One Mississippi, Two Mississippi

Callie stared at the wall across from her, blew her hair out of her face and tapped her finger nails against the rail of the hospital bed. She glanced at the monitor beside her, her eyes narrowing just the slightest. She had been induced early in the morning, it was now nearly 8 pm and nothing had happened aside from contractions which had only started becoming more and more frequent over the last two hours. She looked at the door as Kara walked in, smile on her face, box of chocolates in one hand and a little bear in a Stars uniform in the other.

"I figured I'd come keep you company for a while. Also, I brought chocolate because in a few hours Jamie can't tell you you can't eat it." Kara told her, setting them both down on the table before she sat in the chair by Callie's bed.

"I knew you were my best friend for a reason." Callie told her, making her laugh.

"So… how's it going? Where is everyone?" Kara asked, glancing around the room that had been empty for the better part of the afternoon.

"It would be much better if this was over with, and that's a good question I have no idea. I haven't seen Jamie since like….5." Kara raised her eyebrow at that, Callie simply shrugged.

As if on cue Kelly, Jordie and Jamie all walked in. Callie simply glared at them, making Jordie hold his hands up in a surrender motion. Kara smirked and asked, "so where were you for the last 3 hours?"

Jamie leaned down just enough to kiss Callie's head before he took the same seat at the head of her bed that he had occupied all day and said, "fixing a surprise."

Kelly grinned and said, "they should give out prizes for the first baby born on Halloween like they do New Years."

There was a round of laughter before Callie said, "first of all, you couldn't pay me enough to want to be a part of that, and second this is not a movie where Katherine Heigl gets to slap Bon Jovi."

"Halloween baby is pretty cool you know." Jordie told her, making Callie narrow her eyes once again.

"I cannot handle another 4 hours of this." She said before turning to Jamie and saying, "seriously. I'm just gonna squeeze my legs together and we can go home and pretend this didn't happen."

"You're not in the least bit excited to see it and get the whole pregnancy thing over with?" Jamie asked, holding back his laughter as Callie grabbed his hand, squeezing hard. He couldn't help but tell her, "breathe Cal."

When the contraction was over she turned her head very slowly to Jamie, eyes narrowed, and told him, "the next time you want to tell me what to do you should switch spots with me."

"Would if I could." Jamie told her, only infuriating her even more.

Kelly, sensing the awkward tension said, "Okay so I think we are gonna go check out the gift shop."

Kara nodded, gave Callie's hand a squeeze, Jordie mouthed good luck to his brother before they left the room. Callie simply looked down at her hands and said, "sorry."

"It's okay, I'm trying to help but it's not really working so just tell me what you need me to do." Jamie told her, watching as her eyes welled up with tears and she reached up to wipe them away.

"You can make this be over already." She told him, smiling gently as he got up, sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her hands away from her face, wiping her tears with the pads of his thumb.

"You know, this whole thing changes everything I think of you and everything I feel for you." He told her, making her roll her eyes. Jamie nodded and said, "it's true. Apart from the fact that it bothers me to see you in so much pain, I couldn't possibly love you more than right now. I have so much respect, Callie I honestly don't even know what to say. Everything is so different now, the fact that you've sat here all day in pain and you've barely complained about it… I don't know how to put that into words."

"You could have just said good job." Callie told him with a smirk.

Jamie laughed and said, "you know I'm not good with words and speeches."

Callie smiled and slipped her hand into his and said, "I know lately it hasn't seemed like it, but I really can't wait to see him."

"Him huh?" Jamie asked, making her shrug.

"Just a feeling." Callie told him, leaning back in the bed and letting out a sigh. She then said, "just wake me up when this show gets on the road."

Jamie let out a soft chuckle and got up, taking his spot in his chair. He kept his hand in hers, leaned against the pillow that was propped up against the wall.

- - - -

It wasn't until several hours later, Callie at her wits end, that their doctor came into the room. Callie wanted nothing more than to punch the smile off his face, especially when he made her roll off her side and onto her back. She closed her eyes as he did his examination, and she could tell something was up by the sigh he emitted.

Somehow Callie already knew what he was going to say, and she braced herself for it the best she could. Even knowing it was coming hearing the word c - section made tears well up in her eyes. Jamie gave her hand a squeeze, but said nothing, even when he was lead out of the room and directed through scrubbing in while they prepped Callie.

She was already in the operating room, staring up at the ceiling when Jamie walked in. She didn't turn to look at him, even as he sat beside her and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and told her, "it's gonna be okay."

He reached up, wiping away tears as they fell. When the doctor announced they were starting he saw Callie take in a deep breath, her grip on his hand tightened the slightest and she squeezed her eyes shut. Jamie held his breath, not realizing he was doing it. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, Callie hadn't opened her eyes or looked at him once. Jamie let out his breath he was holding when he heard cries, and when he looked over at Callie she was looking at him, smile on her face.

- - - -

"So... did we decide on a name?" Jamie asked, he sat in his chair beside her bed again, baby in his arms. He only looked up at Callie for a second, she was facing him, her eyes heavy, he knew she would be asleep rather soon.

"Jaron." She told him, smiling gently. She watched as he looked down at their son again before she said, "Jaron Jamie Benn."

Jamie looked up, a smile stretching across his lips before he looked down at the baby and asked, "what do you think? Are you a Jaron?"

"You know your brother owes me 20 dollars now." Callie said, making Jamie raise an eyebrow. She told him, "He bet that it was a girl."

Jamie laughed and then told her, "I think uncle Jordie is gonna be slightly upset that that we didn't name him after him."

Callie smiled and shifted, grimacing for a second before she put her head back on her pillow and let a small sigh. Jamie glanced up at her, she was watching him, he smiled gently and got up, sitting beside Callie. She put her head on his shoulder and they both sat in silence, looking down at Jaron.

"Uncle Jordie will survive." Callie told him.

"He's a pretty lucky kid you know." Jamie said softly, turning just enough to look at Callie as she raised an eyebrow before he told her, "he's got you as a mom."

She smiled and said, "well I would say he's lucky he has you as a dad but we both know I'm gonna be the superior parent here."

Jamie let out a small laugh and told her, "probably. But I mean in my defense I don't have ten years of niece and nephew experience you know."

"You know hate is a choice right?"

Jamie chuckled again and they fell into silence for a few minutes. He watched as she put her hand on Jaron's stomach. Finally he asked her curiously, "are you doing okay?"

"Fine. Why?" Callie asked, tearing her eyes away from Jaron to look at Jamie.

She could tell he was fighting with himself on what to say, and somehow she knew from that alone exactly what he was going to say before he spoke, "just with the whole Cora thing. I know things have been rough and I know you kept a lot of that to yourself. I guess I'm just worried about you."

"I'm okay Jamie, really. I mean do I wish she was here? Yeah but I also wish my mom was." They stayed silent after that, neither one talking.

She could feel her eyes getting heavy when Jamie spoke, "hey Cal."

"Hmm?"

He grinned to himself as he said, "happy Halloween."