#TWO MORE SLEEPS UNTIL I UNDERSTAND WHAT 'an experienced staff member at the temple of silence' FROM AL-HAITHAM'S OUTFIT DESC MEANS

[cor-lapis]

just two more sleeps.... two more sleeps until cyno day..........

[bugheadtrash]

Yeah It’s Always Better When We’re Together

Prompt Request: 82. “Just breathe, okay?” 88. “I’m better now that you’re here.” - Requested by @bugheadobssesed as a peraltiago pregnancy fic. Here you go, love! Hope you enjoy. 

Amy winces as yet another contraction courses through her body. She pushes out a steady stream of air as she looks at her watch, 8 minutes 20 seconds. A little closer together but still... too sporadic. She's fine. She just needs to relax. Deep breaths, Amy. Calm, relax, it's all fine. She repeats this mantra in her head, tapping her fingers against her desk nervously. Admittedly, she isn't sure everything is fine. The baby isn't due for another 3 weeks, Jake left for a stake out with Rosa a little over an hour ago, and Charles is heating up leftovers in the precinct, despite multiple requests from basically everyone to stop doing that.     Needless to say, now is not the time for Baby Santiago-Peralta to make an appearance. She has a plan and today—here, now—is not part of her thorough delivery agenda. 

Another contraction. Just six minutes after the last one and continuing for nearly a minute. She can feel her entire uterus closing in on itself, and its worse than any menstrual cramp she’s ever experienced. She wants to curse whoever told her ‘oh it’s just like PMS-ing’.  Amy bites her lip and clenches her arms around her stomach, trying to avoid yelling out a profanity and causing a scene. She thinks it works until she looks up from her desk to see both Terry and Charles rushing to her desk. She waves them off with a hand, "I'm fine, really." There's that word again. Fine. It's fine. She's fine. Really. 

 The two men standing in front of her clearly are not convinced, but after a signature Santiago glare, they back down. 

***

 It's shortly after the fifth contraction (still over five minutes apart, it's fine) that her cellphone rings and Jake's name appears. Amy takes a deep breath and counts to three before answering the phone. Logically, she knows she should tell Jake what’s going on, but he is going to try to convince her to go to the hospital. Doesn’t he know that she isn’t ready for that yet? There’s no point avoiding him now though because she is sure someone— ahem, Charles—ratted her out.  

"Hello?"

 "Ames?" His voice is calm but knowing, like he has already prepared for the protest she is about to give. 

 "Yeah babe, what's up? How's the stakeout?" 

 There is silence and then, "Seriously? 'How's the stakeout' - nice try. How are the contractions, more like it?”

 "Oh. That. Yeah, it's fi-" Amy sucks in quickly, this one comes after four minutes and 57 seconds. Hardly what she would consider under five minutes. Slowly, she exhales and focuses on steadying her breath. In and out, just like she learned in her Lamaze classes.

 "Do you think it's time to go to the hospital? Charles can sub in for me here; I can meet you there.”

Under different circumstances, Amy would be impressed with how cool and collected Jake is (she fully expected him to be freaking out), but she can't think about that right now. Finally, relief comes after just forty-five second. Her uterus relaxes and her organs feel back in place.

"I'm fine. Really, Jake. I promise I will go to the hospital when it's time, but right now there's too much to do. Besides, you aren't here, and we aren't due for three weeks. I only have my just-in-case-emergency hospital bag with me not my it's-time-for-the-baby hospital bag.”

 More silence. 

 "Jake-" 

 "Ames, you know the baby will come when she or he wants to come and not when you feel ready, right? And I hate to say it, but I don't know if we'll ever be as ready as you want. But I promise you, Ames, you are ready for this," his voice is soft and so full of love.

"How can you say that? I'm not ready for this Jake, oh my god. I was supposed to have another three weeks. What if something is wrong? This isn't supposed to happen right now," Amy can feel the tears swelling in her eyes, the hot sting relentless as she desperately tries to get Jake to understand, “We've barely touched the surface of our One-Month-Until-Baby binder, I have more work to do, it's not - I'm not - I just mean, everything is going to change and I'm just not ready and—”

 “Shh, Ames, it’s okay baby. You’re okay, just breathe,” Jake continues to soothe her as more tears fall and she hiccups, trying to catch her breath, “You have to listen to me, okay? Amy… Ames, do you know why I’m not freaking out? Why I’m not scared about becoming a father even though my own dad sucked? Because of you. You have only ever made me a better detective, person, boyfriend, husband and I have no doubt, a better father. You make everything better. This baby is so damn lucky to have you. I know you’re scared and worried about the change and if you’ll be good enough, but you need to take a step back. Yes, everything is going to change, but it’s going to be better. And you are enough, right now. You were enough 9 months ago before you started reading books and planning in your crazy excessive binders and you are enough now. I promise you, you just have to trust me. Can you do that?”

 “I love you so much,” Amy is full on sobbing now, which should be embarrassing given the fact that she is surrounded by cops and criminals alike, but she can’t bring herself to care. Before Jake can respond, another contraction hits and she doesn't need to look at the timer to know it's been less than five minutes. This time, she doesn't try to hide her pain and wails out. 

 She hears Jake hiss on the other line, "It's time, Ames."

***

The next 20 minutes is a blur. Terry drives her to Brooklyn Methodist while Charles goes to finish Jake's stakeout. Despite Amy's warnings that it's improper use of their authority, Terry throws the sirens on and they get to the hospital in record time. After informing the staff that her contractions have been pushing three minutes apart, she is quickly ushered to the Labor & Delivery Unit. Everything is happening so quickly, and Jake still isn't with her. If the contractions weren't keeping her otherwise preoccupied, she'd be freaking out for that reason alone. But god, she is in so much pain and just wants it to be over. Amy doesn’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that it literally feels like a freight train keeps ramming into her stomach.

 It's not until after they give her the epidural (which Amy describes as the most euphoric experience - sweet relief from the pain) that Jake finally opens the door to her room. He's grinning from ear to ear and holding a bouquet of Amy's favorite flowers, "It's happening!!!" 

 Amy smiles, feeling content as she watches her monitor and sees (note sees-- not feels. This epidural thing is amazing) what looks to be a huge contraction, "Yeah, it is."

 "How are you feeling?" Jake takes the seat next to her bed, kissing her forehead as he sits down. 

 "I'm better now that you're here." 

***

 Over the course of the hour, members of the squad trickle their way into Amy’s room. Even Gina makes it. When she hugs Amy and murmurs something about how amazing motherhood is, Amy tears up again. She wishes she could capture this moment—a rare ‘Gina is actually my friend’ moment—forever. When Charles and Rosa arrive, they tell her and Jake all about the end of the stakeout. 

 “You should have seen Boyle. Literally crying while reading through the Miranda rights,” Rosa describes, “I’ve never seen anything like it. The perp was so confused.”

 “I can’t help it! We are about to meet the summation of your love for each other, who wouldn’t be emotional?” Charles explains, and the whole room groans.  

 “Ugh, why do you make everything so weird?” Jake is laughing so hard and his eyes are crinkled. Amy takes a mental picture of her husband and their weird co-workers/friends. This baby is going to have the best life with the best people.

 The squad is a good distraction from what's about to happen. Their families arrive too, each taking turns to spend time with Jake and Amy. The entire time, Jake is by her side, grasping her hands in his own. His smile hasn’t faded. She's never seen him quite so giddy. It's a good look on him.

 Eventually, the doctor comes in and tells her it's time. Jake squeezes her hand again before he leaves to get in scrubs. Amy is so scared, but at the same time she’s never experienced such anticipated joy in her life—it’s almost time. She's almost a mom. 

 ***

 Several hours later, Amy is leaning against Jake, purely exhausted but running on so much adrenaline she can't sleep. Jake is cradling their baby, a daughter they've named Ella. Visitors have since come and gone, and it's now just their small family. Ella is sleeping soundly, bundled in a soft knitted blanket Karen made for her with a matching bow covering her dark, curly hair. Her eyelashes are long and thick, and Amy is certain she's never seen anything so beautiful. 

 Jake presses a kiss to Amy's temple and speaks so softly, "You did amazing, baby. I'm so proud of you." 

 She blushes, leaning further into his side and gently brushing her finger across Ella's cheek, "You were right, Jake. This is so much better." 

 ***

The End. 

Also on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18042836