Act Nineteen - Labor Pains
One night about three months later, Setsuna woke up from a peaceful sleep, her body overcome with a pain she never felt before in her entire life. Not even a youma attack could begin to compare to what she felt. She moaned loudly, grabbing her stomach.
A few seconds later, the pain subsided, allowing her to finally breath again. It took her a few minutes to realize that she just experienced her first contraction. It was time.
Setsuna quickly sat up and slipped on a pair of slippers and a robe. Her hospital bag was already packed and sitting on the floor beside her bed, ready for when the time came. They had prepared for this for the past two weeks, so Setsuna already knew what to do. She grabbed the light suitcase, then headed toward Haruka and Michiru's bedroom at the end of the hallway.
"Haruka…Michiru…" she whispered loudly as she knocked on the door. There was no answer, so she slowly opened the door, letting the light from the hallway fall over the two lovers.
Michiru was the first to awaken, rubbing her sleepy blue eyes as she sat up in the bed. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of the very pregnant guardian of time standing in the doorway of her bedroom. "Now?" she asked, obviously irritated at being woken up in the middle of the night. She had hoped that Setsuna would go into labor during the day.
Setsuna nodded her head. "Sorry, Michiru."
"No, it's okay, Setsuna… Haruka, honey, it's time."
The blonde tomboy groaned and flipped over on her stomach, pulling the pillow of her head. "Not now, Michiru. Not in the mood."
The aqua-haired musician rolled her eyes at Setsuna as she gently shook her lover. Haruka rolled over again, this time falling right over the side of the bed. She landed on the floor with a resounding thud, finally waking up. Michiru giggled at the annoyed look on the blonde's face.
"This isn't funny, Michiru," Haruka complained, rubbing the dull pain at the base of her back. "If you wanted me out of the bed, there are lots of less painful…" Michiru jerked her head toward the doorway, turning her partner's attention toward their guest. Finally realizing what was happening, Haruka quickly picked herself off the floor and began frantically pulling on a pair of jeans. "Now?Whydidn'tyoutellmethatSetsunawasinlabor?Didwepackthebags?Hasthehospitalbeencalled?Hotaru-channeedstocallAmi-chan!WheredidIputthosekeys?I'velostthekeys!Howarewe--"
Ever calm, the musician reached over and grabbed the set of car keys sitting on the night table. Haruka grinned sheepishly, taking the keys and putting them in her pocket. "Thanks."
Michiru simply shook her head while she began getting dressed. This was definitely a rarely seen side of her partner and lover. Haruka was always in control of every situation, whether it was fighting daimons or racing one of her cars around the track. To say the least, seeing her practically lose her mind over something as simple and natural as childbirth was amusing.
In the doorway, Setsuna began feeling another contraction. She moaned loudly, clutching her stomach. Nobody told her that having a baby would hurt so much! Her groans awoke Hotaru who was sleeping two doors down. The door to the teen's bedroom opened and the raven-haired beauty popped her head out, rubbing the sleep out of her tired eyes.
"Setsuna-mama, is it time?" she asked, struggling to hold back a yawn. "Should I call Ami-san?"
"Yes, Hotaru-chan, call Ami-chan and the hospital and tell them we'll be there in about fifteen or twenty minutes," Michiru ordered, answering for Setsuna, who was busy going through the breathing exercises she learned in her childbirth class. "Her contractions are about seven minutes apart."
The time guardian shook her head after the contraction passed. "Six minutes and twenty-three seconds apart."
Hotaru rolled her eyes at her mother's exactness, but nevertheless went to make the calls. Michiru then handed Setsuna's suitcase to Haruka and started helping the pregnant woman down the stairs and to Haruka's car.
Minutes later, the unique family was on the road to the hospital to welcome yet another member to the bunch. Haruka was driving, of course, albeit faster than usual while Hotaru needlessly called out directions from the passenger seat in an attempt to feel useful. Michiru sat in the back with Setsuna, coaching her through Lamaze.
"Now, turn left at the next red light…"
"Hotaru-chan, I know how to get to the freaking hospital," Haruka shouted over another one of Setsuna's screams as she sharply turned left. "You're not helping!"
"Sorry," the teen apologized, surprised by Haruka's sharp tone of voice. She pulled out her cell phone and turned around in her seat. "Setsuna-mama, do you want me to call the others?"
The green-haired woman shook her head as the contraction passed. "No, that's okay, Hotaru-chan," she replied. "I don't want to wake everyone up in the middle of the night. We can call the others in the morning."
Hotaru paused before asking her next question. "What about the father? Do you want me to call him?"
Setsuna felt a lump form at the back of her throat. Mamoru… Should she call him? He really should be there for the birth of his child, but she knew that there would be questions to be answered if he unexpectedly showed up at the hospital. It would be better if Mamoru didn't know. Reluctantly she shook her head, squeezing Michiru's hand even tighter. "No, that's okay."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
Michiru looked down at her watch, a frown on her lips. As Setsuna's Lamaze coach in the unknown father's absence, she was in charge of timing the contractions, even though the guardian of time seemed to have her own natural stopwatch. However, that didn't stop her from checking the time every other minute in nervousness. It didn't help that the ride to the hospital seemed to be taking even longer than usual.
"Haruka, how much longer to the hospital?" she asked worriedly. "Setsuna's contractions are coming closer and closer together."
The driver swore under her breath. "We should already be there. I think I might have taken a wrong turn."
"What?" their daughter exclaimed. "What do you mean you took a wrong turn, Haruka-papa? I thought you said--"
"Forget what I said!" Haruka yelled. "Just get out the damn map and tell me where we are."
The teen opened the glove compartment and pulled out the faded map, her violet eyes struggling to make out the street names in the darkness of night. Behind her, Setsuna bit her lip, trying not to show her anxiety. The last place she wanted to give birth to her child was in the back seat of Haruka's Hyperion Azzuro.
"It's going to be okay, Setsuna," Michiru said soothingly, brushing a strand of hunter green hair from her friend's sweaty face "Just hang on."
Setsuna nodded, but she didn't have much faith in Michiru's words. She could feel another contraction coming on, only four minutes and twelve seconds after the last. The baby was coming, whether they liked it or not. She squeezed the musician's hand tightly, unable to hold in the scream of agony that ripped through her body.
Haruka covered her left ear with her hand, wincing at the horrible sound coming from the backseat. If she ever had any doubts about not wanting a baby, this cinched it. "Thank goodness I'm a lesbian," she muttered, earning a nasty glare from her lover's reflection in the rearview mirror.
"Haruka, can you stop complaining and drive a little faster?" Michiru asked, obviously not very happy with her right now. "In case you haven't noticed, Setsuna's in LABOR back here."
"How can I NOT notice?"
Hotaru held up a hand, signaling her parents to stop their argument. "Haruka-papa, turn left! I figured out how to get to the hospital."
The car made another sharp turn, almost sideswiping another vehicle, and sped up. It was taking all of Michiru's willpower not to reach over the seat and strangle her partner as Setsuna screamed at the abruptness of the turn. But luckily for Haruka, she could see the bright, welcoming lights of Tokyo Memorial just up ahead. It's would be long now.
"Hang on, Setsuna. We're almost there."
In the comfort of her hospital room, Setsuna sat back against the fluffy white pillows, tired after the last, particularly painful contraction. Beside her, Michiru wiped the time guardian's sweaty brow while giving her words of encouragement. She hadn't left her side the entire time.
"I don't know how much longer I can take this," Setsuna said breathlessly. "Where is Ami-chan?"
"Don't worry, Setsuna. I'm sure she'll be here any minute."
True to Michiru's word, the blue-haired doctor breezed into Setsuna's room, looking surprisingly chipper and alert despite being dragged out of bed in the middle of the night. She was probably used to it, though. Ami immediately grabbed her chart and smiled.
"Well, Setsuna-san, it looks like your labor is progressing quite nicely," the doctor informed them, pushing her glasses up her nose. "You're already dilated nine centimeters and the contractions are about two minutes apart. It shouldn't be too long now. I'm going to go prep for delivery and when I get back, you're going to have this baby. Okay?"
The guardian of time nodded her agreement. After Ami left, another contraction tore through her body, even stronger than before. Michiru offered her hand, not even flinching at the pain of Setsuna's long fingernails digging into the musician's skin. "Come on, Setsuna," she said. "Remember the breathing exercises."
"Michiru, I'm scared," Setsuna whispered after the contraction passed. "What if I'm a horrible mother? What if he or she hates me because of who I am? What if--"
The aqua-haired woman sighed, untangling her hand from Setsuna's grip. "Oh, sweetie, you're going to be a wonderful mother," she insisted with a bright smile. "You did a great job helping me and Haruka raise Hotaru after the battle with Pharaoh 90, remember? And you aren't going to be alone, you know. You, me, Haruka, Hotaru and this baby - we're a family. Now and always."
Family… Setsuna's garnet red eyes suddenly darkeend, and she turned away from her friend, not wanting Michiru to see the tears that were forming. They still didn't know. Perhaps this was as good as time as any to tell her the secret that had plagued her soul ever since her awakening. "Michi--"
Before she could get her thought out, though, Ami walked back into the room, dressed in scrubs. She rolled a stool in front of Setsuna's bed and took a seat, a huge smile plastered on her face.
"Let's have this baby!"
Brrrrrng! Brrrrrng!
Two cobalt blue eyes slowly opened at the high-pitched sound of the telephone ringing beside him on the nightstand. Who was stupid enough to call at this time? Grumbling to himself, Mamoru flopped over on his stomach and stared at the bright red numbers of his alarm clock sitting by the phone. It was five fifty-three in the morning.
"Geez, some people are trying to sleep," he said, pulling the pillow over his head. Maybe if he just ignored the ringing, whoever was calling would give up and call again at a decent hour.
Beside him, Usagi stirred. "Mamo-chan, get that," she mumbled, not even opening her eyes.
"They'll call back later."
"But it might be important."
"Alright, alright." Reluctantly, he sat up against the headboard and yawned before reaching over to grab the phone. "Moshi moshi, Chiba Mamoru speaking."
"Mamoru-san?" an annoyingly peppy voice answered. "It's me, Hotaru."
"Hotaru-chan, do you know what time it is?" Mamoru asked grouchily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "It's not even six o'clock in the morning."
He heard a small giggle on the other end. "Somebody certainly got up on the wrong side of the bed today," Hotaru teased. "I woke up at three-thirty in the morning, but you don't hear me impersonating Oscar the Grouch. Although, that probably has to do with the fact that I'm on my fifth cup of coffee. Who would have known that this stuff would taste so good? Haruka just went to Starbucks to get some more. Do you want some? I can get you a cup from the cafeteria, but I must warn you that it tastes even worse than Setsu-"
Mamoru let out another huge yawn, interrupting the teen's ramblings. "Hotaru-chan, is there a point to all this? Because if there's not, I'm going back to sleep."
"Oh, yeah, I forgot. We're at the hospital, and I just thought you and Usagi-san would like to know that Setsuna gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl at exactly 5:18 this morning. Mother and daughter are doing fine."
Hearing the news, Mamoru almost let the receiver drop from his shaking hand. Setsuna had just given birth to a baby, their daughter. He was a father!
"Mamoru-san, are you still there?" Hotaru asked after a long pause.
"Yeah, I'm here," Mamoru replied, quickly snapping out of the his thoughts. He had to remain cool about this, although he didn't bother to hide the huge grin that spread across his face. "That's wonderful news, Hotaru-chan. Usagi and I will be there as soon as possible. Tell Setsuna we said 'Congratulations', okay?"
"Sure. I guess we'll see you later then. Bye!"
"Bye."
After they said goodbye, Mamoru gently set the receiver down and sighed. The smile that appeared only moments earlier slowly disappeared when he realized he had just missed the birth of his first daughter. He should have been there…
He felt a familiar pair of slender arms wrap around him in comfort, his lover's chin resting on his shoulder. "Did Setsuna-san have her baby?" Usagi asked softly, kissing his bare shoulder.
Mamoru nodded, looking straight ahead in an attempt to hide the tear that threatened to run down his face. "It was a girl."
"Congratulations, Papa."
"Thanks," he whispered, wiggling out of his fiancée's embrace.
Mamoru got out of bed and started getting dressed, knowing that there was no way he would be able to go back to sleep. Without prodding, Usagi did the same, although she would have much rather stay in bed and gotten a couple more hours of sleep. He didn't have to tell her. She knew he wanted to go to the hospital.
Ten minutes later, he grabbed the keys to his car and they left.
The tiny bundle of joy cooed in her mother's arms, bringing a serene smile to the tired time guardian's face. She was an absolutely gorgeous baby with dark ebony hair and smooth cocoa-colored skin, just a few shades lighter than her mother's. Her eyes, though now closed, were a dark red that would put the rarest rubies to shame. There was no doubt about it. She was most definitely her mother's child.
Setsuna unwrapped the soft pink blanket around the child, revealing her small feet and tiny clenched fists, and started counting her fingers and toes, one by one. There were ten of each, every single one as perfect as could be. She was as perfect as could be.
Sitting by the window with her lover, Michiru smiled and reached for Haruka's hand, watching the sweet interaction between mother and child. "Haruka…"
The tomboy glanced over at the oceanic beauty, recognizing the look in Michiru's eyes. However, this time, it was reflected in her own. Haruka squeezed Michiru's hand and nodded. "We'll talk about it."
A couple of minutes later, Hotaru breezed into the room, still on a caffeine high. She grabbed the cup of cappuccino Haruka offered her and began pacing around the room, talking a mile a minute.
"I called all the others, although it took me awhile to get hold of Minako-san. I think she was spending the night over at Asai-kun's apartment, because I called her place about ten times and she never picked up, so I decided to try her cell. Boy did she sound unhappy when she picked up, but anyway, she said that she would come by later this morning. Speaking of grumpy, Mamoru-san definitely got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. He said 'Congratulations' and told me that he and Usagi-san would visit as soon as possible, but who knows when that will be, considering Usagi-san's sleeping habits. Rei-san was doing her morning meditations, but I left a message with Yuuichiro-kun and they'll probably visit later today. And Makoto-san said she would try to come by before she has to go to work. Was that everybody? I hope it was, because of course Ami-san already knows. Unless you want me to call the father. Do you have his number, Setsuna-mama? I can call him if you--"
The new mother shook her head, trying not to laugh at her adopted daughter's antics. Glancing over at Michiru and Haruka, it looked like they were struggling not to laugh as well. "Hotaru-chan, sweetie, I think you need to stop with the caffeine," Setsuna said, grabbing the cup from the teen's hands when she passed by the bed and setting it on the table beside her. "Why don't you three go down to the cafeteria and get some food in your stomachs. I'm sure you must be hungry."
Hotaru made a face. "Cafeteria food? You must be joking. That stuff isn't food, it's cardboard made in the shape of food. Why do you think I always bring my dinner whenever I'm working here? Ooo, that reminds me. My shift is supposed to start in about two hours. I completely forgot about it. But I'm sure Ami-san won't mind if I got someone else to fill in for me. I'll call Kimi-chan and see if she can come in. Did I tell you that she started working here? She says she's interested in the medical profession, but I know her better than that. Kimi-chan just wants to meet cute doctors, although if you ask me, the only hunk around here is Urawa-sensei, but Ami-san's already managed to snag him…"
"Actually, I think breakfast sounds like a fantastic idea," Michiru said, ignoring Hotaru's ramblings, which continued despite the fact that nobody was listening. She stood up and grabbed her purse. "We can go to that darling little diner just across the street. How does that sound?"
"Sounds good to me," Haruka replied. "Setsuna, do you want us to bring anything back?"
"No, that's okay."
The couple left after saying goodbye, dragging the still high-strung teen with them. Once they were gone, Setsuna sighed and cuddled her precious daughter closer to her. The child was sleeping peacefully, looking very much like an angel, so sweet and innocent. A lump formed at the back of her throat at the sight.
"I love you so very much," she whispered, not wanting to wake the baby from her slumber. "More than anything in the world. I hope you know that."
A soft knock on the door interrupted the tender moment. Setsuna wiped away the tear that managed to run down her cheek despite her best attempts not to cry and told the visitor to come in, expecting to see Ami or maybe one of the nurses. Instead, it was Mamoru and Usagi.
Setsuna couldn't help but feel a slight ache in her heart as her daughter's father entered the room with his fiancée, but she hid it well. He took a seat in the chair beside the bed, while Usagi placed a beautiful bouquet of roses on the table.
"Congratulations, Setsuna-san," the blonde said sincerely, breaking the somewhat uncomfortable silence surrounding them. "She's a beautiful baby."
"Thank you, Usagi-chan."
Mamoru simply nodded his agreement, still to speechless at the sight of the raven-haired child, his daughter, in Setsuna's arms. He longed to reach over and caress her smooth skin, but didn't out of respect for Usagi's feelings.
Though Usagi appeared to be fine with the entire situation, he knew that it still had to be difficult for her, and the last thing he wanted to do was cause her more pain. However, as if she somehow sensed his hesitation to show affection toward his new daughter while she was in the room, Usagi quietly excused herself, giving the parents a few moments of privacy alone with their child.
"Would you like to hold her?" Setsuna asked once Usagi had closed the door behind her.
Mamoru nodded, carefully taking the baby in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open briefly at the exchange, but she immediately went right back to sleep once she was securely in her father's embrace. "She's perfect, Setsuna-san," he whispered, looking down at the child in awe. "Absolutely perfect."
"She is, isn't she?"
The new father leaned back in his chair, gently rocking his daughter back in forth. It was amazing how in one single moment, he could fall in love with the child in his arms. "Have you named her yet?" he asked, looking back over at Setsuna.
Setsuna shook her head. "I thought I would let you have the honors. After all, she's your daughter, too."
"Are you sure?" he asked. Setsuna nodded as he furrowed his brow in thought. It only took him about two minutes to decide on the perfect name.
"Masago -- the sands of time."
The guardian of time's red eyes noticeably widened at his choice as a brief memory flashed in her mind. It was so long ago, but she still vividly recalled that night when a lonely girl dressed in white appeared in her room in the middle of the night, claiming she was from the 30th century. The girl had said her name was Meioh Masago. Could that mean what she thought it meant?
Setsuna hadn't even realized she was shaking until Mamoru grabbed her hand and squeezed. "Setsuna-san, are you feeling alright?" he asked. "Why are you shaking? Is something wrong?"
"No, everything is right."
Mamoru gave her a strange look, but she didn't care. A huge weight had just lifted off her shoulders. For months, Setsuna had been worried about the affect of her pregnancy on the timeline, but if this child was the Meioh Masago she met that night, that meant that nothing had changed. Crystal Tokyo would still be born with Endymion and Serenity ruling together as king and queen.
"Masago is a lovely name, Mamoru-san," Setsuna finally said, smiling one of her first true smiles in almost a year. Masago, who had just woken up, cooed in agreement. "Our little Masako…"
Standing up, Mamoru began pacing around the room while still rocking the baby in his arms. "Usagi and I have been talking about this for awhile," he confessed after a few minutes of peaceful silence. "I know I can't be a real father to Masako without the others finding out the truth, but I still want to be in her life. We can baby-sit every once in a while, and I'll be there for birthdays, Christmases, and the other important events in her life. I can be kind of like an uncle or something. It's not the ideal solution, of course, but it's really the best we can do in this situation. Right?"
Instead of answering, Setsuna lowered her gaze, staring at her folded hands. Her smile had disappeared, replaced by saddened garnet eyes that were filled with tears. "Mamoru-san, I think there's something you should know," she said softly.
Curious, he sat back down in the chair. "What is it?"
The guardian of time took in a deep breath, not sure if she should reveal her secret when not even her family knew the truth of what was going to happen in just a few short months. However, she knew it wasn't fair to let Mamoru hold onto the false hope that he could be a part of Masago's life. That just wasn't possible.
"We're leaving, Mamoru-san," she finally announced.
He blinked a couple of times in shock, not believing what he just heard. Masago gurgled in his arms, but it barely registered his brain. "What do you mean, you're leaving? When?"
"Your wedding day," she answered, brushing back a strand of black hair that had fallen in his eyes. "The time has come for Destiny to arrive, Prince. I can't tell you much, only that I must return to my post at the Gates of Time, and I'm taking Masago with me."
"Do Haruka-san and the others know?"
"Not yet," Setsuna admitted, shaking her head. "Actually, I haven't decided whether to tell them or not. I think it would be better if they don't know until it happens. They'll understand. I just thought I should tell you, so it won't come as such a shock. I'm sorry."
"I understand," Mamoru said, standing back up and giving Masago back to her mother. His touch lingered just a little bit longer on the child before he leaned over and kissed Setsuna on the forehead. "I better go find Usagi. See you later, okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, see you later."
Garnet eyes followed Mamoru as he slowly exited the room and closed the door behind him. Though there still was a couple of months left before she had to leave, she knew that at that moment, he was out of their lives forever.
That was the way it was supposed to be.
But was that what she wanted?