A/N: this one is kind of long.
Warning:: there will be suggestions of the process of childbirth in this chapter. Not too graphic, but they are there.
I think that the childbirth is a beautiful miracle, and shouldn't be awkward.
You'll probably want to know how I, a 16 year old, know so much about this. The answer is, I read a lot of pregnancy stories, I've studied it in science books and such, and being one of eight children, questions and conversations do arise.
Please don't flame.
Childbirth is beautiful. Don't like? Don't read.
Also, the chapter where Sally gives birth will be kinda graphic. Just a warning, though we're not there yet.
Enough rambling::
Chapter 50- the babysitters.
A few days passed. Sally's morning sickness was becoming less frequent, but it was still there. She leaned back onto Lightning, who stood behind her, holding her hair out of the way.
"Thanks, Love." Sally said to him, standing up.
He pulled her close. "Anything for you, Sally angel." He replied, rubbing her back. They walked into their room. It was early February, and Sally was five months pregnant. The weather outside was growing slightly warmer, and all the snow turned to sludge.
"So, " Sally started. "Two days from now, and we find out if it's a boy or a girl. You excited?"
Lightning smiled. "Very." He replied, sitting beside her on the bed. "And then, in two weeks is your baby shower."
Sally placed a hand on her now beginning to get big stomach.
"Do you want a boy or a girl?" She asked Lightning, who set his hand on top of hers.
"Either is fine. But I'd like a boy first."
He gently began to rub her stomach.
"Why do you want a boy first?" Sally asked, smoothing out the dark blue duvet.
"So that he can be an older brother, and when we have a girl, he can beat up any boy who ever makes my little girl cry." Lightning replied.
"Aww." Sally said. "That's sweet. I want a boy so he can carry on your racing legacy. But I guess a girl could do that too." Lightning shook his head. "Girls can't race." He said.
Sally was confused. "Why not?"
"Well, MY girl can't race." Lightning said firmly. "I don't want to risk her getting hurt. And it's all guys. They'll be all over her."
"And what's going to stop the boy from getting hurt?" Sally asked, not dropping the issue.
" There's nothing stopping either from getting hurt, but I don't think that the girl could handle it as well as the boy."
"Well, I think we should give her a chance at least."
"We'll see what happens."
Sally sighed and closed her eyes.
"You okay?" Lightning asked.
Sally nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine." She replied. " I know I just threw up, but now I'm hungry."
"Did you ever eat breakfast?" Lightning asked.
Sally glared slightly. "Yes, and then I threw it up." She said.
"Oh. Well, you want me to bring you something?" He asked.
She looked at him pitifully. "Do we have any peanut butter? And tomatoes?"
Lightning looked at her strangely. "You'd eat those together?"
Sally nodded. "Yeah. If you put it on some wheat bread, you'd have yourself one mean sandwich."
Lightning just looked at her.
"What!" She demanded. "It sounds really good!"
"I'm not sure we have any of those things. You want anything else?" He asked, trying to keep his wife from food poisoning herself.
"Some Soft pretzels with cheese, from Flo's ." She asked, giving him the puppy eyes.
He sighed. Darn cravings. He thought.
"Sure, want to come with?" He asked.
She smiled up at him. "Okay." She agreed. So hand in hand, they walked to Flo's.
They walked into the cafe and sat at a bench. Fast Cars and Freedom by Rascal Flatts was playing over the speakers. It was warm and cozy. A few other couples were there.
Lightning took Sally's hand. "I see a dust trail following an old red Nova, baby blue eyes, your head on my shoulder." He began singing softly with the music. "You don't look a day over fast cars and freedom, that sunset, riverbank, first time feeling, yeah.."
Sally smiled at him. "I love that song."
He touched his nose to hers. "I know."
Flo walked over to them.
"Can I get y'all something to drink?" She asked.
"Just our usual." Lightning told her.
Flo smiled and wrote down something on her note tablet. "Alrighty, I'll have that for you in just a minute. Sally Honey, you're looking kinda pale. You alright?" Sally smiled ruefully. "Had a morning sickness issue earlier, but I'm fine now."
Flo put a hand on Sally's shoulder. "In a few months, it will have All been worth it." She told her before walking off to go get their drinks.
A minute later, the Weathers walked into the cafe, and over to Lightning and Sally.
"Hey!" Sally said, standing up and hugging Linda.
"Hey Sweetie." Linda said, returning the hug. "Oh, you're looking so pretty."
Sally blushed. "I sure don't feel pretty." She said. "But you're looking good too."
"Thanks." Linda said. Linda was due to have her baby a month after Sally. Justin raised his arms towards Linda, who picked him up.
"Mama." He said, laying his head on her shoulder.
"Aww!" Sally exclaimed. "When did he start talking?"
Linda smiled. "About a month ago, but just today he started saying mama. Before that, all he said was dada." Linda said with a slight glare at her husband, who just laughed.
They took seats at Lightning and Sally's table, and chitchatted.
"What does your schedule look like for next week, Sally?" Linda asked.
Sally looked up, surprised. "I don't have all that much going on. Why?" She asked, confused.
Linda smiled."I want to take you shopping." She replied. "Just sort of a 'girls day out', you know? We could get Maria and Holley too."
"That'd be great." Sally said. "I could use a little break."
"Okay." Linda said as they paid and stood up. They headed towards the door. "Lets say...Thursday?"
Sally nodded. "That'd be great." She replied, then she and Lightning headed for home. So they decided that while the girls had a day out, the guys would hang out at Lightning's house and keep an eye on Justin and Chase. No, the guys had no idea what they had just gotten themselves into.
That night, as Lightning lay in bed with Sally sleeping beside him, an idea was forming in his mind. The thought that led to it was that they were under extra blankets. The house's heating system didn't work. Neither did the cooling system. He'd had to put a bucket under the leaky sink. The paint outside was chipping. He had had a person over earlier to inspect the house's condition and had been told that it had termites. He had told Sally, but she had been so tired that she said they would just discuss it in the morning. This was no place to raise their first child. This was no place for them to even stay in. And that's where the idea came in. He would have a house built for Sally. Built for them. Built for their family.
The next morning, While Sally was still asleep, Lightning walked downstairs and made a call to the contractor and construction team. They agreed. He made a call to the bank and made a deal on payment. They agreed. He made a call to a landowner about an empty plot on the edge of town. He agreed. He called the townspeople and swore them to secrecy. They agreed. He made the plans for the house: six bedroom, four bathroom, full kitchen and dining room, living room, two stories, attic, basement, porch, deck, front yard, back yard, swimming pool, and two car garage. Everything was perfect. The contractor called and said that they could have it built by June tenth. Two days before the baby was due. Lightning would tell Sally about it on her birthday, and until then, everyone would just say that the construction was for a new tourist attraction. Everything was perfect!
After call making, Lightning walked up the stairs and back to their bedroom to find Sally curled on her side, eyes closed tight, and an expression of pain on her face. He rushed over to her.
"Sally, are you alright?" He asked in a panic.
She shook her head. "I tried to get up, but I pulled a muscle in my back and can't get up now." Sally explained. "Alice said that it's common to pull muscles more often during pregnancy, but dang, this hurts!"
Lightning walked around behind her and set his hand on her shoulder.
"Where's it hurt?" He asked softly.
She took a deep breath. "Lower back, left side." She replied. He set his hands on that spot, and Sally inhaled sharply.
"Don't touch!" She begged. "It'll work itself out soon."
Lightning didn't oblige. He began to gently, but firmly, rub that spot. He saw Sally's shoulders relax.
"Is that helping?" He asked after another minute.
Sally nodded. "It helped." She said. "I think I can probably get up now."
She turned over and stood with Lightning's help, then laid her head on his shoulder wearily.
"Thank you." She said quietly.
"Anything for you, my lovely." Lightning replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He hated to see her in pain, and that had been a lot more often lately, and it made him feel helpless. He tried to do what he could to make her feel better, so she would feel loved, and he wouldn't feel so useless. He gave her another kiss, then they left the room to go get breakfast.
That afternoon, The ladies left to go to Phoenix, leaving Justin and Chase with the men.
Maria though, was a tad nervous leaving Chase.
"Now he needs his bottle every three hours." She was saying to Chick as she handed him the diaper bag. "Don't forget! He will cry if he doesn't have his bottle. After you give it to him, put him on your shoulder and pat his back. Remember to use the cloth!"
Chick rolled his eyes. "Maria, please. I can handle this." He said, taking Chase from her.
"I know, I know, it's just that this is the first time I've left him for so long before." Maria said sadly.
"And I am also his parent." Chick said. " Don't you trust me?"
"I wouldn't trust him." Lightning said under his breath, earning him a glare.
Chick turned back to Maria. "He'll be fine. Lightning will help me." He said.
Lightning looked up, confused.
"Well, thank you for volunteering me." He said.
"You need practice."
Maria sighed and She kissed Chase's head.
"You be good for daddy and uncle Lightning, okay my little Chasey?" Then she turned and walked to the car where they drove away, leaving Chick, Lightning, The King, and Mater to deal with two little troublemakers.
The girls had all piled into Linda's SUV and were on the way to Phoenix.
"So where are we going shopping at?" Holley asked from the passenger seat. Linda smiled as she drove the van away from town.
"Well, I thought first we could go I search of maternity clothes for Sally."
"I'm not that fat, am I?" Sally asked, setting a hand on her stomach.
Maria put an arm around her twin. "No, But, you are to the point where you might want to think about getting some other clothes."
Sally giggled. "I guess so." She said. "The shirt I'm wearing now is actually Lightning's."
Holley Gave her a weird look. "Why on earth does he own a cut shirt?" She asked. "No, never mind, I don't think I want to know."
this caused laughs from all of them.
"So anyway, " Linda continued, "After maternity clothes for Sally, Holley, and myself, I thought we would go get nails and hair done at that nice salon."
"Oh that'll be fun!" Maria said with a sigh. "Ever since I had swollen ankles during pregnancy I've been thinking that I need a pedicure."
"Swollen ankles?" Sally asked, sounding scared.
Maria put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Sal." She said. "It doesn't hurt...much."
"Maria's right." Linda told her. "It doesn't hurt very much. Around the end of pregnancy your ankles will probably swell a little just from the extra weight you'll be carrying around, and from retaining a little water. But it doesn't hurt."
"At least not compared to labor." Maria said.
Linda looked back at her. "Don't scare Sally and Holley, Maria." She warned.
"How much DOES it hurt?" Sally asked, fiddling with the seatbelt.
Maria looked at her twin and sighed. "Imagine the worst cramping pain you ever felt." She said. "Then multiply that by ten. You've got early labor. Deal with that for seven hours at least, at least, and you've got some serious pain. Then multiply that pain by another ten and you've got hard labor. Try to deal with that for a few hours then you've got to deal with that and the actual process of pushing the baby out."
Sally and Holley's eyes were both wide with fear.
"Alright Maria." Linda cut in. "It's not always THAT bad, and it doesn't always last that long. And anyway, when you see you're little baby, all the pain, everything you've had to deal with for the last nine months, becomes worth it."
The subject changed to house decor, (how the heck did we get to that from childbirth?) much to Sally's relief.
Back in town, Doc was sitting at his desk. He was on break and had been thinking. He had a bad feeling about what might be happening at the McQueen house. He didn't know why, after all the ladies were only planning to be gone for a few hours. But, he still had a strange feeling. He looked at his wall clock to see that he still had a half hour break. This uneasy feeling wouldn't go away until he found out if there was a problem or not.
He arrived at Lightning's house and walked inside. He'd had a good reason for that uneasy feeling. It appeared that all hell had broke loose. Both Justin and Chase were screaming and crying. Lightning was holding Justin, trying to calm him, but was apparently freaking out. He needed a lesson in baby holding. Strip was trying to mop up a spill that had just happened, while lunch was burning on the stove. Chick was bouncing Chase, in what appeared to be an attempt to get him to sleep. Not working. Mater was snoring on the couch. There were all kinds of toys and baby clothes, and some bottles scattered in the living room, because apparently Sally's dog Spot had grabbed the diaper bags. All the men were trying to tell each other things, but they had to shout to be heard over Justin, Chase, And Spot's barking, where she stood next to a broken vase.
"Well, " Doc started. "We know what men to call if we ever need babysitters."
Everything except the baby's crying quieted. Doc walked over and turned off the stove. Then he went over to Chase and Chick.
"What's his problem?" Doc asked.
"I have NO idea." Chick said "I gave him his bottle and then he just started screaming."
Doc took Chase from Chick and held him facing himself. Doc began to pat Chase's back. After a minute, Chase burped, then laid his head down and fell asleep. Doc laid chase in the stroller, then turned to Chick.
Chick, red-faced, looked down at the carpet. "I knew I was forgetting something." Chick mumbled.
"Well, you have a good chance to make up for your stupidity." Doc said, then gestured at the floor. "Start cleaning."
Doc then walked over to Lightning.
Lightning looked at Doc pleadingly. "What's his problem?" Lightning asked in desperation.
Doc sniffed the air. "Do you smell that, Lightning?" Doc asked trying not to laugh. Lightning nodded. "It's something awful, whatever it is." He said. "It's been stinking up the place for...Oh." His face colored.
"Go change him." Doc instructed.
Lightning hesitated. "I've never changed one before." He said slowly.
"Well there's a first time for everything." Doc said. He picked up some things off the floor and handed them to Lightning.
"Here's the dipey." He said. "And here's the wipeys."
after Lightning left the room, Doc woke up Mater and gathered everyone.
"Let's get this house cleaned up before they get back." Doc said firmly. The others agreed enthusiastically and began to clean.
Linda parked the SUV in Lightning and Sally's driveway and the ladies climbed out of the car. They walked up to the door and went inside. They were stunned by what they saw. Both babies were asleep in their strollers. The room was cleaner than when they left. Dinner scents were wafting from the kitchen. The table was set and a vase of flowers sat on it. Candles were lit.
"This looks amazing!" Sally exclaimed, giving Lightning a hug.
"So how did things go?" Maria asked the group. They all exchanged glances.
"Smoothly."
"Fine."
"Perfect." They answered nervously. They all exchanged one more glance before they left. And the glance said, 'We are never doing this again!'
