Valentine's Day. Dee was going crazy with it this year. She had woken me up with heart-shaped pancakes, bacon, and a carafe of mimosas (she had straight orange juice, of course). Throughout the day she would randomly come into the study, push her way into my lap, and start making out with me. This caused me to laugh because she would be in the middle of kissing me when the kid shifted and she had to run to the bathroom. Her due date was only three days away.

After one such episode early in the afternoon, she didn't come back in. I figured she must have been napping, as the place was silent. Before she could come back, I hurried through the work I could. Tonight I had plans to take her to Garibaldi's for a special dinner. It was a surprise. I had ordered her a bouquet of tiger lilies, which had been delivered only a short while before her last make out attack. A special crème brulee was being made for her tonight, flavored with chocolate and orange.

Once I had settled into a good rhythm with my work, I became oblivious to everything else. It wasn't until Rubix came bounding into my study and put his front paws on the desk did I get interrupted. When I tried to wave him down, he came around to my chair and butted it, rolling it away from the desk.

"What do you want, you mangy beast?" I finally asked impatiently.

Opening the lower drawer, I pulled out one of the tiger treats I kept there. Instead of taking it as he usually did, he knocked it from my hand with a blunt paw and took my arm in his jaws. He put only enough pressure on it to make certain I would move when he did. Tugging my arm, he led me out of my study. When I finally stepped out, I heard Dee calling my name urgently from the kitchen. Now I pelted down the hall, Rubix following behind me.

"What's going on?" I asked skidding to a halt in the doorway. She was on the floor in a puddle of liquid. Thinking she had spilled something and slipped, I rushed over to her. "Are you ok?"

"My water broke, Eddie. And the contractions have started," she moaned clutching her belly.

"Crap. Let's get you up and to the hospital," I said, attempting to remain calm as I helped her off the floor and into a chair. "I'll go get your bag. Just sit there, ok?"

"Eddie! Eddie, I want clean clothing!" she begged.

"Ok, I'll bring it to you. Just stay there!"

Running back down the hall, I threw the closet door open, snatching up the hospital bag we had packed. Yanking open her pajama drawer, I pulled a gown out for her and grabbed her overcoat. From the bathroom I grabbed the towels and threw them on the kitchen floor the second I got back in there. No need for me to slip when I was helping her to the car. Carefully I helped her out of the dirty outfit she was wearing and into the gown. Wrapping her in her coat, I put my arm around her and helped her to the car.

"Get out of the way!" I bellowed, honking and swerving in time to miss hitting the car in front of me.

"Edward! Slow down!" Dee gasped, grabbing my arm. "I'll be ok! Just drive carefully!"

Her hand pinching down on my arm as she had another contraction did nothing to relieve my worry about her, but I did slow the car down. Each time she had a contraction, she would unconsciously half shift into a feline. The ring was going to have to go until she had delivered the baby. I wasn't about to let her go into childbirth and have her turn into a tiger or something in the middle of a push. Thankfully she didn't argue when I asked her to hand it over.

We made it to the birthing center where we had arranged for Dee to have the child. It was Gotham's newest facility, dedicated solely to natal care and the best in the city. Dee was quickly placed in a room and the nurses made her comfortable before contacting her doctor. I held her hand as she rested a bit while one of the nurses plaited her long hair into pigtail braids. She smiled at me and blushed when I squeezed her hand. Just then I was reminded of the first time I had seen her. It was brief and I hadn't seen her again for eight years, but I remembered it as if it were yesterday. Her hair had been in pigtail braids and she had blushed profusely when I smiled at her. Fifteen years later, I still felt the same spark of attraction I had on that day.

"What?" she finally said as the nurse left us alone.

"I was just thinking of that day at the carnival. You look just as beautiful right now as you did then," I told her.

Her face crinkled up and her eyes filled with tears. Putting a hand to my face, she said, "You're so sweet. Just tell me if you think that in a few hours when I get all sweaty and start screaming at you."

"I'll do my best," I chuckled. "Rest while you can. I'm going to make a couple phone calls. I'm sure you'll want Chu here soon enough."

Nodding, she put her head back against the pillows and closed her eyes. I left her with a kiss on the forehead and stepped out to the waiting area. Using my cell phone, I called and told Manchu that Dee had gone into labor. He told me he would be down before too long with Chu, Jiaoshu, and Li Mei. Chu was just putting their kids down to bed. I made a few other calls then, one to Renato canceling my reservation (he said he would make another crème brulee for Dee and bring it to her in a few days), one to Trigger, and one to Harvey.

"She's having the kid now?" Harvey asked.

"Not yet. She just went into labor about an hour or two ago. Listen, she's going to be a while. Would you do me a favor and find Trigger? I haven't been able to get a hold of him. Ask him if his sister would come and clean up the place a bit. Dee's water broke in the kitchen and I'd like her to come home to a clean house."

"I can do that. Pam's making me take her out tonight, but I'll swing by his place and let him know."

"Thanks, Harv. I need to get back to Dee. Stop by tomorrow if you want." I hung up then, and stopped at the coffee machine. "How're you doing?" I asked sitting back down.

"Good. One of the doctors just came in to check on me. I had a little nap. Did you get a hold of Manchu and Chu Hua?"

"Yup. They said they would come down to see you in a while."

"Why don't you go get yourself some dinner? You're probably hungry right now," she said patting my hand.

"I don't want to leave you right now though."

"Go. I want to sleep a bit more anyway. Get yourself some puzzle books while you're out. They said this might take a while and I know how you get when you have nothing else to do." She grinned at me and tugged my pinky.

"Ok. Just don't go having the baby till I get back." Leaning over, I gave her a long kiss and touched my forehead to hers. "You have your comm-unit. Let me know if I can bring you anything back."

Across the street from the center was an all-night diner. A few doors down was a bookstore. I hurried in before the clerk could close and scooped up a few crossword puzzle books. Paying for those, I made my way into the diner and sat at the counter. By the time I finished eating I had completed one book.

"So he didn't leave you," Chu said when I finally returned.

"I wasn't gone that long. Besides, she kicked me out," I said giving Dee a wink.

"I kicked him out because he was whining and complaining that I was taking too long. He said women always take too long to do everything," she teased in return. I was glad that she was in good spirits at the moment.

"Ok, all of you, out. I want to spend some time with my girl," I said.

"We'll be out in the hall. You holler if this guy gives you any trouble and I'll beat him for you, Xiaohu," Manchu said taking Chu by the hand. He gave me a light punch on the shoulder and left the room.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I put my arms around Dee. "How're the contractions?"

"Getting stronger. But it's ok. Chu gave me something for the pain."

I frowned. "You said you wouldn't take anything without telling me first, Dee."

"Oh, Eddie. She took it for both her births and Dr. Zhuang said it was fine. It's all-natural and it's been used for centuries, ok? I promised you I wouldn't have an epidural, but that doesn't mean I'm going through this all in pain. Because if it does, I'm going to take Manchu up on that offer and make him put you in pain every time I have a contraction."

This wasn't worth debating. Chu's children had been born healthy and I wasn't going to deny Dee the small comfort of whatever it was her friend had given her. Brushing her bangs back from her eyes, I gave her a kiss. "Did you want to get up and walk?"

She nodded and I helped her up. Dee stuffed her feet into the fuzzy slippers we had brought and wrapped her robe around herself. We walked the halls for twenty to thirty minutes at a time. Chu and Manchu took turns with me, returning her to bed to rest in between. This was the routine for the next five hours.

"You're fully dilated, Dee," said Dr. Zhuang around three in the morning. "Looks like it's time for you to start having this baby!"

"About damn time," she grumbled.

The contractions had taken their toll on her and now she wanted nothing more than to start pushing. Her hair was matted to her head with sweat and she was sucking down ice chips before they had time to even start melting. Chu and Manchu had left around one, promising her they would be back sometime in the morning. Dee was terribly upset to see Chu go and begged the other woman to stay. Chu had managed to convince Dee that she would be in better hands with me than with her. Now as I wiped her brow and fed her ice chips, I was beginning to doubt Chu's words.

"Ok, Dee. I want you to do your breathing and give me a good push. Ready?"

She nodded and spit the ice out into my waiting hand, taking my other hand in hers. Dropping the ice into the cup next to me, I took her other hand and gave her a comforting squeeze.

"Ready, Kitten? Deep breath..."

"Edward, that had better not be you talking right now. So help me if it is!" she growled through clenched teeth. "Do not open your mouth until this is kid is out, understand?!"

Shutting up now.

Manchu had told me all the things Chu had screamed at him when she gave birth. He reassured me that after the baby was out, Dee would be fine and calm down. Right now I was more worried about the grip she had on my hands as she bared down. However, I kept my silence, gritting my teeth while she squeezed my hands as she pushed.

"You're doing great, Dee! Keep it up. Breath and push," Dr. Zhuang said.

"Damnit, Eddie! I swear I am going to hurt you once this is all over! You are going to pay, buddy!"

"The baby's crowning! Just a couple more pushes now, Dee and it'll all be over."

Hurt me after? I thought, wincing as she squeezed my hands hard enough to make my knuckles pop. Kitten, after this, anything you do to me is going to feel great. Just remember that my hands are my life and you love them.

"C'mon, Dee! One more push!" cheered the doctor.

With what sounded like a cross between a roar and a scream, Dee gave one final push. Collapsing back on the pillows she panted and began to shake. I wiped the sweat off her face and kissed her forehead and actually felt the heat of tears on my cheeks as I heard the sound of our baby cry.

"You did a magnificent job, Kitten. I'm so proud of you," I said, not even caring that Dr. Zhuang had yet to tell us the sex of our baby.

"Eddie? Do you want to cut the cord?" she asked holding the mess of ropey tissue up and a pair of surgical scissors.

"Yeah, I do," I said, surprising myself. I snipped through the cord and looked at the squalling child as the nurses wiped it clean, trying to see if I had a son or a daughter. "What is it?"

Wrapping the baby up in a clean cloth, Dr. Zhuang brought the baby over to where Dee and I could both see it. "Congratulations, Eddie, Dee. You've got a beautiful baby boy," she beamed as she placed the baby on Dee's chest. "Have you decided on a name for him?"

It nuzzled at her chest and the nurse pulled Dee's gown back. We watched as the baby spent only a few seconds crying before he relaxed and took Dee's nipple into his mouth. A boy! I had a son! Our child wasn't going to be named Ethel Nigma. Our son was going to be...

"Edward Nigma Jr. I want to name him after his father. It's a good, strong name. He's going to be a great and good man just like his father." Dee smiled up at me as she cradled the baby to her. "Is that ok with you, Tiger? He just looks so much like you. I know we decided on..."

All right with me? I couldn't help myself then. I gave Dee one of the most passionate and loving kisses I ever had.
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