| Summary: Logan and Danielle prepare for the new addition |
|
| The weeks passed and
Danielle steadily put on weight as the child inside her grew.
There were times she was completely exhausted just walking down the
hallway to the dining room. Other times, she had incredible fits
of energy that scared Logan to death. He had absolutely
demanded she abandon riding Duke until after the baby was born.
And Danielle demanded that Logan relax around her. Danielle had
always enjoyed Logan's protective nature when it came to her, but the
last several weeks were nearly unbearable for her. He would stare
down any man who so much as smiled at her just being friendly.
She was nervous that Logan might do something troublesome since he was
so unpredictable. He would mean well, since he loved her so
deeply, however the farther along into her pregnancy she went, the more
protective he became. As Danielle neared the arrival of the baby,
she began to spend a great deal of time in their room rearranging some
of the furnishings and setting up the small room off their bedroom as a
nursery. Logan sat in the kitchen drinking a soda when Jean walked in. "How's Danielle today?" Jean asked. "She's rearranging the furniture - again," Logan snarled. Jean giggled. "What's so funny? This is the third time today. I decided it was best just to stay outta her way," he growled. "Danielle's nesting," she answered. Logan cocked his head. "It's a female thing - she's getting ready for the baby to come. She's pretty close to her due date," Jean said. "Doc Smith said it could be any day now," Logan said. "Really? How time flies," Jean replied. "I wish she'd just rest. I don't want her overdoing it. And you know Danielle - once she has her mind on something, there is no stopping her until she is satisfied," Logan said. "Did she settle on how she wanted the nursery?" Jean asked. "Sort of. She's added some brighter greens and yellows to the room," Logan said. "That's good - neutral colors. I have to admit I was a little surprised that you didn't want to know whether or not it's a girl or a boy," Jean said. "We don't mind either way," Logan replied. "How are you doing? Getting nervous?" Jean asked. "A little. You know, we stopped into one of the little shops in town to look for a few more baby things and the cashier wouldn't take his beady little eyes off of her. He didn't see us come in together and I was off in the back when I heard him go up to her and make some snot ass remark about how gorgeous pregnant women look. It took all my power to restrain myself," Logan said. The thought of Logan still getting jealous made Jean laugh so hard. "You didn't show your claws to him, did you, by any chance?" Jean asked. "I was gonna run him through if he didn't take his eyes off of her. I know Danielle's - well, a little more endowed up top these days for obvious reasons. But, did he have to blatantly stare at them?" Logan snarled. "Oh, Logan! What did Danielle do?" she asked. "What she always does - she slowly walks over, kisses my cheek and rubs against me," Logan said before smiling. "Well, she's trying to tell you to stop being so jealous. She's marking you as hers," Jean said. "Jean! Jean!" Scotts voice cried out. Jean ran to the doorway and looked out. Scott was running down the hallway. "It's time. Kurt took Danielle to the garage and Storm's got the van ready," Scott said. "Oh, Christ! Oh, Christ!" Logan panicked. "Just relax, Logan. Everything's going to be fine. Scott, did Charles call Dr. Smith to meet us at the hospital?" Jean asked. "He's waiting at the hospital for her now," Scott replied. The trio rushed down to the van and when everyone was belted in, Storm drove them to the hospital. ****************************** Danielle was in such discomfort and cried painfully with each contraction. Logan felt helpless in not being able to stop the pain for her. As they rushed her in, Jean signed Danielle into the hospital new patient logs and filled out her paperwork. Logan was useless at this point - completely focused on protecting Danielle at all expenses. His animal instincts to protect his mate went into full swing. It was becoming a chore for Scott and Storm to control him. ********************************** Danielle's cries of pain reached Logan from down the hall. Not allowed to be in the delivery room, he'd been relegated to an empty patient room at the other end of the hall. That had been hours ago. Another cry reached his ears, then another. The animal in him took over and he would not be kept from his mate for one more second, except he couldn't move. As much as he fought, his feet were glued to the floor. He whipped his head around and saw Jean standing in the doorwayleading to the delivery room. "You can't go in there, Logan. You would only make things worse." Jean said. He snarled in response. His mate was in pain, he had to help her! "Danielle is doing just fine." Jean said. "Giving birth is never pleasant." Another snarl. How could Jean say Danielle was fine when she kept screaming?! he thought to himself. "Why do I bother?" Jean muttered to herself. Logan was so keyed up by now that he could be whacked over the head with a tub of concrete and not notice. "Let Me Go." he bit off each word. "Not on your life." Jean replied. The cries ended abruptly, replaced by silence. Logan opened up his senses, reaching down the hall, searching for Danielle but there were too many scents and he couldn't pick her out. Panic welled up in his mind and he all but begged Jean to let him go. He had to find out if Danielle was all right! Jean looked over her shoulder, then looked back at Logan. "You move an inch and you will regret it. I'll be back in a moment." She released him and disappeared down the hallway. He stumbled after being released so suddenly and nearly sat down. If he was a religious man, he'd drop to his knees and pray. He did anyway. "Logan?" Jean said from the doorway a few minutes later. He looked up and saw her holding something in her arms. He was afraid to say anything. "Would you like to hold your daughter?" Jean asked, a smile wreathing her face. Logan's mouth opened but no words came out. He stood and went over to Jean. "Daughter?" he managed to get out. He looked down at the tiny buddle in her arms. "She's so small." he said. "Babies normally are, Logan." Jean replied. She shifted the blankets swaddling the baby and Logan saw his daughter's face for the first time. Jean figured this was one of those rare moments where Logan had been close to tears. She handed the bundle over to Logan and said "You support her head this way and wrap your other arm around...there you go." She took a step back from Logan and let him be a daddy. He didn't know what to do, what to say or anything else. He just stood there, holding her, disbelieving that this tiny baby had come from Danielle and him. He looked up at Jean. "What about Danielle? How is she?" "She's sleeping right now. She'll be fine. If you behave, you can go see her later." Jean replied. His daughter yawned and stretched and opened her eyes and Logan was a puddle, again. She waved one tiny fist in the air and bopped him on the nose. Tears sprang to his eyes and he winced. "Ow. You've got quite a right there, ya know that?" Logan said to the baby. His daughter smiled up at him. ************************ "Not one peep out of you." Jean said, leading Logan down an empty hall in the maternity wing. "There are plenty of new mothers trying to sleep, including Danielle." Logan nodded. After holding his daughter for what seemed like for ever, he had been given permission to see Danielle. Jean pushed open a door and let Logan go in front of her. Inside, Danielle was fast asleep with the baby in a basinet near her. The baby woke up and gurgled when she saw Logan. Logan frowned when he saw Danielle, as she looked so small and fragile, not at all the way he knew and loved her. "Is she going to be all right?" Logan asked Jean. "She'll be fine. She just needs to rest. Giving birth takes a lot out of someone." Jean said. "I'll leave you two, excuse me, you three alone and come back later. You better behave." She turned to go but Logan caught her hand. "Thank you." he said. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Congratulations." Jean left Logan with his new family. He looked down at his daughter, asleep again, then went over to Danielle's side. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "Yer the best, Danielle. Ya did real good." ************************** The stress of the day's events took its toll and when Jean entered Danielle's hospital room, she found Logan asleep next to Danielle. He sat in a chair he had pulled up close to her bed and had leaned over resting his head on her bed. He had one arm around the basinet and the other supporting his head. The nurse, a tall husky black woman, was in the room checking Danielle's monitors. "Who had the harder day? The hubby or the woman giving birth?" the nurse jokingly asked. Danielle had begun to stir, stretching and yawning from all her hard efforts. She saw Logan at her side and stroked his hair gently. "I hope you don't mind my not allowing him to be with you during the delivery," Jean said. "He was out of control wanting to protect you." "It's a good thing. God, now I know what they mean when they say it hurts to give birth. I might have done something awful to him," Danielle said. "Honey, they are having to replace all the sheets because you clawed them up," the nurse said with a chuckle. After a short while, Logan woke up. Danielle and Logan shared some pleasantries - kisses and smiles and cooing over their new daughter. Jean bid them goodnight after making arrangements to pick them up the next day when she was released. Logan went downstairs to fetch some dinner and when he returned, Danielle was breastfeeding their daughter. She looked upon the child with great pride and tried not to cry. Her husband sat down on the bed near her and traced his finger around the infant's face. "Have you thought of a name yet?" he asked. "I kinda like the ring of Jean Marie, that is if you like it," she replied. "Jean Marie. Yeah, I do like that," he said in agreement. |