A/N: I hope no-one minds the specail scene at the end between Esmie and Ethel. I wanted it to be special.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The One Person She Needs

Ethel was taken to the hospital. Mildred and Sybil had decided they didn't want to go to Cackles, Ethel needed them now, she needed all the love and support she could get right now. Normally so many people were not allowed in the delivery room but Julie begged them because of Ethel's age and situation and the two Hallows and two Hubbles gathered around Ethel's bed trying to keep her calm which was getting difficult.

"Can you give her something to help her with her pain? Esmie asked as she stroked her sisters forehead trying to soothe her feeling her sweating.

"You know we can't use potions or spells, it could harm the baby" the midwife looking after Ethel told the eldest blonde as she started to check Ethel over.

"In the non-magical world they have pain relief which doesn't affect the child, surely you have some?" Julie asked thinking they must have something, they couldn't expect witches to not have any relief.

"We have some but we don't really know how to use it" one of the nurses said eyeing Julie suspiciously for knowing about the magical world when she clearly was not a witch.

"Please….it hurts so bad" Ethel said as she cried in pain. She sobbed to herself not knowing how else to deal with the horrible pain of childbirth.

"It is okay Ethel, you will be just fine" Julie told her trying to stop the girl panicking to much. Julie mentally slapped herself for blindly trusting the magical doctors. She would have taken Ethel to a non-magical hospital if she knew this prior.

"Don't worry Ethel, you will be okay" Sybil told her sister trying to make her feel better.

Mildred's hand was purple and out of shape, Ethel had broken it when she had been squeezing her hand but she was not focusing on that right now, she was more worried about Ethel and the baby. One of the midwifes walked to Ethel and tried to lift up the blankets on Ethel until she slapped her.

"Ethel!" Julie said telling the girl off. It was not acceptable to slap people even when she was in pain. Julie was shocked because she had thought she was over attacking people.

"Don't touch me!" Ethel said shaking as she cried. She hated anyone near her after what had happened. She didn't trust anyone with her baby either. The midwfe did a quick spell causing the mark on her face to go away and did not seem to shocked. Clearly this happened more often than not.

"Sorry she was…..attacked" Julie said not wanting to say the word rape and put Ethel on edge more than she already was. The midwife nodded in understanding, in the job she had done she knew what Julie meant.

"I am sorry to hear that, but I need to check how far along she is" the nurse explained. Julie nodded knowing the woman meant not harm and she stroked Ethel's arm as she spoke to her.

"Ethel darling, the nurse just wants to see if she can see the baby yet, she is not going to do anything to hurt you I promise, can you let her look?" Julie said knowing Ethel needed this reassuring that she was not going to harm her right now.

Ethel shook her head and pulled the covers up tighter, scared and confused. She didn't want this strange woman near her.

"Ethie it is alright, you know I would never let anyone near you that would hurt you or the baby don't you? Do you trust me?" Esmerelda asked her sister quietly and the younger girl nodded.

"Then trust me when I say it will be alright, she is trying to help you yes?" Esmerelda said and Ethel nodded and took a breath, realising she was overreacting.

"Okay...sorry" Ethel said. The midwife nodded and checked on Ethel's progress feeling sorry for the young girl being in this situation through no fault of her own.

Ethel was still in labour for hours though. What with things like this taking time in general and it being her first child. She went through different stages during this time. Sometimes she would be screaming at everyone.

"MILDRED HUBBLE YOU ARE THE WORLD'S MOST ANNOYING PERSON" Ethel shouted as Mildred told Ethel a joke to try lighten the mood.

"Sorry" Mildred said with a sigh hoping it had worked.

"WHY IS THIS TAKING SO LONG, GET IT OUT, HURRY IT UP, YOU LOT ARE USELESS" Ethel shouted as she looked around the room talking not just to her family but to the midwife's too.

"Ethel calm down" Julie said darkly.

"NO I WILL NOT BLOODY CALM DOWN, I AM HAVING A FREAKING BABY AND IT HURTS LIKE BLOODY HELL" Ethel shouted in response to Julie. She continued to rant and rage at everyone then.

"It is not quite time for the baby to come out yet" the midwife told Ethel trying to calm her.

"WELL IT BLOODY FEELS LIKE IT IS" Ethel shouted in a rage at the woman for her unhelpfulness.

After a few hours her shouting stopped and instead it turned to crying and she became hysterical, crying and screaming and sweating, just wanted the pain to stop. The nurse checked and finally Ethel was ready to start pushing.

"Right you are ready now, stop pushing for me" the midwife told the young girl. Ethel pushed twice but then stopped.

"I can't...I can't do this anymore" Ethel said feeling so tired and weak from the pain she had been in for hours.

"Come on Ethel, you are nearly there now!" Julie said knowing she was at the last stage and could not give up now.

"I can't….I am scared..." Ethel said as sweat dripped down her forehead and she put her head on the pillow.

"Ethel you are going to see the baby soon and then you can rest" Sybil said trying to reassure Ethel and she hugged her gently leaning her head on her arm.

"Come on Ethel, you haven't gone through all this for hours just to give up now!" Mildred said knowing her suffering was nearly over but she was only prolonging it by not pushing.

"Ethie it is alright we are all here with you, you just need to be brave now" Esmerelda said stroking her head. Ethel looked at Esmerelda her blue eyes full of pain and her blonde hair plastered to her forehead from sweat before she replied. Everyone in the room could tell they were about to have a moment and they were right.

"I am not brave...you are brave not me" Ethel said to her sister weakly feeling unable to do this anymore.

"You are just as brave, what about all the times you have saved me and Sybil? You are much braver than me" Esmerelda said knowing her sister was wrong about this but knowing it was not the time to argue about it.

"I can't…." Ethel said as she cried at the end of her line.

"Yes you can Ethel, you can do it, you are doing brilliantly, just a little while longer and the baby will be here, you can do it I believe in you, you have to believe in yourself….come on Ethel don't you want to see your baby?, don't give up now" Esmerelda said hoping Ethel listened to her because she was so close, for her to give up now it was tragic.

Ethel moved her head so she was leaning on Esmerelda. The older sister held her younger sister tightly, trying to comfort her and to keep her strength up. She could tell she was losing all her energy. Her poor sister was absolutely exhausted and weakly lay her head against her chest.

"Are you ready?" Esmie asked her and Ethel nodded slowly. Julie, Sybil, and Mildred let them have this moment knowing they had to do anything to help Ethel and if it was Esmerelda that could do that they would let her.

Ethel in that moment wanted Esmerelda. The person who had always loved her so much. Her first mother, the person who had never given up on her even when people told her too. She felt stronger with her sister there and for once she was going to let her look after her.

"Don't let go Esmie" Ethel said as tears fell down her face as she clinged to Esmie knowing this must be an uncomfortable position for Esmie to have her body positioned but happy she wasn't complaining. She held onto her tightly, knowing in that moment the one person she needed was Esmerelda. She was grateful everyone was there but she wouldn't be able to do this without Esmerelda holding her, she was the only thing right now helping her to maintain her strength.

"I won't Ethie, I have got you" Esmerelda said holding onto her tightly and stroking her blonde locks of hair not prepared to let go off her until Ethel was okay.

With that reassurance Ethel started to push again hard feeling the baby coming out as she held onto her sister for dear life and cried out.

"I can see the head, almost there now" the midwife told Ethel knowing it was mere minutes until the child would be born.

"Go on Ethel, another big push" Julie encouraged squeezing the girls hand and kissing it. Ethel pushed hard and the midwife smiled at her as the head was now out.

"One last big push Ethel and the baby will be here" the midwife told her and Ethel took a few deep breaths trying to get her strength up before she pushed as hard as she could, feeling the baby fully come out.

"You have done it" the midwife said as a loud cry was heard. A strong, angry cry and tears ran down Ethel's face from relief and from happiness as that cry reassured her that her baby was okay.