A Winter Miracle Part 2 : Snowbound Delivery
Sebastian Stan x Reader One Shot
Summary:
After surviving the adventurous journey from Atlanta to New York, Sebastian finally arrived in New York only to find out his wife was really in labor. But her cold and icy behavior towards him raised a big question in his head. Did he do something wrong? And was she really in labor?
A/N : This story is part two of Sebastian Stan one shot titled A Winter Miracle: Flight of Frenzy. Read the first part here to understand more about this story.
Hope you enjoy this and please vote and comment. I will really appreciate it. Thank you!
Warning : some fluff and sexual references
Word count: 8.9k
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Delta Airline 228, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Atlanta, USA - Jan 19th 2024 - 1.30 pm
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"Iubirea mea.. I'm having contractions.."
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Sebastian's heart seemed to stop as he read the last message from his wife Y/n. He immediately called her and waited impatiently for her to pick up.
"Excuse me, sir. Could you turn your phone off, please? We're about to take off." A stewardess came to him and reminded him.
"But my wife is in labor!" He protested.
"We know, sir." The stewardess said.
"We know." Passengers around him also chorused along with the stewardess, startling him.
"Fine." He sighed as he looked at his cellphone which had disconnected automatically because his wife hadn't answered it.
"Thank you, sir." The stewardess smiled then finally left.
He typed a quick message to his wife letting her know that he was finally on his way to New York, then he turned the airplane mode of his cellphone on.
He let out a deep sigh as he put his cellphone back in his pocket and looked out the window, praying he could still make it on time to see his baby's birth.
Even though the journey from Atlanta to New York took only two hours, it felt like the longest two hours of his life. When the plane finally touched down in New York, he was the first one to be out of the plane.
"Thank you for flying with us, sir. And hope you can still make it to see your baby's birth." The beautiful stewardess who recognized Adriana and helped her earlier smiled at him as he stepped out of the plane.
"Thank you." He smiled back and immediately walked towards the terminal.
With long and quick strides he dragged his suitcase with one hand and pulled out his cellphone with the other. He turned off the airplane mode on his cellphone and immediately called his wife.
"Honey.. please pick up." He said under his breath as he continued to walk towards the exit of the airport.
"Seb.." his wife finally picked up after five rings and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh Y/n sweetheart.. where are you? How are you? Are you still having contractions?" He asked, panic in his voice.
"I'm at the Brooklyn Hospital Center waiting for dr.Selena to arrive. Are you in New York already?" She asked.
"Oh okay. Yeah. I just landed at JFK."
"Oh thank God. What happened?"
"Long story, honey. I'll tell you later. How are you? Are you still having contractions?"
"Umm.. not really. The last one was before I left for the hospital, like an hour ago. I haven't felt it again. So.."
"Oh okay. Well it's best to still get yourself checked."
"Yeah. I know."
"Okay. Just hang in there. I'm going straight there."
"Okay."
"See you in a bit, honey."
"See you soon, Iubirea mea."
"I love you."
"I love you more." She replied and he smiled.
"Not possible." He responded and she laughed.
"Just get into a taxi and come down here quickly, Iubirea mea." She commanded.
"As you wish, my queen." He replied and she giggled.
"Bye, Iubirea mea."
"Bye, sweetheart." And they finally hung up.
Listening to her voice made him miss her so much. The last time he saw her was two weeks ago. He was supposed to get days off every week but the Thunderbolts shooting schedule towards the end was so tight that he ended up working overtime and didn't get the chance to go back to New York last week. In any case, he was glad she was okay and that it seemed he would make it to his baby's birth.
"Taxi!" He yelled as he finally made it out of the airport and immediately hailed a taxi in front of the exit of the terminal.
A cold breeze passed him and he shivered a little as he stood on the sidewalk and waited. The air felt colder than in Atlanta he thought as he continued to raise his hand up and try to catch a taxi. Thankfully an empty taxi pulled over moments later and he immediately got in.
"Where to, sir?" the taxi driver asked as he slammed the taxi door shut.
"Brooklyn Hospital Center, please." he answered and the driver nodded.
He pulled out his cellphone again as the taxi started to move and sent a message to his wife, letting her know that he was in a taxi and was heading to the hospital.
"And now for the weather forecast. New York City will have clear skies for the rest of the day but starting tonight there might be some snowfall as the temperature drops to 30 degrees. More light snowfall is expected tomorrow in the city as well as around Roxbury, Albany and Poughkeepsie. Expect the skies to clear up on Saturday evening but get ready for a snow storm in the city, Roxbury, Albany and Poughkeepsie starting Sunday with temperatures as low as 22 degrees." The sound of a female weather forecaster came out from the taxi's radio.
Snow storm? That doesn't sound good. He thought as he looked out the window. Chad's wedding was going to be held on Saturday at the Plattekill Mountains which was in Roxbury. He hoped the forecast was correct and the snow storm really happened on Sunday instead of Saturday. A wedding during a snow storm definitely doesn't sound ideal. But then again, at this point he didn't know if he was going to be able to attend it. If his wife really was in labor he definitely couldn't come to the wedding.
His mind wandered to his wife again and he remembered the last time he witnessed her giving birth to their first child, Starlene. It was incredible to witness how strong she was during the whole thing. She insisted on not using any pain relief and wanted to give birth as normal as possible. He saw how much she was in pain but she withstood it all and just used the hypnobirthing method to manage the pain. He remembered witnessing everything from when her cervical dilation was zero until it reached 10 cm and she finally pushed their baby out into the world. He wasn't sure he could be as strong as she was if the position was reversed. He remembered how painful it was to recover from his broken leg and how he couldn't function without the pain killers.
He realized how sensitive she was that she felt pain even when her cervix was not yet dilated. She sounded calm the last time he called her so maybe the contraction really was a false alarm and they could still go to Chad's wedding.
The taxi screeched to a halt all of a sudden and he heard a loud crash as his body was jolted to the front, his face almost hitting the head rest of the front passenger seat.
"Oh f**k!" The taxi driver cursed as he looked to the front. The taxi just hit another car! Steam came out of the taxi's hood and the taxi driver immediately got out of the taxi.
He sighed and shook his head in disbelief. Today felt like his honeymoon all over again with all the bad things happening to him.
He peeked to the front and saw the taxi driver talking with a man who he assumed was the driver of the car they just hit. They both looked tense and seemed to be yelling at each other.
Obviously he couldn't continue riding in the taxi so he got out and approached the taxi driver, dragging his suitcase and carrying his backpack with him.
"Don't you dare blame me for this! You stopped all of a sudden!" The taxi driver yelled.
"I was stopping because someone was jaywalking! I had to stop so I didn't run over him!" The man replied in agitation.
"Excuse me, sir." Sebastian said.
"Oh, I'm sorry about this, sir." The taxi driver turned to him and shot him an apologetic smile.
"It's okay, I'll just get another taxi." He said as he gave the taxi driver two hundred dollars.
"Wait! This is too much!" The taxi driver exclaimed out loud.
"It's fine. Take it." He said as he clapped the shoulder of the taxi driver and smiled then he turned to the other man.
"You okay, man?" he asked in concern.
"Yeah. But my car isn't." The man replied in annoyance as he gestured towards the back of his car. The bumper of the car had quite a deep dent right where the taxi had hit it.
"Here. I hope this is enough to cover the damage." He said as he pulled another two hundred dollars from his wallet and gave it to the man.
"You don't have to do this, man." The man said, raising his hands up, refusing to take the money but there was a small smile on his lips.
"Just take it, man." Sebastian insisted as he continued to extend the money to the man.
"I.. well.. okay. Thank you so much." The man smiled as he finally took the money.
"No problem." Sebastian smiled.
"Where are you heading by the way?" the man asked.
"Brooklyn Hospital Center." He replied.
"That's like three blocks away. I'm heading to Manhattan. I can take you there." the man offered.
"Oh okay. That's great! Thank you." He exclaimed in relief, glad that he didn't have to find another taxi. The weather was quite cold and he wasn't looking forward standing in the cold too long waiting for a taxi.
He followed the man into his car after saying goodbye to the taxi driver who kept thanking him. The man's name was Sean, he was from Brooklyn and he was apparently going to visit his friend's house in Manhattan.
At first he didn't think Sean recognized him. He did tell him his name was Sebastian but he didn't mention his last name. It wasn't until he arrived at Brooklyn Hospital Center that he realized Sean knew who he was.
"Thank you, Sean." He said as he extended his hand and shook Sean's hand.
"No, thank you, Bucky." Sean winked and he laughed.
He got out of the car and waved at Sean. Sean saluted him and he watched as Sean drove away. Just then his phone buzzed. His wife was calling and he immediately picked it up.
"Seb? Where are you?" Y/n's voice came out from the speaker. He noticed that she sounded annoyed.
"I'm at the hospital, honey. Just arrived at the entrance. Where are you?" He replied, wondering why she sounded annoyed.
"Oh okay. I'm on the second floor. Dr. Selena just arrived. They're calling me in."
"Okay. I'll be right there."
She hung up without replying, which made him feel even more curious. He wondered what he did wrong. She was usually like this if he did something wrong.
He sighed as he put his cellphone back in his pocket and continued walking into the lobby of the hospital. As he walked in he remembered the events several years ago when his wife was hospitalized at that hospital with Covid while pregnant with Starlene. He spent days at the hospital watching over her so he knew the hospital well. He immediately took a left turn towards the elevators.
When he got there many people were queueing to enter the elevator so he decided to take the stairs. As he went up he kept wondering what was wrong. He replayed their conversations earlier on the phone and text message but couldn't pinpoint anything that could potentially get her to feel annoyed at him other than the fact that he was late to arrive from Atlanta.
Moments later he arrived on the second floor at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic and found his wife and Starlene sitting on chairs in front of dr. Selena's office.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Starlene jumped off from her chair as soon as she saw him and immediately ran towards him. He smiled wide as he let go of his suitcase, went down on his knees and embraced Starlene in his arms.
"Hello Starlene, my darling little star. I'm so happy to see you." He hugged her tight and started pecking her cheeks and face with kisses making Starlene giggle.
"Seb.." Y/n's voice entered his ear and he looked up, smiling wide at her. He expected her to smile back but she just stared at him, her eyebrows furrowed.
"Honey. Are you okay?" He stood up and went closer to her, intending to give her a hug but she stepped back, startling him.
"Are you having contractions again?" He asked.
"No. Let's just go in. Dr. Selena is waiting for us." she said, beckoning her head towards dr.Selena's office.
"Oh okay. I'm really sorry for being so late. You won't believe what happened." he said as he carried Starlene with one hand and dragged his suitcase with his other hand.
"Oh yeah. I know. You saved a child from a kidnapper didn't you?" Y/n stated.
"Yeah. I did. Guess the news travels fast." He chuckled.
"Indeed it does." She said with a hint of sarcasm, making him wonder what was going on with her but they were already in front of the doctor's office so he couldn't ask her again.
The door to the office was opened and a nurse stood in front of it.
"Hi Emily." Y/n greeted the nurse and the nurse smiled.
"Hi Y/n. Please come in." Emily said and she stepped back to allow them to come in.
"Good afternoon dr.Selena." Y/n greeted her and the doctor smiled at them.
"Ah, good afternoon Mrs and Mr Stan. It's lovely to see you both again." dr. Selena smiled warmly.
"And ooh, look who it is? Last time I saw you, you were just a tiny baby." dr. Selena smiled at Starlene who smiled shyly back at her.
"Yes, can't believe it's been almost two years now." Sebastian chuckled.
"I know. Time really flies doesn't it? Anyway, please sit down. What can I do for you today?" dr.Selena asked as they took seats in front of her.
"Umm.. first of all. I'm really sorry that we didn't come back to you before today. We decided to try water birth to deliver our second baby and we found out that we couldn't do it here." Y/n started to explain.
"Oh. That's fine Mrs.Stan. I know we don't have that facility here so it's great that you can find it somewhere else." dr. Selena smiled.
"I'm glad you think that, dr.Selena." Y/n replied.
"So, what can I do for you today?" dr.Selena asked again.
"Well. I'm currently 36 weeks pregnant. Earlier today I felt a contraction. A pressure at my lower back. At first I thought it was Braxton Hicks contraction but then it happened multiple times over the course of an hour. So, I decided to come here to get a check. The birthing center is in New Jersey and my husband was not here when the contraction happened so I decided to come here because it's closer to where we live." Y/n explained.
"Oh yes. You were all over the news Mr.Stan! Saving a kidnapped child in Atlanta huh? A real life hero." dr.Selena exclaimed and he chuckled. He glanced at Y/n and she was not smiling or laughing along, she had an icy expression on her face as she glanced back at him and that made him feel a little scared and wondering again what he did wrong.
"Anyway, have you felt any more contractions after that?" dr.Selena asked, turning her attention back to Y/n.
"No. It stopped before I came here." Y/n responded.
"Very well. Please come to the examination bed Mrs.Stan so we can check on you and the baby." dr.Selena said as she stood up and Y/n stood up too.
He watched as dr.Selena checked Y/n's cervix and did an ultrasound on her stomach. His eyes widened as he made out his baby's figure on the ultrasound screen.
"Well, you have no cervical dilation yet and it seems your baby is breech." dr.Selena said, pointing on the screen at the baby's bottom who was near the bottom of the uterus.
"Oh no. Is it still possible for the baby to turn into head first position?" Y/n asked.
"Yes, don't worry. Most babies will be positioned head first at 36-37 weeks. There are some exercises that you can do to help and some other methods you can try at home. But if by 37 weeks your baby is still breech, there's a procedure called ECV, External Cephalic Version, where we try to turn the baby from the outside." dr.Selena replied.
"Oh okay." Y/n nodded.
"Are there any risks associated with the procedure, doctor?" Sebastian asked.
"Yes, there are small risks of early onset labor, premature rupture of the membranes, minor blood loss for either the baby or the mother and fetal distress that could lead to an emergency C-section." dr.Selena replied as she put the ultrasound's transducer away. He was horrified as he listened at the risks and it seemed dr.Selena caught up on that.
"Don't worry Mr.Stan. Considering the weight of your baby and the adequate amount of amniotic fluid surrounding your baby, there is still a high chance of your baby to turn on its own naturally." dr.Selena replied as she returned to sit in front of him while Emily the nurse helped clean Y/n's stomach from the ultrasound gel.
"Okay. Thank you doctor. So, back to the main question. Is she in labor?" Sebastian asked.
"As far as I can see, no. It seemed it was Braxton Hicks contraction that you experienced Mrs.Stan." dr. Selena said, referring to the mild and irregular practice contractions that could happen during pregnancy that doesn't signify actual labor.
"Oh okay. That's a relief." Y/n finally smiled as she sat next to him and he couldn't help but smile too. But her face turned cold again as she glanced at him, his heart plummeted at the sight.
"Why is it a relief, Mrs.Stan? If you don't mind me asking?" dr.Selena asked curiously.
"Well, we're supposed to attend our friend's wedding tomorrow in The Catskills, so it's a relief that I'm not in labor yet." Y/n explained.
"I see. In any case, since your due date is near I would advise for you to have a plan in case you go into labor at your friend's wedding. Especially if you're going to spend the night in The Catskills. I mean, it's far from New Jersey." dr.Selena said.
"Yes, the venue is about two to three hours away from the birthing center." Y/n responded.
"I see. All the more reason to be prepared." dr.Selena said.
"Of course, doctor. We'll make sure to be prepared." Sebastian said.
"Good." dr.Selena smiled and she continued to advise them on what they could do at home to help turn their baby to the correct position. She mentioned some form of exercise, music and other methods. Some sounded weird but others seemed to make sense. There was one thing he thought he read somewhere that could help but he was too embarrassed to ask about it and decided to Google it later.
"I'm sorry doctor, does sex help in turning the baby?" Y/n asked, startling him. Apparently she had the same thought as he was. He glanced at her and gave her a side smile but her face remained cold making him question again what was wrong.
"Well, there is no scientific evidence that it helps. Just as there is no scientific evidence that listening to music and putting something cold and warm on your stomach helps. But as long as you don't have any vaginal bleeding, I think it's something that you can try." dr.Selena advised.
"Alright, thank you doctor." Y/n nodded.
"Remember to come and have another ultrasound next week, here or at the birthing center. If your baby is still breech, you might want to consider having ECV or C-section for delivery." dr.Selena reminded them.
"Very well, doctor. Thank you." Y/n nodded.
"Is there anything else I can help you with?" dr.Selena asked.
"No, doctor. Thank you so much." Y/n responded.
"Thank you, doctor." Sebastian said.
"You're very welcome Mrs. and Mr.Stan." dr.Selena smiled.
"So.. do you think you want to try and have sex tonight?" Sebastian asked as soon as they were out of dr.Selena's office.
"Is that all you can think about?" Y/n replied, her voice a little high.
"Honey.. what's wrong? Why are you mad at me?" He finally asked the question he had been dying to ask since they met that day.
"I don't want to talk about it here. Besides, we need to get going if we want to make it to Chad's rehearsal dinner tonight." She reminded him.
"Oh, right." He said, glancing at his watch. It was almost 6 pm, they were surely going to be late as the dinner starts in an hour.
It was quite a miracle that one and a half hours later they were already in their car, heading towards Plattekill Wedding Venue in Roxbury. Sebastian had called Chad earlier explaining their situation and Chad was thankfully quite understanding. He assumed they would arrive at the venue quite late so Chad directed him to go straight to a house that he had rented in Roxbury for them to stay over that night. The wedding ceremony was going to be held the next morning at 10 am and Chad had rented several houses around the venue for all the guests to stay at.
Sebastian glanced at Y/n who was sitting in the front passenger seat, her expression still cold. He sighed and glanced at the rear view mirror. Starlene was sitting in her car seat right behind him while Lucky sat next to her. They decided to bring Lucky because they couldn't find anyone to help watch over him. All of his and her friends were going to be at the wedding and they couldn't possibly leave him alone at their apartment.
Lucky was quiet while Starlene had an iPad in her hand and was busy watching YouTube. He decided to ask Y/n again on why she was angry at him. He couldn't stand seeing her so cold to him like that.
"Honey.." he slowly said, his heart rate increased a little.
"Hmm?" She responded.
"Did I do something wrong?" He asked gently.
She sighed and didn't answer immediately.
"I can't stand seeing you so cold to me like this." He said as he slowly reached out to pick her hand up.
"I've missed you, sweetheart." He said, kissing her hand gently. He was glad she allowed him to do that but his heart plummeted as she pulled her hand away.
"I did too, Seb. Until I saw this." She said as she pulled her cellphone out and started swiping on the screen.
"You have some explaining to do." She demanded as she showed her cellphone screen to him.
"Let me pull over for a bit." He said. They were not on the highway yet and he saw a gas station up ahead. He decided to stop there. He glanced at the fuel meter and realized they also needed to refuel.
He pulled over right after the entrance to the gas station then turned towards her.
"Let me see." He said as he extended his hand to her and she gave him her cellphone.
There on the screen he could see footage of him at the Atlanta airport, talking to the airline staff who had asked for his autograph. He shook his head in disbelief. Someone had taken a video of him talking to the staff. It also showed how they went behind the counter in front of the gate and emerged minutes later to an angry Delta staff. The caption written on the video made his blood boil.
"Sebastian Stan caught cheating with an airline crew!"
"Oh my God! I can't believe this." He protested.
"Is it true?!" She asked, her voice raised.
"Honey.. of course it's not true! How could you think that? I would never cheat on you! You know that." He pleaded.
"Well then, explain to me what that is!" She demanded, gesturing towards her cellphone.
Sebastian sighed. "The airline staff was a fan. She wanted me to sign the back of her neck. I thought it would look rather weird if I did it in public. It would have raised some questions so I suggested doing it behind the counter. I didn't think anyone saw it."
"She wanted you to sign behind her neck?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yes! She wanted to get it tattooed, like that fake tattoo I got for Monday." He explained.
"That's all that happened?" She asked.
"Yes! I have her phone number. You can call her yourself if you don't believe me." He said but as soon as he said it regretted it. Y/n's eyebrows furrowed in annoyance again upon hearing him saying it.
"Why do you have her phone number?" She asked coldly.
"I.. I offered her tickets to Thunderbolts premiere and I need her number to arrange for that."
"And why did you offer her tickets to Thunderbolts premiere?" She asked, the crease on her eyebrows got even deeper.
"Because I had lied earlier to the other airline staff telling them that you were in labor but when I talked to her I.. umm.. I forgot about that lie and told her you were not in labor. So I basically bribed her so she wouldn't tell anyone else that I lied."
She stared at him for a moment with no reaction on her face, making his heart beat faster in anticipation. Then slowly her expression became more relaxed and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Ooh Seb. You lied about me being in labor?" She asked, shaking her head.
"Yeah.. yeah I did." He said, grimacing.
"Maybe that's why I had the Braxton Hicks contractions. Your lie manifested." She pointed out.
"I'm sorry sweetheart. I just wanted to get here as soon as I could. At the time it seemed like a good idea to tell people that your wife is in labor in order to speed things up, you know." He explained sheepishly.
"Well, it didn't help at all, did it?" She said and he couldn't help but agree to it.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart." He said again as he returned her cellphone to her and placed his hands on the sides of her face.
"You know you're the only woman for me. My heart belongs only to you. Please never doubt that, sweetheart." He said as he gazed at her intently, trying to convey his love to her through his gentle gaze.
She gazed back at him and smiled slowly. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the love again in her eyes.
"I love you." He said with all his heart.
"I love you too, Iubirea mea." She smiled and he smiled back.
He stroked her cheeks gently with his thumb and slowly leaned in to plant a gentle kiss on her lips. Home. He finally felt like he was home. Butterflies flew around in his stomach as they continued to kiss and forget about everything around them.
"Daddy.. I want a kiss too." Starlene suddenly chimed up and they broke apart, laughing.
"Well, I'll give you a kiss later okay? It's hard to turn around to reach you in this position." Sebastian said, turning his head to face Starlene.
"Okay." Starlene said happily and she returned her attention back to her iPad, making them both smile.
"So. Anyway. Do you want to try to have sex tonight?" He asked as he drove the car closer to the fuel dispensers. Kissing her earlier woke up the desire in him and he couldn't help but imagine making love to her.
"Seb. I don't know. Aren't you tired? Besides, remember the last time we had sex while I was 37 weeks pregnant with her?" She asked, pointing her thumb back at Starlene.
"I remember. That was amazing sex and it brought our star out into the world." He winked and she smiled. Indeed, Starlene's birth was induced by their love making. He wasn't sure if it was a coincidence but she was right to be concerned about it.
"Exactly. I don't want to induce labor while we're away in the mountains far from the birthing center." She said and he nodded.
"Okay, honey. Maybe we can try and do it after we get back from Chad's wedding. I mean, you do want the baby to turn, right?" He asked.
"Of course! I don't want to end up having a C-section if I could." She replied.
"Okay." He nodded.
He stopped the car right next to a fuel dispenser and got out of the car. A cold breeze entered the car and he felt something cold dropped on his nose.
"Mommy, daddy, snow!" Starlene pointed out towards the sky.
"Oh yeah, it is snowing. Beautiful isn't it?" Y/n responded.
Soft snow had started to fall from the sky, specks of white layered the ground and parts of their car.
Sebastian picked up the fuel nozzle and put it into the car's fuel tank inlet. He rubbed his hands as it felt really cold and vapor had started to come out from his nose.
As he waited for the gas tank to fill he remembered the weather forecast he listened to earlier in the taxi. Looks like it was correct. It really started to snow that night.
A sudden gust of cold strong wind suddenly passed him and he shivered. Snow started to fall even harder on them. He checked the fuel meter on the fuel dispenser and decided it was enough. He immediately pulled out the fuel nozzle, returned it to its place and closed the fuel cap. He opened the door of the car and welcomed the warm breeze coming out of it as he sat down and closed the car door shut. The radio was on as he started to drive the car out of the gas station and he turned the windshield wiper on.
"And now for some updates on the weather forecast. As forecasted, New York City, New Jersey and the surrounding area are experiencing snow fall tonight. Moderate to strong snow storm is expected to arrive starting Saturday morning and will clear up by Sunday. It is highly advised to stay indoors during this time." a female weather forecaster announced on the radio.
"Snow storm tomorrow morning? That's not good." Sebastian shook his head.
"I know. Poor Chad and Madeline. Aren't their ceremony supposed to be held outdoors?" She asked.
"Yeah. Up on the mountains." He sighed.
"Do you want to give him a call?" She asked.
"Chad? No, I'm sure he's busy with the rehearsal dinner. And I'm sure they have a back up plan should a snow storm really happen." He responded.
"Okay." She nodded.
It was 8 when they finally left New York City and headed into the suburbs. Snow continued to fall throughout their journey. Coupled with the fact that it was night time, at times he found it hard to see the road. So he drove slowly and avoided going too fast.
Throughout the journey he told Y/n about his adventure earlier rescuing Adriana as well as the anxiety-inducing incident on the plane that caused the oxygen masks to drop.
"Wow. That must have been really scary." She commented.
"Yeah, it was. I kept thinking about you, Starlene and little bean." He said as he reached out to pat her bulging stomach.
"I wasn't ready to die. I didn't want to miss seeing both of my kids grow up. You know." he said as he felt her warm hand on top of his and felt her squeezing it gently.
"Well, I'm so glad you're here now, Iubirea mea." She turned to him and smiled.
"I'm so glad too, honey." He glanced at her and smiled.
"Hmm.." Y/n shifted in her seat and rubbed her stomach.
"What is it, honey?"
"I think.. wait.. yeah.. I'm having contractions again." she said and his heart seemed to stop.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah.. but it's okay. Keep going. It's probably another false alarm."
"Honey, are you sure?"
"Yeah yeah. Keep going. Let's just see how long this one lasts and how often."
"Okay. We're about two hours away from the house Chad rented. We can still make a turn and go south to Morristown." He said as he glanced at the satnav.
The birthing center they had decided to go to for the birth of their baby was at Morristown, New Jersey, southwest of New York City while Chad's wedding venue was located northwest of New York City.
"Yeah, okay. Just keep going, Iubirea mea." she said and he nodded.
The contractions came again several times in the next hour but it came sporadically. It didn't seem to hurt too much either. By the time they entered Roxbury two hours later it had completely stopped. So they concluded it was another Braxton Hicks contraction.
"Sweetheart, maybe you're just dehydrated. I read Braxton Hicks can happen because of dehydration." He said as he drove his car to the small street where the house Chad rented was located.
"Yeah, maybe. I was kind of tired too today. These two have been testing my patience to the limit." She said, pointing her thumb at the backseat and he laughed.
"They are quite a troublesome duo huh?" He commented.
"That's an understatement." she sighed and he laughed again.
"Well, I'm going to fully help you now until the baby is born and for at least three months after that. So don't worry about it, okay?" He said, reaching out to squeeze her hand.
"Yeah. Thank you, Iubirea mea." She squeezed his hand back and smiled at him.
"You're very welcome, my love." he smiled back and she blushed. He loved seeing her blush. She always looked so pretty when she did, making his heart warm.
"So, here we are." He said, turning his attention back to the street and stopped right in front of a house behind a long wooden fence. Another car was parked behind the fence right on the driveway, it was Chad's car.
He pulled out his cellphone and dialed Chad's number.
"Hey Chad. We're here." He said into his cellphone moments later.
"Okay. I'll be right out." Chad replied.
"Okay. Thanks." He nodded then hung up.
The front door of the house was opened and Chad came out, waving his hand and smiling at them. He opened the wooden fence and Sebastian drove the car into the driveway and parked next to Chad's car.
"Hey man, so glad to see you finally make it here." Chad shook his hand and gave him a brief hug as soon as he got out of the car.
"Yeah, I'm so glad too! It's been an adventure trying to get here." he chuckled.
"Oh yeah! I saw you on the news! You're a real life hero huh?" Chad commented and he just laughed.
"Come, come in, I've set up the fireplace." Chad said and he guided them all to enter the house.
The house, well, more like the cottage, was a two story cottage with wooden walls and floors. It had a rustic charm with a red and green color scheme in the interior making it feel like it was Christmas. It consisted of a warm and homey living room, well equipped kitchen, spacious bathroom with a bath and two bedrooms fit for four people.
With help from Chad, he put all their luggage in the cottage while Starlene, Y/n and Lucky went inside and settled in.
By the time they were done putting all the luggages in the cottage, snow had fallen even harder that it was more than likely a snow storm was coming.
"So, seeing how the weather is like, any change of plans for tomorrow?" Sebastian asked as they sat on the sofa in the living room.
"Yeah, we were supposed to have the ceremony in the morning up on the mountains but if it's not possible, we're just going to have the ceremony indoors in the reception building." Chad replied.
"Okay. Sounds like a good plan." He nodded.
"Yeah. I just hope the road will still be accessible. There's a shovel in the garage by the way in case you need to use it in the morning." Chad said.
"Okay. Thanks. Where are you and Madeline staying by the way?"
"Oh, we rented a large house about a quarter mile from the venue. All her family and my family are staying there." Chad replied.
"Okay. You're not staying in the same room as her are you?"
"Of course not!" Chad laughed. "You know she's a wedding planner. She knows all the dos and don'ts and all the superstitions about weddings. It's kind of frustrating at times, but I know she means well."
"Yeah. Based on my own experience, you should follow through with it." He responded, remembering the disastrous events happening during his wedding and honeymoon.
"Yeah, I'm trying my best. Anyway, it's kind of late, I better get going." Chad said and he stood up.
"Alright, see you in the morning, man. Try and get some sleep." He stood up and gave Chad a brief hug.
"Thanks, man. See you." Chad smiled and clapped his back.
Once Chad was gone he looked around and found Lucky, sleeping on a rug in front of the fireplace. He went into one of the bedrooms and found Starlene already tucked in bed, sleeping soundly. He walked closer to her, leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. She shifted a little but didn't wake up. It seemed she was really tired. He caressed her head gently and smiled, thankful he was still alive after the eventful journey from Atlanta and was able to see his daughter again.
A warm hand surrounded his waist and he was startled. He looked to the side and found Y/n, standing next to him and circling her arm around his waist.
"She looks so peaceful and innocent." She commented and he nodded as he placed his arm around her shoulder and squeezed it.
"But it all changes when she wakes up." she complained, making him laugh.
"How did she find those toilet papers?" He asked, remembering the mess Starlene and Lucky had made earlier that day in their apartment.
"Well, you know I keep the toilet papers in the lower cupboard in the bathroom. She found them." she sighed.
"She's a smart girl." he chuckled.
"Yeah. I moved them to another cupboard and locked it."
"Okay, I guess we need to inspect everything else that is within her reach. Especially things like detergent, soap, drugs and things like that and then move them somewhere she can't reach." He suggested.
"Yeah. I already did. Spent the day today doing that before the contraction happened." she replied.
"Hey, maybe that's the cause of the false contraction. You know tiredness can cause that, aside from dehydration."
"You know what, you're right. Maybe I was too tired." she sighed.
"Let's get to bed then. I'm tired too. It's been such a long day." he suggested.
"Okay." She nodded and they went to the other bedroom hand in hand.
Despite feeling tired, being in close proximity with her made his desire arise. He knew it wasn't really the longest time that they hadn't made love. They survived three months without seeing each other right before their wedding so theoretically they should survive just two weeks without seeing each other. But being close to her that night on the bed and seeing her beautiful face sleeping next to him inevitably made him turned on. She truly was the only woman who could make him feel this way.
She was sleeping on her right side facing him and he laid down on his left facing her too. He glanced down and saw her cleavage underneath her nightgown and he swallowed hard.
"Honey.. wake up." He whispered.
"Hmm.. what is it?" her eyes slowly fluttered open and she looked up at him curiously.
"I.. umm.. I'm really sorry sweetheart. I know you're tired but I'm still feeling kind of tense, if you know what I mean." He said, his eyes went downwards where he could feel himself starting to harden down there.
"Oh Seb, you know I don't want to induce labor up here in the mountains." She protested, her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.
"I know.. I'm sorry. But maybe you could just.. you know." He said, blushing again as he raised his hand up and realization dawned in her.
"Please.." He said, giving her puppy dog eyes and she couldn't help but laugh.
"Fine, come here you big puppy." She said as she pulled his head by the neck and started kissing him passionately. He smiled as they kissed and soon was lost in the act of love and passion.
Before they knew it they ended up making love that night, expressing all the love and lust they always had for each other for the past twenty three years. He felt really lucky to be married to her. There was nothing else better than feeling completely in love with your significant other all the time. He knew it was something rare in the world having his fair share of heartbreaks, so he treasured it as much as he could.
"I love you so much, my love, my queen." He whispered as he held her tight after they reached the peak of pleasure together.
"I love you so much too, Iubirea mea." She whispered back and her arms held him tight.
For a moment he felt at peace as they continued to hold each other, unwilling to let the other go. Then he felt her tensed under his arms.
"D**n!" She cursed as she let go of him and held her bulging stomach.
"Sweetheart, what is it?" He asked in concern.
"I think.. I think the baby had turned." She said, her eyes scrunched up in pain.
"Oh really? That's great then." He smiled.
"Yeah. I usually feel it kick my bladder but this time I feel the kick on my ribs." She explained.
"Well, that's great. No need to do the ECV procedure then."
"Yeah. Thank God."
"Are you still in pain?"
"No, but.. d**n!" She exclaimed out loud as she held her lower back with her hand.
"Another contraction?" He asked in concern.
"Yup." She sighed as she rubbed her lower back.
"Okay. Here, let me help rub your back and we'll see what happens." He said as he reached his hand around her and started to gently rub her back.
"Thank you Iubirea mea. That feels good." She smiled.
"You're welcome, honey." He said as he kissed her forehead gently.
For the next hour the contraction kept on coming and it became even closer together. There was no doubt that Y/n could really be in labor. So they called their midwive from the birthing center in Morristown to ask for her advice. After listening to her advice, which was to monitor the contraction again within the next hour, they concluded that she could really be in labor.
"Seb, it's snowing really hard out there. Are you sure about this?" She asked as they prepared to go to Morristown.
"But honey, you could really be in labor. You need to get to the birthing center. At least to get yourself checked." He reasoned.
"Yeah.. but maybe we could at least wait until the sun is out. I mean, you could hardly see out there with all the snow."
"Sweetheart, are you sure? What if the baby comes out here before we get the chance to get to the birthing center."
"Seb, do you remember how long it took for Starlene to come out after I first felt the contraction?"
"Yeah, I remember." He sighed. It took twenty nine hours for Starlene to come out since Y/n started to feel the contraction.
"So I think it's much safer to wait until morning."
"Well. Okay. If you're sure."
"I am sure." she insisted and he could only nod.
However her feelings changed within the next three hours. The contractions came much more often and much closer together and it had become rather painful that she finally agreed to go to the birthing center.
It was 4 in the morning when they got out of the house and drove to Morristown. Starlene and Lucky were both woken up from their sleep and were forced to come because they didn't want to bother their friends and asked them to take care of Starlene and Lucky.
Unfortunately, the snow storm had started as Sebastian drove the car slowly down the mountain. On his right Y/n was grunting and trying hard to withstand the pain while in front of him fierce wind blew snow onto the front window, obscuring his view. The sun wouldn't come out until a few hours from now and he didn't dare to speed up with the dangerous condition.
"Seb! Why are you driving so slowly?!" Y/n asked in between contractions.
"Honey, I can barely see! I don't want to get us into an accident!" He protested.
"But the baby is coming, Seb!" She protested.
"I know, honey. I know. I'm driving as fast as I can, okay? Hang in there." he said as he reached out and placed his hand on her stomach.
Y/n didn't answer him and instead she resorted to using the hypnobirthing method to try and ease the pain.
"That's it, honey. That's it. You're doing great." He said, trying to calm her down even though deep down he felt extremely nervous.
"Aaarghhh.." Y/n exclaimed in pain prompting Lucky to bark and Starlene to start crying.
"Oh dear." Sebastian sighed as he listened to all of them.
"Starlene, dear, please don't cry. It's okay. Mommy is okay. Your sibling is about to be born. You should be happy." He said as he looked at the rear view mirror and saw Starlene still crying her heart out.
Among all the loud voices he suddenly heard a rumbling sound coming from above them.
"What the h**l." He looked up and his heart beat so fast in his chest as he saw the massive body of snow coming at them from above the mountain.
"Seb.. it's an avalanche!" Y/n shouted in panic.
"I know!" He said as he stepped on the gas and tried to avoid the avalanche.
The rumbling sound felt so close to him that for a split second he was sure they were all going to be buried underneath it. But he suddenly realized they were on a straight road now for several miles up ahead and decided to speed up even more.
"Hang on, honey!" He yelled as he stepped on the gas and the car sped up quickly on the road. The ground shook as the avalanche finally reached the ground behind them missing them by inches.
"That was so close!" He exclaimed as he glanced back for a second and saw the large pile of snow behind him.
"Oh no.. no.. no.." Y/n suddenly said out loud.
"What? What is it, honey?" He asked, his heart still racing after their near death experience.
"I think my water just broke!" She replied and his heart plummeted. He glanced at the satnav and saw that they were still one and a half hours away from the birthing center.
"What should we do?" He asked as his brain tried to remember anything from the birthing classes he had attended or the numerous pregnancy books and articles he had read.
"I don't know! Aaarghhh! The baby is coming, Seb! I can feel it!" She shouted, making him feel even more panicked.
"Hang in there, honey. Try to raise your feet up." He said as he remembered something he read in a pregnancy book on what to do when the water broke.
"I can't!" She protested and he realized that the space on the front passenger seat was too narrow for her to be able to raise her feet up.
"This is all your fault! Aaarghh..!" She protested as he continued to drive, not knowing what else to do.
"If only you didn't ask me to have sex earlier, I wouldn't be in labor now!" She continued angrily and he couldn't help but feel guilty.
"I'm sorry, honey. I really am." He said, glancing at her for a second and felt his heart break seeing her in so much pain.
"I'm trying to drive as fast as I can. Please hang in there, honey." He pleaded.
She didn't respond and when he glanced at her again she was reaching down, her hand trying to reach under her nightgown.
"Seb.." she said slowly.
"What?" He asked, dreading her next sentences.
"I can feel the baby's head.." she responded.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Yes! I can feel his head and his hair!"
"Oh dear.." he didn't know what else to say.
"Seb, stop the car! Help me deliver the baby!" She shouted, startling him.
"But.. but.. I can't!" He protested.
"Aaaarghhh.. I'm pushing now! I can't hold it anymore!" She shouted again.
"No honey, hold it! Don't push now!"
"Seb! God d**n it! Just stop the car and help me deliver the baby!" She shouted and he had no choice but to obey.
He pulled over and stopped the car on the side of the road. He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. Cold breeze hit his face as he ran to the other side of the car. He opened the back passenger door and encouraged Lucky to go to the back of the car. Then he helped Y/n to push the backrest of her seat so she could lie down.
She raised her feet up and he knelt on the ground next to her then helped pull her underwear down and that's when he saw it, the top of his baby's head. He felt dizzy as he saw it. He couldn't believe he was going to help his wife deliver their baby in the car in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm no less!
"Seb! I'm pushing!" She exclaimed and he nodded.
"Okay.. you can do it, honey. Push!" He held her hand and encouraged her as she started to push, her eyes scrunched up in pain.
Slowly he could see the head of his baby came out even more, but when half of it came out, she stopped pushing.
"I can't.. " she complained as she tried to catch her breath.
"Okay, it's fine. Take a breather. Wait until the next round of contraction comes. Then you push again, okay? You can do it, sweetheart, I know you can." He said as he caressed the side of her face and she nodded.
"Good, that's it sweetheart, take a deep breath." He said as he stood up and kissed her forehead.
"Daddy.. is mommy okay?" Starlene chimed in and he smiled.
"Yes, your mommy is giving birth to your sibling, Starlene. Soon you'll have someone to play with." He smiled and Starlene just nodded.
"Seb! He's coming!" Y/n shouted.
"Okay, okay. Take a deep breath. That's it. Now push!" He said as he knelt again beside her and watched the head of his baby come out even more.
Several more pushes from her and their baby's head finally came out fully. He gently pulled the baby all out from her womb and the baby started crying. He immediately took off his jacket and covered him with it. Yes, their baby was indeed a baby boy.
He looked down and gently cleaned the baby's face and head with some tissues. He couldn't help but shed a tear as he continued to clean the baby. He couldn't believe they successfully delivered him out into the world amidst an unbelievable situation.
"Seb.. I want to see him." Y/n reached out her hand and he immediately put the baby in her arms.
"You did amazing, sweetheart. He's perfect." He smiled and he kissed her forehead again.
"He is. He looks just like you." She smiled as she carried the baby and gently rocked him.
"What should we name him?" She asked.
"I know the perfect name. James Adrian Stan. James after James Buchanan Barnes, the strongest man I know and Adrian after Adriana, the bravest girl I know." He smiled.
"James Adrian Stan. It's perfect." She smiled.
"Come and meet your new baby brother, Starlene." He said as he went to the backseat and took Starlene off from her car seat.
Starlene stood in the middle of the car and looked down.
"My brother." She said, extending her hand towards the baby.
"Yes, Starlene, this is Adrian. Adrian, this is Starlene." Sebastian said, smiling as he saw Starlene extended her index finger and Adrian caught it between his hands. He felt his heart warm as he witnessed their children's interaction and felt immense gratitude.
He opened his arms wide and embraced them all in his arms. Despite the extraordinary circumstances, he was elated and happy to welcome their baby boy into the world. He was sure there would be more happiness and adventures up ahead and as long as he had his perfect family with him, he was ready for whatever comes their way.
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