Prompt: You and Dick, are expecting a little bundle of joy, one that will arrive at any moment. Sometimes, the biggest things in life happen can happen at the most inconvenient times.
WARNING: Slightly graphic. Do not read if details of childbirth disturb you.
Dick Grayson's jaw hangs open in shock as he stares at the redhead on his computer monitor.
"I'm sorry...What?!"
Barbara Gordon, his best friend from college and long-time crime-fighting partner, pushes her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. She takes a deep breath and attempts to stay calm, but her hazel eyes are full of anxiety.
"The GCPD received a video message about an hour ago from an anonymous sender. It was Joker. He said he placed bombs all over Gotham and threatened to detonate them at midnight. We only have three hours to disarm them and then we have to locate Joker."
Dick sighs and turns his back, anguish spreading across his chiseled features.
"You know Bruce rarely asks for help, so the situation must be desperate," Barbara notes carefully.
"Babs, you know Joker! He loves to pull our leg!"
"Yes, but he also loves to run Bruce around like a gerbil in a wheel. Dad said they've found bombs at Mercy Bridge, the Lady of Gotham, the Skyrail Station, Gotham National Bank, and the Chamber of Commerce, but there could be many more. It might just be a ruse to buy time for a bigger plan, but I wouldn't count on it. This looks bad, Dick..."
He runs his hand frantically through his hair. "I understand this is bad, but (Y/N) is due any day now, and if I'm not there when she needs me then-"
"-then what?"
Dick whips around to see you standing in the doorway cradling your swelled tummy, looking at him imploringly.
"Let me get back to you in a sec, Babs," Dick says, shutting off the screen. He turns to you, looking worried and uncomfortable.
"I know what you're thinking, but you have to go out there," you state firmly. "Were it any other small-time offender I'd reconsider, but Joker is a different kind of monster."
"Bruce doesn't need me. He's got Tim, Jason, Damian, Stephanie, Cassandra, Kate, Selina--"
"--but one more would be better, right?"
He smiles affectionately and approaches you. He tenderly kisses you and places his hands protectively on your stomach.
"I can't leave you, (Y/N)," he murmurs against your lips. "Our due date was three days ago. You could go into labor any minute and I need to be here when that happens. I don't want to miss our baby's birth."
"I don't want you to miss it either, but saving the city is more important. You put on that mask every night to make sure that our child and many other children will get to live in a safer world. Years from now, I would rather tell our kid that his or her father wasn't there during their birth because he was protecting our home. Because he was a hero. Isn't that what you want?"
Dick lowers his head, admitting defeat. "Alright, I know better than to pick a fight with momma bear," he laughs before grabbing his suit from the case. "If anything happens, and I mean anything, you call me. Okay?"
"Yes, Nightwing," you tease as he rushes out the door.
3 hours later...
A few hours after Dick leaves, you settle yourself onto the living room couch and lazily flip through the channels on the TV. Naturally, every news outlet in the country is reporting on Joker's bomb threat, but you will yourself not to watch. Even though you grew up in the Bat-family, seeing the devastation created during their war on crime is never easy.
You're about to turn the TV off entirely when you suddenly feel a nauseating cramp roll through your abdomen. At this stage in your pregnancy, it's normal for the baby to move around. You've been feeling kicks for a few months, but this feels different. It almost feels like a menstrual cramp.
"That is definitely not it," you think to yourself.
Your heart starts to pound as you wonder if it could be a contraction. You've surpassed your due date by three days, which means it's now a waiting game. However, you did have a false alarm the day before your due date. It terrified you immensely and sent Dick into a blind panic.
"Eating made it stop the last time," you remember, so you head into the kitchen and boil a package of ramen noodles. The warm, salty broth soothes your nerves for a time but, after about ten minutes, the radiating pain returns. You drop the bowl of noodles onto the carpet and cry out as the ache intensifies before fading completely.
"Oh no..." you whimper, realizing that the baby is coming. You launch yourself off the sofa and pace frantically around the room. How wonderfully convenient that your baby chose tonight of all nights to come into the world! You thought you were prepared to do this alone if it came to it, but now everything seems uncertain.
Pulling yourself together, you snatch one of your many pregnancy books off the shelf and skip to the back section titled "Active Labor".
"...best to seek medical attention when your contractions measure five minutes apart, one minute from start to finish for at least one hour." you read aloud.
You groan in frustration and lay back down on the couch, burying your head into the comfortable pillow while rubbing soothing circles on your large belly.
"It's okay, little one," you coo softly at your stomach. "We'll get through this, and hopefully Daddy will be home soon."
Meanwhile...
"Any leads on where the Joker might be hiding?" Batman curtly questions the police officer at the computer.
The man nervously fumbles the mouse as he clicks on the city map. "N-not yet, but we'll keep trying."
Batman points to the areas highlighted in red marked with an explosive icon. "Analyze the bomb locations. See if there's a connection between the type of buildings chosen. There may be a reoccurring theme."
Without another word, Batman leaves the desk and rejoins the others. Red Robin, Spoiler, and Robin are examining evidence collected from the bomb sites while Batwoman, Black Bat, Red Hood, and Catwoman are discussing Arkham transport with Commissioner Gordon. Near the front door, Nightwing leans against the wall with his arms crossed, a faraway look in his eye.
"Is something wrong?" Batman asks.
Dick shakes his head, but his face says otherwise. "Just thinking about (Y/N). I'm worried that she wouldn't tell me if something happened so that I wouldn't get distracted."
"Can you blame her? Distractions could get you killed."
"No, I don't blame her. She knows the mission comes first." Dick smirks. "She gets it from her father."
"Nevertheless, I'm sorry for pulling you away at a time like this."
Dick gives him a calm smile. "Don't be. I'm sure everything is fine. I'm just overreacting."
3 hours later...
Hours pass in what feels like days. Each time you think a contraction couldn't get worse, another comes along that makes the previous seem like a tickle. You barely have a moment's peace before another contraction hits.
Realizing they're becoming more frequent, you grab the phone and call Barbara. Everyone else is working to stop the Joker and, other than Dick, she's been the most excited throughout your pregnancy. She's read so many baby books, she probably knows more about motherhood by now than you.
Twenty minutes later, Barbara comes rushing in through the front door.
"I came as soon as I could," she breathes. "How far apart are the contractions?"
"Forty-five seconds long and six minutes apart," you reply. "It won't be long now. Let's make sure I have everything I need in the hospital bag."
Barbara retrieves the bag from the bedroom and rifles through the contents, checking off items one by one while you power through another contraction.
"So...," you begin, collecting your breath. "How is everything going back in the city? Are they any closer to stopping Joker?"
"They just finished disarming the bombs. They're back at GCPD to see if there's a correlation between the bomb locations and Joker's hideout. You know how much he loves themed attacks."
You nod, but your mind instantly wanders to your husband. You know it's wrong to keep something this significant a secret, especially since Dick's been doing everything to make sure you're comfortable. He rubs your feet, buys ice cream at 3:00 am when your cravings hit, and goes to every prenatal appointment. He was willing to let a maniac blow up the city to be there during his child's birth. However, it's because he's more concerned about you that he needs to be left alone. If you called him now, he would leave his family and his home in trouble and feel guilty about it for the rest of his life. You'll tell him when you absolutely must.
Suddenly, a piercing contraction rips through your stomach and you nearly collapse onto the floor. Barbara grabs you by the arms to hold you upright.
"We need to get you to the hospital," she declares.
"You think?!" you scream, vigorously gripping her shoulders.
Barbara ushers you into the passenger seat of her sedan and drives as fast as she can to Gotham City General Hospital. The searing pain radiating through your stomach, back, and privates get so bad you have her pull over...twice. After what seems like centuries, she pulls into the emergency ward parking lot and guides you into the waiting area. The nurse at the front desk takes in your distressed appearance and rushes over to you.
"My sister is going into labor," Barbara informs, surprisingly unfazed. "Her contractions are at 5-1-1."
Even though you are clearly in excruciating pain, the nurse smiles and rubs your back. "How wonderful!" she exclaims. "Congratulations, dear! Now, we're going to get you changed and bring you into the maternity ward, but first I need to ask you some questions."
You stop yourself from ripping her a new one. "What is there to ask? I'M IN LABOR!!!" you say to yourself.
Just as the nurses are escorting you to your room, you suddenly feel something warm and wet wash down your thighs. Unable to see the floor due to your large bump, you take a step back...only to see a pool of blood.
You let out a shriek of pure terror and stagger into Barbara's arms. "What the hell?! What just happened?! Why am I bleeding?! Am I dying?!"
The nurse chuckles and grabs a clean towel. "Everything is fine, dear. The discharging of the mucus plug is a normal part of childbirth."
"The mucus what?!" you inquire disgustedly, but the nurse doesn't answer as she sits you down on the hospital bed.
"Now, we're going to monitor you for the next few hours to see if your water breaks. Once that happens, that's when we'll get your O.B.G.Y.N and start the birth," the nurse says.
"The next few hours?" you ask, already exhausted."Does it take that long?"
"It can. We usually prefer to let your water break naturally, but we sometimes have to rupture it manually. In the meantime, move around as much as possible. Bounce on the exercise ball, dance to some music, or walk up and down the hallway. Movement can trigger a rupture. Hang tight, I will be right back!"
As soon as the nurse leaves, you flop onto the exercise ball and stare out the window at the glimmering city lights.
"F**k you, Joker."
3 hours later...
Nightwing rubs the soot from his eyes as the firefighters spray down the remainders of the burning museum. Officers from the GCPD push cuffed members of Joker's gang into the backseats of their cars and drive off towards Blackgate Prison. Batman emerges bloodied and bruised from the flames of the building, dragging an unconscious Joker behind him and into the Arkham transport van.
"Good work, Batman," Commissioner Gordon proclaims, barring the doors of the armored truck. "Why am I not surprised you figured out where the bastard was hiding out so quickly?"
"It was easy," Batman replied bluntly. "Joker targeted every landmark central to Gotham's history. The museum was the only place still intact which holds a connection to the other locations."
"Well, now that Joker's back in a straight jacket, we might be able to get some sleep. I should call Barbara, see if my little girl is safe."
As the Commissioner walks off, Dick quickly realizes that no one has heard from Barbara since they disarmed the last bomb. He reaches into the pocket of his utility belt and pulls out his phone, which reveals a message from Barbara sent less than five minutes ago. Dick places the phone to his ear and listens for a few moments before dropping to his knees. The rest of the family, who are helping to send off the last of Joker's crew, rush over to him instantly.
"What happened? Is everything okay?" Tim asks his brother worriedly.
Dick turns to them and gives them a panicked look. "My wife has gone into labor!"
Meanwhile...
"Ughh, I'm so sick of this!" you shout as you kick the exercise ball across the room. "I've been walking, dancing, and bouncing for three f**king hours and NOTHING HAS HAPPENED! Where's the nurse?! Just break my goddammned water! I'm over this!"
As if on cue, the nurse enters the room followed by a few others and your O.B.G.Y.N., Dr. Smith.
"Nice to see you again, Mrs. Grayson," Dr. Smith says. "How are you feeling?"
"Like crap, thanks for asking," you reply irritably. Her amused expression only worsens your mood.
"Is Mr. Grayson here with you?"
You sigh and gaze out once again at the city skyline. "No, he's...on patrol."
It's not a lie, but it's an understatement. Dick works as a detective for the Bludhaven Police Department. It's a perfectly logical explanation that seems to satisfy the doctor.
"My sister-in-law is here as my support in the meantime."
Dr. Smith nods and helps you lay on the hospital bed. "Your water hasn't broken yet so we're going to perform an amniotomy as a safety precaution. This means I'm going to use a little tool to hook the wall of the sac and pull it open. Be aware, this will mean the birthing process will begin instantly. You let me know when you need to push."
"I just want to get this over with," you reply tiredly. "I want to hold my baby."
She smiles. "I completely understand. It may not seem like it now, but it will all be worth it soon."
You take in a deep breath as you feel the doctor insert the small hook. After a moment, you hear a crack like a water balloon bursting and feel the fluid pour out like a faucet onto the bed. Just when it seems like the contractions have stopped, you receive the worst one you've felt all night. It feels like someone is clawing at your insides with a hot knife as every muscle in your lower body contracts.
"AHHHHHHH!" you scream as you seize Barbara's hand.
"Okay Mrs. Grayson, you'll need to push three times for every contraction. Hold your breath, push for ten seconds, then exhale and relax," Dr. Smith instructs.
You nod with as much strength as you can muster and prepare for the next contraction. Once it strikes, you hold in your screams and your breath while pushing with all your might. Sweat drips from your forehead and tears flow from your eyes as the pain in your lower body burns like a fire. Everything is so fast-paced, yet time seems to go on forever. You can feel the baby moving within you, and the pain intensifies tenfold with each new movement.
Despite the searing pain, you can't wait to be able to push again. It's like your body knows what it's supposed to do and having that purpose distracts you through the pain. Two nurses walk over to the bed and remove the bottom half, wheel in a pair of stirrups, and slip your feet through the loops. Dr. Smith drops down a large surgical light and moves to stand between your legs. You look to your right and see three more nurses enter the room. Even though you've been at this for hours, you realize it all meant nothing until now. Everything before this was a warmup.
"Alright, Mrs. Grayson, the baby is crowning. Just a few more pushes and your baby will be here."
Right as you're about to start pushing, the door to your room bursts opens, and in rushes Dick, wearing his extra clothing he brings on patrol. He looks exhausted, somehow even more than you. His lip is cut, a bruise is developing under his left eye, and there are bits of ash in his dark hair. You suddenly feel horrible for keeping everything a secret.
"Hey, honey," you greet nervously. You prepare to receive an earful, but instead, you feel his hand grip yours as he kisses your forehead.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't here--"
"--it's fine. You're here now," you reassure. He smiles and kisses your hand.
"Mrs. Grayson, you need to push now," Dr. Smith reminds.
You swallow hard and grip both Dick and Barbara's hands determinedly. It's as if your body and mind have entered some primal mode and nothing else in the world seems to worry you. The pain has completely vanished as you clench your teeth and push harder than before. You open your eyes just enough to see Dick sitting right beside you. You know that, as long as he's there, you can make it through this night.
With one final push, you feel the baby slip completely out. You see the nurses rush over with blankets and...after a moment...you hear a piercing cry ring through the air.
...
"So...what did you decide to name it?" Damian asks, observing the baby like it's an alien creature.
Bruce gives his son a disapproving look. "It's a boy, Damian, not an 'it'. Learn to call your nephew by his name."
"Hey, don't assume it's gender," Jason taunts, earning another disapproving glance from Bruce.
"You guys are ruining the moment," Barbara interjects.
You laugh at your family and look down at the baby sleeping soundly in your arms. It melts your heart that your baby boy looks exactly like his father. He has a small patch of velvety black hair on his delicate head and the most brilliant blue eyes you've ever seen.
"I told (Y/N) I wanted to name him John, after my father," Dick says, smiling as he strokes his son's cheek with his thumb.
"I thought it was a wonderful idea," you add, "but only if I got to choose Bruce as his middle name. I wanted to name him after my father too."
"I'm honored. Congratulations. Both of you," Bruce says, a small smile appearing on his lips. "I look forward to being a grandfather."
"Do you?" Selina asked. "You've got to be feeling pretty damn old right now."
"I wouldn't be too provocative if I were you, Kyle," Damian interjected. "You're the one dating an old man."
"As long as I still have one immature child left at home, I'm not ready to call myself old," Bruce replies with a smirk.
Damian scowls at his father.
"I'd say be prepared for sleepless nights for the next five years, but you've already got that covered," Kate quips.
"We realize raising a family is going to challenging with Dick's schedule...," you say.
"..but we'll figure it out together," he replies, kissing your cheek.
You smile contentedly and snuggle into his side, holding your son close to your chest as the soft morning light peeks in through the hospital window.