You Really Got A Hold On Me
By ABs and Donna

He was lying on his back, a slight but sweet weight across his body. He was drifting, not quite awake but not asleep, perfectly satisfied and happy. They’d made love not long before, but his satisfaction was not completely sexual. Part of it was, of course; the afterglow had not yet worn off. But it went deeper than that. This woman completed him.

He’d experienced this before, of course. But all of those experiences had been short-lived. Throughout his long lifetime, he had searched over and over for
the one who would make up his other half, and always he hoped to find one as Immortal as he. But sadly, it had never happened. He would have given almost anything to love Phoenix the way she loved him! But time and again he found true peace only in the arms of a mortal.

Long ago he decided that was not coincidental, and not long after that he decided to take what he could get and stop fighting it. He knew it would be limited, and pain would soon follow. But for a short time, he would be blissfully happy. That would have to sustain him until the next one.

Methos was just settling deeper into slumber when there was a loud crashing knock on his door. Crystal murmured softly in her sleep, her still slender body sliding off his so she could curl up on her side. But the knocking did not stop, and her murmurs became words he remembered from years in Italy. Chuckling, Methos rolled on his side, spooning up behind her.  Moving the thick dark hair out of the way, he kissed
the nape of her neck tenderly. “I’ll get rid of them and be right back,” he promised.

“You better, if you’re gonna keep touchin’ me there.”

He laughed softly. Leaving the warmth of the bed, he grabbed his jeans and slipped them on, calling, “I’m coming! Please wait!” as he carefully zipped them up.

Out in the hall, Lupe waited, none too patiently. His first reaction was, of course, that she was pounding down the door because she’d heard that Crystal was back, and a few thoughts went through his mind before either of them had a chance to speak. Lupe growled, saying in a low voice, “Don’t even think it, Methos. Faia needs you, or I wouldn’t be here.”

“Faia! Is it the baby?”

“Well, she did come all the way here to have him, so that is a pretty good guess. Come quickly. Put on a shirt.” She turned and went down the hall, leaving Methos slightly shivering in the doorway. 

Snapping to, he turned back to go into the room and saw Crystal sitting up in bed, the sheet held up to her chest. “This may take a while,” he said to her. She nodded once. She seemed pale and small in the bed, and she was in fact a tiny woman who did not
stand much over five feet. Being on heels most of the time, she seemed taller when up and around.

Methos came over to get his shirt, and she lifted her arms to him, like a child needing comforting. “You didn’t get much sleep,” she said. “Hope she has an easy time of it.”

He laughed softly. It was just like her to express concern for both of them in such a way that he wasn’t sure at first who she was most concerned *about*. Kissing her forehead, he said, “I’ll be back before dawn. You’ll see!” Then he took his sweater, threw it on, and hurried out of the room.

He realized, as he padded down the hall, that he’d forgotten to put on shoes and was barefoot. It was cold and he thought for a moment of going back, but continued on to Phoenix’ room to check on her first.  There was a nice fire going in the grate, but he soon forgot all about his feet anyway, because once he entered the room it became clear the laboring mother was in dire pain.

“Faia!” he yelled, rushing to her side. She was doubled up, crying and cringing, while Lupe held her hand. When Methos came close, he heard the tell-tale growl that made him think, in the corner of his mind, that the other night had meant nothing to her and he was no closer to resolving their issues than before he’d slept with her. But despite the growl, she let go of her friend’s hand and gave up the seat beside the bed so he could take her place. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Where’s a doctor?”

Jonathan was washing his hands in a basin. “Nathaniel went to fetch one from the clinic. We were timing the contractions and just as they hit five minutes, she
suddenly started screaming like something was wrong. She isn’t bleeding but,” he frowned, “I’m afraid she isn’t dilating, either.”

Methos frowned. Though Jonathan *was* a doctor, he was not an MD. “Are you sure?” he asked, wondering if the man could figure out a simple thing like cervix
dilation. 

“Check her yourself. The baby is also . . .”

“Breech,” said a voice from the doorway. Robert Helm came in, his sleeves already rolled up. “We were afraid of that.”

“You knew?” Methos asked.

“She has been coming to us since she’s been in town. Yes, we knew, but we were hoping he’d move. What’s this about her cervix?” He got into position to examine her.

“Contractions are coming five minutes apart, but Dr. Chase says there has been no dilation,” Methos said, almost like he did not believe it. He was still holding her hand – or, more accurately, he was having his right hand squeezed off while she writhed in pain.

“Where’s Sarah Jo and Katherine?” asked Lupe.

“I sent Nathaniel to get Sarah Jo. Doc was over there anyway, which is why the boy came to get me. She’ll be here any minute, I expect. Katherine is a bit further out, though. How fast can he get there if he morphs?” As he spoke, Helm examined Phoenix the best he could. She was not exactly sitting still, and whenever she moved he frowned, unable to get a good reading.

“I could get there faster if I could fly,” said Lupe. 

“But you can’t,” Jonathan reminded her. She frowned. Methos looked to see if she was frowning at him, but she was being careful not to. “She is expecting again,” Jonathan told Helm. “But I’m not. I’ll fly out and get her, and then run her back.” He went to Lupe and kissed her. “Besides, going from one form to another always tires you out. I can change into a horse and get her back here in no time.”

Robert Helm frowned. “I will give Phoenix something for the pain, then we’ll see if we can get her to dilate. If we can make her more comfortable, it could be possible, using this gel Shepherd showed me. But it could take quite some time. If not . . .”

“If not?” Methos asked. He already knew the answer.

“If not, we’re going to have to take the baby by caesarian section.”

***

Katherine was sitting in her rocking chair humming a soft song to her sleeping baby when the sound of footsteps on her porch made her look up. John Clayton had been beside her, reading a book, and he jumped up to see who it was.

“Pardon me,” said a harried but still well pressed Jonathan Chase. “Is Katherine at home? She is needed in town.”

"I'm here!" Katherine called out, stepping up behind John. "Is it Phoenix? John, go saddle me a horse, would you please?"

“Yes, it is Phoenix,” said Jonathan. “And if you wait a moment, I can get you back to town myself,” he smiled. “Time is of the utmost urgency, I am afraid.”

She handed the sleeping baby to John, and told him to bring her into town in the cart, then grabbed her midwife bag that she always kept handy. "I'm ready," she told Jonathon.

He nodded, then said, “You might want to get a saddle. I’ll meet you out front.” Then he sprinted out the door, adding, “I’ll be the chestnut!”

"I can ride bareback just as well," she said as she followed him out, watching in fascination as he morphed into a beautiful red chestnut horse. Grabbing his mane, she vaulted up onto his back from the porch. Clayton handed her the bag, which she placed on her lap. "Let's go!" she told her mount. Jonathan responded, though he was a little embarrassed at being *seen* manimalizing! He had a smooth gait, but was
conscious of her being on his bare back, and avoided jumping over things if possible. He also knew she had only recently given birth herself.

But if it bothered her, she gave no sign. She sat on his back with all the ease of one who had spent many hours on horseback, moving as one with him. In fact, she was even encouraging him to go faster by squeezing with her legs and leaning forward just slightly. He took the hint and put on the speed; he was beautiful in equine form and had a good deal of speed. And he needed it. He was not sure how long they would wait before taking the baby!

Kat's farm was one of the closer ones to town, about two miles out. It didn't take long at all for him to run that short of distance. As he slid to a stop in front of the hotel, Kat was already kicking herself off his back, landing lightly on her feet, her bag in her hand. Lupe was waiting for her, since Sarah Jo had already arrived to take her place in the labor room. With a quick look at her lathered lover, she turned to Kat and motioned her into the hotel.

Kat ran upstairs, hearing the cries of the laboring mother before she even got to the room. "I'm here," she said as she entered the room. Ben Adams looked up at her with relief on his face. She had more experience than all of them put together delivering
babies.

“Nothing,” he said. “She’s in full labor but has not dilated at all.”

Methos frowned from his position at her head. “She was worse,” he said, meaning her pain level, “but they gave her something, and she says Jean-Claude is also helping. But dawn is coming.”

Kat nodded, and put her hand on Phoenix's shoulder. "It will be all right. I'm going to do a quick check. I'll be gentle." She did an internal, and then shook her head. "We need to do a C," she told the doctors. "Can we get her over to the clinic?"

Methos stood and, without a word, lifted the woman. “Get out of the way!” he grunted. Phoenix just whimpered in his arms as they all scattered. Methos made it to the door just as Jonathan was coming to it. He stepped back, a frown on his face.

“No other choice, I suppose?”

Katherine shook her head. "No. There are things I could try, but it would just put undue stress on the baby. It is better this way for it."

“And we’ve already tried the gel,” said Helm, who was coming out of the room. “The baby is also breech. We were pretty sure it would come to this, but with an Immortal we are not sure what we’ll encounter.”

Still barefoot, Methos took Phoenix all the way to the clinic, then directly into the little room the medical staff had set up for surgeries. Sarah Jo was right beside him, and as soon as the patient was on the table, she started to strip and drape Phoenix and start an IV line. Alex Taylor was preparing the various forms of anesthesia they could use. In the meantime, the other doctors and Katherine were scrubbing up.

“What do you think, Katherine,” asked Adams when they came back. “We can give her a local and take the baby – but we’ll have to be careful to keep the flaps of skin apart while the surgery is going on.”

"Local would be better for the baby," she said as she listened to the fetal heartbeat. "Lets do it. The rate is starting to get lower."

Phoenix looked up toward the window, and Methos caught the meaning of the look. “Sky is lightening. Sun will be rising soon, and Jean-Claude won’t be able to help her; she’s already pretty exhausted.” He held her hand and kissed her forehead as the medical staff rushed to do their jobs. Shepherd had been roused so he could do the actual surgery – this being quite up his old alley – and the rest tried to help or at least not to get in the way. Ancelin, who had been in bed with Shepherd, came to stand on the other side of Methos. 

“She will be fine,” she said.

“I expect she will,” he answered. “But what about the baby?”

She smiled. “Him, too.”

Once the local was administered, the surgery went rather quickly. Alex was assisting Shepherd, and Katherine was standing by, ready to take the baby as soon as they removed him from the womb. It was a challenge to do the surgery, because her immortal body was trying to heal itself while they were still cutting!

This, of course, is what they had been concerned about, and the actual skin had to be held apart from the other side of the cut so it could not heal. Methos was attentive to her, but at the same time, it was quite a remarkable sight to behold. He certainly
was not squeamish at all, having been a doctor himself. Speaking of which, Doc Adams had his head right over Shepherd’s shoulder, watching every minute of it! It was not his child, but it might have been, so it was doubly sweet.

Once the incision in the womb was made, the baby was lifted out and placed into Katherine's waiting hands. She and Doctor Helm took the infant aside, and within
moments, had his little nose and mouth cleared; and after an encouraging thunk on his behind, he let out a loud cry of pure indignation and with that breath, started to pink up quite nicely.

They hurried the baby to his mother and father, and at just that moment, the rays of the sun came through the window. Phoenix gasped as she felt Jean-Claude leave
for the day, but she also told Methos, as she squeezed his hand, “He said he’s proud of me.”

“So am I,” said the Ancient One. “Strange that the Moon God should come with the sun!”