Red and Gray

Living

A few weeks later, Erina and Gray went back to the hospital.

Only this time, no one was colossally stupid.

Erina hurtled through the doors, heading straight for the nurses's station. Gray followed, a little more calmly.

"Dina Collins, can you tell me where she is?" she said breathlessly.

"She's in the delivery room, family only," the nurse said sternly, raising an eyebrow.

"I am THE family," Erina snapped. "She just needed a baby daddy. Gray, come on!" She flew off.

"That's got to be one of your weirdest one-liners," Gray said, when she finally paused. He leaned against the wall, trying yo catch his breath.

"It was my lowest moment," Erina said gloomily. "Where the hell could she be - Frank!"

She hurtled off again while Gray sighed with relief and followed her more slowly.

Dee's husband was pacing the length of the next corridor, looking dazed and wide-eyed, and looked up when Erina called his name.

His dazed expression broke into a smile of relief. "Erina! Thank God!" His smile widened when he saw Gray, who grinned back. Erina hugged him, drew away slightly, and shook his shoulders.

"How is she? Why aren't you in there with her?!" Erina demanded.

Frank shrugged helplessly. "She sent me out. Said she didn't want me to see her like that."

"Bullshit," Erina said dismissively. "You have to be in there. That baby will turn out to be more photogenic than either of you, anyway. Inside! Now!" She shoved him through the door and turned to Gray.

"You too!" Before Gray could protest, she had seized his hand and they were in the birthing room.

Dee looked round at them, panting and sweaty. "Erina, Gray, what are you - " her words cut off as another contraction rippled through her body. She reached out and clutched Frank's hand so tightly Gray could have sworn his fingers were turning purple.

"Family only, miss," the doctor said sternly, from where he was kneeling. Gray looked away. Yeah, okay, no.

"I'm family," Erina said with a dangerously sweet smile. "Blood relative here, that's just the guy she married!"

"Hey!" Frank said reproachfully.

Erina went around and took Dee's other hand while Gray stood on the side awkwardly.

"What was I thinking?" Dee moaned suddenly. "I can't do this."

"Too late, you're doing it, and you're doing it spectacularly," Frank said tightly.

"If our past is any proof, I should not be a mom," Dee said. "My mom drank herself to death. Yours - "

"- would have sold me for her next high, I know," Erina replied, and Gray winced. "But only because my dad skipped out on her, and Frank is not skipping out on you. Isn't that right, Franky?" She leveled her dangerous stare at him.

Frank flinched and then cleared his throat. "God, no. If anything, you're the flight risk."

"And you literally cannot do any better than Frank," Erina said, turning back to Dee. "Can you please be the one in our family who actually made good choices in life?"

Dee laughed through the pain. "Only if you'll be the other one, too."

Erina grinned, and Gray could have sworn her eyes flitted to him. "Yeah, sure. Now push."

The next three hours were an experience Gray could've gone without, but it was extremely eye-opening.

Erina punched his shoulder playfully when they were back in the corridor, having been sent out by Dee herself. "Wuss."

"Please, you looked like you were about to pass out," Gray said, smiling at her. He'd never seen her so happy. Or wide-eyed.

"It sucks being a girl," Erina said.

"Yeah, but you're my girl," Gray said, waggling his eyebrows.

She groaned, letting her head fall back. "Couldn't resist, could you?"

"You set yourself up for that!" Gray said, bumping her shoulder. She laughed.

They sat down on the floor, ignoring the hard plastic chairs, and Erina curled against his side perfectly like a puzzle piece. And he was complete.

"Thanks," she said. "For being here."

"I love you. Duh."

"I think that's my line."

"Too early, Red." He turned his head and found her lips.

Because nothing's ever too late.

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