Notes: This is the first new chapter being posted after the hiatus, so I want to mention a few changes to how Grasping Liquid is being posted in various places. Firstly, the story is on AO3 now and tumblr chapter submissions will be a link to the AO3 version from now on. Next, after this chapter, I won't be posting the story on fanfiction . net any more. I apologise if you read it there, but for a while now I've only been getting feedback on there from people who are also happy to read the story elsewhere, so I figured it wasn't worth taking the time to format each chapter for FFN any more, since it can be time-consuming. I hope that if you were reading it there that you'll still be able to follow and enjoy Grasping Liquid on one of the other websites it's posted on. Lastly, for the moment there'll be no change to how chapters are posted on dA.


It seemed to take forever for them to reach the hospital. Badger knew it was always been a decent walk between the two towns, but now that they were desperately in a hurry that distance made all the difference. Even he was panting by the time they got to the entrance, which meant that Crow had no chance, though he made his best effort to recover and stand up straight before they went inside.

"Is this the same 'ospital that we always gan t' when we come int' town?" Badger asked, as he looked around. It seemed to be in a similar sort of area to where he knew the hospital was, but this entrance was entirely unfamiliar to him.

"Yeah, this is just the maternity ward," answered Crow, "We've just nevah bin 'ere before 'cause... well, why would we need to?"

"I guess so," Badger replied.

The two of them made their way over to the desk. As he often was in such situations, Crow went in all swagger, as bold as brass, but what he was told wasn't what he wanted to hear. Only family or partners were permitted through to where Marilyn was. And as much as Crow argued that the Black Ravens were like a family, it wasn't flying with the man behind the desk. Badger had worried that might be the case.

He could tell Crow's hackles were raising about this, so he placed a hand on his shoulder, which seemed to jolt him back to reality. As Crow looked across, Badger shook his head. That seemed to be enough to snap him out of it. He mumbled to the receptionist to let them know if there were any changes, then slunk off to sit in one of the chairs that were littered around the reception area. It seemed they were at least allowed that far in without any objections.

"What're we gan t' do afteh coming all this way?" Badger whispered. He hovered next to Crow's seat, not wanting to sit down just yet.

"We wait. Even if they don't let us in, Marilyn will come out eventually," replied Crow.

"But we doun't know 'ow long that'll take," Badger reasoned, "They'll 'ave t' chuck us out by the end of the day if there's no changes by then."

"Maybe Gus will come out to find us before that 'appens. It was 'im who sent Finch to let us know, so 'e must 'ave an idea that at least some o' us will be comin'," suggested Crow.

Badger just nodded. Then, unable to settle, he began to pace the room in thought until a sharp glare from the receptionist sent him withering back to Crow's side. He didn't want to risk them being thrown out over being disorderly.

Although Crow was lost in his own worries, he did pick up that something was wrong with Badger, so when he rejoined him, Crow said, "It ain't just the baby that's got ya worked up, huh?"

"Nah," confessed Badger, "I mean, of course I'm worried about Mal, but... well, this is the same 'ospital me old man's in. Even if 'e is in a very different part of it..."

"Do ya wanna go see 'im?" Crow asked.

"Kindeh, yeah..."

"Then we should go. I doubt there'll be many changes 'ere for the moment," Crow said.

At that, Badger swallowed hard; "I... eh, w-wanted t' mebbe... gan on me own. If yer doun't mind, like..."

"Why would I mind? Just... are ya sure ya up for this?" replied Crow.

His face was a picture of concern and Badger couldn't blame him. Ever since his dad had first been taken into care, Badger had always insisted that Crow came with him when he went to visit him. Mostly because he was still a little bit scared of his dad back in those days and having Crow by his side gave him the confidence that he needed. But right now... well, Badger felt more like an adult now than he had done back then. He wasn't scared of his dad now. Instead he recognised that he was probably a very feeble man who needed to behave himself if he wanted to stay here. And Badger hadn't visited him once since before he left for London, which was was coming up to four years ago now. So all Badger actually felt when he thought of him these days was guilt, not fear.

He nodded.

"It's reet fer me to gan see 'im," he decided.

"All right, then I'll stay 'ere an' wait," said Crow, "That way if Gus comes out there'll be at least one o' us 'ere. Then when ya come back I can let ya know if there's been any changes."

"Sounds good. Yer sure yer woun't get too bored though?" Badger checked.

"With a baby Black Raven just about to come into the world? No way I could be bored with that in mind," assured Crow.

"If yer sure," Badger chuckled.

"I am. Now don't go gettin' lost, Badge'. There'll be plenty o' people about to ask if ya can't find ya way," Crow insisted.

"Doun't worreh about me, motheh 'en," hummed Badger.

With that, he gave a quick wave and then went to head back out of the entrance.

"I do worry. I'll always worry," Crow called after him.

That was something Badger knew to be true, though he hoped that there'd be at least something in the reception to keep Crow's mind occupied while Badger was away. There had been magazines scattered across the table for guests to read through, so perhaps Crow would make use of one of them.

Now that he was back into the open air, Badger headed off around the building to look for somewhere he was more familiar with. The hospital was huge, with so many different wards for all the different kinds of patients they got there. From Marilyn having her baby to... to people like Badger's dad...

He couldn't read any of the big, blue signs that were dotted around, but even so he wasn't too worried about getting lost. Because he knew that as soon as he was on the right track he'd be able to find his way. And sure enough, when he heard the whistle of a train from the nearby station it helped him find his bearings and pointed him in the right direction. Then it was just a short walk through a car park and into the more familiar entrance.

It took the lady on the desk here a few moments to recognise Badger, given that it had been a few years since he'd last been there. But once she heard the name Simon Walker her face lit up and she gave Badger directions to the new room that his dad had been transferred into. At first that worried him, because being changed wards could only mean there was a change in his condition. But she assured him that the change was purely cosmetic – since his dad was there for the long haul, it made sense to put him into a more comfortable room. Though even if the receptionist hadn't meant to worry him, her words confirmed one thing that Badger had never been sure of before, that his dad probably wouldn't be leaving this place.

He wasn't sure exactly how to feel about that. On one hand, he was better off here with people who could properly care for him. Now that their old family house was up for sale and Badger lived in Southampton, it wouldn't be easy for them to figure out what to do if he was discharged. Because even if his dad was okay about coming down south, Badger didn't know how Crow would feel about letting him stay there. So with all that in mind, his dad staying here helped to avoid a lot of complications. But on the other hand he... well, he was Badger's dad. And there was something dismal about the notion that he'd be stuck here forever, with his only family being a son who rarely visited him.

As Badger walked down the corridor, he tried to reassure himself that at least this one visit was better than none...

When he reached the room that he presumed was the right one, he knocked and entered. There was a sharp snort from the bed, as if the noise had woken his dad from a doze.

"What's this? I'm not due anything reet now..." he muttered.

"D-dad...?" Badger mumbled.

To that, he dad sat up like a bolt and turned to stare at the room. When his eyes clasped onto Badger he moaned and then sunk back into his sheets, shaking his head.

"So it's yer then... Bloodeh 'ell, Si, yer know 'ow t' give an old man a fright," he grumbled.

Badger took a deep breath; "I'm sorreh that I 'aven't come t' visit in so lo-"

"-No, yer not sorreh," snapped his dad.

That shut Badger up. He jammed his mouth closed, unsure what he could say now. He tried to stop himself from shaking all over and with some effort managed. That in itself was an achievement, as once upon a time Badger would have disappeared from the room as soon as his dad said anything harsh to him. But right here and now Badger understood why his dad was annoyed with him, so he had to take this if he wanted any chance to save the relationship between them.

His dad took another look at him and sighed loudly, wanting his distaste to be known. But since Badger was still standing there he decided to go on.

"Didn't think yer could get any talleh. Guess yer proved me wrong in that and all," he muttered, "So... 'ow's London treating yer? That little Cockney snot ditched yer yet?"

"Crow's... still with me, but we doun't live in London now," Badger answered, "That didn't work out. Be we opened a shop in Southampton and it's been doing well enough. We've been there almost three years now."

"My son, a shop-keepeh?" his dad said.

"I know it weren't what Mam wanted. I didn't go int' football or running or owt like that, but it pays the bills," Badger reasoned.

"Nah, I'm not disappointed. It's respectable enough t' 'ave a job at all these days, let alone run yer own business. Though I'm guessing the Cockney 'andles most of the business side of things," his dad replied.

"Crow... well, 'e likes t' be in charge. But 'e'd get propeh a'ead of 'imself if I didn't keep 'im in check," said Badger.

"I don't need t' know about yer relationship," grumbled his dad.

"It's nowt like that," Badger retorted. He felt some of his dad's own venom in his voice.

"If it's not, then it's probableh not far off, is it? Look, yer can't fool me, Si. Do whateveh yer want with that boy, I just don't want t' know about it. Not that I will, since yer neveh come t' visit any more," his dad replied.

It wasn't easy to hear that, even if Badger had never expected his dad to be supportive. At least he was saying that he wouldn't try to stop anything happening between Badger and Crow, though that might have only been because he was powerless to do anything about it anyway. But even so, a part of Badger had hoped that his dad might have come around to the idea. They were still family after all.

...No. He needed to just accept that he'd never have that particular blessing and move on.

"I should've come t' visit more. I will come more," he insisted.

"All the way from Southampton? I doubt it," his dad laughed.

"I will! When Mal 'as 'er baby, I know Crow'll want t' come see it all the time, so we'll be up 'ere more. And if not then, well, I'll make me own reasons t' come," Badger promised.

Whether his dad believed him or not, he didn't say, but he did pick up on one thing from the conversation; "That market girl's 'aving a babeh?"

"Y-yeah, she's oveh in the maternity ward reet now," replied Badger.

"Then what are yer doing 'ere?" asked his dad.

"I'm 'ere because I wanted t' see yer! Is that realleh so 'ard t' believe?" Badger exclaimed.

Silence. His dad looked down at the bedsheets, seeming to be reflecting on something. Then he shook his head once more and looked back up at Badger.

"I'm glad yer came t' see me. I want t' see yer more," he admitted, "Gan be with yer friends now, but promise me that yer'll come back sometime."

"I promise," insisted Badger, "Th-thanks, Dad..."

"Doun't thank me fer owt. Now push off, I need t' get me kip."

That was the end of that. Badger decided that now wasn't the right time to try hugging his dad or anything like that. There'd be other times. So instead he just made his way to the door, ending their brief visit. When he looked back, his dad was already getting settled back into the sheets, ready to go back to sleep. He'd once been a big, strong man, but now he was... well, he was not the same.

"I love yer, Dad..." Badger muttered.

"...And I love yer too, Simon," replied his dad.

That was about as much as Badger could take. He turned and walked hastily down the corridor, not even trying to wipe the tears from his eyes as he went.


It took him a while to remember the way he'd came from the maternity ward so he could find his way back there. But when he did, Crow was still sat in the reception, engrossed in a magazine that had a photo of a posh-looking garden on the cover. However, as soon as he saw Badger approach, he dropped it back on the table and got up to greet him.

"So 'ow did everythin' go with ya dad?" he checked.

"As yer might expect. But I'm glad t' 'ave done it. I realleh should make more effort t' visit 'im," replied Badger.

"We'll make sure ya can," said Crow, "Somethin' tells me that we might be in Mist'allery a bit more now. An' speakin' o' that, Gus did come out to see me while ya were away."

"Oh?" Badger prompted.

"Everythin' seems to be goin' as well as it can," Crow told him, "We're still not allowed in until the baby's born, but it looks like we won't be 'ere ovah night. Well, I mean, Marilyn will be, but we won't. The baby should be born before they toss us out."

"That's great news," agreed Badger, "So now it's just a waiting game."

"Yeah, and I've bin gettin' some great decoratin' tips from these magazines, Badge'. Reckon we could do the place ovah when we get 'ome?"

Badger chuckled, "Crow, we doun't even 'ave a garden."

"You're right... But Wren an' Socket 'ad one, yeah? Ya think they might let us do ovah theirs?"

"I'm not even gan t' answeh that one."

But all the same, Badger settled into one of the chairs and after Crow had returned to his own seat, Badger was happy enough to join him in looking through pictures of expensive houses and gardens.


By the time Gus came out to find them again, Badger was considering that they might have been very close to being thrown out for the night. Even the receptionist had been replaced by a different one from when they'd first arrived and the crowd of late night visitors was dwindling down to nothing. He wasn't sure exactly how late they'd be allowed to stay there until, but it had long since gotten dark outside, that was for sure.

So they were both glad when their friend came to join them, even if Gus did look slightly worse for the wear. It seemed a bit like he was walking through a dream and, given the situation, Badger couldn't blame him.

"Everything ah'reet, Gus?" he prompted, to try and snap him out of it.

"Oh. Yeah. Everything's fine. Sorry I didn't come get you sooner, but... well, anyway, you can both come through now," Gus replied.

"They're okay with it?" Crow checked.

"Yeah, it's all fine. They didn't want you there while Mari was actually giving birth, but now that it's done she's been moved to a room where she can have visitors. And she'll be here for at least a few days, so I reckon all of the others will come see her at some point," Gus explained.

"Knowin' the Black Ravens, that'll be true," agreed Crow, "Well, lead the way then."

They left the reception area and followed Gus through into the maternity ward. As they walked their steps echoed loudly on the polished floor and Badger couldn't stop himself from listening to every little sounds. He wondered about each room that they passed. How many of them contained people whose lives were drastically being changed right at this moment? And what would this change mean for Marilyn and Gus, for that matter?

Perhaps only time would be able to answer that question, but a more immediate question he was about to find out the answer to was how Marilyn was doing. Gus led them to one of the rooms, where there were several beds, some of which housed others new mothers. A few had the curtains drawn to allow the person within them privacy with their families, but Marilyn's bed, near the middle of the room, was welcome to all visitors. That felt a lot like Marilyn to Badger - she never turned away anyone who wanted to talk to her or ask her for advice. No doubt by the time she was discharged she probably would have made friends with some of the strangers in this room even.

When she saw the three of them her face lit up, though that didn't change how worn she looked. Badger couldn't even begin to understand the pain that she'd been through.

"I just knew it would be you two first," she laughed.

"Was there evah any doubt?" Crow boasted.

"None at all. So I suppose you want to see the litter bundle of joy?" checked Marilyn.

"If ya 'ave 'im 'andy," replied Crow.

She motioned to a cot next to her bed. Crow was there in an instant, with Badger following along behind him. Resting in the cot was the tiniest baby Badger had ever seen, fast asleep after his ordeal of being brought into the world.

"This is little Guntiver," Marilyn introduced, "We were worried about him, because he was born so premature, but they told us that as long as we keep an eye on him that he should be fine."

"Guntz, eh?" Crow whispered.

He gently lifted the baby out of the cot with as much care as he could manage. Even if Crow could be reckless about many things, when it came to this child he was handling him as if he was the most important thing in the world. And to at least two people, that was definitely the case. Maybe even more than two people, Badger mused, as Crow bent down to kiss Guntiver on the top of his forehead.

Marilyn and Gus looked at each other, smiling.

"Guntz is a nickname we can live with," Marilyn decided.

"So what made yer pick Guntiver?" asked Badger.

"It was just a name we both liked," Gus answered, "Honestly, it was harder than you'd think going through so many names. After a while we just came across Guntiver and decided to go with that. It's pretty unusual maybe, there aren't any other Guntivers in Misthallery, that's for sure. But maybe that'll help him stand out."

"And he won't be a tiny baby for long," Marilyn added, "We're going to make sure our little boy grows up big and strong."

"I doun't doubt yer will," agreed Badger, "And 'e'll 'ave all the Black Ravens looking afteh 'im. Especially Crow, from the looks of things."

"Hmm?" mumbled Crow.

He looked back up at them all from where he'd been engrossed in watching the sleeping baby. And as the three of them laughed at his blank expression he replaced it with one of sheepish embarrassment.

"You better go call the others, if you haven't already," Marilyn said to Gus.

"Will do. Let's hope the payphone is free, since it looked pretty busy before," Gus replied, "Are you two happy to stay here with Mari while I'm gone?"

Badger smirked; "Looks like Crow'll be more than 'appy t' stay 'ere with 'is new favourite Black Raven."

"Don't be like that, Badge'," teased Crow, "Ya know ya my favourite Black Raven, but this little one deserves my attention right now."

Hearing Crow say that Badger was his favourite was a bit too much for Badger. He lowered his face to hide under his mess of hair while Marilyn giggled at them both. Then Gus gave them a final smile and left to let all of the others know the news.

It looked like Tony and Sean had been replaced as the youngest members of the group. And it would probably take quite a long while before anyone younger than baby Guntz came along to join.