‘Jack!’ Ben called, for the third time.

‘What? Sorry,’ Jack replied, turning around.

‘Are you worried about Jo?’ Ben asked.

‘A little,’ Jack replied.

‘When’s the baby due?’

‘A week,’ Jack answered. ‘And she’s gone out.’

‘Jack you can’t expect a normally active woman to be content with sitting home and doing nothing. You know what Jo is like. If something can be done, she’ll do it.’

Jack nodded. ‘I guess. I just have this really bad feeling that something’s going to happen.’

"Talking about me are you Stretch?’ Jo asked, as she came in.

‘Hi,’ Jack smiled, kissing her. ‘How are you feeling?’

Jo gave him a look. ‘Huge.’

Jack smiled and placed his hand on her stomach. ‘You’re not huge. You look like my Jo, except with a baby in her tummy.’

Jo smiled and hugged him.

‘You look great Jo,’ Ben told her.

‘Thanks Ben. I was just on my way to the shops. I needed something to do.’

Jack rolled his eyes. ‘You’re not working here.’

‘Hear, hear,’ Tom replied. ‘You’re supposed to be on maternity leave.’

‘Boss, I needed something to do before I went insane. I just thought I’d come and say hi to Jack, so he wouldn’t worry, which he would do, and then go.’

Tom mumbled about stubborness and went back to his office.

‘So, I’m off,’ Jo said.

‘Come with me for a moment,’ Jack told her, taking her to the locker room.

‘What?’

‘Just, be careful okay? I worry about you.’

Jo smiled. ‘I’ll be fine.’

Jack smiled back and kissed her long. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t home last night. My shift didn’t finish till late and then I didn’t get home till eleven so I slept on the couch.’

‘That’s why I didn’t sleep well last night,’ Jo teased, hugging him. ‘Never mind. We can make up for it tonight.’

Jack kissed her softly. ‘Be careful.’

‘Like always Stretch,’ Jo replied.

‘Lawson! There’s a burg awaiting your attendence!’

Jo was window shopping. Okay, so she was inside, window shopping but it didn’t matter. She was doing something to keep her mind of the dreadful backache.

‘Get down! Everyone!’ cried a voice.

Jo looked around to see where it was coming from. A man was waving two guns around, with two men beside him. There was three people in the store, her, the owner and another customer. Jo sat down in a seat.

‘On the floor missy!’ the man sneered at her.

Jo tried to ignore the pain as she got down on the floor.

‘Now. You all get to play nice little hostages until we get what we want. Right?’

It had been an hour since the men had burst into the shop. Jo stared in dismay as her water had broken and she was experiencing contractions. This is not what she had expected for her and Jack’s first child. The owner noticed her pain.

‘Excuse me?’ he said to the man, whose name was Mitchell.

‘What??’

‘That woman is in labor. You have to get a doctor for her.’

‘Shutup!’ Mitchell yelled at him. He approaced Jo. ‘You’re Jo Lawson aren’t you?’

Jo nodded, through her clenched teeth.

‘You’re husband is Constable Lawson is that right?’

Jo nodded again.

Mitchell smiled a nasty smile. ‘Greg! Ring Constable Lawson. Tell him we have his wife here and she’s in labor. Then tell him to get down here to help her.’

‘Prove to me it’s her,’ Jack said, as he talked to one of the men.

‘Talk,’ Greg told Jo.

‘Jack, don’t come. I..’ Jo broke off as another contraction hit.

‘She’s in a lot of pain Constable.’

‘You hurt her and I’ll kill you,’ Jack growled as the connection ended.

‘I don’t like this,’ Tom said, as Jack prepared to go in.

‘Neither do I boss. But she’s in labor. I have to be there to help her. Odds are on, there’s no doctor coming.’

Tom nodded. ‘Be careful.’

‘Constable Lawson. Your wife is there.’

‘Jack,’ Jo said, as he held her and kissed her.

‘I’m here,’ he said, rocking her gently. He looked to the owner. ‘Thankyou.’

The owner nodded.

Jo leaned into Jack and cried loudly as another contraction hit. He rubbed her back. When it was over he turned her round and hugged her. He sent a lethal look to the men.

‘Can’t you see the pain she’s in? If you won’t let her go, at least get a doctor. What do you want from us?’

‘She’s not going anywhere. And it’s not you I want anything from. It’s Tom. He knows. And your wife will be fine.’

It had been another hour. Jo was in increasingly more pain and every time she made a noise, the men glared at her. She had screamed once from the pain but the men had given her a threat to stop.

‘Let me see how far along you are okay?’ Jack said.

Jo nodded.

Jack came up, looking worried.

‘What is it?’ Jo asked.

‘I can see the baby’s head. Listen,’ he said to the men. ‘Please bring a doctor in. The baby’s coming now.’

Greg looked at Mitchell.

‘Maybe if we bring a doctor in, we’ll seem sympathetic,’ Mitchell said.

Mel Carter was there and was helping Jo, who was leaning against Jack for support.

‘What kind of people are these?’ Mel asked Jack, as she motioned for Jo to push.

‘Bastards,’ Jack replied, glaring at them and he kissed his wife.

‘Okay Jo,’ the doctor said. ‘You’re doing really well. I think one more push and you’ll have a beautiful baby.’

‘I can’t,’ Jo replied.

‘Yes you can Jo,’ Jack told her. ‘Remember how many times we have been in life or death situations. You have to face this like a cop. Till the end.’

Jo nodded and kissed him.

‘Right. Push.’

There was a mighty scream as the new baby girl entered the world.

‘I didn’t like the sound of that scream,’ PJ said, looking at Tom.

Ben smiled. ‘That wasn’t the scream of a grown adult. That was the scream of a new baby. The baby must have been born.’

Tom looked at the building. ‘We’ve got to get in,’ he told Falcon Price and Monica Draper, who had come. ‘Without risking the life of my three officers.’

‘Three?’ Ben asked.

‘My three Constable Lawson’s,’ Tom smiled.

‘Tell them we’ll give them what they want,’ Draper said. ‘We can go from there.’

‘I need to get them to a hospital,’ the doctor said.

‘Why?’

‘I have to do checks on the baby.’

‘Check her here.’

‘I don’t have the equipment here!’

‘Tough luck Miss.’

‘Suspended sentence. You won’t go to jail.’

‘Yeah, that’s what you say now, Tom.’

‘Take the deal Mitchell. It’s the best you’ll get,’ Tom said.

‘Alright. I’ll take it. But only because there is a baby in here and I’ve got kids of my own,’ Mitchell answered.

Tom breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Ambulances are on the way.’

At the Hospital

Jo nursed Caroline Margaret Lawson when Jack came in.

‘How are my two favourite people?’

‘Good,’ Jo replied.

‘Don’t ever worry me like that again,’ Jack told her, kissing her soundly.

Jo kissed him on the cheek. ‘I promise. Isn’t she beautiful?’

‘Looks like her mum,’ Jack said, stroking his daughter’s forehead.

‘Presents for parents and baby,’ Ben smiled, as the group walked in.

‘You’re a very lucky woman,’ Tom told Jo.

Jo rolled her eyes. ‘Boss, can’t you chastise me later?’

Tom grumbled and then smiled. 'May I hold my honorary grandaughter?'

Jo smiled. 'Certainly.'

The group laughed as Tom held the tiny baby. It seemed so out of proportion and Caroline was almost lost in Tom’s arms. He soon relinquished his hold to Ben, then Maggie and PJ looked dubiously at the little girl.

‘Go on, PJ, you can hold her you know,’ Jack told him.

‘She won’t bite,’ Maggie grinned, holding out the baby for PJ to take.

PJ awkwardly cradled the infant in his arms. He smiled down at the baby, who reached out her tiny hand and swatted his nose. The group burst out laughing again.

Jo yawned and Tom caught it.

‘Alright you lot. Let’s leave these three alone. They’ve all had a big day.’

Jack smiled gratefully at his boss, as the Heelers said their goodbyes and left the three in peace.

‘Wow,’ Jo said, leaning back against the bed.

‘I’ll say,’ Jack replied.

Mel wandered in. ‘Okay guys, time to sleep.’ She took Caroline and placed her in the bassinett next to Jo’s bed. ‘Five minutes, Jack.’

Jack nodded. ‘Thanks Mel.’ He kissed Jo on the forehead. ‘I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon to take you two home. I have to work tomorrow morning.’

Jo nodded. ‘No problem.’ She kissed him firmly. ‘Love you.’

Jack kissed her back. ‘Love you too.’

‘So PJ, when are you going to do a Jack?’ Ben hinted.

‘Real funny Ben,’ PJ informed him. ‘Who knows? When we’re ready.’

Maggie smirked over in the corner and Jack caught it and smiled.

‘So did you ring the new mother?’ Tom asked Jack.

Jack nodded. ‘Yeah. They’re both doing really well. Caroline was asleep when I rang.’

‘That won’t last for long,’ Ben smiled.

‘Oh leave him alone Ben,’ Maggie told him. ‘I’m really happy for you, Jack.’

Jack had a permanent shine to his face, the whole morning.

‘Drinks on me!’ PJ grinned, as Maggie, Ben, Tom and himself entered the pub.

‘Don’t make a scene,’ Maggie sighed.

‘What’s going on?’ Tom asked.

‘I’m going to be a father,’ PJ smiled.

‘Congratulations,’ Chris smiled. She looked around. ‘They better bring in the new baby. I haven’t seen her yet.’

‘Oh believe me, I’m sure Jack will make sure they come,’ Ben grinned.

‘He’s on cloud nine,’ Maggie told her.

Sure enough, cradling the newborn, Jo and Jack entered the pub.

‘She’s gorgeous,’ Chris crooned.

Caroline started to whimper.

‘Everyone! Quiet! You’ll disturb the baby,’ Chris informed them.

‘This is a pub,’ one of the men grumbled.

‘And I own it. The baby stays. You can go.’

Jo smiled and took back Caroline. ‘We better get going. Jack told me if we didn’t stop in that we’d get in trouble.’

Chris nodded. ‘Okay. Did you hear PJ’s news?’

‘I think everyone heard,’ Jack grinned.

‘Oh, like you’re not showing your daughter off,’ PJ told him.

‘Come on Stretch,’ Jo said, before a brawl erupted over whose baby was better. ‘Take us home. And doing more than 5 an hour.’

‘I was just being careful!’ Jack protested.

‘Okay,’ she told him. ‘Let’s go.’

‘That’ll be you in eight months,’ Maggie informed PJ.

‘God help us,’ Tom sighed.

FINIS