The Clinch

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Six: D-Day

The key in the front door has me moaning in pain as I try to twist my body to face Gabriel. But I'm too weak to move, so I simply opt for another groan of dismay.

"What are you doing?" Gabriel asks, clear worry in his voice as he stares at where I'm knelt in front of the couch with my upper body splayed on the seats and my hands fisted around a couple of throw pillows. "Did you just moan?"

I feel his hand on my lower back and hiss in pain, trying to recoil from his touch unsuccessfully. "Yeah!" I whinge instead "I think I jarred my back. I can't move!" Another clenching in my lower body causes me to mewl in pain.

Dropping on his knees beside me, Gabriel places a hand to my belly and inspects it for a couple of seconds before letting out a soft chuckle. "Princess. You're back is fine. It's the baby; it's in position. You're in labour Darryl!" His voice turns almost frantic as he wriggles my dress up over the top of my belly, tucking it under my breasts, before stripping me of my panties. "We need to get you to the hospital. God I can't believe you didn't know you were in labour."

"I'm sorry that I have a very high tolerance for pain, Gabriel." I all but spit at him, clenching my teeth as another spasm descends my mid section, but he's already on the phone calling up relatives as he chucks our prepared baby bag over his shoulder and eases me to my legs.

"It's go time!"

I quickly tug my dress down into place as I waddle alongside him. "You make it sound like a freaking mission. And my water hasn't even broken yet, we're getting ahead of ourselves." Yet still I obediently let him guide me to the front foor where he locks up and pulls me in the direction of the car.

"Not only birth's start with the water breaking" Gabriel informs me "seriously, was I the only one who read the damn book?"

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It takes five hours, two of them spent alternating between pushes and breathers, before our baby finally makes an appearance.

"Baby face is a boy. A wriggly little boy, Darryl!" Gabriel beams at me, his gaze dividing between looking at our sweet little son who is currently being dealt with by the midwives, and me, who is practically hysterical with tears.

I press the back of my hand to my mouth and sob quietly into my fist.

Gabriel gives me a frightened glance and is instantly at my side, clutching my hand tightly in his and rubbing my back. "Hey, why you are you crying princess? Baby you did good. So good! Albeit it was a little disgusting, but now he's here and healthy and you owe me twenty bucks."

I giggle and rest my forehead against his shoulder whilst he brushes away my spent tears. "I owe you nothing, what's mine is yours Hercules, and by the way I just delivered your freaking baby so technically you owe me!"

Biting his lip, Gabriel turns to me and places gentle kisses to my brow. "I owe you my everything. Hercules, Princess and Baby Face against the world."

"Hercules, Princess and Baby Face." I echo, smiling over at the tiny baby that the nurse is just finishing taking measurements from, and I practically beam when she places him into the crook of my arm to rest against my heart. "Hello my baby" I mumble into the crown of his head, watching as his eyelids gently fall and open before finally he makes up his mind and eyes the same midnight shade of his father's smile up at me.

"Wow" I gasp, shellshocked that we made it here, to this moment where we've got a real live, wriggling baby boy in our arms. "You're so big! Coby, aren't you just perfect?"

Beside me, Gabriel hums in agreement, a dopey smile on his face as he hands there nurse his phone. "Could you take a picture of us please?"

And as much as I feel like shit and probably should protest right now, I willingly smile for the camera as Gabriel pulls me into his arms and I resettle Coby in to the crook of my elbow so that he's facing the camera slightly. She gets off a couple of snaps and hands the phone back, beaming at us whilst Gabriel nuzzles his sons tiny head of thick hair.

"Are you ready for visitors yet? Our mom's are standing outside vigilantly waiting."

I chuckle slightly and give Gabriel a slight nod. "Okay, but after this I am going to sleep. I'm so Damn tired." As if to back up my statement, I let out a boisterous yawn and curl my baby tighter up into my arms, more than ready to forget about our family and just snuggle up to sleep with my son.

Hmmm. My son. It's so bizarre to think that he's actually here with us now. I spent just over six months preparing and getting my life in order, anticipating over his arrival, and now he's here and everything's just... Just calm? I feel so content right now, it's weird. I'll ask the midwife about it later, because I'm feeling too meloncholy and it's a bit surreal.

Sudden cooing draws my attention, and I look up and smile at Lucy and Ruthie as they both come bustling into the room with smiles on their faces and their husbands trailing behind them. Both of them reach out for the baby and I chuckle as I maneover Coby in my arms so that one of them can take him.

"Uh-uh, ladies, don't break him" Gabriel swats their hands away before bending down and scooping Coby up into his arms "daddy's turn first." And for a couple of seconds he stares down at his son in complete awe, bouncing him gently from side to side. They look so damn good together that it breaks my heart.

Soon enough Ruthie is trying to take the baby away, and Gabriel hands Coby over with a small smile. "Look at the handsome devil. My first grandbaby; our first grandson!" She tears up, and I chuckle as she flaps her hand in front of her eyes to clear the tears.

Lucy steps up and accepts the weight of Coby into her arms with a sigh. "He's so cute. Oh Mark" she beams, beckoning her husband to her side so that he can trail a finger down one of Coby's downy cheeks "look how little he is. And so perfect. What are you calling him?"

Approaching my side, Gabriel curls me under his arm and tucks me up against him. "Coby" I announce, watching our parents all standing about the tiny baby to try and get a peek "Coby Ezekiel Faris Lancaster. Our six pound two ounce bundle of bouncing boy."

The nurse comes and kicks them out ten minutes later so that the other visitors in the hallway can get their turn. And I chuckle as somebody pushes through the door with a large handful of balloons thrust before them. From behind the balloons, Reagan appears, and he instantly melts at the sight of the baby. He hands off the ballons to Gabriel and dives straight for me.

"Give me my nephew and no one gets hurt!"

I pass him over with a roll of my eyes and watch Reagan turn all soft whilst he holds Coby to him. "Coby my man, you are going to win me so many dates. So when's my uncle and nephew bonding time?"

Gabriel scoffs. "You are not using our baby to get yourself dates; low man, low!"

"Hey" Reagan protests whilst pulling funny faces at my son "some of us need all the help we can get. Not all of us can have instant families, Gabriel!"

Ha. Our instant family. He's not wrong. Tomorrow will mark the day that Gabriel and I first met. A year on from that initial confrontation in the playground and here we are; officially living together, engaged, in love and with our baby. Damn we worked fast.

(A/N) Song Suggestion: The Civil Wars- Dust to Dust