Conversations on a Balcony
53
Translations:
/shisir/: Damn
/zhaol/: Fornicate, Have Sex (informal: Fuck)
/ieiu/: Mom
"I don't like this," Kara said unhappily as she paced, with Cat's support, back and forth across the DEO's balcony.
"I know, Sweetheart," the older woman chuckled. "I've often wondered myself why something that's a damn miracle doesn't feel good AT ALL."
"Unnnggghhhh…" the Kryptonian groaned as another contraction gripped her and she hunched over as Cat's arms tightened around her again. "What was I thinking when I asked for this?"
Cat kissed Kara's temple. "I know it hurts. Just breathe, My Love."
The Kryptonian paused suddenly and gave her wife an outraged look. "Cat, oh my God, Babe! You did this twice! Why the HELL would you put yourself through that?!"
With a little surprised laugh, the older blonde shook her head. "You'll forget about the pain when you're holding our baby, believe me, Darling."
At the big balcony door, Alex watched Kara's progress on her tablet, the sensors attached to her sister doing their job. Then she stepped out into the sunshine and crossed the floor to reach out and rub her arm. "How are you doing, Kiddo?".
Kara glared at her. "I. CAN'T. TAKE. DRUGS."
"Right," the director sighed. "Well, I gotta tell you, KARA, this is going much faster than I expected."
"This is fast? It's been like a million hours already!" the Kryptonian replied incredulously. She groaned and hunched over again as another contraction hit. "I'm starting to think that Abby hates me already," she added in a pained mutter.
Alex chuckled softly. "You're at seven centimeters. Just three more to go."
"Just a little longer," Cat said, rubbing her wife's back with a gentle touch and then reaching for her hand to hold it.
"No," Kara withdrew her fingers and shook her head. "I don't want to hurt you, Cat."
"Kara…" Cat began but Alex put a hand on her arm.
"She's right. She could easily crush your hand, Cat. Don't expect her to be able to maintain her usual control."
The older woman nodded and squeezed the Kryptonian tighter. "C'mon, Darling, keep walking."
"I think another couple of hours, if things keep progressing the way they are," the director said with a smile.
"Can I lie down please?" Kara asked suddenly. "My back is really hurting."
Alex frowned and tapped out a few commands. "Wow," she said softly. "The baby has really dropped. It may be sooner than I thought."
Kara shook her head and gritted her teeth, pressing her hands to her thighs. "Fuck, Alex, I really want to push."
The director hit her earpiece. "Medics, bring a gurney to the command center balcony please. Stat."
Cat frowned as Kara hunched again and leaned heavily on the balcony wall, crying out in pain. "Alex…" she said worriedly.
Alex blinked as she reran her diagnostic. "She's at ten centimeters now. This is unprecedented. I've never heard of labor ramping up so quickly."
"EVERYTHING about this is unprecedented," Cat exclaimed. "We are NOT having our baby on this damn balcony, Alexandra!"
Then the medics appeared with the gurney and, still worried about hurting someone, Kara hovered herself onto it, letting out a sigh of relief as the pressure eased a little and they all headed to the med bay at a run. Alex, already dressed in black scrubs, quickly got into a gown and, as her sister transferred onto a comfortable bed with stirrups for her feet, the director settled down on a low stool between her legs, lifting the drape to check her progress and then smiling broadly.
"Wow… Cat, look…"
The older woman moved to stand next to her and her hand clamped down on her sister-in-law's shoulder. "Kara, I see her, she's crowning," the older blonde exclaimed.
"Cat…" Kara said weakly, her head pressing back into the pillow.
"I'm here, Love," the older woman replied with a smile as she moved back to her wife's side and kissed her gently. "She's coming."
Alex was holding her sister's knees and she squeezed encouragingly. "Kara, I need you to push with the next contraction, ok?"
No sooner had she said it, the pain ramped up and Kara yelled out, the monitors attached to her beeping loudly. "Ok…Ohhhh… /:shisir , :zhaol, :zhaol, :zhaol/!"
Alex laughed softly, shaking her head. "I'm not going to translate that." She gently supported the baby, nodding as she slipped further into the world." C'mon, Baby Girl, you can do it." The monitors began to beep again. "Get ready to push again, Kara!"
Cat kissed her wife's forehead and murmured into her ear as she caressed her damp, blonde hair. To her surprise, the Kryptonian was actually sweating. "Almost there, Sweetheart, push, hard as you can."
"Cat…" Frightened, tear filled, blue eyes peered back at her. "What if I can't be what she needs? What if I'm not a good /:ieiu/?"
"Kara," the older woman replied soothingly. "You're already the best mother Abby could ever wish for, and she's so loved by both of us… it's going to be amazing, Baby."
The monitors beeped more urgently, and Kara nodded, tears trailing slowly down her cheeks as she took a deep breath, cried out loudly and pushed as hard as she could.
"Good, Kara!" Alex exclaimed. "Her shoulders are out. Just one more!" She was crying and she blinked rapidly as her vision blurred for a moment.
And with a final heaving push from her amazing mother, Abigail Alexandra Danvers-Grant made her grand entrance into the world, right into her namesake's hands. She drew a breath in and wailed loudly, making Alex laugh happily and bring the baby to her chest for a moment. Then she got to her feet and moved around her sister to open the front of her gown and place the infant gently onto her bare skin. "Congratulations, Moms," she said, wiping her sleeve across her eyes.
Cat was totally speechless. She leaned over her wife, pressing their foreheads together as the younger woman smiled with such joy, Cat's heart exploded with happiness. Then she ghosted her fingertips across Abby's head wonderingly.
"Cat," Alex said softly, holding out a pair of sterile scissors. "Want to do the honors?" The older woman nodded and slipped a pair of gloves on as Alex clamped the umbilical cord in two places. "Just cut right between the clamps."
Kara smiled as Cat did as she was asked and then held out her hand. 'C'mere, Love."
It was only then that the older woman realized she herself was crying, and she pulled the gloves off as she moved back to Kara, taking a seat by the bed. "You are so amazing," she whispered as she kissed her wife and then their baby's head.
"Let me clean her up and do some quick wellness tests," Alex said, grinning and making grabby hands as Kara reluctantly handed the baby over. Abby started to cry again, red face scrunched adorably and gums on display, and the director rocked her gently as she carried her to a small examination table. "Hi, Beautiful," she whispered, kissing her on the belly. "I'm your Aunt Alex."
Across the room, snuggled together and holding hands tightly, Kara and Cat gazed into each other's eyes. "I love you so much," Cat whispered.
"I love you too," Kara replied tiredly. Then she smiled peacefully. "That really wasn't so bad."
And Cat just laughed.
