“Bunny?”
Emily looked up from behind the bar where she was packing her glasses carefully into a box. “Daddy?”
“There you are! The door was open, you had me scared.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, happily standing to hug her father. “I thought you were still in Europe.”
“Got back yesterday. What are you doing?”
“Em? Do you have the next- Hello Senator Prentiss.”
“Aaron,” Jonathan greeted in response. “I was just asking my daughter what was going on.”
“I’m moving, Daddy,” Emily said with a wide smile, bringing her father’s attention back to her.
“You’re moving?”
“I am.”
“Where?” It was the look Emily shot at Aaron that give it away. “You’re moving in with Aaron.”
“Mmhmm.”
“I didn’t think you were that serious.”
“Daddy!” Emily exclaimed. Then, she sighed. “There’s a couple of bedroom boxes upstairs that are ready to go,” she said, telling both Aaron and Derek who had come in behind him. The whole team had come out to pitch in, though Spencer was helping Penelope ‘supervise’.
She took her father to the couch, sitting him down. “You knew it was that serious from the moment you saw us at Thanksgiving.”
“That was two years ago.”
“And we’re still here.”
“And you’re moving.”
“And I’m moving.”
“It’s a big step.”
“I want to.” There was a pause. “You were happy for me when I was with Aaron at Thanksgiving.”
“I am happy for you,” he told her sincerely. He looked down at himself. “I’m sorry I’m not better dressed to help. I had to make a stop at the office-“
Emily laughed. “It’s okay,” she promised. “We’ve got more than enough hands and I’m not even completely packed.”
Jonathan nodded. “Well, I was going to see if you were up to lunch, but you’re busy.”
“Rain check?” She hadn’t seen her father in a long time and she definitely wanted to spend some time with him.
“I’ll give Chris a call and see if we can nail down a time this week. You make sure to give me the new home phone number okay?”
Emily walked him to the door. “I can do that,” she promised. “Give my love to Mother.”
“Of course,” Jonathan replied, kissing her forehead and hugging her close. “I’m happy for you, Bunny.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
“This is the last one,” Derek said, carting a box into the living room of Aaron’s, and now their, home.
Emily couldn’t stop smiling. “Thanks Derek. Can you take it upstairs? It’s bedroom stuff.”
“Sure thing.”
Emily wandered into the kitchen where Penelope was resting and JJ was unpacking. Derek had steadfastly refused to let Penelope lift so much as a piece of lint and though Emily thought he was over-reacting “ due any day or not, Penelope wasn’t invalid “ she’d let him have his way.
“So what now, Em?”
“I’m sorry?” Emily asked to clarify as she went back to helping JJ unpack her kitchen things. Aaron had most of it, so much of her stuff was going into storage in the basement, but there were a few things he liked better than his own and she was more than willing to share.
“Well, I believe the theory is that every woman wants a good man, a good career and lots and lots of comfortable shoes,” Penelope responded with a grin.
“Then I guess all I need are the shoes,” Emily giggled.
“We can definitely take care of that,” JJ said happily. Though things with her and Spencer hadn’t been completely patched up, the month since their talk on Penelope and Derek’s back porch had gone a long way to making things less awkward. And less awkward made JJ happier.
“As soon as Peanut’s here. The last thing I need is to go into labour on a gorgeous pair of red pumps,” Penelope sighed dreamily.
JJ and Emily laughed, well aware that Penelope had been all but banned from heels as her pregnancy moved along, by Derek, by her friends and by herself. “Soon.”
“I sure as heck- Oh!”
Emily was leaning over Penelope’s side in half a second. “Pen?”
“I think my water just broke.”
There was a flurry of activity as JJ raced up the stairs to tell the men and Emily set about calming Penelope down. This was the part, Emily knew, the blond was absolutely terrified of. Penelope didn’t respond well to pain of any sort. “Have you been having contractions?”
“I guess?” Penelope responded. “There’s been pain for the last couple of days but the doctor said they were just Braxton Hicks.”
Emily chuckled. “Apparently not. Think you can make it to the car?”
Penelope nodded, standing with Emily’s help. Derek rushed in then, taking her other side.
“Hey Mama.”
“You know, that’s still not funny.” She hissed as a contraction hit.
Emily and Derek waited it out before quickly and carefully walking her to the car. They had her buckled in the back seat with JJ, Spencer riding shotgun, when Derek turned to his best friend. “Her bag’s at home,” he said frantically.
Emily smiled. “It’s okay. Aaron and I’ll grab it on our way to the hospital, okay? We’re right behind you.” She knew Derek was nervous, knew Penelope was scared and so she tried to keep as calm as possible.
Derek kissed her cheek. “You’re the best, Em.”
“Go, get her to the hospital. But don’t you dare let her have that baby until Aunt Em gets there, got it?”
Derek laughed. “I make no guarantees.”
Aaron came out behind them, locking the door to the house, carrying Emily’s purse. Emily and Derek split, going to separate cars. “We need to stop by Derek and Pen’s for her bag,” Emily said as she climbed in the passenger’s seat.
“Then let’s go. I know you want to be there for Pen.”
“I want to see my godchild,” Emily replied with a wide grin. “It’s exciting.”
Aaron couldn’t help but mirror her grin. “That it is.”
“Hey Baby Girl,” Derek greeted, coming into the room Penelope had in the hospital. They’d kicked him out while they got her settled, but he was much happier by her side.
“I’m going to kill you.”
He chuckled lightly. Emily had warned him she was likely to say things like that. Apparently her sister-in-law had threatened her brother with castration while she was in labour. “I know. I love you too.”
“Oh, there is no love here, mister. I am in pain.” She managed to squeeze out the last word as she reached for her hand. She clamped down hard as another contraction hit. She relaxed and released her breath when it had passed.
“Damn, woman, you’re going to break my hand!”
“You’re going to break my hips with this child,” she responded. “Goodness Peanut had better not be stubborn. I am not lying here in labour for twenty-three hours because Peanut doesn’t want to come out and see Mommy and Daddy.”
“I doubt you’ll be in labour that long, Pen.” Dr Dan Alistair had been Charlotte Prentiss’ OB/GYN and the doctor that had delivered little baby Prentiss. Charlotte had recommended the man when Penelope had found out she was pregnant. “It seems like Peanut wants to come out and see the world.”
“Well could you tell Peanut to hurry up then? Mommy’s dying.”
Dr Alistair chuckled. “The epidural is still a choice.”
Penelope shook her head. “Give him morphine though,” she said, waving at Derek. “I’m going to break his hand.”
“We’ve had more than one mother do that,” Dr Alistair reassured her.
“Hey guys,” Emily greeted, poking her head in. “I’ve got the bag here.”
“Oh thank God,” Penelope said. “Emily, I’m dying.”
“You’re not dying, stop being a drama queen,” Emily answered affectionately. “Did you decide to take the epidural?”
“No,” Derek answered for her. “She’s being stubborn.”
“She’s breaking your hand instead,” Penelope shot back. “Why the hell did you have to go get me pregnant?”
Emily burst out laughing.