Author: Drakelah

For: AiW Kink Meme (Described Below)

Alice/Tarrant - Alice is 9 months pregnant with Tarrant's baby, and she goes into labor and gives birth with him by her side. The longer and more graphic the birth scene is, the better. Maybe Mirana is there to be the midwife? Fluff and a happy ending is preferable.

Title: Worth Fighting For

Rating: M, this is mostly for readers who have no experience with childbirth; readers who do might consider this a "T" story.

Want to join in the fun? Find it at the link below, mature readers only! (Remember to remove the spaces)

http:// community . livejournal . com/2010_alice_kink/

Part 1: Exposition

Alice wished she was just nervous. Terrified was a better word for it. She was so impossibly tiny after all, thin and petite. For the last few months, ever since she had begun to show, she had watched her belly swell and extend. It scared her, even though she awaited the new arrival with joy and baited breath.

Her husband, the rather mad Hatter, was all excitement. Tarrant spent all this free time creating tiny outfits and bonnets for the new baby. He made equal amounts for a boy or a girl, since they didn't know which it was yet. In all honesty, Tarrant couldn't care less what the gender was, his scattered mind simply focused on that one though, "He was going to be a father."

When Alice had returned to Underland for the third time, he mused that she had come for a visit, short and sweet. It started subtlety, with smiles and winks, an innocent touch of the hand; until a gentle understanding was reached.

It was not long before he stole a kiss between cups of tea. That one kiss had made her feel as lit up as a storm sky struck with electricity.

Liars are the only ones who say, "Lightning never strikes the same place, twice."

Hands wandered while lips remained in a tentative embrace. Growing passions would not be contained and they continued until more was undone that the few simple ties on the back of her dress.

Until, one night, the summer breezes slid over their burning skin, creating chills with every bead of sweat they touched, as they lay upon the tea table. Exposed and unashamed under the glittering stars, they relaxed with the shattered porcelain of kettle and tea cups littering the ground around them.

Right before she had just been about to fall asleep, she'd heard him ask her something. The kind of something that brought her half-lidded eyes fully awake. And she agreed to it in a heartbeat.

Two months of preparation went by, for even with the help of the White Queen these things take time, and all was ready. She knew. She knew as she walked up to meet him, as they traded promises, as they celebrated long into the night. No one even noticed her abstaining from certain beverages, not even him. It was her secret, one she kept until after they had made love that night.

He was overjoyed.

Seven months later, they had come a long was from their humble beginnings; residing in the palace of the White Queen as the royal hatter and a lady of the court. It suited Tarrant and Mirana to have Alice at Marmoreal, close to the best care one could receive. Alice would have infinitely preferred to be back at home, in the cottage she shared with her husband in the outer lands of the kingdom. Next to a particularly special group of friends and a tea table with rather fond memories attached to it.

If Mally or Thackery ever found out what had happened there, they might never wish to take tea at that table again.

Here is was though, to appease her husband and best friend, she tried to make due of her time at the castle. There were some areas at which she drew the line, such as when Mirana had requested that she take up bed-rest. Absolutely not, thank you very much.

Alice walked out into the gardens of the White Queen's palace. They were extensive, to say the least. She'd had a rather difficult night, and over the last couple of weeks, as her days became longer and more uncomfortable, the gardens were immensely helpful.

She walked slowly, both hands on her large stomach as if she were already holding the child. The fragrance of cherry blossoms and lilies drifted through the air, indeed those scents seemed to be the only ones at Marmoreal and they permeated the castle itself.

It wasn't until she was a bit further out from the grounds than she realized that she felt a rather strange sensation. The tightening in her stomach recently had been attributed to her being so close to her due date, but now…

When the first one officially struck her body, she didn't know what to do. Alice grabbed onto a nearby tree and held onto its branches. As she did so, she caused the weaker blossoms to fall down around her in a strange snowfall of petals. If she hadn't been in pain, she would've though on how lovely it was.

As the pain let up, so did her hands and she began to walk as fast as she could back towards the palace. She knew so little about what to expect, she just wanted the safety and comfort of her own bed.

There was a fountain of white marble in the middle of the garden. If she could just make it there before the pains came back, she could sit upon the edge and wait out the ordeal. It was coming back; she could feel it and she rushed.

Just barely did she make it. Her hands gripped the cold stone as she fought another one. Ironically, she was concerned about falling backwards into the water moreso than her current condition.

"The funny things you focus upon at such a moment," She thought, before she realized how close she now was to the castle. Though the pain hadn't ended yet, she tried to call out. It was only a tiny little squeak of "Help!"

In the Underland though, you never know who is listening.

"Hello love." A very familiar voice reached out to her.

"Chessur?" It was a grateful exhale.

He appeared, "You look like you're in a bit of distress."

Her eyes widened, "Just a little."

"Do you want me to get the guards?"

"Yes please!"

The cat normally didn't get involved in such things, but he did have a bit of guilt attached to him with regards to the Hatter. Not to mention his sheer curiosity at getting to see the first member of the Hightopp clan to be born in years.

She sat there, taking slow measured breaths. Her mind played every awful scenario she could remember. The birth of her nephew had been traumatic on her sister. Alice remembered having to sit downstairs and practice the pianoforte at her mother's request. Even that loud, steady sound could not drown out the anguished cries from the upstairs. Minutes and hours ticked by with not a single piece of information; she'd had to press her ear to the door to get word. It was always the same worry that the child was too large and if things did not progress, her sister could be dead by the end of the day.

The woman down the road had died, Alice recalled. Both she and the infant had perished after nearly two days of laboring. Margaret had been lucky, and while she had never really told Alice what happened, she'd mentioned that her little son had been worth everything she'd gone through.

As the very real threat of death played upon her mind, she wished that she had pressed her sister for more information. She was smaller than Margaret in her own size, but as large in the size of the child. So terrified became her thoughts that she didn't notice the guard and the handmaid running up to her.

"My lady? Are you alright?" The handmaid knelt down next to her, placing a gentle hand upon her knee.

She could scarcely believe all the improper questions she was receiving recently; closing her eyes, she responded, "I think it's time."

The maid nodded and the guard with the head of a chessboard knight simply leaned over and plucked the woman from her seat on the fountain ledge. They hurried back to the palace, with the guard trying to avoid any jostling of his charge. Hurrying off to find the midwife, for there was only one in the kingdom, the maid left Alice to be carried up to her bedroom.

Unfortunately for her, she was noticed by the other staff, and before too long, the news had spread over the entire household.

Mirana was informed by her personal servant while she cooked up a batch of Upelkuchen cakes and brewed a good vial of Pishalver. "Will you finish this formula for me please?" Before the maid could even reply, the White Queen had flitted out through the door. Her perfect little pearl adorned shoes hurried down the hall until she reached a rather heavy wooden door. She promptly forgot to knock.

Tarrant looked up from his milliner's work, "Oh!" He gathered up the hat he'd been working on and dashed around to the other side of the table.

"I have a new hat for you! It's a gift for letting us stay here. It's white, of course, with white feathers, white pearls, and some white jewels although those are quite rare to – "

"Hatter!" Mirana took the elaborate hat from his hands and set it gently upon the table, "It's time."

"But the hat isn't ready yet!"

"No," She looked at him with patient eyes, "Alice's time."

His face was a mask of confusion at first, before becoming a mix of joy and utter fear, "What should I do?"

"I think it's best if you go to your wife."

He started to leave, but stopped, "She told me that men weren't allowed to be with their wives in her world." The disappointment in his face was considerable.

"This is Underland though," Mirana reached up and took his face in her hands, "I want you to put it in your mind to be there for her. She may be our champion, but she needs you now more than ever."

Tarrant allowed the idea to sink into his mind where he could focus on it fully before he nodded his understanding, "I will."

"Come on then, we mustn't leave her by herself any longer."