I stared at Sarah as she tried not to scream. I went into leader mode as she clutched her belly. "Luke, carry her to her own room, I'll get help." Luke nodded and scooped Sarah up, careful not to jostle her badly. He was off and down the hall.
"Max! Where's the aspirin?" Cam was looking at me accusingly as she and Cole climbed onto the balcony; I could see Fang floating behind them, held in the air by Cole's power (controlling things with his mind). "I think Fang hit his head when you threw him out the window, he couldn't get his wings out in time."
"Who cares about Fang? Sarah's in labor!" Cole, Cam, and Sam looked at me incredulously.
"What?" Sam looked worried.
"I don't have time to explain, I'll see you later." I ran out of the room and skidded down the hall. I hurried to where I thought the library was. There! I crashed through the door; Flash and some friends were lounging in chairs. Charles was nowhere to be seen. I turned and ran down another hall, I could hear Flash, Craze, and Cody shouting after me.
I ignored them and sprinted further down the hall. A door opened straight in front of me, I skidded to a stop before I ran right into Charles.
"You! Hurry up, where've you been! I've been looking for you!!" Charles looked surprised as I grabbed his hand and started running. I pushed past Flash who looked angry.
"Just follow me, now!" I ran down the hall and up a flight of stairs, the panting behind me was easily audible (I of course was hardly breaking a sweat after my vicious workouts, ha suckers!). I burst through the door of Sarah and Charles's bedroom. Charles stopped, panting behind me. He straightened.
"Now what's going on here I-" He cut himself off as I stepped aside and Sarah was visible. "Sarah! What's wrong? What's going on?"
"She's in labor." My voice was tight. Charles exchanged a look with Flash.
"You know what to do." Flash nodded and looked at Cody and Craze, in an instant they were both gone.
I knelt beside Charles who was taking Sarah's pulse. "Do you have somebody ready? To help her I mean?" He spared an impatient glance at me.
"Of course."
"Who?"
"Me, I'm a doctor, a normal one." I nodded.
"I need to know what Sarah's powers are." He looked at me in surprise as he rolled up his sleeves.
"She can sense and control emotions." I nodded.
"Then we're going to need this room to be as empty as possible. If the baby inherits her abilities, it will be wreaking havoc with our emotions. Who knows what could happen." He looked at me, this time his eyes were thoughtful and surprised. I "You're right. You stay, but everyone else needs to leave." I nodded. Luke who had been standing quietly in the corner nodded at me and left. No one else was in the room. I went to the door and locked it. I turned to Charles; he was spreading towels on the bed. I went over and helped him.
"Flash went to get my bag, if need be he can run and get more help." I looked at him in confusion.
"Run?" He nodded distractedly.
"Flash can run really fast." Just then Sarah screamed, loudly. I felt a brief moment of panic. I stepped forward and held my hand out; she clutched it in a death grip.
She looked up at me blearily and smiled. "Everything's going to be fine, I know it." She closed her eyes and leaned back on the pillows as her body shook with another contraction.
I looked at Charles, he was kneeling at the end of the bed between her legs.
"She must have been in labor for a while, she's already really dilated. " I looked at Sarah in concern.
"She's really warm," He frowned.
"I can do something about that." I pried my hand from Sarah's and pulled off my t-shirt. I let my wings slip loose from my tank top, letting them start to fan Sarah's sweaty face. I spotted a hair tie on the bedside table and I grabbed it. I pulled her hair up from her neck and her face and pulled it into a bun. She reached for my hand again and I let her have it, I could practically feel my bones breaking.
A loud knock sounded on the door and Charles ran to answer it. Sarah groaned and held my hand more tightly.
Charles came back with his bag and knelt by Sarah again.
"She's crowning!" Yelled Charles.
"What?" I yelled back.
"I can see the baby's head!" I looked at Sarah in alarm. Charles suddenly looked up at me in confusion. "What, what's going on? I-I'm confused?" I looked at him then at the baby's head.
"Charles, concentrate! It's just the baby!" He shook his head and looked back down.
"Okay Sar, push!" Sarah screamed and strangled my hand some more. I looked at Sarah, suddenly oh so happy. No! It was just the baby, concentrate Max! I shook off the feeling; glad that the baby wasn't strong enough to keep a strong hold on our emotions.
"Push Sarah!" Sarah screamed again. I pulled my wings back a little, but let them keep fanning her. "You're almost there honey, push!" Sarah screamed again, this time I thought my eardrums would shatter. I felt a wave of anger but I pushed it back. It was just the baby.
Suddenly a wail broke the air. I looked down to see Charles cleaning a small wailing baby. Sarah's eyes were closed, she looked exhausted.
"Charles?"
"It's a girl, a beautiful girl." Sarah smiled tiredly. Charles looked at her in alarm. "Sarah?"
"Charles, I don't… I don't feel so good." Charles stood and shoved the baby at me. "Here." I took the girl in alarm. Charles started rummaging around I his bag. He swore and I covered the baby's ears. He ran and yanked the door open, "Flash! Get me the blood now!"
Charles ran back to Sarah slamming the door, but not before I got a glance at the crowd of people standing outside. I picked up a towel and wrapped the baby in it. Charles had already cut the umbilical cord.
"She looked at me, her eyes wide open. The same shade of blue as her father's. She cooed at me and I suddenly felt intensely hungry. "No baby, you'll be fed soon, I hope." I felt curiosity as the girl's eyes wandered over my face. I suddenly felt a wave of sleepiness, the baby's eyes closed and the fatigue faded. My emotions settled as the baby fell asleep. "They're going to have their hands full with you baby, yes they are!" I hugged her closer and looked at Sarah. Flash was helping Charles set up a needle and a bag of something that looked suspiciously like blood.
"She's lost a lot of blood." I nodded and rocked the baby; her breathing was soft and regular.
We all watched Sarah for a few moments, then a soft blush of color started to stain her cheeks. Her breathing became more regular. We all let ourselves relax. Charles looked at the baby for the first time.
"Hello there," He smiled at her and held out his arms. I let the baby rest with him as he looked at her in wonder. "Do you know your name? Yes, it's Shenaia, Shenaia." He snuggled her closer and sighed. "I have to take care of your mommy right now Shenaia, your going to go back to your Aunty, " Charles put her back in my arms and I smiled as a realization hit me. "I'm your Aunty!" I was an Aunt; I looked at the sleeping baby and grinned. I looked at Charles and then at Sarah.
She was waking up. I handed Shenaia to her, her face lit up and I smiled. I ran to the bedroom door and slipped out.
"I'm an Aunt!" The people in the hall looked at me. Cole snickered.
"Well we always knew your brain was small."