Seven: Healing brings uncertainty
Plot: Taking place where chapter five left off, Lydia and Edward notice that while their youngest daughters are enjoying a night without nightmares, their oldest can't sleep a wink.
"Hey! Be careful!" Nell giggled, feeling Pascal on her stomach. "The little ones inside me do kick!"
"I think he's just curious," Rapunzel smiled, watching her best friend climb on the huge circle that was Nell's pregnant stomach. "Eugene's with your sisters."
"Oh no. Hopefully he's not telling them the story of how he died," Nell joked with a smile.
"Maybe he is. But how do you feel about being free?" Rapunzel asked, taking her hand.
"I love it," Nell smiled. "I never have to worry about Jimmy and his family ever again. My sisters are safe, for the most part we're all unharmed, and now my family will increase by two."
"But at least they'll know someone as loving as Bobby Lee as their daddy," Rapunzel smiled, recalling Jimmy's last words before his execution. "And I don't think they could ask for a better grandfather." she added, seeing Edward giving Madeline and Sabrina a hug.
"So Frog how do you enjoy being on the circle that'll soon be life?" Eugene asked as he gave Rapunzel a kiss on the cheek.
"I think he's enjoying it," Nell smiled, feeling Pascal rest on her stomach before one of the babies started to kick.
"And how are you holding up?" Eugene continued, turning to Nell.
Nell looked surprised. She didn't expect him to say much to her, but she managed a smile. "I'm doing much better," she admitted. "I was just thinking about Jimmy's last words to me. And I will be making sure that Elena and Gabby are raised in a loving environment, and they grow up safe, loved, and respected."
"Who'd have believed that monster could be nice?" Rapunzel mused.
"He was actually nice to me once in a while," Nell admitted. "I guess he wanted me to remember that side of him."
"Nell can we feel the babies kick?" Madeline asked with a giggle.
"Oh! Pascal!" Sabrina gasped, taking the considered frog by Eugene in her hands. "Princess Rapunzel, how did you get him?"
Rapunzel smiled as she regaled the girls with how she found Pascal and how he became one of her best friends.
"You think we'll ever find friends like that, Nell?" Madeline asked.
"We're living with them, Maddie!" Nell smirked, gesturing toward their parents and the royal family.
"Can you stay?" Madeline begged, tugging at Rapunzel's dress after dinner that evening.
"Please?!" Sabrina added, jumping up and down. "We'll be good! We'll give you cupcakes!"
"Lots and lots of them," Nell smirked as she and Edward and Lydia held back their laughter.
"Believe me, I would love to," Rapunzel smiled, "But we have to get going. We've been doing a lot of exploring and adventure waits for nobody!"
"I think Roland's sister just found her new motto," Bobby Lee whispered to Nell.
"She put that on a pillow when she was your age," Roland chuckled, having heard the conversation. He kissed Rapunzel's hand. "Thank you for coming, Rapunzel. I know you also made Amber's day when you came here!"
"She did," Amber smiled, smiling softly at her favorite princess.
"Come on girls, let's get ready for bed shall we?" Edward asked, taking a poutine Madeline in his arms as Sabrina followed suit.
"We'll see Rapunzel, Eugene, and Pascal later, maybe at the next ball?" Lydia suggested, glancing over at Rapunzel.
"I'll see if we can fit it into our schedule," Rapunzel smiled, "And thanks for inviting Pascal!"
"Any friend of yours are friends of ours," Lydia smiled.
"We love you, Rapunzel!" Madeline called over her shoulder.
"I love you too!" Rapunzel yelled back with a giggle.
"Let me get you two out of here before little hands beg you to stay again," Bobby Lee suggested before kissing Nell on the cheek. "Enjoy your night of freedom."
"I certainly will," Nell smiled back.
After a while, Nell, Edward, and Lydia made it to Nell's room. They checked on Madeline and Sabrina, who were sleeping peacefully in their room.
"I can't remember the last time they had smiles on their faces as they slept," Nell smiled.
"We'll be seeing that a lot more now," Edward assured her.
"No more nightmares for any of us," Nell agreed, knowing that sometimes Madeline and Sabrina (and once in a while she herself) would cry themselves to sleep.
"We only see you crying happy tears now," Lydia smiled.
"Yeah," Nell sighed softly, putting a hand on her stomach.
"Helenita you okay?" Edward asked, hearing her sigh.
"I'm just uncertain about all of this," Nell muttered, sighing again.
"We know exactly how you feel, Nellie," Lydia murmured. "But you know that your father and I are going to be with you every step of the way. And Bobby Lee will stay by your side no matter what."
Nell smiled a little. "Thank you so much. I know I'm going to need all the help I can get now."
"We better let you get some sleep. Those little ones might pop out tomorrow if we're not careful!" Edward chuckled, kissing her cheek.
"Hopefully that won't happen," Lydia whispered, seeing Nell's look of horror. "But if it does, we'll be with you."
As Nell fell asleep, she couldn't help but think that things were finally looking up. Jimmy and his family were dead and out of her family's lives forever, and she was looking forward to a new life with her daughters.
For the first time in weeks, she could sleep without finding him in her dreams, snuggling up close with the blankets.
But early in the morning, not to where the night still stood but early enough, Nell felt a little bit of pain.
Thinking of it as just hunger pains, for once Nell didn't care how she looked when it came to her hair. If the babies were hungry then she couldn't deny them.
"I get it. You're hungry. Don't worry Mommy knows only the best for her girls," Nell cooed, placing a hand on her stomach.
Carefully getting out of bed, Nell felt another pain hit her but clenched her teeth.
The last thing she wanted to do was wake anybody up. Especially her sisters.
However, as she quietly got up, she saw Lydia outside the door. "Mama, what are you doing up?" she whispered.
"Are you all right, Nellie?" Lydia asked.
"I'm fine," Nell assured her, "The girls just woke me up since they're hungry."
"Well, we'll have to fix that, won't we?" Lydia smiled as she led the way to the kitchen.
"How did you know to wake up right now?" Nell continued.
"Mother's instincts, Nellie," Lydia smiled. "Whenever you or your sisters got sick in the middle of the night, I'd be there to see how you were. Even when you were gone, I'd still sense if one of you was out of sorts."
"Motherly instincts is going to drive me crazy!" Nell laughed, thinking of the thought. "I won't be able to do it."
"It's called practice honey," Lydia smirked, musing her hair. "And I thought I was the only one with the bush hair."
"Well I'm sorry, but I didn't have time to fix my hair before the girls woke me up," Nell smirked as they sat down in the kitchen with some tea and leftover food from the party.
"Congratulations to you being nine months!" Lydia chuckled, getting her daughter a chair.
"Yay me," Nell smiled weakly, feeling a painful kick in the stomach.
"Nellie is everything alright?" Lydia asked, seeing her daughter's tearing face.
"Do the babies kick harder when they know it's nine months?" Nell asked.
"They kick whenever they feel like it," Lydia assured her. "I remember when Madeline and Sabrina were almost born, they'd wake me up out of a sound sleep during the last month I was pregnant with them!"
"Didn't Papa say he heard you scream during the night?" Nell remembered.
"Oh yes," Edward said as he came in and heard the conversation, "From the way she was screaming, I thought she was in some kind of trouble, but when I saw the look on her face, I knew it was time for your sisters to be born!"
"The girls can't be born yet. I want to enjoy just one day of freedom," Nell said, feeling tears down her cheeks.
"Nellie, you've enjoyed nine months of it since you were rescued," Lydia assured her with a smile. "But if you feel like the babies are ready, have you felt any pain?"
"Not really," Nell admitted, "I think they know it's almost time, but I don't know if I'm ready."
"Don't worry, Helenita," Edward assured her, "We'll help you with anything you need to know."
"I know you will," Nell breathed, thinking back to what Rapunzel had told her.
Her girls, if they decided to break her water right then and there, were going to know that they were going to have a father and a grandfather that loved them.
"We asked Florence and Miss Bianca to take care of Madeline and Sabrina when it's time for me to have the babies, right?" Nell asked.
"Yes, Nellie," Lydia answered the question Nell had asked her about since around month eight. "I also saw you talking to your new friend Angel at the party. She said she'd been trained as a nanny, so if we need her to help as well, we know she's available."
Nell smiled at the memory. She'd met the 35-year-old woman at the party, and they'd hit it off right away. She was one of the people helping to keep Madeline and Sabrina busy as Jimmy and his family were executed. She heard that she was good with children, since she was training to be a nanny, and just like Lydia was doing, Angel was offering her some of her own advice about child care.
"We saw how well Madeline and Sabrina behaved with Angel, and how well she put Sabrina at ease when she saw someone go into a closet," Edward agreed. "She certainly knew how to ease her fears."
"She certainly did. Oh!" Nell groaned softly, clenching her teeth. "Come on girls! Mommy's tired! Please don't come out now!"
"Nellie are you feeling any signs of labor?" Lydia asked, squeezing her hand.
Mama I'm— Oh!" Nel groaned again, biting her lip to stop the tears from flowing.
"I'll take that as a yes!" Edward smirked, seeing the same look on Nell's face that he'd seen twice before on Lydia's.
Lydia ran right to Florence and Bianca's rooms to tell them that it was time for the babies to be born.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Bianca asked.
"We'll take care of Helen, Bianca; you and Florence just take care of Madeline and Sabrina," Lydia assured them.
"They'll be asking questions," Florence yawned, rubbing her eyes.
"If they hear Nellie scream then they know what's going on," Lydia assured with a smile.
"I'm just surprised those little angels want to chose her first day of freedom to come into the world," Bianca smirked playfully before hearing Nell whimper in pain.
"They'll be welcomed into the family no matter what day they're born on," Edward smiled. "And what better way to commemorate this time than with new life?"
"That's an interesting point, Edward," Bianca admitted, "Jimmy and his family's lives ended today, and Helen Genevieve's daughters' lives are beginning today."
"Papa! It hurts!" Nell cried, tears down down her cheeks.
"Go. We'll tell you when they're born," Edward whispered to Bianca with a smile. "I hate to see my Helenita in pain."
"It's all right, Nellie, I'm here," Lydia murmured, stroking her hair.
"I'll stay right by your side, Helenita," Edward added, hugging her like he used to when she had a nightmare. "Everything's going to be all right."
"Don't leave me," Nell whimpered.
"We'll both be here for you every step of the way," Lydia assured her.
"Healing leads to uncertainty. I thought I would heal but I can't!" Nell whimpered, trying not to scream.
"Nellie breathe sweetheart," Lydia cooed, stroking her hair.
"Stress isn't good for the babies, Helenita," Edward murmured, rubbing her shoulders.
As the doctor began his examination, Nell tried to relax. She tried to focus on Lydia singing the lullaby she used to sing to her, Madeline, and Sabrina when they were little. She looked around, and saw Bobby Lee in the doorway.
"Mother got me up a few minutes ago," he said as he came in. "You know I want to be here no matter what."
"I know," Nell tried to smile through the pain.
"And I hope I'm the first person one of our daughters sees. You know, upside down!" Bobby Lee continued.
"I think that's what happened with Madeline!" Edward grinned.
"Babies come out upside down?" Nell asked in amusement.
"Not exactly honey," Lydia smirked, pushing her hair away from her face. "Sometimes they are that way so the doctor can see if the baby cries with a smack on the bottom."
"Trust me you and Madeline had strong lungs," Edward smirked in recalling the memory. "Sabrina came out crying so we didn't do it with her."
"Robert had strong lungs too," Florence recalled, "And Roland said Amber was like that."
"What about Prince James?" Bianca asked.
"Bianca, you know that instead of crying, James came out reciting the alphabet, and he asked the nurse if she was done with the book she was reading!" Edward grinned, repeating the joke Roland told them about.
"Really?" Bianca smirked.
"Actually, to get his voice warmed up before he came out singing the ABC song, Roland said James did come out crying," Florence told her.
"Why can't this be easy?!" Nell groaned as a bit of pain washed over her.
"I wish I can lie but I can't. Twins or more are painful to push out. Just one child is a lot easier," Bianca recalled from seeing Lydia give birth three times. "But don't worry Helen Genevieve as long as you have the energy to push, you'll be fine."
""I think I ruined the nightdress you gave me Mama," Nell whimpered, feeling blood soak the back of the nightdress. "I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry about, Nellie," Lydia murmured, "This is just part of what happens. The blood's going to come right out."
Nell sighed in relief but it wasn't for long as a scream escaped her lips.
"Is he supposed to do that?!" Nell whimpered, feeling her body move in a way she hadn't seen before.
"It's so he can get the babies out easier. It's harder for him if your legs are together," Lydia assured her with a kiss on the cheek.
"But I don't like it," Nell said softly, holding back tears. "I just wanted a week or two before all this!"
"We know, Helen, but you know babies come when they decide it's time," Bobby Lee assured her, "Remember, I was supposed to be born on June thirteenth, but I came on the eighth instead?"
"That was a Friday the thirteenth, if I'm not mistaken," Edward smirked. "It's lucky for Florence that you were born early!"
"Oh, Edward, don't tell me you believe in that superstitious nonsense too," Bianca playfully scolded.
"And Robert used to cause the girls all sorts of trouble, saying they'd be cursed with bad luck if they didn't go along with him," Lydia threw Bobby Lee a mock frown. "Helen's poor sisters always came home crying thinking that what he said was true!"
"I always apologized, didn't I?" Bobby Lee asked innocently.
"Yes, but only because I made you apologize," Florence smirked.
Nell tried to smile humorously at their talk but the pain that her daughters were bringing her were starting to show, having a full on scream escape from her lips.
It's going to be all right, Helen," Bobby Lee murmured. "We're all here with you, and the babies will be here in no time. You just need something to take your mind off this."
"Like what?" Nell groaned.
"Remember when we were eight, after I finally stopped teasing you, I took you fishing?" Bobby Lee asked. "You were so excited about learning how to do it that you wouldn't leave me alone that whole week?"
"And you almost started teasing me again, saying that I couldn't handle baiting the hook by myself," Nell smiled as another wave of pain hit, "But I proved you wrong! We caught so many fish that we invited everyone to our picnic."
"You also found those blueberry patches on the way home," Bobby Lee squeezed her hand. "You insisted that we pick every one of them so we'd have something else to go along with the fish."
"I remember," Florence smiled, "You two did bring home enough berries for your muffins, but I think more berries found their way to your stomachs instead of your baskets! You were both covered with berry juice!"
"Boy did we get a scolding for that!" Nell chuckled through a shot of pain.
"Any close to seeing a head doctor?" Lydia asked, seeing Nell's smile turn into exhaustion.
"I see a head!" the doctor smiled. "Just one more push, and your first daughter will be out!"
"Okay..." Nell whimpered. Even though she was exhausted, she pushed as hard as she could, and soon, the air was filled with the ear-splitting cries of a newborn baby.
"Well done, Helen! Your first daughter sounds perfectly healthy!" the doctor grinned. "Now let's get her sister out!"
"Hi Elena. Hi baby," Lydia cooed softly, taking a shrieking Elena in her arms. "I'll get you cleaned up. I promise."
"You need to stay here. I'll take her," Bianca offered, taking Elena in her arms. "Hello little baby. You'll have a sister joining you very soon."
A few minutes later, the air was once again filled with shrieks. "And here's your second baby!" the doctor smiled.
"Helenita, you were wonderful," Edward murmured, kissing Nell softly on her forehead. "I'm so proud of you!"
"So am I," Lydia smiled. "And I'm proud of you, Gabby! You and your sister came out on the perfect day!"
"I think she's confused," Bobby Lee smirked as Gabby calmed down at the sight of her mommy.
"Hi baby. Hi girls," Nell cooed, looking up at the girls. Her little girls. "Mommy's so happy you're here."
"We all are," Edward murmured, stroking her hair.
"Do you want me to wake Madeline and Sabrina so they can meet their nieces?" Bobby Lee asked. "It'll be just like when Helen dragged me all the way to your house when they were a day old."
"Wouldn't you be excited about having new sisters too?" Nell asked innocently.
"Well, at least I won't have to be dragged so far this time," Bobby Lee smirked.
"I'll get them," Lydia assured him with a smile. "Besides I'm sure the whole castle has woken up to crying newborns."
"Oh we were," James smirked as Sofia rubbed her eyes. "Amber's lucky she didn't hear it."
"We'll wake her up later than," Roland smiled, musing his hair.
"Oh, yes, Princess Amber needs her beauty sleep," Bobby Lee smirked.
"Actually, Amber can sleep through everything," Roland smirked back. "James, however, is the complete opposite! Everything wakes him up!"
"I wonder if Elena and Gabby will be like that," Nell mused.
"Only time will tell, Helenita," Edward smiled.
"They're so adorable!" Sofia squealed, seeing Elena and Gabby in the dresses she and Miranda made for them.
"Too bad they'll outgrow the dresses in a few weeks," Edward smirked, gently stroking Elena's hair. "Sabrina and Madeline grew like weeds!"
"Papa! Elena and Gabby are small!" Nell giggled with a smile.
"Oh, they're small now, but they won't be that way for long!" Lydia smiled.
"At least we have skilled dressmakers here, so if they need new outfits, they'll have them right away," Florence smiled; she was a dressmaker herself.
"Thank goodness for that," Nell smiled.