Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

We left our story, with Taylor on her back, Niki being carted off to the hospital, and friends rushing to be at her side.
So without a rambling explanation, we shall continue.


“DUCKY I’m coming!” Rhian gazed up from her magazine as the door to the hospital wing swung open and a girl came sprinting through. Rhian’s eyes wondered up and down the girl, and sighed.

“Sarah?”

“Niki!” The girl called. “Niki can you-”

”Sarah” She shouted a little louder making the girl spin round on her heel.

“Is my little god daughter here yet?” Rhian just shock her head.

“What are you wearing?” Sarah was wearing a pair of heels, a miracle she had managed to sprint in them, and a long hoodie that covered well what looked like a tiny pair of shorts…very little else. Sarah looked at Rhian questioningly, before gazing down at her self and gasping.

“Shit! Oh dear, shit, shit, fuck!”

“Mhmm,” Rhian muttered.

“Get ready in a rush?”

“I kind of panicked when you said the baby was coming I just grabbed whatever,” Rhian nodded looking up as someone fell through the doors, gasping for breath. Zacky bent over, gasping and puffing like he’d ran a marathon. “Oh dear,” Sarah mumbled taking in her boyfriends appearance. He stood there, doubled over, in a pair of jogging bottoms and a checked shirt that really didn’t go. “We rushed,” She repeated to Rhian who was trying to contain her laughter, and Jimmy who was in hysterics.

“Has it arrived?” Zack questioned walking over to the pair, and obviously not realising how much of a fool he looked.

“Nope only dilated 7cm,” Jimmy sounded proudly as Rhian cringed as Jimmy held his hands out to demonstrate 7cm.

“Great,” Zack groaned collapsing on the comfy chairs in front of the couple. “I thought Taylor and George were with you?”

“Taylor fell over when Niki’s waters broke,” Rhian muttered as if it was the stupidest thing ever. “She’s in AE, again,”

“Again?”

“Yeah she had an allergic reaction to chocolate body paint this morning, so she spent four hours here this morning,” Zack and Jimmy were in stitches again, not able to stop laughing at Taylor’s misfortune. As Jimmy calmed down, he started explaining the story again, while Sarah and Rhian nattered about how long the thought they’d be here for.

“So when’s everyone else coming?”

“Niki’s parents are flying in today, Matty’s mum is on her way, Becca and Matt just left and are going to pick up Shell and Johnny on the way,” Rhian explained to Sarah. “Brian and Sam, are meant to be coming but their plane got delayed in Florida so who knows what’s going on there! And Taylor and George promise to be up as soon as possible,” Sarah nodded listening to the run down of where everyone was and who with.

“What about Lynnz and Sean?”

“Lynnz is here already she went to get us coffee, while Sean is outside on the phone,” Rhian answered simply.

“Hey Sarah, Zack,” Matty nodded at the pair as he appeared through the doors to the waiting room.

“Hey Matty! You excited?” Sarah smiled brightly, while Matt shrugged.

“There’s a lot of waiting, I didn’t expect this,”

“What you through you brought her in then bang a baby?”

“While that’s kinda how it was made so yeah, why not?” He smirked at Rhian, she just sighed running her fingers through her hair. “You guys can go see her if you want, I think I’m making matters worse,”

“Coming?” Sarah asked Rhian, as she stood up ready to go see Niki.

“Yeah why not,” Rhian followed her out, leaving the boys on their own. Hopefully they’d calm and reassure Matty, but it wasn’t likely.

“Hey ducky! How ya feeling?”

“Dude you’ve got to get this out of me,”

“I see, that good hey?” Sarah chuckled sitting one side of a very exhausted looking Niki.

“You do realise the worst bits yet to come?” Rhian questioned looking over at Niki with a little bit of worry.

“You know what, you are great to get drunk, great to organise things, but when it comes to being in a labour room you are useless!” Niki groaned at Rhian. “I’m looking for support not the fear of fucking god put into me,” Rhian just shrugged.

“Ice chips?”

“No I fucking don’t want ice chips,” Niki hissed rolling her eyes. “Why isn’t it coming out?”

“Patience,” Sarah muttered smiling sympathetically. “It’ll all be over soon and you will have a beautiful baby girl to fuss over,”

“Oh why can’t it be now, where’s Matty?”

“Umm outside, do you want me to get him?” Niki nodded. Rhian darted out of the room.

“That girl is useless here,” Sarah chuckled.

“Yeah tell me about it, she couldn’t come in when someone was screaming, she stayed outside, useless,” Niki repeated. Though her words dwindled to silence, and then gasping suddenly and groaning in pain, profanities erupted through the room. “Shit, bollocks, fuck!”

“Ducky, remember breath in, and out, in and out,” Sarah told her, as Niki grabbed her hand squeezing it hard. Sarah grimaced in pain and just kept repeating; “Breath in, annnn-d out“.

“GET ME MATTY!”

“Baby I’m coming!” As if on cue Matt ran through the door followed by Taylor, and a nurse.

“She’s going to be fine, the contractions are just coming a bit quicker now, she’s probably ready,” The nurse seemed generally joyful about this, while Niki was cursing like a sailor, and Sarah was whimpering in pain. Niki’s grip was tightening around her hand, the sooner she got her off the better.
“Okay if everyone could just calm down,” The nurse spoke again. “The baby is on it’s way, I’m going to take her through to the labour room now, is that okay Nicole?”

“Get this fucking thing out- Ahhh!”

“Good,” The nurse smiled, unfazed by Niki’s screaming and cursing. “Now the rest of you,” She turned on the group of friends frantically running around Niki’s bedside, “There are too many people in here, I want you all in the waiting room,” She had an authoritative tone to her words. She possessed the kind of tone that made you run away and hide. “Now if the father would come with me, we’ll get going,” Everyone looked at Matty who gulped.

“Umm,”

“Go shit face,” Taylor hissed at him. To be fair, he looked as if he was about to pass out, the fear and reality of his wife giving birth had just hit him. “See you in a bit,” Taylor smirked at her friend, who was ignoring comments and just screaming.

“Ducky you’ll be fine, it’ll be over in a flash,” Sarah called as they wheeled Niki out.

In a flash was very much an overstatement.

Matt, Becca, Johnny and Shell had all arrived. Outside the waiting room had turned ot darkness, and bright lights now lit the whole area; still certain members of the group had managed to fall asleep. Sarah was curled into Zacky, her eyes tightly shut, while Matt had fallen asleep on Becca’s shoulder much to her annoyance; and the annoyance of the rest of the waiting room when he started to snore.

“This is insane,” Taylor groaned running her fingers through her hair and stretching out. “How long does it take to pop one out?”

“Nice way of putting it,” Rhian mumbled looking up from her book. “I read somewhere it takes like 13 hours for the first child,”

“13 fucking hours?” Jimmy gasped looking at his girlfriend. “Where did you read that?”

“Parenting magazine,” He looked at her, a petrified aura surrounding him. “It was Niki’s, don’t worry,” Rhian laughed leaning against him. “Not just yet thanks,”

“Not ever,” Taylor groaned. “I’ve had enough of starring at white walls for a life time thanks,”

“Shouldn’t have tried to experiment in the bedroom then,” Sarah chuckled.

“Who told her?” Rhian and Jimmy both looked down and away from Taylor’s glares. “I hate you all, I’m presuming everyone knows?”

“Dude it would happen to you,” Matt smirked at her. “I mean you should know not to try things,”

“You’re a bit of a fucking disaster,” Zack spoke up, earning a light tap from Sarah; she gave him a look, as if to say, play nicely.

“Cheer’s guys, make me feel so good about myself,” Taylor groaned leaning over, so she could rest her head on Georges shoulder.

“I still love you, rash and all,” He mocked kissing her forehead.

“Fuck off,” She hissed back curling up against him and closing her eyes, enjoying the idea of getting some peace.

Luckily the members in the waiting room did get some peace and quiet, where as the nurses, doctor, and Matty were having the most deafening experience of their lives.

“Nearly there Nicole, just a few more pushes,” The man delivering the baby, was calm, he sounded almost joyful at the thought of bringing yet another life into this world. That was compared with what could only be described as Saten’s screaming.

“Get that fucking thing out of me,”

“Come on Niki sweetie you can-”

“Don’t you talk to me boy!” Matty sighed, running his fingers across the top of Niki’s hand, as she grabbed the bars on the bed, screaming her head off.

“That’s it Nicole, focus all your anger on pushing. Just another push,” The nurse told her, smiling supportively as the doctor said he could see the head.

“Oh fuck I’ve got to see this,” Matty muttered, pulling away from his girlfriends side and running down to watch his son being born. Niki was still screaming. “Or not, fuck that’s gotta hurt Nik,”

“You think!”

“Here she comes, last push and-” The doctor paused as he helped pull the small baby out, the nurse checking Niki’s vitals as the doctor announced the birth of her daughter. “One beautiful baby girl, congratulations,”

“Oh my god, fucking, fuck me, fuck,” Matty rambled watching in awe as the doctor handed the baby to the nurse who wrapped her up in towels. Matty gasped when he heard her start to cry, his eyes locking with Niki who had been rendered speechless.

“Wh-Where are they taking her?” Niki suddenly questioned, looking so worried for the safety of her little girl.

“It’s okay, they are just weighing and checking her, then you can have her straight back,” The doctor smiled, standing up slowly and throwing his gloves into the surgical waste bin. “Congratulations to both of you, I’m sure you will make wonderful parents,” He added turning to see Matt hugging Niki tightly, both of them watching their little girl. “Does the little lady have a name?”

Niki gazed towards Matt who nodded. “What we agreed?” He questioned Niki who nodded, just as the nurse handed her, her daughter.

“Misha Anastasia, “

“Beautiful name,” The nurse smiled, watching Niki hold her baby daughter close to her chest and peer down at her.

“For a beautiful girl,” Matty whispered, running a single finger across her cheek. “God she’s so tiny,”

“She’s a healthy weight though, just what you’d want,” The nurse explained. “Now I’ve had a few complaints about your friends taking up a lot of room, being rather nosey and snoring,” She added in annoyance. “I presume you want them in here to see,”

“Yes!” Niki gasped.

“Of course they have to see this one, they’re gonna be her family,” The nurse just nodded almost looking a little amazed.

“So be it,” She wondered out of the room to call in the group who sat outside on this valentines day in 2010, giving up each of their evenings to witness the newest member of the family.

“Happy Valentines day baby,” Matty whispered to Nicole, dropping a kiss on her forehead.

“You too sug,” She chuckled letting Matty hold their daughter. “I hope you love the present,”

And so our story draws to a close. You have heard of, Becca and Matt’s first words, Shell and Johnny’s first meeting with the fire department, Zacky and Sarah’s first realisation flowers weren’t a great idea, mine and Jimmy’s first date, Lynnz and Sean’s first meeting, Taylor and George’s first experiment with chocolate body paint, and finally Niki and Matty’s first baby.

Now we’ve brought another person into this valentines day disaster, maybe in many years time they will be telling stories of their first dates, kisses, and disasters.

I leave you with just this one thought. However disastrous the dates or events have been, there were only 6 valentines days I picked out of so many…can you imagine how good the ones that went right where?

It’s a rather good thought, I feel.