Ten

Beth rolled over as best she could and sighed. It had been almost three months since Coraline had showed up and Josef hadn’t told them what he’d done. She knew Mick didn’t want to know. Beth could understand his reason for not wanting to know. She closed her eyes, trying to fall back to sleep but Logan had other ideas.

“Ugh,” she groaned and sat up. She saw that it was only three in the morning. Grabbed a cover up she wandered downstairs to find Mick staring at the fireplace. He looked up when she appeared.

“What are you doing up?” he asked.

“I couldn’t sleep. The baby’s awake and kicking,” she yawned, slumping into the next seat next to him. He slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him.

“Don’t worry. Once he comes you’ll get to sleep,” he said.

“Last I knew, you get less sleep with a newborn,” Beth said.

“Yeah well…how often is one of the parents a nocturnal creature?” Mick retorted.

“Good point,” Beth said with a small laugh.

“I can’t believe he’ll be here in a month,” she said, watching the flames dance around in the fireplace. Mick grinned and rubbed her upper arm.

“Yeah. It’s going to be an experience,” Mick stated.

“A thrill ride that never ends,” Beth snickered. They sat there for a while longer, just enjoying each other’s company. Finally Beth began to feel drowsy again. Mick picked her up and carried her back to bed before climbing into his freezer.

Ten o’clock rolled around and Beth finally got up. She knew Mick would still be sleeping as she walked into the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge. Maybe this arrangement really would work out for both of them. She could be up during the day with Logan and Mick would get time at night. She grabbed some eggs and set to making an omelet. She was just about to sit down and eat there was a knock on the door. She stood and made her way through the living room to the door. She looked at the monitor to her left and her heart skipped a couple beats. Her hand shook as she pulled open the door.

“Josh…what are you doing here?” she asked. They hadn’t talked in over five months. She had thought they weren’t going to ever talk again. In fact, she had kind of settled on that as the reality of the situation. She’d been wrong.

“Honestly…I asked myself that question all the way here,” Josh said, hands shoved in his pockets.

“Uh…come in,” she said, pulling the door open farther. She looked around to make sure nothing glaringly obvious was lying around. Everything looked clear and she led him into the kitchen. There was no reason she couldn’t eat her breakfast and talk to Josh at the same time.

“So…how’ve you been?” she asked around a mouthful of food.

“Alright,” he muttered.

“That’s good,” she said. It felt so awkward to be sitting in Mick’s kitchen talking to Josh.

“How’s the Buzz?” he asked.

“Good I guess…I stopped working a couple months ago,” she answered.

“So how are you paying for your apartment?” he blurted.

“Uh…I terminated my lease. I’m living here now,” Beth replied. Josh just nodded his head. It made sense that she would move in with Mick. She was having his child after all.

“I just wanted to say…I’m sorry for the way I acted,” he said.

“Josh you don’t have to apologize. I was the one who was keeping secrets,” Beth said, waving his comment away. Neither of them noticed the footfalls on the stairs until Mick appeared in the kitchen.

“Morn-I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Mick said, spotting Josh.

“No please, interrupt all you want. It’s your place,” Josh said and started to stand up.

“You want some coffee?” Mick offered. Josh shot a glance at Beth and back to Mick.

“Sure,” Josh sighed. Mick set to brewing a pot of coffee. Several minutes later, Mick pushed a cup across the table to Josh. Beth reached for another cup but Mick stopped her.

“The doctor said no caffeine,” he reminded her.

“Not even just a little?” she begged.

“No. We don’t need your blood pressure taking a skyrocket now that it’s stable,” Mick said.

“So you’re uh…doing better?” Josh asked.

“Yeah…” she answered. She couldn’t exactly tell him they’d had to do another transfusion a couple weeks ago. He didn’t need to know that.

“Good. That’s really good to hear. So when are you due?” he rambled.

“Uh…a little more than four weeks from yesterday,” Beth answered proudly.

“Well…I hope all goes well,” he said, setting the cup down. He stood up and pulled his jacket back on.

“I just wanted to stop by to say best of luck and uh…maybe we can have coffee sometime…when you can have coffee again,” Josh said.

“Yeah,” Beth answered and walked him to the door.

“Really, you don’t have to apologize. But I’m happy you stopped by,” Beth said. They shared a very brief, chaste kiss before he walked out.

“You ok?” Mick asked as she sat back down.

“Yeah I guess…it was just weird seeing him again,” she murmured.

“I think you should do it…see him after you have Logan. You two were close. Don’t act like it never meant anything. You can still be friends,” Mick said.

“So do you think he’ll be able to eat food?” Beth asked. She’d been mulling questions over in her head, questions that they wouldn’t really need to know the answer to for a few years.

“We’ll find out. He’ll need blood regularly. I’d imagine he’d need formula or breast milk too,” Mick answered.

“Let’s hope he doesn’t have fangs. Because there is no way I’m breast feeding him if he bites,” Beth laughed.

“I don’t think he’ll mind feeding from a bottle,” Mick stated. Beth grinned and cleaned up the dishes. Mick headed down the hallway to his office to meet with a few potential clients and Beth wandered back upstairs to her room. They’d gotten the crib ready as well as he freezer. She bent down and opened the lid.

“I hope you fit in this,” she said, looking down at her stomach.

Another few weeks passed by and Beth was ready to pop. She was lying on the couch, watching the fireplace when she felt a very uncomfortable sensation in her lower abdomen. She looked down to see a large wet spot now soaking into the cushion beneath her.

“Oh no,” she breathed and struggle to get up. She tried to make her way upstairs but found it difficult. She finally made it and grabbed the suitcase she’d had packed since the previous week. Next she quickly changed her pants and lugged the luggage down the stairs. She was heaving for breath when she knocked on the office door.

“Come in,” Mick’s voice called. Beth stumbled in and the couple that Mick was meeting with looked at her in annoyance.

“Beth…what’s-” Mick began to ask but he could smell the change in her body.

“We have to go,” she said, trying to take slow, calming breaths.

“Excuse me but this is a private consultation ” the woman said.

“So sorry but we really need to go, Mick,” Beth said, clutching the doorframe as she tried to support herself. Mick was on his feet and at her side in a matter of seconds.

“Can we reschedule? She’s going into labor and I’ve got to get her to the hospital,” Mick asked. The woman’s features softened a little.

“Sure,” she said. Mick helped Beth out into the hallway and over to the elevator.

“The bags are already down on the first floor,” she gasped.

“Ok…just take slow breaths,” he said. They reached the ground floor and Mick picked up the bags. Moments later, Mick was speeding down the highway towards the hospital.

“Are you having contractions, yet?” he asked.

“I don’t think so…it’s just kind of uncomfortable,” she answered.

“Did you notice what color fluid it was?” he pressed.

“I appreciate you trying to assess the situation but can you just drive,” Beth shot. He looked at her but stayed quiet.

“It was clear,” she muttered.

“Good…that’s a good sign,” he muttered and pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. He supported her through the front doors and up to the front desk.

Several hours later, Beth was gripping the bed rails, crying in pain. Mick was trying to help regulate her breathing but she wasn’t in the mood to listen.

“Drugs…I want drugs,” she groaned.

“The doctor doesn’t think that’s such a good idea…it might slow the baby’s heart rate down,” Mick told her as her body relaxed.

“You’re not the one feeling like your whole body is being ripped a million different directions,” Beth grumbled.

“Well, it shouldn’t be much longer. For a first time mom, your labor is progressing fairly quickly,” the nurse said.

“You’re about seven centimeters along,” she added.

“I’ll be back to check on you in about a half hour and see where we are,” she said and walked out.

“Can you close the blinds some more?” Beth asked. Mick had tried to close them as much as he could earlier but tried to close them more.

“That better?” he asked.

“Yeah…I just don’t want the sun to hit him,” she said.

“Everything is going to be fine,” he whispered, stroking her cheek.

“Did you call Josef yet?” she asked.

“I called about an hour ago. He’ll be here sometime tonight,” Mick replied.

“Do you think he’ll say yes to being Logan’s godfather?” she questioned.

“I think he will…though we might be getting in over our heads on this one,’ Mick answered with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

When the nurse came back in a half hour, Beth had dilated another centimeter and a half. Beth’s contractions had started to come closer together and kept intensifying. Mick watched the monitor, rising and falling as it documented the baby’s heart beat. But he was also listening to make sure everything was ok. Around six fifteen Beth was ready to start to pushing. She gave a good first push and the top of Logan’s head crowned.

“Come on, Beth. Give another push like that,” Dr. Brewer said. Beth bore down, trying as hard as she could. She was exhausted from the contractions and she just wanted the pain to stop.

“Good,’ Mick coached as the baby’s head and shoulder slid out.

“One more,” he told her, kissing her hand. She squeezed his hand tightly as she breathed through another contraction.

“Happy Birthday little guy,” Dr. Brewer said, laying Logan on top of Beth’s stomach.

“Hi there,” she said, looking at the infant wiggling atop her belly. He gave several loud cries before the nurses took him over to weigh and measure him.

“A nice healthy baby. Seven pounds even. Seventeen and three quarter inches,” the nurse told them as she handed the baby back to Beth. Just as the nurse turned her back, Logan gave a large yawn. Both Beth and Mick checked and were happy to see no fangs. He looked up at his parents and blinked a couple times. Some time later, Josef arrived with some balloons.

“How is he?” Josef asked. Mick was cradling the baby in his arms.

“He’s perfect,” Mick answered softly. Beth had fallen asleep not that long ago.

“Nothing…unusual?” Josef pressed.

“No…no fangs if that’s what you’re asking. So have you thought about our request?” Mick answered.

“Yes…I’d be honored. It’s not everyday a vampire becomes a father,” Josef replied.

“Do you want to hold him?” Mick murmured. He handed the baby off to Josef who stared at the tiny life in his arms. He still had that mixed scent of human and vampire but he looked human by all accounts.

“Get ready Logan St John. You’ve got quite a life ahead of you,” he whispered.