I do not own American Horror Story: Freak Show.

I do own a baby boy. Whom I am leaving to go back to work for the first time in 14 weeks. Boo.

And Baby Makes Four


Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

Jimmy Darling Walker, former Lobster Boy of Fraulein Elsa's Cabinet of Curiosities, and current expectant father, walked back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

He wandered, he paced, he paused.

He pressed his wooden hands down upon his blond head. He breathed deeply and squeezed his eyes shut.

And opened them again.

He stood, he sat.

He peered out the window at the house on the other side of the hedge.

His house.

Where his wives, his wonderful darlings, strove to give life and breath to their first born child.

Too long, it had been too long.

At least he thought.

In the freakshow, there hadn't been many births.

Well, real births.

But on such occasion, Ma had been called to lend a hand.

And surely it hadn't taken this long, had it?

He looked at the clock again.

Seven hours.

Seven hours since Bette had woken him from sleep and announced it was time and Dot had rung Lucy to come to the house.

And Jimmy had been shooed out with sweet kisses and whispered surreshes that everything would be fine.

Too long, too long.

He had been in Lucy's house all this time, too keyed up to rest or be really calm.

Too nervous to leave for a walk or to check on the store or even eat more than a bite.

Something must have gone wrong.

He knew they were strong, knew they were capable.

But he should have forced them to go to the hospital.

Why hadn't he, as the by god man of the house, forced them to go?

Oh. Right.

Because they were freaks.

One body, two heads.

Freaks.

That's the way the world in general would see them.

Medical abdominations, that's the way the doctors would see them.

Them and their baby.

But that's not what they were.

Jimmy, their husband, knew them for what they really were.

They were women, individual women.

Beautiful, intelligent, kind, loving.

His darling wives.

And the mothers of his unborn, soon to be born child.

And it had been too long.

He got up again and twitched aside the curtains to peer at the house with its shades drawn against the sun sparkled windows.

Too long, had to be too long.

"Son, if you don't sit down, I'm gonna have to tie you down."

His voice was kind and patient, as were his enlarged eyes behind his thick glasses.

Dan Clark had been through this anxiety before, when his own wife had given birth their son. And when that son's wife had given birth to his beloved grandchildren.

And he knew his place, his quiet, supportive role.

So when Jimmy sat down only to pop back up again fifteen seconds later, he smiled.

And calmly continued his newspaper perusal.

Just as Jimmy was about to wear a trench in Lucy's freshly vacuumed living room carpet, the telephone trilled.

Jimmy didn't remember picking it up or saying hello.

But he did hear the voice on the other end.

"Time to come meet your daughter, Jimmy."

Lucy should have, in retrospect, been grateful the new daddy remembered to exit through the door.

Instead of plowing straight through the wall.


In truth, it had been longer than seven hours.

And the bathtub might never be the same again.

They had felt strange all the previous day but not enough to sound the baby alarm.

Then Dot had woken up sometime after midnight to light, widely spaced apart contractions.

She had lain there, Jimmy on one side, Bette on the other, cradled in the warmth and love of her family.

She had visualized the baby's room and each object within it. Listed everything for the dozenth time.

Baby powder, cloth diapers, burp cloths, blankets, gowns, booties . . .

So much happier than counting sheep, she had then, beyond all possibility, fallen back to sleep.

And woke few hours later to Bette calling out in her head.

Sister, we've got a child on the way!

And they'd got up.

Walked the house together, to strengthening pain.

Drank water, nibbled crackers.

And waited.

I'm not sure we're ready for this, sister.

Rubbed their conjoined back through the aches.

I know, Bette. But I want to finally hold our baby, don't you?

Counted the minutes between each contraction.

Yes, I do.

Breath hissing between their teeth through them.

And I'm right here with you.

Went to relieve their shared bladder. Again.

Of course, you are, sister. Where else would you be?

Rechecked all their baby supplies.

Oh hush you.

And somwhere near dawn, watched as their water broke all over the kitchen floor.

Dot, I think it's time to wake Jimmy our darling.

Yes, I agree. But first let's clean up this mess.

And so they had.


And so Ma had been right.

The baby was a girl.

And she was perfect, just perfect.

From her wispy blond hair.

To her ten little fingers and toes.

To her startling heterchromia.

From the the time she opened her tiny little eyes, her doting moms and dad could not stop staring at them.

One brown, one bright blue.

Bette and Dot, exhausted from literally the fruits of their labor, gently snuggled their newborn daughter in their trembling arms.

Oh sister, she's absolutely beautiful.

The tiny babe lay swaddled in a soft pink blanket quilted for her by her adoring mothers even as she had still developed within them.

Yes, just perfect.

And Jimmy, as he carefully lay down next to Dot's side, gazed into the child's face.

And thought of Ma.

Her eyes had been blue, this very blue. It was like she was peeking out at him.

And winking in that confident, knowing way she'd had that last night when she'd come to reassure him.

Told ya, son, she seemed to be saying even now. Just perfect.

You were right, Ma. You were right.

And Jimmy cried then. But they were happy tears as he tenderly kissed his daughter.

"What are we going to name her?"


Hello, Freak Show friends! How've you been? :)

Interested in this continuation? I'm planning for it to span a coupla decades with happiness, growing pains, angst, love, and real life all wrapped up together in something unique to this little family but relatable to us all.

Yeah, yeah, I know, we've got Hotel now and I have written for it but I've just got a soft spot for these guys, you know?

And I won't be updating more than once or twice a week 'cause my plate's a little full at least until Christmas break.

Well, anyway, let me know.

Everybody appreciates feedback. Leave a review if you like.