Growing Pains, [CD...other people?]

[Iris Lagos]

Ring. Ring. Ring. the call went to Stefan's voicemail, and Iris hung up her phone and sank back down into her bath. Her lower back was killing her - and had been for a couple hours. She'd convinced herself that everything was fine and everything was going to be fine, she just wanted her brother around to confirm this.

Iris grimaced as her muscled contracted again, shooting pains from her back all the way around to her abdomen. Okay. That - that was unusual.

She unlocked her phone, running through the contacts again. Maybe she should go to the doctor, just in case. He'd probably tell her it was false labor and a normal part of pregnancy, and then he'd send her home and she could go back to laying on the couch and watching Dance Moms in between entertaining the twins.

Jackson Myers

She stared at the name, and after few seconds, decided to dial.

The phone rang.

[Crimson Defender]

As Jackson's phone rang, the Crimson Defender's fists were flying. One of the local crime lords, Salvatore Belleci, had tried to lure the Defender out by staging a fake kidnapping, then siccing every cutthroat and paid thug he could find to take him down. Of course, he was a third of the way through the group of baselines when he heard the phone ring.

Initially, he intended to simply check who it was and call them later. But as he glanced at the phone clipped to his hip, he recognized the number. He realized the day. It then dawned on him what he might have to do.

"Just a second, fellas," he said, charging himself up and flying through the window (seriously, Belleci, bad trap) and landed outside the front door, grabbing some convenient spools of cable to bar the door.

Pff. Thugs.

Hoping he'd caught the ringing in time, he said as calmly as a man fervently fighting 30 thugs could muster. "Hey! Iris!" he said, puffing a bit. "What's up? Everything oK?"

[Iris Lagos]

"Are you busying? Were you exercising? You sound busy." Iris frowned. "Um, I was hoping you'd be free to take me to the doctor? My back hurts and I just wanted him to look at me and tell me I'm fine and send me home but I have to get there first."

She sighed, leaning her head back and dreading getting out of the bath. "Could your mom come by and watch the twins for a bit?"

[Crimson Defender]

Jackson's jaw dropped a bit. "Yeah, sure!" he said. "Yeah, I'm, uh... I'm actually jogging in the park by your house there. I'll get changed, hop in my car and be there in ten minutes, okay?"

The Defender then looked at where he was (the docks) and how long it'd take him to just walk to his car (fifteen minutes) and how long it'd take to drive to the suburbs (at least twenty, traffic permitting).

This is gonna be interesting...

[Iris Lagos]

"Okay," she agreed, sounding relieved. "Thank you. And don't worry - I'm fine. But, uh, the sooner the better. I'm going to pull myself out of the bath and get ready to go. Should I call your mom, or..?"

As Iris talked, she pulled herself from the bath and wrapped herself in a robe. What did she need? She needed her purse. Wallet. Those were important. Hospital bag? No. She probably wouldn't need that. It was early! She was going to be back later and it didn't matter, really.

She tried to call Stefan again. No answer. Okay. That would be okay.

[Crimson Defender]

"Yeah, yeah, please," he said. "I still gotta... get changed, so it'd be quicker if you did it. Don't worry," he said, trying very hard to sound convincing, "it's going to be alright. Be right there. Bye!"

Jackson hit the red button on his phone. Go time.

As the thugs pounded on the door, the Defender appeared, glowing bright in the hole he made in the window earlier. "Sorry about that, fellas," he apologized with a grin. "And sorry about this...

"... I've got somewhere else to be."

A few minutes later, the thugs were taken care of and Jackson was off. As he flew directly to his car, he saw the streets packed with vehicles and cursed under his breath. The I-95, the Spin King Memorial, the Spark Expressway... they were all cram-packed with people heading home from work.

Dammit dammit dammit dammit... oh, fine, no one will put it together, he justified as he landed by his car, parked discreetly in an alley. He charged up, lifted the car (with some effort; he had to physically get beneath the car first to push it up) and flew the entire thing across the city, trying not to think about the people who might see him, just trying to get as close to Iris' house as quickly as possible.

He ended up landing behind a mom and pop convenience store a few blocks away from Iris' house. He opened his trunk and changed quickly, lucking out and only having them come look at him after he'd put on his shirt and pants. Good thing for him they didn't noticed the bright red boots.

In literal seconds Jackson drove over to Iris' house and headed up the steps. He doublechecked to make sure his outfit was tucked securely under his light blue buttondown and khakis, and rang the bell.

It then hit him. Ah, shit, this is gonna suck.

[Iris Lagos]

Jackson's mother answered the door, and immediately shoved Iris's hospital bag into his arms.

Iris was at the door shortly after Janet. "Jackson! Hi! You got here fast. Do you want a soda? A snack?" She grimaced and leaned against the door frame. "Ooooh. Scratch that. If you are hungry let's hit a drive through, my treat." She smiled. "Your mom seems to think I'm in labor. It might be a little while at the doctor's."

[Janet Myers]

"Oh, what, dear? You're hungry? You should have said something! I've got some casserole at home you could have had!" Janet Myers complained this to her child and her young friend as she picked up the (absolutely darling) Noah to say goodbye.

"And hello, Jackson," she said, embracing her son with one arm. "I thought you were going to visit today... oh well. Kind of have more important things to do." He made him lean over so that she could speak in his ear. "It's time," she whispered. "Make sure she doesn't eat too much or she'll poop on the operating table."

"MO-om!" Jackson said, reeling back. "Kinda too much information, okay?"

"Oh, pish," she said. "It's a reality of pregnancy, sweetie. Sorry, but it's true. Now, off you go! I've got things here!"

She then shooed them out the door, saying "And if you have to go to a fast food restaurant, at least get a salad!" and NOT saying "Bring me back a grandchild!"

[Iris Lagos]

Iris blew a kiss at the twins, and waved goodbye to Janet. Okay. So it was happening. She was going to have this baby, in the hospital, with doctors, and... baby things. Okay. It wouldn't be bad. Women did this all the time and most doctors were nice and it would just be a normal thing.

"Thank God your mom was free. I don't know what I would do if I had to take the kids with me." Iris shook her head. "I tried to call Stefan at least ten times but he won't answer. I don't know where she is."

Iris needed to focus. She allowed Jackson to help her into the car, and tried to take a few breaths to stay calm. "I had all sorts of things to do today. Doesn't this kiddo know it's not polite to be so early? Sheesh."

[Crimson Defender]

"So rude, I know," Jackson joked back. "We'll have to have the doctor spank him when he arrives."

Her breathing was making him less calm, so he imagined she had to be having a time of it. He took her hand in his, and kissed the back of her palm. "You're gonna be fine. I will be right here with you the entire time, and I'm sure Stefan will be along any second. You're gonna be great."

That sounded good in my head. Was that good?

... yeah, that was good.

He grinned as he put the car in gear. "Ready to light this candle?"

[Iris Lagos]

"Ready as I'm ever going to be," Iris said with a nod. "Baby's says it's time to get the show on the road so it's time to get the show on the road."

The hospital wasn't far. Even in the heavy afternoon traffic, it wouldn't be a long drive. Iris just needed to stay calm. He was right - he would be there for her. Iris wasn't sure she wanted him in the room. Stefan was supposed to be there for her, and it was Stefan she wanted at her side. He was her brother and there wasn't a person in the world who knew her better.

"Well," she said, feeling better the more she chatted. "This is your last chance to place your bets on the baby's gender. " Iris flashed a smile at Jackson. "I'm not gonna make any exceptions for anyone, even if you are driving me to the hospital."

[Crimson Defender]

"Um... girl," he said randomly and impulsively. "That could be totally wrong, I don't know. Just... girl. That's my guess."

"I-"

wonder what the prize is wow. hitting on a chick in labour. new low, jack.

"-hope there isn't too much of a wait. I mean, it's labour. Kind of a priority."

Jackson pulled into the emergency ward lane, and calmly (as he could) rushed over to her side and said, "Hang here a sec, I'll get a wheelchair, okay?"

[Iris Lagos]

"No, no, I've got it," she assured him. "Just take my arm and help me in." Iris smiled up at him from her seat in the car. "Please, Jackson?"

She wasn't going to take no for an answer, and opened the door, steadying herself and climbing out of the car. "Will you carry my bag?"

Hospital. Here they were. Iris had been avoiding this place for a while. At least it was one of the CAPE facilities - the doctors understood better what she'd been through in a way a regular physician never could. Jackson helped her through the waiting area and to the nurses station.

"Hi. My name's Iris Lagos. I'm apparently in labor though it's possible it could be false labor but everyone else thinks this is it, so what do I know?" she laughed, nervous. "It just - OOH!" She grabbed Jackson's arm tighter. "Actually I've changed my mind and I would like a wheelchair, thank you."

[Crimson Defender]

"I got it," he said, guiding her quickly to a seat and placing his hand on her cheek to calm her. "Two seconds, okay?"

He quickly tripped over to the wheelchair parking lot and practically rode the chair back over to her and helped her in. "That was five seconds. Sorry."

It was Jackson to the rescue.

"So, I haven't done this since I was a kid," he explained. "What next?"

[Iris Lagos]

"Whatever the nurse and doctor tell us to do," Iris said with a shrug. "I am actually not an expert in this area."

The nurse, a middle aged man who was graying at the temples, approached them and offered a clipboard. "Hi, I'm James and I'm going to sticking close to you for a while." He pointed the clipboard to Iris and then to Jackson. "So I am going to take Mama here and get her settled in. You can start the paperwork if you know her information."

He handed the clipboard to Jackson without really waiting for an answer. "Are you the father?"