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"Shouldn't I go in there with her!?"

I pull a strong puff from my cigar as I pave the hallway with everyone else around me. I feel like I could just throw up my heart just from listening to Charlie's screams every time a nurse walks back into the hospital room.

"She's close! Come on, get this on," The next time the door swings open it's Cherie coming our to give me the blue scrubs I'm meant to wear inside.

"How is she, Angel? Should I go in? I should. I should— shouldn't I?," Freddie and Cherie whisper between themselves. I can't really concentrate on the rest of their words, I'm trying to tie a knot from the jumbled loop I've got caught around my trembling fingers.

"We're here!!," Richie skids around the corner in the balls of his feet, a breathless Laura following closely behind him. "Are we too late? Is the baby here?"

I leave it up to Cherie and Freddie to inform Richie as I shake my shoulders, taking in a deep breathe as I put my hand to the door. Richie's hand clamps on my shoulders as he whispers a word of encouragement in my ear. "Good luck, mate. Go on and bring my little nephew into the world."

I nod my head, accepting his blessing in silence before shutting the door between them and the inside. "Ramiiiiii!! Rami, please! I'm scared!"

Rushing to Charlie's side, I grab her hand in mine and she immediately proceeds to try and tear the limb off. I cringe, but still try to put on a brave face.

The hospital workers move around meticulously working to prepare Charlie for the next steps of labor. One nurse helps Charlie scoot down in the bed as I pile the pillows behind her back, lifting her up slightly to comfort, but I mean I don't know if I'm helping. Not when Charlie's quick breathing becomes more and more static and her shrieks of pain drown any other noise from my ears.

Another nurse prepares the stirrups, placing Charlie's legs within each ones hold. "This is the resting position-,"

"Yes! I'm doing a lot of resting here, thank you so mu—," Without even thinking— truly I don't know what the fuck I was thinking— I press my lips against hers to silence the smartass reply she was shooting at the chuckling nurse.

"Do that again and I'll BITE YOUR HEAD OFF!," She hisses in my ear before the reset of her words are lost in the whines of her contractions.

"It's time to push, Charlie," Dr. Martin instructs as a tray of gleaming utensils are placed at his side and the blanket is swung from Charlie's bottom. "You, hold this foot, I'll hold the other," a nurse, standing on the opposite side of the bed instructs me and I listen, trying hard not to look at the miracle of life but my eyes go wide when I see a tuff of dark hair sprouting out of—

"I'm not ready!," Charlie makes my attention whip back to her as she claws the collar of my shirt. "I'm not ready— I can't do this! I'm scared!," her whimpering please grow quiet as she squeezes her eyes shut, barring her teeth and holding her pain in.

"Breathe, love. You have to breathe it out..," the calm nurse advises.

"If I could bloody breathe I'd run out of here! Ramiiii, please let's go home. Well have the baby tomorrow I need one more day! No things finished! Nothings ready!"

"Look! Look at you, gorgeous— I know you're scared," I quickly press my lips to her forehead, meeting her eyes as she gulps and winces and stares back at me. I can tell that what I say now, she'll listen to. She's looking at me like I'm enough to stop her pain.

"In a few minutes we'll have our precious miracle here in our arms to enjoy and show the world the results of our love," I start and I don't exactly know where I'm going with this but her grip has loosened around me and she's nodding her head, eyes searching mine for reassurance. "You can do this baby— I'm right here with ya. Our son wants to meet you, we'll get to bring him home and love him and teach him and watch him grow and and your parents are out there waiting and Dichie and Laura, too. Love, you've got a world of support!"

As I ramble on and on of the hopes and dreams I wish to accomplish with my new little family, the nurse keeps badgering Charlie to push. The time is now. "Now, you've got to push," I gently urge her along. "Breathe and push, just like we've practiced— come oooooooooo—,"

The two of us shout in unison as she concentrated on crouching her body and giving a good push, while my screams are due to the loss of bloody flow to my hand and the crunching bones of my fingers.

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Freddie:

My arms are steady as I admire the wonderful scent of a new life bundled in my arms. The cooing sounds of a healthy grandchild makes me choke back tears as I cradle him.

"You're beautiful. I'm sure of it," I whisper to him, bringing him up closer to my lips, though I avoid kissing his face.

"Freddie— smile!," Rami's cheerful voice instructs me toward his direction as I lift my head up, swelling with pride I smile brightly in the hopes to capture a photo to be cherished for years to come.

Everyone is pouring love and flowers and words of compliments to my Charlie. She lays in her hospital bed surrounded by her siblings and mother, everyone here is in such a bubble of bliss, I can hardly stand it.

"And to think, once upon a time, I was here and absolutely terrified to hold your mummy in my arms for the first time," I continue, in a bubble of my own, to speak in hushed whispers into my grandsons ear as if he could understand a single word I say.

"Now, you've got to be a good boy. Keep mummy safe and happy and keep your father on his toes, too— just in case," I giggle to myself as my grandchild and I become thick as thrives on the very day of his birth.

"What have you decided to name him!?," Lily's voice interrupts my thoughts just as the baby's hand reaches to grab around my finger.

I feel like gushing my hearts content. I feel every pure emotion of elation all at once and I can hardly stand to not break out into snotty sobs at my overwhelming feelings of joy.

"James."

That's it. My head springs up to the gasps and quick hand claps of crowning my prince with a name.

"His name is James Bulsara Malek, but we want to call him Jimmy"

And that's when the levee breaks. My tears are dripping down my face and soon I feel my shoulders slouch and my chest cave in to the heart piercing memories that flash behind my eyelids.

...Jim...

Cherie's arms wrap around me as I sob and cradle my little darling close to my face. His blanket scratches the scruff on the side of my face and I think — ha! Alas, some good has come to us... in all this time, I've only ever wanted a happily ever after.

For alas, my little family of Mercury's are free...