Chapter 25. Bunnies, chicks and babies
It had been weeks since Fred had seen Sarah, and he was beginning to worry about her. His mother had called her to invite her to lunch and been turned down. Fred paced his mother's parlor. "I can't stand this." He complained bitterly. "I don't see why she's doing this."
Doris sat with her knitting, "I do." Fred turned to her and waited for the explanation. Doris smiled wistfully. "Fred, I was far worse just days before you were born."
"She won't take my calls, Mother." He huffed. "I just want to know she's alright."
The older woman gave her son a sad gaze, "Fred, are you in love with Sarah?"
He ran a hand through his hair and growled. "I don't know… I could be if she'd give me half a chance."
Doris looked back at her knitting. "Sarah told you she was not over the man who… fathered her baby."
Fred slammed his hand to the coffee table. "But he's not here and I am!" he said in defense of his feelings.
"Yes, dear… you are." His mother didn't look at him, there was nothing she could say or do.
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Linda found Sarah in the nursery going over the last minute details. She turned to look at her mother. "I think I'm just about set."
"Oh then you don't want to know about the sale at Macy's?" Linda teased. "Begins on Wednesday, and goes though Sunday. I thought if you were up to it we'd go on Saturday."
"David says the baby could come in a week or so," Sarah said leaning on the bed rail of the crib. "I think a sale at Macy's is just what I need… I've been feeling terribly sorry for my self of late. Maybe getting out will make me feel better."
"Hormones," Linda groused. "I remember them well."
"Oh hey, don't you have a soap event that morning?" Sarah said quickly.
"I do," Linda nodded, "At Macy's, on the mezzanine. I'll go in early and have Jeremy drive you over and we'll meet around noon or so… have lunch and shop."
"Sounds like a plan." Sarah agreed then picked up the new baby blanket that Karen had made. "Did you see this? She embroidered all the characters from the play…"
Linda fingered the blanket, "Karen is very thoughtful."
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Jareth began to pace behind the heavy desk, he looked at the dates again and at the wheel of the year. Nicole found him in his private study going over things. "Is something amiss?"
He looked up at her. "The baby is due…now…."
"I'm sure everything is fine," she comforted him.
"No, Nicole… The baby is due now… today…" He pointed to the papers strewn over his desk. "I made very careful calculations, I made sure she'd be ovulating on Midsummer… my son is due now… today…."
The Fae woman came around to the side of his desk and looked at the pages. "You planned this all out?"
"Of course," he said looking at the notes.
"You're worried." Nicole observed.
"Yes," he admitted freely. "I am." He looked at her and held out his hand. "I can not go above, and I've a feeling a Fae is needed, be a dear, go above and check on her… I need to know… and the orb is not enough. Be my eyes and ears, and a magical hand if needed."
"Promise not to do anything while I'm gone." She said firmly.
"Fine, just go… find her and make sure she's… alright."
Nicole shook her head at him, "Planting a seed on Midsummer's to harvest on Ostara…"
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Sarah was glad that Jeremy had offered to drive; she was in no mood to take a bus. She'd been fighting off a dull ache for hours. Her feet hurt and her ankles were slightly swollen. When they arrived at Macy's Jeremy took her to the mezzanine where the Soap Stars were being showered by attention from loving fans. Sarah stood back, watching as her mother made efforts to be personable to each fan.
Jeremy laughed softly. "She's something else, isn't she?" He asked with a very proud tone.
"Why don't you just marry her already?" Sarah asked.
The actor shrugged, "I would if she'd go for the idea, but she's not willing."
Sarah felt sorry that she'd spoken about it at all. She shifted and looked about, looking for a place she could sit for a few moments. Turning she noticed Doris coming toward her and Fred Jr. in tow.
"Sarah, darling!" Doris moved swiftly toward her, arms outstretched and looking pleased as punch to see the girl out again. "I've missed you! I just knew you'd be here to cheer on your mother." She looked over at her son who looked embarrassed. "I was just telling Fred that you'd be here, wasn't I dear?"
"Yes mother," he looked at the girl becoming concerned. "Sarah, are you feeling alright? You look a little … I don't know, pale?"
Doris suddenly looked at the girl. "He's right, you're color is off… are you alright?"
"Oh fine," Sarah protested the concerns. "Just nine months along a waiting for the big day. I saw Dr. David yesterday and he said it could be by the end of next week." She flinched and hoped no one saw.
Jeremy smiled at Doris. "Linda will be pleased to see you; we're taking Sarah to lunch… Would you like to join us?"
Sarah looked over at the crowd of fans around the stars of her mother's soap, "I think she's going to be a while, and I'm not really hungry yet… I'd really like to get a peek at the sale up on seven."
Fred extended an arm to Sarah. "Why don't I just take Sarah up to seven, and we'll meet you all down at the cellar?" He smiled at Sarah. "Think of me as a willing pack mule, mother has me well trained to carry packages."
"Fred," Doris protested with wide eyes. "What a thing to say. You go ahead, let me know it there's anything you'd like that you're not buying yourself Sarah."
"Will do," she said as she hooked an arm into the one offered by Fred. Sarah took a long breath when they reached the elevator doors. "Too crowded here for me." She confessed to Fred.
The man smiled at her warmly, and ushered her into the elevator.
Doris turned to Jeremy. "I'm really quite fond of Sarah." She tried not to press. "So is Fred."
"I know," Jeremy said shaking his head.
The seventh floor had a wonderful infants' wear sale, and there were items Sarah fell in love with. She bought ten all in ones, six terrycloth sleepers, eight little bootie sets, four receiving blankets with little fairies and mythical creatures dancing about and one dozen little bibs. Sarah looked at Fred as he struggled with the boxes placed in his arms. "I'm sorry Fred, I just could not resist."
"I should have brought a real pack animal," he teased, pleased that she was allowing him near her again. Sarah laughed then winced, Fred saw the wince. "Sarah, honey, are you alright?"
"Just a twinge… I've been having them off and on for days now… but today…"she winced again. "The little bugger is really active today."
Fred frowned, "Are you sure that's all it is?"
Sarah looked at her watch, "You know, I'll bet that Soaps Stars thing is over, we'd better head down to the cellar to meet my mother and Jeremy for lunch with your mother." She ignored his concern, making light of everything. She pointed toward the elevator. "Come on, it's not crowded…"
There were three other people on the elevator, an older couple looking as if they'd been shopping for a grand child, and a young woman with long dark hair and eyes like the hearts of pansies. She smiled at Sarah when they got on the elevator. Fred was still struggling with the multitude of boxes containing Sarah's purchases. Sarah pressed the button for the cellar, and leaned back on the wall when a strong sharp pain struck her. She gasped and Fred turned his attentions to her.
"Sarah," he dropped the packages and grabbed her before she crumpled. "Sarah, what is it?"
Panting for air, Sarah looked at him and whispered. "Fred, I think my water just broke."
The older couple looked astonished and backed away, the younger woman moved forward. She placed a hand on Sarah, comfortingly. "Is there something I can do to help?" She asked gently.
"I'm in labor…." Sarah laughed not believing this was happening. "When we get to the main floor, Fred you'd better get me over to David's clinic… the midwife is there today…" She began to do her breathing exercises, breathing in deeply and puffing out the air in little hee hee hee breaths. Just as the elevator came to a shuddering halt, Sarah looked up and groaned. "No!"
The woman with dark hair looked at Fred who was moving to the electrical panel and the emergency phone that was in the box next to the floor buttons. "Hello?" he called into the phone. "Hello, anybody there?"
Another sharp pain drove Sarah to her knees, and the dark haired girl who was holding her arm went down with her. She held Sarah as the pain crested.
"Hello!" Fred called into the phone again, this time he received an answer. "We're in Elevator number three, and we've a woman in labor in here."
The dark haired girl held Sarah's hands and whispered to her, "Focus…" and began to do the breathing with her. The way the coaches in the birthing classes had. Sarah nodded at her and concentrated on her breathing.
Fred knelt down and looked at Sarah. "They are working on the problem."
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Jeremy and Doris waited while Linda signed autographs for the last fans who had hung about with hopes of at least a glimpse of the actress. When she finished she joined them, "I thought it would never end," she breathed deeply. "Where's Sarah?"
Doris pointed upward, "She and Fred went up to seven to do some shopping. They'll meet us down in the cellar for a light lunch."
A commotion down at the elevator drew their attention, and Linda shook her head. "I'll bet that number three is stuck again…. It got stuck earlier today." She was pulling on her coat, turned to Jeremy. "Go over and find out what's going on. Doris and I will be fine." Linda was chatting with Doris nonchalantly with only one eye on Jeremy as he moved toward the elevator and an official from the Macy's company. His face change alerted her that something was very wrong. She looked at Doris. "Where did you say Sarah went?"
"Seven…" Doris looked toward the elevators and both women began to hurry over to where Jeremy was standing with one of the company officials. "What's happened?"
Jeremy looked at Linda, "They have a pregnant girl on three," he pointed to the elevator. "Stuck between floors six and five… and she's in labor…Linda, I think its Sarah."
Linda staggered back a step, then grabbed the official, screaming. "Get my daughter out of that elevator!"
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He checked the calculations again, looked at the charts and then raised the imperfect orb. "Sarah, " he breathed deeply. "Sarah…"
Goblins looked from one to another, was he giving an order or not? The leader nodded and waved the others to follow. They moved though the passages and appeared in the building where the girl who ate the peach was. They could feel her energies, and the power that surrounded her at this moment. The leader motioned the others to flee into the shadows, not to disturb the humans. Right now it was just being near the girl that was important.
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Fred had taken off his coat and placed it over Sarah, the dark haired girl who was breathing with her smiled at her and said calmingly. "I've had some midwife training." She looked at the older couple, "I'm afraid you're going to be rather shocked… so if you don't wish to see the birth…look away."
Sarah grabed the other girl by the coat. "You mean it's now?"
"Yes," She said calmly. "I'm going to help you out of your… undergarments…" she looked at Fred, "Do you have any blankets in there?" she pointed to the boxes now strewn on the elevator floor.
"Yes," Fred opened the boxes with the blankets and passed them to the girl.
"I'm going to tell you what to do," the girl said. "My name is Nicole, and you are?"
"Fred, Fred Greyly." He answered.
"Your wife will be fine…" she assured the young man.
"She's not my wife," Fred said with a twinge of sadness. "We're just friends…"
Nicole raised a brow but patted his hand. "Get behind her, hold her so she's in a half seated position, you're going to help her push when the time comes."
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Jareth, restrained by the edict, watched as the tall man moved behind Sarah to help her. One moment he had hated the man, right now he felt most grateful that he was there to support Sarah. He sat watching, cursing himself, if he'd handled this differently he would be there. It had all played out differently in his mind. He had never even considered what it would be like to be absent from the birth of his child… his son… his heir. Now he was the one suffering instead of the girl who'd wounded his pride.
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Linda paced in front of the elevator like a tigress, growling at anyone who tried to get her to move. Jeremy warned the officials not to mess with her, as it was her daughter in the elevator. When asked how he could be so sure, he pointed to Linda… "She knows." Doris stood by, not interfering, just being supportive.
The officials had the maintenance men working but didn't seem to find a reason for the interruption in service, but kept working or at least looking busy so the woman pacing didn't go after them.
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Sarah's brow was beaded in sweat, and she panted harder and harder. Nicole spoke to her in gentle tones encouraging her. "We're nearly there, now get ready…"
Fred held her from behind and whispered. "You're doing great, Sarah."
Nicole looked at her. "It's time, Sarah, push!" Sarah took a deep breath and pushed she felt the baby move down and she began to pant and then pushed again. A moment later Nicole smiled up at her, "You've a son." She bundled the child in the blanket Fred had given her.
Sarah took the baby into her arms. "Hello, little darling…" she spoke to the tiny face looking at her with wide eyes.
"Hello little man." Fred greeted the boy.
Nicole sat back and smiled. "He looks very healthy."
Sarah allowed the tears to fall. "Welcome to my world, József." She kissed the little bundle.
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Jareth watched the baby held in the arms of his lover. "Goblins protect my son." He breathed.
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The elevator shuddered and began to move. Linda turned to the doors when she heard the sound. None of the repair men could explain what was happening. Behind Linda, several photographers who'd been covering the Soap event raised their cameras as the doors opened and the baby's cries were heard. Flashes went off as both Doris and Linda moved into the elevator as the older couple exited swiftly.
One of the Macy's officials heard the man say he would never step foot into Macy's again. The official ignored the man and looked at the new mother and baby on the floor of the elevator and smiled softly, thinking how the pair almost seemed to glow.
Nicole watched as the women took charge of Sarah. She looked once more at the baby and smiled softly.
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A cold being passed the group gathered at the elevator unseen. She whispered words into the ears of the photographers, and again into the ear of a reporter who happened to be there. Seeing the seeds she sowed take root, she vanished.
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Goblins moved secretly, shadows moved and danced, celebrating the birth of the newest member of the Kingdom.
Jareth looked content, for the moment.
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The Macy's officials had insisted that Sarah go to the hospital and be checked out. Dr. David had been called and he was now at her side making sure she was able to be discharged.
"I could have sworn you had another week," he told Sarah as he took her pulse. "Well you look great."
Sarah smiled, "I feel like I was hit by a Mack truck."
David looked over her chart and signed papers. "Well I think it's safe to send you home… whoever that woman was in the elevator with you was a great midwife… I'd love to have her on staff."
"Her name was Nicole… but I don't have any other info on her." Sarah sighed.
Fred paced the hall with his mother and Linda, waiting to take Sarah and the baby home. "It all happened so fast," he was telling them. "One moment she's shopping like a demon, the next she's in labor."
Doris looked at Jeremy who was down the hall arguing with an official. "Something's amiss."
Linda glowered, "I'd better see to it!" She stalked down the hall. "What is the hold up? Where is my grandson?"
"Ma'am," The nurse held up the blood reports on the baby. "There's something in the baby's blood…and we… can't identify it."
"Is the baby healthy?" Linda demanded.
"He seems to be…" the nurse began but was shouted down by Linda.
"Then go and get him, we are taking him and his mother home."
The nurse shook her head, "I can't release him, I'm not a doctor….and they are running tests…"
Linda looked at Jeremy, "Get Fred."
Fred came down the hall, looking like he was going to crack someone's head. "I want to see the Doctor in charge of Pediatrics." He demanded harshly. "No one is keeping Sarah from her baby!"
Dark shadows darted about, and little sounds were heard.
The nurse found the doctor, who came out giving reasons the baby could not leave. All reasons were shot down, and Fred fought for Sarah's right to take her son home.
An hour later, Sarah was wheeled out of the hospital to the parking lot with her son in her arms. Once she and the baby were safely blocks away, the Goblins began to destroy any and all evidence of the little prince's ever having been there. No trace of his blood work remained, and the memory of Sarah and József vanished from everyone who had seen them in the hospital.
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Sarah stood over the crib looking down at the beautiful babe in the bed. "Sleep well, my babe." She murmured, then looked up and whispered. "Jay, where are you?"
Unseen eyes watched with tenderness.
