A week had passed since I'd been told that it was only a matter of days before I would have my babies, but while my birth canal had opened, I definitely hadn't given birth yet, and I was growing impatient. I wanted the babies out of me as soon as possible. I had even tried to convince the doctors to go back to the plan of cutting me open, but they stubbornly insisted that I needed to have a natural birth.

I was big and uncomfortable, and stuck in a wheelchair. My whole body ached from the strain of carrying two full-term babies inside me - especially now that all three of us were no longer underweight. I was sore and tired, feeling stretched to my limit, like an overfilled balloon. So when I experienced my first contraction, I barely even noticed it. It was just another cramp wreaking havoc on my bloated pregnant body.

It was when the third contraction hit me that I happened to notice that the stronger, more painful cramps were hitting every hour, on the hour. And it was the realization that they were happening at regular intervals that made me suspect that something was going on. I wracked my brain for possible explanations, but I couldn't come up with anything. So I pushed it aside and tried to focus on my after-breakfast nap.

Yuu hadn't left my side in days, not since that meeting, and the only reason that his constant presence wasn't annoying was that he was holding his tongue and not nagging me about taking care of myself. While I lay down on our couch to take my nap, he settled into an armchair with a book. I was just starting to doze off when another strong cramp squeezed my belly, and I suddenly found myself wide awake. I wasn't experiencing cramps, I was having contractions. I was in labor.

That thought was exciting and relieving, but more than anything else, it was completely terrifying. It was time for me to give birth to my babies. That fear began to mingle with the doubt I felt towards my own conclusion, and I found myself on the verge of a panic attack.

I looked over towards my husband, trying to find comfort in his presence. "Hey, Yuu?"

"Hmm?" He cocked his head to the side to indicate that he was listening, but he didn't look up from his book.

I wasn't entirely sure that I had his full attention, but what I said next was certainly going to change that. "I'm in labor."

The book instantly snapped shut and Kanda looked up at me so quickly that I was surprised he didn't hurt himself. He stared at me like his eyes were about to pop out of his skull. "What?! Are you sure?"

I spoke quickly, trying to stop him from panicking. I was doing that enough for the both of us, and the last thing I needed was for him to be freaking out too. "Not really. I've had a couple contractions, but they were really far apart, so I don't even know if that's what they really were. They might have just been cramps. But what if they were contractions? What if I am having these babies right now? What if-?"

The words died in my throat as Kanda pressed his lips to mine. He chuckled as he released me and brushed his hand soothingly through my hair. "Calm down, Moyashi. Exactly how far apart were these contractions?"

It wasn't until I tried to speak that I realized that I was nearly hyperventilating. "An hour?"

Any panic left in Kanda's eyes faded, and he relaxed completely as he kissed my forehead. "Ok, then even if you are in labor, we've got plenty of time before the babies come. There's no need to panic yet. So, let's get you down to the infirmary and have the doctors check you out. They'll know what to do next, ok?"

I nodded hesitantly, still trying to get my breathing back under control. Yuu chuckled at my expense, but he still helped me off the couch and into my wheelchair. "Have you calmed down enough to push yourself, or do you want me to do it?"

The genuine concern in his voice was all that was stopping me from hitting him for the suggestion. Even as hugely pregnant as I was, I was still perfectly capable of getting around on my own. And he knew that. "I can do it."

Kanda nodded, but he still kept his grip on the handles of the wheelchair. "If you change your mind, don't be too stubborn to say so, ok?"

It was only after I agreed, out loud, to tell him if I got tired or was in pain that he let go and let me take control of the chair.

The trip down to the infirmary was uneventful, but that changed the moment we told the nurse on duty that we thought that I was in labor. She immediately freaked out and bustled me into the nearest room before sprinting away to find a doctor. Now that I had calmed down, her reaction was almost comical. The doctor arrived quickly, sharing the nurse's panic, but he masked it much better. He asked a couple questions about my contractions, and as I explained that we weren't sure if I was really in labor or not, he calmed down enough to actually be helpful. Unfortunately, that meant letting the doctor examine me; stripping off my clothes for a man who wasn't my husband was mortifying, even if I knew that it was necessary for a proper examination.

I nearly started panicking again when the doctor confirmed that I was indeed in labor. As much as I wanted my daughters, I was terrified of having to give birth to them. My labor had just started, which meant that I was still in the early stages, so the doctor couldn't estimate how long it would be before I was in labor for real - it could be hours or it could be days before I was actually ready to give birth. I don't know if that was relieving or aggravating; I would have time to get used to the idea that the babies were coming, but the lack of concrete information was irritating. What did put me at ease were the instructions that I was free to go and didn't have to return until my water broke or my contractions were less than five minutes apart. I may not have known exactly when that was going to be, but I was at least able to go about my life like normal until then; I wasn't going to be stuck in the infirmary with nothing to do but wait while my labor progressed.

By dinner time, my contractions had gotten closer together, but they were still a whole lot more than five minutes apart. And while they had also gotten a lot more painful, it was still a very manageable pain and nothing like 'the most painful experience in the world'. It was looking like it really would be a few more days before I had the babies.

I thought I was handling the occasional flares of pain fairly well, but I apparently wasn't masking it well enough to hide it from my friends. It wasn't that I didn't want them to know that I was in labor, I just didn't want them fawning over me and trying to help. Things had finally calmed down after that whole prostitution debacle, and the last thing I wanted was for them to be overbearingly interested in me once again. It was one of the few good things that came from being constantly surrounded by the babies' grandfathers; everyone was so scared of the three of them and their overprotectiveness that I got the space I needed. But tonight, the grandfathers were nowhere to be found, which meant that I wasn't going to be able to avoid becoming the center of attention.

The moment that the others noticed that I was in pain, all other activity in the dining hall came to a screeching halt. I was badgered with questions so relentlessly that I could barely get a word in to try to answer them. Yuu tried to help me explain things, but the word 'contractions' just made the freaking out worse. And that was when they tried to forcibly take control of my wheelchair, probably planning to drag me down to the infirmary.

It was a gut reaction on my part, but the moment my chair moved without my permission, I activated Crowned Clown and lashed out with my cloak. I knew that I wasn't supposed to be using my Innocence while I was pregnant, but I already felt cornered being in a wheelchair and this had pushed me over the edge. I felt threatened, so I protected myself the only way I knew how.

Of course, the instinctive action was immediately followed by a particularly strong contraction, and I was forced to cancel my activation as I tried to get a handle on the fierce pain gripping my belly. When I was able to refocus on my surroundings, Yuu was standing at my side with his sword drawn, glaring death at the people around us. His possessive side was out in full force, and while it normally bothered me when he got like that, I could definitely make an exception for tonight. Those nearest to us in the crowd were nursing injuries, but they were all minor; nothing was bleeding too fiercely and nothing was broken. And that was good - I was only trying to protect myself, not hurt anyone.

Kanda was the first to speak, his voice a whole lot calmer than he looked. "Mind your own damn business and go back to your own meals. We've got this handled and we don't need your help."

Everyone turned to me, clearly expecting me to contradict my anti-social husband, but while I didn't want to hurt their feelings, I was in no mood to deal with them any longer. I was tired and in pain, and all they were doing was irritating me more than I already was. "Go away."

Ignoring the dumbfounded way they all stared at me, I pushed myself back to the table and set about devouring the remnants of my meal. The crowd eventually dispersed, but the curious chatter and gossip was still audible even after I had finished my food and we left the cafeteria.

The next few hours passed slowly. Between my stress, fear, and contractions, I couldn't concentrate on anything but the impending birth and that in turn only made me more stressed. I nearly bit Yuu's head off when he suggested that I try to get some sleep.

I argued that I was in too much pain to sleep, but when he switched tactics, pointing out that lying in bed would be more comfortable than sitting around in my wheelchair, I found myself letting him guide my chair to our bed. And although I was still fighting against him, he took advantage of my next contraction, using my distraction to physically move me from the wheelchair and onto the bed.

I was annoyed and didn't want to sleep out of sheer stubbornness, but I was out the moment I closed my eyes.