Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I don't even own a house or a car. So it's safe to say I don't own Merlin.

A/N Quick updates for a while I think. Please enjoy! Short one I'm afraid.

Chapter 8

Morgause' birthday came and went without as much as an acknowledgement, the anniversary of the purge with more so. On the day of the anniversary the sounds of jubilation drifted through to her in her sleep, even with the bracelet on. It sickened her to think of Camelot celebrating the death of thousands of her kind and she couldn't help but wonder if her parents had taken part in it, if they had stood beside their murderous king and laughed alongside him at the deaths of thousands of their friends. Nothing would surprise her any more.

However one evening in the start of spring everything changed. Morgause was startled awake by a great feeling of pain. She could feel her insides contracting and the rush of fluid down her thighs told her one thing- the baby was coming. Morgause was struck by the overwhelming feeling of fear, paralysing her. She couldn't have this baby, not now and not ever. She didn't want this! She wasn't prepared for such pain. Sucking in a great breath as the feeling subsided Morgause concentrated on sending a psychic message to Nimueh, something she had only learnt recently. The message was simple- help the baby is coming, please.

Nimueh rushed to Morgause's side, she had never assisted in a birth before but she knew roughly what to do. Morgause was flushed bright red and sweating heavily when Nimueh entered the room. Morgause had begun to panic, breathing in sharply and far too quick. She was dimly aware of Nimueh speaking to her before she forcefully grabbed her chin and made her look into her eyes.

"Listen to me; I need you to breathe deeply. Slow it down, do you understand me? In and out, that's right, calm down." Nimueh said softly, as she spoke Morgause slowly got her breathing under control her head was still spinning from the lack of air and her chest tight.

"I can't do this." Morgause said vehemently shaking her head from side to side; her eyes were dilated as she trembled.

"Yes you can, thousands of women do this every day. So calm yourself."

"But I don't want to!" Morgause screamed angrily, a pot flying off the shelf and smashing on the floor with a loud clatter.

"Morgause!" Nimueh said in outrage, but before Morgause could respond she was overtaken by another contraction. Her face screwed up in pain she bit her lip almost drawing blood. The contraction was over quickly and she slowly relaxed back into the pillows of her bed.

"I don't want to do this" she whispered a note of terror in her voice.

"Shh, Morgause, you have a while to go yet. Everything will be fine my dear." Nimueh crooned softly stroking the side of her face. Morgause could do nothing but lay there, terrified of the pain that was to come but even more terrified that soon she will have a babe, and she will have to care for it.

The hours passed slowly and loudly and by the fifth hour Morgause was screaming bloody murder, the entire bed was drenched with her sweat. Morgause had started using her magic during the contractions, she didn't mean to but the power just kept exploding out of her. After one such event where she flung a pot at Nimueh accidently (Nimueh had been patronising her) the older witch had bound her powers with a spell. The room was dark now, the torches flickering menacingly along the walls casting elongated shadows across the room. There was blood staining the sheets but Morgause was so out of it she hadn't noticed, Nimueh however was starting to panic. She was not trained in midwifery but even she knew the amount of blood Morgause was losing wasn't normal. Nimueh threw out her hand and cast a spell to stop the flow. Nimueh stared up at Morgause; her head was lolling listlessly while she muttered incoherently. Nimueh knew she had to get the child out before they both died; she had to save the child. Nimueh shook Morgause back into consciousness. Morgause blearily opened her eyes before her face contorted into pain.

"Morgause, you are almost there. One more push…now." She said trying hard to keep the panic out of her voice. Maybe she was listening or maybe it was just pure instinct but Morgause pushed and let out a scream. Then it was over and a baby was in Nimueh's arms, covered in blood but alive. Nimueh wrapped the child in a blanket and looked back to the now unconscious Morgause.

Deciding that Morgause would be okay Nimueh took the child to the chair in the corner of the room. Nimueh began to sing as she rocked the quietly crying baby. Nimueh began to carefully clean the child whilst she sang, her eyes alight with wonder at the little baby in her arms. She sat there with the child for hours as she waited for Morgause to wake, she never once took her eyes off of the baby she was mesmerised by the rise and fall of his chest, the little inhales of breath the warmth of him as he snuggled into her arms.

Morgause woke and stared around the room looking down and seeing the blood Morgause began to panic and then a dark haired woman stepped out of the shadows clutching a blanket to her chest. Morgause tried to use her magic only to find it bound.

"Shh it's all over now." Nimueh strode closer to her "You are safe with me, you always were." Nimueh then placed the sleeping baby on Morgause's chest and softly brushed Morgause's hair of her sticky face.

"My baby?" Morgause stuttered.

"A little healthy boy" Nimueh smiled a large smile, the truest smile Morgause had ever seen on her. Not a sneer or a cocky smile but a true, pure grin of joy. "Do you have a name for him?"

"Gwaine" Morgause muttered sleepily, raising one arm to stroke his downy brown fluffy hair. His eyes were firmly shut and he had a wrinkled look about him as if he had been in the bath too long.

"A beautiful name"

"Like his father" Morgause spoke quietly her eyes closed, she stroked his cheek and fell asleep.

A/N Baby Gwaine! The plot is finally getting moving now, this story is set over about twenty years so it's going to be quite long. Anyway, thanks for the alerts and favorites, and reviews of course!