Chapter 21. 9 months.

3 months later, Franny was bigger then before.

She had given up trying to find out what Lucille was knitting awhile back, and now it was just her shuffling around the house with a huge belly, talking to others constanly.

She didn't feel like going anywhere for some reason, and spent most of her time in her bedroom with Tallulah and Laszlo, reading them books.

Tallulah and Laszlo loved their Aunt Franny, and always wanted to be with her, touching her stomach, trying to feel the baby kick.

Thats what they were doing that very day.

Franny was sitting on her bed, the two kids lay next to her looking at the book while she read.

When she finished, Tallulah asked:

"Aunt Franny, when are you going to be a mommy?"

"Soon." Franny told her, patting her stomach. "You little cousin'll be born any day now."

"What're you naming him?" Laszlo asked.

"I don't know yet. My and your Uncle Cornelius and still deciding."

"If you don't decide quick the baby'll be born and the doctors will have to name him for you!" Tallulah spoke up, wide eyes.

"Don't worry, sweetie," Franny told her. "We'll name the baby even if he's born, I won't let a doctor name him."

Laszlo rolled off the bed and left the room, leaving Tallulah and Franny alone.

"Whats it like?" Tallulah asked suddenly.

"Whats what like?"

"Being pregnet."

"Oh, well. Its very nice. Knowing that a baby is inside you is a very special feeling."

"Where do babies come from, Aunt Franny?"

"Thats not something I should tell you." Franny told Tallulah. "Your mom and dad should tell you."

Tallulah didn't seem to like that answer. "They won't tell me. They won't tell Laszlo, either." She folded her arms and sulked into the pillow.

"Well, then your mom and dad have good reason not to tell you. Your what, seven now?"

Tallulah nodded.

"See, thats to young to know right now. Wait untill you are older, like ten."

Tallulah sighed. "Fi-ine."

Franny lay back into the pillow, putting her arm around Tallulah.

Tallulah fell asleep after awhile, and Franny closed her eyes and rested.

Franny was suddenly jerked awake when a bolt of pain struck her stomach. She grabbed her stomach and moaned.

Tallulah woke up and stared at her aunt. "Whats wrong?"

"My stomach, Tallulah." Franny said.

"Are you okay?"

Franny nodded. "I think I will be." She held her stomach for a few minutes. "I think it stopped."

Then she grabbed her stomach again, face scrunched up in pain.

"Is it back?" Tallulah asked, startled.

Franny nodded. "Honey...Do me a favor, please?"

"A favor like Uncle Gastons favor?" Tallulah asked.

Franny shook her head. "No, more important. Go get Uncle Cornelius for me. He's in the lab."

Tallulah nodded and raced off, leaving Franny alone on the bed.

Tallulah came back with Lewis in less then five minutes.

"Whats wrong?" Were the first words out of his mouth.

"I think I'm having contractions!" Franny breathed. She was breathing hard, one hand on her stomach, the other was balancing her self on the bed.

"Do you know how far apart they are?" Lewis asked, rushing over to her and holding the hand that was on her stomach.

"Four minutes?" Franny guessed, tightning up as another contraction came.

"I have a stopwa-A-A-A-A-A!" Lewis yelped.

Franny had grabbed Lewis's hand that was holding hers, and using him to great rid of her pain.

When the contraction was over, she released his hand and he imediatly held it and cried:

"My haaaaand."

About two minutes later Franny said:

"I think another ones coming!" She went after his hand but he pulled it back.

"No!" He yelled, then caught himself. "I-I-I...I need this hand for the stopwatch! Here," he gave her a pillow. "squeeze this."

She squeezed and pulled the pillow until it tore in half. Lewis was happy he had given her the pillow and not his hand.

"Cornelius!" She gasped. "They're closer!"

"Its okay." Lewis told her. "They are about three or four minutes apart. And remember, there are woman who go through this and don't have the baby for another week!"

"ANOTHER WEEK?" Franny shrieked. "I have to go through ANOTHER week of this? Cornelius, this week is the due date. I...Oh, another one!" She grabbed the bedpost and hung on.

Tallulah was still standing in the cornor of the room, waiting.

"Is she alright?" Tallulah asked as Lewis grabbed the phone to call the hospital.

"She's fine, baby," Lewis told her. "Hello? Oh thank God. Listen, my wife is going into contractions...Franny Robinson...Yes, they are about four or five minutes apart, last time I check was three or four, but I'm-"

"Cornelius?" Came Frannys voice.

Lewis turned around. "Yes?"

"My water just broke."