Authors Note/Disclaimer: I don't own WA 3, it belongs to Media Vision/Sony. THE CHARACTER who's name will be revealed later in this chapter however, is mine. Please to be asking before using. Thank you.
The final chapter is here. Enjoy.
Month Nine - Arrival
"Any day now," mumbled Clive, pacing the living room floor. He'd been doing this off and on for the last few weeks, both nervous and overjoyed at the same time.
"Would you sit down Clive? You're starting to get on my nerves," snapped Jet.
Before anyone could say anything, Catherine entered from the kitchen. "Who would like some breakfast?" she asked, smiling.
"Oh, don't worry about that, Catherine," said Clive, "you should sit down. I can make the breakfast."
Catherine's eye twitched. "I'm sorry, dear, but I've had your cooking before. I'll make the breakfast."
The others laughed at Clive as he sweatdropped. Catherine just smiled and headed back into the kitchen.
"I guess she told you, huh Clive?" grinned Gallows. Any other conversation was cut short, however, when there was a crash from in the kitchen.
"Catherine!" Clive's face had gone ashen and he ran out of the room, intent to find out what the sound was. The others were just standing when he returned, leading his wife from the room. Catherine's face looked pained but happy, and Clive looked relieved.
"It was just a pitcher," he said, as if this would explain something. "The baby is on its way!"
Everyone sprang into action. They had decided not long ago what to do when Catherine finally went into labour. Jet, accompanied by Kaitlyn, headed to the house across the way, to alert Cheville.
Gallows and Virginia gathered what would be needed for when the new baby arrived and Clive helped Catherine as they headed across to Cheville's house. Clive was wincing more than Catherine, since she kept squeezing his hand hard every time she had a contraction.
The process took less than ten minutes. Cheville was ready and waiting as Clive and Catherine arrived, and she hurried the expected mother off to a bed she had prepared for her.
Virginia wanted to stay with Catherine to help, but Cheville bluntly refused to let anyone other than herself, Catherine and Clive into the room. So she and the others were stuck outside waiting to hear news.
"So, what is there to do to pass the time?" wondered Gallows, already getting bored.
"How long is mommy and daddy going to be in there?" asked Kaitlyn.
"Well, that all depends, Kaitlyn," replied Virginia. "Some babies take longer to arrive than others. It could be a few hours, or just a few minutes."
Jet made himself comfortable on a chair, propping his feet on the arm. "In other words kid, we're gonna be here for a while, so you may as well get comfortable."
Virginia shot him a dirty look. "Jet needs work on his delivery, but he'd pretty much right. Would you like me to get you a book to read?"
The young girl shook her head. "Miss Cheville has books she lets me read."
It was a long, anxious wait for the group left outside. There were a few moments of excitement when Clive came out, but it turned out he was just retrieving forgotten or wanted items that hadn't been thought of earlier, such as ice for Catherine, extra pillows for Catherine, ice for his sore hand, and other things.
Jet glared at Gallows as the big Baskar took to pacing much like Clive had been doing earlier. "Sit down Gallows, before I sit you down. I've had enough of people pacing."
Virginia was trying to break up the resulting squabble when Clive came running out.
"Everyone! The baby is coming! Catherine wants you to be there, and Cheville is allowing it."
Gallows was over to Clive in an instant. "I've gotta see this!" he cheered. Kaitlyn was with them a second later, and Virginia was hauling a disgruntled Jet to his feet.
"Come on, it'll be a learning experience for you," she said, smiling. Jet just hmphed and everyone entered the room where Catherine and Cheville were still working hard. Clive moved back to his spot beside Catherine and she immediately latched onto his hand and started to squeeze. He didn't even flinch, his hand was already numb.
"The head is showing," said Cheville, "one more good push should do it."
Catherine followed this advice, tightening her grip on her husband's hand. This time Clive did wince, as his hand made a distressing cracking sound.
The others stood off to the side, watching. After a few moments, Gallows had turned an interesting shade of green and fainted. Kaitlyn giggled and poked him.
"How are you doing, Jet?" Virginia asked and turned to look at him. She blinked. "Jet?" Looking down, she found him also passed out on the floor. Sighing, Virginia shook her head. "So, how come you haven't you fainted yet, Clive?"
Clive's voice was pained as Catherine continued to squeeze his hand. "I have seen this all before."
It was over in moments, and Cheville made the announcement everyone had been waiting for.
"It's a boy," she said, then cleaned the child up and handed him to his mother as he started to cry.
Catherine was tired out and sweaty, but she accepted the crying bundle with a happy smile. "My beautiful boy," she cooed, cradling the new arrival.
Clive was practically glowing, his crushed hand forgotten. "I have a son," he said, awed, "Kaitlyn, you have a little brother."
The little girl joined her father at the bedside so she could get a better look. She couldn't see what colour his eyes were, they were squeezed shut as he wailed, but he had a tiny fluffing of hair the same colour as his father's.
"He's so tiny," she said.
Virginia was next to join the family and placed a hand on Clive's shoulder. "Congratulations, Clive."
Everyone ignored Jet and Gallows, both boys still passed out on the floor.
"So, what are you going to name him?" asked Cheville.
Clive's eyes strayed to the baby bag they'd brought, and to the novel he'd stuck in the side at some point he couldn't recall. "Beren," he said simply.
Catherine nodded. "Beren Winslett." Beren stopped crying for a moment, blinking his dark golden brown eyes. It was as if he realized something important was happening. But the moment passed and he started to squall again.
"He looks like his mother," commented Virginia, "but he's got your hair, Clive."
"Okay, all of you, out." Cheville started to chase everyone who wasn't Catherine out of the room. "And take those two with you." She gestured to Jet and Gallows.
The two boys didn't come around until just a few moments before Catherine and Cheville came out of the room, Catherine carrying a dressed, bundled and much quieter Beren. Cheville was just finishing up giving Catherine some helpful tips for taking care of the new baby.
"And don't hesitate to come over and ask if there's you'd like to know, or, guardians forbid, any problems."
"I will. Thank you Cheville," replied Catherine.
"What did I miss?" wondered Gallows before he spotted Catherine. "So this is the new kid? What's his name?"
Jet went over to investigate as well, curious despite himself, as Catherine told Gallows the baby's name. He'd never seen a baby before, and briefly wondered if he had ever been that small.
Catherine walked over to Clive and held Beren out to him. Taking his son, Clive cradles him in his arms, smiling. Kaitlyn tugged at his jacket.
"Can I hold him?" the little girl asked. After a quick glance at Catherine, who nodded, Clive knelt down.
"You must be very careful not to drop him," he said, and carefully passed his son to his daughter. Kaitlyn giggled as Beren tried to swat her in the face. After a couple of seconds, she passed him back to her father.
Clive stood, once again holding Beren. "I believe we have been here long enough. We should head home. I'm sure Cheville would like her house back."
That said, he tried to pick up the baby bag. It was a painful reminder that Catherine had pretty much broken his hand. With a pained and somewhat sheepish look on his face, he handed Beren back to his wife. "I think it would be best if I stayed here, if Cheville wouldn't mind looking at my hand."
Cheville agreed to bandage his hand, and the others took Beren home as she did so. He joined the others at home not to long afterwards.
"Mommy, daddy," asked Kaitlyn when everyone was gathered in the living room, "when can I get another little brother or sister?"
The end, but also a beginning.
Another note: Beren is the name of a character from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion. I just liked it, that's all. Tee hee. And you will be seeing more of him, and Julian, so be on the lookout for them.
