I can't believe this is the last chapter 😭 There is still the epilogue to go, but still it makes me so sad.

I hope you enjoy!

3 Months Later

~ Gabriella's POV ~

"I'm so tired Matteo." Matteo ran his hand through my hair from his place on the chair next to my bed.

"I know baby." He took my hand in his before he kissed the back of it.

"How many hours has it been?" He picked up his phone off the table to check the time before he thought for a moment and then answered the question.

"Fifteen."

Fifteen freaking hours.

"I don't think I can do this anymore Matteo." I felt my voice break when I spoke and he quickly leaned forward again, bringing his face closer to mine.

"Yes you can my baby. You've done so well so far, it can't be long to go now."

It turns it there was a lot longer to go. Many many more torturous hours of labour.

Matteo was amazing the whole time. He would guide me through my breathing, hold my hand during the contractions and he would try and take my mind off the pain by talking to me even though he hadn't slept for over twenty-four hours.

"I remember when I first found out I was pregnant, I was so scared for this. I was excited for you to find out, but I was terrified of the pain." Matteo let out a laugh as I rested my head on his chest.

"It's been a crazy nine months, hasn't it?" I nodded my head and a small laugh escaped my lips as I remembered the things we got up to during my pregnancy, especially in the later months of my pregnancy.

Flashback

5 months pregnant

"Baby please." I tugged on Matteo's hand causing him to let out a sigh.

"Gabby I'm tired." He finally turned his head to look at me and when he saw me giving him the puppy dog eyes, he held my stare for a little longer before he eventually let out a sigh.

"Fine." A smile stretched across my face and I stood up from the couch, grabbing the TV remote from his hand as I did. I turned the TV off causing him to let out another annoyed sigh before I went to put my shoes on. Soon Matteo was next to me doing the same.

"Come on then." I held his hand in mine, ignoring the annoyance in his tone as we started our walk down his drive way and then down the road.

"You know, you can be so moody sometimes."

"I'm not moody Gabby, I'm just tired. Some of us went to work today while you were-"

"While I was what?" I rose an eyebrow at him, keeping my expression neutral.

"Nothing Gabby."

"Well, if I'm right, while you were at work, I was busy making your child inside of me." I gave him a look, basically daring him to try and argue which just made him smile.

"I know. I'm sorry, I'm just tired." He leaned closer to me, pressing a kiss to my forehead as we walked. We spent the rest of the walk in silence until we arrived at McDonald's and the heavenly scent invaded my senses.

"This smell could make me have an orgasm it's that good." Although I said it so seriously, Matteo let out a laugh next to me which only increased when the woman in front of us in the line turned to give me a disgusted look.

Well.

Finally after a few minutes we reached the front of the line.

"Weren't you here this morning?" The young guy behind the register looked at me in amusement causing me to roll my eyes.

"Yes and last night as well." All he did was shake his head as if he was trying to say he didn't mean anything by it before taking our order. Once we'd received our food we sat down at a table.

"Before we leave can you order me some more to take away? I might get hungry during the night."

Matteo looked at me before shaking his head. "Gabby it's already midnight. How much can you eat in one night?"

"I'm making your child, stop asking me so many damn questions."

"You really were moody that day Matteo."

Shaking his head, Matteo let out a laugh, allowing me to feel the vibrations in his chest.

"If I remember correctly, your pregnancy made you a lot moodier than me. Actually it gave you crazy mood swings."

Flashback

6 months pregnant

"No Matteo you're doing it wrong."

"How? The instructions say you put piece freaking A into piece freaking B, it's not that hard." I shook my head at him and stood up from the rocking chair, making my way over to where he was sitting on the floor. Stepping over the pieces of white wood, I showed him the instruction manual I was holding.

"You're supposed to use that bolt over their to secure them."

"Gabby I've tried-"

"Why don't you ever just listen to me? I can read some simple instructions to build a crib, you don't have to second guess everything I say." Matteo just held my stare for a moment before he cracked a smile and I could tell he was trying not to laugh.

"You think it's funny?" When I said this a few chuckles escaped his lips and he quickly shook his head.

"No baby, it's not-"

"Whatever Matteo." I shook my head at him, tossing the instruction manual on the floor by him before I started walking away, ignoring his calls.

Going into our room I sat down on the bed with a huff and moments later Matteo came into the room.

"Baby I'm sorry, you're just so cute when you're mad and-"

"I'm not trying to be cute. You never listen to me Matteo." All he did was smile as he came over to me, dropping to his knees as he took my hands in his.

"I'm sorry if I don't listen baby." I couldn't help but roll my eyes at this.

"You don't mean that."

"Of course I do. I love you and, I love our little baby. I'm sorry if I upset you Gab Gab." I narrowed my eyes at him when one of his hands went to my bump and he rubbed it gently the way he knew I loved.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Do you forgive me?" He rose an eyebrow at me, a small smirk tugging at his lips when I held eye contact with him for a moment.

"Just come here." I quickly grabbed his hands, pulling him closer to me as I crashed my lips to his. My actions caused a chuckle to escape his lips, especially when my hands went to his belt buckle.

"Don't we have to build the crib?"

"Shut up."

"Why would you remember that day of all the days? It was the sex wasn't it?"

Matteo just laughed again before pressing his lips to my forehead. "I still think you were being really cute that day and yes the sex made it memorable."

Before I could argue with him about calling my annoyance cute, another intense pain struck through my lower half causing me to let out a pained moan.

For the entire contraction I held onto Matteo, burying my face in his chest as I tried to focus on my breathing like he was instructing me to do.

I guess after eighteen hours of labour, he was getting pretty good at it.

"You okay?" I nodded my head as I felt the contraction began to fade, and at least I got a little bit of relief knowing I had a few minutes before the next one.

"Back to our conversation, what were you saying?"

Matteo took a moment to think as he stroked my hair before he spoke again.

"Your mood swings. Remember that day at the hospital?" Matteo laughed as he brought up that particular day, causing an embarrassed groan to escape my mouth.

"You promised you wouldn't talk about that again."

Flashback

7 months pregnant

"Mrs De Mancuso?" Matteo and I looked up when the midwife came and called my name, giving me a smile as she did. She gestured for us to follow her and we quickly got up behind her.

"How are you two doing today?" I gave her a smile as I took a seat across the desk from her next to Matteo.

"Good, we're good."

"And the little one?" When she gestured to my bump I put my hand on it instinctively. "He's kicking my ass but apart from that he's pretty much prefect."

She laughed at this before she opened up her file which I'm assuming was on me. Matteo had paid for me to be in a private hospital to give birth when the time comes, so we were coming here to have appointments with the lead midwife who would be delivering our baby.

This was just to discuss my birthing plan and how I wanted it all to go. She also did regular check ups on the little one too.

"Okay, so you're going for a natural birth, yes?"

"Well, maybe...I guess I might have changed my mind?" She just smiled at my response and looked at me, waiting for me to explain.

"I've been reading a lot about the actual birthing process and well, is the pain really as bad as people say?"

The fact she was amused by my question just annoyed me. I know for her it's just a job, but I was mentally preparing myself for having my whole lower body ripped apart and she was smiling.

"Gabriella, it's not going to be a walk in the park. But a lot more woman are choosing to go with a natural birth. If it's the pain you're worried about, we can put in your plan that you'll start off with a natural birth and then if the pain gets too much, you can opt for an epidural?"

"But epidurals hurt." My response caused her to let out a sigh and she nodded.

"They can hurt yes, but if it helps you deliver the baby it is worth it."

I have no clue why Matteo was even paying her, she wasn't helping at all.

"Fine we'll go with your suggestion." I nodded towards the file on her desk which was my way of telling her to write it down but instead she just put her pen down.

"Gabriella if you're not happy with the plan-"

"It's not the plan that I'm not happy with, it's you. I'm the one who's about to go through this pain that I can't even imagine and everyone is taking it so casually."

My words caused her to frown and she started to shake her head. "I'm not taking it casually."

"Yes you are. I'm so scared and even he's just sitting there silently like he doesn't care." This time I turned to glare at Matteo who's eyes widened when he looked at me.

"Me? What did I do?"

Before I could reply to him, the midwife gave me a soft smile before she spoke.

"Gabriella, I didn't mean to offend you, I'm just trying to keep you relaxed by keeping the mood light. Listen, if you would like another midwife, just tell-"

"No! I don't want another one. I like you...oh...I didn't mean to shout at you." Before I knew it, or could control it, my eyes began to fill with tears once I'd realised what I'd just done.

I even shouted at Matteo and he didn't even say anything.

"I'm sorry, I was so rude." My words only caused to her to let out a laugh and she shook her head.

"It's nothing I'm not used to Gabriella. For a living I deal with terrified hormonal women who are weeks away from giving birth and that's not to mention the actual birth. They say journalists are the most hated but I beg to differ - midwifes aren't always loved either."

"But you're so nice. People are mean to you?" As I said this, for some reason that I could never explain, my tears increased as I thought about people being mean to someone so nice. Then I realised I was one of those people.

All she did was hand me a tissue before she gave me a smile and closed the file.

"I think maybe we should just do this another day." I shook my head as I dried my eyes giving her a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, no it's okay, I'm ready now."

Matteo continued to laugh as we remembered that day.

"Matteo don't, that was so embarrassing. I just got upset for absolutely no reason."

"It might have been embarrassing for you but it was really freaking funny." I just shook my head at him as he continued to laugh.

"What's so funny?" I turned my head to look at Adrian as he strolled into my delivery room with another cup of coffee for Matteo while Jordan came over to the other side of the bed.

As soon as we realised this could end up being the longest labour ever, we called Adrian and Jordan and they came to keep us company. They did go home after a few hours but I guess they're back now.

Matteo sat up a little to take the coffee from Adrian while Jordan rubbed my lower back for me. She really was my most favourite human on Earth apart from Matteo and my little baby when he finally turns up.

"We were just remembering that day when Gabby shouted at her midwife for no reason." I turned my head to look at Matteo with a glare on my face which only intensified when Jordan and Adrian let out a laugh as if they already knew what he was talking about.

"You told them?"

"It was too funny to keep it to myself." When I shook my head Matteo just laughed while he drank his coffee.

"How are you doing Gabby?" I turned to face Jordan who gave me a soft smile before she opened the water bottle on the table near me and handed it to me. She's been obsessed with making I knew to stay hydrated during my entire labour even though sometimes it's the last thing on my mind.

She spent the last few weeks telling me and she even told Matteo to keep giving me some water while he held my hand.

"I'm just ready to get him out and then I can go to sleep." She let out a chuckle at this but nodded her head in understanding.

"It shouldn't be too long now." As she said this I felt another contraction start and I couldn't help but glare at her as my hands went to my stomach. "Matteo said that to me three hours ago and I'm still freaking here."

I could tell she was trying not to smile when I glared at her before I let out another groan just as the door to my room opened again and my midwife walked in.

"Ah, Gabriella, good you're having another contraction. How are they doing?"

"They're freaking painful." Matteo held my hand as I tried to focus on my breathing, feeling the contraction get more and more intense before it eventually started to fade.

"I meant, how close are they in time?" She seemed amused by my response as she put on some plastic gloves.

"A few minutes." She nodded her head before she sat down at the end of the bed.

"That's good then, you must be close. I'm just going to do some checks on you." I nodded my head as she started checking my blood pressure and the baby's heart rate before she checked to see how dilated I was.

"You're not there yet Gabriella."

"But I've been here for almost nineteen hours, how can it take so long?" She gave me a sympathetic smile as she took her gloves off and washed her hands.

"Soon Gabriella. Just try to move around as much as you can and when the contractions become more intense just call me."

They're already freaking intense you silly woman.

"Okay." I nodded my head as Matteo thanked her before she left the room.

Jordan and Adrian sat with us for a little while longer before they left to go and get some food. At this point Matteo got up from his place on the bed next to me and sat back down in the chair. He didn't even want to lie down with me in the first place but since we were in the same room for so many hours he eventually gave in.

I needed him to be close to me, to help me. He was the only thing making this bearable.

"Was I hard to deal with during my pregnancy? You must have got tired of me eventually."

"Of course not Gab Gab, I could never get tired of you. I love you, more than you'll ever know." I managed to give him a weak smile as I adjusted a little in the bed to be more comfortable now that Matteo had gone.

"I love you too. I'm sorry if I've been hard to deal with...and for anything else that might happen tonight or after I've had the baby."

Instead of replying to that he just shook his head and took my hand in his.

"Remember that promise I made to you?"

Flashback

8 months pregnant

"What's wrong?" I shook my head at Matteo as I let out another sniffle and started cutting up the rest of the vegetables for dinner.

"Baby look at me." Once again I shook my head and this time Matteo let out a sigh before he came around the kitchen island. Moments later I felt his hands hands snake around my waist and he turned me around to face him.

"What's the matter?" Once again when I didn't answer he gave me one of his 'looks' and I knew I couldn't keep it from him any longer.

"Dean." He seemed confused by what I said and then a frown formed on his face as his eyes darkened.

"What about him?"

"I had a dream about him, just now when I had a nap. It just reminded me of everything he did to us...to you." When he realised it was just something in my head and that nothing new had happened, he visibly relaxed.

"You don't have to worry about him Gabby, I told you that when I got out of prison." I nodded my head as I remembered when Matteo had told me Angelo 'took care' of Dean after he'd broken into Matteo's house and then also gave evidence against him at his trial.

"No I know, but I still feel guilty. You've put up with so much stuff from me - that was just another example."

For some reason Matteo just let out a laugh at this.

"I've put up with stuff from you? Oh Gabby, it's completely the other way around."

"No it isn't-"

"Yes. It is. Listen to me, you're the best thing in my life, I haven't had to put up with anything." I held his stare for a moment before I shook my head and just turned away from him to make the dinner.

Instead of continuing the conversation he just did what he usually does and sat across from me while I cooked. We didn't speak we just sat in silence and then ate dinner in the living room while we finished a movie from the night before.

It wasn't a tense silence, it was a comfortable silence. It's like he just knew I needed it. He didn't try to speak to me until we went upstairs to get ready for bed.

I couldn't even say that we went to get ready to sleep because I probably wouldn't be doing much sleeping for a good few hours yet.

"Gabby, look at me." When he spoke in a soft tone I turned my head to look at him as I got into bed next to him.

"Talk to me."

"Why? Go to sleep Matteo, you're going to be tired tomorrow." All he did was shake his head before shuffling closer to me and resting his head on my shoulder.

"I don't want to sleep, I want to talk to you. Tell me what's on your mind."

"Aren't you getting annoyed with me? I disturb your sleep, you're always having to do things for me and half the time I act like a bitch."

I expected him to just laugh and try and assure me that wasn't the case but he once again surprised me and chose to be honest.

"I'm not getting annoyed with you, maybe with the situation sometimes yes. But not with you. It's hard on both of us, but you're not acting like a bitch, you're eight months pregnant. I would be more worried if you were being nice to me."

I