"This isn't as fun as I thought it would be..." Columbia tapped her foot while Jareth was debating over different baby clothes.
"I like it." She rolled her eyes.
"I'm going to be in the crib section. When you've found the one you like, come over there. God knows you got enough..." She rolled the buggy full of outfits to the crib section. She strolled through a few designs, when she found the one Magenta wanted. Good, sturdy, red wood, with replaceable netting, and a place to hang a mobile. She took a deep breath, lined the cart up, and tried to scoot it in.
"Here... Let me help you with that..." An employee ran up and helped Columbia. "A lovely mother such as yourself shouldn't have to do that."
"Flattering, but I'm actually shopping with..." She pointed to Jareth. "Him. He's my stepsister's husband, and they're expecting. First time, as you can see from the arse-load of clothes." The employee nodded, chuckling.
"Well, that's very sweet of you." Columbia nodded. "If you have any questions, I'd be happy to meet over coffee." Columbia grinned at his weak attempt at flirting. "Here's my number..." He pulled put a pen, and scribbled it on the box.
'Charlie' And his number.
"Nice to meet you Charlie. Columbia. And I think I'll be taking you up for that coffee..." She shook his hand, and Jareth ran over.
"I like this one." He grinned, putting in the buggy. "Who's this?"
"He works here. Let's go, honey." She walked Jareth out of the aisle, and winked at Charlie. They finished, getting a swing, a stroller, and a few other miscellaneous items, and went to checkout.
"I don't like doing this." Jareth shushed her. They were glued to the television screen.
"She had a date. I want to see it. She's become a younger sister to me..." Magenta grinned. "I'm not becoming soft."
"Becoming?" He glared at her, and she laughed.
"So... Uh... You work at that store?" Charlie nodded. "That's cool."
"Yeah, I've always wanted kids... I am just missing the you know... Female." Columbia laughed.
"My little girl misses her father sometimes..." Charlie laughed.
"Oh, so you uh... Have a kid?" Columbia nodded.
"I didn't tell you that... Shit." She rolled her eyes. "I have a toddler, and her father passed shortly after she was born."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Columbia shook her head.
"Oh, it's fine. He was a complete and total arse."
"Damn." Jareth looked at Magenta. "This sucks."
"You're just moody." She giggled.
"I don't have that bad of mood swings... Good part is, we're approaching... Week... Last one." Jareth snorted. "Bad part... Soon we have to take care of a baby." She sighed, but perked up again. "You know... They say sex can..." She walked fingers up his chest.
"And you don't have mood swings." Magenta looked offended.
"I don't!" Jareth laughed.
"Uhh..." Magenta groaned, being a week overdue, was being three weeks overdue for a normal pregnancy "I can't breathe..." Columbia laughed. They were back on Transexual, because Magenta couldn't take the heat of the Goblin City.
"I know honey..." Columbia changed the cool rag on her forehead. "Jareth's still getting the things ready... I'll call him when you go into labor, but until then, he's staying."
"HE DID THIS TO ME!" Columbia rolled her eyes.
"I felt like that. It's fine, the appointment is in..." She looked at her watch. "Four hours. See if you can get into action before hand." Columbia left Magenta's side to get more cool rags.
"Co-Columbia?" Her head perked up. "Fuck! Never mind, it was just gas." Columbia giggled. "Not funny!"
"It's very funny! You know why? Because you laughed at me while I was overdue." Magenta's face fell.
"I am so sorry." She waved her hand.
"No big deal." Columbia started to play Pulp Fiction.
"You okay?" Magenta shifted.
"No. I'm uncomfortable, and now I'm pissed off, because I still don't know what's in that motherfucking brief case!" Columbia hugged her around the shoulders, helping her up.
"It's almost appointment time." She changed Magenta, and got her bags. They got to the hospital and went to the maternity ward.
"How's our most over-due patient in years?" Magenta groaned.
They got her checked in, into her robe, and onto the bed, in the room she shared with another girl. "How many?"
"Six. You just get here?" Magenta nodded. "I'm a day overdue."
"An entire week." Her jaw dropped. "That must suck. SO?"
"Husband is back home, in his kingdom." The girl nodded.
"Queen?" Magenta nodded.
"Earth realm, Goblins." The other girl nodded.
"Tranny, Transexual." Magenta's brow raised. "I'm Ambrosia's surrogate."
"I didn't even know she was trying!" The surrogate shrugged.
"She wanted a kid, but she got fixed a while ago. She's very happy with Frank Junior." Magenta snorted. "You have any names?"
"No... Not really. As soon as she pops out, that's when we decide. I mean, we've got some ideas, but we have to see what suits her." The surrogate nodded. "So far, we have Magenta, Columbia, Alice, Ambrosia, Sarah, Lola, and that one is only for the song."
"Well, I mean, there's a lot of songs named after girls." She had a contraction, but kept talking.
"Name twenty!" She rolled her eyes.
"Rosanna, Roxanne, Michelle, Alison, Sarah, Angie, Brandy, Mandy, Gloria, Cecilia, Maggie May, Jessica, Nancy, Barbara Ann, Billie Jean, Layla, Lola, Polly, Helena, Jenny from the Block." Magenta thought.
"Name six more." She sighed.
"Sherry, Laura, Wendy, Maria, Peggy Sue, Minnie the Moocher." Magenta was getting more puzzled.
"Name five more." Surely she couldn't have that many.
"Tracy, Jean, Jane, Mary Ann, Eleanor Rigby." Magenta gasped.
"Oh, I love the Beatles!" She hummed Eleanor Rigby until she got a contraction. "Well that wasn't that bad."
"They get a lot worse." Magenta nodded.
"Magenta?" She smiled as Jareth came in.
"Hi, honey." He hugged her, and kissed her lightly.
"Aww..." They turned to the surrogate.
"I would of been here sooner, but Columbia can't come in here, and she wouldn't let me leave." Magenta laughed.
Twelve hours past, with six more women going in, and leaving, and Magenta was loosing it.
"Okay. Listen. If you bring another person in here and they have a baby before me..." She thought. "I'll sue."
"It doesn't wor-" She swatted at Jareth.
"I know!" The nurse walked over.
"I guess I can check..." Magenta tried not to clench up as she checked, and the nurse laughed. "Well, actually, it looks like you're ready for the delivery room."
Jareth rubbed Magenta's arm as her face went from joy, to realization. "So a baby coming out of a ten centimeter hole..." Jareth laughed as they wheeled her out.
"One more Magenta, one good one." Her head hit the pillows.
"I can't!" Jareth wiped away her hair from her face.
"You have to, honey." He held out his hand,and she took it.
"Okay, Magenta. One more good push." She nodded, getting back into position, and she felt the baby come out. Magenta collapsed, and Jareth took his hand back, holding it. "She break it?" Jareth shook his head. "So, do we have a name yet?"
"Not yet." The nurse nodded.
"Alright, it's Baby Girl Bowie for now." After Magenta was stable, and felt like the hole wasn't that big, Columbia and Janet came in.
"Hi!" Columbia was bouncing up and down. "How are you?"
Magenta shrugged. "Empty."
"You'll get over it when she marries Jareth." Magenta glared at her mother, while Jareth shifted uncomfortably. "You think of any names?"
"Baby Girl isn't her name? That was so unique!" Magenta rubbed Columbia's arm.
"We decided against it." Columbia nodded.
"She was blonde, so Baby Girl wouldn't do well." Columbia nodded.
"Okay... The names I have are Magenta, Columbia, Alicia, Ambrosia, Sarah, Lola, Michelle, Alison, Cecilia, and Eleanor." Columbia gasped.
"Wow."Se laughed. "More than I ever had..."
"Lola reminds me of a drag queen." Magenta laughed.
"It reminds everyone of a drag queen, Mum. Who he met in Old SoHo. Where you drink campaign, tastes just like coca cola."
"C-o-l-a, cola." Columbia giggled.
"That's enough Columbia." She frowned at Sarah. "Michelle and Eleanor you got from the Beatles." Magenta nodded.
"I kind of like Lola." Magenta scrunched up her face at Columbia.
"Princess Lola." The group was silent.
"Victoria." Columbia smiled at her suggestion. "I wasn't thinking, I put Laura's second name as Veronica, not Victoria."
"Princess Victoria." Sarah scrunched her nose up.
"Sounds to much like the British royals. I hate it." Magenta's face fell.
"I love Victoria." Sarah glared at Jareth.
"Three against one Mum. We'll give you benefit of the doubt for her middle name." Sarah nodded.
"Okay, I can do that. Victoria Something Bowie." She thought. "Berlin."
"Berlin? Really?" Sarah nodded.
"Yeah, really! I'm reading this great book, and one girl's middle name is Berlin." Columbia and Magenta looked strangely at Sarah, while Jareth thought.
Columbia thought for a moment. "As in David Bowie's Berlin era?" Sarah shrugged.
"That too."
"Victoria Berlin Bowie." Magenta's face formed into a smile, hearing Jareth say it.
"Victoria Berlin." Sarah smiled, looking at her daughter. "Alright, Mum. You got to help name your granddaughter. Aren't you proud?"