Wini spent the next few days waiting for something to happen, and she was getting pretty impatient. After two weeks, she was certain that nothing had happened. As she was walking through the Great Hall, mumbling about it, Matt and Gobo came along, discussing the adventure of exploring, and not paying attention to where they were going. Matt wound up bumping into her.
"Oh, excuse me, Wini," he said. "I didn't see you coming."
"Watch where you're going!" Wini snapped.
"Wow!" Gobo shouted. "You're weally cwanky today, Wini!"
"I know, I'm sorry," Wini said. "I didn't mean it, Matt. I really didn't. I haven't been feeling like myself."
"Quite all right," Matt said. "Come along, nephew!"
"'Kay," Gobo said, and he ran off after his uncle.
Throughout the day, Wini was beginning to feel extremely tired. All she wanted to do was sleep. At lunchtime, the smell of Reena's radish soup was making her queasy.
"But you love radish soup!" Reena shouted.
"I know, but the thought of it makes me want to throw up!" Wini shouted. Then she moaned and held her head in her hands.
"You okay, Wini?" Cerise asked.
"Fine, I just have a headache!" Wini shouted. "Why does everybody keep asking me if I'm okay?!"
"Because you're not acting like yourself, and we're just concerned," Darcy said.
"Well, I'm fine!" Wini shouted. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with me! I've never felt better in my . . . . in my . . . . whooooa boy . . . ."
Wini began staggering back and forth a bit, and nearly fell over backwards. Darcy and Cerise caught her before she could.
"What now?" Cerise asked.
"Nothing, I'm just feeling a little dizzy," Wini said.
"Okay, that does it!" Reena shouted. "You are going straight to see Oberon right now! No ifs, ands, or buts! We're going!"
Wini tried to protest, but Darcy, Cerise, and Reena would have none of it. Usually, when Reena wanted to drag a Fraggle to see her husband, Darcy and Cerise had to talk her out of it, but this time, they agreed, since Wini really wasn't acting like herself. When they got to Reena's cave, Oberon made her, Darcy, and Cerise wait outside while he gave Wini an examination. Finally, Wini emerged from the cave, smiling a big, dopey smile.
"Well, Wini?" Cerise asked. "What happened?"
"I'm going to have a baby," Wini said, dreamily.
Darcy, Cerise, and Reena just stared at their friend. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. The minute they got over the shock, they began squealing in excitement.
"Really?!" Cerise shouted.
"Oh how wonderful!" Darcy shouted. "This is so exciting!"
"Here, sit down, sit down!" Reena shouted. "You're going to need a lot of rest."
Wini somewhat tuned out her friends' excited squeals and talking at once, put her hand on her stomach, and smiled.
By dinner time, the entire Rock had heard of the news. Most of the Fraggles were excited about it, but Verlene immediately began the rumor mill.
"How can she even be expecting?" she asked. "After all, she isn't even married!"
"Maybe it's one of those miracle babies," Fuchsia said, shrugging. "You know, like it's a miracle she's even having one. Remember when you were expecting Marlon, Verlene? Everyone called it a miracle, too, considering how old you were when you had him. And of course, there was the fact that you were so in shock after he was born, you dropped him on his head . . . . several times, if memory serves. Is that how his eye got all squinty?"
"Yes, Fuchsia, I know," Verlene said, giving Fuchsia a sharp glare. "If you ask me, I think Wini just went out to have some kind of fling. You know she was gone for six days a couple of weeks ago. She probably went out, met some degenerate Cave Fraggle, did the Horizontal Mambo while she was gone, and didn't come back for six days because she was too embarrassed!"
"Oh, really, Verlene!" Fannie shouted. "If it's really as bad as that, then why did she bother to come back?"
"Who knows?" Verlene asked. "Wini's dumb enough to do something like that. She probably did the Horizontal Mambo with the whole of Fraggle Cave!"
"What makes you say that?" Fannie asked.
"I asked her who the father was," Verlene said. "And she refused to tell me! If you ask me, she doesn't know who the father is! She probably wandered along, lost in her own little dream world like she always is, some low-life Fraggle came up to her, gave her some radish beer, and took advantage of her while she was plastered. It probably took her six days just to get sober! It wouldn't surprise me in the least. This little Fraggle she's carrying is nothing more than an accident!"
Wini didn't care about the rumors of her and some unknown Fraggle spending a night (or two or three) together. All she cared about now was her baby, and doing everything she could to make sure it was going to be healthy. And she definitely didn't consider her baby to be an accident at all, no matter what Verlene said!
Months later, the big day arrived. Wini had given birth to a little boy Fraggle she named Wembley, and it was definitely love at first sight. She was so happy with the little, fuzzy green bundle she was holding, she actually began crying. She finally had a baby of her own. Wembley quickly became the apple of his mother's eye, her pride and joy. She had never felt happier in her entire life. She was so happy, she completely forgot her agreement with Lilith, and that she still owed her something in return for her services.
Five years later, Wini was returning from the Gorgs' garden after helping Darcy gather some radishes. She had left Wembley in the care of Matt, because Wembley and Gobo had grown very fond of each other. She saw the two Fraggles coloring when she came to retrieve her son.
"Hi, boys," she said.
"Mommy!" Wembley shouted, happily, and practically flung himself into his mother's arms. Then he held up a piece of paper. "Look what I made, Mommy!"
Wini shifted Wembley to one arm, and took the piece of paper. It was a drawing of a tall, yellow Fraggle with green hair in a ponytail wearing a white dress with purple flowers, holding hands with a short, green Fraggle with yellow hair wearing a banana tree shirt, and there were red hearts floating around them. "I luv momie" was written across the bottom.
"I made that 'specially for you, Mommy!" Wembley shouted, excitedly. "Do you like it?"
"Yes, I do," Wini said, giving her son a big hug and kiss. "It's beautiful! We'll put it up on the cave wall right away when we get home."
"We gotta go home now?"
"Yes, we do. It's almost your bedtime. Goodbye, Gobo. Thank your uncle for watching Wembley for me."
"Okay," Gobo said. "Bye, Wembley!"
"Bye, Gobo!" Wembley called, waving to his orange friend as his mother carried him back to their cave.
When Wini and Wembley returned to their cave, Wini put Wembley down so she could hang up the picture he drew. After she hung up the picture, she changed Wembley into his nightshirt, picked him up, and swung him around a couple of times before putting him in his bed. Once she did, she handed Wembley his little Fraggle doll she had made for him, tucked him in, and kissed him goodnight.
"Goodnight, Mommy," Wembley said, sleepily. "I love you."
"I love you, too, sweetie-kins," Wini said, giving her son another kiss.
Wini sat down next to Wembley, and hummed a lullaby while stroking his hair. Even after Wembley had dropped off to sleep, she remained sitting next to him, stroking his hair. She thought she was the luckiest Fraggle alive. Suddenly, she heard a crash of thunder, and saw a flash of lightning. Startled, she stood up, and whirled around. Standing before her was Lilith, the Fairy Queen of Dreams.
"Hello Wini," she said. "I've come for my payment. Or have you forgotten?"
"Well . . . . uhhh . . . . I . . . . uhhh . . . ." Wini stammered.
"My, what an adorable child," Lilith said, ignoring Wini's stammering, and walking over to the little green Fraggle, who, amazingly, was still sound asleep. Lilith bent down, and picked him up.
"This will do," she said.
"What?!" Wini shouted. "No, you can't! Please don't take my baby!"
"You said you would give anything to have a baby. You never said anything about keeping him after he grew out of the baby stage. Your child is not a baby anymore."
"What are you going to do with him?"
"Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something. He's a little young right now, but he can be trained to become an obedient little servant, obeying my every command, no questions asked. Unless, of course, he wishes to suffer the consequences of disobeying my orders."
Wini could only imagine what those consequences might have been. She didn't want to know about that.
"No, please, don't!" she begged. "You can't, you just can't!"
"And why not?" Lilith asked. She snapped her fingers, and the contract Wini signed appeared in her hand. " After all, you did sign my contract. I've kept my end of our deal, and now is the time for you to keep yours! I'm taking the child as payment for my services! All dreams come with a price, my dear."
"But this price is much too high! What if I refuse to pay?"
"Then this is what could happen to your precious baby!"
Lilith held out her hand and a crystal ball appeared in it. Wini looked into it, and saw Wembley playing in an unknown cave. Suddenly, rocks began falling. Wini looked away before she could see the outcome, but she could still hear Wembley's voice scream from the crystal ball. It was gruesome thought, but Wini just couldn't give this Silly Creature her child.
"Please, there must be something I can do to keep you from taking Wembley!" she shouted. "What if . . . . what if you take me instead?"
"Excuse me?" Lilith asked, giving Wini a strange look.
"I said take me instead! Please, I beg of you, take me instead of Wembley! Whatever you're going to do with him, do with me instead!"
"You realize, of course, this means you will have to spend the rest of your life as my servant, you will never be able to return to Fraggle Rock, and you will never see your child again! Take a moment to think about it."
Wini just stood there for several moments. No matter what she chose, she would never see Wembley again.
"Make up your mind, Fraggle!" Lilith shouted. "You, or the child? Which is it going to be?"
"Me," Wini said. "Take me! I'll do whatever you say, I'll be your servant. I'd rather spend my life as someone's slave than knowing it was happening to my baby. But can you at least wait until tomorrow, so I can arrange to have someone take care of him? I'd hate to have him wake up tomorrow morning and find me gone."
"Very well," Lilith replied, putting Wembley back in his bed. "I'm glad we could reach an agreement. Tomorrow at noon, I will meet you at the Cave of Shadows. And you better be there, or else something very unfortunate may happen to your child!"
And with a wave of her hand, Lilith was gone. Wini felt a little dizzy, and she sat down. Then she looked over at Wembley, sleeping peacefully, as if nothing had happened. She then gently picked him up, so as not to wake him, and hugged him close, as she began to sob uncontrollably.
The next morning, Wini and Wembley walked to Matt and Gobo's cave, and knocked.
"Good morning, Wini," Matt said, when he and Gobo came to the door. "What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if you'd take care of Wembley for awhile," Wini said. "I, uhhh, I need to go help Darcy and Cerise gather up radishes."
"Certainly, certainly," Matt said. "I do have a bit of exploring to do, but I'm sure Gobo won't mind watching little Wembley, would you Gobo?"
"No, Uncle Matt," Gobo said. "Wembley's my best buddy!"
"Oh good," Wini said. Then she handed Matt a bag that had Wembley's things in it. "If you could take this, just in case I, uhhh, I end up coming back later than I anticipate, you know. Just in case."
"How long are you planning on being?" Matt asked. "It looks like you're giving me things he'll need if you're not going to be coming back at all!"
Wini laughed nervously, trying to make Matt's comment sound like a joke. Matt and Gobo just looked at her, and then walked back into their cave. Once they were gone, Wini turned to Wembley, and hugged him close.
"Okay, sweetie-kins," she said. "Mommy has to go away now, so I want you to be a very good boy for Uncle Matt, okay?"
"When are you coming back, Mommy?" Wembley asked.
"I don't know when, honey. I don't want to do this, I really don't, but I have to. But Uncle Matt will take very good care of you, and you'll be with Gobo. Everything will be all right, you'll see."
"Can't I go with you?"
"No, baby. You have to stay here."
"But why do you hafta go away?"
"It's something I can't tell you, or anyone else, sweetie. I know you may not think it is now, but it's really for the best. Just remember that I love you very, very much. I love you more than anything else in the entire universe, Wembley."
"I love you, too, Mommy. I promise I'll be good."
Wini gave Wembley a big kiss, and hugged him a little harder. She didn't want to let go, but she knew she had to. She finally let go, and walked off, not looking back. She knew if she looked back, she'd never be able to leave.
END OF FLASHBACK