31. Birth

31

BIRTH

Niall squawked. “But my book isn’t finished yet!”

Jag could’ve rolled his eyes. “Sweetheart.”

“I’m gonna be so exhausted after the birth,” Niall whined. “What if it never gets done? I promised my readers it’d be out in three weeks.”

Jag heaved a sigh. “I told you not to schedule your release this close to your due date.”

Niall burst into tears. Jag panicked.

He hurriedly gathered Niall into his arms, pressing kisses all over his face. “We’ll fix it, sweetheart. Alright? It’s not the end of the world.”

“H-how?”

“Well, first, you email your readers and tell them that it might be delayed by a week or two, because you’re going into labor. Promise them pictures. Hell, we’ll take a picture now so they can see just how round your belly is. Pop that in your email, and suggest that they read the rest of the series to refresh their memories. That might take them a while.”

“Fine,” Niall grumbled tearfully. “But I still want it done! I want to spend all my post-birth time with our baby, not rushing to meet a deadline.”

“That’s true. The little one will be asleep, though. Babies sleep a lot at first, except for when they wake up to feed every so often.”

“I need to bring my laptop to the hospital,” Niall said. “Luckily we’re not going with a water birth.”

Jag rolled his eyes fondly. “Let me pack all your things in a bag.”

“Not yet! We don’t have to go to the hospital right this minute. Maybe in a few hours. Let me write more.”

“Alright.” Jag was about to turn away, when a thought struck him. “You’ve never told me, though. How did you get so good at writing sex, when you’d never had it yourself?”

Niall smiled sheepishly. “I read a lot of books when I was freed. Evan let me read as a reward for completing all my night classes, and he noticed I was getting flustered by some books. So he read them too, and he told me which sex scenes were written wrong. When I started writing, I’d ask him if part of a scene could happen in real life. If he didn’t know, sometimes he’d go out and do the research for me.”

Jag grinned. “That was really nice of him.”

Niall smiled back. “Yeah.”

Jag went around making sure the house was ready. He texted their friends—the Danger Alpha Brotherhood had its own chat group, and Niall had some chats going with his omega friends. He texted Evan and Troy, too, not that he expected them to do anything, considering that they had their own kids to wrangle.

T-bag

I’ll have some catered meals sent to your place. Tell me when you’re ready for them.

Jag

Thanks, big bro

T-bag

Getting soft in your old age?

Jag

My omega will tell you that I’m never soft

T-bag

Give his poor body a rest

Jag snorted and went back to Niall, showing him the text conversation.

Niall groaned. “I can’t believe you sent him that!”

“Yeah, well, he and Evan share an omega, so imagine how Landon must feel.”

“Stretched,” Niall said.

Jag laughed.

Niall was still dictating his book when Jag placed their overnight bag by the door. Jag sat next to him and rubbed his thigh, waiting until Niall reached another scene break. “Ready now?”

“Fine,” Niall grumbled, saving his work and backing it up, before allowing Jag to pack up his laptop.

“I’m going to take a picture of you in the hospital bed with your laptop,” Jag said. “And tell your readers that you refused to stop writing even when you went into labor.”

Niall made a face, wincing when he went into a contraction. Jag hurried to rub his back and murmur soothing words in his ear.

They drove to the hospital and checked in. Jag helped Niall change into his hospital gown and take his laptop back out, so he could keep writing while he waddled around the bed.

Jag took a picture of Niall and his laptop. That picture went out to their friends, who texted back with vastly different replies.

T-bag

Stop making your omega work. Good gods.

Evan

Hey, don’t let him walk around alone!!!!

Landon

I hope you have an easy labor!

Storm

How much space is there under a hospital bed? Asking for a friend.

Hades

Are you seriously going to hide under Bentham’s hospital bed, Storm?

Storm

I don’t know. We’ll see.

Rex

Niall stop work and rest (frowning emoji)

Fury

I mean, that IS a good way to spend all those hours in labor.

Olson

Have a good labor, Niall. Good luck!

Linus

You can do it, Niall!!

Aaren

Omg Niall!!!

Emmy

put the butt blessings on your nipples niall!!!!! you need to welcome your baby to the world with all the blessings on your body!!!

Jag waited until Niall had another scene break, before showing him the messages.

“Oh, Emmy,” Niall sighed. “It’s so nice that everyone wrote back.”

“I’ll make sure that Emmy doesn’t show up with a sack of butt blessings,” Jag said dryly.

Niall laughed.

“Lots more to go?”

“Just one chapter, and the epilogue!”

“Alright.” Jag rubbed Niall’s neck and held him through another contraction.

When the midwife came in, she frowned and clucked her tongue. “Working? At this time?”

“I’m almost done!”

She frowned and took Niall’s vitals, then pushed her gloved fingers into Niall to check his dilation. Jag couldn’t help his growl.

“This is standard practice,” she grumbled. “Honestly, maybe you alphas should be locked up.”

“Maybe I should have four locked up alphas for the next series,” Niall said thoughtfully.

The midwife looked scandalized. Niall looked horrified.

Jag disguised his laugh as a cough. “They’re ideas for books,” Jag explained, since Niall’s embarrassment had struck him speechless. “All speculation.”

“I know a policeman who can get us out of jail,” Niall said, which didn’t help. “You can pay him with dick drawings.”

Jag stopped holding back his laughter. The midwife scurried off.

Niall spent the next few hours writing between his contractions. Then he had an epidural placed, and he was no longer grimacing whenever the contractions hit.

“Epidurals are the best,” Niall said, clutching his microphone as he leaned back against the pillows.

“Almost done?” Jag rubbed his feet.

“Just the epilogue left!”

“Good work. You can do it.”

The contractions grew in frequency, though. Niall gritted his teeth, panting as he tried to remember where he’d stopped in his book. Jag held him and reminded him, and Niall leaned gratefully into his side.

Niall had just written The End when the midwife came back in, staring at them warily.

“Just in time,” Jag said. “I think we’re now ready for the birth.”

“I can’t believe I finished the book,” Niall said, flopping into his pillows. He looked exhausted.

Jag helped to save his manuscript and back it up. Then he massaged Niall and tried to put strength back into his body. “You might’ve worn yourself out, sweetheart. There’s still the rest of the labor to go.”

Niall whined. But he seemed to remember what came after the labor, and sucked in a deep breath. “I can do this.”

“You can. You will,” Jag murmured, dropping several kisses on his face. “You’re one of the strongest people I know.”

Niall lit up from the inside, looking absolutely beautiful.

The midwife installed a horizontal bar across the bed so Niall could hang onto it as he moved into a squat.

“This is kind of easier,” Niall mumbled. “But I feel like I’m going to fall backward.”

Jag climbed onto the bed behind him and supported him from the back. “Sit on me, if you need to.”

“Mmm. This is better.” Niall sagged against Jag, still hanging off the bar.

The midwife taught him how to push. Jag held his omega close, brushing the hair off his face. Niall kept pushing. He pushed until he was shaking, sweat running down the sides of his face. Jag hurt for him, watching him struggle but unable to help.

“I wish I could reach in and help ease the little one out,” Jag said.

“Maybe in an alien book,” Niall panted. “Tentacles or something.”

Jag couldn’t help but smile, pressing his forehead against Niall’s nape. “Only you, sweetheart. Coming up with book ideas in the middle of labor.”

“One day, I’ll find the time to write them all.”

“I sure hope so. I’d read all of them.” Jag kissed him, and held him.

Their baby crowned. Niall made a small sound. Jag moved them around so the midwife could catch their baby. And Niall kept pushing, heaving, until he suddenly went limp. Jag glimpsed a bloody shape.

“Sweetheart?” Jag waited until the midwife had taken their baby away, before laying down with Niall on the bed. “You okay?”

“Tired,” Niall panted. Jag dropped fervent kisses all over his face.

“Rest,” Jag murmured. “You’re amazing. I’m so damn proud of you.”

Niall’s mouth twitched into a smile.

The midwife returned with their wailing baby. Jag stopped breathing as the midwife gently laid their child on Niall’s chest; his heart swelled.

“Our little girl,” Jag murmured. “Beautiful like you.”

“Like you,” Niall whispered. He brought his trembling hands up to cradle their baby, tears welling up in his eyes. “Hey, sweet child. Cora. We’re so happy to finally meet you.”

Cora twitched and scrunched up her face, quieting when she heard Niall’s voice.

Jag swallowed hard. For years, he’d wanted an omega and a family, had been envious of those who did. And now he finally had it all in his arms. “Hey, kiddo. Can’t wait to bring you home and spoil you.”

“No spoiling,” Niall said. “Well, maybe sometimes.”

“I’m sure we’ll figure it out.” Jag dropped kisses on them both, trailing his wrist over them to cover them in his scent. “Mine. All mine.”

“Yours.” Niall beamed sleepily.

“This is the start of a new chapter,” Jag said. “The first of many more.”

“Are we writing it together?”

“Yes. Three of us.”

Niall settled into Jag’s side, happy. Jag couldn’t wait to bring his family home and start their life together.