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

ninety-four

"The boys are safe and sound at Hen and Karen's for a sleepover, the trash can has been brought in, and-" Eddie listed off.

"And Buck is here to save the day!" a voice called from the front door. Mariana looked to the heavens in thanks. The last thing she wanted to do was cook dinner right now and take out didn't sound good whatsoever. Eddie's cooking was also a no go for obvious reasons.

He headed for the living room where Mariana was seated on an exercise ball in front of the TV. Her long hair was pulled into a messy bun and Buck had to stop himself from making fun of the glasses perched on her nose.

"How are we doing?" he asked, leaning down to hug his adopted sister. She gratefully squeezed his shoulder as he pulled away, looking down at her stomach. "Geez, Mari, you're-"

"Huge. I know," she laughed, placing a hand on her baby bump. "Peanut wants to stay in there it seems while her dad and I would love to see her any day now."

"Maybe not tonight," Eddie called as he headed to the kitchen. "It's supposed to storm."

Mari rolled her eyes at his protective nature. "He's been a nervous wreck ever since we hit thirty-seven weeks. I figured he was a mess at the firehouse too."

"Oh absolutely," Buck assured her.

"Well forgive me for being nervous. I want to make sure this all goes right," Eddie vowed. "I wasn't there until Christopher's birth so I don't really know what to expect."

"Hey, you two have at least seen a birth. Other than a few field deliveries, I'm flying blind." Mariana shot her husband a pointed look and he sighed, dropping a kiss to her cheek.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Hey, no more of that. With Chris and Diego at Hen's, Uncle Buck is here to make sure you two eat a real meal."

"I absolutely love you," Mari declared. "Don't let anyone else hear that or I'll have to take you out."

"Oh yeah? You're thirty-nine weeks pregnant. Are you really going to fight me?"

"Don't test her," Eddie groaned. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head as she glared at him. Eddie paused in his steps when she reached up to grab his arm, her breathing hitching as she held onto the coffee table in front of her. He helped her up into a standing position and she instantly relaxed.

"If Braxton-Hicks hurt this bad, I cannot imagine what actual contractions are going to feel like," she grunted. "Buck, I'm coming to grill you on your date. I want to hear everything."

"You give me headaches."

"It's called payback."

They had just sat down to eat some convoluted pasta dinner Buck had whipped up when the storm finally hit. Thunder shook the house and rain lashed at the window and Mariana just couldn't find it in herself to eat. She poked and prodded and pushed the noodles around on her plate but the cramping in her pelvis wasn't helping.

The lights flickering caught everyone's attention and Eddie and Buck stopped their argument about which LAFD shirt was better to check outside.

"Travis said that they're reporting outages on the north side of town. Trees knocked over the power lines. It's windy out there. He was going to swing by after work but they need him to stay longer," Buck reported as he read his texts.

"Been there, done that," Mariana muttered as she stood up, pressing a hand against her lower back in an effort to relieve pressure there. "Damn."

Eddie immediately joined her side, rubbing his hand along her back to help. "Hey, I thought Braxton-Hicks were supposed to feel better if you stand?"

She nodded wordlessly and laid her elbows on the granite countertops of their kitchen, letting out a frustrated huff of pain. Eddie flagged Buck's attention and motioned to his wrist to indicate he should time this. As soon as she could stand up straight again, Buck stopped his timer.

"That was fifty seven seconds. Mari...that wasn't a Braxton-Hicks."

"Yeah, I think I'm figuring that out now," she panted. "Can someone please call Dr. Chen and let her know that I'm in labor?"

And because nothing can ever go right for the Diaz-Ramirez's, the power went out the second she shut her mouth. For a moment, there was an eerie stillness in the dark. Mariana inhaled deeply to try and stay calm before she turned in the direction she had seen her husband in last.

"Eddie?"

"...Yes?"

"Did the power just go out?"

"Yes dear."

"And I'm in active labor?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Buck can you grab the flashlights out of the farthest right hand drawer? Eddie go light some candles and then call the doctor."

The two men sprung into action, shuffling around the kitchen and finding their way from the light of their phones. Mariana sat down in a kitchen chair and focused on her breathing, her hand stroking circles over her stomach.

"You're already making it difficult for us," she sighed. "You are definitely my daughter."

Another contraction began to build and she bent forward, a low groan escaping her lips. Like magic, Eddie appeared in front of her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and let her cling onto him as she waited through the contraction. He timed it with his phone, talking with the doctor as they waited.

"Alright, that was a minute long and that was three minutes after her last contraction. Are we good?"

"Mr Diaz, your wife is in active labor. I would recommend you coming to the hospital as soon as possible but with this weather, I have no idea what the conditions are like near your house. If it's unsafe to drive, then I'm afraid you might have to deliver there."

Silence.

You would have thought that the doctor had just asked them to punt a kitten over a fence before stealing candy from a baby. Pure horror spread across Eddie's face and Mariana gripped the table with white knuckles. She pushed herself up into a standing position in an attempt to relieve the pressure.

"Okay, what if we call an ambulance?" Eddie suggested.

"That might be possible. I know that you three are all first responders and have experience delivering babies. Should you need help, I will have my phone on me at all times and please keep me updated frequently. No one expected the storm to be this bad."

"Thanks doc." He hung up and slid his phone into his pocket. "I sent Buck to check on the power and see if it's just us."

As if on cue, the blond ran back inside, dripping wet. He shook his head with a grimace, face illuminated by the candles. "Power is out all down the street. Two trees fell and took out the lines and are blocking the roads."

"Did you call 911?" Mari gasped out as a contraction hit.

"Yes."

"AND?!" the couple shouted in unison.

"They're on their way but the road is blocked. Could be another hour or two before they're through."

"Yeah, yeah we can do that. We've got this, sweetheart. Think you can do this for another hour or two?"

Mariana raised her head just as amniotic fluid splashed onto the floor at her feet. She turned her head to look at her husband and squinted at him through narrowed, murderous eyes.

"Your daughter says no."

A/N: bahaha I wrote 3k words in 3 hours for the past two chapters I have 0 chill I was just so excited