"This is Jane" Paul introduced his 'friend' Jane as Louise struggled with the seat belt. She had finally given up on the bandage dress unfortunately, and felt like a overfilled balloon in the pastel shift dress she had on. Jane on the other hand was skinny as a rake and absolutely gorgeous, which only riled Louie further.

He'd only finished pulling his trousers up a few hours ago so this introduction to Jane was a bit 'kick in the face' sad.

"Hello, sorry to upset your afternoon but bub may have just decided to move out of it's palatial home!" The next wave of pain started to rear its ugly head and Paul shut the door as he saw Lou trying to grab onto his arm for a bit of support.

"No problem this is quite exciting, isn't it" Jane grinned over the seat as Louie howled. "Hurry Paul! Stop dawdling"

"Where did John go anyway?" Paul looked at Lou in the rear-mirror.

"How should I know; his black book was gone"

Louise gazed sadly out the window as the pain slipped by, she had no reason to blame him for being gone. Oh he had been a right arse that morning but she had let the deal slip, it was now firmly back in place.

Nate met them at the door, wheelchair and nurse to boot, Louie grimaced through a contraction in the backseat then let them help her up and out of Pauls car. Paul stayed put, his gorgeous mug being a right royal problem these days as was all four of their Beatley dials.

"Well I'll go notify everyone and come back up as soon as I can, look after her doc" Paul grinned and gave Lou the thumbs up, she felt like twisting them off his hands and shoving them up his nose but she resisted, it was just the pain talking.

"Bye, nice to meet you" Jane yelled over Pauls head, she was alright but a bit too perfect "Good luck!"

Louise waved as Paul sped off past an ambulance that had to brake at his too fast of an exit from the Maternity wing of the hospital.

"Good luck, huh" Louise Lennon huffed grouchily and found herself being wheeled through the passageways quickly and the pain repeated over and over like some sort of return to the night it first happened, flashbacks clouded her mind and she felt like sinking in the turmoil.

***************

Nate was asleep in the chair, it was past midnight she presumed and he was still here, off the clock and still a rock.

Was he married?

Some girl was going to be terribly lucky with him, he had a light tan or it was his natural colour, no it was natural she'd known him long enough to discount an overseas holiday to Tahiti or some other equally exotic providence. He was so very nice, sweet, calm and could joke- a big plus in a Liverpool lass's book of 'what to look for in a man' his handsome face was a lovely distraction to plain pasty faces that abound and was an extra big tick to any girl's checklist.

A contraction rolled down over Louise and swept her into a flashback of where this had all begun, she grasped the metal sides of the bed and bit the inside of her gum to be as silent as she could...Tears slipping silently she held on til the contraction slipped by.

He could stand next to Paul in the cute looks department she thought, and he was well kept, better than my lads that's for sure. Maybe slightly too well kept I do like my boys after all. Except John, he was just an arse-

"Ma!" Louie near yelled then dropped her voice "Ma, shush" Louie pointed at her the sleeping doctor, Louie 'shushed' even though it was her that spoke.

"The doctor!" Ma whispered, clearly wrongly impressed that John had organised a private physician. " 'Ow wonderful, John is certainly looking after you"

"No, he isn't" Louie bit her tongue from sounding too sarky "I mean to say Doctor Nate is my doctor nothing to do with John. Doctor looked after me in the 'pool, Ma. Then as it happened he was employed in London, so I became his patient again"

Louise had been keeping quiet to let Nate sleep, biting her hand as the pain drove her to screaming point, she went into another contraction the times between shortening as the hours slowly went by.

Nate woke and smiled sleepily at Louie then realised they had company, he straightened his face into one of professionalism and stood quickly "I'll just get the nurse and chart"

"Hurry" she called after him in a high-pitched squeal.

"He's very young, isn't he. Is he fully qualified, I hope he isn't looking at your privates dear, a boy like that, well it could get messy"

"He's the bloody doctor Ma and I'm already a damn mess!"

"Don't take that tone with me, young lady. I don't care if it's the pain talking or not!" Ma patted Louise on the forearm immediately relenting on her upset, knowing the great pain of childbirth and such.

Nate ushered John into the room, somehow, they both bypassed protocol, or the large portly matron, and got him into the delivery room.

"Can I have a minute with my wife please" John requested and as if by magic Ma and Nate exited the room, how is that possible, she thought, she was the one who should be telling people to come or go.

She hissed as another contraction burned her insides, this was different and she held a hand up to stop John opening his gob. He watched in what seemed to be  embarrassment as she let a howl loose to the room and looked about for help. "Well its time, just wanted to wish you luck" He went to leave, hand on the door.

"Wish me luck. Wish ME LUCK!" The decibels rose as Louie leaned into her legs "Never talk againnnnnnn about luckkk .... Now, Get. Nate. I want to push"

"What?"

"Pushhhhh! NATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Louise did what came naturally  and bore down, she couldn't stop the tidal feeling engulfing her body, she just had to.

Nate raced in through the double doors, he hesitated and was about to push John out the door, but once again against hospital policy 'no males in the delivery room bar the doctor and nurse', he pushed John backwards and stood him beside Louise, she grabbed Johns hand instead of the metal bar of the bed and John suddenly got a test of her strength.

"Ok Louise, you need to pant, don't push! I know its hard to stop but you must. I know you can do it, bub is a little tied up and we need to ease them out"

"Them" She screamed "is that a joke? You're making a joke, right. Don't joke doctor"

"I just--" Nate started to explain what she had to do again, then she howled the room down "Pant Louise. John pant with her...like a dog"

"Fuck off"

The assisting nurse looked up from taking Louise's obs and wondered why the John Lennon stood beside some random pregnant lady, she read the chart "Louise Harrison' oh ok maybe George's sister or his wife! no she looks a bit like George, the cheek bones and such. Maybe I could get an autograph-

"Nurse Kelly, GAS!" Nate yelled at the nurse who was off gazing lovingly at the Beatle. "Lift Louise up a bit, use a pillow, yes"

"Alright Louise this time, whenever you're ready push, let your body speak to you but if I say keep going when the contraction ebbs you keep on, got it" Nate smiled encouragingly at Louise and saw a tear slip down her cheek, he nodded for John to move and do something.
Nate didn't really know why he kept John in the room, he didn't know of their arrangement but he had this inane feeling it would wake John up to Louise, her plight, her fight.

The nurse handed John a cool cloth and John wiped Louie's face, at first she wanted to not have a bar of it but she let him in the end. It felt lovely and she let her eyes hold his as she went into the next contraction, her hand squeezed hard, like break his hand hard but he let her, finally he was giving her his complete attention, anyway it was better than looking at the doc who was looking up her wotsit, John thought grumpily.

Louise pushed, screamed and pushed. As a contraction left her body she tiredly stopped pushing too but every-time she did she felt the baby slipping back. Nate confirmed as much when he spoke calmly to her in a lull in proceedings.

"I can't Doc, just cut it out" She cried defeated tears, her body so tired she puddled low in the bed while she could before the next contraction. "Just-"

"Louie" John grasped her hand with the other, shaking the injured one behind him "Lou you're the toughest girl I know, you can do this. You're almost there, we can soon see the darling baby you've, we have, been dying to meet" He kissed her forehead and wiped her cheeks.

"You really think so?" she whispered through cracked dry lips.

"I know so" John nodded, lifting a glass of water to her lips.

Then, realising the next wave was about to strike, Louise nodded with determination, revigorated from his words.

She made it through this time out the other side, holding the push, bearing down, willing her body to open and deliver child, deliver her relief.

Big noisy cries broke in her ears and she opened her clenched shut eyes. Nate smiling, John leaning over the baby smiling, the nurse smiling at John... she wanted to roll her eyes at that but she was too tired, so she waited for them to slowly count fingers, toes, heartbeats.

Nate handed John the baby to deliver to Louise, John grinning ear to ear with dark glassy eyes "It's a girl Louie, a precious sweet girl" Nate sewed a tear as she held the baby, then she was alone with John and the newborn baby girl.

Quietly recovering, quietly watching the baby, realising this was it- John was almost free now, she could let him go soon. John kissed the infant's brow and smiled almost adoringly at Louise, it broke her heart that it was more than likely adrenalin from the experience than love, there was none of that.

"You were amazing, near broke my hand but bloody hell Louise, I have a new respect for women, disgusted but respectfully so" John smiled and moved to kiss her cheek, she let him. The contact felt wonderful.

Her lips pulled to a smile at the choice of words and she struggled up in the bed to settle better, John helping all the way. "Thank-you I think.... Ummm John with Ma about, it will be a bit full on, but she is only staying a few days"

"It's ok, I enjoy kissing you" John kissed her on the lips and she grew upset "No, no. No tears, happy thoughts, let's play house like we mean it for a while and see where the wind blows. I want to have a happy Maybelline, happy baby girl"

Watching the baby take her breast he felt curious and wonderment at such a tiny thing knowing what to do.

She watched over the bubs face and let herself be peaceful, like a family, like she was happy....like it was all real.