Only You

[bay girl]

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CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

Martha stood rooted to the spot in shock. She looked at the wall just ahead of her and could see the tiny hole that was now imprinted in it. Particles of dust were floating in the air.

Martha was still a bit unsure of what had just happened. She was in shock and a bit dazed. She was pretty sure that a bullet had just whizzed by her body; probably missing her by just a few centimeters.

“That was a close one,” Kit exclaimed from behind Martha.

Martha slowly turned around; scared that she may still have a gun pointing towards her. But she was surprised to find Elvis now lying unconscious on the floor, with Kit hovering above him with a bar stool. Beth was standing nearby with her hand to her chest; obviously still in shock.

“What happened?” Martha gasped.

“As soon as I saw him point that gun at you, I picked up the stool and smashed him in the head with it,” Kit answered.

“I think you just saved my life,” Martha exclaimed. “If you hadn’t of knocked him off balance that bullet may have got me. Thank you” she said.

Kit smiled lightly. “Anytime,” she said and then looked over at Beth. “Are you okay mum?” Kit asked.

Beth just nodded; unable to speak.

“Martha,” a voice called as they banged on the door.

Martha turned around. “Jack, I totally forgot about him,” she said.

“I’ll let him in,” Beth managed to say. She hurried off to the door; leaving Martha and Kit to look down at Elvis.

A few moments later Jack and Kim came rushing in. “Martha,” Jack called.

Martha turned around and ran into his arms. “Are you okay?” Jack asked, while checking her over for any injuries.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Well I am now that you’re here,” Martha cried. “I was so scared. The bullet only just missed me. If it wasn’t for Kit then I’d probably be dead. She saved my life,” she explained.

Jack just sighed and pulled her into his arms again. “When I heard that gun shot; I thought that I had lost you and the baby. I was scared that you were gone,” Jack hugged her tight.

Martha kissed him and then looked over to the others. Kim was embracing them and telling them that everything was okay now.

Jack pulled away from Martha and looked down at Elvis. “That’s him,” he exclaimed. “That’s the guy that’s been robbing all those places in Yabbie Creek. We got image of him from a security tape. I’m absolutely sure that it’s him,” he said.

“We caught the bad guy. Woo Hoo,” Kit cheered.

“I knew that choosing the name Elvis wasn’t going to be a good decision for him,” Martha said.

“Elvis?” Jack and Kim both said at the same time.

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Soon after; the cops arrived, along with Alf and Tony. After about an hour they were all allowed to go home, but they all would have to go down to the station tomorrow to make full reports about what had occurred.

Alf decided to go back with Jack and Martha for a while, and Kim had ordered Kit to stay with him for the night. They both wandered off to bed as soon as they got home; leaving Alf, Martha and Jack to talk.

“No more for you young lady,” Alf exclaimed.

“What are you talking about?” Martha was confused.

“I don’t want you doing anymore shifts at Noah’s. You almost got killed tonight Martha,” Alf said.

Martha groaned. “I’m not about to sit at home doing nothing. It will drive me nuts,” she told him.

“Alf’s right. I don’t like it either,” Jack added.

“You’re eight and a half months pregnant, and you could drop at any time. You need to be resting,” Alf pointed out.

“Can we at least meet halfway?” Martha asked. “I’ll still work at Noah’s, but only day shifts. And only when you’re working there too,” she tried to reason.

Alf pondered the idea for a few moments before agreeing. “Fine, but only when I’m there. And no more than three hour shifts,” he said.

“Agreed,” Martha nodded. “Now, if it’s okay with the rest of you, I’m going to go to bed. I’m really tired,” she told them.

“I’m going to go now anyway,” Alf got up and gave Martha a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said and walked out the door.

“Why don’t you go and get ready for bed,” Jack told Martha. “I’ll be in soon, I’m just going to lock up,” he said.

Martha nodded and walked off to their room.

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Martha was sitting on the bed in her pajamas when Jack entered the room. He closed the door and sat down next to her.

“You okay?” he asked as he picked up her hand.

“I guess. Still a bit freaked out,” Martha answered.

“Well, something like that can be pretty scary,” Jack said.

“All I could think about was the baby. I was scared that something might happen to the baby,” Martha cried.

“You’re both safe now and that’s all that matters,” Jack exclaimed.

Martha nodded. “I’m really sorry about this morning. I was being a bitch. I hate fighting with you,” she said.

“So do I. I actually asked Harper today about why he didn’t tell me you called. He said that he just forgot about it,” Jack told her.

Martha laughed. “Old age will do that to a person,” she said.

“He’s not that old,” Jack smiled.

“Let’s not fight anymore,” Martha started. “After what happened tonight, everything else just seems so pointless. All that matters is that we’re together. Let’s not ruin it with stupid fights,” she finished.

Jack smiled. “I like the sound of that,” he said before kissing her softly.

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PLEASE REVIEW

[bay girl]

Hey guys. Here’s a new chapter.

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

TWO WEEKS LATER

Two weeks flew by fast and things between Martha and Jack had quickly gone back to normal. Jack didn’t seem to be working as much, and he always got home when he said he would. There were no more broken promises; so Martha was happy.

Martha and Jack spent the morning finishing off the nursery. The room looked great. Everything was set up neatly; and all that was missing was the baby.

Martha was now thirty six weeks pregnant; so she only had another month to go. But she knew that by now, she could go into labour at anytime. She already had a bag packed; ready to take with her when the time came.

Martha was both excited and scared. Excited because she would soon have her baby, but she was scared of the actual birth. She didn’t know what to expect, and she knew that it would hurt. It was unfair that she was the one who had to go through it. Why couldn’t it be the guy?

At the moment Jack and Martha were sitting down to a nice lunch with Kim and Kit.

“So, I’ve been thinking that maybe I should start looking for a new place,” Kim suddenly spoke.

“Why would you want to do that?” Jack asked him.

“Well the baby will be here soon. Surely you guys are going to need your space,” Kim exclaimed.

“Don’t be stupid,” Martha stated. “You don’t have to leave. Us having a baby doesn’t have to change anything,” she said.

“Martha’s right. You’re welcome to live here for as long as you like,” Jack started. “We don’t want you to go just because we’re having a baby,” he continued.

“Are you sure?” Kim questioned.

“Yes, of course,” Martha laughed. “Just don’t whinge when the baby’s crying wakes you up in the middle of the night,” she joked.

“Don’t worry, if he does whinge; I’ll pull him into line,” Kit laughed.

Martha looked over at Jack and smiled. Everything was perfect. She wondered if it could get any better.

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Martha was standing at the sink washing up when Jack got home from work later that night.

“Hey,” she smiled as she turned around to face him.

“Hey,” Jack smiled back as he gave her a soft kiss on the lips. He then leaned down a little and placed his hands on her stomach. “Hey baby,” he said softly and then gently kissed her on the stomach.

Martha looked down at him and laughed. He could be so sweet at times.

“So, how was work?” she asked him as she followed him into their room; where Jack sat down.

“It sucked,” Jack answered as he rubbed his temple. “I had so much paper work to do. Oh, and now the boss wants me to work tomorrow. I tried to get out of it, but wouldn’t take no for an answer,” he sighed.

“Ah well,” Martha said as she sat down behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders. “So, you had a rough day then?” she continued as she pulled his jacket off.

“Yeah, it sucked,” Jack nodded.

Martha started massaging his shoulders and leaned over until her lips were brushing against his ear. “Do you need some special attention?” she said softly in a hushed voice.

Jack smiled. “Well, I am pretty upset,” he answered with a bit of a laugh.

“Maybe I should do something to make you feel better,” Martha teased as she kissed his neck.

“Maybe you should,” Jack agreed.

Martha laughed softly and started to unbutton his shirt.

“And maybe I should have a crappy day more often,” he added.

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Jack walked up to the front door of his dad’s place.

“Dad, you home?” he called out.

Tony popped his head out from the kitchen. “Mate, come in. You’re just in time; I was about to have a beer,” he said as he walked to the fridge. He grabbed out two beers and handed one to Jack.

They sat down on the couch and Tony flicked the T.V on. He flipped through the channels until he found the footy game.

“So, where’s Martha today?” Tony asked.

“She’s gone to have lunch with Ric,” Jack answered. “They haven’t really spent much time together lately, so she wanted to do something with him,” he explained.

“Oh okay,” Tony nodded.

“I was going to go to, but….,” Jack trailed off.

“But what?” Tony questioned.

“I need to talk to you about something,” Jack exclaimed.

“Spit it out then,” Tony urged.

Jack sighed. May aswell just say it, he thought. “I want to ask Martha to marry me,” he blurted out.

“That’s great,” Tony stated. “But why do you need to talk to me about it?”

“Well, do you think I’d be doing the right thing? Is it too soon to ask her? Would we be rushing into it?” Jack started firing off questions.

“Whoa, slow down mate. You need to calm down a bit,” Tony laughed.

“I can’t help it. I can’t stop thinking about it. I just don’t want to do the wrong thing,” Jack said. “I love Martha, and we’re having a baby soon. I just think that it would be really nice if we made it official,” he told Tony.

“If it’s what the both of you want, then I say go for it,” Tony exclaimed.

“Well, I definitely want too. I want Martha to know that I’m committed to her and the baby,” Jack said.

“I’m pretty sure Martha already knows that you are,” Tony smiled.

“Yeah, I know,” Jack nodded.

“Look mate, it’s your decision. If you want to ask her, then I’ll be behind you all the way,” Tony promised.

“Thanks dad,” Jack smiled.

Well, I guess it’s settled then, Jack thought to himself. I’m going to ask Martha to marry me.

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NEXT CHAPTER: Will Jack go ahead with the proposal or is it too soon?

PLEASE REVIEW

[bay girl]

Hey guys. Here’s a new chapter.

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

It was one o’clock in the morning and Martha couldn’t sleep. She rolled to one side and then back again; trying to get comfortable. But she couldn’t. She was hot, her back was aching and the baby had been kicking for the last couple of hours. There was no way that she could fall asleep, and it was driving her nuts.

She grabbed hold of the sheet and hurled it off her body with a groan. She sat up and pulled herself out of bed; trying her hardest not to wake up Jack. She opened the door and walked out; quietly shutting it behind her.

She walked out into the kitchen, only to find Kit standing there drinking a glass of juice. “Sorry, did I wake you?” Kit asked softly.

Martha shook her head. “Nah, I can’t sleep,” she answered. “My back is aching and the baby has been kicking like crazy. And it’s hot,” she continued.

“Yeah, that’s why I couldn’t sleep,” Kit nodded. “The nights are really starting to warm up again. It’s so hard to get to sleep,” she said.

Martha grabbed herself a glass from out of the cupboard and poured herself a juice. “I might go sit on the front porch for a while. Hopefully there might be a cool breeze,” she told Kit.

“I’ll join you,” Kit followed her out onto the porch.

“It’s so much cooler out here,” Martha sighed as she sat down on one of the chairs on the porch.

Kit nodded her agreement as she sat down beside Martha. “So, not long now,” she exclaimed as she looked at Martha’s stomach.

“Yeah, I just wish it would come out now. I’m sick of being uncomfortable all the time,” Martha said. “And I want my body back,” she laughed.

Kit laughed along with her. “Hopefully you’ll be one of those women whose body just pings back into shape after giving birth,” she smiled.

Martha and Kit spent the next half an hour chatting quietly to each other. It wasn’t long though until Jack came looking for Martha.

“What are you doing?” Jack asked with a bit of worry in his voice, as looked at them from the doorway.

“We couldn’t sleep, so we came out for some fresh air,” Kit replied. “But having said that, I’m going to head back in now,” she continued as she stood up and walked back inside.

“I got a fright when I woke up and you weren’t there,” Jack sighed as he sat down next to Martha.

“Sorry,” Martha apologised. “My back was aching and this kid wouldn’t stop kicking. I couldn’t get to sleep,” she explained.

“Why didn’t you wake me up? I could have given you a back rub or something,” Jack said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

“Next time I’ll know to do that,” Martha smiled.

Jack smiled back at her. “Oh, I’m kicking Kim out of the house tomorrow night. I’m going to cook dinner and we’re going to have a nice evening alone,” he told Martha.

“That’ll be nice,” Martha nodded.

“Great,” Jack exclaimed as he stood up. “You ready to come back to bed now?” he yawned as he reached a hand out to her.

Martha nodded and took his hand; letting him pull her up.

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Jack organized for Tasha and Robbie to pick Martha up at about four pm the next afternoon. He wanted the house to himself for the next couple of hours. He wanted to get dinner ready and make the place look nice. He had told Martha to take a change of clothes with her, so that she could get changed at Robbie and Tasha’s.

She’d picked out a nice dress to wear; she wanted to look nice since Jack was going to all the trouble of organizing everything.

It was dark by the time she got back to the house. She walked inside and all the lights were switched off; but the room was lit up by tiny little candles. The room looked amazing. Martha couldn’t believe that Jack had gone to all this trouble.

“Jack,” Martha called out.

A few moments later he walked into the room. Martha thought he looked great. He was wearing a pair of black pants with a white long sleeved button up shirt.

“Hey,” he smiled and walked up and kissed her softly on the lips.

“This place looks beautiful,” Martha told him.

“You look beautiful,” Jack exclaimed as he kissed her again.

Martha couldn’t stop the blush that rose up into her cheeks. Wanting it to go away, she started speaking again.

“Something smells great,” she sighed happily as she inhaled the scent of the dinner he was cooking.

“I’ve made all your favorites,” Jack told her. “It should be ready soon, so why don’t you sit down and I’ll get you a drink,” he said as he lead her over to the dinner table and helped her sit down.

“Since you can’t drink alcohol, I’ve brought some sparkling apple juice,” Jack started to speak again. “You’ll just have to pretend that it’s Champaign,” he laughed.

“Lucky me,” Martha added sarcastically with a laugh. She paused for a while before starting to talk again. “So, what exactly have I done to deserve this?” she asked.

“Aw, you know. I just thought that since you’re having my baby; I should do something nice for you,” Jack smirked.

Martha laughed. “Okay then,” she smiled.

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A couple of hours lingered by, and Martha was really enjoying her evening alone with Jack.

They’d danced a little and chatted happily to each other. Dinner had been great; Jack had held her hand across the table and they shared the occasional kiss. It was lovely.

Jack had now moved his chair around the table, so that he could sit closer to her. He carried her hands up to his mouth; where his lips grazed softly across her knuckles.

“You know that I love you, right?” Jack asked softly.

“Yeah, of course,” Martha answered. “I love you too,” she told him.

“And I love our baby,” Jack added as he placed a hand on her stomach and gently rubbed it. “We’re going to have our own family and I want our lives to perfect. I want to do everything right,” he said.

Martha had no idea where Jack was going with this, so she done the only thing she could do; she continued to sit there and smile at him. But the next thing she knew, Jack was bended on one knee; looking up at her. Oh my god, she thought to herself. Okay, so now she knew what was going on.

Martha was a little lost for words. “What are you doing?” she looked down at him in awe; a tiny smile starting to appear on her lips.

“I love you Martha MacKenzie,” Jack smiled as he pulled a small black box from his pocket.

Martha’s heart was pounding so fast and so heavy, and the butterflies in her stomach were fluttering around like crazy. She couldn’t believe that this was happening. Sure, she knew that this would probably happen one day, but she seriously didn’t think that that day would be today. She wanted to jump up right now and say yes. She wanted to say yes and he hadn’t even asked the question yet.

Martha snapped out of her thoughts and concentrated on Jack, who was just starting to speak again.

“You are the most beautiful and important person in my life, and I never want to let you go. I never want to be apart from you. I want you to be by my side forever. You’re about to give me one of the greatest gifts a person could ever ask for,” Jack smiled as reached out and touched her stomach again. “We have each other and our baby, so our lives are about to be complete. But let’s make it better,” he continued.

Martha looked down at him with a smile. She just wished that he would hurry up and ask. It wasn’t going to be much longer until she started crying, and she wanted him to ask before that happened.

“Martha, I love you. Will you marry me?” Jack asked as he opened up the box.

Martha looked down at the ring in his hand. It was gorgeous, and it was going to look so good on her finger. She looked back at Jack; staring into his eyes. He looked back at her, with hope written across his face.

Martha started smiling as she nodded her head. “Yes. Of course I’ll marry you,” she told him.

Jack jumped up quickly; pulling Martha into an embrace and kissing her passionately. She kissed him back with all the strength that she had. They slowly pulled away from each other, and Jack grabbed hold of Martha’s hand. She watched happily as he slipped the diamond ring onto her finger.

“I love it,” she told him. “It’s beautiful,” Martha said.

Jack raised his hand and softly ran a finger along her jaw, before cupping her cheek. “I love you so much,” he smiled.

“I love you,” Martha grinned as Jack pulled her into another passion fuelled kiss.

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PLEASE REVIEW

My gosh, I had a lot of trouble writing the proposal. It was actually quite hard, so I hope it’s turned out okay.

[bay girl]

Hey guys. Here’s a new chapter.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

By nine o’clock the next morning, all their friends and family had heard the news. Everyone was happy for them and all the girls were excited about the upcoming wedding. Martha and Jack had decided to go to the diner for breakfast and when they got there, Beth, Sally and Leah were there; already organizing an engagement party for them.

“God, you guys are quick,” Martha laughed.

“Yeah, well we thought we’d better have one as soon as possible; what with the baby coming soon and all,” Beth explained. “So, we we’re thinking Friday night. Does that sound okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Jack nodded.

“Ok, well you two go and sit down and order some breakfast. We’ve got everything under control,” Leah smiled.

Martha and Jack made their way over to a booth and sat down. “I really like the idea of people running around and doing everything for us,” Martha laughed. “Maybe we can palm the baby off to them aswell,” she joked.

“No way, it’s our baby. We’re keeping it to ourselves,” Jack smiled.

“You say that now, but when it starts crying you’ll probably be the first one to hand it over,” Martha pointed out.

Jack kept smiling as he looked at Martha. He was so happy right now. She had agreed to marry him and the baby would be arriving soon; everything was perfect and he couldn’t wait until they could start their lives together as a family.

“I can’t wait until the baby comes,” Jack placed his hand on her stomach. “Our lives are going to change so much. It’s pretty exciting,” he said.

“I’m scared actually,” Martha said truthfully. “I’ve never had to look after anybody else except for myself, and now I’m going to have a baby to look after. I just hope I do it right,” she continued.

“Of course you will,” Jack assured her. “You’re going to be a great mother. And you’ll have me there aswell,” he said before kissing her.

Martha smiled. “There’s also the fact that I know giving birth is going to hurt like hell. It freaks me out just thinking about it,” she said.

“I’ll be there holding your hand all the way through. It’s going to be fine,” Jack promised.

Martha nodded. “Now, can we order some food, coz I’m starving,” she laughed.

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“That ring is gorgeous,” Tasha exclaimed as she looked at Martha’s engagement ring.

“I know,” Martha nodded. “I love it,” she said.

“So, you had no idea that he was going to propose?” Tasha asked.

Martha shook her head. “Nope, I thought he just wanted to make me a nice dinner because we hadn’t really done anything together in a while. I was in shock when I realised what he was doing. For a while there I thought I was going to have a heart attack; my heart was beating so fast,” she explained.

“Well, I’m glad you said yes. This wedding is going to be great,” Tasha said.

“I’m so excited,” Martha smiled. “A year ago, I never thought that I could be this happy. But here I am; about to have a baby. And now I’m getting married. I just wish that my mum and dad were both alive to see it,” she continued.

“They’ll be there; watching over you. Don’t you worry about that,” Tasha told her. “You may not be able to see them, but they’ll be there,” she smiled softly.

Martha sighed. “Sometimes I feel like such a jerk,” she stated. “Dad hasn’t been gone that long, and here I am all happy. Sometimes I feel so angry with myself,” she told Tasha.

“Ray would want you to be happy. He wouldn’t want you to mope around all day feeling sad,” Tasha said.

“I know,” Martha agreed.

“Good,” Tasha said excitedly as she stood up. “I have some bridal magazines in my room, so why don’t we look though some now. You can get some ideas for your dress,” she smiled.

Martha stood up and followed Tasha into the room. She’d always dreamed of the day she would get married and the dress was always the thing that excited her most. Okay, so the best part was the guy that you were marrying, but the dress was a close second.

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“So once again, I’d like to say congratulations,” Tony finished his speech. “Now, will you all raise your glasses and join me in a toast to Jack and Martha,” he said.

“To Jack and Martha,” the whole room called out.

It was the night of Jack and Martha’s engagement party, and they were having it at Noah’s. The place looked great. The girls had done a great job in setting the place up.

“It all feels so real now,” Martha looked up at Jack. “We’re getting married,” she laughed.

“And I can’t wait,” Jack smiled and kissed her on the lips.

“Me too,” Martha kissed him again.

“All right you two; knock it off,” Robbie exclaimed as he walked over with Tasha. “You’ll frighten all the little kiddies,” he joked.

“But it’s alright for you to kiss Tash in public?” Martha pointed out.

“Of course it alright for me to do it,” Robbie laughed. “It’s me, and I can do what I want,” he added.

Tasha groaned. “Shut up,” she laughed. “Now, you promised you’d dance with me, so let’s go,” she pulled him away.

Martha took Jack’s hand and they walked over to the bar; were Beth was standing. “Thanks for organizing this,” Martha said to Beth. “We really appreciate it,” she continued.

“No worries sweet. It was the least I could do,” Beth smiled.

Jack got Martha another juice and they went and sat down. They’d been sitting for about half an hour; chatting happily to anybody who came and spoke to them. But now they were sitting alone.

Jack leaned over to Martha. “How much longer before we can go home?” he asked her in a low voice.

“Why?” Martha looked at him confused.

Jack smirked. “Because I want to get you home and into bed,” he whispered teasingly in her ear as he rubbed her thigh.

“Jack,” Martha scolded with a laugh. “I’m due to have a baby sometime in the next three weeks, and you want to have sex?” she kept laughing.

“What?” Jack pouted. “That didn’t stop you the other night. And if I recall correctly you were the one who instigated it,” he pointed out.

Martha smiled at him. “Look, we can’t go home yet. This is our engagement party. It would be rude if we just got up and left. But if you be good for the rest of the night, I might give you a little something when we get home,” she teased. “Now let’s stop talking about naughty things because grandad’s on his way over,” she told him.

Martha gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before moving over so that Alf could sit down next to her.

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[bay girl]

Hey guys. Here’s a new chapter.

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

A WEEK LATER

It was a Friday night and Martha and Jack were having a quiet night at home. Kim and Kit were there aswell and they were all sitting in the lounge room watching the Friday night football.

Martha was sitting on the couch and Jack was nestled in behind her; rubbing her back. She’d had a really bad back ache all day and Jack had offered to give her a back rug. She loved it and it was making her feel so much better.

“Yes,” Martha sighed. “That feels so good,” she told Jack.

Jack smirked. “Well I do give pretty good back rubs if I do say so myself,” he laughed.

“Yeah, well make sure that they’re reserved only for me,” Martha said. “I don’t want you giving them to anyone else,” she added.

“Just for you,” Jack promised as he leaned forward and kissed her neck.

Martha turned back to face the TV just in time to see a commercial advertising some sort of biscuit. “Oh, how good do they look,” Martha sighed. “I’m so going to the shops to buy some of those tomorrow,” she said.

Kit laughed. “You say that every time you see a commercial for food,” she exclaimed.

Martha shrugged. “I’m pregnant, can you blame me?” she smiled.

“Okay, that’s enough about food,” Jack said. “It’s getting late, so why don’t we head off to bed,” he suggested.

Martha nodded her head in agreement. “Okay, let’s go,” she pushed herself up off the couch.

“Night,” they said as they walked off.

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Martha and Jack had been snuggled up in bed for about half an hour. Martha couldn’t sleep; she had a major craving.

She let out a loud sigh; trying to gain Jack’s attention. No luck. “Jack,” she sighed again.

“Yeah,” Jack opened his eyes to look at her.

“I’m not gonna be able to sleep until I have one of those biscuits,” Martha exclaimed.

“You’re not serious are you?” Jack laughed in disbelief.

“I’m way serious,” Martha told him. “Way,” she said again.

“Martha, its twelve o’clock at night. I’m not going out to get you a packet of biscuits,” Jack said seriously.

“Jack,” Martha pouted. “Please, it’s for the baby,” she begged as she moved closer and started kissing him.

“Kisses are not going to work,” Jack pointed out.

“Fine,” Martha huffed; sitting up. “I’ll go myself then,” she added.

Jack groaned. “No, I’ll go,” he sighed. “I’ll go to the servo and get some,” he told her.

Martha grinned at Jack as he got up and got changed. She put her hands on her stomach and looked down at herself. “See, daddy loves us, and he’ll do anything for us,” she cooed.

Jack laughed and shook his head. He opened the bedroom door and went to walk out, but stopped when Martha said his name. He turned to look at her.

“We love you,” she smiled cheekily.

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The next morning Martha decided to go and work a few hours at Noah’s. Beth was working; as well as a couple other people. So she wasn’t alone. She’d organized with Jack for him to come down and have lunch with her, so he should have been arriving some time soon.

“I’m just going to go out and grab something from my car. I’ll only be a few minutes,” Beth said to Martha and John; one of the guys who worked there.

“Kay,” Martha nodded as Beth walked out.

“I’m going to grab some more pineapple from the store room,” John told Martha and walked off.

A few moments later he returned. “We don’t have any,” he told her.

Martha looked up at him. “What do you mean we don’t have any?” she frowned.

“There’s none there,” John told her again.

“But didn’t we get a whole heap of fruit delivered this morning?” Martha asked.

“Yeah,” John nodded. “Someone’s either forgotten to order more or the deliverers forgot it,” he said.

Martha snatched up the clipboard and skimmed her eyes across the order. “Well, it wasn’t our fault. Those idiots forgot it,” she growled. “God that pisses me off. Why can’t people just get things right for once in their friggin life,” Martha yelled.

Martha paused for a few moments before starting again. “How are we supposed to sell drinks with pineapple in them, if we don’t have any pineapple,” she continued her rant.

“Maybe you should calm down,” John suggested.

“Calm down,” Martha laughed sarcastically. “Oh, that’s right; I’m supposed to be calm. You know? Coz I’m supposed to be growing another human being inside of me. But do I look calm to you? Does this face look calm to you?” she yelled a bit more.

By now John was looking at her in shock. He didn’t know what to say to her. He didn’t want to **** her off any more than she already was. Luckily for him, Beth walked back in.

“Okay, that’s enough work for you today,” Beth said as she pulled Martha away from the counter and away from a stunned John. “Why don’t you sit down and let me worry about pineapples,” she urged.

Martha looked up when she heard laughter. Standing by the wall was Jack, Tony and Lucas. “That laughing had better not be heading in my direction,” she snapped.

They stopped immediately. Jack walked over to her. “Let’s go and get a table,” he smiled and took her hand.

They were about to walk off when Martha felt a slight pain in her stomach. “Ahh,” she cried out and grabbed hold of her bump. But as quickly as it came; the pain disappeared.

“What’s wrong?” Jack looked at her in alarm.

“I just got a pain, but it’s stopped now,” Martha explained.

Beth started smiling. “I think somebody is getting to ready to make an appearance,” she exclaimed.

“You think so?” Martha asked.

“Possibly,” Beth nodded. “You’ve only got two weeks until your actual due date, but I think you’ll be going sooner rather than later,” She told Martha.

“Well, if that’s the case; then you should definitely be resting,” Jack said. “I’ll take you home and I can make you some lunch there instead,” he suggested.

“If you say so,” Martha sighed as Jack led her away.

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“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay home tonight?” Jack asked Martha as he sat down at the table and pulled on his boots. “I’ll just call in sick or something,” he suggested.

“Jack, I’ll be fine. Go to work,” Martha smiled.

Jack sighed. “After that pain that you got today; I don’t really want to leave you alone,” he said.

“I won’t be alone. I’m going to Sal’s for dinner, remember? Grandad’s picking me up in about an hour,” Martha told him. “So stop worrying,” she said.

“Come here,” Jack smiled and held out his hand. Martha took hold of it and he pulled her onto his lap. “I can’t help but worry. The thought of you being alone and something going wrong really scares me,” he said as he placed one of his hands on her stomach.

Martha smiled at him. “Every thing is going to be fine. Don’t worry; this baby will not be coming out unless you’re next to me. I won’t let it,” she told him and gave him a quick kiss.

“Now, get up. If you don’t get to work soon; you’ll be in trouble. And I don’t want McGrath chewing you out,” Martha laughed.

“Okay, I’m going. I probably won’t be home until about eleven. If Kim isn’t home when you get back later, I want you to go over to dad and Beth’s. I don’t want you here by your self. I’ll come and get you when I get home,” Jack told her.

Martha nodded. “Alright,” she promised.

“Bye,” Jack leant down and kissed her softly on the lips.

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“This looks great Sal,” Martha said as she sat down next to Ric at the dining table.

“Yes, well I hope it tastes as good as it looks,” Sally smiled.

“I’m sure it will,” Martha pointed out just as her stomach grumbled. “Sorry,” she laughed.

Alf chuckled. “It’s great to see you with such a healthy appetite. And it looks like that kids going to aswell,” he said.

“Oh, I can’t wait until the baby comes,” Cassie said excitedly.

“That makes two of us,” Martha exclaimed. She then looked over at Sally. “So, where’s Flynn tonight?” she asked.

“Oh, he’s doing an all nighter at the hospital,” Sally answered.

“Oh, okay,” Martha said as she reached out for a bread roll. Just as she was about to grab it; Ric moved his hand forward to grab it aswell.

Martha slapped his hand away. “That’s mine. Touch it again and I’ll stab you with my fork,” she warned.

Ric snatched his hand away. “No need to get violent,” he said.

“Just saying,” Martha shrugged.

“Never mess with a pregnant woman,” Sally laughed.

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Sally was standing at the sink washing the dishes; while the others walked back and forth into the kitchen; clearing off the table.

Martha was walking into the kitchen with a salad bowl when she stopped. She felt this weird feeling in the pit of her stomach; and the next thing she knew, she could feel a warm liquid trickling down her leg.

Ric was standing right in front of her in a stunned silence; watching the small puddle accumulating on the floor around her.

“Oh god,” Martha gasped.

“I think Martha just wet her pants,” Ric joked.

“What?” Sally spun around; fast.

“Either I just wet myself or my water just broke,” Martha exclaimed.

“Strewth,” Alf said from behind her.

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PLEASE REVIEW

[bay girl]

Hey guys. Here’s a new chapter.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

This is it, Martha thought to herself. It was starting. The baby was coming.

She was still standing in the same spot and the others were also just standing there watching her. Delayed reaction; Martha guessed. Sally then ran over to the desk; grabbing her hand bag and car keys. “We have to get you to the hospital,” she said.

Alf then rushed towards Martha and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Let’s go love,” he urged.

Martha was in a bit of daze and not really sure about what was going on around her. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. But she soon snapped out of it and started to panic.

“I want Jack,” she cried.

“Just calm down love,” Alf told her.

“Cassie, I want you to watch Pippa while I’m gone. And Ric, I want you to call Tony and tell him that we’re on our way to the hospital. Tell him to go to Martha’s place and grab her bag,” Sally started giving out orders. “And call Jack. Tell him to get to the hospital,” she added.

“But I want to go to the hospital,” Ric said.

“Yeah, me too,” Cassie exclaimed.

“No,” Sally shook her head. “Martha doesn’t need dozens of people hanging around. It would be best if you stayed here. I’ll call you later to tell you what’s going on,” she promised.

Alf and Sally then started to help Martha out to the car.

“I want Jack. I can’t do this without him,” Martha cried again.

“Don’t worry love. Ric is going to call him and he’ll be by your side in no time,” Alf reassured her.

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Martha was sitting up in the hospital bed. Alf was sitting beside her; holding her hand. She’d just had her first contraction only a few minutes before, and Alf, Sally and Flynn had been with her. It had hurt a bit, but she knew that they were going to get worse. Sally was standing at the end of her bed talking to Flynn; who had popped in to see how she was going.

“Dr Morgan has been paged, and she’ll be here as soon as possible,” Flynn told her. “But I’d better go now. I’ve got some patients to see, but I’ll drop in later and see how you’re going,” he promised.

“Thanks,” Martha smiled.

Just as Flynn was leaving, Tony and Lucas rushed in with Beth and Matilda coming in close behind them.

“I might go grab a coffee and give Ric a quick ring,” Sally said.

“Yeah, I’ll come with you,” Alf stood up. “I’ll be back soon,” he told Martha.

After they left, Tony and Beth moved in closer to her bed, while Lucas and Matilda sat up on the end of the bed. “How are you feeling?” Tony asked.

“I’m okay. For now,” Martha answered.

“We brought your bag,” Lucas pointed out.

“Thanks,” Martha smiled. “I’d much prefer to wear my own stuff. I hate these gross hospital gowns,” she wrinkled her nose up.

“I can’t believe the baby will be here soon,” Matilda sighed happily. “This is so exciting,” she said.

“For you maybe, but I’m the one who’s going to be in pain,” Martha laughed. “I get to lay here and do all the hard work, while you guys can just come along later and lavish the kid in kisses and cuddles,” she smiled.

“You’re going to be fine sweet. You’ll do great,” Beth assured her.

Martha sat in silence for a few moments before talking again. “Where’s Jack?” she asked.

Tony sighed. “We’ve tried his mobile a few times, but there’s been no answer. We’ve called the station aswell, but he’s on a call out with Harper somewhere,” he started. “But McGrath promised to do all he could to get in contact with Jack,” he explained.

“He has to be here,” Martha frowned. “I need him to be here. I can’t do this without him,” she cried.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be here,” Tony said as he brushed her hair out of her face. “He wouldn’t miss this for the world,” he assured her.

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“This really sucks,” Martha cried through clenched teeth; as she battled her way through another contraction.

“You’re doing great Martha. Just stay calm and keep breathing,” Dr Morgan told her. She’d arrived about ten minutes beforehand to check on Martha. “Now, you’re only about a centimeter dilated and from what you’ve told me, you’re contractions are still about thirty minutes apart. So, you’ve still got a long way ahead of you,” she explained.

“Great,” Martha groaned. “I just want this to be over with,” she growled.

Dr Morgan laughed. “I’m going to leave you for a while, but I’ll keep coming back to check on you every now and again. But, if you need me, just press your buzzer and I’ll be here ASAP,” she promised before walking out.

“A friggin centimeter,” Martha exclaimed. “That’s nothing,” she said.

Alf and Sally laughed at her. “Patience my dear,” Alf said to her. Alf and Sally had joined her again after Tony and the others decided to head to the hospital café to get a drink.

“Tony seemed pretty happy,” Sally said.

“It’s his first grandchild,” Alf pointed out.

“And this is your first great grandchild,” Martha laughed.

“It makes me feel old when you put it that way,” Alf chuckled.

“Well, you aren’t exactly young, are you grandad?” Martha said cheekily.

“Hey, watch your mouth young lady,” Alf said with a smile.

Martha smiled and rested her head back on the pillow. She felt really tired. She could probably just fall asleep.

“You tired love?” Alf asked.

Martha nodded. “A bit,” she answered.

“Well, just close your eyes and rest. If you want to nod off for a while, you can,” Alf told her. “I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere,” he said.

Martha sighed. She kept thinking about Jack. He should have been there with her.

“Where is he grandad?” Martha asked.

“I don’t know. But I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” Alf tried to comfort her.

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Jack groaned as he and Harper walked back into the station. They’d got called out to some stupid disturbance. A women had rang and said that her boyfriend was going nuts and that he had a knife and was waving it around.

Jack and Harper had rushed out there straight away, and the guy started waving the knife at them. They’d ended up being stuck out there with the moron for two hours. He had made them switch off their radios, so that they couldn’t call for help, and he’d made them chuck their guns out on the lawn.

After about two hours the girlfriend convinced him to put down the knife, and she forgave him. They ended up making out in front of him and Harper. She didn’t want to press charges, but they still had to bring him down to the station for questioning.

Jack was just about to sit down at his desk when McGrath came out of his office. “Where the hell have you been?” he asked Jack.

“We had a little problem, but it’s handled now. So don’t worry,” Jack told him.

“We’ve been trying to contact you for the last two hours or so,” McGrath said.

“We had a problem with our radios,” Jack said. “What did you want me for?” he wanted to know.

“You’re family has been calling,” McGrath said.

“Why? What’s going on?” Jack asked.

“They’ve taken Martha to the hospital. She’s in labour,” McGrath exclaimed.

“What?” Jack yelled as he jumped.

“Yeah, so I suggest you grab your jacket and get your butt over there,” McGrath started. “She’ll make you suffer for the rest of your life if you miss the birth of your first child. Trust me, I know,” he added.

“Thanks boss,” Jack called out as he ran out the door.

He felt a surge of excitement run through his body. The baby was coming. He just hoped that it hadn’t come yet. If he missed it; Martha would be pissed. He’d promised her that he would be by her side all the way through. If he broke it; he’d never forgive himself.

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NEXT CHAPTER: Is it a boy or a girl?

PLEASE REVIEW

[bay girl]

Hey guys. Here’s a new chapter.

CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

Martha was now up and walking around. She had gotten sick of just sitting in the hospital bed, so Dr Morgan had told her that she could get up and walk around if she wanted to.

Alf, Sally and Tony were sitting in the room with her; Tony had convinced Beth to take Lucas and Matilda home. He had said that there wasn’t much use in them just sitting around at the hospital. He promised that he would call them as soon as the baby came.

Martha walked to one corner of the room, and then back again. She sighed as she rubbed her stomach. Every now and then she’d feel a little kick coming from the baby.

“Where the hell is Jack?” Tony sighed in frustration as he looked at his watch.

“I don’t know, but I wish he would hurry up and get here,” Martha cried. “I’ll kill him if he doesn’t make it on time,” she growled.

“Trust me, I’ll kill him if he doesn’t make it on time,” Tony added.

“It could be hours until you have to start pushing. Jack’s still got plenty of time to get here. But stop worrying; I’m sure he’ll be here soon,” Sally reassured her.

Martha knew she was right. Her contractions were still at least fifteen minutes apart. She still had a while to go until it was time for her to start pushing. Martha was just about to sit down when she felt another contraction starting to pull in her stomach.

“Oh god,” she groaned as she squeezed her eyes shut and grasped tightly onto her belly.

Sally was by her side within a second; helping her lean over the bed. “Just breathe Martha. It’ll fade soon,” Sally told her.

“It hurts,” Martha started to cry; moaning out loud in pain. She’d honestly never felt a pain like this before and she just wanted it to stop.

After a few minutes the pain had subsided and Martha had calmed down a bit. Sally and Tony were helping her back up into the bed, when the door burst open and Jack appeared.

“Martha,” he said breathlessly. He’d obviously just run all the way from the car park.

“Jack,” Martha cried as she moved towards him. “Thank god you’re here,” she said as he pulled her into a hug.

“I thought I’d missed it,” Jack sighed in relief as he held Martha tight.

“Where have you been mate?” Tony asked his son.

“We got called out to this house where this guy was going nuts at his girlfriend. The idiot had a knife, so we got stuck out there for a couple of hours,” Jack explained.

“Well, you’re here now and that’s all that matters,” Martha smiled.

Alf stood up from the chair that he was sitting in and looked at Tony and Sally. “Why don’t we give Martha and Jack some time alone,” he suggested. Sally and Tony agreed and followed Alf out of the room.

“So, how is everything so far? Is it going okay? Are you feeling alright?” Jack started asking questions.

“I feel much better now that you’re here,” Martha started. “But having said that; the contractions hurt like hell and I just want this to be over. I want this kid to be out right now,” she told him.

Jack smiled and kissed Martha softly on the lips. “All the pain is going to be worth it in the end,” he exclaimed.

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Martha was leaning over the bed; crying a little. She’d just had another contraction and this one had hurt a lot more than the other ones.

Jack was standing behind her; gently rubbing her back and kissing her neck softly. “It’s okay,” he kept saying in a hushed voice.

Jack then helped Martha up into the bed; propping the pillows up behind her. “Are you comfortable enough?” he asked.

“As much as I can be, I guess,” Martha answered. “But I’m really hot,” she said.

Jack reached over to the bench and grabbed a cold cloth and started pressing it to Martha’s face and neck. “That feels nice,” she sighed.

Jack moved himself up onto the bed and in next to Martha. “I can’t believe that in just a couple of hours we’re going to have our baby,” Jack said.

“I know,” Martha smiled. “I can’t believe that we’re going to be parents,” she said.

“I’m so happy. I can’t wait to meet him or her,” Jack started. “Since we’re on the subject; are you hoping for a boy or a girl?” he asked.

Martha shrugged. “I don’t really mind. What about you?” she questioned him.

“I actually don’t mind either. Everybody else seems to have their hearts set on one of the other; especially Matilda and Cassie. They want it to be a girl. But I’ll be happy with either,” Jack told Martha.

Martha was just about to speak again when she heard the door to her room open; it was Dr Morgan.

“Hey Martha, how are you feeling?” she asked.

“Alright,” Martha answered. “The contractions are getting closer together, but Julie was in before and she said it could still be another couple of hours before I have to start doing anything,” she said.

“Yes, that’s right,” Dr Morgan exclaimed. She then looked over to Jack. “It’s great to see that you made it. Martha was a bit worried for a while there,” she said.

“Yeah, had a bit of a problem at work,” Jack explained. “But I came as soon as I heard. I wouldn’t miss this for anything,” he said as he looked down at Martha.

Dr Morgan smiled to herself. It was great seeing such a young couple so in love. “I noticed that you now have a ring on your finger Martha,” Dr Morgan pointed out. “Are the two of getting married?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Martha nodded. “Jack proposed about two weeks ago,” she said.

“Congratulations,” Dr Morgan exclaimed.

Martha and Jack sat in silence for a few moments while Dr Morgan looked over Martha’s chart; just checking a few things out.

“I think you should go and tell the others to go home,” Martha told Jack. “There’s no use in them just sitting around waiting for something that could take hours,” she said.

“Are you sure?” Jack asked.

Martha nodded. “Yeah, tell them that you’ll call them as soon as the baby arrives,” she told him.

“Alright,” Jack said as he got up. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he kissed her on the cheek before walking out.

“He’s a keeper,” Dr Morgan exclaimed after Jack had left.

Martha smiled. “I know,” she agreed.

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“Alright Martha, I need you to give me another push,” Dr Morgan urged.

“It hurts,” Martha snapped. She didn’t want to do this anymore. It hurt too much. “Can’t you like, give me more drugs or something?” she said.

“No, you’ve already had enough,” Morgan answered.

“It’s alright,” Jack said softly to her. He was kneeling up behind her; helping her sit up. “Just keep pushing,” he urged her on as well.

“Look Martha, just a few more pushes and this will all be over,” Dr Morgan told her.

Martha gripped tighter onto Jack’s hand and pushed; using the small amount of strength she had left. “This really sucks,” she said through her screams.

“That’s great. You’re doing great,” Dr Morgan praised her. “Now come on, give me another push,” she said.

“I can’t,” Martha gasped. “It hurts too much. I don’t want to do it anymore,” she cried harder.

“I know it hurts, but you have to keep going,” Dr Morgan told her.

“Come on Martha,” Jack begged. “You can do this. It’s only a couple more pushes,” he said.

“Shut up,” Martha snapped at Jack. “It’s alright for you; you’re not the one laying here in pain,” she screamed though another push.

Jack flinched; but he knew that she didn’t mean to be a bitch. She was just in pain and taking it out on him.

“Just one more push Martha and this will all be over,” Dr Morgan told her. “One more push and you’ll see your baby,” she said.

“Did you hear that,” Jack said to Martha. “Just one more and the baby will be here,” he said softly in her ear.

Martha nodded before using up the last ounce of her strength in one final push. She screamed out in pain one last time before slumping back against Jack; breathless. A few moments later she heard the wailing of a baby.

“You did it,” Jack kissed her neck.

“Congratulations guys,” Dr Morgan smiled as she held up the baby.

“You’ve got yourselves a beautiful little girl,” she exclaimed.

A girl, Martha smiled to herself. Just like dad wanted.

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PLEASE REVIEW

Sorry to all those who wanted it to be a boy. But if you remember Martha’s dad said that he wanted a granddaughter, so I just had to make it a girl.

My god, that last part was really hard to write. I’ve never been through labour myself, so I can’t exactly explain how it feels. I just hope that I did okay.

[bay girl]

Hey guys. Here’s a new chapter.

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

Martha cried a little as the nurse placed the baby in her arms for the first time. Jack was still sitting up behind Martha, so he rested his hands under Martha’s so that they could hold her together. They were both in awe at the tiny child in their arms.

“She’s so tiny,” Martha sighed softly.

“She’s beautiful,” Jack exclaimed as he reached out and touched his daughter’s tiny fingers. He couldn’t believe that she was finally there with them.

Martha smiled down at her baby; who was still squirming around and wailing her little lungs out. “Look what we done Jack,” she started. “Look what we made. She’s amazing,” Martha continued.

“I know,” Jack smiled. He looked down at their little girl; examining her features closely. She had dark hair; just like him and Martha. And she had Martha’s gorgeous blue eyes.

They sat for a few more minutes, just watching and smiling at her, when the nurse walked up to the bed. “I’m sorry to ruin the happy moment, but we need to take her away, so she can be checked out and cleaned up a bit,” she told them. “And, we need to move you, Martha, to a new room, and also get you changed and cleaned up a bit,” she explained.

Martha was a bit reluctant at first, but she finally passed her baby over to the nurse. The nurse started to walk away but then turned back. “Jack, why don’t you come with me, and then once we’ve finished with the baby, you can take her back to Martha’s new room,” she suggested.

“Okay,” Jack agreed as he hopped off the bed. He then turned to face Martha. “You did great,” he said as he leant down and kissed her on the lips. “I love you,” he told her as he walked out; following the nurse.

Martha sighed as she fell back onto the bed. She’d never felt so happy or content in her life.

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THE NEXT MORNING

Tony walked around the room like he was walking on air. He was absolutely thrilled. He and Beth were waiting for Matilda and Lucas to finish getting ready, so that they could get to the hospital and see his first grandchild.

Lucas and Matilda rushed out into the living room. “Are we all ready?” Tony asked.

“Yep,” everyone nodded. Matilda and Lucas rushed out the door and headed for the car. Tony turned and looked at Beth. “Let’s go and see our granddaughter,” he said to her as he took her hand.

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Jack was sitting up on the bed next to Martha; the baby was lying in a crib next to them. Alf and Ric were in the room with them; they’d arrived about twenty minutes before. Martha swore that she saw tears in her grandad’s eyes when he first saw the baby.

“So, did you ring my brothers?” Martha asked Alf.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I called them before we came here. And I called your mother aswell. They were all thrilled,” Alf answered.

“And Auntie Morag will be getting here from the city this afternoon,” Ric added.

“Good,” Martha smiled. She then turned her head and looked at her daughter. She was wearing a little white jumpsuit and a tiny pink beanie hat; and wrapped up in a pink blanket. She was sleeping soundly. She was gorgeous.

Martha looked around the room; it had brightened up a lot over the last couple of hours. Alf and Ric had brought some flowers with them when they’d arrived. Nurse Julie had come in with flowers earlier that morning. Rachel had come in with some flowers from herself, Dan and Leah. Leah had even sent in some of her famous home made chocolates. And they’d also received a huge bouquet of flowers and a big balloon from Jack’s colleagues at the police station.

They were all sitting in silence when they heard a soft knock at the door. It creaked open and Tony and Beth walked in; closely followed by Lucas and Matilda.

They all said a quick hello before Tony rushed quickly over to the baby crib. “Oh my goodness,” he smiled. “Look at her, she’s gorgeous,” he sighed. The others walked up beside him and took a peek at the sleeping baby.

“Aww, she’s so tiny,” Matilda cooed.

Beth smiled and walked over to Martha; giving her a quick hug. “You’ve done well,” she said. “She’s beautiful,” Beth exclaimed.

“Well, now that you guys are here, Martha and Jack can finally tell us what they’ve decided to call her,” Ric began. “They wanted to wait until you were all here first,” he said.

“Alright, well hit us with it then,” Lucas exclaimed.

Martha and Jack looked at each other and smiled. “We thought a lot about names over the last few months, and we finally came up with something that we both like,” Jack told them.

Martha took her turn and started to speak. “So, we’ve decided to name her Laila Katelyn-Rae Holden,” she announced.

“Oh, that’s beautiful,” Beth told them.

“Yeah, well I’ve always liked the name Laila. And we decided on Katelyn; after Jack’s mum. And Rae; after my dad,” Martha explained.

“I think it’s perfect,” Tony smiled. Lucas, Matilda and Ric nodded their heads in agreement.

“It’s lovely,” Alf moved towards the crib. “Little Laila,” he chuckled as he looked down at his great granddaughter.

Jack and Martha looked at each other again and smiled. Jack leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

Tony moved back over to the crib. “Can I hold her,” he asked.

“Of course you can,” Martha laughed. “You don’t need to ask,” she added.

Tony gently moved his hands under her and lifted her up; trying his hardest not to wake her. He cradled her safely in his arms. He lowered his head and softly placed a kiss on her forehead.

For the next half and hour they all sat in the room; talking quietly. After a while Nurse Julie walked in. “Sorry to break up the celebrations but Martha needs to feed the baby, so it would probably be best if you left her and gave her a bit of privacy,” she explained.

“Yeah, no problem,” Tony said. Beth; who was now holding the baby, handed her over to Martha. Jack hoped off the bed and started to move away.

“Where are you going?” Martha asked him.

“I thought you’d want to be alone,” Jack answered.

“You’re a bit clueless aren’t you?” Martha started to laugh. “You can stay, you idiot. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before,” she smiled.

“Right,” Jack nodded sheepishly. “I knew that,” he added.

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“She is amazing,” Tasha exclaimed as she held Laila in her arms.

“Yeah, you’ve done a good job,” Robbie told her.

Robbie and Tasha had popped in for a visit. Tasha had been anxious all morning; she wanted to get in and see the baby. Sally, Colleen and Cassie had dropped in about half an hour before, and Flynn had stopped in to say a quick hello before he headed home after his all night shift.

Martha was alone with Tasha and Robbie at the moment. She had told Jack to go home and have a shower and have a sleep if he needed to. She knew that he was exhausted, but she also knew that he wouldn’t stay away for very long. She knew he’d come back as soon as he showered and ate something. He wouldn’t sleep.

“Alright you hog,” Robbie said to Tasha. “Stop being greedy and hand her over to Uncle Rob,” he laughed.

Tasha smiled and gently placed her in Robbie’s arms. “She’s so small, and weighs like a feather,” he exclaimed. He then started softly poking at her. “Wake up baby,” he whispered.

“Robbie,” Tasha scolded with a laugh. “Don’t wake her up. Martha needs her rest,” she said.

“Sorry,” Robbie poked his tongue out at Tasha.

Martha laughed at them. They’d make great parents one day.

“Kit and Kim said that they’ll come and visit you this afternoon. They knew that everybody else would rush in, so they thought it would be best if they waited a bit,” Tasha explained to Martha.

“That’s alright,” Martha yawned.

She was so tired. She’d hardly slept at all and she knew that she probably wouldn’t get much sleep today either. People would be stopping for visits all day. But Martha was kind of glad that she wasn’t sleeping. She wanted to watch Laila. She didn’t want to miss anything.

She’s so beautiful, Martha thought to herself. And she’s all mine.

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So, I hope you all like the name that I chose. I’ve actually had that name picked out since I started this fic. I’m kind of guessing that Katelyn is short for Kate (Jack’s mum), so that’s why I picked that. And Rae was Martha’s dad’s name (except I spelt it with an ‘E’ instead of a ‘Y’. And I love the name Laila.

Anyhoo. I hoped you liked that chapter.

[bay girl]

Hey guys. Here’s a new chapter.

Just a short one. Not much going on.

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

THE NEXT DAY

Martha was sitting up in her hospital bed; cradling Laila in her arms. The little girl was wide awake and looking up at her mother with a beautiful pair of blue eyes.

“You’re such a beautiful little thing, aren’t you?” Martha smiled down at her.

Martha looked up when she heard a noise at the door; it was Jack. She had made him go home and get some sleep. Over the last two days, he had been at the hospital with her constantly. He’d hardly ever go home. So that morning she’d ordered him to go home and get some rest. He’d been a bit reluctant at first; but he eventually left.

“Did you get some sleep?” Martha asked.

“Yeah,” Jack nodded. “I feel much better,” he said as he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

“That’s good,” Martha said.

“My turn,” Jack grinned as he held out his arms; wanting Martha to hand over Laila.

Martha smiled at him as she handed the baby to him. He was going to be a great father to Laila; and he already adored the little girl.

Jack walked over to a chair and sat down. “How long has she been awake?” Jack asked Martha as he stroked his daughter’s cheek.

“About half an hour,” she answered. “I just finished feeding her before you got here. She’ll probably go back to sleep soon,” she continued.

Martha and Jack sat and talked quietly for about ten minutes; Laila still hadn’t fallen back to sleep.

A few minutes later, Tony arrived. “Hey guys,” he said as he entered the room.

“How come you’re not at work?” Jack asked his father.

“Oh, my next class doesn’t start for another hour and a half, so I thought I’d pop in a say a quick hello,” Tony answered. “And I know how much this hospital food sucks, so I made you two some lunch and brought it in with me,” he said, as he placed a bag containing sandwiches, muffins and fruit, up on the table.

“Thanks Tony,” Martha smiled. “I really can’t wait until I can go home and get some real food into me. Some of the stuff here tastes like plastic,” she explained.

They all sat and talked for about ten minutes before Jack handed Laila over to Tony for a cuddle. “How about you and poppy go for a little walk down the hall,” Tony said in a soft voice as he smiled down at his granddaughter.

He walked out of the room; leaving Jack and Martha alone. Jack moved towards the bed and hoped up next to Martha. “You know, we’re going to have to be careful with him,” Jack laughed; referring to his father.

“Why’s that?” Martha asked.

“Because he’ll probably run away with Laila and never come back,” Jack answered with another laugh.

Martha smiled at him. “It’s his first granddaughter Jack,” she started. “Of course he’s going to be totally smitten with her,” she grinned.

Jack leant down and kissed Martha softly. “I can’t wait until I can take you two home, and we can start the rest of our lives as a family,” he said to her.

“I love you,” Martha kissed him back.

“I love you too,” Jack exclaimed.

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LATER THAT EVENING

Jack wandered down the hall to Martha’s room. He’d been called into the station for a couple of hours and Martha had made him go. He much would have preferred to stay with Martha and Laila, but Martha had insisted that he go.

But now he was finished and he could back and spend time with his fiancé and daughter; it was where he belonged. Plus he had a little bit of good news to tell Martha.

He knocked softly on the door and walked in. Martha was sitting up on her bed; with a few pieces of paper surrounding her, and a whole stack of photos of Laila. Martha had gotten Robbie to take a whole heap of photos; then he had downloaded them onto the computer and then printed them out.

“What are you doing?” Jack asked as he sat up on the bed. Laila was asleep in the crib next to the bed.

“I’m writing a letter to my brothers,” she answered. “I’m sending some photos to them. I’ve already got a package ready to send to my mum in New York aswell,” she explained.

“I’ll drop them at the post office in the morning if you like,” Jack offered.

“Thanks,” Martha smiled sweetly at him. “I knew you were good for something,” she teased.

“Hey, I’m good at making beautiful babies too,” Jack pointed out.

“Alright, I’ll give you that one too,” Martha laughed. “So, how was work?” she then asked.

“Same old crap,” Jack shrugged. “But I have got one piece of good news,” he exclaimed.

“What is it?” Martha wanted to know.

“McGrath’s told me that I can have the next two weeks off,” Jack told her.

“Really?” Martha’s eyes lit up. “That’s great. We’ll be able to spend more time together with Laila,” she said.

“Exactly what I was thinking,” Jack grinned. He was just about to lean over and kiss Martha when Laila woke up and started to cry.

“I’ll get her,” Jack offered. He stood up and reached his hands into the crib; picking up a crying Laila. “Hey hey, it’s okay now. Daddy’s here,” he said softly.

“Maybe she’s hung…..,” Martha started to say, but then paused when Laila stopped crying. “Or maybe she just wanted her dad to give her a cuddle,” she smiled.

“I’ve told you before Martha; I have the special touch,” he smirked.

“Don’t I know it,” Martha smiled cheekily at him.

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[bay girl]

Hey guys. Here’s a new chapter. Not much happening in this one.

CHAPTER SEVENTY

Martha sighed happily as she followed Jack up to the front door of their house. She was finally home for the hospital and she couldn’t have been happier.

“Finally,” Martha smiled.

They walked into the house; Jack was carrying the baby capsule with Laila inside. Kit and Kim were standing in the kitchen; preparing lunch.

“Welcome home,” Kit exclaimed.

“It’s great to be home,” Martha said.

“Yes, well, to welcome you back, Kit and I have prepared lunch for us all. It should be ready in about fifteen minutes,” Kim explained.

“Thanks, I’m really looking forward to eating some real food,” Martha laughed.

Jack placed the baby capsule up on the bench and undone the straps around Laila; pulling her out and up into his arms.

“She’s such an angel,” Kit exclaimed as she looked down at Laila.

“That she is,” Jack agreed with a smile. He then looked over at Martha. “Why don’t we go and unpack your bags and let Laila try out her new bed,” he suggested.

“We’ll give you a yell when lunch is ready,” Kim said.

Jack and Martha walked into their room; shutting the door behind them. Martha threw her bag up onto the bed and started pulling her stuff out. Jack walked over to the bassinet and placed Laila in it. Just as he moved his hands away; her eyes fluttered open.

“Don’t you start crying little one,” Jack smiled down at her.

But the baby paid no attention. She opened her mouth and started to cry. Martha sighed and walked over to the bassinet. “It’s about time for her next feed, she’s probably hungry,” she told Jack. She picked Laila up and cradled her to her chest. “I may aswell feed her now; before lunch is ready,” Martha said.

“Okay, well you do that and I’ll unpack your bag,” Jack said.

Martha nodded and sat down on the bed.

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THE NEXT DAY

Martha walked into her room and sat down on the bed opposite Jack. Laila was awake and lying on the bed in front of Jack. Martha could see her little eyes darting around the room.

“Hey baby,” she cooed and leant over and kissed Laila’s cheek.

“Do I get a kiss?” Jack smirked.

Martha scoffed and turned away from him, but then turned back around quickly with a smile on her face. She leant over and kissed him softly on the lips.

“So, I’ve been thinking,” Jack started.

“About?” Martha asked, but wasn’t paying much attention because she was too busy smiling down at her daughter.

“About our wedding,” Jack answered.

At the mention of her wedding, Martha’s eyes shot up to Jack. “What about it?” she wanted to know.

“Well, I think it’s time we decided when to have it,” Jack said.

“I was thinking about that last night actually,” Martha admitted.

“When do you want to get married? It doesn’t really worry me, because I’ll marry you anytime. So, you can choose,” Jack offered.

Martha thought for a few moments before starting to speak again. “I don’t want to leave it too long,” she told him. “But there is no way I’m going to get into a dress looking like I just had a baby,” she said.

“But you did just have a baby,” Jack laughed at her.

“You know what I mean,” Martha poked her tongue out at him. “I have to look good on my wedding day, so I’m gonna have to start hitting the gym hardcore,” she said.

“So, when do you want to get married?” Jack asked again.

“How about two months from now,” Martha suggested.

“If that’s what you want,” Jack exclaimed.

“It is,” Martha nodded. “And that gives us plenty of time to prepare everything. And we’ll get help from all the others,” she explained.

“Two months it is,” Jack smiled. He then looked down at Laila. “So, mummy and daddy are going to get married in two months. Do you think you can make it?” he joked.

“You’re so cute,” Martha laughed at Jack.

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Later that evening after dinner, Jack and Martha decided to go next door and tell Tony and Beth that they had set the date for their wedding.

Tony took Laila from Jack’s arms as soon as they walked through the door. He kissed her cheek and walked to a chair and sat down.

“God dad, do you have to be such a hog?” Lucas laughed. “Some of us have only held Laila a few times, but then you come along and swipe her away right from under our noses,” he continued.

“She likes me the most,” Tony teased.

“She doesn’t even know who you are,” Lucas teased back.

“Okay okay, I’m sure everybody will get a cuddle eventually,” Beth pointed out as she walked out from the kitchen. “Now, Martha and Jack came over to tell us some news. So why don’t we be quiet and let them tell us,” she suggested.

Martha smiled at Beth. She was always the calm one. She could get just about anyone to shut their traps.

“Well, we’ve decided on a date for the wedding,” Martha told them.

“That’s great,” Tony exclaimed. “When is it? Next week?” he joked.

“No dad,” Jack laughed. “We’ve decided on two months from today,” he told everyone.

“It gives us plenty of time to prepare and choose venues and all that sort of stuff,” Martha explained.

“And it also gives Martha time to get her bod back,” Jack laughed.

“What?” Lucas scoffed. “Does it really matter what you look like?”

“Shut up Lucas. You wouldn’t understand,” Matilda said. “A lady wants to look her best on her wedding day. She wants to look sexy in her wedding dress,” she explained.

“But Martha already looks great,” Lucas pointed.

“That’s what I said,” Jack added.

“Thanks Luc,” Martha smiled. “But Matilda’s right. I’ve just had a baby and I want to get my old body back before I get married,” she said.

“If you say so,” Lucas muttered; still not understanding all the fuss women made over their weddings.

The group sat and chatted happily for the next twenty minutes, before Beth suddenly let out a frustrated sigh.

“I tried to me nice and I stuck up for you just before, but for goodness sakes Tony; hand me that child. It’s my turn,” Beth exclaimed.

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