You hear the bell ringing and you know that you're in that place, between realms of awake and dreams. For once you're kind of excited. The few times you were here you were able to meet up with Eggy, then the kindly Maturin…

And then you sensed it…a small glimmer, a sparkle of life, of something not quite human but very much so.

Your unborn child sings quietly in the place and you listen to it. Your child sings of happiness, of the sun in the sky, the cooling wind and the songs of life. It comforts you and you feel the twist in your soul carefully unravel as you sigh in contentment. There's bliss here and you feel like you can just listen to it forever.

"Mama, come back…"

Eggy's soft voice beckons you and the place begins to melt as your mind tugs you back to reality. That sparkle, your unborn child, sings softly like a farewell as you're awakened. You don't want to leave, not really but at least you are comforted by the fact that you'd see your child soon.

With one final ring you wake.

You see copper hair, Eggy, who is lying on your chest, grumbling as she holds on to you. Her white eyes – the ones she uses for her human form – blinks at you.

"Darling…" you rasp. Your throat winces and Eggy, sensing your pain quickly shove a glass of cold water to your lips. The liquid slide smoothly down your parched throat and soon it is empty. Eggy quickly refills it and passes it back to you.

"Drink Mama, the doctor said you need to drink a lot." She says and at the word doctor, you're suddenly aware that you're not at home. White ceiling, walls and blankets and the scent of antiseptic so reminiscent of hospitals invades your senses. Your right arm feels stiff and you find an IV drip attached to it.

You're baffled, wondering how you ended up here when you remembered…

…soft hands…and a hum that's both soothing and strange…

You shoot up, ignoring the sharp pain in your head as you look around the room and see…

"Mom?"

Your mother, so small and tired snaps awake at the sound of your voice. Quickly, she rises to her feet and envelope you in a warm hug that you didn't realise you had missed.

"[Y/N], baby, how are you feeling?" she asks. Your mother looked terrible, her eyes were red and her usually meticulous appearance is marred by her dishevelled clothes and the fact that she's here sans make-up. Your mother almost never leaves home without being dolled up. The one time she didn't was when both of you found out that your father had been hospitalized after being hit by a truck.

"I'm…okay, just thirsty…" you reply, wincing from the dryness in your mouth.

"Here Mama," Eggy says, carefully tipping the glass of water to your grateful lips.

For a while, the only sounds you hear is the water sloshing in the glass as you look around for the last member of your family.

As though sensing your query, Eggy speaks up, "Dada got kicked out – he made too much noise with baldy-head." You nearly choke on your drink but manage to finish the glass without spilling it everywhere. Eggy gives you a cheeky smile and you wonder if she actually did call Bob 'baldy-head' to his face.

Your mother snorts, "Honestly. Here you are sick and they both couldn't stop arguing. It's quite shameful." Your mother shakes her head as she fluffs your pillows.

Dread grows in your belly, "What did they argue about?" Your mother scowls and you nearly flinch from her gaze.

"Well, Bob said that Penny shouldn't have come, that he was sick and shouldn't be around you. Penny insisted on staying and that if he's sick the hospital is the best place to be. Then both of them started arguing about who should stay and who should go, they got quite loud so I told get to take it outside!"

You sigh because of course Penny would argue – it's sweet but you really wish he was here right now.

"Um…why am I here, Mom?" you ask.

"Well, apparently Bob noticed that you couldn't stop vomiting so he brought you here. The doctor said you have a severe form of morning sickness. You were so dehydrated sweetheart that you were becoming delirious."

"Oh…wait, Bob brought me here?" you ask because how the fuck was it Bob was the one who brought you to the hospital. Penny might be sick but you doubt he'd allow his erstwhile lover to do something like that. Penny is anything if not protective. Eggy hisses, her hands clench tightly.

"Dada was sick and had to take care of me," she explains, leaving 'then Bob kidnapped Mama' because how the fuck would you explain the weird ass situation you're in. Dear Mom, Bob's my boyfriend's ex-boyfriend who is soon to be mentor to my future adopted daughter but is actually my biological daughter via said boyfriend because alien genetics? Also Bob kinda kidnapped me but please don't call the cops, he might eat them for lunch.

Sorry for hiding that shit Mom.

Oblivious to your thoughts your mother focuses on Eggy, smiling fondly at your child.

"I'm sorry sweetie, are you feeling better?" she asks and Eggy nods, beaming, "Yes, Dada takes good care of me and Mama."

Although your mother's still smiling, you see her lip twitch, no doubt thinking of the fact that Penny caused such a ruckus he got kicked out along with Bob.

This was not how you wanted her to meet him. In your mind, you imagine sitting in your (spotless) living room, with Penny making child-friendly jokes and being all fatherly and sickeningly sweet with you, showing your mother that despite his past that he's a good person for you, a person who loves you.

You getting hospitalised after being abducted by Bob was nowhere near your plans.

Plus, 'severe morning sickness'? Really universe? Pregnancy on its own is bad enough but you're given severe morning sickness?

As though sensing your complaints, your stomach twists again and you feel the tell-tale nausea burning up your throat. Your mother quickly grabs an empty bucket nearby and shove into your arms, just as your stomach purges whatever meagre content it has. Soft hands, small and large quickly rub your back, Eggy crooning sympathetically as you heave and shake, tears escaping your eyes from the effort.

A tingle of magic climbs up your spine but Eggy's efforts feel futile and if anything it seems to make the urge grow even worse. Your moan pitifully, twitching and shaking your head, hoping she'd understand. Thankfully she stops and resumes rubbing your back.

You want to comfort her but unfortunately your body has other ideas. Violent ideas.

Eventually your mother calls for the nurse as it becomes evident that you were stopping only for a quick drink before vomiting again. The nurse, a Valkyrie build woman, carefully hands you some pills, saying it would help with the nausea. You still heaved afterwards, necessitating her to inject you because you're vomiting it back out.

As your body shakes and shivers you can't help but recall that sparkle and hope that you'd see it again in your dreams.

Pennywise glares at his former lover as he paces around the sitting room, ignoring the alarmed looks the other patients were giving him. Despite the venomous glances Penny sends his way, Bob continues to peruse one of the magazines in the area, only the tiny curl on his lip betraying the fact that the second clown is secretly enjoying your lover's discomfort.

Pennywise ought to be with you, by your side but Bob had to open his stupid mouth, saying that Penny ought to go home cause he's sick and it might spread to you. What an idiot – the hospital is the best place for sick people, he argued but Bob called him a brat and fuck his stupid head and the next thing he knew your mother ordered both of you to get out and cool down.

Him, ordered by some wispy old crone! But the woman is your mother and Penny knows that if he so much as hurts the woman, you'd come out and strangle his neck with the IV drip.

God, he's be so turned on by the thought. But for the sake of peace, he followed out, taking comfort that at least Bob is out here with him too.

It was then, through gritted teeth, he asked Bob just what the fuck is going on.

Last night, after realising that you simply won't stop vomiting – even after you were knocked out, to his dismay – Bob brought you to the hospital. Apparently you have something called 'hyperemesis gravidarum', a severe form of morning sickness that can lead to dehydration and delirium. They were lucky that she was brought in so early because the doctor said you were practically a prune by the time of admission. Your mother was called because she was on your emergency list. She took the next flight to Bangor, then drove to Derry hospital, before Bob finally realised to call you.

"You should have woke me up the instant you knew something is wrong." Penny spits, clenching his fists so hard he almost drew blood.

"I told you –"

"Stop bullshitting me!" Penny roars, slapping the magazine away from Bob's hands. The two of them stare at each other, Penny clenching and unclenching his fists while Bob steeples his hands, eyes solemn. Several patients scuttle away as one of the nurse walks up to them.

"Sir, I'm going to ask you to please quiet down. You're disturbing the other patients." The woman said coldly and before Penny could tell her to shut the fuck up, Bob grabs him by the arm and without so much as a by your leave, drags the taller man away from them. Penny tries to pull away but Bob's grip is iron strong as despite his efforts, digging his heels and trying to fall, Penny is pulled to a quieter area of the hospital. Before he could protest, Bob shoves him into a janitor closet, then slams the door shut.

Penny whirls about so shout when Bob slams the taller man against the door, both his hands holding his shoulders.

"Listen you brat. Your little wifey is sick, and not just physically sick, spiritually sick too! If you'd take one second to get that head out of your ass you would know that her body, her soul is straining from taking care of three lives." Bob growls, his blue eyes burning yellow in anger. Penny hisses, trying to pull Bob's hand's away.

"I –" he starts but Bob shoves him again.

"No, you can't! You're fucking human! You can't even use a pinch of your powers without killing yourself. And as pleasurable as that is to see you flopping like some dying fish, I'd rather not see you waste away the only young ones of that calibre because you're too fucking proud!" Bob all but roars.

Penny's golden eyes narrows as he struggles against the clown's grip, "I did not ask to be this way!"

"I know you don't and fuck that senile reptile for reducing you to…to this. But for fuck's sake you dolt, I'm here to help you."

"Really? Because I think you're definition of 'help' needs fixing."

"I took her to the hospital –"

"No, you trolled her, then you intruded on my hunting grounds, fought my daughter and then fucked with my mind."

"Okay, to be honest your child started that first and you tried to offer that glass of water to a potted plant last night."

Penny blinks, ceasing his struggle, "What?"

Bob sighs and gives Penny a disappointed look.

"Yes, it was sad to watch. Your poor mate is hurling all over the place and you spent five minutes trying to offer water to a plastic plant. If I weren't there she'd probably start seeing that toilet bowl as a pillow."

The taller man's shoulder drops and sensing that he wasn't going to get punched or anything, Bob releases him.

"Being human sucks." Penny claims unhappily.

"Yup but they're delicious as hell though," Bob mutters, patting Penny sympathetically.

"I mean, first I had to contend with no powers…then apparently there's this called 'refractory period' and you have to obey their stupid laws and you can't just kill someone and will it away. It's torture!" the taller man ranted as the clown nods understandingly.

"I didn't think Matu-dick had it in him. He was always lazy and was so determined to just keep watch and that stupid rhyme…" Penny continue before turning to Bob, "I mean is yours?"

Bob sniffs, conjuring up a cigar, "Mine died some time ago. Choked on some galaxies apparently,"

"You lucky bastard."

"I know. Got me some free time and that's when I heard about your little situation here." He taps his cigar that was not setting off the fire alarm. Bob stares at the smoke for a moment, contemplating his next words.

"Look, I know I got off on the wrong foot…"

Penny waves him off, "It's all right. I would have done the same."

"Really?" Bob smirks as Penny grins cheekily at him.

"Well, I'd do it with more finesse, of course."

"Sure you do. Before or after you persuade a plastic plant to drink water?"

"Oh, fuck off."

Then the both of them broke into laughter. It was so loud they attracted the attention of a passing nurse. Who promptly demanding a day off because all she saw when she swing the door open, was an empty closet…reeking of cigar smoke.