Edge of the Heat 7 (17 page)

"It can't take forever, can it?" she murmured. "I'll still be here."

Craig watched her for a long moment, then stood up. "I'll look into it," he said gruffly, pulling on some clothes. He gathered his dishes and took them out to the kitchen. Emma watched him go, chewing her food thoughtfully. Why couldn't life ever be simple?

Voices sounded in a chorus in the living room. Someone was here. Emma pushed her tray back and ran into the bathroom to clean up, then put clothes on quickly. When she reached the living room, Jerry and Sara were still hugging everyone. Emma waited her turn, then hugged them both.

"So what's been going on?" Jerry asked, a bright smile on his face. "Did you guys ever figure out who was after you?"

Craig snorted and shook his head. JT held up his hands. Emma smiled. Did they really not know anything that had happened in the last two days?

"Don't you watch the news?" JT asked in disbelief.

Sara shook her head. "We try to never watch the news. Too much drama and they only focus on the bad stuff."

Dani glared at them and Sara blinked at her. When she realized what she said she laughed. "Sorry Dani, except your segments. They're great."

Hawk looked at JT, then Craig, then Vivian, then Dani. "Didn't anyone ever call them when Emma was ..." Everyone shook their head no, Vivian looking ashamed.

"When Emma was what?" Jerry asked, his eyes bouncing between them.

"Trust me dude, you don't want to know," Hawk said, disappearing behind his computer.

Emma saw something sparkle on Sara's left hand and she looked down. She shrieked at the sight of the ring she had helped Jerry pick out so many months before. JT jumped and Craig reached for the place his gun normally sat, his eyes checking all the windows.

"Oh my God, Jerry, you finally asked her!" Emma yelled, picking up Sara's hand, and showing it to the room.

"I did. And actually ... we're, well we just got back from Vegas. We got married last night. We just couldn't wait, but we'll do it all again and have a big party," he finished quickly.

Emma felt her eyes fill with tears. Sara was a mystery, and Emma had never been positive she would say yes, but she had. "Congratulations," she whispered.

"We have one more surprise, too," Sara said, her hand going to her belly.

Jerry beamed, a smile wide enough and genuine enough to melt hearts, then fished something out of his back pocket. He held out a handful of cigars. "She's pregnant, too."

Dani stood up and shrieked this time, clapping her hands together. Everyone crowded around the couple, congratulating them, kissing and hugging them again.

Emma stood off a little ways, watching them and being happy with all her heart for her friends, but a little sad too.

It wasn't her still. Life always got in the way.

Three years later

The crowd filling the church ooohed and aahhed and gushed as two-year-old Archer Mansko, perfectly dashing in his toddler tuxedo, walked down the aisle holding one twin's hand with each of his own. Anna and Abigail Kincaid, cute pixies in their pink, floor-length dresses, with their curly brown hair cascading down their backs, scattered flower petals from the baskets slung over their arms onto the aisle.

Jerry and Sara followed, then a parade of male and female marines in their dress blues followed, taking up their places on either side of the altar.

Emma, standing behind them, watched her sister and Hawk step slowly onto the trail of flowers as the airy harp music filled the church. Vivian managed to look elegant and amazing as usual, even though her very pregnant belly should have made it impossible for her to walk at all, especially in heels. Emma knew she was leaning heavily on Hawk though. She was having twins again, but they had chosen not to find out the sex. Her due date was in a month, but the doctor had told her to expect the babies earlier. She had carried Anna and Abigail only to thirty-five weeks and the doctor didn't expect her to go past that this time either.

Emma looked down at her own monstrous belly poking her dress out as far as it would stretch. She was not in heels. There was no way. She was having twins too, but for some reason her belly seemed three times as big as Vivian's had ever gotten. Her babies were measuring huge for twins, her doctor had said, trying to convince her to schedule an early induction. Emma had said no way, knowing induction frequently led to c-sections. She wanted to have these babies the natural way, if at all possible. But their size was scaring her. She had made it to thirty-seven weeks already, and just wanted to get past this wedding, then the babies could come at any time. The church and reception hall had all been booked long before Emma and Vivian had gotten pregnant, and Dani had offered to change the dates, but they all knew that would mean postponing the wedding for at least another six months, so they had convinced her to go through with it. They would make it work, no matter what.

Senator Oberlin's money had been dealt with. The three of them had taken their share, for all of ten minutes, before each one of them signed it over to their favorite charity. Emma had never felt relief like she did when that was done.

Craig had finally finished cleaning up the government, with Sara's help, and Hawk's help too as a private contractor, since he had retired from the FBI when the twins were born. About a year after that, when life had finally slowed down for them, Hawk and Vivian had started a Private Investigators business. DashKin Investigations. They were an impressive team who people hired when they needed a seemingly unsolvable puzzle unraveled.

Craig had become famous too, famous enough that publishing companies were hounding him to write a book on the experience of cleaning out the government, not once, but twice. One of them had offered him a $750,000 advance. Craig hadn't decided to take it yet, but Emma was trying to convince him he should. They needed baby clothes and college funds, and who knew what else.

The moment he had held his first press release regarding the arrests they were making, he had also announced his impending retirement from the FBI. That had happened six months ago. Emma knew it would and had thrown away her birth control pills early. She'd seen how ready he was to be done. She knew she could count on him to go through with it.

She watched the next set of marines walk down the aisle, then looked up at Craig, who was strong and solid as ever in his dark suit. She squeezed his hand. They had a few more minutes before it was their turn to walk down the aisle and she wanted a kiss. She turned her face to him but instead of kissing her he leaned over and spoke into her belly button like it was a microphone. "Girls, it's daddy. D-a-d-d-y. You guys sleeping?"

"Ouch, Craig, stop that," Emma said, one hand going to her belly as her other hand pushed him away. "They always kick when you talk to them."

Craig stood and grinned at her, flashing his dimples so she couldn't stay mad. "I know, that's cuz I'm d-a-d-d-y."

"Ouch," Emma gasped and bent slightly. One baby rolled inside her while the other kicked again and again. A sharp pop sounded inside her head and moisture seeped down her legs. "Oh God," she stammered, looking up at Dani and JT's grand wedding unfolding in front of them. Dani had finally gotten the anchor position she'd been fighting so hard for and had finally said yes to marrying JT. She had it all planned out. One year on the job. Marriage, then one more year on the job, then one baby, with six months off, then a nanny on set so she could go back to work. Emma grimaced as she thought of how easily plans could be derailed.

"What's wrong?" Craig asked, bending to hold her up.

"Craig, get me a towel, some napkins, anything. Quickly."

Craig's face went white as he contemplated these instructions. She squeezed his arm. "Go, get me something!"

He disappeared and came back a moment later with a handful of paper towels. Emma dried her legs and shoved the towels in her underwear while hiding behind Craig. They were the only ones left out there anyway.

"Emma, what's going on, are the babies coming?"

"My water broke, but I'm not having contractions. I'll be fine for a few moments."

Craig clutched at her, looking ready to throw her over his shoulder and rush out of there.

Emma took a step back and held up her finger. "No sir, no way. You just keep back. I'm not missing this wedding."

"But Emma, the babies, are they OK?"

"They are fine. I can feel them rolling around in there like normal. I'm not even having contractions." She pulled Craig close to her. "There's no risk if we just stay for a few minutes. Just long enough to see the I do's. I promise."

Craig stared down at her doubtfully.

"Look, I'm a paramedic, I'll deliver these babies myself if I have to. I'm staying, so you better just get on board. It's our turn."

Emma took his arm and pulled at him, slightly anxious that he would just pick her up and run for his truck no matter what she said, so when he stood straight and began to walk she breathed a sigh of relief. "Smile," she whispered at him and they stepped down the aisle, Emma now very glad she was in flats.

At the altar, Craig faltered, wanting to stay with her. She gave him a warning look and a little push, then went her way, glad to see he went to stand at the end of the groomsmen.

Emma took her place next to her sister, wanting to tell her that her water had just broken, but not wanting to spoil the wedding. She held her tongue. They both had chairs waiting just behind them if they needed to sit. Emma didn't need hers quite yet.

They watched as Dani's parents walked her down the aisle, kissed her on the cheek, and gave her away to JT. Emma smiled at Dani's beauty. She looked fresh and lovely in her sleeveless, low-back bridal gown. Emma listened with rapt attention as the couple promised to love each other for the rest of their lives, and she finally sat down when tiny, fluttering contractions started at the top of her belly.

Craig noticed her sitting and left his side of the ceremony immediately, running out the side door. As the rest of the church watched JT kiss his bride, Emma watched glimpses of her husband sprinting past doors, around to her side of the church.

He came in the side door closest to her. "I'm taking you to the hospital now."

"Just one more minute," Emma told him, breathless as another, stronger, contraction took her. She craned her neck to see JT and Dani as they broke apart, smiled at each other, then smiled at the crowd and started down the aisle. Happy music filled the room and Emma's heart filled with gladness for her brother.

"Ok," she whispered to Craig, knowing he couldn't hear her over the applause. She stood, leaning heavily on him and tapped her sister on the shoulder, leaning in to whisper, "My water broke," into her ear.

Vivian spun around and grabbed her hands. "The hospital..."

"We're going," Craig said roughly, putting his arm around Emma and encouraging her to lean on him.

"Give my apologies to JT and Dani," Emma told her sister and allowed Craig to pull her away to the side door, away from the crowd.

Vivian caught up with them. "I'm coming too."

"No, don't come now. It will take forever for me to get checked in and examined. I'll text you if anything good happens."

"Good luck. I'll see you soon," Vivian called after her. "Don't have those babies till I get there."

***

Vivian stood outside the reception hall, debating back and forth when to tell Dani and JT that Emma was in labor. She didn't want to ruin their wedding, but she didn't want anyone to miss anything either. Finally she decided to wait at least until after the first dance. It wasn't like the hospital would let all of them in the room anyway.

Decision made, she breathed a sigh of relief and waved her husband over to stand in the greeting line with her. Nervous excitement filled her belly. Emma was finally having her babies! Emma had wanted this for so long, and she wasn't getting just one baby, but two! Twins were hard work, but so worth the sacrifice. Anna and Abigail meant everything to her and Hawk. They had Hawk completely wrapped around their fingers. All Anna had to do was laugh her little girl laugh and daddy fell all over himself to make her happy. All Abigail had to do was frown slightly, her big, electric-blue eyes misting, and Daddy would move mountains for her. Vivian smiled at the thought of her daughters, then looked around the large reception hall for them as Hawk joined her at the end of the line. She saw them in the corner with Archer, Jerry and Sara's son. Vivian's mother and father were getting all three children drinks and snacks.

Vivian massaged her belly lightly as braxton-hicks contractions tightened it. She'd been having them on and off for weeks. She'd get some water as soon as she got inside. She'd been on her feet all day.

***

Emma screamed as the vice tightened around her middle and the pressure in her pelvis became unbearable. "Where's my sister!" she shouted at Craig, pulling him around by his shirt like he weighed nothing.

"I don't know, babe, no one is answering my texts," he said, pulling his phone out of his pocket again.

It had been just over eight hours since Emma had left the wedding. The doctor had insisted on starting pitocin on her to speed up her contractions, and although Emma hadn't wanted to do it, when he'd started throwing around the words c-section and fetal distress, she'd acquiesced. The pitocin contractions were hitting her heard and heavy, double-peaking and leaving her no time to relax. She really wanted her sister to help her through it. Craig was great, super-supportive, but Vivian had done this. Vivian had made it through this. She wanted Vivian there to tell her she could make it through this too.

Emma thrust her belly in the air, trying to find the least uncomfortable position. In a fit of labor-induced rage she ripped all the wires off of her belly and turned onto her hands and knees. Immediately she felt a head drop.

"Oh, God," she screamed. "Get the doctor, they're coming!"

Craig dropped his phone and looked towards the door, then back to her, unsure what to do.