She knew she was in labor twenty minutes after she woke up.
She tried to deny for the next two hours. She had read about Braxton Hicks, she had changed position, walked, drank water. Everything they said to do, she did- but the contractions didn't stop. Instead they got stronger and more regular. The last nail in her coffin of denial.
And she couldn't tell Craig.
He had something going on with Smurf and his brothers. And Renn already knew that he couldn't just blow them off. She wasn't even sure he'd want to. So she had decided to wait him out. To play off the discomfort and fear until he had left. She could drive to the hospital once he was gone. Except that plan went to shit as soon as she walked into the kitchen.
He should have been gone; he was supposed to be at Smurf's ten minutes ago by her watch. But there he was, making toast and eggs. She could smell the decaf that he had bought for her. She hated decaf, but it was the only way she could get coffee so she drank it. He always gave an annoying smirk when she grabbed her cup. And right while she was turning from annoyed to appreciative a contraction hit- hard.
She couldn't hide it. Not the gasp of pain, not the way her hand shot out to brace herself against the doorframe. No, Craig definitely noticed. He was in front of her before she could catch her breath. "Shit, you alright?" Renn looked up at him and blinked. He had been so careful since she got there to not show too much concern. But right now there was nothing stopping her from seeing how worried Craig was about her- about her baby. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the sofa. "Stupid question, sorry. What's wrong, though?"
She didn't want to tell. She didn't want him to freak out. Or run. But the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She blamed the pain because it was a bitch and it was messing with her head. "I'm in labor." And was that scared little girl voice actually hers? Because what the fuck. Craig froze where he was crouched next to her. She looked away- she didn't want to see whatever look was sure to show up on his face. "It's cool. I'll drive myself to the hospital soon. Go meet Smurf."
"Are you fucking serious? I'm not gonna just leave you here." That was a surprise. The anger in his voice was, too. She looked over at him and, yep, the neutral expression he had been using so often was definitely gone now. "Let me grab my keys," he said as he stood up. "You got a bag or some shit? Cath had a bag when Lena was born."
Renn couldn't speak. She didn't know what to say. So she just nodded towards the hall closet. She had stashed a go bag there a few days ago- just in case. She watched as Craig went and grabbed it, listened as he called Pope and told him that he wasn't gonna be at Smurf's. "Look, something came up. Renn needs me right now. Tell Smurf I'll come by after I'm done." She had never, ever expected to hear Craig tell Smurf 'No'. She hadn't even expected him to tell Pope 'No'. But he had. Because she needed him.
He grabbed his keys off the counter and slung her bag over his shoulder. Then he came back and scooped her up into his arms again. "I can-" her breath hitched as a contraction hit. Craig just raised an eyebrow and kept walking, the smug asshole. "Oh, shut up."
She did not smile when he laughed, okay? She didn't.
-
Pope was the first one to show up after Craig texted the family. Then Deran, then J. Adrian came, too. He wasn't sure why. He wasn't sure why any of them had come. It wasn't his kid. Renn wasn't family- not technically. But she wasn't just his friend. So he wasn't mad that they showed up.
He had been chill for the first hour. It was weird how calm he was. But now he could feel his himself getting tense, his nerves were starting to fray a little. He could hear her. He had never heard Renn make sounds like that. It was fucking with his head.
