In Flames // 9-1-1 Fox (seasons 1-4)

ninety-three

"Alright, everything looks great! We'll see you in two weeks and we can talk about your birth plan in detail then. We're eight weeks away so that gives us good time to really solidify ideas," Dr Chen announced.

    At eight months pregnant, Mariana felt like a whale. Heartburn, back aches, and fatigue were her new daily companions and while she really loved her daughter, she was ready to get her out. Eddie helped her off of the bed and over to her shoes. He would never, ever say it out loud but seeing his fierce and fiery wife waddle was the highlight of his day.

    "We're doing a hospital birth, right?" she grunted when she finally settled into the passenger seat of her new car. Mariana refused to be a minivan mom, but her new SUV did make her feel a little more like a mom.

    "Unless you want to do a home birth," he replied innocently. Mariana narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips in serious contemplation. Not about the home birth.

    She was debating on making him sleep on the couch for even suggesting it.

    Sure, home births were fine. But the last thing she wanted to do was set up a tub in the middle of their new living room and push out a watermelon while a bunch of strangers watched. That was a hard, solid no from her.

    "Hospital birth," he agreed. "I was there for Christopher's birth and I want to be there for Peanut's."

    "You will, of course. It sucks that Athena can't be there." Hospital policy due to the pandemic limited one person in the room with the mother. There was no way in hell anyone but Eddie was going to be there. Athena and Bobby would be able to meet their granddaughter when they brought her home for the first time.

    Mariana let out a sharp hiss as a tiny foot connected neatly with her ribs. She rubbed a hand over her stomach and whispered out a curse as the kicking subsided. Eddie looked over at her, worry etched in his brows.

    "I'm fine, I promise. She just decided to try and make a field goal," she explained. "Ugh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be complaining."

    "Hey, you're growing a kid. That is serious work. Complain all you want, I can take it."

    "My back aches, my feet ache, I'm constantly peeing, I'm tired all of the time and I'm sure you've felt me move around a million times at night because I can't get comfortable, and I look huge and I have stretch marks on top of my stretch marks!"

    The car fell into silence and Eddie nodded slowly, his eyes wide as he looked at the traffic before them. "Okay."

    "You said you could take it!"

    "I did and I meant it. I'll rub your feet and your back when we get home. You can take a nap whenever you want. Kick me out of the bed if you want. And finally, you don't look huge. You look like someone who is pregnant. You're literally growing a baby inside of you. Yeah, you used to work out all the time and you can't right now, but that doesn't make you any less beautiful or strong. You can go back to lifting and running soon. And the stretch marks? I know you don't see it this way but literally nothing is hotter than when I look at you and see those on you and know that you are my wife and the mother of our kids and only I get to touch you."

    Mariana looked over at him, a small smile playing on her lips. She shook her head and rolled her eyes, fighting the urge to break into a wide grin.

    "You possessive ass," she muttered.

    "Ah ah! Peanut can hear you."

    ///

    The bed was empty. Eddie wasn't going to panic, not at all. His wife was a highly capable woman who was only eight months pregnant with their child and waddling around like it was March of the Penguins. He wasn't worried at all.