a lil thing about Audrey's first day/night

When Robin finally drops him off at the front of the hospital, Killian's out of the passenger seat in a flash, his practice bag still on the car floor. Far too much time has elapsed since Emma called and left him a message. Emma's mother and Ruby haven't picked up any of his calls either, so by this point, he's scared out of his wits that something's gone wrong.

Nothing's wrong, she's at the hospital, Emma will be fine.

Killian runs into the hospital's waiting room without an idea of where he needs to be. Not even the automatic sliding doors can halt his mission. Skidding to a stop in front of the nurse's station, he's forced to catch his breath before he can even ask where the maternity ward is.

The kind nurse points toward the elevator. "Up two floors and down the hall to the left," she tells him. "But we don't usually let walk-ins go up there."

"I'm here for my girlfriend," he heaves out. "Emma Nolan. She called me while I was in practice and I need to be with her and -"

"Say no more, hun," the nurse says. Her fake fingernails tap away on the keyboard in front of her. "She's upstairs. You're going to need to sign in and the girls up there will give you her room number."

It takes so much effort not to lean forward over the counter separating them to kiss the old woman's cheek. Killian slaps the top of the counter and thanks her before speeding off to the elevator.

0000

She's been blowing wisps of hair out of her face for longer than she can recall. But despite everything, Emma's rather comfortable. Loosely tucked in and sitting in the hospital bed, she watches Ruby slowly bounce Audrey in the waning window sun. Her friend cradles the newborn carefully, rocking her to sleep with a goofy smile on her face.

"I can't wait to help you with your prom dresses and have tea parties with you," Ruby murmurs quietly. "I'm going to be the best aunt you'll ever have."

"You're the only aunt she's got, Rubes."

Sending her a glare, Ruby says, "Don't ruin my high, Mama Emma. Let me spoil your daughter rotten."

Daughter. I have a daughter. She's had nine months to prepare for it, but it's still such a novel notion. I have a daughter and, god, I am not ready.

The snap of a closing flip phone announces Mary Margaret's mostly quiet returns from the hallway, having just talked to her husband. She looks at Emma with fatigue equal to her daughter's, surely. "Your dad's calling in all his favors now," her mother tells her. "He should be down here late tonight or early tomorrow and he'll come and visit you then."

Emma nods. Her mother comes to her side and presses a kiss to her temple. "I am so proud of you, baby."

"Thanks, mom," Emma mumbles on a sigh. "I'm proud of me, too."

Ruby approaches the side of the bed, a spring still in her step, stating, "I've gotta say though, you scared all of us when you passed out."

"You passed out?" It's a male voice, the one Emma's been waiting to hear in person all day and not on the answering machine. She suppresses a gasp when her eyes finally fall on him. Killian's leaning against the doorjamb casually, but the slight slack jaw and widened blue eyes belie his concern for her. "My god, Swan, you passed out? Are you okay?"

She can't do anything but nod vigorously – the most energy she's exerted today, save for the whole giving birth thing – for fear that any syllable past her lips will allow the tears to roll. Killian pushes off the door instantly, passes straight by Mary Margaret without a second look, and takes a seat on the edge of the bed. His hand – that stupid hand, famous for how he uses it in the ring – is much gentler when it caresses her face, runs the length of its frame and lands on the dimple of her chin. No words arise between them: just looks. It's more than enough because they lean forward at the same time, Killian's strong arms burying her in his chest and Emma silently sobbing into the crook of his neck.

"You're okay?" he whispers again. "Please tell me you're both okay."

She realizes he needs to be reassured, probably not for the last time tonight, but she nods into his shoulder anyways and pulls back.

"Fine," she answers groggily, her throat hoarse and sore for earlier shouts. "Perfect, actually." Emma sniffs and gestures for Ruby to give her daughter back. Her friend obliges, safely settling the infant back in the crook of her mother's arms. Emma meets Killian's gaze.

"Killian Jones, I'd like you to meet Pudge. Or, as her birth certificate says, Audrey Ruth Nolan."

0000

Emma's mother has long since left to find a hotel room for her and her husband, taking Ruby home at the same time. That leaves Killian alone at the hospital with Emma.

"The doctor wants us both to stay overnight," she informs him.

"Why? Is something wrong? What can I do?" His voice wavers with worry. Together, they can work through whatever her first night of motherhood might throw at her, if only he knows what's wrong.

She chuckles lightly. "There's nothing wrong, I don't think." Shifting on the mattress, Emma scoots up into a better, more comfy position. "They just want to make sure Audrey and I are really okay. Teenage pregnancies sometimes have complications."

"All pregnancies do." Sweeping the back of his hand across his tired eyes, Killian shoots her a baleful look. "Emma, I am here for you and Audrey, okay? If there's something wrong, I need to know."

They both glance at Audrey, swaddled tightly and asleep in the rollaway crib between the bed and the chair Killian sits in. Emma smiles.

"Nothing is wrong, I promise." The expression on her face – closed eyes, half asleep – asks that the topic be brought to a close, but Killian keeps staring at her until she winks one eye open and sighs. "And if anything ever is, I'm make sure you're the first to know."

Every couple of hours, some faction of medical personnel will come in the room and ask of Emma's well-being, suggest she get up and move around, teach her how to get her daughter to feed from her mother's breast.

(He tries to leave Emma alone for that, some peace and quiet to better understand the concept, but she will have none of that.

"I don't care if you see my boobs, Killian," she grumbles over the nurse's shoulder. "Honestly, after today, I have a brand new concept of privacy.)

(Still, he sits in the chair on the other side of the room, dutifully looking anywhere but the newborn suckling at her mother's breast.)

It's closer to midnight than he expected when they're finally truly alone, the nurse rolling Audrey's little carrier to the nursery for the night. He can hear her little murmurings as she walks out the door: "You've gotta let your mama sleep, honey. She's had a long and tough day just like you have."

With the nurse gone, Killian turns his full attention on Emma. "You have had quite the wearisome day too, Swan."

Emma groans as she stretches, her dressing gown shifting over her body. "Tell me about it, stud." Her arms reach high above her head and Killian can hear the popping of multiple joints throughout her body from his spot at the edge of the room. When she's done, her body all but collapses in on itself, making her seem smaller and weaker than Killian knows for a fact that she is. "When was the last time you slept?" she asks.

He shakes his head. "Don't worry about me, darling," Killian states. "You've got bigger priorities now."

"I know," she says on a sigh, "but my biggest priority was just rolled down the hall to the nursery, so now I have all these hormones and no one to worry about."

Killian stands to take a seat at the edge of the bed. "Why don't you worry about yourself instead?" Hand hovering in the air for a moment, he finally lets it fall softly on hers. His thumb rubs up and across her knuckles. "I hate to remind you, but you birthed an entirely new person today."

"I did, didn't I?" The look in her eyes make them shine green with pride. And yet, he can see her eyelids grow heavier, as they've been doing since he arrived, and cover that happiness. "But still. You should go home. Get some sleep. Coach and the boys won't be too pleased if you go to practice half-asleep tomorrow."

"I'm not going to practice tomorrow and I'm certainly not going home now," he says stubbornly, squeezing both her hands with his one. "Robin drove me here, so I have no ride to campus, and I texted Victor on my way over here about tomorrow." Killian grins at her, small and shy, like he isn't sure how she'll respond to his actions. "They'll understand." And then his grin transforms into a smirk, finding exactly the right words to express his concern. "How did you put it? 'My biggest priority was just rolled down the hall to the nursery, so now I have no one to worry about?'"

"You forgot about the whole hormone thing." Emma gives him a ridiculously tired smile. "Fine," she relents with ease. She scoots over beneath the covers before patting at the space she's just made. "But you're sleeping up here with me tonight."

Killian laughs. He leans into her, pressing his lips against her forehead.

(He watches her eyes slide shut in pleasure now that he's not looking. She is so tired.)

"I never thought you'd ask."

They get settled in: Killian manages to find a comfortable spot on her too-small bed. He puts his arm around her gown-clad shoulder and she just snuggles in to his shoulder, almost immediately falling asleep. Her breaths begin to even out.

He's got one thought to get off his chest before she sinks into a well-deserved unconsciousness. Quietly, Killian whispers against her temple, "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you."

"What d'you mean?" she asks through a yawn.

"When Audrey was born," he explains. Pulling Emma's body further into his, he can't help himself from pressing a kiss to her hair. It's still sweaty – he's assuming she hasn't had enough strength to shower today – but he doesn't care. "I was in practice and then in the car and I came too late."

Emma takes his hand. "Killian." The way she says his name warms his heart. There's a special tone of admiration he's never really heard. Those walls of hers have been destroyed for a while, but the softness in her voice proves just how much work he's done to scale them. "I wasn't alone, remember? My mom and Ruby were with me the entire time. You were here exactly when you needed to be here. When I needed you here." Emma's speaking into his chest, her head slowly succumbing to the heaviness of fatigue. "If we're being honest, I'm glad you weren't there during the delivery. I didn't want to be there during the delivery."

"I could tell." The slight shake of her head signals that she doesn't completely grasp the meaning. "I mean, you fainted once it was over with. That's a serious avoidance tactic there."

They share a laugh, Killian's much heartier than Emma's exhausted one. He brushes back some of the hair that's fallen in her face as she shifts and leans further into his body, nearly atop him. "Go to sleep, my love," he susurrates. "I'll be here when you wake."

"I know," she says quietly. "This is exactly where you need to be."

0000

"Remember to be quiet," Mary Margaret chides her husband. "The nurse on duty said that Emma was still asleep."

"I know, honey," David says, slightly annoyed. Driving through the night to see his new granddaughter, though exciting and emotional, was not conducive to restful sleep. The flowers and little Mylar balloon reading 'it's a girl!' he holds are simply because he feels like someone ought to do it. "I was there when she told us."

Mary Margaret glances over her shoulder with a shrug. "Okay, I just wanted to make sure."

Soundlessly and carefully, she turns the knob and pushes open the door, only to find Emma and Killian curled up together on the bed.

"The kid didn't go home last night?" David asks incredulously from behind his wife.

Mary Margaret nods. "Seems not," she whispers. Walking to the side of the bed, she listens to their breathing: both of them are sound asleep, no hope of waking even if the apocalypse were upon them.

Carefully, she leans down and presses a subtle kiss to Emma's forehead. Her daughter stirs for a moment, only to settle further into Killian's hold. Her hand unconsciously searches for his and finds it not too far away.

And then, surprising her husband, Mary Margaret does the same for Killian, kissing him gently on the forehead underneath his unruly hair. She steps back into her husband's waiting arms.

"Seems we have two new additions to our family this morning," she says into David's shoulder.

David means to sound reluctant, but he's never seen his daughter this content. He sighs and wraps his arms around his wife's waist. "I guess a man could ask for worse."