Sarah was vaguely aware of the weight on her stomach, but it seemed much heavier than usual. She frowned and stirred slightly, her green eyes blinking open to the soft, warm, light of the sconces in the opulent bedroom she shared with her husband, the Goblin King. Her ears caught the animated whispers coming from below her chest. She peered down to see a black-gloved hand caressing her swollen stomach as a thatch of wild, untamed blonde hair nuzzled close to their unborn child. She smiled. He was talking to their baby. She chuckled, causing him to lift his head to glance at her.
"Good morning, love," Jareth grinned, never tiring of the way her morning laughter sounded so relaxed and happy. "Did you sleep well?" He shimmied up to kiss her gently. She nodded.
"The baby wasn't kicking as much this time," she patted her belly and he mirrored her movements, rubbing soothing circles onto the pale, taut skin. "Did you have a nice conversation with him?" She referred to his chat just before she woke up.
"It could very easily be a 'her,' you know," Jareth teased with a smirk, "And yes, we had a wonderful time." Sarah smiled contentedly as he ran his fingers through her dark brown locks.
Early morning was the time both of them enjoyed the most, before the day got busy. Usually Jareth would wake from slumber first, and after sitting up to rub the sleep from his eyes, he would gaze down adoringly at his young wife, letting his fingers trail delicately through her hair, following the contours of her body down to the bulge hidden underneath the sheets. He would gently massage her stomach, to greet the baby a good morning, before scooting down to carefully rest his head on Sarah's belly, his arm protectively embracing the precious package. After a few minutes of content silence, he would start whispering sweet nothings to the little person, his voice becoming animated as he explained who he was, who the baby's mother was, how they met, what they would do once the baby was born, on and on and on. This longwinded spiel, despite his attempts to keep as quiet as possible, would awaken Sarah, and she would smile as she heard the excited murmurs of her husband's voice, chatting away to their unborn child. Once he learned that she was awake, he would move back up to lavish attention on her, taking her into his arms. They would cuddle and talk some more about their future. She always felt secure in his embrace, leaning her head into the crook in his neck, smelling his manly essence that was uniquely Jareth, listening to the deep warmth in his voice. During these moments he was not her Goblin King. He was Jareth, her eternal lover and the father of her unborn child.
She felt it in the tub as she soaked in the comforting warmth of slightly-perfumed water. A slight breaking sensation. Looking down, she saw bits of pink mixing with the clarity of the bathwater. Sarah bit her lip in worry, though she had learned enough in her high school health classes to know what was going to happen next. A dull ache started in her lower back, and she bit her lip harder until the pain subsided. Taking a deep breath, she chanted, "You can do this, Sarah. Don't panic. This is what everyone's been waiting for. Just don't panic."
Silently she got out of the tub, quickly dried herself off, and pulled on a robe. Another light contraction later, she stood in front of the vanity, deciding what to do with her hair. She studied the brightness of her eyes, her reflection was almost glowing with motherhood. Is this how it feels to become a mother? She wondered before another pain hit, this time twice as intense. Sarah grimaced and left the bathroom to make her way to the bed.
Suddenly, the most intense cramp she'd ever had since the contractions started rushed over her. Feeling like she had been punched in the gut, the young mother-to-be cried out, wrapping her arms around her stomach protectively, as she collapsed into blessed unconsciousness.
The Goblin King strolled happily toward the bedroom, eager to see his little family. Sarah had complained about being locked up in that one room, but it had been in her best interests, he insisted. The baby was coming soon and it would not do to have her giving birth all over the castle, to which she retorted angrily and made him sleep in a chair for three nights. He apologized to the moody woman, and after explaining his reasons in more gentle terms, she agreed to spend the last few weeks of her pregnancy in their bedroom.
Jareth smiled as he neared the door. Just on the other side, his own private heaven awaited him. He swung open the door with a flourish, "My love and child, your wonderful King is here!" To his horror, Sarah was lying motionless on the plush carpet, her hands embracing her bulging stomach as if to shield the little one from harm.
"Sarah!" He cried, rushing to her side. Her skin was pale, her lips open in a frozen cry of pain. He gently scooped her up and carried her to their bed. After depositing her with care, he summoned a goblin to call the midwife.
Sarah moaned at the sharp pain attacking her lower abdomen. A hand touched her forehead gently, smoothing her bangs out of the way. The other hand was massaging her protruding stomach. She was aware of the weight on the side of the bed; he was sitting on the edge beside her. Sarah gripped the sheets underneath her and clenched her teeth to keep from crying out as the contraction ebbed over her.
"So brave, my precious," Jareth whispered when her eyes finally opened to meet his tender gaze. She shook her head and struggled to sit up so as to shift the weight of the baby to a more comfortable place. Her husband helped, propping the pillows up behind her. "I came in to find you on the floor; are you alright?" He asked with concern.
"I am, but I hope the baby wasn't hurt," Sarah answered, her hands coming to rest on the bulge. "I just… had a terrible pain all of a sudden and couldn't make it to the bed in time." He tsked and leaned in to kiss her lips gently. She pulled him in closer, as if drawing strength from his kiss, when she suddenly broke away with a gasp. Sharp pains curled around her body and this time she couldn't help but cry out. It wrenched Jareth's heart to see his beloved in such severe pain. All he could do was shush her quietly and rub her back. Her head came to rest on his shoulder as she sobbed.
Jareth impatiently summoned another goblin. "Where is the midwife?" He hissed irritably.
"Your Majesty, she's on her way, about three minutes from the castle," The fearful servant answered with a trembling voice. The Goblin King rolled his eyes with a huff and moved his hand to slam the door in the goblin's face. There were just some things that couldn't be wished into existence, especially the things that would help his precious Sarah! He turned his attention back to his wife, who was now moaning incoherently about never having kids ever again. He took her hand and squeezed reassuringly. "The midwife will be here soon," he promised. Sarah simply nodded, trying hard not to cry out again as another pain racked her body. He let her squeeze the life out of his hand, closing his eyes until the contraction passed. Her chest was heaving rapidly as she had forgotten to breathe during the severe pressure.
"Please," She whimpered, "there must be some other way. I can't… I can't do this." His heart was melted again as her olive-green eyes met his fond gaze. Jareth chuckled.
"My love, I know you can do this. You will be fine, I promise," He leaned in for another short kiss, just as the door opened to reveal a petite, slightly-plump, elderly woman carrying a dark leather bag.
"Alrighty, time to get down to business!" The old lady cheerily interrupted as she set her bag on the end of the bed. The couple broke off their kiss and looked at her, the king in annoyance, the queen in a daze, no doubt from her husband's attention.
"Elindra," Jareth greeted the elder with both formality and relief in his voice.
"King," She returned shortly with a slight grin. "Now be off with ya, no use for you in here," she gestured with a shooing motion. He frowned. Who was she to be ordering him around?
"I know what you're thinkin', and really, you'll be much better waiting outside than in here. It gets too tense for most folk," Elindra muttered. In a more confident tone, she said, "My dear King, I shall call you the very second when the babe is out. Everything will be fine."
The Goblin King sighed, and after one last kiss to his Sarah's forehead, left the bedroom. Immediately after the heavy double-doors closed, he began to pace up and down the hallway, waiting and waiting for the signal.
Sarah was in complete agony now. The contractions never seemed to end! Every time she was able to get in a breath it would start all over again. It curled from under her back, up around her swollen stomach, gleefully knocking her wind out and commanding her body to submit to the pain.
The midwife bustled around, checking underneath the sheet every few minutes, wiping Sarah's forehead with a cool cloth, and doing other midwife-ish things with calm precision. Ten minutes passed. Thirty minutes. An hour.
By now Sarah was exhausted. Why were the pains so intense, so frequent, yet nothing was happening? Baby, please come out now! She begged, wanting this torture to end. Her entire body pleaded for relief, and as another pain washed over her, she gritted out, "Why is it taking so long?" Elindra looked over at her kindly from her place at the end of the bed.
"The first time is almost always hard, dearie. But don't worry, just remember to breathe. The baby's almost here." Sarah scoffed and tried to focus. She closed her eyes, trying to think. Mismatched eyes appeared in her mind's eye. Crazy, wild, blonde hair… That subtle smirk that spoke volumes… Glitter on his dark coat… Half-unbuttoned shirt that revealed a toned chest and shining medallion… The Goblin King… Jareth…
Sarah was unaware that she'd been moaning her husband's name over the past three contractions. Elindra shook her head and went to the mother-to-be's side. Just as she reached out to sponge the woman's forehead, Sarah's back arched off the bed with another birth pain as she half-screamed, half-sobbed Jareth's name. Pain like she'd never known wrenched her body in two; she felt like she was going to snap and bleed to death.
By now, the goblin guards in the hallway knew better than to ask their king what was wrong. He had already snapped at them, threatened them with doom to the Bog of Eternal Stench, and stomped around in exasperation when one goblin had ventured near to ask. Tremendous pressure, they supposed, seeing as his queen was inside and he was outside, walking around in circles while muttering to himself. Their simple minds gathered that something big was going to happen and they shouldn't ask until it was revealed. With that thought, they all but ignored their frustrated Goblin King.
The door creaked open slightly and Elindra poked her head out. "Pardon me, your Majesty." Jareth's head snapped up, "Yes, what is it?" He barked. The midwife sighed. "The queen keeps calling out for you. It's rarely done, but I suppose you can come in and be near her until the baby comes." She opened the door wider and he didn't need a second invitation. With great speed he dashed to Sarah's side, dropping to his knees as he looked down at her pale, sweaty figure with shocked concern. For once, Jareth was speechless. Honestly, Sarah looked terrible. Her skin was much more pale, her body trembled, her eyes were drawn tight, and a fine sheen of sweat made her entire body glisten eerily in the lamplight. He exhaled in worry.
"Perhaps if you sit behind her so that she'll have support when it's time to push," Elindra suggested, after putting down the bed sheet once more.
Sarah stirred as she was brought back into consciousness by another contraction. But this time, something warm was at her back, something solid and familiar and… "Jareth?" She turned her head. Strong arms gently surrounded her with their affection. Slim fingers, without their usual touch of leather, stroked her bulging stomach in a tender massage.
"I'm here, love," He smiled down at her as she turned her head even more at the sound of his voice. She raised a hand to caress his cheek, and he responded by touching her upturned lips with his own. "Just a little bit longer, Sarah, and our baby will be here."
She let her head loll back on his shoulder. "I'm so tired," she whimpered weakly. "I can't…" Her voice trailed off as pain swallowed her words. He felt her grip his arms as she struggled to accommodate the contraction's demands to her body. Underneath his hands, he was amazed at how her stomach's muscles rippled with the birth pain.
"Breathe, Sarah!" Elindra commanded. Jareth nudged against her ear. "Breathe, precious. Don't forget to breathe." She fell back against him, her breath coming in short, panicky gulps of air, her eyes squeezed shut as tears leaked out of the corners. Her husband buried his nose into her damp, dark-brown locks of hair, trying to reassure her but feeling powerless to do so.
"On this next contraction, you need to start pushing, do you hear me?" Elindra said, her voice suddenly excited when she peered underneath the sheet. Jareth caught on to her excitement. "Did you hear that, love?" He whispered, "We'll see our baby soon!" The only indication she gave was the thin smile on her face. Her eyes remained closed as she gathered up the last of her strength.
As she felt the pain start up again, somewhere in the haziness of her mind she heard Elindra's call to push. And she pushed. With all of her might and with all of her strength, Sarah pushed, clenching her teeth so as not to cry out. When it passed, she fell back against Jareth. "One more time, dear!" Elindra exclaimed.
"One more time?" Sarah echoed tiredly. Jareth tightened his arms around her belly as he whispered, "You can do it, precious! I know you can!"
Elindra directed Sarah to push again, and this time Sarah pushed harder than she'd ever pushed. The scream was ripped from her throat, her back was grotesquely arched, her fingers dug into her husband's arms, and her face was contorted in unspeakable pain. Jareth's eyes widened at the intensity of her agony. Then the contraction was leaving once again and somewhere in the fog she heard a baby crying. It took her a minute to realize that it was their baby.
Collapsing back into Jareth, she took in a breath. It was over. Finally. "You did it, Sarah," Jareth grinned. "My love, you did it!" Her smile of relief relaxed all the tension in her face. With great effort, she turned her face up towards his to receive his gentle kiss.
"It's a boy!" Elindra announced joyfully as she cleaned the squalling infant. The new parents smiled at each other.
"Imagine that," The young king exclaimed softly, his nose buried in Sarah's damp locks as he hugged her.
"Your heir, your Majesty," She offered shyly. She felt his smirk upon her neck as he placed an open-mouthed kiss onto her skin. His hands gently soothed their way up her waist, tightening protectively around her as she lay between his legs.
"Our son, my precious Sarah," He kissed her again. She gave a tired chuckle and reveled in his embrace. Elindra placed the now-clean baby boy into his mother's arms, then went back to her place at the end of the bed, waiting for the placenta to be birthed so that she could clean up the young queen and leave the new family to enjoy each other.
Sarah drew back her robe to introduce their son to a milk-laden breast. After a few seconds, he tenaciously latched on and began to nurse, causing a contented sigh escape from his mother. "He's got a nice head of dark hair," She whispered as she studied the little creature suckling from her. Jareth's chin was on her shoulder as he peered down. "He's perfect, indeed." At the sound of his voice, the baby opened his eyes, trying unsuccessfully to find the source of that familiar sound. "He has your eyes, Jareth!" Sarah gasped. The new father smiled. "He has one of my eyes, love," The Goblin King corrected. "One of them is brown; the other is green, like yours." They were so busy admiring their baby boy that they didn't notice the elderly woman tiptoeing her way out the door, shutting it firmly and leaving the castle with a smile.
"Jareth, I'm exhausted," Sarah honestly admitted, leaning her head back into the crook in his neck.
"Mmm, I'd imagine you're just about dead, precious," He cuddled her against him, kissing her cheek. "Go ahead and sleep. I'll watch over the baby."
"Don't turn him into a goblin, now," She joked before entering dreamland. He smirked at the reference to their first meeting.
"Anything for you, love." He drew his cherished family closer within his embrace. Jareth smiled with content, cradling his sleeping wife with tenderness as he gazed down at his nursing son. His heart had never been filled with so much happiness. And it had all started when a young girl, full of dreams and naivete, wished her baby brother away to the Goblin King.
Author's Note: I really drew a blank when it came to naming the baby. So I just decided, "Meh, you guys can name him whatever you feel like." Free reign for everybody! *applause* Lol. Thanks for reading the companion one-shot to "Accepting the Crystal."