Her Lucky Star
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. They belong to Dodie Smith and Walt Disney, respectively. I am simply using them for a non-profit origin story of sorts. Also, this story is based on the 1966 animated movie of 101 Dalmatians, just a head's up.
Perdita knows something is wrong. Something feels different, and it scares her. Panting heavily and trying to push through the pain and anguish, the female Dalmatian lovingly looks down at the fourteen puppies as white as snow wiggling near her belly to try and nurse. Another twinge shoots through Perdita's stomach, and she lets out an involuntary high-pitched whine as she can feel what she believes is her final puppy beginning to enter the world.
"Nanny! One more!" Anita frantically announces, starting to see the fifteenth puppy entering the world as Perdita continues to pant rapidly and fight through the nearly incessant pain. "Good girl, Perdita. Very good girl," she praises, stroking Perdita's head and neck with a soft hand, and Perdita smiles amidst the pain at the touch of her dearest friend and human companion.
"You're going to make a fantastic mother, love," Nanny speaks up as she unfurls a towel covered in hot water and gets into position to help Perdita deliver what the housekeeper believes should be the last puppy. "Now, then, we're going to deliver this puppy just like all the others, Perdita. That's a girl!" Nanny continues, and Perdita musters all of her strength to deliver her final puppy.
Perdita gives one final push, and soon a fifteenth puppy is placed between her paws, wrapped in a towel. She wastes no time freeing her last puppy from the sac and begins to clean the newborn diligently and lovingly, affection shining in the female Dalmatian's eyes.
The fifteenth puppy is a little male, much smaller than his brothers and sisters. Perdita beams down at her youngest puppy, believing he is the final one that will be entering the world with this litter, thankfully. Hours have passed by, and Perdita is extremely tired and can feel her strength beginning to fade as her body aches and practically begs for sleep. The pain was entirely worth it. Perdita continues to lick the smallest male as he rests between his mother's paws, and the first-time mother widely smiles at the scent of her newborn puppies and the milk associated with their arrival. The sound of so many little heartbeats thumping together in a predictable rhythm is extremely comforting. Meanwhile, the tiny puppy between Perdita's paws begins to stir slightly, though no sound escapes his lips as had occurred after Perdita cleaned his fourteen older siblings. Something is wrong. Something is terribly wrong, and Perdita knows she needs help. Her son needs help.
Nanny bustles out of the room, shouting to Roger and Pongo about fifteen puppies, but Perdita hardly recognizes the exchange as she lies on her side with fourteen squirming puppies bumping into her still distended stomach to try and nurse. The female Dalmatian can hear Pongo barking excitedly yet also in concern, and Perdita can imagine that her devoted mate is trying his hardest to enter the small space in the basement where she had decided to give birth. However, all of those details fade away as Perdita anxiously and frantically nuzzles her tiniest puppy to try and get him to rouse or respond to the movement.
He does not move.
Again, Perdita nuzzles her head against his snow-colored body, her eyes becoming red as tears well up in her chocolate-colored orbs.
He still does not move.
A low, piteous whine escapes Perdita's lips as she works her hardest to elicit a reaction from her son, but to no avail.
He still does not move.
Perdita moves her body in every angle imaginable to try and help her son, dislodging eight puppies from drinking her milk and the six others that had been lying against their mother's warm, soft belly that radiates warmth like a small fire. She licks his nose and mouth once more as she had done for all the fourteen puppies born before him to ensure she did not leave any mucus blocking his nose and mouth.
He does not move.
Perdita cannot hear his heartbeat.
Anita kneels down beside her darling Perdita to see if she can offer any aid, hating to see Perdita in such distress.
Anita picks up the puppy with the gentlest touch she can muster, checking him over for any irregularities or signs that the birth of this puppy was different from his siblings. She can find none. Anita looks down at Perdita's youngest puppy with a grim expression on her face.
"Oh, Perdy," Anita sniffs, tears trailing down her face as she cradles the tiny puppy with one hand and gently strokes Perdita with the other. "I'm so sorry, my darling. I truly am sorry. Your last baby, he-" the aspiring fashion designer and writer sobs, looking Perdita in the eyes. "He was never alive, Perdita," she solemnly reveals, and the words sink in almost immediately.
Perdita lets out an ear-piercing, shattering howl of grief, and Nanny runs down the staircase at once.
"Whatever has happened?! Are there more puppies?" Nanny frantically inquires, settling down beside Perdita before noticing Perdita's grief and Anita's choked sobs as well as puffy green-blue eyes.
"Not more. There's one less than expected," Anita cries, presenting the smallest puppy to Nanny. "He was stillborn I think, Nanny," the young woman sniffs, wiping her nose on an already soiled handkerchief.
A small sob escapes Nanny's lips, and she throws her arms around Perdita's neck, wrapping the female Dalmatian in a tender hug.
"Oh, Perdita, love, sometimes these things happen," Nanny explains in a delicate whisper, careful not to stress the new mother out. "You did nothing wrong, Perdita. You have nothing to blame yourself for, love," the housekeeper gently reveals, looking down at the fourteen puppies clambering over one another while trying to locate their mother. "Now then, you have fourteen puppies that need you, dear. You'll make a fantastic mother," Nanny comforts, steadying herself before standing and taking the small, lifeless puppy from Anita before wrapping him in a towel. "I will go tell the boys. Someone should tell Pongo."
With one last sniff before trying her eyes momentarily, Nanny takes the still puppy upstairs to where Pongo and Roger have been waiting with all the calm an expectant father and his best friend can manage. Perdita lets out another shattering howl, mourning the loss of her youngest puppy, despite all the young mother's attempts to save him.
Perdita barely registers the conversation upstairs as she focuses on feeding her puppies, but Roger's voice catches her attention.
"Anita! Nanny! Fifteen! We still have fifteen!" Roger happily shouts, and if Perdita wasn't so sore and her puppies weren't mostly sleeping, she would have bolted up the stairs to the kitchen to see for herself what all the commotion is for.
She doesn't have to wait long. Anita and Nanny practically vault down the stairs a few minutes later, the puppy swaddled in the yellow blanket until Nanny sets him down between Perdita's paws.
"We must call this one Lucky," Nanny christens the extremely fortunate puppy that would not have lived if not for Roger's intervention.
Perdita barks happily in agreement before nuzzling her precious boy and covering his small body with loving licks, all the while repeating the name Lucky in her head. Such a name suits such a tiny puppy who nearly died upon being brought into this world. As Anita and Nanny kneel down beside Perdita, they cover the female Dalmatian in kisses and pats, all the while whispering encouragement and praises about what a good mother she is. Upon finishing her cleaning routine on Lucky, the scent of Pongo and Roger flood her sensitive nose. Pongo, her devoted mate and companion, had nuzzled Lucky and effectively covered the puppy with his scent. Roger's smoke-scented hands also can be smelled on Lucky's fur, and Perdita knows that the musician is the one responsible for bringing her youngest puppy back from the brink of life and death. Whenever Roger happens to venture downstairs, Perdita will be sure to thank him for saving her Lucky, for saving her precious lucky star.
Perdita is not sure how long it has been since she has seen Pongo, but she sighs happily when her spotted mate comes bounding to see her. Anita and Nanny left blankets for Perdita to lie on as well as to help keep the puppies warm and on a surface where they could easily be picked up and contained within the boundaries of the blankets. In addition, Nanny tucked a large bowl of food and a bowl of water in the corner of the room to allow for Perdita to regain her strength after delivering fifteen puppies throughout the night and the wee hours of the morning. Other than to go outside and relieve herself, Perdita does not intend to leave the room where she can keep a vigilant watch over her puppies and use this time to bond with them, as she has been awaiting their arrival for a little longer than two months.
"Perdy!" Pongo excitedly calls as he crouches down closer to Perdita's eye level.
Not only is he ecstatic about the birth of their puppies, (though no one had been expecting fifteen) but Pongo is also indescribably proud of his Perdita for enduring the pain and other physical changes in order to bring life to their darling miracles.
"Perdy, darling! We're keeping the puppies. Every last one of them!" Pongo announces in such an excited tone of voice as a smile threatens to split his face in two. "My ol' pet Roger told her off! He told her off! She's gone. She's gone for good," he promises, remembering how loudly he had barked to threaten off the "devil woman" otherwise known as Cruella de Vil.
"Oh, Pongo," Perdita happily sighs, nuzzling her head against Pongo's as Pongo lies down near to her and the puppies. "I'm just so happy. Fifteen puppies, dear! Can you imagine?" she continues, a content expression spreading across her features as her eyes begin to droop heavily, betraying her exhaustion.
"Perdy, darling, I am absolutely thrilled!" Pongo happily barks, waking up three puppies in the process.
The male Dalmatian and first-time father licks all the squirming puppies he awoke with his reflexive bark, and soon all fifteen pups are sound asleep once more. Pongo carefully places his paws on the blanketed floor where he does not step on a puppy by mistake; within no time, he is back at Perdita's side. On his way down to the ground, Pongo notices that little Lucky is positioned the closest to Perdita's heart, his little chest and sides moving rhythmically up and down.
"I am so proud of you, my darling," Pongo reveals, licking Perdita's cheek as his mate begins to descend into a well-deserved slumber. "Fifteen puppies. Am I ever lucky to get a chance to raise them with you, Perdita. I will never stray from your side, my love, unless you ask it of me," he promises, and Perdita sighs and smiles as she prepares to slip into sleep.
"Pongo, I am so lucky to have you, dear," Perdita yawns, exposing her canine teeth in the process. "Of course, I will love to have you by my side, but you should still-" she is cut off with yet another yawn. "You should still be able to go on walks with Roger and Anita or help Nanny clean up after your messy pet," Perdita finishes, her brown eyes closing entirely after that sentence.
"We will have to wait and see, Perdy," Pongo smiles, looking at their litter of puppies with such fondness and love. "But, until then, I believe someone deserves and needs rest, darling," he laughs, starting to lick Perdita's head and face in order to lull her into a peaceful sleep.
Despite the rain and thunder clapping outside and causing quite a ruckus, the new mother falls asleep in less than five minutes, subconsciously curling her body protectively around her puppies. Before Pongo slips into his own dream world, he sends a silent gratitude to Roger for helping to save their Lucky.
A few weeks pass, and the puppies grow stronger and stronger with each day. Due to the large number of puppies and comparatively small number of sources for Perdita's milk, Roger, Anta, and Nanny step in to help Perdita feed the puppies. With each nursing period, the puppies get a chance to suckle from their mother, tiny paws pressing against her still swollen stomach to ask for milk. In addition, each puppy receives a bottle of milk administered evenly by Nanny, Anita, and Roger where each puppy receives enough nourishment and source of food. Lucky remains the smallest puppy, but to his credit, he is quite the natural-born fighter. Other dogs and people not in the Radcliffe household have and would continue to use the word "runt" to describe dear Lucky, but Perdita would never allow such words to be uttered about her lucky star. Anyone who so much suggested the world was dealt with in a low, warning growl and a small display of her sharp teeth. No one, be they man or beast, is going to make fun of her son. While Lucky remains the smallest puppy, despite all efforts to feed him more, one puppy- another male- steadily puts on weight each day. Nanny affectionately calls him Roly-Poly, and the name Rolly sticks. Neither size bothers Perdita, as she loves her puppies with all her heart, especially their distinctive personalities, quirks, and coat pattern, even at the tender age of three-and-a-half weeks. They are all past the danger zone, thanks to aid from Anita, Nanny, Roger, Pongo, and- of course- Perdita. All fifteen puppies are going to survive.
Pongo, to his credit, is an amazing father and all the help Perdita could ever hope for. He can often be found helping Perdita clean the puppies, particularly after the pups nurse and end up with milk all over their tiny faces. At six weeks, the puppies become extremely mobile, Pongo spends most of the day running around and playing with the puppies, doing his hardest to tire them out enough to where they would allow their mother a bit of rest in the night. Typically, Patch and Cadpig would try and keep Perdita and the entire litter awake with their games and boundless energy. Perdita would have to entice them to go to sleep by telling them a story, and then the house would be quiet until someone needed to nurse or go to the bathroom outside. Throughout the night, Pongo only wishes he could do more to help his darling Perdita where she can rest, but alas, Pongo cannot provide milk for their growing puppies. One thing Roger, Pongo, and Perdita would not miss is the midnight feedings each puppy needed and craved, particularly when they were very young. There is one other aspect of being a new mother that Perdita will be very thrilled to be rid of: constantly having to eat. During her pregnancy, Perdita consumed nearly four times her general daily diet, and now it is no surprise why. After all, Perdita had fifteen tiny puppies growing inside her for nine weeks! Now that the puppies have been born, the vet encouraged Anita and Roger to continue feeding Perdita the amount of food the female Dalmatian consumed while pregnant, because the nursing puppies would take most of Perdita's own nutrients via milk. In addition, the more food she ate, the more milk Perdita could produce for her puppies. Perdita cannot wait for the day when her puppies are weaned so she does not have to eat four dog bowls full each day just to satisfy her enlarged appetite. While it is bittersweet that her puppies are growing in leaps and bounds, Perdita will be thrilled when they begin to solely eat kibble.
Suddenly, something jumps on Perdita's back and begins to chew on her ears, snapping her out of her reflections.
"Mum, you were distracted again!" Patch whines, his voice muffled as he gently pulls on his mother's ear. "How is anyone ever supposed to score my sneak attacks?" the rowdiest puppy of the litter continues, and Perdita gently shakes Patch off her back before grasping her son's scruff in his mouth and dragging him between her paws.
"I'm sorry, dear. I was just thinking about something and got carried away, Patch," Perdita admits, beginning to give Patch a bath by licking the fur on his head and neck first. "And can't you ask your father to score your sneak attack, darling?" she inquires, administering one last lick to Patch's head before she flips him over onto his back and then proceeds to clean the fur on his stomach.
"Can't. He's playin' hide-n-seek with Pepper, Freckles, Jewel, Dipstick, and Cadpig," Patch reveals, and that explains why Perdita has not seen Pongo lately.
"Well, then. Perhaps you and Two-Tone can wrestle with one another after your bath, Patch," Perdita compromises, knowing Patch and Two-Tone love to spar with one another on an almost daily basis. "But, be extremely careful, because Nanny just mopped the kitchen floors," she cautions, and the mother of fifteen nuzzles Patch before gently nudging him towards the kitchen where Two-Tone is playing with a ball.
"Thanks, Mum!" Patch shouts, running off towards the kitchen, tackling Two-Tone in the process, causing her to yip in slight alarm.
"What were you thinking about, Mother?" Penny inquires, snuggling against Perdita's side while Lucky positions himself between his mother's paws, pressing as close to her heart as he can.
"I was thinking of all of the miracles that occurred on the stormy night all of you were born," Perdita admits, nuzzling Penny before doting on little Lucky as he practically melts into his mother's embrace. "And how happy I will be when all of you no longer need milk and can be sustained on Kanine Krunchies," she whispers under her breath, beginning to give Lucky a bath to distract herself.
"Mother, tell us the story!" Lucky begs, his giant brown eyes widening as he brushes his head underneath Perdita's neck.
"Please!" Penny, Thunder, and Rolly chorus, all eager to hear the story of the night of their birth.
Perdita simply sighs and delves into the story with a smile, first providing details as to the horrid weather present that night.
After the story is over, ten puppies are fast asleep on the carpeted floor of the living room. The other five puppies are occupied elsewhere in the London flat with Pongo. Roger enters into the living room, loudly cracking his back and stretching out his sore muscles since he has been hunched over the piano all day, creating draft after draft of a new melody. The blonde-haired musician takes a seat on the couch, picking up Lucky so as not to step on him since the tiniest puppy fell asleep in front of the coffee table. Perdita jumps up beside Roger and covers the man in kisses and nuzzles his face. As a dog person, Roger understands the message perfectly.
"You are absolutely welcome, Perdita. Of course, I saved him," Roger whispers, placing a kiss to Perdita's forehead. "We all need a lucky star in our lives, after all."
Author's Note: And there it is! My second 101 Dalmatians Fanfiction! I hope everyone enjoyed. I tried to finish typing it yesterday, but I had a job interview yesterday and had to go for a scholarship luncheon with my guidance counselor. So, please leave a review with what you thought; I greatly appreciate any and all feedback you have to give me! Have a good rest of the week! Until next time, my dear readers! Be on the lookout for future 101 Dalmatians work from me, and I have written for several other Disney fandoms, so feel free to check those out as well! If you have any requests or prompts, please drop them in a review or a PM, and I will consider any prompts, so long as they are not M-rated, as I do not write those kinds of topics. I hope to hear from you all soon!
P.S.: This is, surprisingly, the first time I have written "Mum" as a name! I live in the Southern United States, so such a phrase would be completely out of place where I live! Writing Patch's dialogue was so entertaining just because I can see him extending the U in "Mum" when he realizes that she wasn't judging his jumping skills. Just as side note I thought I'd add. :)