#119: Regina's Baby

"So, where's Kelly?" Lou asked Peter, when she came home from meeting Lana at the Rattlesnake Bar.

"She's gone to bed," he answered.  "But she's in a better mood, after the pool party yesterday.  Admittedly, she's back in her pajamas, but at least she's washed them."

"So, what happened with Lana?" he inquired.

Lou was physically exhausted from her day at work, so sat down at the desk.  "Well, it turns out Lana never managed to tell Derek she was pregnant with his kid," she stated flatly.

"Wow," Peter murmured.  Just--wow."

"Not that she didn't try," Lou told him.  "She called him, she texted him, she emailed him, she sent him letters, she went to his apartment.  But he didn't answer any of her messages, changed his phone number and email, and left town without a forwarding address."

"It's taken years for her to track him down," she added.

"Well, if that's all true, that's pretty much dirtbag behavior on the part of Derek, though I hate to say it," Peter admitted.

"Someone needs to discuss this with him," Lou said sternly.

Peter sighed.  "And by 'someone,' I assume you mean 'yours truly'."

_______________

Peter found Derek watching sports on TV.

"So, how are things at the 'house I'm not allowed to enter'?" Derek asked bitterly.

"Well," Peter said, ignoring most of Derek's pointed question, "Kelly had a good time yesterday at Rafael's--he just fell all over her, flattered her, coddled her.  So she felt really special."

Derek said nothing.

"Is Declan asleep?" Peter asked.

Once assured that the boy had gone to bed, Peter asked Derek the truth about what Lana had told Lou.

Derek visibly deflated.

"Yeah, it's true she called and emailed me, etc., a GAZILLION times," he admitted.  "But you have to understand--I thought she was NUTS.  And I was afraid she was a stalker.  And I had a new job in a different town, anyway, so...."

_______________

Regina and Bill were early risers, and so also early-to-bedders, and were already asleep,

when Regina suddenly sat up.  Bill scrambled out of bed himself.

"What is it, honey?" he asked, sounding worried.

"I think this it IT, Bill," Regina said calmly.  "I think the baby's finally coming."

"Okay, here's what I'll do," Bill gasped.  "I'll boil some water, I'll get some towels--what else do I have to do???"

Regina was very amused.  "Just distract me from the pain, babe," she said.  "Make me some tea, watch TV with me--that kind of stuff."

There was no chance someone like Regina was going to the hospital to deliver her baby.

She checked on Alice's son (Alice and Dude were both still at work),

then sat down to watch a late-night show,

while Bill made a pot of chamomile tea.

Regina tried to keep from grimacing in front of Bill, so as not to worry him.

Alice came home from her bartending job soon thereafter.  "Oh, great!" she cried, upon learning Regina was in labor.  "Just let me check on Daedelus and take a shower, and I'll come down and keep you company."

_______________

"It'll all be worth it," Alice reassured her friend, a half hour later.

Bill took out the trash,

then went fishing (because he didn't know what else to do, since he figured Alice was much more useful to Regina than he was at this point).

 He was very relieved when Dude came back from work, because it meant he had someone to talk to.

"Regina's in labor?" Dude asked.  "And you're out HERE???"

 "Get in there!" Dude urged.  "Just keep her company."

_______________

So, the group sat and watched TV all night.

_______________

Early morning, Regina ran upstairs to the nursery, where the empty bassinet was.

Alice, Bill, and Dude followed her.

Regina gave birth to a girl.  "So what's her name?" Alice asked, delighted.

"Her name is 'Scarlet'--but we're going to call her 'Scout'," Regina answered.