The Man With The Umbrella

- 65 -

It started with a tremor engulfing Amelia's hand before she even really considered the thought that she was beginning to go through the precise manner of labour.

She was in the spare room adding final touches to Mycroft's full portrait as the Ice-Man; showing Emily her brushstroke techniques to improve her own artwork when she gasped lightly and clenched her eyes shut.

It was in the mid-day of Tuesday in November. Whilst the Holmes and Watson trio of men were at Sherrinford, Amelia was bracing herself on the stool she sat on as another painful contraction hit her.

She bent forward and gulped her vocal outburst down as she bravely faced the contraction keeping it conscious within her mind that the pain was only temporary and the aftermath would be beautiful as she would finally get to see her son.

Sniffing in relief, she turned to Emily. "How long was that?" Clicking her stopwatch on her phone, Emily smiled. "Sixty seconds and judging that there was no gradual build up to your contraction, would it be safe to say that you are in labour, Amy?" She asked inquisitively after her deduction.

Amelia huffed out a laugh before wiggling on her stool slightly to feel a wet patch beneath her. "You could be just right, lovely." Amelia breathed out delicately. "Could you get my -" Emily was quick to open Amelia's handbag and brandish her phone. Amelia laughed softly. "Thank you."

Unlocking her phone and pressing speed dial, she spoke. "Merlin -"

"A car is on its way, Aurora. Don't worry about Emily, I've got it handled." Merlin spoke immediately after a single ring. "Thank you, Merlin." She graced whilst hanging up.

Emily was quick to have her arms out to steady Amelia if needed as she stood, to which Amelia shook off before kissing her head. "Come on..." She guided the young girl on.

"Can I trust you again to be by yourself until an agent comes round to look after you?" Amelia asked as they walked slowly to the living room. Emily nodded briskly. "I promise I'll be good." Emily agreed.

"Okay." The pregnant woman breathed out slowly before slamming her fist onto the mahogany table, leaning her hands onto it and swaying her hips. "Merlin, do hurry up!" She shouted to the cameras installed at the flat before moaning a little in pain.

Ten seconds later, Jolene came running in with a swift kick to the door. "Amy?!" Jolene called only for Emily to gesture to the living room. "Aurora love, we need to get you to the hospital. Molly's on standby waiting."

"Alright, are you going to look after Emily?" Jolene nodded sweetly. "Yes, I am. Come on." She lead on whilst quickly slipping Mycroft's dressing gown around her form for decency of the wet patch on her yoga pants.

Guiding her to the car, Jolene carefully placed her in and kissed her on her clammy cheek. "Joe, I can't do this." Amelia panicked. "No, you can. You can. Fight through it." Jolene spoke in quiet encouragement whilst stroking the panicked woman's shoulders slightly. "Don't worry about Emily or Viola. They are safe, I promise." She jested on before closing the door and patting the roof of the car once, signalling for the driver to move.

***

With a head leaning on her hand as her other arm shook, Amelia was rushed through the halls belonging to St Bart's in a wheelchair. Merlin pushed Amelia briskly as they reached the lift and as the doors shut to take them up a level, she leaned forward with hands moving to her stomach as she lifted her head back to scream in pain.

Merlin was to say, a little startled by the sound and his head jutted in fright. He felt bad that he could do nothing more for her at the moment and as the lifts doors opened back up on a new level, he pushed Amelia through with a newer found motivation.