Author's Note: This chapter contains the long-awaited birth scene. *hugs Sally* Those squeamish about that kind of thing, read the first scene, then skip to the last one – you won't miss anything important.

==Chapter 13==

Labour of Love

"That first pregnancy is a long sea journey to a country where you don't know the language, where land is in sight for such a long time that after a while it's just the horizon – and then one day birds wheel over that dark shape and it's suddenly close, and all you can do is hope like hell that you've had the right shots."
― Emily Perkins, Novel About My Wife

For the past few 'months', Beth had not quite gone out of her way to avoid Nikola, but it was difficult sometimes to talk with him. After the incident with Moran, she'd ended up begging the telepath to erase or lock away her memories—she'd been having nightmares almost constantly, and her waking moments had been oversaturated with agonisingly clear memories. He'd regretfully but firmly refused, explaining that he could not attempt it without potentially damaging her brain.

"It's already damaged, Nikola—I swear I'm literally going crazy! I'd rather be damaged… further… please!"

"Oh, draga, I can't."

"Then what good are you?!"

Oh, she'd felt shame for that. She'd apologised, later, but she'd felt guilty on top of feeling one step away from pure madness. Eventually, being on the move again, particularly in other non-London cities, helped her recover, at least to the point where she was sleeping again, but having conversations with Nikola had been awkward ever since.

And now he wanted to talk with her out in his lab, otherwise known as the old stables for the estate. Shivering at the damp cold, she pulled her scarf tight around her, pushed open the unbolted door, and knocked on it. "He-llo."

Nikola looked up from where he was working at a makeshift table, jeweller's glass in his right eye. "Beth—please come in. Have a…" He looked around the crowded space for somewhere to sit, in vain. "Oh. Er…"

She couldn't help grinning, shaking her head as she entered, and shut the door behind her. "It's okay." She looked around her—no matter how many times she saw this place, it never failed to awe her. "This place really is amazing…"

He shrugged modestly and straightened slowly, massaging his lower back. "We couldn't have built half of this without Nat. His father was a blacksmith; he's been a great help with the forge." Since their resident inventors couldn't scrounge most of the parts and tools they'd needed, they would often make them from scratch.

Beth hummed thoughtfully, then turned to him, shoving her hands into her pockets and hoping she didn't look or feel as nervous as she felt. "So… what's up?"

He hesitated, never a good sign. "A topic of some delicacy…" He smiled ruefully. "...which, as George can tell you, isn't normally my area of expertise! Ah… you and Sally are aware, are you not, that your being from the future makes you… stand out, so to speak?"

She smiled back, hoping to put him at ease. She dearly wished she'd never lost her temper at him, he hadn't deserved that at all. He and George had taken so much of the weight of responsibility off of her and Sally's shoulders—she didn't know how they would have managed without the pair. "Um… Sally and I stand out in a lot of ways… One in particular, though, I take it?"

"Yes… because now that Time is paused, you two are essentially paradoxes, temporal impossibilities. And Moriarty being Time sensitive…"

She shivered, remembering a grip of iron around her chin and an odd sensation like drowning, but calmly, caught up in those cold grey eyes… "That's what he said, before," she said grimly. "Said he'd sensed my being a paradox."

Nikola nodded. "Fortunately, there are now many more people in Frozen Time who should not be, which makes my task slightly easier."

Beth frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Before Time froze, I could get a sense of future events, although nowhere near as clearly as Moriarty. Now that Time is paused, that particular gift has essentially gone dormant—" he smiled faintly—"and I'd wager a large sum that Moriarty is experiencing much the same handicap." He shook his head. "However, the point is that clairvoyance was only one of my skills."

She nodded slowly. "You're telepathic, too."

"To a limited extent—if I want to talk to someone, I either need to have had contact with them before, or be in direct line of sight. And their minds need to be open, I can't make anyone hear me if they don't want to. But I can also use it to… I suppose 'camouflage' is one way of describing it."

Beth's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she made the connection. "…you've been doing that for Sally and me."

"Yes – it's a bit like the TARDIS's perception filter, only more…" He waved his hands as he searched for the right words. "...taking the wrongness of your being a paradox and… blending it, blurring it, into the rest of the wrongness around you. Without all these extra people and events, it wouldn't be nearly as effective." He frowned. "Even so…"

She sighed. "There's always a 'but.' What is it?"

He looked at her awkwardly. "Please understand, Beth, I will continue to do all I can to protect you… but using my abilities is like a juggling act—I only have two mental 'hands'…" His tone softened: "And two paradoxes are soon to become three…"

She smiled ruefully even as somewhere in her chest began to hurt. "And mommy and baby take priority." She brushed her hair away from her face. "It's okay; I understand." Her gaze turned distant. "Not much longer anyway until we're ready to end this whole thing."

His eyes widened. "Ah… Er, Beth? I think something else has just started…"

Her eyes went round—given what they'd been talking about… "Oh my gosh. The baby?"

"Yes…" His own gaze turned distant, eyebrows rising. "And somehow I don't think this is going to take very long." He headed out the door and up to the house.

Beth paled. "Hooo boy." She ran after him and passed him, entering the house in search of Sally.

"Kitchen!" he called after her. "George is with her."

(Scene rating: V)

Beth burst into the kitchen and froze, making a strangled noise of shock. Sally was kneeling on a folded tablecloth, liberally stained red, her skirt kilted up. She was clutching the leg of the kitchen table and breathing deeply, head bowed, face scrunched up in pain.

George looked up in relief as Beth arrived. Thank goodness—he was hoping she hadn't gone far; not that she'd really gone much of anywhere in the last month, so that she would be home when the baby was born. Sally certainly needed another woman to help her through this. "She only just started, but I think this baby is in a hurry!"

Sally almost sobbed in relief as the giant fist that had started squeezing her abdomen without warning suddenly loosened its grip, drawing in slower, trembling breaths, hands still locked on the table leg – no one had said anything about the first pains being this bad! She turned her head and said unsteadily to George, "Okay, now!"

George nodded and began to count silently. In the absence of any working clocks, he had been given the all-important job of stopwatch; that medical book had been very clear about contraction times, and George was determined not to lose track, whatever else happened.

Pale and shaky, Beth held out her arms to Sally. "We should get you upstairs now."

Sally shook her head, trying to smile and failing; Beth looked almost as shellshocked as she felt, which wasn't helping. "In a minute... I hope!" She shot a pleading look at Nikola, who nodded and knelt in front of her, his reassuring smile a very welcome sight – at least he'd know if Kathy was okay in there!

Nikola gently placed his hands on either side of her swollen belly, closing his eyes. Thank God... the little one was as whole and healthy as when he'd last seen her, except that this time she was upside down. "It's all right, Sally, she's turned." The telepath's smile widened at the sense of urgency radiating off the infant. "Oh, she's impatient, this one." He reached out to Kathy, his 'voice' as soothing as he could make it. Not yet, draga. It's too early, Mama's not ready.

Kathy's answer was dreamy but clear: ...want Mama...

Mama wants you, too, little one. You'll see her very soon, I promise. Nikola opened his eyes. "She…"

"I know..." Sally interrupted him breathlessly, "I heard her..." Mama... She looked up at Beth, eyes glistening. "Beth... she really knows me!"

Beth had been watching in wonder, and smiled back now at Sally past sudden tears. This was really happening... and Sally and Kathy were both going to be okay. They were okay right now and they were going to stay that way.

"Oh God..." Sally tightened her grip on the table leg, knuckles white as the giant fist began squeezing again, puffing and panting like a bellows. ...pleaseGodpleaseI'lldoanythingjustmakeitstop…

Beth grimaced as the next contraction started, shuddering. They couldn't even give Sally anything for the pain—they didn't have anything.

George raised his eyebrows—that was a short space between contractions. "The little one really does want to be born in a hurry." He gently gripped Sally's shoulders and rubbed them soothingly. "It's all right, Sally," he murmured, "you're doing just fine..." He waited until the next time the poor girl released her grip. "All right, that one was about a minute long. Time to move." Carefully, carefully, he gathered her up in his arms, tablecloth and all.

Nikola turned to the wide-eyed boys crowding the doorways, voice stern to conceal his own worry and discomfort. "And what are all of you doing standing around here? Will, Kelly, put water on to boil, and plenty of it; Paul and Charlie, come with us, you're the runners. And I'm certain the rest of you have chores to be doing." The more people kept occupied right now the better, and the telepath wanted as few mental distractions as possible during the birth. Poor Sally had no idea that she was broadcasting the pain of each contraction, which he was barely managing to block out. He wished he might help dampen that for her, too, but he didn't dare – Sally was the mother-to-be, and contrary to what she might believe, his instincts regarding Kathy's wellbeing could never surpass hers.

Sally winced as George slowly stood up with her – Kathy wasn't taking kindly to being moved. Easy, honey... She gave the anxiously watching Irregulars a fond, if strained, smile. "Put your heads together while you're waiting, boys, she still needs a middle name."

There was a chorus of 'yes, sirs' and 'yes, ma'ams', a few of the boys saluting as they set to work.

George bore Sally out of the kitchen and up the back stairs as smoothly as he could. It wasn't easy: he was no longer in his prime, and the young mother was not light. They only just reached the guestroom set up for the birth when the next contraction started.

Sally moaned in pain before remembering to breathe, grabbing at George's shoulder and clutching it for dear life as she sucked in great lungfuls of air. If she somehow lived through this, she'd never be able to eat fish again... oh no... oh God, no, not now! "...G-George..." but Nikola was already there with a basin, holding Sally's forehead as her treacherous stomach threw in the towel.

When the cloud of agony and nausea finally lifted, she found herself curled up on the bed, George kneeling beside it with his arms still around her. Oh, terrific – had she just passed out? Her whole body ached, there was a foul taste in her mouth... and she somehow still had George's shoulder in a death grip. She let go hastily, face turning red. "I'm sorry..." she croaked. Not fair, her throat was raw and she hadn't even started screaming...

George shook his head, smiling weakly. The poor, brave girl... with a grip of iron. "Shh, it's all right."

Beth hung back in the doorway, trembling, scared, unable to hold back her tears. "I-is there a-anything I c-can do?" she managed in a small voice.

Sally wordlessly reached out to her friend around George, eyes pleading. Don't leave me, Beth, I'm scared, so scared, I can't do this, I can't...

Nikola winced at the sheer terror of Sally's unguarded thoughts, but took care to occupy himself with pouring a glass of water while gently 'nudging' Beth forward into the room. Just be with her, Beth; the most important thing right now is to help her stay calm.

Beth nodded mutely, almost sobbing aloud at the look in Sally's eyes—it was all so intense and her best friend was so scared and in so much pain and she had no idea how to handle it. She padded over to the bed and sat down, taking Sally's hand and squeezing gently, wiping away her tears with her free hand.

Sally squeezed back tightly, a whimper slipping out as her own tears started spilling over.

Making a quick decision, Nikola handed the water glass to Beth. Small sips between every contraction, she needs to keep hydrated. Sally unconsciously trusted Beth the most out of the three, and with any luck, Beth having something useful to do would help both women feel more confident.

Thanks. Beth took the glass and murmured soothingly to Sally, "I know, I know…" She forced a brave smile. "Hey… you'll be okay. All right? You'll be okay. You can do this."

Sally managed a faint, trembling smile back, not the least bit convinced, but grateful for the vote of confidence. "God, this hurts!" she moaned, lifting her head off the pillow with great reluctance. She desperately needed that water Beth was holding, though; her mouth was all dried out from the deep breathing, and she still hadn't rinsed after being sick. "If John wants any more, I'll kill him!" Never again...

Beth held up the glass to Sally's lips, managing a wry edge to her sympathetic expression. "…I am not even going to comment on that."

George chuckled ruefully, supporting Sally's head as she sipped; he could well remember the dire threats that Marguerite had hurled at him while she was giving birth to Junior. "Just keep breathing, sweetheart. You're doing well."

Nikola hummed encouragingly in agreement, walking to the door and poking his head out into the hall. "Paul, can you fetch a basin of hot water? It needn't be boiled – steady, now, there's no rush," he added admonishingly, his words falling on deaf ears as the Irregular jumped up and raced back to the stairs.

Beth set aside the glass for the moment and leaned forward, raising Sally's hand and clasping it in both of hers. "Upwards and onwards," she whispered.

Sally nodded grimly, then clenched her teeth as the pain returned abruptly, groaning and curling in on herself, her grip on Beth's hands tightening, other hand clawing at the sheets until George took it in his. ...breathe... just breathe... can't kill John if I die...!

Finally she uncurled again, exhausted and shaking, mentally cursing every man ever born and John Watson most of all... but when she unscrunched her eyelids, George holding a damp cloth was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen.

While George bathed Sally's face and hands, Nikola steeled himself to ask Beth, face turning red despite his best efforts: Will Sally let you examine her? We, er, do need to know how far along she is.

Beth winced—this was the part she'd known she'd have to do and been dreading. I'll try. "Sally?" she said aloud. "Um…" She blushed: awkward, awkward, awkward... "I should probably… y'know… check… to see how you're doing…" She was blushing furiously by the time she was done.

Sally gave her a shaky smile, blushing herself. "I know… s'okay." No sense getting prudish now, although having someone she knew doing this was still more embarassing than a trained professional would've been. With help, she managed to roll gingerly onto her back, George and Nikola politely looking away while Beth examined her.

Beth's eyes widened even as her face remained red. Logically, she knew that the baby had to come out of a big enough... opening... but the knowing had not prepared her for the reality. "Uh, guys? She's, um... I would say she's dilated... three inches? That's really close already, isn't it?"

Nikola's brows shot up. "Extremely. George, how long was that last contraction?"

"I lost count, but about ninety seconds." George smiled kindly at Sally, patting her hand and bracing himself for another round of having his fingers crushed. "Looks like you're nearly into the home stretch, sweetheart – probably another couple of hours at most."

Sally groaned. "Oh, brilliant – just time for a cuppa!" She knew she was lucky to have things go as quickly as this the first time, but couldn't it have started off a little easier?!

Beth gave her a shaky grin, picking up the water glass again. "Let's get this into you first, okay?" Still, a strong cup of tea when this was all over sounded wonderful.

Sally lost all sense of time soon after that. There were brief moments of clarity, Beth cruelly making her roll over onto her other side after every contraction before letting her drink, but mostly her world was pain, cramping, tearing pain, eased only a tiny bit by her gasping breaths... and then, on top of all that, her lunatic body suddenly decided to start turning itself inside out!

Out in the hallway, the two Irregulars looked at each other in awe at the sudden outpouring of banshee yells and curses from the normally soft-spoken 'Doctor's missus', and at least a few were very familiar.

"Don' look at me, Oi didn't teach 'er that!" Charlie murmured, wide-eyed, as Sally told the world at large that her husband's parents had never been married, although not in so many words.

"Must've got it from Nat," Paul grinned. Like Beth, he was the second eldest of a large family – if asked, he would have been in there like a shot, but there just wasn't room.

"I AM PUSHING! I'M THREADING A BLOODY NEEDLE WITH A BLOODY BOWLING BALL, YOU TRY IT!"

Paul saw Charlie wince, elbowing him sympathetically in the ribs. "Oi, cheer up, won' be long now – that babby wants out, sure as eggs."

"Yeah..." Charlie scowled fiercely down at the toes of his boots. "Mebbe Nikola should've told 'er not ter rush, we still ain't foun' 'er dad yet."

"Well, we got to," Paul said flatly, resisting the temptation to kick Charlie in the ankle – it might help them both feel better, but this really wasn't the time or place for a scrap. "Or we're all in real Barney."

"Eh?"

Paul smirked. "Got that from Missus Watson: Barney Rubble, trouble."

"Oo's 'e, then?" Charlie asked, raising his voice slightly as Sally's next string of swear words came through the door.

"Dunno."

Nikola had returned his hands to Sally's abdomen as she entered the final stage, staying in close contact with Kathy – the little one took some convincing that the best way to 'help Mama' was to remain still! George had sat himself directly behind Sally, propping her up, her hands locked on his as she struggled to work in tandem with her body.

Sally had quickly discovered that pain wasn't the only hurdle: the sheer horror at her body splitting open like this (what &%#$ idiot had designed the female sex?!) was nearly paralysing. The only thing that kept her going was the not-at-all-comforting knowledge that she was the only one who could make it stop – even if that meant she had to push out what she knew was a baby, but felt like a cinder block!

Beth sat beside Sally and George and did her best not to freak out, wishing she were anywhere else but here. Her colour alternated between white and red—she hadn't known Sally had it in her to swear like that. Then again, under the gulp-inducing circumstances...

Nikola 'nudged' Beth, sweat beading his own brow as he split his focus roughly in half. Beth... I'm sorry to ask this of you, but George and I both have our hands full here...

Beth paled again. You want me to handle her as she comes out?

You'll be fine, Beth – Nikola gave her a reassuring grin; you've got the easiest job of all! Just make sure the cord isn't around Kathy's neck when her head appears. He already knew it wasn't, but Beth would cope better with something to look out for.

Beth's eyes widened, but nodded, swallowing hard as she moved into position. H'okay. Zed, how close are we?

Very. Let us know when you see the top of her head. Nikola turned his focus to Sally. You're so close, draga, just a little further. Next one's coming, can you feel it?

What do you think?! Sally panted for breath as the cramps returned, bracing herself and tightening her grip on George's hands. Another shrieking groan burst from her throat as she bore down, oh God, this was killing her, please, God, please, don't let me die!

George barely stifled a grunt at the vice-like grip, but murmured encouragingly in her ear, "That's it, Sally... good girl... nearly there..." Nikola, can't you do something to ease the pain? She'll still know when to push!

Nikola hesitated, then decided that George was right – besides, it would only take a few more contractions at most. Very carefully, he attempted to dull the nerve endings around the opening, and was relieved to see Sally relaxing perceptibly. All right?

Sally's look of pure gratitude was tinged with exasperation. You couldn't have done that earlier?! Then she shook her head, abashed. Sorry. She drew a deep breath. Okay... let's get this over with. The next cramps were just as horrible as the last, but at least now she didn't feel like she was being torn in half – she could do this.

Beth gasped. "Oh my gosh... Sally, I can see her! The top of her head! I can see her!"

Sally's heart jumped into her mouth. Kathy... Her baby was so nearly here, so close, just a little longer and she could hold her... and now she was silently cursing this contraction for ending and waiting impatiently for the next! She couldn't even push for that one, the book had said to let the baby's head crown on its own; she leaned back against George with a shuddering sigh and tried to focus on her breathing. It's all right, honey, just a little bit longer, can't wait to see you...

That next contraction brought Kathy's head entirely out of her mother's body. It was the most bizarre thing Beth had ever seen, but she remembered what Nikola said and checked the baby's neck as she gingerly cradled the tiny head. "Hi, sweetheart," Beth breathed. Then, louder: "Her head is out. Her neck is—well, kind of nonexistent, but no cord!"

She grinned excitedly at Sally. "You're almost there, hon!"

Sally grinned back shakily as the pain ebbed, too relieved and overwhelmed to speak. She closed her eyes and gathered herself for what she desperately hoped was the final push, come on, girl, you've got this, just... one... more...! And then she was a champagne bottle and her cork had popped, the feeling of unbelievable fullness flooding out of her in an instant, leaving her with a deep, throbbing ache and flowing warmth, and she had never understood until now just how bittersweet that moment could be, that long-awaited emptiness... and now she was collapsing back against George again, completely drained, sobs welling up, and joy and wonder at having survived was part of it, but mixed with such an awful feeling of loneliness and loss... and then it didn't matter anymore, because Beth was picking Kathy up and bringing her straight to Sally, and Sally was lifting her shirt and cradling her tiny, purple, wrinkled daughter against her chest, just where she should have been all along... and for the first time in months, Time was standing still for all the right reasons.

Beth never remembered exactly how it all happened, the final push, then hastily cleaning the worst of the gooey mess off Kathy... nor did she really want to – it was incredible and not a little nauseating at the same time. But she never forgot how it felt to finally see the baby she'd waited so long for, how it felt to be the first person to hold her, how it felt to put her in Sally's arms. Watching mother and daughter together properly for the first time, she had to wipe away tears, heart full to bursting.

Sally couldn't stop staring at Kathy, tears spilling over as she listened in awe to her daughter's first tiny, fluttering breaths, all of her was tiny, and so perfect, right down to her still-gummy eyelashes... her baby... hers and John's... "Hi, sweetheart..." she whispered, a lump in her throat.

Nikola smiled and blinked back his own tears as he 'heard' Kathy's sleepy response: ...hello, Mama...

Ironically, the next few days were the worst that Sally had endured so far. Now that her health couldn't directly affect Kathy's anymore, and with so many willing volunteers to help look after the baby, there was very little to keep her from sliding into lethargy. Her bleeding mercifully lasted only a few days, but realising it had mysteriously stopped early didn't help her find the energy or motivation to get out of bed and wash. If her milk-swollen breasts hadn't been so painful, she might not have even tried to feed Kathy; it took several toe-curling attempts before finally getting the hang of things, making her feel even more useless.

Missing John made everything that much worse, too; each early milestone that her baby reached was one more that her husband wasn't here to see. It wasn't fair, she'd coped with everything Frozen Time could throw at her until now, and every mother-to-be in these parts would have killed to be in her place... but no matter how hard Sally tried, she just couldn't feel anything like how she'd felt holding her daughter for the first time. The magic was gone, leaving her a disillusioned, sleepless wreck. Her breasts and back ached from all the feeding, her legs ached from hours of lying in bed, and her head ached from constantly bursting into tears, inwardly writhing in guilt and self-loathing at not being able to cope like she should, to be a proper mother to her baby, but still barely able to even cope with brushing her own hair, much less deal with more pressing matters of hygiene.

It was George and Beth who finally intervened before the smell in the bedroom could take on a life of its own – they were the only two people Sally would let near her now, anyway – by callously ambushing her during a tearful moment and dragging her out of bed. Paying no attention to her shrieks of outrage, George scooped Sally up, carried her into the ensuite and dumped her in the bath, blood-stained nightdress and all; Beth then kindly but firmly made Sally bathe, dress properly and brush her own hair, before taking charge of Kathy and marching Sally down to the kitchen.

Still seething with resentment at being treated like a baby herself, Sally had the shock of her life when she, not Kathy, was the one to get mobbed by the youngest Irregulars as they entered, Jimmy's face all scrunched up like he was about to cry. Sally blinked hard, then bent down and wrapped her arms around as many of her boys as she could at once. They'd really missed her, bless them... and when she and Beth managed to coax out of Jimmy just why he was so upset, she was appalled.

"Our Guv'nor, mum, 'e 'ad lots o' bad spells jus' loike that," Jimmy sniffed, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "Th' doctor used ter get orful worried, 'e did!"

"Oh, Jimmy..." Sally hugged him tightly, the cold ball of shame growing inside her. She should have realised even the youngest boys knew about Sherlock's black days... then Sherlock and John had been taken from them, and then they'd seen her start to go under – that must have been terrifying! "It's okay, sweetheart," she murmured huskily, "I'm not going anywhere, I promise." It would probably take her a while to find her feet again, but it was nice to know that these tough little brats really would care if she wasn't around.

It had been three years since Beth had held a newborn, her own youngest brother. Little Kathy was just as tiny and just as precious as she remembered her siblings being as babies.

Beth was giving Sally a well-deserved break and taking care of the baby for a few hours. The young mother's spirits were slowly lifting again; it had been a huge relief for Beth when the boys made her laugh for the first time since the birth. Beth had almost cried, grateful that she wasn't going to lose Sally, too. Sally had scared her.

Beth snuggled the baby close, inhaling the sweet, earthy scent of a newborn. Kathy was looking around, studying her surroundings, her puckered lips opening and closing. Beth felt a sudden rush of affection and protectiveness for the little one. It wasn't the first time that had happened to her—it was like falling in love, and she had felt it with her own siblings. But something was different this time, overall. Kathy wasn't her flesh and blood, but she didn't have to be. Kathy was the child of Beth's best friend, and she loved her dearly. And maybe Beth felt extra-protective, given the world around them, given that someone was missing from the baby's life…

Just the 'day' before, Beth had been about to enter the master bedroom when she heard Sally singing softly. Nikola's Serbian lullaby. Beth had tiptoed to the open door and seen the older girl bending over Kathy's cradle, rocking it gently as she sang her baby to sleep. It was a beautiful, heartwarming picture… but someone was missing from it.

Beth had cried then, and she was crying now, just a little bit, though her determination was stronger than ever.

"Just look at you," she murmured to the baby. "You don't really know what's going on, do you? As smart as you are, as much as you understand… you don't know. And that's okay. All you need to know is that you're warm and safe and you have a mommy who loves you. And you have uncles that love you and lots of big brothers to look after you.

"And you have me." Kathy was looking at Beth now, quiet and still, clearly paying attention. "And I'm not going to let anything happen to you. But do you know who you don't have? I don't know if you can tell, but you have a daddy who's not here right now. But we're going to get him soon. We're going to bring him home to you."

She felt the tears coming back again. "It's not fun to grow up without your daddy. I know. And you, little lady, are not going to have to grow up without yours." She kissed the baby. "He's gonna come back home to you, okay? I promise. He's gonna come back home."

Ria: Whew, that birth scene brought back a few memories! Seriously, you'd swear the baby had grown corners just for the occasion. I didn't want to put Sally through post-natal depression, either, but it is a very real and awful experience for many mothers, even those with plenty of support. As for the idea that mothers forget how much it hurts in order to go through it all again, whoever came up with that rubbish had to be male. We don't forget. Ever.

That being said, mother and baby are now safe and sound, and we're up to the last chapter! *does happy dance*

Sky: So it finally happened! Everybody gather around for a group hug with the mother and baby!

Also, big round of applause to the real mother writing the gritty stuff—Ria! With four kids under her belt, I'd say she's overqualified to write the bulk of the birth scene, and I don't think I've ever seen one more detailed like that. Which was fantastic and also scary (for those of us who are crazy enough to want to bear children someday! ;) ).

Stay tuned for the last chapter (squee!), and please review!