"What did the doctor say?" Brian asked.
"Not much." Nick sighed, he was getting very tired of Brian giving him the third degree.
"She must have said something." Brian argued.
"Leave him alone Brian, he'll tell us later, he only just got through the door." AJ reprimanded.
"When did you guys take over my house?" Nick demanded.
"While you were out." Howie appeared with a grin. "We had to finish the nursery." He followed them into the living room to where Brian had ushered Nick to sit down.
"It's finished." Nick argued.
"It is now." AJ agreed. "We wanted to make sure that everything was perfect."
"Yeah. Sorry if we came across as a little over bearing." Howie apologised for the three of them. "We just want to make sure that there are no little details that you have to mess about with after the birth, like that squeaky hinge."
"It's ok, I really appreciate it guys, I don't know what I'd have done without you." Nick smiled gratefully.
"Probably ended up back at your mom's." Brian laughed. "So are you going to tell us what your doctor said?"
"She said that my blood pressure's dropped back down which is good coz it was pretty high for a while. And she said that he's due any day now so to make sure I've got my bag packed and everything's ready." Nick sounded a little nervous.
"I can't wait until he's born. It's gonna be so cool!" Brian said enthusiastically. "We'll be able to teach him how to walk and talk."
"I think it's gonna be a while before he's walking Brian." Nick laughed. "I just hope he eats and sleeps plenty." He winced as another pain shot through his stomach.
"Was that another one?" AJ asked, looking concerned. Nick nodded. "Can we get you anything?"
"Some milk would be nice." Nick admitted and then added as an afterthought to lighten the mood, "With bourbon in it."
"You can have the milk, but no bourbon." Brian said, pretending to look serious but his eyes sparkled mischievously. "Did you tell the doctor that you've been having contractions already?"
"Yup. She said, not to go to the hospital until they get to every five minutes. At the moment the most I'm having is once an hour." Nick thanked AJ as he handed him the milk.
"And is everything ready? The bag I mean?" Howie asked.
"Yeah, my mom and Brian sorted it the other day. My mom's been going crazy waiting by the phone for a call to tell her I'm in labour. Brian's the only one worse than her." Nick laughed as he noticed Brian watching the bump that would soon be a baby, anxiously.
"No way, your mom's worse than me." Brian replied indignantly, blushing. "And Aaron too, he was so scared that you'd go into labour the other day when it was just the two of you here."
"Well, I think we're all a little worried about what's going to happen when Nick goes into labour." Howie said consolingly to Brian who was beginning to look put out. "As long as we remember his bag and don't get lost on the way to the hospital I don't see how anything can go wrong."
"There is something I want to know." AJ confessed quietly.
"What is it, Alex?" Nick smiled supportively to tell him that it was fine to ask his question.
"When you go into labour, do you want one of us to call Kev and let him know?" AJ asked. "I know it's probably not something that you want to have to think about but I think we all need to be clear on it."
"Yeah. I was talking to my mom about it and we sorta decided together that I do want him to know. Sort of like a last chance thing for him to get his act together but as well as that she said that I owe it to the baby to try and give him every chance of having both his parents right from the start." Nick sighed.
"You've given him enough chances." Brian grumbled. "Are you going to let him have a paternity test when the baby's born?"
"If it's what he really wants and he pays for it himself then yeah."
"And after that?" Howie asked softly. "We all know how crazy Kev is about kids. Are you going to let him see him?"
"Yeah. It's not fair on the baby." Nick looked upset. "It's gonna have to be on my terms though and I'm not going to let him push me around about important decisions. He can't just treat me like shit and then expect me to forgive and forget but I've got to do what's best for the baby."
"We're all behind you 100% man." AJ smiled. "You're doing the right thing."
"Thanks a lot, bro, it means a lot to me that you think that." Nick grimaced once again as he felt a twinge in his stomach.
"It's not been an hour!" Brian exclaimed beginning to panic.
"It's not been five minutes either Brian, they don't run like clockwork. I'm fine." Nick laughed, smiling weakly as the pain eased. That one had been worse than the previous contractions he'd been having.
"You're always fine." Brian argued, disappearing out of the room and coming back in with Nick's overnight bag that was ready for him to take to the hospital. "You'll be saying your fine when you're 2 hours into labour."
"I think he might be using language a little more colourful than fine." Howie laughed.
"I'm ok, Brian, really. You're not taking me to the hospital, they'll only send me back again like they did the other day." Nick soothed.
"I still think that they should have kept you in. False labour my ass. It scared the shit out of me." Brian shook his head.
"There was no point in them keeping him in, Brian. You know how he is, he would have been tearing his hair out staring at the same four walls day in day out." Howie placated. Nick grimaced again as his stomach contracted.
"Was that another one?" AJ asked, taking Nick's hand. Nick nodded. "Wow, they're coming pretty quickly now, tell me when you have another." He glanced at his watch so that he could time the contractions."
"Don't look so scared, Nicky. It's ok, we're all gonna be here for you." Howie soothed seeing the fear shining in Nick's eyes. Nick smiled weakly, he knew that he had their support but if he was honest he knew that the only person he wanted right then was Kevin. Nick had looked up so much to Kevin, had thought that the older man could fix anything, protect him from anything. He'd never lost his childish love and reverence for Kevin, even after Kevin had treated him like shit and made him feel worthless. He knew as well as the other guys that if Kevin turned up on the doorstep that second Nick would be so relieved to see him that all would be forgotten. And whether or not he was going to keep his pledge of not letting Kevin push him around after the birth he didn't know, only time would tell. He squeezed AJ's hand as another contraction came and a wave of pain hit him.
"That was 6 minutes." AJ said.
"I'll call you're mom." Howie picked up the phone.
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