AN: @marisaroo4 requested this and, while I definitely got carried away, I REALLY loved writing it, and the ending might just be the sweetest thing I've ever written so I hope you all enjoy it!
"What about Beatrice for a girl?"
Jack made a face from where he was sitting across from his wife on the couch. "Kind of a mouthful, ain't it?"
"We could call her Bea for short then."
"That just makes me think of those bugs that sting. I don't want our daughter associated with a stinging bug."
Katherine rolled her eyes. "What are your ideas then?"
Jack grinned. "I like Kathleen for a girl."
Her eyes narrowed. "That sounds suspiciously like my name."
"It's a nice name."
"Jack."
He raised his arms in defense. "We could say she's named after your Ma."
"My mother's name isn't Kathleen, it's Katherine."
"Close enough."
"I don't want every woman in our family to have the same name, Jack."
"Doesn't sound like such a bad idea to me."
Katherine opened her mouth to respond, but any words she had were replaced with a sharp intake of breath, her hands flying to her stomach.
Jack immediately sprang into action. His entire body tensed, and he was halfway to his feet before Katherine shook her head and lightly pressed a hand on his leg, persuading him to sit back down.
"I'm fine." She insisted, though her lips remained pressed in a tight grimace. "It's just one of those fake contractions the doctor told us about."
"Kath - "
"It's okay, Jack. I'm not due for another week, they were bound to get more frequent."
"I can call the midwife -"
"You've called the midwife twice this past month for the same thing, and it was fine. It's fine."
Jack hesitated. "You sure?"
She nodded. "I'm sure."
He didn't seem convinced, but he nodded, settling back down onto the couch. After all, Katherine was right - she wasn't supposed to have the baby for another week or so.
Unfortunately, as the afternoon went on, it became apparent that the baby had other ideas. Every twenty minutes or so, Katherine would tense up with another supposedly fake contraction. She continued to wave them off, but Jack was growing increasingly worried, to the point that he was no longer giving their conversation any of his focus.
"Kath, I really think I should call the midwife."
"No." She shook her head. "It's too early."
"Don't they come early sometimes?"
"We aren't ready. I'm not ready."
"We've been preparing for nine months Ace, please let me call her?"
Katherine sat for a moment, seemingly in deep thought, before sighing heavily and nodding. "Call her."
Jack nodded and took her hand in his, kissing it tenderly before standing up. "I love you."
She gave him a smile that she hoped hid how scared she was feeling. "I love you too."
oOo
It seems like Jack vaguely remembered hearing something about how he wouldn't be allowed in their bedroom while Katherine was in labor. But, it hadn't really registered until this moment, when he was being shut out of his own room by the midwife, who he now hated purely for not letting him stay with his wife. Katherine had reassured him that it was okay, that she'd be fine without him, but he felt far from okay. He felt anger. Fear. Uselessness. Mostly he just felt that he should be allowed in there, but he wasn't.
