ll grab it and bring it over,” Babe reassured him.
Alan exhaled in relief, thanking them before hanging up.
Charlie and Babe hurried to gather the bag from their place. Babe grabbed the prepared diaper bag, filled with essentials like clothes, blankets, and toiletries for both Jeff and the baby.
“Do you think everything’s going to be okay?” Babe asked, glancing at Charlie as they rushed to the car.
“Of course it will. Jeff is strong, and he has Alan by his side. They’ve prepared for this moment,” Charlie replied, trying to calm Babe’s nerves.
Once they arrived at the hospital, they quickly made their way to the maternity ward. Charlie approached the receptionist, breathless but focused. “We’re here for Jeff. We brought his bag.”
“Room 304,” the receptionist instructed, pointing down the hall.
Babe nodded and they rushed towards the room, their hearts racing with anticipation. When they reached the door, Alan was pacing nervously outside, worry etched across his face.
“Alan!” Babe called, and Alan turned to them, relief flooding his features.
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” he said, accepting the bag from Babe. “I was freaking out. I thought I’d be stuck without it.”
“No problem. How is he?” Charlie asked, glancing inside the room where muffled sounds of Jeff’s labored breathing could be heard.
“He’s doing his best. The doctors are there with him. They said it’ll be a while, but he’s holding up,” Alan replied, running a hand through his hair.
Just then, a nurse emerged from the room. “Mr. Alan?” she called, and Alan stepped forward anxiously.
“Yes?”
“Your partner is doing well, but we’d like to keep you informed. You can come in for a moment, but we ask that you don’t overwhelm him.”
Alan nodded and turned to Charlie and Babe. The two encouraged him to go in.
They watched as Alan disappeared into the room, the door closing gently behind him.
Babe sighed and leaned against the wall. “I just hope everything goes smoothly.”
“Me too. Alan is going to be an amazing dad,” Charlie said, putting an arm around Babe’s shoulders to comfort him.
A few tense minutes passed, and then they heard a faint cry from inside the room. Both Babe and Charlie exchanged glances, excitement bubbling within them.
“Did you hear that?” Babe said, his eyes wide.
“Yeah! That’s got to be the baby!” Charlie grinned.
Moments later, Alan stepped back out, a beaming smile on his face. “He’s finally here!” he announced, his voice filled with joy.
Babe’s heart soared. “Really? How is Jeff?”
“Exhausted but happy. They’re both doing well,” Alan said, unable to contain his smile. “You can come in to see them!”
Charlie and Babe hurried into the room, their hearts racing. There, on the bed, Jeff looked pale but radiant, cradling a tiny baby wrapped in a soft blue blanket.
“Hey, you two,” Jeff said, his voice weak but filled with joy. “Meet our son.”
Babe moved closer, his eyes welling with tears as he looked down at the baby. “He’s perfect,” he whispered, and Charlie nodded, equally mesmerized.
“What are you going to name him?” Charlie asked, glancing at Alan.
“We decided on Noah,” Jeff replied, beaming with pride.
Babe reached out, gently brushing his fingers against the baby’s cheek. “Noah. I love it.”
Alan leaned in, wrapping an arm around Jeff. “Thank you both for being here. It means a lot.”
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Babe said, his heart full as he watched Jeff and Alan together with their newborn son, feeling grateful for the moment and the family they had all become.
In the morning, North and Sonic were jolted awake by a phone call from Alan, delivering the exciting news.
“Hey, guys! The baby came last night.We named him Noah” Alan's voice was filled with joy.
North, still groggy, sat up in bed and blinked a few times to process the news. “Wait, what? Already? He still had a week left!”
“Yeah, it came early. But everything’s fine. You two should come to the hospital and meet him,” Alan said, clearly eager for them to see the baby.
Sonic, who had been listening on the other side of the bed, immediately jumped up. “We’re on our way.”
An hour later, they arrived at the hospital, both looking eager and excited. When they stepped into the room, they found Jeff resting peacefully with Noah in his arms, while Alan sat beside them, looking like the proudest father in the world.
“Hey, look at that!” North exclaimed with wide eyes as he approached the baby. “I’m officially an uncle now.”
Jeff chuckled softly, still weak but happy. “You sure are.”
Sonic leaned in to get a better look at Noah, a smile spreading across his face. “He’s beautiful. Congrats, guys.”
North, never one to hold back, carefully reached out to tickle the baby’s tiny foot. “So, when’s the kid’s first training session? I need to get him ready for the track early,” he joked, causing everyone in the room to laugh.
“Give him a few years,” Alan responded with a smirk. “Let him learn to crawl first.”
They spent the next hour cooing over Noah.
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WHAT IF
Fanfictionwhat if Charlie was a little late and way succeeded with his plan.
