The Delicate Brothers - ACT 1 (16/17)
Title: The Delicate Brothers - ACT 1
Author: ladygray99
Rating: NC17
Chapter 16/17
Series: Whitman
Characters/Pairings:Charlie/Colby, Don/OFC, Alan/OFC, Ian/OMC/OFC, Megan/Larry, Tarry Lake, David Sinclair, Matt Li.
Word count: 3,948
Warnings/Spoilers: Threeways, spankings, shaving, sexual discipline, gross descriptions of crime scenes, masturbation, medical stuff related to pregnancy and childbirth, original characters.
Summary: Life progresses, life happens, life perseveres, and life is better with someone by your side.
Notes: Master Notes for Story.
Beta: None, feel free to point out typos of which there are many I am sure.
Chapter 16
Megan winced.
"How are you doing?" Don asked.
"I'm fine," she snapped.
They were waiting for Stendhauser to fish some files off a confiscated hard drive.
"Just asking. You winced."
"Of course I winced, I had a contraction."
Don's brain froze for a second. "A contraction? You're in labor!"
"I've been in labor for three days Don they're still two hours apart."
Stendhauser chuckled. "Oh, I remember those days. With my first boy, I had contractions for a week before the main event."
Don was not even remotely soothed. He rolled a chair to Megan. "Here, sit down, how's your blood pressure."
"My blood pressure is fine but is likely to go up if you keep nagging me."
"Seriously, Megan, go home, please. I'll pretend like you're on a really long lunch." Don was pretty sure he'd never received a more annoyed look from anyone.
"I'm clearing this case Don, I don't care if I have to have this kid in the interrogation room, I want this bastard!"
Don took a half step back. Megan had become more than a little terrifying during her last trimester and refused to give up her gun. "Okay, well, at least sit down." Don gestured to the chair.
"If I sit down I'll have to stand back up."
Before Don could even begin to work up a counter argument to that statement the computer beeped. "I'm in, Charlie ain't the only one who can break encryption. Of course it helps when the criminals are using Vista." Stendhauser did a quick image search on the hard drive. Several dozen surveillance type photos of their dead guy came up.
"Well that looks incriminating to me. Megan, I'll send the guys out to drag in Vitell, you can talk to him and we'll slam dunk this. Okay?"
~
Don watched through the interrogation room window as Megan loomed over their killer holding a picture of their victim inches from his face. His hands were cuffed to the table and his eyes were wide.
"We know you didn't mean to do it. Not really. You just wanted to prove a point, prove you're a big man. Hell, we can tell just how much your hands shook by all the bullets we pulled out of that wall that didn't have a drop of blood on them."
"I didn't do it." The guy choked out.
"Of course you did. We have so much evidence the lawyers are telling us we don't even need a confession from you. They're willing to go to court tomorrow. Murder one. Life. But you see I want a confession." Megan leaned in her face inches from the killer's. "I want to hear in your own sad little words how you stalked and murdered Michael Whittaker. I want to hear you confess to how you watched him bleed out slowly because you were too afraid to make a clean kill and if it means I have to have this baby on this table I will wait you out!"
Their killer swallowed hard. "He had a really regular schedule so he was really easy to follow." He blurted out.
Megan gave a cold smile. "Good, keep going."
~
Don watched as Megan waddled off to the bathroom for what felt like the millionth time that day. He had offered to move Megan's desk into the Ladies' Room when she hit six months. Mind you he had made the offer while standing near the door on the opposite side of a large room with a table between them.
He hit send on his email to the prosecutors telling them they had a confession. Now maybe Megan would go home and rest. Megan came back from the bathroom and pulled a bag out from under her desk. "Don, I need a lift to the hospital if you don't mind," she said very calmly.
Don was on his feet as quickly as if someone had started shooting, grabbing his jacket and his keys. "Do you know where Larry is?" He asked as the headed to the elevator.
"He said he was going into CalSci today to work on some things with Charlie."
The elevator door opened and Colby stepped out. "Turn around, you need to run to CalSci and get Larry."
Colby didn't even hesitate, just did an about face and followed them back down stairs.
~
Charlie kept a death grip on Larry's arm. Colby had texted him with a message to have Larry ready and waiting. Larry had, quite understandably, not wanted to wait for Colby but didn't trust Charlie's driving especially during rush hour. This had ended in the two of them very nearly coming to blows in the East Parking Lot. Finally Colby's Charger pulled up and around and in a maneuver reminiscent of the Secret Service, the back door was opened and Larry was tossed in, Charlie jumping in behind him.
The next twenty minutes manly involved Larry begging Colby to drive faster until Colby finally gave up and put on his lights, which didn't actually get them going that much faster but it seemed to make Larry feel better.
~
Don held Megan's arm as she paced around her small room. Don could feel his own heart thumping pretty hard and fast. He'd missed all the final stage and delivery stuff with Anne so was feeling distinctly out of his depth.
The doctor who had taken a look when he got Megan checked in told them while she was in labor and the baby was ready to go she was only minimally dilated so really all she could do at this point was to walk around and wait.
Don checked his phone. There had been a message from Charlie that Larry was in transit but that had been a while ago. He hoped Larry would show up soon. Every time someone implied that Don was the father Megan would laugh in a way that was more than a little ego bruising.
Don heard feet rushing down the hall. Then Larry burst in with Charlie and Colby on his tail.
"Hey, beautiful." Megan breathed.
Larry pulled Megan into a gentle embrace then crouched down and almost reverently pressed his forehead to her swollen belly. Then a contraction hit. Megan doubled over gripping Larry's shoulders. Don cringed in sympathy as he watched Megan's strong hands dig into Larry but Larry didn't even wince.
Once the contraction passed Don pulled Charlie and Colby to the side. "Doctor said there's still a long way to go. Could take all night."
"We still need to get back to the office." Colby stated with minimal enthusiasm.
"Yeah, I know."
Charlie looked over to where Megan had sat on the bed and was talking quietly with Larry. "I'll stay here and hold Larry's hand and keep everyone posted."
"Okay." The three men broke out of their huddle.
Don crouched down in front of Megan "Hey, Colby and I still need to get some stuff done at the office. I'm leaving Charlie here in case you need anything."
"Sure." Megan already looked exhausted.
"You're going to be fine. Don't sweat it, just take your time."
"Thanks Don."
Don got up giving Larry a little pat on the arm on the way, then he spotted Megan's neatly stacked pile of clothes, and peeking out from under it her gun. "Say, I'm just going to take this back to the office for you," Don said casually gathering up the weapon and holster.
"Put it back, Don," Megan growled.
"It'll be right in your desk waiting for you."
Megan started trying to stand up. "Don, hand it over!"
Don made a break for it with Colby right behind and Megan shouting his name down the hall.
~
David was waiting by the time they got back to the office. "I go out to grab a statement and everybody runs off."
"I sent you a message."
"Yeah, how's she doing?"
"The doctors said she's not dilated and it could take all night. We left Charlie to keep an eye on things and hold Larry's hand and he promised he'd text everybody once they hit the main event."
"Good, 'cause this, I don't want to miss."
~
Charlie watched Megan pace, Larry silently by her side supporting every step she took. He couldn't help the worry that was running through him. He was sure Larry's was worse but the one previous birth he had been witness to had nearly ended in tragedy too many times. He reminded himself over and over that Megan was fine and the baby was at term. Heck the baby was over a week late at this point but still he could not imagine what would happen to Larry if anything went wrong.
Charlie remembered the little stab of drunken jealousy he'd felt when he first found out that Megan was pregnant. In a way he'd always been Larry's favored son and now an actual child would be taking his place. The jealousy had passed almost immediately however with the knowledge that there would be a little bit of Larry Fleinhardt continuing in the world.
Megan groaned and grabbed Larry's arm.
Charlie sighed and had a feeling it was going to be a long night ahead.
~
Don was trying to sleep. He really was. He was trying to sleep and not think about his phone that had not rung or beeped or buzzed. He was trying to sleep and not think about one of his agents and friends in a hospital room in probably considerable pain. He was trying to sleep and not think about Larry, a man who regularly argued that space and time may not exist, becoming a parent.
Don rolled over and stared at his phone on the night stand and the clock behind it that read ten.
"Go ahead and call," Anne said from her side of the bed.
Don picked up the phone and dialed. After a couple of rings Charlie answered. "Hey, buddy. Any word?"
Charlie gave a long sigh on the other end. "Um... She's still not dilated."
Don sat up a little. "Still?"
"Yeah. They're monitoring the fetus and her blood pressure. If anything doesn't look good or if she's still not dilated by morning they'll do a cesarean."
"Shit, okay. How's Megan?"
"Exhausted."
"How's Larry holding up?"
"Like a rock. I've never seen him better."
"Well that's something I guess. You're spending the night?"
"Oh yes, gonna see this through."
"Okay, keep me posted."
"Will do." Charlie hung up. Don turned to Anne who had sat.
"What's happening?" she asked quickly.
"Nothing and that's the problem. The doctors are talking about a cesarean in the morning or if anything looks bad overnight."
"Do you want to go over there?"
"Nah. They don't need one more person hovering. Charlie said he'll keep me posted."
"Sure?"
"Yeah." Don lay back down and pulled his wife in close. "Women really did get the short end of the anatomy stick didn't they?"
"Well somebody had to."
"I wonder if anyone's working on a way for men to carry babies," Don mused out loud.
Anne laughed. "Considering the sciences are still dominated by men I highly doubt it." Anne gave Don a quick kiss. "Besides it would absolutely ruin your figure."
~
He was freezing. Snow blew in drifts between cinderblock buildings. In the distance it sounded like there was gunfire.
Don pressed on. He knew he had to get somewhere, do something. He wasn't sure where or what. He came around a corner. Charlie stood there. He was naked in the snow but didn't seem to notice. His head was shaved and his eyes were hard.
The wind howled and tried to drive Don back.
Holding Charlie's hand was a girl about three or four with long dark curls. She was in a fluffy blue party dress with white tights. She seemed as unfazed by the weather as Charlie.
Charlie's lips were moving. Don knew he was saying something important but he couldn't hear over the screaming wind.
"What?" Don shouted but his voice was whipped away.
Charlie collapsed to his knees, pressing his hands to his ears, his face contorted in a scream. The little girl looked on as if it were just a curiosity. Then she looked at Don.
~
Don's eyes snapped open and he grabbed his phone before it vibrated off his nightstand. "Eppes," he whispered. The clock read 5:22.
"Don, they're taking her into the delivery room."
Don's brain kicked into gear and he hopped out of bed grabbing his pants. "What's going on?"
"She dilated and they're going to take her in and try to do this."
Don grabbed a shirt he hoped was clean. "Okay, I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Don. I got to go. Call everyone for me." And with that Charlie hung up.
Don turned around. Anne was sitting up in bed and making shooing motions. "Go, go. Tell me how it goes."
Don ran around the bed to give her a quick kiss then ran out the door.
~
This was not part of the plan. The plan was to wave Larry goodbye at the door and wait in the waiting room with everyone else. But someone had made some sort of assumption and for the second time in his life Charlie found himself in disposable hospital scrubs holding the hand of a woman in labor.
Actually it was a little more than hand holding. Megan was on her knees leaning on both Charlie and Larry as each contraction hit. In between the contractions Larry wiped her face, rubbed her back and whispered sweet cosmological babble to her.
Another contraction hit. "Okay Megan, you can push for this one," said the doctor, whose job it was to catch.
"What the fuck have I been doing for the last hour?" Megan screamed.
Charlie winced since the scream was more or less in his ear.
"Megan, you're doing just fine. It won't be much longer now."
"This is your fault!" Megan shouted as the contraction eased. "Both of you!"
"What did I do?" Charlie asked. "I never even looked at you."
"I don't know but I'll think of something."
~
Don paced. Colby paced. David paced. Some guy Don didn't recognize paced. It was amazing they didn't crash into each other. Don eyed the other guy a few times. He looked too old to be an expecting father but these days you never could tell.
Colby accidentally bumped into the guy. "Sorry."
"It's okay." They guy looked around. "Have you all got wives in there?"
"No. No, no, no." Everyone shook their heads. "We're waiting on a friend, co-worker."
"Oh," the guy nodded. "My daughter's in there. It's so funny. I could swear she started kindergarten last week."
"Yeah," Don said. "My son's walking and talking and I'm pretty sure we just got him home from the hospital the other day."
The door opened and everyone held their breath. An orderly popped his head in, looked around and left without saying anything. Everyone exhaled.
Don flopped down in a chair and checked his watch. It was almost 6:30.
"What do you all do?" The expectant grandfather asked. "'Cause I never had a job where my co-workers would hang around for something like this at 6 in the morning."
David grinned a little. "We're FBI. Violent Crimes."
"You get kinda tight with a person after a few fire fights." Colby supplied.
"Not to mention explosions."
"Kidnappings."
"Hostage situations."
"Terror threats."
The guy nodded. "I sell aluminum siding. Are any of you home owners?"
Don shook his head. "Bureau doesn't pay us enough for that."
"Megan's got a house." Colby commented.
"Yeah, but that's 'cause Larry's got tenure and Google stock."
The door opened again. A young man in disposable scrubs came in. He had wide eyed look of wonder on his face. "It's a boy," he said his voice cracking.
Colby gave the new grandfather a pat on the back. "Congratulations."
"Come see him, he's perfect."
The new father and grandfather stumbled out of the room. The three FBI agents went back to pacing.
~
Charlie was very close to praying as Megan leaned against him and Larry in exhaustion. Intellectually he knew how much work and pain went into a normal birth but he had never witnessed it up-close and personal. A part of him found it offensive that evolution would demand this kind of agony of a woman just to continue the species, especially considering what a man's half of the process was. Another part of him kept thinking that here had to be an easier way. Surely with all the technology they had there had to be an easier way than this.
Megan was crying.
"You're almost there," the doctor said. "You're doing great. Two more pushes. Three at the most."
Megan shook her head.
Larry brushed aside the hair that was plastered to her forehead. "You are so close, Starshine. You are so strong. You can do this. I know you can do this."
Charlie felt Megan's body tense. Her eye's squeezed shut. Her hands grasped his and Charlie felt something in his wrist pop. Blinding pain radiated down his fingers and up his arm to his elbow. He felt his stomach lurch at the pain.
"I've got the head," the doctor said. "One more push."
A sob came from Megan's throat. She took a breath. Charlie felt a second burst of pain up his arm. There was a wet sound and a strong high wail filled the room.
"Congratulations, you have a lovely little girl," the doctor announced.
Charlie looked at Larry. His face was open, tears streamed from blue eyes which just for a moment seemed to hold the entire cosmoses. Megan collapsed weeping and laughing.
"Would someone like to cut the cord?" the doctor asked.
Larry held out his hands. They were shaking almost violently. The doctor looked at Charlie. Charlie looked around since there had to be someone else appropriate in the room. No one magically appeared. Megan and Larry were holding each other. The doctor held out the scissors. Charlie took a good look at the baby. She was bloody, red, wrinkly, bald, with a mushed up face, lumpy head, and she was still screaming. Charlie took the scissors and made the cut.
~
Don was still pacing when the door to the waiting room opened and Charlie stumbled in. He looked utterly exhausted and was holding his left wrist against his body in an odd way.
"It's a girl," he breathed. "3.88 Kilograms."
"What's that in American?" David asked first.
"Eight pounds, nine ounces."
"How is she?" Don asked.
"She's fine. She's great. She's screaming her head off. She got Larry's eyes." Charlie gave an exhausted giggle.
"How's Megan?"
"Exhausted."
"How's Larry?"
Charlie grin got that much bigger. "I think Larry's finally touched the cosmos." Everyone chuckled, identical grins on their face. "They're cleaning everything up and an orderly is going to come get you once they've moved her. I need to go..." Charlie just pointed to the door.
"Hey, have they picked a name?" Colby asked.
Charlie's grin stretched to its limit. "Charlotte."
~
Charlie stared at his own x-rays as the ER doctor shoved a needle into the base of his left thumb.
"Believe me you are not the first," the doctor said. "We get about one a week. I've seen broken fingers, broken wrists. This one guy was gonna catch and his wife kicked, got him right in the head, knocked him out cold, broke his jaw. You're lucky this is just dislocated."
Charlie grit his teeth. "Just put it back."
"Eager to get back up, see your kid?"
Charlie shook his head. "Not my baby. I wasn't even supposed to be in the room."
"Well I hope they name it after you then."
"They did."
Charlie yelped as another burst of pain shot through his arm.
"There you go. We'll put that in a brace and I'll give you a script from some pain killers and some anti-inflammatory, keep it iced and elevated and you'll be fine in a week or so."
"Next baby I'm just gonna wait outside with everyone else."
~
Larry had a glazed expression that Don was used to seeing on hard core druggies. Baby Charlotte was bundled up in her father's arms and he was rocking her gently and didn't look like he had any intention of letting her go within the next thirty years or so.
Megan looked completely drained but she was smiling in a way Don hadn't seen in a couple of months.
The door opened and Charlie snuck in, a black brace on his wrist. Don was going to take a flying guess as to just how that happened.
Don gave Megan's shoulder a little squeeze. "You do go work. She looks great."
"Can I just sleep for a million years now?" Megan asked.
"Sure, until she needs to be fed, then you get a couple of hours and then she'll need to be changed."
"Thanks."
Suddenly the door burst opened and an older couple rushed in with a large teddy bear and a big bunch of flowers.
"Hi Mom, hi Dad," Megan said sounding even more tired all of a sudden. "You came."
Don quickly got out of the way as Megan's parents rushed forward to envelop her in hugs.
"Of course we came." Mrs. Reeves started up right away. "I'm so sorry we couldn't get here sooner. We got the first flight we could and that dreadful cab driver, I don't even think he knew what country he was in."
"It's okay mom, you just missed a lot of waiting around."
Mrs. Reeves suddenly looked over at Don. Don suddenly felt like he should stand up straighter. "Mom, Dad these are my boys. This is Don, Charlie, David and Colby."
There were quick hello's and handshakes.
"Now. Where is my grandson?" Mrs. Reeves demanded.
"Daughter."
"Granddaughter. Of course."
Don saw Mr. Reeves smile like he'd just won a bet. Megan looked to the corner of the room where Larry had actually managed to make himself so inconspicuous he nearly vanished. Don didn't blame him.
"Ah. Lawrence." Don felt the temperature of the room drop several degrees.
"Victor, Karen," Larry said carefully.
"It's okay," Megan said from her bed.
Larry carefully approached but did not hand over his child; merely got close enough for them to see.
"She's lovely, dear." Mrs. Reeves said after an examination "Do you have a name yet because I was thinking..."
"Charlotte." Megan said quickly.
"Oh. After your father's mother. How lovely." The tone of her voice clearly got across the fact that she thought it was anything but lovely but Mr. Reeves smiled.
"You always were her favorite," he said. It was the most he'd said since walking in.
A broad shouldered nurse came in with a thick clipboard. "Okay, it's time for someone to get fed," she announced.
Don checked his watch. "Well I think that's our cue to get back to the office." Don leaned in and gave Megan a hug. "Congratulations."
"Thanks boss."
"Take all the time you need. Your desk isn't going anywhere."
"Just give me a few of weeks."
"Take your time." Don looked at Larry. "Larry, she doesn't lift a finger."
"Promise."
"My dad and Anne will come by later if you need anything."
"Of course, thank you."
There was another round of hugs and congratulations and Don ushered himself and he team out the door deciding that a healthy new baby was a great way to start the day.
Previous Next
Author: ladygray99
Rating: NC17
Chapter 16/17
Series: Whitman
Characters/Pairings:Charlie/Colby, Don/OFC, Alan/OFC, Ian/OMC/OFC, Megan/Larry, Tarry Lake, David Sinclair, Matt Li.
Word count: 3,948
Warnings/Spoilers: Threeways, spankings, shaving, sexual discipline, gross descriptions of crime scenes, masturbation, medical stuff related to pregnancy and childbirth, original characters.
Summary: Life progresses, life happens, life perseveres, and life is better with someone by your side.
Notes: Master Notes for Story.
Beta: None, feel free to point out typos of which there are many I am sure.
Chapter 16
Megan winced.
"How are you doing?" Don asked.
"I'm fine," she snapped.
They were waiting for Stendhauser to fish some files off a confiscated hard drive.
"Just asking. You winced."
"Of course I winced, I had a contraction."
Don's brain froze for a second. "A contraction? You're in labor!"
"I've been in labor for three days Don they're still two hours apart."
Stendhauser chuckled. "Oh, I remember those days. With my first boy, I had contractions for a week before the main event."
Don was not even remotely soothed. He rolled a chair to Megan. "Here, sit down, how's your blood pressure."
"My blood pressure is fine but is likely to go up if you keep nagging me."
"Seriously, Megan, go home, please. I'll pretend like you're on a really long lunch." Don was pretty sure he'd never received a more annoyed look from anyone.
"I'm clearing this case Don, I don't care if I have to have this kid in the interrogation room, I want this bastard!"
Don took a half step back. Megan had become more than a little terrifying during her last trimester and refused to give up her gun. "Okay, well, at least sit down." Don gestured to the chair.
"If I sit down I'll have to stand back up."
Before Don could even begin to work up a counter argument to that statement the computer beeped. "I'm in, Charlie ain't the only one who can break encryption. Of course it helps when the criminals are using Vista." Stendhauser did a quick image search on the hard drive. Several dozen surveillance type photos of their dead guy came up.
"Well that looks incriminating to me. Megan, I'll send the guys out to drag in Vitell, you can talk to him and we'll slam dunk this. Okay?"
~
Don watched through the interrogation room window as Megan loomed over their killer holding a picture of their victim inches from his face. His hands were cuffed to the table and his eyes were wide.
"We know you didn't mean to do it. Not really. You just wanted to prove a point, prove you're a big man. Hell, we can tell just how much your hands shook by all the bullets we pulled out of that wall that didn't have a drop of blood on them."
"I didn't do it." The guy choked out.
"Of course you did. We have so much evidence the lawyers are telling us we don't even need a confession from you. They're willing to go to court tomorrow. Murder one. Life. But you see I want a confession." Megan leaned in her face inches from the killer's. "I want to hear in your own sad little words how you stalked and murdered Michael Whittaker. I want to hear you confess to how you watched him bleed out slowly because you were too afraid to make a clean kill and if it means I have to have this baby on this table I will wait you out!"
Their killer swallowed hard. "He had a really regular schedule so he was really easy to follow." He blurted out.
Megan gave a cold smile. "Good, keep going."
~
Don watched as Megan waddled off to the bathroom for what felt like the millionth time that day. He had offered to move Megan's desk into the Ladies' Room when she hit six months. Mind you he had made the offer while standing near the door on the opposite side of a large room with a table between them.
He hit send on his email to the prosecutors telling them they had a confession. Now maybe Megan would go home and rest. Megan came back from the bathroom and pulled a bag out from under her desk. "Don, I need a lift to the hospital if you don't mind," she said very calmly.
Don was on his feet as quickly as if someone had started shooting, grabbing his jacket and his keys. "Do you know where Larry is?" He asked as the headed to the elevator.
"He said he was going into CalSci today to work on some things with Charlie."
The elevator door opened and Colby stepped out. "Turn around, you need to run to CalSci and get Larry."
Colby didn't even hesitate, just did an about face and followed them back down stairs.
~
Charlie kept a death grip on Larry's arm. Colby had texted him with a message to have Larry ready and waiting. Larry had, quite understandably, not wanted to wait for Colby but didn't trust Charlie's driving especially during rush hour. This had ended in the two of them very nearly coming to blows in the East Parking Lot. Finally Colby's Charger pulled up and around and in a maneuver reminiscent of the Secret Service, the back door was opened and Larry was tossed in, Charlie jumping in behind him.
The next twenty minutes manly involved Larry begging Colby to drive faster until Colby finally gave up and put on his lights, which didn't actually get them going that much faster but it seemed to make Larry feel better.
~
Don held Megan's arm as she paced around her small room. Don could feel his own heart thumping pretty hard and fast. He'd missed all the final stage and delivery stuff with Anne so was feeling distinctly out of his depth.
The doctor who had taken a look when he got Megan checked in told them while she was in labor and the baby was ready to go she was only minimally dilated so really all she could do at this point was to walk around and wait.
Don checked his phone. There had been a message from Charlie that Larry was in transit but that had been a while ago. He hoped Larry would show up soon. Every time someone implied that Don was the father Megan would laugh in a way that was more than a little ego bruising.
Don heard feet rushing down the hall. Then Larry burst in with Charlie and Colby on his tail.
"Hey, beautiful." Megan breathed.
Larry pulled Megan into a gentle embrace then crouched down and almost reverently pressed his forehead to her swollen belly. Then a contraction hit. Megan doubled over gripping Larry's shoulders. Don cringed in sympathy as he watched Megan's strong hands dig into Larry but Larry didn't even wince.
Once the contraction passed Don pulled Charlie and Colby to the side. "Doctor said there's still a long way to go. Could take all night."
"We still need to get back to the office." Colby stated with minimal enthusiasm.
"Yeah, I know."
Charlie looked over to where Megan had sat on the bed and was talking quietly with Larry. "I'll stay here and hold Larry's hand and keep everyone posted."
"Okay." The three men broke out of their huddle.
Don crouched down in front of Megan "Hey, Colby and I still need to get some stuff done at the office. I'm leaving Charlie here in case you need anything."
"Sure." Megan already looked exhausted.
"You're going to be fine. Don't sweat it, just take your time."
"Thanks Don."
Don got up giving Larry a little pat on the arm on the way, then he spotted Megan's neatly stacked pile of clothes, and peeking out from under it her gun. "Say, I'm just going to take this back to the office for you," Don said casually gathering up the weapon and holster.
"Put it back, Don," Megan growled.
"It'll be right in your desk waiting for you."
Megan started trying to stand up. "Don, hand it over!"
Don made a break for it with Colby right behind and Megan shouting his name down the hall.
~
David was waiting by the time they got back to the office. "I go out to grab a statement and everybody runs off."
"I sent you a message."
"Yeah, how's she doing?"
"The doctors said she's not dilated and it could take all night. We left Charlie to keep an eye on things and hold Larry's hand and he promised he'd text everybody once they hit the main event."
"Good, 'cause this, I don't want to miss."
~
Charlie watched Megan pace, Larry silently by her side supporting every step she took. He couldn't help the worry that was running through him. He was sure Larry's was worse but the one previous birth he had been witness to had nearly ended in tragedy too many times. He reminded himself over and over that Megan was fine and the baby was at term. Heck the baby was over a week late at this point but still he could not imagine what would happen to Larry if anything went wrong.
Charlie remembered the little stab of drunken jealousy he'd felt when he first found out that Megan was pregnant. In a way he'd always been Larry's favored son and now an actual child would be taking his place. The jealousy had passed almost immediately however with the knowledge that there would be a little bit of Larry Fleinhardt continuing in the world.
Megan groaned and grabbed Larry's arm.
Charlie sighed and had a feeling it was going to be a long night ahead.
~
Don was trying to sleep. He really was. He was trying to sleep and not think about his phone that had not rung or beeped or buzzed. He was trying to sleep and not think about one of his agents and friends in a hospital room in probably considerable pain. He was trying to sleep and not think about Larry, a man who regularly argued that space and time may not exist, becoming a parent.
Don rolled over and stared at his phone on the night stand and the clock behind it that read ten.
"Go ahead and call," Anne said from her side of the bed.
Don picked up the phone and dialed. After a couple of rings Charlie answered. "Hey, buddy. Any word?"
Charlie gave a long sigh on the other end. "Um... She's still not dilated."
Don sat up a little. "Still?"
"Yeah. They're monitoring the fetus and her blood pressure. If anything doesn't look good or if she's still not dilated by morning they'll do a cesarean."
"Shit, okay. How's Megan?"
"Exhausted."
"How's Larry holding up?"
"Like a rock. I've never seen him better."
"Well that's something I guess. You're spending the night?"
"Oh yes, gonna see this through."
"Okay, keep me posted."
"Will do." Charlie hung up. Don turned to Anne who had sat.
"What's happening?" she asked quickly.
"Nothing and that's the problem. The doctors are talking about a cesarean in the morning or if anything looks bad overnight."
"Do you want to go over there?"
"Nah. They don't need one more person hovering. Charlie said he'll keep me posted."
"Sure?"
"Yeah." Don lay back down and pulled his wife in close. "Women really did get the short end of the anatomy stick didn't they?"
"Well somebody had to."
"I wonder if anyone's working on a way for men to carry babies," Don mused out loud.
Anne laughed. "Considering the sciences are still dominated by men I highly doubt it." Anne gave Don a quick kiss. "Besides it would absolutely ruin your figure."
~
He was freezing. Snow blew in drifts between cinderblock buildings. In the distance it sounded like there was gunfire.
Don pressed on. He knew he had to get somewhere, do something. He wasn't sure where or what. He came around a corner. Charlie stood there. He was naked in the snow but didn't seem to notice. His head was shaved and his eyes were hard.
The wind howled and tried to drive Don back.
Holding Charlie's hand was a girl about three or four with long dark curls. She was in a fluffy blue party dress with white tights. She seemed as unfazed by the weather as Charlie.
Charlie's lips were moving. Don knew he was saying something important but he couldn't hear over the screaming wind.
"What?" Don shouted but his voice was whipped away.
Charlie collapsed to his knees, pressing his hands to his ears, his face contorted in a scream. The little girl looked on as if it were just a curiosity. Then she looked at Don.
~
Don's eyes snapped open and he grabbed his phone before it vibrated off his nightstand. "Eppes," he whispered. The clock read 5:22.
"Don, they're taking her into the delivery room."
Don's brain kicked into gear and he hopped out of bed grabbing his pants. "What's going on?"
"She dilated and they're going to take her in and try to do this."
Don grabbed a shirt he hoped was clean. "Okay, I'll be there in twenty minutes."
"Don. I got to go. Call everyone for me." And with that Charlie hung up.
Don turned around. Anne was sitting up in bed and making shooing motions. "Go, go. Tell me how it goes."
Don ran around the bed to give her a quick kiss then ran out the door.
~
This was not part of the plan. The plan was to wave Larry goodbye at the door and wait in the waiting room with everyone else. But someone had made some sort of assumption and for the second time in his life Charlie found himself in disposable hospital scrubs holding the hand of a woman in labor.
Actually it was a little more than hand holding. Megan was on her knees leaning on both Charlie and Larry as each contraction hit. In between the contractions Larry wiped her face, rubbed her back and whispered sweet cosmological babble to her.
Another contraction hit. "Okay Megan, you can push for this one," said the doctor, whose job it was to catch.
"What the fuck have I been doing for the last hour?" Megan screamed.
Charlie winced since the scream was more or less in his ear.
"Megan, you're doing just fine. It won't be much longer now."
"This is your fault!" Megan shouted as the contraction eased. "Both of you!"
"What did I do?" Charlie asked. "I never even looked at you."
"I don't know but I'll think of something."
~
Don paced. Colby paced. David paced. Some guy Don didn't recognize paced. It was amazing they didn't crash into each other. Don eyed the other guy a few times. He looked too old to be an expecting father but these days you never could tell.
Colby accidentally bumped into the guy. "Sorry."
"It's okay." They guy looked around. "Have you all got wives in there?"
"No. No, no, no." Everyone shook their heads. "We're waiting on a friend, co-worker."
"Oh," the guy nodded. "My daughter's in there. It's so funny. I could swear she started kindergarten last week."
"Yeah," Don said. "My son's walking and talking and I'm pretty sure we just got him home from the hospital the other day."
The door opened and everyone held their breath. An orderly popped his head in, looked around and left without saying anything. Everyone exhaled.
Don flopped down in a chair and checked his watch. It was almost 6:30.
"What do you all do?" The expectant grandfather asked. "'Cause I never had a job where my co-workers would hang around for something like this at 6 in the morning."
David grinned a little. "We're FBI. Violent Crimes."
"You get kinda tight with a person after a few fire fights." Colby supplied.
"Not to mention explosions."
"Kidnappings."
"Hostage situations."
"Terror threats."
The guy nodded. "I sell aluminum siding. Are any of you home owners?"
Don shook his head. "Bureau doesn't pay us enough for that."
"Megan's got a house." Colby commented.
"Yeah, but that's 'cause Larry's got tenure and Google stock."
The door opened again. A young man in disposable scrubs came in. He had wide eyed look of wonder on his face. "It's a boy," he said his voice cracking.
Colby gave the new grandfather a pat on the back. "Congratulations."
"Come see him, he's perfect."
The new father and grandfather stumbled out of the room. The three FBI agents went back to pacing.
~
Charlie was very close to praying as Megan leaned against him and Larry in exhaustion. Intellectually he knew how much work and pain went into a normal birth but he had never witnessed it up-close and personal. A part of him found it offensive that evolution would demand this kind of agony of a woman just to continue the species, especially considering what a man's half of the process was. Another part of him kept thinking that here had to be an easier way. Surely with all the technology they had there had to be an easier way than this.
Megan was crying.
"You're almost there," the doctor said. "You're doing great. Two more pushes. Three at the most."
Megan shook her head.
Larry brushed aside the hair that was plastered to her forehead. "You are so close, Starshine. You are so strong. You can do this. I know you can do this."
Charlie felt Megan's body tense. Her eye's squeezed shut. Her hands grasped his and Charlie felt something in his wrist pop. Blinding pain radiated down his fingers and up his arm to his elbow. He felt his stomach lurch at the pain.
"I've got the head," the doctor said. "One more push."
A sob came from Megan's throat. She took a breath. Charlie felt a second burst of pain up his arm. There was a wet sound and a strong high wail filled the room.
"Congratulations, you have a lovely little girl," the doctor announced.
Charlie looked at Larry. His face was open, tears streamed from blue eyes which just for a moment seemed to hold the entire cosmoses. Megan collapsed weeping and laughing.
"Would someone like to cut the cord?" the doctor asked.
Larry held out his hands. They were shaking almost violently. The doctor looked at Charlie. Charlie looked around since there had to be someone else appropriate in the room. No one magically appeared. Megan and Larry were holding each other. The doctor held out the scissors. Charlie took a good look at the baby. She was bloody, red, wrinkly, bald, with a mushed up face, lumpy head, and she was still screaming. Charlie took the scissors and made the cut.
~
Don was still pacing when the door to the waiting room opened and Charlie stumbled in. He looked utterly exhausted and was holding his left wrist against his body in an odd way.
"It's a girl," he breathed. "3.88 Kilograms."
"What's that in American?" David asked first.
"Eight pounds, nine ounces."
"How is she?" Don asked.
"She's fine. She's great. She's screaming her head off. She got Larry's eyes." Charlie gave an exhausted giggle.
"How's Megan?"
"Exhausted."
"How's Larry?"
Charlie grin got that much bigger. "I think Larry's finally touched the cosmos." Everyone chuckled, identical grins on their face. "They're cleaning everything up and an orderly is going to come get you once they've moved her. I need to go..." Charlie just pointed to the door.
"Hey, have they picked a name?" Colby asked.
Charlie's grin stretched to its limit. "Charlotte."
~
Charlie stared at his own x-rays as the ER doctor shoved a needle into the base of his left thumb.
"Believe me you are not the first," the doctor said. "We get about one a week. I've seen broken fingers, broken wrists. This one guy was gonna catch and his wife kicked, got him right in the head, knocked him out cold, broke his jaw. You're lucky this is just dislocated."
Charlie grit his teeth. "Just put it back."
"Eager to get back up, see your kid?"
Charlie shook his head. "Not my baby. I wasn't even supposed to be in the room."
"Well I hope they name it after you then."
"They did."
Charlie yelped as another burst of pain shot through his arm.
"There you go. We'll put that in a brace and I'll give you a script from some pain killers and some anti-inflammatory, keep it iced and elevated and you'll be fine in a week or so."
"Next baby I'm just gonna wait outside with everyone else."
~
Larry had a glazed expression that Don was used to seeing on hard core druggies. Baby Charlotte was bundled up in her father's arms and he was rocking her gently and didn't look like he had any intention of letting her go within the next thirty years or so.
Megan looked completely drained but she was smiling in a way Don hadn't seen in a couple of months.
The door opened and Charlie snuck in, a black brace on his wrist. Don was going to take a flying guess as to just how that happened.
Don gave Megan's shoulder a little squeeze. "You do go work. She looks great."
"Can I just sleep for a million years now?" Megan asked.
"Sure, until she needs to be fed, then you get a couple of hours and then she'll need to be changed."
"Thanks."
Suddenly the door burst opened and an older couple rushed in with a large teddy bear and a big bunch of flowers.
"Hi Mom, hi Dad," Megan said sounding even more tired all of a sudden. "You came."
Don quickly got out of the way as Megan's parents rushed forward to envelop her in hugs.
"Of course we came." Mrs. Reeves started up right away. "I'm so sorry we couldn't get here sooner. We got the first flight we could and that dreadful cab driver, I don't even think he knew what country he was in."
"It's okay mom, you just missed a lot of waiting around."
Mrs. Reeves suddenly looked over at Don. Don suddenly felt like he should stand up straighter. "Mom, Dad these are my boys. This is Don, Charlie, David and Colby."
There were quick hello's and handshakes.
"Now. Where is my grandson?" Mrs. Reeves demanded.
"Daughter."
"Granddaughter. Of course."
Don saw Mr. Reeves smile like he'd just won a bet. Megan looked to the corner of the room where Larry had actually managed to make himself so inconspicuous he nearly vanished. Don didn't blame him.
"Ah. Lawrence." Don felt the temperature of the room drop several degrees.
"Victor, Karen," Larry said carefully.
"It's okay," Megan said from her bed.
Larry carefully approached but did not hand over his child; merely got close enough for them to see.
"She's lovely, dear." Mrs. Reeves said after an examination "Do you have a name yet because I was thinking..."
"Charlotte." Megan said quickly.
"Oh. After your father's mother. How lovely." The tone of her voice clearly got across the fact that she thought it was anything but lovely but Mr. Reeves smiled.
"You always were her favorite," he said. It was the most he'd said since walking in.
A broad shouldered nurse came in with a thick clipboard. "Okay, it's time for someone to get fed," she announced.
Don checked his watch. "Well I think that's our cue to get back to the office." Don leaned in and gave Megan a hug. "Congratulations."
"Thanks boss."
"Take all the time you need. Your desk isn't going anywhere."
"Just give me a few of weeks."
"Take your time." Don looked at Larry. "Larry, she doesn't lift a finger."
"Promise."
"My dad and Anne will come by later if you need anything."
"Of course, thank you."
There was another round of hugs and congratulations and Don ushered himself and he team out the door deciding that a healthy new baby was a great way to start the day.
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