Monday, July 18, 2011








The late morning sun has finally reached its zenith when Ob feels the first stab of pain. The discomfort that follows is Pandora's and Ob reaches out to touch his mate's mind.

Bruha, breathe mi amor... breathe through the pain

He feels her response, the deep breaths, the lessening of tension, Chloe touches their minds, nearly hysterical. Ob surrounds her with love, letting her feel the movements of her little brother within their mother's body. Pandora touches her as well, letting her feel deep love. Both explaining that when a baby is born, it hurts, a lot. A stabbing pain forces Pandora to withdraw slightly. Chloe clings to her mother's thoughts, crying. Ob gently slides his mind between them, giving her someone else to touch.

Ob sends out a call to his sibs. Stoney's response is immediate, followed nearly as quickly by Ike and Tori. Alise tugs at Chloe's mind, offering to bring her cousins to visit when *Oncle Stoney rises. With all the mental voices, Chloe doesn't notice the wall that Ob puts up between Chloe and her mother's pain.

The stabbing comes again. So far Ike times the pains at twenty minute intervals. Alise begins to coach Pandora with her breathing and the family wraps the mother and child in their love. The pains rip through her body again, faster this time.

Hiding the labor from Chloe gives Ob the full force of Pandora's agony. His head turns, granite grinding as the Gargoyle forces his stone form to rise. Tugging at the balcony doors, Ob rips them from their frames and lumbers to where his wife lies, doubled by the crippling pain. The floor shakes as he drops to his knees. His tail lashes, echoing the next contraction as her stomach muscles ripple.

It is still nearly fifteen minutes between pains. Alise offers to call Rowan, but Pandora refuses. She knows that the pains are still too far apart and is loath to take the healer from her daily duties unless necessary. The nanny distracts Chloe from her tears. She gets the little girl to sing with her. Chloe picks the songs her mama' sings when they lay down for her afternoon nap. The songs ripple through the joined minds, touching on the frantic emotions of the child trying to be born. The pains lessen, still stabbing with each clenching, but the baby's fear is receding. He reaches out, touching his parents, his sister.

Fifteen minutes turn back into twenty. The Gargoyles let their minds drift away, only lightly touching the small family, just in case they are needed. Pandora's hand tightens around Ob's stone fingers, gripping as tightly as she can, but no longer are the pains racking her swollen abdomen. Ob reaches out to touch the day, knowing it will be several hours before he is flesh. His worry touches Alise, who reminds him that she can make the call to Rowan anytime.


*Uncle

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