Payton and Robbins were relaxing in her apartment, she reclining in the chair, and he reading her high school yearbook, sprawled on the couch.
"You were a cheerleader in year 12?" he asked her. "Funny, it doesn't seem to fit you."
She laughed. "There's a story behind that. See, my dad had been trying to set me up with all these girls because he thought I was a lesbian."
"Gee, I can't see where he'd get an idea like that."
She flipped him off. "Anyway, no amount of protest would convince him that I was straight. He thought I was just in denial, and tried to tell me that no matter what my sexual orientation, it was okay with him and he'd still love me. Disgusted with the debate, I decided to become a cheerleader because, in my mind, it was the most feminine thing a girl could do. Interestingly enough, he never noticed how transparent this little stunt was, and the women stopped coming."
"Unbelievable." He chuckled. "How did you like it?"
"Oh, it was okay, and I had a lot of fun, but I wasn't on fire about it. Now, as you can see from my other sports pictures, I loved playing megaball and soft--" She cut off and grunted softly, clutching her stomach.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, I think it's just a cramp. Must have been that sushi I ate last--" Stopping mid-sentence again, she then gasped out, "My water broke."
"What was that?"
"Dan," she said, an urgent look appearing on her face, "it's time. My water broke."
"It says here that you haven't chosen a birthing method," the nurse said, examining the chart. "Have you decided what you want?"
"Epidural," Robbins grunted as she felt the force of a contraction. She panted softly in anticipation of the next, then scanned the room and frowned. "Where the hell is Charlie?"
"He's on his way," Payton said, squeezing her hand gently.
"Good. I presume Mark's coming too?"
"Yeah. He should be here before the captain arrives--he lives across town."
"Are you all right?" the nurse asked her.
"Yeah," Robbins said, managing a smile. "Just a little nervous."
The smile was returned. "I understand completely. Most people are nervous their first time."
Robbins chuckled. "I've heard that one before."
After what seemed to Robbins like an eternity, Stewart and Milligan walked into the room. "How are you feeling?" Stewart asked.
"Pretty good," Robbins replied. "Except my daughter is about to be rudely expelled from my body." She flashed a toothy grin.
"Glad to see you're not freaking out."
"Charlie, am I the kind of person that 'freaks out?' Besides, I'm being numbed from the waist down. Nothing to worry about."
"Except lots of pressure, and lots of pushing."
"I've been trapped under a building support beam before, I can handle a little pressure. And as for pushing, well, I'm in great shape, aren't I?"
"You have a point. Oh, I almost forgot," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a bracelet. "Coyote wanted me to give this to you to celebrate your child's birth."
Robbins wordlessly took the bracelet and fastened it to her wrist, as her eyes gave Stewart a silent thank-you.
"The contractions are getting closer together," the nurse said. "We'd better get you to the maternity ward. Who do you want in there?"
"Just these three guys," Robbins said. "My best friends."
Stewart clutched Robbins' hand tightly as she went through the final stages of labor.
"One last push should do it," the doctor said. Ready--"
Through the haze of exertion, Robbins saw a man enter the room, and her eyes grew wide. "COYOTE!"
"I'm right on time, I see," Schwirian remarked.
Her partners looked toward the door, and stared dumbfounded at the wayfaring officer. Their eyes followed him as he rushed to Robbins' side and grasped her other hand.
"Push!" the doctor urged, but only when Schwirian echoed the word did Robbins hear it. She pushed with all her might, and the child was finally expelled from her.
Stewart released Robbins' hand and let out a sigh of relief, a great burden lifted from his shoulders. Robbins pulled Schwirian closer and hugged him tightly, and he smiled and embraced her in return.
The doctor offered the newborn girl to Robbins, who took the child in her arms and sighed. "She's a little angel."
"Angel? Angel Schwirian," the proud father said, "I like the sound of that."
The relieved and exhausted Robbins cradled the baby girl in her arms. "So you made it back just in time, huh Coyote?"
"Yeah, " Schwirian said. "I figured I'd make a dramatic entrance."
Robbins grinned. "You certainly have a flair for that."
Suddenly a crash emanated from the hallway. Someone shouted, "Call security!" and instantly all five cops looked towards the door. Without a word, Stewart, Milligan and Payton drew their pistols and proceeded through the door. Schwirian began in the same direction but hesitated and looked back at Robbins.
"Go," Robbins said. "Do your job. I'll be okay in here."
Schwirian nodded and handed his gun to her. "Just in case." He then turned and exited the room as Robbins discreetly tucked the pistol under the sheet.
"What the hell is going on out here?" Stewart demanded as the other three tailed him out of the room.
"Someone decided to let the whole psych ward out on holiday," an orderly said, rushing past. "Get into a room!"
"No way," Milligan said. We're IPF. Just think of us as backup security."
"All right, guys," Stewart said. "Fan out and search the hospital for stray mental patients. Try not to hurt them, but make sure they don't hurt you."
Robbins was cuddling her baby and cooing at her when a large man in a hospital gown burst into her room.
"KILL! CRUSH! DESTROY!" the man screamed.
The attending nurse shrieked and fainted as the man advanced on Robbin's bed, still yelling.
"Kill? Not in THIS room, buddy." She pulled the gun out from under her and blasted the man twice in the chest.
The man only staggered back a bit before coming closer. He grabbed the table by Robbins' bed and hurled it against the far wall, still ranting and raving. He turned back towards Robbins with a killer gleam in his eye.
"Oh, no, you do NOT touch my daughter!" Robbins aimed carefully and blasted the psycho in the eye. He screamed and sank to the ground, inches away from the bed and clutching his right eye.
Angel, upon hearing the commotion, woke up and began crying. Robbins turned her head to her daughter and sighed heavily. Look what you did now, you son of a bitch, she thought as she eyed the downed patient.
Robbins was still trying to calm Angel down when Schwirian returned to the room. "Hey, just wanted to give you an update, there's only one nutcase unaccounted for. What's the kid crying for?"
Without saying a word, she pointed down towards the fallen man. Schwirian sighed, nodded, and dragged the unconscious man out of the room.
Stewart came in as Schwirian left, and called to Robbins over the sound of the baby crying. "Hey, that's the last one. Quite an adventure for her first day, huh?"
Robbins nodded. "The adventure is just beginning. I have a feeling this won't be the last action that Angel sees."