Six-year-old Jaspert Sharp crossed his ankles and stared at the ceiling. He was sitting on the sofa with his back on the cushion and his long legs over the back. His brow furrowed when he thought about what could possibly be inside his mother's large stomach. When Jaspert had asked his da AND his ma, they had been vague but kind of excited. All Da had said was, "You'll see."
Feeling dizzy from all the blood rushing to his head, Jaspert sat up and couldn't move for a moment. Finally, he stood up and scampered up the stairs to his room. Well, almost his room. His Ma called out to him from her bedroom.
"Jaspert!" she said. The small boy looked up and into his parent's room. Ma was sitting on the bed, a look of obvious pain on her face, with a hand gripping her vast belly tightly. Jaspert frowned, concerned for his Ma.
"Aye, Ma?" he replied, trotting up to her and touching her arm. Her eyes were wide and he saw her grind her teeth with an unseen strain.
"Get your Da for me," his Ma said as calmly as she could manage.
"Are you okay, Ma?" he asked, scrutinizing her as closely as a six-year-old could. "You look a wee bit hurt."
"Aye, I'm fine," she said in a flustered rush. "Just get your Da." Huffing a sigh, Jaspert reluctantly turned and bounded the stairs. He flounced through the house to his Da's study. He knocked at the door cheerfully. Jaspert had always loved being in the study when he was allowed.
It was filled to the brim with books on aeronautics and beasties of all shapes and sizes. Loose parchments with strewn across the room with sketches of new balloon designs Da would come up with. It was a very unkempt room, everything without order. But someone, Da always seemed to know where everything was.
"Come in!" called Da's voice from inside as Jaspert knocked again impatiently. The boy smiled and hurried in. Da was at his desk, pencil and sketchpad in-hand.
"What is it, Jaspert?" he asked, setting down the things in his hand and stood up. He towered over the small boy, wearing a smile. Jaspert fidgeted as his Da picked him up and held him.
"Da!" he protested, laughing. Da laughed too and kissed his forehead before settling him down, ruffling his blonde curls playfully.
"What did you want?" repeated Da again with a grin.
"Ma wanted me to get you!" Jaspert replied cheerfully. Da frowned.
"Why? Was something wrong?" he asked worriedly. Jaspert shrugged.
"Well, she looked sort of hurt," he said. His Da's frown deepened and walked forward, patting him on the head.
"Thank you, Jasp," he said and strode quickly out of the room and stole up the stairs. Jaspert blinked, frowning. He peeked out of the study before following Da up the stairs. He looked into his parents' bedroom, looking in curiously. Ma looked like she was in agony, gripping Da's hand and her stomach still. She was trying to control herself and succeeding, Jaspert supposed. Da's eyes were wide with a look the little boy had never seen in them before. A look of fear.
Da kissed Ma's forehead and murmured something urgently. She nodded a bit and flinched. Jaspert's father released her hand and hurried from the room. He looked surprised to see Jaspert standing there but he got over it and turned the boy around, ushering him down the stairs.
"What's wrong with Ma?" he asked worriedly. "What's happening?"
"She's fine," but Da looked like he was lying. Whenever he was nervous or anxious, he couldn't lie worth a clart. "I'm going to take you over to Seamus's house now, alright?"
"Why?"
"Well, I need to talk to his Da."
"Why?"
"About your Ma."
"Why?"
Da's mustache twitched as his mouth did and Jaspert fell silent, struggling to match his father's pace. They went what seemed like as fast as humanly possible to Jaspert. They had reached Seamus Finnegan's house in a matter of minutes. Seamus was a boy Jaspert's age. Initially, it was only their parents that'd been friends.
Then they realized they had more in common the they'd thought. They both wanted to be airmen and they thought girls were disgusting and stupid among other things. Then there was the matter of Angus and Billie, the two tigersque guard dogs that the Finnegan's owned. The two boys adored them mightily.
Jaspert saw Angus and Billie laying side-by-side in a bright sunbeam on the lawn. Angus had one eye open, gazing at he and his Da warily. The two beasties weren't very active in the day but at night, Lord help the man that got caught by them. Da knocked on the white door, shifting from foot-to-foot anxiously. Soon, Dr. Finnegan opened the door. He was Seamus's father but insisted he be called Dr. Finnegan rather then Mr. Finnegan for some reason.
"Oh, hello, Artemis," Dr. Finnegan said in surprise. "Hello, Jaspert."
"Hi, Dr. Finnegan!"
"Hello, Edward," Da said, biting his lip. "Would it be alright if Jaspert stayed here for several hours?" Dr. Finnegan frowned, his brow knitting.
"You know your always welcome here," he replied. "What's wrong?" Da's voice lowered.
"It's about Maggie," he murmured.
"Ah." Dr. Finnegan nudged Jaspert inside. "Seamus is in his room." Then he closed the door before Jaspert could thank him. Seamus's Ma peeked out of the kitchen, her face whitened with flour.
"Hello, Jaspert," she said, surprised as well. "Where's your Da? I heard him."
"He and Dr. Finnegan are outside. Talking, I think." Jaspert paused. "I'm going to play with Seamus now."
"Ah. You boys have fun."
Jaspert didn't reply as he bolted, grinning, down the hall to the room on the right at the end. Without bothering to knock, he barged in. Seamus as on his bed, his brow furrowed in concentration. He held a sketch book and a pencil tight in his grip.
"Watcha doin', Finn?" Jaspert said brightly as he padded over.
"Tryin' to draw like your Da," grumbled the other boy. "One of those balloons."
"Oh."
"Wanna come look?"
"Sure!"
Jaspert peeked at the drawing. It wasn't too bad, to him. But, then again, he was six.

~X~X~X~

After several hours of nonstop play and annoying Angus and Billie, Jaspert saw Dr. Finnegan finally come home looking weary but satisfied. He had immediately gone to speak to Seamus's Ma for several moments before leaving and going to Jaspert.
"Jaspert, I need to take you home now," he sighed, gazing down at Jaspert warmly.
"Aw! Do I have too?" protested the little boy.
"Aye."
Jaspert stood up from where he'd been wrestling with Seamus and followed Dr. Finnegan to the door.
"Oh! By Seamus!" he called cheerfully and turned around, satisfied, when his friend waved goodbye to him.
"Dr. Finnegan?" Jaspert asked after several moments of silence.
"Aye, Jaspert?"
"What happened to my Ma? Is she okay?"
Dr. Finnegan smiled down at him warmly.
"Aye, she's fine. You have a little sister now."
"What?" cried Jaspert, in dismay and alarm. The tall man blinked at him.
"You did know you would have a little sibling, right?"
"No!"
Dr. Finnegan blinked again then smirked.
"Well, now you know," he chuckled. Jaspert didn't reply, his kind reeling. A little sibling? A GIRL? Disgusting! A barking little sister! How could his parents get a girl? Why would they choose a girl over a boy?
Jaspert didn't speak until he'd gotten home. He immediately ran upstairs to his parents' bedroom. Dr. Finnegan didn't stop him, still wearing an amused smile. At first, Jaspert could digest the image before him— mostly because of that small bundle in his Da's arms.
Ma had her arms roped around his neck, smiling. Da looked up at Jaspert, grinning like a loon.
"Come look at her, Jaspert," he said. Jaspert didn't move a moment, then reluctantly crept forward. He peered down at her over Da's shoulder warily. Her eyes were closed but she was fidgeting unhappily. Jaspert raised an eyebrow.
"It looks stupid," he said bluntly. His mother sharply cuffed his ear. Da shook his head a bit.
"She's only a baby, Jasp," he said softly.
"You should name her Salt."
"Why Salt?"
"I dunno. I like salt."
"We already have a name picked out, Jaspert," Ma growled tiredly. "Deryn Elizabeth."
Jaspert blinked and rolled the first name around on his tongue.
"Well, I like that, too."

A/N: I don't like this one as much as the first one I did ("Hello") but it's cute. :3 This was kind of a request from OnceUponAPage on DeviantArt.