Hi, this is my first Walton's story and was written completely on a whim so please don't judge..

This is in the point of view of John Walton at the birth of each of his children, I read that Jason was born in 1918 while John was in France and the only date I wasn't sure of was the age gap between Ben and Mary-Ellen but I hope that this is accurate.

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The Seven Children

The Births of the Seven Walton Children from 1916 to 1926 as viewed by the point of view of John Walton


John Walton Jr-1916

The air is thick even in Virginia with the stench of war. John can feel it, Ben can feel it, it's like the whole country is gearing up take part in something that they can't understand and John can see the way his Mother and Father look at him and Ben and then look at each other. He tries not to think of the idea of France and Germany and England and all these other far of places that aren't Walton's Mountain.

None of that matters however when one day in May Livy wakes him early in the morning her pregnant belly straining over the bed sheets, to tell him that it's time. None of it matters as his Pa still bleary eyed gives him a cup of coffee and Ben talks to him over Livy's screams.

None of it matters because nearly four hours after Livy wakes him up his Ma comes out with a little bundle wrapped in a blanket. She looks shining and happy and she hands John his baby. "It's a boy John" she says softly "You have a boy," she watches for a minute before muttering something about going to clean up Livy leaving John alone with his family. His little boy who stops fussing and opens his eyes his big blue eyes watching his father sombrely.

And something tells John that this little boy is going to be the Walton's to change all Walton's.

And on a bright and sunny day in May amidst chaos in the world John Samuel Walton Jr is born.


Jason Walton-1918

John's still in France when he receives the letter from his wife that she had given birth to their second son. An emergency furlough given to him courtesy of Tip insured that nine months ago he had managed to get a three day pass and it was then that he and Livy had conceived their second baby. John now called John-Boy was a happy gurgling baby of two teething nicely and recognising everything and everyone and the pictures that John kept along with the letters were the only thing that sometimes kept him going.

The message that he had another son had come when he was in Paris in the last days of the war. Tip suspected they had less than another week of the war left and then they would be home. Looking at Livy's letter he realised that his son had been born nearly three weeks ago and had according to her the sweetest little tuft of red hair and blue eyes and the tiniest hands.

She had also mentioned that she was naming him Jason. A musical name and it also represented his father's travels and she said the mythical Jason also travelled far from home.

And something tells John that this little boy will be musical and adventurous and a different type of Walton that has never been seen before

And in the last week of October when Paris was still warm enough to walk through without needing a coat. Jason James Walton is born


Mary-Ellen Walton-1920

The years had been great, the economy was booming and while the pain of Ben's death had been diluted somewhat it was still strong. But still nothing could be more perfect than his life with his wife and his two little boys who were both walking and the best of friends.

In 1920 Livy told him she was pregnant again. She was shy a woman of nearly 22 her blue eyes and blonde hair now twisted up in a loose bun always dealing with two rambunctious boys. This pregnancy was different. With the boys she had told him they kicked only once a week and never at night. This pregnancy had been a brutal slaying of morning sickness and kicking that had kept Olivia up all night and hormonal all the time. One the coldest night of the year on the dawn of a new day Olivia went through the longest labour yet and 12 hours later his mother handed him his little girl.

With blue eyes and blonde hair and a damn good healthy pair of lungs. His little girl came out punching the air and still fighting even when she was put in his arms.

And something tells John that his eldest daughter will be the Walton that rails against the world.

And in January of 1920 where the snow was still thick upon the ground Mary-Ellen Olivia Walton was born.


Benjamin Walton-1920

Mary Ellen is only three months old when Livy becomes pregnant again. She and John had only been intimate the one time after and in his opinion it's just God-Damn luck. He loved all his children, his two beautiful boys and his healthy little girl, but he can see Livy struggling. He earns a decent wage but it it's still not enough to be able to move out.

The pregnancy is even harder on Livy. At 23 now she's beautiful but being pregnant this soon after the last one is taking its toll on her. She's exhausted and therefore takes long sleeps and long baths and spends little time with her children. His mother looks after the children and the Doctor takes a look at Livy and tactfully puts her on bed rest.

It's nearly three years since Ben died and therefore the pain in his father's shoulders and around his mother's eyes had lessoned but the John (being at war) hadn't really had time to grieve. And with a sick wife and three young children he found that he needed his brother more and more.

His fourth son was born on another cold day in the first week of November and like Jason a strong tuft of red comes out on his head, he cries and then quietens and it becomes clear he loves John who loves him back. He reminds him so much of Ben that it's uncanny.

It's a quick birth and Olivia is smiling soon after. And they call him Benjamin.

And something tells John that this Walton will be the one that one day will surprise them all.

And on a cold day in November when the snow just begins to stick. Benjamin Henry Walton is born.


Erin Walton-1921

Livy is better after Ben is born so when she tells him in March that she is pregnant John no longer has the feeling that he is walking on eggshells. The economy is booming and it nags him that with four children and one on the way he still doesn't have enough money to buy a house even though his parents don't seem to mind.

The pregnancy is easy and the birth is easy. It's simple and happy and reminds John of the days when she was pregnant with John-Boy. But with four children, one five, one three and two barely out of the cradle he feels tired before he should. He has this feeling that something is going to go wrong, whether it be in the country or after the birth he could feel that something was going to wrong.

So in December another cold winter birth his second daughter with her fair skin and blue eyes and freckles is born John clutches her close to him and feels the hair on the back of his neck prickle as if to warn him of the approaching tide.

And sometimes tell John that this daughter will ride against the tide to and one day will feel a warning like he can feel right now.

And in a cold day in December when the ice is thick but the sun is bright Erin Ester Walton is born.


James-Robert and Joseph Walton-1923

John thinks that when he held Erin two years ago this was the warning that he was feeling. Because now he's in a hospital with his wife bleeding one child dead and the other unsure of where his parents are.

He doesn't know what to do or what to think or what to feel as he follows the Doctor down hallway after hallway to see his son. He's in one of those little boxes they but babies in when there born too early and his hands shake when he realises how small he is.

But still when he holds him (thinking that he might fly away at any moment) he is still as warm and as little as all the other babies he has held. And at this moment this baby needs his daddy. He doesn't think about anything else but this and he'll deal with the heartache once he knows it will only be the one baby he's burying today.

And as John holds his fifth son (and not his sixth) something tells him that this baby too might one day dream of flying away from him.

And on a cold day in January James Robert Walton is born and Joseph Zebulon Walton dies.


Elizabeth Walton-1927

It's been a while since he's been in this predicament almost four years and John and Livy have a deep understanding that this will be the last time that this will happen. They have the family that they wanted and know the both of them are prepared to live quietly on Walton's mountain and raise their family and hopefully stay hidden as the rest of the world passes by.

So when in April John is told after a whole day and night of labour that he has another daughter he smiles and holds out his arms eagerly, while his Pa says something about going to get the rest of the children. This is his seventh child that has held and his eighth that has been born and it still amazes him that he has the chance to get this warm feeling inside whenever he holds one of his babies.

The novelty he soon realises has never quite worn off.

She like four of his seven children has bright red hair and blue eyes and a smattering of freckles and as she looked at him her eyes innocent John wondered if she would grow up in a world that was as innocent as her or if he would be like his and there would constantly be the threat of war.

And as John holds his third daughter, seventh and last child sometimes John thinks that this child might have the luxury of innocence a bit longer than the other ones.

And on a warm spring day in April Elizabeth Tyler Walton is born and the last of John and Livy's children and the Walton family is for now complete.


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