This story was inspired, and authorized, by the incredibly talented artist named Lozo. Her tumblr is myrobotlandlord and I highly recommend you check out her art tag!
Of course everyone had been excited when they learned that Celia was expecting her and Mike's first child. Babies always brought out the best in monsters, after all. The news spread throughout the company, friends and family were informed, and it didn't take long for the couple to be smothered with well wishes for the bouncing baby when he, or she, would eventually arrive.
Mike thought nothing of it, though, when Randall seemed to distance himself even further from the collection of monsters when he learned the news. The lizard had scoffed and snorted, saying why would he care if Mike was reproducing? In fact, he had added, that was one image he hadn't wanted invading his mind but now it had taken root and would never be shaken free.
"Figures that even Randall can't get excited over the idea of a baby."
Maybe he should have taken better notice of Randall's actions, how he would look at either Mike or Ceila as the months began to slowly pass. The lizard monster continued on his daily routine but he had become unnaturally quiet. The hateful banter he would send Sulley and Mike's way seemed to have dried up almost instantly like a river in a heat wave.
Sure he'd glance at them, frown and glare but no longer would Mike have to worry about the lizard monster pulling his invisibility act on him in the locker rooms any more. Honestly, at the time, it was a blessing.
More than once Sulley had seen Randall talking to Ceila at the reception desk in the lobby. Celia seemed to be wanting none of this conversation, not even looking at him, while the multi-legged monster kept trying to talk. When he had approached to intervene Randall had spat something like "Keep your fat nose outta other people's business, Sullivan!" before storming off.
When questioned as to what was going on, Celia said she didn't know but Randall had been acting 'incredibly irrational' lately so she wasn't going to give him any of her time thank you very much. After all Celia was a very tough lady monster, and she didn't take anything from anyone if she didn't want it.
And pity to the monster who pushed her too hard. Maybe it was part of that which Mike found so wonderful about her, that she wasn't weak willed or simpering. Add to that he thought she was the most beautiful monster on the face of the planet helped, too.
Sulley had been sleeping peacefully in his big, comfortable bed when his phone began shrieking off of its hook besides him. The polka-dotted monster snorted awake violently, tossing the blankets back and sat up bolt right, fur standing on end as the phone continued to make its shrill noise. He didn't have to question why it was ringing, not at all, since he knew it was around 'that' time for Celia.
How fast the months had flown.
Answering the phone he discovered a panic-stricken Mike saying how it was time and Celia was having the baby and wow he needed Sulley to be there now for this momentous occasion because no way would his best friend in the world miss out on the birth of his kid. So naturally after such a jarring wake up at two in the morning, Sulley had raced to the hospital (on foot since unlike Mike he did not own a car) to be there.
"What're you doing out here, I thought you'd be in there, doing the whole supportive dad thing?" Sulley asked, partly out of breath, as he had arrived at the hospital to see Mike sitting outside. To say Mike didn't look rattled was an understatement.
Months of waiting had led up to this. They had painted a room up, gotten the furniture, toys, blankets, diapers, and other such things that you needed when babies happened. And now the day was here, and Mike's single eyed expression said so much about the excitement, as well as fear, he now felt.
"Hah yeah Celia said she could do it alone and all I'd do was get in the way. I dunno how but. You know how she is!" Mike had said, trying to appear calm, though that laughter was very nervous indeed.
"Ah relax Mike, it's gonna do fine and by.. I dunno. Sun up you're gonna be a new dad! Isn't that great?" he asked as he sat down besides the smaller monster, patting his back in a supportive manner.
"Yeah. You're right! I'm gonna be the best dad in the world! What have I got to worry about?"
Turns out, he had something to worry about a lot. His name was called, the nurse had a mixed expression of joy but also maybe concern but Mike did not see it, how could he? The baby was here! His baby, was it a girl, a boy, he was too excited to ask.
Either way it turned out the baby had been already taken aside to be weighed and washed while Celia was recovering in the bed. Of course Mike rushed to her immediately to ask how she was, taking hold of one of her tentacle hands.
"Smoochpsie pooh, how are you, did it all go fine?" he asked quickly.
"Oh you know..." she laughed, weakly, her snake hair even flopped down on the pillow looking tired and exhausted as she did. "Just had a baby so...!" did Ceila look worried? It was hard to tell around her exhaustion.
"Yes where is she? Or he?" Mike was besides himself.
"Mister Wazowski?" a nurses voice caught his attention and he spun around to see a looming nurse with a horn on her nose and pale blue coloring. That nurses outfit didn't seem to suit or fit her too well but hey, who cared about that when she was holding a swaddling new-born in a blue blanket?
"Here's your baby, Mister Wazowski." she said, and had to bend over in order to hold the new-born to Mike.
He was excited. Of course he was, he felt like his heart could all but burst out of his chest. His son, his new-born son was going to be in his arms and he will be the most handsomest baby ever because it was his and Celia's and-
"Uh."
Mike's expression changed to one of confusion. The nurse was holding a baby out to him yes, but the baby looked nothing like what he would expect it to. For one, he would have anticipated one singular eye like him and Celia. Maybe baby snake hair? Of course there'd be no horns since new-born monsters are never born with horns they tend to grow in with their teeth.
But this baby well... it looked ike Randall. A lot like Randall. It was, quite literally, a new-born version of Randall only it had sets of two thin blue stripes that ran along the three head prongs atop its head, and its two sets of forearms which were squirming against the blanket as its bulging lizard eyes began to slowly open.
"Uh. Excuse me but um... this is not my baby?" surely this was either some kind of honest accident or a sick joke.
"Yes. It is." the nurse growled with little to no room for argument and handed the squirming baby lizard monster into Mike's arms.
Mike looked down at the baby, whose green eyes had slowly pried open to peer up at Mike. Slowly a chubby hand reached up and batted at Mike's face, already drooling. He stared for a moment longer before slowly turning around to look at Celia, who was looking away.
"...I get a feeling you got something to tell me." Mike said, voice surprisingly calm, and level-headed despite the raging volcano that was threatening to burst. But no, he couldn't shout here. He was holding a new-born, and screaming about anything wouldn't be the most ideal first experience of the world, would it?
Very slowly did Celia turn to look at him. The birth of her first child should have been filled with tears of joy and relief. To having birthed her child who was healthy and happy and Mike would be proud as any monster could possibly be but... no. Of course she felt some joy, she had made that little boy in Mike's arms but it wasn't Mike's son. Not in the least.
"Mmh." she nodded her head once.
"Well. You better... ah. Start from the beginning." Mike very awkwardly moved to sit besides the bed, the baby still moving only now it was sucking on one of its hands. "This.. this is Randall's, isn't it?" he asked, slowly.
Again, Celia only nodded.
"What are you. Are you cheating on-"
"No! No, no, no Michael no." she looked at him now, her snake heads eyes wide like her singular one at such a proposition. "I swear it only happened once and that was it."
"Really, huh. Y'know believing you used to be real easy but." Mike glanced down at the baby, moving a hand so he tugged its little hand out of its mouth. It was covered in slobber. "Now I don't know.."
"Googly Bear please," Celia said, voice shaking as she shifted in her bed weakly from the pain still fresh in her body. "It was at that stupid office party, the one you missed because you were sick. We just...! There was alcohol and we were arguing and, and next thing I even knew it was over. I told him not to tell you. He told ME not to tell you either."
Which was strange because Randall would normally take any chance to one up Mike, or Sulley. Knowing he had slept with Mike's wife, why hadn't he taken that to town? But he didn't. Instead he had distanced himself from Mike, Sulley, seemingly everyone. Was it possible he felt actual shame about the act?
"...so.." Mike looked down at the baby once more who, now, was chewing on the blanket that it had been wrapped in. Frowning slightly, Mike tugged the sopping material away before the baby choked on it. "stop that." he whispered to it before he spoke again, to Celia. "This is Randall's."
"Yes I... I was hoping it. It wouldn't be. I really, really hoped I was pregnant with yours but.. oh..." she turned her face away, lifting her tentacle hands to her face and covered her eye while her snake hair curled in against one another in equal shame.
She couldn't take this any more, the stress, the worry, the anxiety and finally the fact her one and only moment of weakness had produced her first child took its toll out on her and she began to sob.
Mike sat there, watching the woman he loved more than anyone in the whole world, crumble before him. He'd seen the stress, and the worry, on her face but he wrote it up as first time mother fears. Fear of pain, of mistakes, of the birth. Only now in hindsight did he realize it wasn't that which she had been fearing. She had been afraid as to just who the father of the baby would be and it turned out to not be the one she wanted.
Any other monster may well have gotten to their feet and left. Set the wriggling, beginning to fuss, baby down and leave at having such a thing happen.
He got to his feet, and moved to the small bassinet that the nurses had left. Mike eased the baby into it and momentarily stared at it. It was definitely Randall's child, that reptilian body, the multiple limbs, and eyes. Celia's sobs drew him away and he climbed up onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling the slender woman in for an embrace she felt she didn't rightly deserve but needed.
He felt her shaking arms cling to him as her body was rocked by the emotions, but no words came to him to offer her. No whispers of reassurances or promises, nor even admissions of love.
All he could do was hold her.
To be continued
