Hello, my beautiful readers.

Before you read this chapter, I need your help.

You see, I was planning that the next bonus chapter would be the last, but, I want to write more, and I'm sure you want to read more.

So, if you have any ideas/suggestions for a few more bonus chapters, please, write me a message or comment! Just remember it has to be after the time period where this chapter takes place.

Lots of love!

~ShoamEmily

~

21st of February, 2002
Brooklyn is 36, Janet is 35, and Michael is 43

Brooklyn: Michael had both hands on my lower back as his fingers pressed into it.

"Better?" he asked.

"Much better." I sighed in relief.

The entire day my back has been killing me, while having to take care of our three children. Not a good combination.

Being 35 weeks pregnant is exhausting enough, but for some reason today I was feeling worse.

"This is the last baby ever. Four children are enough." I said.

"But you know I want a big family..." Michael pulled me to him so I'd lean against his chest.

He massaged my shoulders, making me close my eyes.

"Mommy! Hewp me!" Kamron squealed as Prince chased him.

They both ran into the living room, and Kamron climbed onto my lap.

I flinched when he hugged my big stomach. I've been really sensitive to touch over the last few weeks.

"Prince, what did I say about making noise?" Michael questioned.

"You said mommy's tired and we have to be quiet." Prince looked down.

"Exactly. It's hard enough for her to have your baby brother inside her. She doesn't need a headache, too."

"I didn't mean it, daddy."

Aww, my sweet baby.

"We know you didn't, honey. I love you." I told Prince.

"I love you, too, mommy." he smiled, placing a kiss on my belly.

He then made a face. "I think Kammy did something in his diaper."

I smelled it too, and scrunched my nose.

"I'll go change him." I mumbled.

"I can do it, babe." Michael offered.

I shook my head, standing up.

"You go find Paris and get the two of them cleaned up for dinner."

"Okay. Let's see where your sister is, Prince."

My husband took our oldest son with him, and I picked Kamron up. He got really big lately.

I missed the time he was a toddler, because back then he wasn't this heavy.

We made our way to his room as I heard Michael struggling to get the kids into the bath.

~

"All done." I smiled, giving Kamron a little tickle.

He giggled and kicked his little feet around, accidentally hitting my stomach.

He did that a lot when I changed him. Michael said it was because he loved interacting with the baby growing inside me, because usually the baby would react. But I believed he did it because he knew that soon enough, the attention would turn to this baby.

For some odd reason, the baby didn't react to his brother's game. I didn't even feel a small movement.

He's probably just sleeping.

"Mommy, I'm hungwy." Kamron told me.

"Alright, let's get you dinner. I'm sure your daddy is already eating with your siblings."

I got him off the changing station and led him downstairs. I was scared my back would give in if I picked him up again.

We met Michael, Prince, and Paris in the kitchen. The kids were stuffing their faces with food, looking clean and fresh after the shower they had. Michael was sitting with them, just watching them eat.

"Do you mind feeding him? I'm gonna take a bath, my back is killing me." I said.

He frowned, "I'm sorry about your back, babe. I'll come help you once I'm done here."

"Thanks." I smiled and kissed him.

~

I slowly lowered myself down in the big tub, sighing.

Why didn't I do this when the pain started? It would've been much better if I did this sooner.

I let the warm water ease my muscles. This pregnancy was the worst by far. I just wanted it to be over.

I put my hands over my big stomach, "Why aren't you kicking, baby? Finally decided to give mommy a break, huh?"

"Hey," Michael walked in. "Feeling better?"

"I wish. The pain won't go away." I groaned.

"Want me to come in?"

I nodded, moving forward. He quickly took off his clothes and joined me.

~

Michael: I pressed my hands thoroughly everywhere in my wife's body. Her back, shoulders, boobs, thighs... Just hoping to ease the pain.

When I reached her stomach, I smiled to myself. Just a few more weeks.

"He's not kicking?" I asked quietly, disappointed that my son wasn't moving so I could feel him.

"Nope... He probably decided to give me a break today." Brooke answered.

Today?

Her answer got me concerned. Was her body trying to tell her something by aching so much, and we were too busy to notice?

I kept moving my hands around her belly, "What do you mean, 'today'? When was the last time you felt him kick?"

She opened her mouth, but closed it quickly

"Answer me, babe."

"I- I'm not sure..." she gulped. "L- last night, maybe? You don't think something's wrong, right?"

I didn't say anything, and instead, I got out of the water so I could call our doctor.

"Go dry yourself and get dressed. I'm calling Dr. James." I said.

"Michael, it's late... She has a life and family, too... I'm sure it's nothing, he's just sleeping..." Brooklyn tried to reassure me, but I wasn't convinced.

"I'm calling her."

I wrapped a towel around me, went to the bedroom, and picked up the phone.

~

"Thank you for agreeing to see us so late." I shook Dr. James's hand.

She smiled, "Of course. So what's wrong?"

"Brooke says the baby hasn't kicked since last night."

"I said I think that he didn't kick since last night." Brooke told the doctor.

"Let's check, okay?" Dr. James took us to her office, and ordered Brooklyn to lay down. "Alright, let's see..."

My wife pulled up her shirt, then the doctor squirted gel on her belly, and pressed on it with the scanner.

Brooke made a face. She hated being touched right now.

Usually, we would hear our baby's fast heartbeat immediately, but this time I noticed it was barely there. It was slow.

I could see on Dr. James's face that she was about to give us bad news.

"Why does it sound like that?" Brooklyn asked.

"We need to get you to a hospital, right now. The cord is wrapped around the neck very tightly. It's causing blood flow to be slower, and it reduces the amount of blood going to your baby's brain. That's why the heartbeat is weaker, he's not getting enough blood. It could cause major damage if we don't get him out soon," Dr. James replied. "I'll call an ambulance, and induce you on the way to the hospital. The fastest way to get this baby out is by c-section, and it's the safest way, too..."

I felt my heart sink. No, he's fine... He has to be, this pregnancy was going so well...

"C- call the ambulance." Brooke said.

The doctor nodded and hurried to take out her phone.

"He's gonna be okay, Mike. I just know it." my wife put on a fake smile. She was more scared than I was, I could see it right through her eyes.

I hugged her tight, letting a few tears escape as she cried into my shoulder.

~

Brooklyn: I felt the first contraction around 15 minutes after I was induced.

When we reached the hospital, I was sent into an operation room immediately, so they could prepare me.

"Ow..." I moaned as another contraction came.

Michael held my hand. We were both shaking like crazy, thinking about what might happen to the baby.

I wanted this to be a very bad dream that we couldn't wake up from, but we were reminded that this is all very real by our baby's slow heartbeat that was monitored.

Water gushed down my legs, just when a nurse came to take Michael. "Mr. Jackson, you have to leave."

"I love you." Michael had tears in his eyes when he stroked my cheek. He was not allowed to stay because this was an emergency c-section, and these kind of surgeries might be a little too sensitive for the husband to join.

"It'll be fine. We're both going to make it, Mike. Stop worrying." I said through tears as well.

"I know, I'm just scared."

"Don't be. I'll see you soon, okay?"

I gave him a kiss before he stood up, and left the room.

"My water broke." I told the nurse, still feeling water coming down my legs.

"That's good, it'll make it easier to take him out."

Dr. James entered along with the staff, her entire body covered with surgical clothes.

"Ready, hun?" she asked.

I nodded, and the anesthesiologist put a mask over my face.

"Count from ten down along with me, Mrs. Jackson." he instructed.

I already started feeling sleepy.

"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."

And I was out.

~

Michael: I paced back and forth, my mind totally blank.

Brooke's been in surgery for two hours, and no one was telling me anything.

"Mike!" I heard my sister's call.

I turned around to see the entire family approaching me.

"What happened?"

"Where is Brooke?"

"Is she okay? What about the baby?"

They were all asking questions I didn't have the answers to.

Mother hugged me, "Stop asking him questions. Sit, Michael."

She took to me to one of the waiting room chairs, and handed me a bottle of water.

"Now explain to me what happened, honey."

"She didn't feel the baby kick all day, and the last time that happened was when she was pregnant with Destiny... So I called our doctor and when she checked Brooke, the cord was wrapped around the neck too tightly... She had to be induced and go into an emergency c-section... She's been in there for two full hours!" I covered my face.

"I'm sure she's absolutely fine, Mike. These kind of surgeries take time..." Jermaine said.

"Yeah, but not two hours. They should've told me something by now. Maybe- maybe something's wrong. Oh, God, something happened..."

"Listen to yourself, Michael. You're talking all this nonsense only because you're tired. They are both okay." mother removed my hands from my face and gave me a reassuring smile.

"Michael?" Dr. James's voice made me snap my head towards her.

I quickly stood up and approached her. She took off her surgical mask.

"How are they?"

"Their both perfect," she grinned. I let out a sigh. "You can come see the baby, but Brooke's still recovering, so you'll see her soon..."

I nodded, hugging her. "Thank you."

~

"He's so big! How much does he weigh?" I asked Dr. James as I held our new baby.

"5 pounds and 9 ounces." she answered.

"Jeez, no wonder your mother complained about back pain all the time..." I whispered to him.

"He looks just like you." mother said.

"Mother, you say that about every single baby." I rolled my eyes.

"No, but this time I mean it! Look at him, he has your nose, your eyes, even your mouth. I'll never forget the moment I first saw you, I know he looks like you."

"No, anything but the nose..."

She hit my arm playfully, and I have her her new grandson.

"Perfect, just like your father was as a newborn baby." my mother told the little baby.

"What's his name?" Janet questioned.

"We never talked about names. Didn't find the time, between everything that was going on..." I shrugged.

"Mr. Jackson, your wife woke up. She's asking for you." a nurse said as she walked in.

Finally.

I hurried to take my son from my mother, and followed the nurse.

~

Brooklyn: I flinched as I moved in bed. The pain killers I was given were already starting to wear off.

Suddenly, the door opened and in came Michael, holding our baby.

I gasped, reaching my arms out for him.

When Michael placed him in my arms I started crying, and my pain went away immediately.

"Oh, my God... Mike, he looks so much like you..." I said.

At last, a baby that looks like him. Both Prince and Paris got my side of the family all over them.

I was dreading a baby to look my husband.

"Mother said that, too," he sighed. "How are you feeling, babe? Are you in pain?"

"Just a bit, but I don't care about that anymore... Look at what we made."

Michael put on the biggest smile; I haven't seen him smile like that since we found out I was pregnant.

He sat at the edge of the bed next to me, wrapping his long arm around my shoulders.

"We need to talk names. Everyone's asking what's his name, and I can't answer..." he let out a small laugh.

"Whatever you want to call him, I'll be fine with it... Any name you choose is beautiful."

My husband kissed my forehead, and left his lips on my skin as he was deep in thought.

"What about Prince Michael II? Or... Blanket, as a nickname?" he said after a few moments.

"Blanket... Do you like that?" I asked the small baby in my arms.

He stirred, and I took that as a 'yes'.

"Can we come in?" Janet knocked on the door.

Her, my parents, along with Michael's, and all of Michael's siblings came in.

We introduced them one by one to our new baby boy that we couldn't get enough of.