Author's Note: Warning! Serious fluff! If you don't like it, don't read it! Enjoy!
Theodora had a bundle of red clasped tightly in her arms. She was lying in bed, propped up by a few lacy white pillows. She was dressed in a white lace nightgown and white ankle socks. Her hair was tied up out of her clear, bright face and her skin was glowing. She looked down to the little bundle in her arms. Inside the layers of warm, red fabric was a child. A tiny infant, her tiny infant. She was a girl. She was a beautiful, radiant little girl. Theodora held her close to her chest and let her nuzzle into the soft, silky fabric of her nightgown. She watched her in silence, not wanting to breathe and disturb the child.
Theodora heard the door open and her head snapped up. She saw Oz poke his head around the door slowly. His face lit up the minute he saw the red fabric in Theodora's arms. He gently closed the door behind him and crept over and knelt beside her bed.
"How are you?" he whispered, taking Theodora's free hand and tenderly stroking it. She raised an eyebrow,
"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked. Oz paused and looked down at the child. He was about to say something but then he guessed what she meant.
"Let me guess, when witches give birth, it's painless?" Oz asked, laughing slightly under his breath.
"Yes, why?" she asked.
"In Kansas, it usually involved a whole lot of blood and screaming," he explained. Theodora gasped. She'd never heard of anything like that before. She never realised that this 'Kansas' she had heard so much about was so dangerous. She tried to forget the matter.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" Oz asked after a long silence. He was still holding her hand.
"A girl. Do you want to hold her?" she asked. Oz smiled and took the red fabric cocooning the baby. He looked down at her. Her eyes were open and alert. He had her mother's eyes. They were large and deep, chocolatey brown. They darted around the room before settling on him. He offered his finger to her and she took it, wrapping her tiny fingers around it. She squeezed tightly. He smiled down at her. She was perfect and she was his. She was his own flesh and blood and she was all he ever wanted from a child. He felt her heartbeat, steady and gentle. He felt her tickly breath on his neck. She was so precious, so new.
"She's beautiful," Oz whispered. Theodora giggled quietly. Oz handed her back to her mother and kissed them both on the forehead. He sat on the end of the bed and looked at his family. He felt a glowing warmth spread through his veins right to his fingertips.
"What are we going to call her?" Theodora asked. Oz just realised that he hadn't even thought about a name. He thought about it for a few seconds before the most perfect name sprung into his mind.
"Annie. Let's call her Annie."
"Annie," Theodora repeated, staring down at the child. She grinned and nodded. "Yes. Yes, Annie."
"Annie was a friend of mine back in Kansas. We didn't see each other often but whenever we did it felt like only yesterday when we last saw each other. I dearly miss her," Oz explained.
"She sounds like a good witch... girl... erm, woman," Theodora said.
"She is... she's a very good witch. The thing is though, she's Annie Gale but this little angel is Annie Diggs. Annie Diggs will be the best witch there is," Oz said. Theodora nodded,
"Of course she will," Theodora laughed.
