Prego and the Phoenix 🐇↩️✔

Arabella - Twenty-Eight

Time is not linear. Time is not fun. Time is not your friend. Time is a bitch.

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As soon as I feel water running down my leg, I know that I am about to go into labor. Bourne leaves me to fight with Trevor and fear that I will have to give birth in the midst of everything. Just then, I see a car pull up and Alexis gets out of the car along with Lochner and they run to me. Or well, Alexis does because Humphrey has gotten a hold of Lochner.
"Are you alright, chica?"
"My water broke... I'm going to have the baby."
"Calm down and walk slowly to the car with me. I will get you to hospital."
I hold onto her for support and a contraction hits me so hard that I halt and squeeze Alexis' shoulder to regain my composure. I hear Alexis hiss at my clenching but she endures and the contraction passes. I get into the car and as soon as I sit, another contraction hits and this time it is no laughing matter.
"Just hold on, chica. I'll get you there."
Her encouragements are great and everything but all I can think about is trying to keep my pushing before needed and if Bourne is alright. I want him to see the baby but I need to know he's alive. He said he loved me with such finality... with such regret... It hurt and I had to know that he was going to be fine.

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Alexis runs into the hospital and grabs a wheelchair, helping me sit in it and rushes me back inside. The docts take over as soon as I get there and I am surprised to hear a familiar voice.
"How far along are the contractions?"
"Dad?" I ask, looking behind me.
Out of all the world, I would have never expected my own father to be the one to deliver my baby.
"Arabella?" he asks, looking down at me.
"Are you going to deliver my baby, Dad?"
"Seems so... How far are your contractions?"
"Like a couple of minutes apart."
"When did your water break?"
"About an hour ago. It took a while to get here... Daddy, I'm scared."
Dad puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes.
"I'll be here, princess."
Those four words are all I need to hear as I am rushed to the delivery room. They get me changed and onto the bed and as embarrassing as it is, my father peaks under the gown and tisks.
"She's already crowning. We need a nurse STAT!"
"Bourne!" I yell, scared and in a lot of pain from the contractions.
"When I tell you, sweetheart, you're going to push, alright? Ready?"
"No! Bourne! Where is Bourne?!" I scream, flailing for anyone to grab.
"Push, Arabella! Now!"
A primal sort of scream erupts from me as I push my baby out, the proverbial watermelon through the eye of a needle. I scream Bourne's name over and over again, but he never comes... he never comes...

********************************

I open my eyes and look around, seeing that it isn't my room. I recognize the hospital and move around a little. Someone moves at my leg and Alexis raises her head.
"Arabella..."
"I'm alive..."
She chuckles. "Ai, chica, you are alive..."
"Where's Bourne? Why isn't he here?"
Her eyes turn misty and she grabs my hand. I look down at it and she gulps for a moment.
"He is gone."
What feels like an anchor smashes into me and I just burst into tears. My boyfriend is dead? How could that be? He's a phoenix! He shouldn't be dead!
"But-but-but- I thought he was a ph-ph-phoenix!" I wail.
Alexis wraps her arms around me as I cry some more, not able to contain my tears. She smooths my hair and I continue to cry, not really understanding what could have happened and why he's dead. The only one I could ever love...
"Alexis, what happened? Why is he dead?"
She pulls away from me and wipes her eyes, wiping mine as well and she smiles sadly at me.
"From what Lochner told me, it was a very epic battle. He said that they battled for a while until the phoenixi inside both of them started to use their bodies to battle each other. From what Lochner say, they glowed of fire and ice. He said it was a very exquisite display and if not for the fact that it were a battle, it would have been awe inspiring. Lochner say that... well... They were fighting and fighting until Bourne suddenly went down, screaming this horrible scream. To his horror, Humphrey had shot him multiple times. He went down and Lochner ran to him as Trevor went back to normal He said that Humphrey then went after him as Trevor tried to go after Bourne again.
"He said it was horrible and he could tell that Humphrey was not himself. They fought each other for a long time, all the while Trevor and Bourne still fighting. He finally got away from Humphrey and went to help Bourne. It seemed as if Trevor was never going to be defeated and Bourne was bleeding profusely. Finally though, Lochner found a dagger and stabbed Trevor in the back of the neck, killing him. His phoenix was destroyed by Bourne's phoenix, where he fell back to the ground. Lochner caught him and he said the first thing he did was ask about you. He told him you were alright and that he was going to get him help but it was too late..."
I sniffle but the events surrounding Bourne's death were very eventful and I can only thank God that Trevor is gone. Though he took my boyfriend with him, the fact that I don't have to deal with him any longer is a burden off my shoulders.
"May I come in?" a voice says and I look up.
My dad walks in with a clipboard and smiles sadly at me.
"Is everything alright? You look as if you've been crying?"
"Uh... well... oh, Dad, this is Alexis Marquez, she's... um... Bourne's mother."
"Bourne?" Dad asks, holding out his hand to Alexis anyway. "I'm Dr. Ashton Rickward, Ashton if you will..."
"Nice to meet you." Alexis says, shaking Dad's hand.
"Now who is Bourne?"
"He was my boyfriend..."
"Was?"
"He was killed..."
Dad's eyes sadden and he sighs heavily. "I'm very sorry, sweetheart. Did you love him?"
"Yes... very much." I say, looking down at my stomach where my baby used to be. "Where is my baby?"
"He's in the incubation room. Would you like to see him?"
"Yes... I want to name him and see the little boy who stole my heart."
Dad smiles and leaves the room for a moment.
"Have you seen him?" I ask Alexis.
"Just a glimpse. He has black hair."
"Trevor had black hair... I honestly wish it were red..."
Alexis laughs a little when a nurse brings in my baby. She rolls him in and then lifts him out of the incubator. I love him already from afar and when she sets him in my arms, love swells from every pore and I feel like it's just emanating into my baby's body. He stirs a little and opens his eyes, revealing the bluest of blue. I knew they wouldn't be golden but a girl can hope.
"Oh, chica, he is beautiful." Alexi says, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Would you like me to show you how to breastfeed?" the nurse asks, looking at us with a smile.
I nod, so speechless over how beautiful my son is. She shows me how to position him and feed him properly and I just watch as he eats, feeling so blessed to have carried him with me for all this time.
"I will be right back. I'll leave you two alone with him and go get the doctor to check up on you."
I nod and look at my son.
Alexis pet his head and then kissed my cheek lovingly.
"He's amazing, Arabella. Bourne would be proud. What will you name him?"
I smile up at her and tell her the only name that fits.
"Phoenix Connor Rickward."