It was amazing how much easier it was to deal with a dangerous world that hated and feared you when you had someone in your life to love and focus on. SUPER was no less of a threat out in the world, but Rebecca was allowing herself a rare personal break to put aside X-Men problems to pay appropriate attention to the things that kept her going.

Having Jesse back led to a major change in Rebecca’s mood and, seemingly, her world view. The X-Leader had become much more amicable to just about everyone who crossed paths with her, she was more patient, and she just… smiled more.

Things with Jesse were like a dream she had for two years and was suddenly living out for real. They might as well have been a newlywed couple, because they were just thrilled to have any moment together that they could. Becca could not get enough of the time she got to share with her spouse; she could never imagine taking Jesse for granted after all they went through.

Rebecca was finally (begrudgingly) at the point where she was making less frequent visits to the base or the bar. She was pregnant enough that she could not fight and general day-to-day work activities were becoming exhausting. She could keep in contact with the team, but more often than not, she was sticking around the apartment. Another thing that was actually a lot easier with Jesse around.

They were actually settling in for a quiet afternoon together. It had been a long time since Rebecca spent much time watching any kind of television, but her doppelganger heavily endorsed the show “Grey” when she lent her the first season boxset. It sounded like trashy drama, and Rebecca was ready to clear her mind and enjoy the trash.

Jesse was in the kitchen getting snacks ready while Rebecca navigated the menu options. She felt an awful tightness in her gut. ”Hey honey? Maybe leave the pickles in the fridge. I know I said, ‘bring me pickles or face the consequences,’ but my tummy’s feeling kinda… off.” It was not like that upset stomach feeling was anything new, but it felt different than normal. It felt like—

Pop.

It was an odd, unexpected sensation, and as soon as Rebecca felt a trickling and a wetness in her sweatpants, everything clicked. She steadied her breath, determined to handle things calmly for as long as possible. ”Um, Jesse? The show might have to wait. My water just broke.” She managed to say it with only the tiniest hint of anxious nerves in her level tone. It wasn’t like she was about to give birth for the first time or anything, right?

It was a nice, quiet afternoon. No emergencies, no work, no missions. The team was handling itself (as even Becca admitted, although begrudgingly), and wince they were at the tail end of the pregnancy, the fearless X-leader had been confined to the couch, and occasionally waddling about the apartment complaining about being bored.
Jesse loved all of this.

It was just so... normal. They never had much normal to go around. Definitely not enough. Jesse even took on a plumper body to put her wife in a better mood, although she insisted Becca looked gorgeous just as she was. She did.

And now all that was left to do was make some sandwiches and watch some bad TV. Perfection. Jesse hummed as she piled things onto a tray.

>> ”Hey honey? Maybe leave the pickles in the fridge. I know I said, ‘bring me pickles or face the consequences,’ but my tummy’s feeling kinda… off.”

"I'm sorry honey." Jesse pouted, putting the pickle jar back into the fridge. Becca had all kinds of moods lately, and strange things that came along with the pregnancy. Sometimes it was pickles, sometimes it was no pickles. Jesse would have bet on having to stand up in five minutes again to go and get the pickles anyw...

>>”Um, Jesse? The show might have to wait. My water just broke.”

Jesse froze for a moment. The words were not entirely unexpected, but hearing them made them a reality. This was happening. This was definitely happening. Right about now.

Jesse slammed the tray down and returned to the living room in a hurry, a mix of excitement and fear clearly visible in her face as she landed on the couch next to Becca.

"Whoa! That's... are you okay? Does it hurt?"

Rebecca was a planner; it was how she dealt with major criminals. She followed information and planned out the best way to put herself between a criminal and their success. If she had not been such a planner, she might never have caught Jesse and they might never have ended up on the path to marriage, a happy life, and children.

Apparently, Rebecca’s new child wanted to prove from the get go that she did not care about plans. Rebecca sat there, stunned and wet as her brain tried to process what was going on: It’s time!

Jesse was also not expecting the new arrival so soon, and she was clearly filled with a lot of high energy emotions when she returned to the living room. Did it hurt? It was a good question, as suddenly, Rebecca was finding it hard to focus on anything besides thoughts of her baby’s imminent arrival. ”Huh? Oh, er, it’s like cramps. It’s not bad yet. What a night to not be at the office,” she grumbled. ”We should get to the hospital, fast.” The last thing she wanted was to dilly-dally and end up giving birth at the apartment or in transit.

Becca was sitting in a puddle of water, ready to have a baby. This was most definitely happening.

>>”Huh? Oh, er, it’s like cramps. It’s not bad yet. What a night to not be at the office,”

At least she was not screaming like they did in the movies. That did not mean she was not in pain, though. She was Impact, after all. Jesse wrapped her wife in a hug, pressing a kiss to her temple. The next hours were going to be hard. But if anyone could to it like a boss, it was Becca.

>>”We should get to the hospital, fast.”

Oh. Right.

"Okay. I'll..." Jesse got up and went to the bedroom, returning a moment later with dry pants "Put these on. I'll grab the baby bag and the keys."

Mirrorwalking Becca anywhere had never been a plan. Or even a backup plan. The last thing Jesse wanted was to get stuck in there again, or even worse, get Becca stuck too. No one needed to deliver a baby in the mirrorworld. So, a couple of days earlier, they borrowed a car (X-men expenses and all that), which was now parked outside.

Jesse returned with the bag and the keys, and a coat for Becca.

"Alright, ready to go?..." she offered her free arm to help her "Should we be like... timing... things?"

It was honestly frustrating. Rebecca worked in a hospital technically. Had she not been convinced to work from home by everyone on the X-Team, she could have taken a quick elevator ride down to a delivery room. Instead, she had to find a way over to the hospital from her apartment.

The obvious, quickest way to the hospital sounded like it would be the mirror world, but after everything the Grey family went through, they were all hesitant to step back into that world, particularly with their baby ready to make a grand entrance. If they got stuck there again, they would be raising a baby in a mirror prison, and it was an unspoken agreement that they were both too nervous about the idea to risk it.

The kiss to her temple helped her know she could get through this. She had Jesse, and that was everything she could ask for. Though having a car was also a plus, since the last thing she wanted was to give birth in a stranger’s car. She would have to thank the MRO X-Men, who had been so gracious to lend them a team car. Sometimes, it was nice to have friends with a budget.

Rebecca shimmied into the loose pair of yoga pants, still amazed at all the ways her figure had changed during pregnancy, and curious what she would be like once she was done giving birth and dear God in heaven, she was about to give birth. The revelation distracted her and she almost missed Jesse’s question. ”Huh? Oh, um, contractions. I think we track contracti—ngh.” She was caught mid-sentence as she felt her stomach tighten and a low, dull ache in her abdomen. ”Okay, okay, I think that’s one if you’ve got some timer. Let’s get to the car, fast please?” Rebecca wrapped her arm around Jesse’s clinging tightly as they exited the apartment.

How fast did babies usually make an entrance? They made it look very fast in movies. But that was probably an editing thing, right? Jesse vaguely remembered knowing that labor could take hours. Or minutes. Either or. Either way, it was just their luck not being at the hospital right now. She put an arm around Becca as they left the apartment.

>>”Huh? Oh, um, contractions. I think we track contracti—ngh.... Okay, okay, I think that’s one if you’ve got some timer. Let’s get to the car, fast please?"

Jesse did not really have a timer. She glanced on her phone to note the time, as they walked out of the building and to the car. She opened the passenger door first for Becca, and then got in herself, throwing the bag to the back seat. The hospital was not terribly far, but she could only hope they would not get stuck in traffic. Like in movies.
Why did so many movies have scenes like this?

"You can do this honey" she said as she pulled out of the parking space "Just... hold on, okay?"

Yeah, okay. She was a little freaked out.

Rebecca found it significantly harder to think about the many baby books and websites she had read (between X-Work, of course) now that there was a baby planning on making an escape from her body. She was always so good under pressure, but that was in the face of gunfire or SUPER troopers or mutant powers. The new challenge was inside her, and she could not laser blast child birth.

Thankfully, Rebecca was not alone. Having Jesse with her was a steadying force, not just figuratively, but literally, as her spouse helped prop her up as they walked out of the apartment. She shuffled into the passenger’s seat of the car, silently praying for good luck on the roads. It was late, but it was also New York, and no one should ever drive in New York if they can help it.

Before panic could set in, Jesse’s calming voice was reassuring her she could do it. Rebecca already felt hot and wisps of red hair were starting to plaster to her forehead. She felt anxious and emotional, but she also believed Jesse.

She could do this. They were together. This was happening.

She felt the water welling in her eyes, (again, emotional,) and she put a hand on Jesse’s thigh as they pulled out. ”It’s happening, Jesse. We’re doing this. We’re gonna have a baby.” She smiled wide and a few heavy tears slid down her freckled cheeks.

And then a contraction hit and she was squeezing Jesse’s thigh instead. ”Drive fast,” she managed through clenched teeth.

They made it to, and into, the car okay. They were on their way to the hospital to have a baby. This was normal, right? People did this every day. Jesse smiled as Becca put a hand on her thigh.

>> ”It’s happening, Jesse. We’re doing this. We’re gonna have a baby.”

"We are" Jesse smiled back "Although please let's not have it in this car. The other Becca will kill me."

>>”Drive fast,”

Oh, she did. She probably broke a few laws, but not enough to endanger them. Luckily, the roads were not backed up, and the hospital was not far away. Jesse divided her attention between getting there safely, fast, and keeping an eye on how Becca was going. She was not yelling yet, but then again, did women always yell? She was still an X-man, after all.

"Alright, I'm just gonna pull up right here" she noted, pulling up to the closest hospital entrance when they got there "And I'll park when we got you squared away." she was already getting the bag out of the back seat before she walked around to open the door for Becca "Want to wait for the next one before we walk?"

There was a practical part of Rebecca that knew what was happening to her was not special or out of the ordinary. Plenty of people ended up driving to a hospital so they could have their first baby. There were probably other women in the same situation at the same time somewhere; maybe even in New York.

None of that mattered, because the only thing that mattered in the world was Rebecca's family having one new addition. She loved Astrid and always would, but she knew immediately she was going to love this new life too, because she would be the best parts of her and Jesse. What else mattered than ushering that girl into the world safely?

It was great that two years in the mirror world did not leave Jesse without any driving ability, because the way she was driving, a more focused Becca might have feared for her life. Instead, she was focusing on the growing physical sensation that the baby was not going to give her much more time. She focused on her breathing and groaning through pains.

They pulled the car near the entrance and Jesse was ready to help her out before asking if she wanted to wait for the next contraction. How long had it been since the last one? "I could be f--oh--nnnNNNG!" She gripped the car seat, leaving finger indentations, groaning and yelping as they rode out the contraction.

Finally, it started to ebb, though she was not feeling as solid between contractions as she was before. "Okay, okay. Let's go now." She let her spouse offer her an arm and they took quick steps into the hospital, Becca's eyes darting for the nearest nurse. Jules would be ideal, but realistically, any nurse would do at that point.

Honestly, Jesse forgot the timing somewhere along the way (she was too focused on not crashing into anyone), but if she had to guess, she would have said that they needed to be inside the hospital right the **** now. Once Becca got to breathe again, she helped her wife out of the car, kicked the door shut, and more carried than supported Becca through the doors. This was the hard part, right? They were surrounded by medical professionals now. All good.

"BABY ON THE WAY!" she announced as some nurses already noticed their entry, and came running, one with a wheelchair. Good. "Look, we actually made it to the hospital..." Jesse chuckled as she helped Becca along.

There were days during Jesse’s time in the mirrors that Rebecca had moments of weakness. She considered how it could be so easy to just give up and move on. She had moments where she wondered if she could be happy with someone like Geo who was still part of the physical world and who could be there when she needed someone to hold or to hold her.

Rebecca was glad she never gave into those stray thoughts. Jesse was the kind of spouse anyone would be lucky to have, because she was always going to do everything in her power to be there for Rebecca. She could have sworn she was off her feet for half the trip into the hospital as Jesse whisked her inside and shouted for help.

Since they worked in the hospital building, Rebecca recognized some of the nurses, including the one approaching with a wheelchair. Months earlier, Rebecca was sure she would just power through the experience and the wheelchairs could be saved for people who needed them. Now, with a baby trying to stage a daring escape through her body, she gladly sank down into the seat so she could get off her swollen feet and focus on the mounting pressure.

As they were wheeled toward a delivery room, Rebecca reached for and squeezed Maya’s hand. ”Stay close. Stay and—nng, be here and I can do this. Jesse Grey,” she said through labored, exasperated breaths, ”I really hope you’re ready to meet the most badass little baby in history.”

The nurses knew what they were doing, and the one that came to the rescue with the wheelchair was familiar. They had done the risky part, and made it to the hospital. Jesse spent enough time there to know to trust people with taking good care of Becca. Not that she was going anywhere, anyway. But still.

>>”Stay close. Stay and—nng, be here and I can do this. Jesse Grey, I really hope you’re ready to meet the most badass little baby in history.”

"Oh, I'm not even remotely ready" Jesse grinned as they moved to the delivery room "But I love the idea."

Was anyone ever ready to be a parent? Probably not. Jesse did not have the slightest clue about how she was going to fare with an infant. But there really was no way to back out now, and the excitement definitely trumped the worries.

Jesse was glad that she picked a sturdier body for the day, because this following part was definitely not easy. Mostly for Becca, but Jesse did what she could, propping her up, holding her hand, letting her lean on her when she needed. There was no way anyone was going to kick her out of that room. She had spent enough time in the mirrors to not want to be apart from her family ever again.

It was nice to know Jesse would always be honest with her, even when she did nearly have a heart attack when Jesse said she was not ready for their baby. Becca was almost going to tell her to get ready damn fast, but she should have known better; Jesse always knew the right thing to say.

Maybe they both were not ready. She only started raising Astrid as a child, not an infant. It was a whole new game, and there would be times when the perfectionist team leader would screw up and fail. But through it all, she’d have the best partner she could ask for at her side. They were led into their hospital room, and there was no question that Jesse would be beside her.

Jules had made jokes leading up to the day that Becca probably didn’t need an epidural or drugs, so she would not need to schedule one. Becca quickly and vocally addressed those thoughts and the nurses were ready to take care of her. It was a very good thing, because as it turns out, Becca was not going to be blessed with quick labor.

Hours of labor later, Rebecca’s red hair was plastered to her face with sweat and a nurse was trying to keep her calm. Trying.

“Misses Grey, you are so clos--”

”Oh sod off telling me I’m close! I’ve been close for a bloody hour!” Rebecca looked to Jesse, whose hand was being held by the Brit’s vice grip, with eyes that plead to either make everything stop or to make everyone stop talking. It was hard to be rational in a moment like this.

There was a reason pushing a baby out was called labor. Becca did her very best, as any mother would do, but nature took its sweet damn time cooperating with the process. According to the doctors, it was looking to be quick and smooth, but some hours later that statement had been proven to be a lie. At least by Jesse's definition of those words. Still, they had been reassured that they were on track, with no intervention needed. Becca looked a little worse for the wear, and definitely out of patience when it came to people who told her to breathe and relax.

"You think the kid would come out faster if we offered some candy?" Jesse ventured, foreshadowing her parenting philosophy. Becca held her arm in a vice-like grip, which was far from comfortable, but it was only fair that the dad/othermom would also have to bear some of the pain.

"Any minute now" the doctor noted from the other end of the bed "You are doing great!"

"Of course she is" Jesse smirked. Leader of the X-men. Not that she was going to say that out loud.