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“So this is how they’re all enjoying their last night of child-free life,” Rose Wilson says from behind the camera pointed in the direction of what would be best dubbed the ‘Young Justice pack’. Tim right and centre in the couch that he finally admitted to be his pre-birth nest the previous day with the rest of the pack close at hand. There isn’t any purpose for them being so close, but with Tim so far into his pregnancy unless there is a crisis of sufficient world-endingness happening they all were all-but glued to his side.
“They might still be Braxton Hicks,” Tim points out stubbornly.
“They’re too regular,” Rose counters, the video shifting as she walks closer. Her hand becomes clear in it as it presses against Tim’s stomach. “They’re about ready to come out and that makes this your last official last night without a pup running around stopping you from having time to yourselves ever again.”
“I don’t know, I assumed we’d just get you to babysit for us if we wanted to have kid-free time,” Bart comments earning him the camera turned onto him and a middle finger clearly aimed at him in-frame.
Bart’s face twists into exaggerated, playful, innocence. “What you have experience in it.”
“Oh fuck off, I refuse to become the babysitter on every team I take part of. At this rate I’d be better by my fucking self.”
“Language,” Cassie chips automatically but without any real heat behind it.
“There’s a baby in the room,” Conner adds with a teasing smile.
“Baby’s not here yet so I can safely keep swearing for another few hours at least.”
“Actually there’s a lot of research that suggests that babies can hear from inside the womb and that’s why it’s so important for a pack to talk to them even before their born,” Bart so helpfully adds to the conversation.
“Well than I guess I better leave you lot to your pack-snuggles so I don’t corrupt the baby anymore,” Rose says finally turning the camera onto her own face. “See how mean they all are to me – try and record their last night of freedom and they just insult me.”
“Come on Rose we do love you,” Bart says and Rose angles the camera down to show that he’s attached himself to her in a clinging hug. She turns the camera around again to the other three members still on the couch – all clearly entertained by the interaction.
“And to think, all of you are going to be responsible for a baby in a matter of hours,” Rose says, before the camera goes black.
“So I’m definitely in labor, the contractions ten minutes apart and about 60 seconds in duration,” Tim says to the camera he’s holding just above his face so that only he is in frame. Listing the details like facts in a case, despite sitting in his bed and clearly dressed for sleep.
“So Rose was right?” Conner asks out of frame. “How are you feeling?”
“I don’t feel too bad yet. They’re tight but not painful, but they’re certainly not Braxton Hicks anymore,” Tim says, head facing away from the camera still held pointing to his face and towards those off-frame.
“Do you need us to get you anything?” Bart asks.
“No I’m fine,” Tim says.
“Do you want us to contact Bruce?”
“No, we can tell them once we’re actually heading to hospital. I don’t really want this room crowded right now. You should all get some rest – I’ll wake you when they’re closer to five minutes apart.”
“What about you?” Cassie asks, the camera shifting slightly in response to some change in weight on the bed.
“I’ll try to get some sleep as well,” Tim says, glancing down to the camera.
“Good.”
“So it’s, 1AM in the morning, and right now I’m just waiting for the contractions to get closer,” Tim says to the camera, turning it around so it can face the clock visible over the apparently-sleeping forms of the rest of his pack. “I can’t sleep but I don’t know if that’s from the contractions or just knowing that I’m going to be a parent soon. I mean, I think I’m ready for it, that we’re ready for it but I can’t be sure can I? There’s really no way to be sure even after they’re born if we were ready.”
Tim sighs and runs his hands over his face. “It’s not like we can back out now though – it’s going to happen soon enough. Even if it feels like it’s taking forever. Don’t even know why I’m trying to sleep there’s no point. Actually-“
“Do you want to tell the camera what you were doing?” Cassie says to an annoyed-looking Tim in the background.
“Conner give me my computer back!” Tim complains reaching up to where Conner is holding said laptop out of his reach.
“Answer the question Tim,” Conner says.
“What? Oh, I was doing work okay? But it wasn’t like I was getting any sleeping done anyway so I might as well finish up the reports I was working on, get them done before the baby arrives,” Tim ‘explains’ to the camera with a dry look.
“Why didn’t you wake us if you couldn’t sleep?” Bart asks.
“Because there’s nothing you can do yet – we don’t need to start really organising anything until the contractions are 5 minutes apart and they’re currently 9,” Tim says, “I’m just trying to fill that time.”
“It is 3AM in the morning and Tim’s contractions are still 7 minutes apart,” Conner says to the camera as he walks through the hallway. “That is apparently a normal progression and nothing to be worried about but I’m still worried. It’s not that I don’t think he can’t do it or anything, Tim’s strong. If anyone can, he can. Just – it’s a lot you know? Having a baby. Actually I probably sound like an idiot right now, I should probably delete this.”
“Bart what are you doing?” Tim asks as the camera is directed so it is focused on his stomach.
“I want to record the contracts,” Bart explains his hand coming into frame to gently press against Tim’s stomach. “It’s so weird when they happen.”
“It is a bit,” Tim agrees, his body twists as he goes to reach for something out of frame. “It’s been nearly six minutes since the last one so I should be getting another soon.”
“Cool well I’ll just keep the camera here then, which also means you can’t keep working while I do.”
Tim settles down and the camera just sits aimed at his bare stomach that clearly has no more room for a baby to grow in it anymore. Bart’s hand softly running along it.
Another minute passes and suddenly Tim hisses and breathe louder as it’s consciously controlled. The camera jostles as Bart gets into a better position and his hand gently pokes at the stomach.
“It goes so firm,” Bart explains, his hand easily moving out of the way for Tim’s own to grip at it. “It’s so weird.”
“It’s contracting,” Tim says and the camera moves to have his face as the centre of the frame.
“Preparing to get the baby out,” Bart says, “because we’re going to have the baby soon!”
“You think we’re ready?” Tim asks.
“Sure, after everything we’ve been through we got this.”
“Okay repeat what you just said,” Bart says, the camera pointed towards Tim on the bed. His laptop sitting next to him open and Cassie sitting next to him.
“I think my water just broke,” Tim obligingly repeats. “And my contractions are close enough to 5 minutes apart now.”
“So time to call the doctor?” Cassie asks.
“Yes.”
“Okay I’ll go organise it, hopefully she doesn’t mind being woken at 5AM,” Cassie says, getting up from the bed and out of frame.
“How do they feel?” Bart asks the camera angle moving as he climbs onto the bed with Tim.
“They’re starting to hurt, still the tight feeling but a lot stronger. It’s not terrible though and there’s nothing really between them so-“ Tim shrugs, before reaching forward to his laptop.
“Hey where’s Cassie going?” Conner asks, and Bart turns the camera around to show him in the doorway.
“She’s calling the doctor,” Bart says.
“Oh.” Conner’s expression seems caught between a few emotions – his face undecided what it wants to feel. “So like it’s happening.”
“The contractions are five minutes apart,” Tim says, “and I think my water just broke.”
“Oh.” Conner’s face more seems to be settling on ‘panic’ as the expression of choice. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine? I mean they- ngh-“
The camera whips back around to Tim whose expression is pulled tight and his breathes forcefully even, one of his hands gripping at the sheets over his stomach.
Conner is at his side in an instant. His expression very much settled on panic and his hands hover just over Tim’s skin as if waiting for some instruction as to what to do from Tim.
Tim’s face relaxes after a minute.
“I’m certainly aware of them now,” he jokes, “but once they’re over it’s nothing so it still just feels like waiting.”
Conner’s face seems to have severe doubt over the ‘nothing’ness of it. Is still heavy with concern even as Tim opens his laptop again and starts typing.
“So we are on our way to the hospital,” Rose says from the driver’s seat of the car, “I’m driving because none of them can be trusted not to freak the hell out ever time Tim has another contraction and crash.”
“Thank you Rose,” Bart says from behind the camera, slowly spinning it around to show Tim sandwiched between Cassie and Conner in the back of the car.
“The sun’s just rising so at least the roads aren’t too busy,” Rose continues, “should get to the hospital before the rest of the birthing party arrive.”
“She means my brother and father,” Tim says.
“We still think brother singular is a possibility,” Rose says towards the camera with a pointed look.
“What really matters right now though,” Bart says turning the camera to face him, “is that we’re going to have a baby soon!”
“So we’ve settled into the hospital,” Tim says sitting up in the hospital bed talking to the camera pointed at him. “Bruce says they’re still about 15 minutes off. I’m still at 5 minutes apart in my contractions and I’m dilated about 2 centimetres. So now I guess we just wait.”
“Yay, more waiting,” Bart says sarcastically and the camera turns around to show him dramatically leaning back in the chair.
“There’s going to be a lot of that,” Rose comments, the camera turning again to show her leaning against the wall.
“I know – active labor typically lasts 8 hours and can go up to nearly 18 hours. I read all about it,” Bart says. “That’s still so much waiting.”
“Where’s my laptop?” Tim asks.
“Is it bad that I don’t know if I want Tim’s family here,” Cassie says to the camera, having apparently hidden herself in the bathroom to record. “I know they’re just coming to support Tim but… well, they don’t exactly have the best track record. And I know this is different to what they’re normally dealing with but, I don’t know. It’s probably just the alpha in me – Tim’s our omega and he’s going to give birth to our pup, I probably just don’t want another pack involved. Instinct and all that.”
“Why is he on his laptop?” Dick asks having apparently not noticed the camera filming yet.
“Because I’m nearly finished this report,” Tim replies, sitting up in the bed with the laptop placed between his legs.
“Timmy you’re about to have a baby, you don’t need to be thinking about work right now,” Dick says walking over to sit on the edge of the bed.
“And if I finish this now I don’t have to do it tomorrow when I have a newborn that needs feeding,” Tim says despite clearly not breaking his attention away from what he is doing – learning forward to keep typing.
“Bruce,” Dick says and the camera turns to show Bruce walking into the room, Damian on his heels. “Tell Tim he doesn’t need to finish the report until after his maternity leave.”
“Tim-“ Bruce starts but gets cut off.
“I know but I’m nearly done and there’s nothing else to do between contractions,” Tim says the camera turning again to show him finally looking up from his work to his adopted father and original Head of Pack.
The camera turns back to Bruce’s face that is twisted in a confliction only a Bat can manage to express like that.
“Tt,” is all Damian gets out before Rose grabs him by the arm and physically drags him out of the room.
“Alright, let’s play the game of who looks the most freaked out currently – the rest of the pack actually responsible for the baby about to be born or the grandfather,” Jason says from behind a camera pointing to the rest of the room.
He’s right – Bruce looks about as white-faced as all the members of Tim’s pack bar Tim whose hand is slowly reaching towards where his phone is.
“Don’t be mean,” Dick says, walking from behind frame to just at the side of it, creating a dark line covering part of the image.
“I’m not – I’m just saying Bruce isn’t actually the one going to be raising the pup and yet he looks almost more ready to faint than the others,” Jason says.
“He’s worried about Tim.”
“Tim’ll be fine. Do you know how many omegas squeeze out kids a day? Even in just this hospital? It’s just because Bruce picked us all up once we were in double digits – doesn’t know how to handle how pups are really made.”
“I’m not afraid to drag you out by the ear either,” Rose says from out of frame.
“What? I’m not saying anything mean about Timbo. And anyway, what are you pack bodyguard?”
“If making sure everyone Tim wants in the room is in the room and everyone he wants out is out means I’m pack bodyguard than yeah, maybe I am.”
“No alpha posturing,” Dick says and his body blocks the camera for a moment as he moves. “We are here for Tim not to flesh out past grievances.”
“Fine,” Jason says.
The sound of whine is heard and Dick’s body no longer blocks the camera because he’s by the side of Tim’s bed as the omega pants through another contraction. Tim’s hands bracing on whoever’s hand or arm was closest in reach when it started, which this time means Cassie’s and Bruce’s.
It’s only after the contraction has ended and Tim collapsing against the bed that the camera turns off.
“I never thought watching someone else walk would put me on edge,” Bart says to the camera, his background the garden outside the hospital. It clearly daylight now. “But Tim’s been pacing for the past hour apparently and I can’t just stand there, I have to pace as well, which I can’t in there because I’m going to burn up the floor from it, probably. I shouldn’t stay out here too long though, I’m his pack and pack’s supposed to be there for things like this. It’s just taking so long, which isn’t Tim’s fault, but I wait to meet the baby!”
“So I’m 9 centimetres dilated now, the contracts are three minutes apart. And I think we’re all a bit ready for this to be over,” Tim says to the camera, although when he slowly turns it to show the rest of the room everyone’s faces are varying degrees of concern. “I’m certainly ready for it to be over and have our baby.”
“Not much longer now,” Dick says from the chair next to the bed.
“I know just-“
“We’ve been waiting for forever,” Bart helpfully supplies. “It was so long ago we found out we’re having a baby and we still don’t have the baby.”
“It’s been so long since I’ve had coffee,” Tim adds.
“Do you want us to get you some once they’re born?” Cassie jokes.
“Yes,” Tim says completely seriously.
“Okay, we can do that,” Conner says with Bart nodding next to him.
“Okay so I know why I’m out here,” Jason says, the camera facing him in the waiting room. “I know why you’re here,” the camera turns to show a sullen Damian. “But why are you here?” the camera turns one more time to show Bruce.
“Hn,” Bruce says in a non-response.
“No, no you have to explain to the camera how you got kicked out of the room,” Jason says, the camera shaking from poorly suppressed laughter.
“Jason,” Bruce says, the hint of a threat in his tone.
“No, if you don’t then I will,” Jason says turning the camera around to face him again. “Bruce is out here in the waiting room with us instead of watching his first grandpup be born because he nearly fainted on them and the nurses worried they’d have to carry his heavy old ass out.”
“Jason,” there is another level of threat implied in Bruce’s tone to the last.
“No, I need this recorded for posterity. The great Bruce Wayne nearly collapsed at the site of a baby being born.” The camera turns to show Jason’s grinning face.
“That’s enough out of you Todd,” Jason turns the camera to face a seething Damian. “How dare you disrespect your Pack Head like that.”
“I can disrespect him all I want because he’s currently being a weak-shit,” Jason says the camera turning back onto Bruce.
“Hn,” Bruce grumbles and then very quietly just before the camera turns off a confused, “I have delivered babies before…”
The camera shakes so badly nothing can be seen and Jason’s laughter all that can be heard.
“Jason that is enough,” Bruce says not that he could be seen even if the camera was facing him.
“No- this is just too good. Welcome to birthing suite exile Dick, what did you do to get yourself kicked out as well?” The camera finally stills long enough for it to be pointed at Dick.
“Jason, knock it off,” Dick says, reaching for the phone but Jason moves it away from his reach.
“Come on Dickie inquiring minds want to know. Tell us what you did.”
“I don’t have to and you can stop recording now.”
“Not until you tell me.”
“I’m not going to tell you.”
“Tell me.”
“That’s enough,” the camera moves clearly having been grabbed by Bruce as he talks. “Both of you knock it off.”
“We have a baby!” Bart says in an exaggerated whisper, the camera pointing to Tim in the hospital bed, an infant swaddled against his chest. “Look at her.”
The camera dramatically zooms into the bundle and the face of the newborn baby.
“She’s so tiny,” Cassie says.
“And delicate,” Conner agrees.
“And our responsibility,” Tim adds.
“She’s all ours though,” Cassie says.
“Until we open the door and the sea of aunts, uncles, and grandparents all demand their turn at holding her,” Rose says from off camera. “How much longer do you need me to hold them off for by the way?”
“Just a little longer,” Tim says. “I want to finish my coffee before I have to face anyone.”
“If you want to just have her with us for another day we can tell them to clear off,” Conner says, doing a really poor job at hiding the fact that he’d probably prefer that option.
“It’s fine, I’ll finish my coffee, let everyone see her, and then we know that anyone climbing through the windows tonight is a threat and not just overexcited family,” Tim says.
“Wait – they’re letting us take her home tonight?” Conner asks.
“That’s what the nurse said,” Cassie says.
“But she’s so tiny and nobody has told us what to do!”
“You know they’re not going to right?” Tim says.
“So how do we figure out what to do with her?”
“Baby books?” Bart suggests.
“You’re doing a good job holding her,” Dick says, once again perched on the side of Tim’s bed, staring down at his niece. The rest of the other gathered visitors stand around the bed and there's no clear indication of how Dick managed to get himself to the center with Tim.
“No – this is how the nurse put her in my arms before she left and I don’t dare move her,” Tim says.
“So does that mean I don’t get to hold her?” Dick’s face is one that most closely resembles a puppy than anything else.
“You can hold her, just, give me another minute and don’t judge when you hand her back and I have no idea what I’m doing,” Tim says.
“I promise no judgement, just let me hold my niece please,” Dick says, barely holding back excitement at it.
“Alright time to get everyone home again,” Rose says, again in the driver’s seat of the car. This time when the camera pans around there’s a baby car-seat on one side of the back and Tim the only other person there.
“Drive carefully please,” Cassie says from behind the camera in the passenger’s seat.
“Yeah, yeah, I will don’t worry, baby will make it home safe and in one piece,” Rose promises. “I didn’t crash us getting to the hospital did I?”
“You also haven’t slept since then.”
“Please, we’ve all worked on less sleep in the past. And once we get back we can all try and have a good night’s sleep before the baby wakes us up,” Rose says, no longer looking at the camera but instead the road.
“At least with all of us we should be able to trade off who wakes up so we all mostly get a full night’s sleep,” Cassie says.
The face Tim pulls in the background of the camera makes it clear just how much he doubts that statement to be true.
“It’s 1AM in the morning and I haven’t slept since about 11PM last night,” Tim says to the camera, “it’s not that I haven’t tried since we got home. I just can’t shake the feeling that somethings going to happen to her and I won’t be there. She might get hungry or ninjas might try to steal her in the night. My bed is right there but I still can’t seem to sleep without thinking I can hear her crying or someone breaking in.”
“At least I’m allowed caffeine again.”