Unwelcome News Chapter 7 - The Birth

Disclaimer - I don't own Digimon.

Here it is. The big finale. Ok not really, there's still the epilogue.

Also some people might be offended with the way that I portray Kari in this, to let you know I think that this is how Kari would react to this situation. It's not anything crazy, but I know some people don't like her being portrayed as somewhat 'weak' although she is actually very strong. Just had to get that off of my chest.

I dedicate this chapter to Joey.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

~Oh my God~ Kari thought, the same three words playing over and over in her mind. She could not believe this was happening, not now. All she wanted to do was pull the covers high over her head and go to sleep, like nothing had ever happened.

The clock ticking seemed to be magnified in her increasing panic, every little sound sounded like symbols clashing in her ears. She could feel her heart beating, faster and faster. This was it.

(God I'm getting excited and nervous myself now!)

Realization struck her suddenly like a bolt of lightning, everything became to her what she must do, despite her feeling of dread and regret.

'S-Sora?' the girl barely whispered to the bed next to her. Seeing nor hearing any movement, she cried out: 'Sora!'

The older girl and Mimi woke up with a start.

'What is it?' Mimi asked, afraid to find out the answer.

Sora cast her eye over her boyfriend's little sister, taking in the silent tears that were just visible in the small nightlight and the trembling, scared body.

'You're going into labour aren't you?'

Mimi gasped as she watched a terrified head nod slowly.

'Oh my God.'

Sora seemed to take the situation smoothly. She knew that she had to be strong for Kari, otherwise Mimi would totally collapse too.

'Mimi, go and get Tai, TK and Gennai. Get some towels and hot water while you're up. We'll be needing them.'

As Mimi left the room, Sora gave the expectant mother an encouraging smile. Kari was warmed slightly by Sora's efforts and her confidence increased a little.

***********

Mimi raced towards the boys room, with only one thought in her mind. She did not even bother to knock as she pushed the door hard, sending it flying open, waking up the occupants inside with a start.

'Mimi what the hell are you doing?' Matt yelled, before seeing the look on his girlfriend's face. 'What is it?'

'It's.' she gasped, panting for breath, 'it's Kari..she's.going into...labour.'

Matt glanced at his younger brother, his face one second one of annoyance and tiredness, the next of pure shock.

Tai sat there, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish, completely in a mesmerized state, a trance.

'Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!' a scream came down the hallway, immediately awakening the three from complete shock.

'Kari.' TK whispered, before throwing back the covers and sprinting out of the door towards the scream, Tai close behind him.

They all arrived to find Gennai already there.

'Ah! Tai, Matt, TK. You're here at last, now, a matter concerning-'

'Shut up Gennai! That's my sister giving birth in there and you wanna talk?' Despite the situation, the others were a little shocked at Tai's outburst.

'Well actually, yes.' the man still appeared calm. 'Obviously between you we have no midwife of any kind, the closest thing we have is Joe. It just so happens that when I was younger I trained on a medical program, I do have the exact qualifications but I have studied human birth in great detail. I do believe that I can assist.'

Tai was about to say something before TK stopped him.

'Tai it's the best thing we've got.'

'Then it is decided,' Gennai proclaimed, 'now let's get down to business.'

Joe and Izzy appeared from another door. Izzy looked like he had never gone to sleep while Joe looked as though he had been woken from the sleep of the century, rubbing his eyes occasionally.

'What's going *yawn* on?' the practice doctor asked no one in particular.

Mimi quickly gave them a summary. Izzy straight away went onto a website about birth, whilst Joe started panicking and starting running around in circles like a lunatic.

'Joe will you calm down? That's their job,' he said, nodding his head towards TK and Tai.

Inside the bedroom the atmosphere was very different. The overhead light had already been switched on and it's beams reflected off of the whitewash walls. Sora had stripped the bed of it's duvet so only the cover sheet remained, a large pile of pillows were propped up against the bedstead. Kari sat on the end of the bed, where the older girl was trying to comfort her. She had already made Kari change into a large white nightdress instead of teddy bear pyjamas.

*knock knock*

'Yeah?' Sora asked carefully, her arm around the younger girl's shoulders.

'Sora I have the towels and the water. Can I come in?' it was Mimi.

'Sure.'

Careful to keep the door as closed as possible, the pink haired beauty somehow opened the oak door, carrying a large pile of fluffy towels and a big bowl of water. She nodded in approval at the new bedding arrangements before setting down her items on the dresser.

After sitting down on the other side of the girl in labour, another contraction hit and Kari cried out in pain, clutching Sora's arm tightly. Gennai appeared from behind the door.

'How many has she had?'

'This is her second one in the past ten minutes.'

'Bad?'

'Yes!' Kari answered instead of the apparent nurse.

'Alright. Thank you, nurses,' he said with a glint in his eye, motioning for the girls to leave. 'I will call you when you are needed.'

When the door had been closed, Gennai smiled kindly at Kari, to assure her that it was alright. He explained about his 'training'. Kari nodded to show that she understood.

'Right. Let's get you up on the bed then.'

He helped her climb onto the seemingly larger bed all of a sudden, and prop her head up against the pillows.

'I'm afraid that it'll be quite a while yet. We have to wait until the contractions get down to about three every two minutes before we can start. Do you want to see anyone?'

'Tai.'

Understanding, Gennai left the room to sterilise his hands, leaving his message on the way.

Kari stared down at the bed before her. ~When I get off of her, I'll be a mother~ she thought. She was interrupted by a large-haired brunette.

'Kari?'

'Tai. I'm scared. I've never been so scared in my whole life, including when we fought the Dark Masters.'

He sat down on the small area next to her, taking in the ominous bulge (ok that's volcanoes, but it sounds good) just below her stomach. It seemed to be much more important now, the centre of attention.

He stared into his sister's crimson eyes, the ones which he had watched grow up since Kari was a tiny baby herself, the sweet, innocent, caring ones. Deep down inside of him, he knew that this day would eventually come, when he would have to let his little sister become in charge of someone. He couldn't stop it nor fight it in anyway, this was a thing which he could never protect her from, he could never protect her from the pain and agony which this gift could bring. Whether it was a blessing or a curse, he could not tell, but whatever it was, it would happen tonight.

'Kari, look, you're gonna have to face this one on your own kiddo. I can't help. It's up to you now.'

'But I'm not ready for a baby am I? I'm thirteen years old, by the time I'm twenty this child will be seven! How can I do this?'

'I don't know, that's up to you. I believe in you Kari, I have faith. You'll get through it, just like you did all those other times.'

'But then I had TK.'

'And you still do,' a voice cut in as the younger blonde entered the room.

Tai, sensing that this should be a private moment, kissed his baby sister on the forehead and whispered:

'See you soon sis,' before exiting the room.

'Kari, I'm here for you, so is everyone. Tai's wrong. It's not up to you. It's up to us.'

These few words made her shine inside. She did not know why, but TK always knew what to say to make her feel better, ever since they were eight. She stopped crying and TK wiped her tears away from her face.

They leaned forward and hugged their friendly best friends hug, before Kari went rigid.

'What's wrong?' the concerned father-to-be asked his girlfriend.

'Con-trac-tion,' she said between gritted teeth.

One and a half hours past, the contractions becoming more and more frequent, screams becoming almost part of the scenery. Outside many cups of coffee were being drunk, and tension was in the air.

Suddenly what seemed like the thousandth sound of pain erupted from the bedroom. Gennai, who had been timing carefully for the past half hour, said:

'It is time.'

Sora and Mimi followed the wise old man into the room of soon-to-be new life.

*************

Pain. Pure agony. Kari struggled to even stay conscious with what was happening. She had never been in so much pain in all her life, she was oblivious to what was happening around her, the words of encouragement seemed millions of miles away as her body fought. The agony was so that it felt like her body was being ripped apart in two by an invisible force determined to destroy her, all she wanted was for it to be over. Screaming helped to release her suffering to the world, it helped lift a huge weight off of her shoulders.

Finally when she felt as though she would die if she did anything more, when the world would come to an end, it stopped. It was still there, yet only the after effects. Her pain and suffering was over.

'Congratulations, you are the parents of a beautiful baby girl,' Gennai announced, a large grin forming across his face as he handed the small bundle to his patient.

Sora and Mimi hugged each other in happiness.

TK sat there, looking at his daughter and doing an almost perfect demonstration of Tai's goldfish impression.

Ignoring the fact that she was hot and covered in sweat, Kari gently took her child in her arms, who was crying for all she was worth. Rocking her gently, she took in what she had been carrying for the past few days. Her little fingers, her tiny toes were so perfect. So much pain had caused something so wonderful. A sense of achievement flooded through her like the relief, that she had brought new life into the world, the Digital World.

Gennai, Sora and Mimi left to tell the others. Gennai told the rest of the DigiDestined to wait a few minutes.

When she had settled down a bit, the new born baby slowly drifted off to sleep.

'Want to hold her?' TK looked into her eyes, telling her yes. He carefully took her small body and continued to rock her gently.

'She's beautiful,' he continued to be amazed by how he had somehow partly created this wonderful thing. 'Just like her mother.'

Kari smiled lightly, her blush not showing through her already red cheeks.

There was a knock on the door. Two heads popped around it, a blonde and a brunette one.

'Hey guys,' Tai said, entering and closing the door behind Matt.

As they approached the bed, the two watched their young niece sleeping peacefully in her father's arms.

'She's tiny,' Matt remarked, in awe of how such a thing could be created.

'She's wonderful,' Tai countered. 'I'm proud of you sis.'

Kari's smile grew to a grin. At this rate she would never stop smiling.

'What are you gonna call her?'

TK and Kari looked into each others eyes, remembering the prophecy. Each knew what the other was thinking.

'Faith,' they said at the same time.

TK looked down upon his daughter who was resting peacefully in his arms.

'Faith Kamiya.'

Kari interjected.

'No.' TK looked up in surprise. 'Faith Takaishi.'

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*sniff* I'm in such a sappy, weird mood now.

I don't believe that this fic is nearly over! There's still the epilogue to go.

Please please please review!!!!!!!!!!! I really appreciate them.

Thank yous in the next chapter.

Please?