In which the baby is born.
I've also just come to another realization, and I want your opinions: Has anyone besides myself realized that in any romantic comedy that has a black guy in it, they are best friends with the asshole/jock/'cool guy', and they always end up falling for the fat/ugly girl in the group? Two perfect examples: The Hot Chick and She's The Man.
Nathon tried to block the images from his mind as he set to work. He tossed up her skirts once he had her on the bed, holding her steady as she screamed and thrashed in agony. There'd been no time to fetch the birthmother or the doctor, only time to scream out the window for help before another contraction ripped through her and had the woman arching off the floor in pain.
That first contraction had come out of nowhere, sending Beatrice crumbling to the ground.
"Easy my love, easy, breathe!" Nathon reached forward to take her hand, trying to sooth her. "You're going to have to push Beatrice!"
Nathon had absolutely no idea what he was doing. He tried to remember all the advice the doctor and birthmother had given him, remember all the things he'd heard about his own birth.
None of it helped.
He heard the door bang open as Mr. Yenson and his wife answered his pleas for help. Mrs. Yenson took one look at what was happening and sent her husband out to fetch whoever he could wake up this late, before she rushed to the kitchen to fetch the warm water and cloths.
She returned in the blink of an eye, and together she and Nathon soothed and guided the distressed Beatrice through the birth.
Mr. Yenson returned half an hour later, just as another contraction sent the woman into agonized howls of pain. "The doc's outta town, seeing to some poor souls wot caught the plague. The birthmother couldn't be found, 'ow's she doin'?"
Beatrice screeched in response, just about crushing Mrs. Yenson's hand.
And then, quite suddenly, the room was filled with a thin, weak cry of shock.
Nathon lifted his head, staring wide-eyed at his wife. "It's a little boy…"
Beatrice smiled through her uncontrollable sobbing, holding her hands out for the bundle as Nathon and Mrs. Yenson cleaned the baby off and wrapped him in a thick blanket. Nathon grinned as he settled onto the edge of the bed next to her, lowering the bundle into her arms. "Our son Bea…"
Beatrice laughed, lowering her lips to the child's forehead. "He's so beautiful Nat…"
The baby whined, rubbing his eyes with tiny fists before they slowly blinked open.
All four adults gasped in simultaneous shock and horror as they stared down into wild, vivid blue eyes.
"Tobias Samuel…"
Mrs. Yenson crossed herself, and mumbled a prayer under her breath as Mr. Yenson dropped to his knees by the bed. "Nathon… Nathon 'e's got the same eyes as-"
Beatrice cried out, grabbing onto her husband's sleeve. "Nathon, you know I never-"
"Shh, I know my love. This is the bastard's witchcraft at work… he's possessed our son from the grave…"
"Nathon… if he's…-" Mr. Yenson started.
"I know! Get the priest, please."
Mr. Yenson was out the door in the blink of an eye.
Beatrice shook her head. "Nathon… Nathon no… He's just a baby! This… this might have nothing to do with the witch… he could just have… could just have that sorta eyes!"
Nathon sighed, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "It is Beatrice. I… I just delivered him to this world by my own hands. That was what Tobias said to me… that I would bring a monster unlike the world has ever seen into life by my hands… And Bea… he's come about so early, yet he's large and healthy as any son brought to full term…" Nathon lifted a hand to cup his son's cheek. "We won't let him become a monster though… The priest shall bless him, he'll have his chance…" Nathon lifted his son's tiny fist to kiss it. "We'll protect him…"
Beatrice sniffled. "Little… Little Benjamin… I've always loved that name… It's a good name… Never known any bad people named Benjamin…"
"Benjamin he'll be then. Don't worry my love, he'll be protected."
"I'm sorry I… I'm not really sure what I can do to help… what exactly happened during the hanging?"
Nathon recounted the events to the priest as he and Bea stood on one side of the crib, while the priest leaned over the other. "Isn't there a prayer, a blessing, anything father?" Beatrice asked desperately.
Nathon hugged his wife gently, watching his son gurgle and laugh up at the adults. Such an innocent… tiny little thing…
The priest knelt by the crib and covered Benjamin's eyes with one hand, laying the other over the child's heart. Benjamin whined in irritation, trying to push the man's hands off him as the priest began to speak. "Lord, let the evil done to this child be locked away. Let the light offer him a second choice. Send to him a soul to sooth his, and tame the darkness in his heart."** The priest sighed again, and stood with a grimace. "That is all I can offer you, I'm so very sorry."
The child's eyes blinked slowly open, and Beatrice sobbed quietly in shock or relief, even she wasn't sure. For the baby's eyes had turned from that cursed blue to a blinding, unnatural fiery emerald.
But they were no longer the witch's eyes.
Nathon bent to scoop the whining child up in his arms. "We thank you father."
Betelgeuse groaned, rolling his head from side to side as the blessing in the dream washed through the child's bones. It was so damn hot!
The poltergeist snarled, ripping at his tie and coat as sweat coated his forehead. He ripped the offending articles from his body, thrashing about in the confines of the coffin in his quest.
It was still too hot.
He popped open the buttons of his shirt and kicked off his boots
Better… not much though.
Betel glared half-heartedly at the lid of the coffin. He wanted out! He wanted to stop having these crazy dreams.
Who the hell were these people? None of it made any sense. He'd have to ask Lydia…
She'd figure it out. Lyds… I'm goin' nuts in here…
How long had passed?!
How the hell long was he going to be in here?!
God he was hungry!
Betel sighed as he lifted his hand to study its progress once again. He was slowly gaining back his normal color, and he could hold his form together.
But he felt like shit. He felt weak and tired and nauseous and it was driving him to the brink of insanity. Well… closer.
Betel sighed and closed his eyes, concentrating on the swirls of energy he could feel floating around him. If he could just take that power back…
I wanna fuckin' smoke…
**So that blessing… I don't really like… know all that much about Christianity and church and all that, so, much like the curse Nick used on Betel, it was just some blah I made up randomly.
I'm starting school again today. =( That's the bad news. The good news is that I boned the majority of the chapters for this story out, and there's a possibility we may exceed the last installment's chapters. =D. Oh, and I managed to set up my classes so I'll (hopefully) have plenty of time to write maybe half a chapter each day. =D.
RaversAnthem: No, sorry. No Lydia this time. =(. Next chapter though! She goes back to visit his coffin.
Prats 'R' Us: I love that episode. =D Funny as hell. Adam and Babs are all for seperating the pair, so... =D. We'll just have to wait and see.
LoliPear: I don't like them either. Especially Maui. =(. But, you are right. It must be done. I'm trying to keep him half-n-half. I don't want all cartoon, or all movie but a balance of all the 'best' parts between the two. And I have had a small amount of practice. =D I.... *cough* role play on Gaia a lot. Or I did.
