8 months, 2 weeks pregnant.
The last two weeks had been rough. The Braxton Hicks were never-ending, Marlena tried to keep talking to her, Randor attempted to gloss over everything, and Catra wanted to kill them both. Never mind the illusion of sleep, consistently slipping out of her grasp. If it weren't the Braxton Hicks keeping her up, it was the constant need to pee.
Which, delightfully, woke her up stupidly early one morning. Not wanting to wake up Catra, Adora whined quietly to herself as she made her way to the bathroom. She could feel a small trickle bleed down her leg as she moved. As she sat on the toilet, she grabbed a wad of toilet roll, soaked with water, and wiped up the liquid from her leg. Thanks to the clones pressing closer and closer to the front of the castle, and the damage that was done to the ship, what had managed to be salvaged was hidden away in various rooms of the castle. Glimmer, the angel she was, brought Adora the "adult nappies" that she'd worn when she had Angie. "You're gonna either bleed all the time for a month, pee yourself every time you move, or both. So wear these," She'd said.
Even though Adora had given birth over two years before anybody else had, she hadn't exactly taken care of herself. Jesus, she was back out on the front lines ten days after giving birth. She shook her head slightly, realizing she was dozing off. "It's not time. I'm not in labour," She told herself as she tugged on the adult nappy. It felt odd, like a huge period pad but... all around. Was this how Vi felt when she wore one? She shook her head again, scrubbing her eyes.
When dawn finally broke a few hours later, she woke up to an empty bed and a note by the bed.
Morning sleeping beauty.
Marlena called a meeting. Something to do with the clones. I'll fill you in when I get back. Vi's still asleep in bed, I checked. I knew you'd worry, so Glimmer stayed behind to watch her in the mini living room - I still don't know what that is. I know you were up last night a lot, so I'll do your back when I get back as well.
Don't leave the room, the meeting'll be done before you get here ;-)
She sighed to herself, despite the smile worming onto her face. She swung her legs out of the bed and waddled to the bathroom again.
Or tried to.
Before she'd even crossed the doorway, she felt an unpleasant tightness rake across her abdomen. She groaned softly, leaning against the doorframe with her head, taking deep measured breaths like Catra had insisted they run through together. Thankfully, it didn't last long, fifteen seconds at a push. "Braxton Hicks are weird," she thought to herself, moving into the bathroom like she wasn't having fake contractions. A little while later, after she'd sorted herself out some, she waddled into the mini-living room attached to her bedroom. Violet turned around with a wide smile, "Hi, Mommy!" She grinned. Adora chuckled softly as she moved further into the room. "Morning, Vi-Ra. Did you sleep well?" She asked. She flashed a smile at Glimmer, who was nursing a cup of coffee. "Yes. I saw my baby brother!" She proclaimed. Adora eased herself onto the long couch. "Well, I'm not sure what baby is yet," She tried. Violet shook her head. "Nope. Is a brother. I know,"
She turned back to the holo-pad and continued eating her cereal. Adora shook her head softly. "Can you play tag wiv me today, Mommy?" Violet turned to her, cereal sticking to the sides of her mouth. Adora winced softly, reaching over to scrub the bits away with her sleeve. "Not today, baby," She said. "Why? You always play it," Violet whined. Adora winced softly, sighing as she glanced at Glimmer. "Well, my feet hurt a lot today," She looked around theatrically. "And I need to get Mom's birthday present sorted," She stage whispered. Violet's eyes instantly lost the tears as she grinned widely. "Really!? Mom loves her birfday!" Adora playfully covered her mouth. "Shush! She doesn't know!" Violet giggled behind her hand. She looked around theatrically, though, to her, it was a normal glance, and pulled Adora's hand away. "Auntie Glim! I want you to play tag wiv me!"
When Glimmer left to play with Vi around ten minutes later, Adora drew herself a bath. In the last few weeks especially, she'd been reading up on easy home remedies to make the contractions easier before she went into labour. A bath was one of them. Another one, much to Adora and her wife's joy, was sex. When she'd orgasm, her body would release oxytocin, which was supposedly designed to help contractions and labour.
She woke abruptly when somebody touched her shoulder. "Gah!" She flailed in the bath, banging her elbow on the ceramic side. "Whoa, it's only me!" Adora rubbed her elbow with a glare. "What kind of idiot sneaks up on a sleeping pregnant woman!?" She exclaimed. Catra only snorted from her kneeling position on the ground. "Did the meeting go ok?" Adora asked. Catra nodded. "Yeah, nothing new. Just the clones getting closer and closer. Also, your dad is an ass," Adora snorted softly. "I should've been there..." She said quietly. "Don't do that," Catra's hand began to card through her hair, rubbing at all the right points. Adora melted further into the lukewarm bubbly water.
"I know, I know... self-worth and all that," Adora dismissed. Catra raised her eyebrow. "I just feel bad… I'm She-Ra… and it's not the people's fault I fell out with their rulers... I should be helping them... not lounging in a bubble bath," Catra pulled back, a deadpan glare upon her face. "What?" Adora asked. "Seriously? You're one sneeze away from giving birth. I think they'll understand," She argued. "And if they don't, I'll kick their asses," Adora snorted, only to be halted by another false-contraction.
Huh... maybe... maybe they weren't fake anymore. Her heart sunk at the realisation. Maybe she was just overthinking it? Yeah... she was only eight and a half months…. which put her in the two week safety zone. Shit.
She rubbed her stomach as it grew tight. It grew tight quickly. She inhaled sharply. Catra's head whipped up to hers. "You're having contractions," She realised. Adora pressed on the underside of her belly, where it hurt the most, pushing her head against the wall of the bathroom as a way to keep her grounded. "We need to go to the healers!" Catra was rushing to stand up when she felt an iron grip around her wrist, tight enough to make her yelp in surprise. Glancing down, she saw her wife's hand wrapped around hers like a vice. She gave a single shake of her head, breathing out sharply through her teeth. "No," She groaned. Catra lowered back to the ground, pulling Adora's hands up and making her sit.
Her forehead came to rest in the crook of Catra's neck, heating it further when she puffed in and out against the pain. Catra rubbed her shoulders, having read that it was good for "labouring mom" to be as relaxed as possible. Adora's fingers pressed into the small of her back, pushing to try and alleviate the pain. "They're Braxton Hicks..." She groaned again as the tightness passed. She breathed out softly but kept her hands pressing into the small of her back. There was no need to worry her wife over nothing. Labour takes at least five hours. And that was if you dilated a cm every thirty minutes, which was borderline impossible.
Catra felt the tension leave her shoulders as her breathing returned to a steadier level. "Come on… let's get you out the bath… Maia said walking can be good for the pain," Mid helping her wife out of the bath, Catra felt the steely glare settle into her bones. "Have you tried even breathing through contractions? Fake or otherwise?" Catra flashed a smile. "Can't say I have, 'cus my lovely wife is gonna have our baby for me," Adora pinched Catra's side as she stood, making her hiss. "I'll just cross my legs," She snapped, steadying herself as she clambered out of the bath. Catra snorted. "I don't think it works like that, baby,"
"Braxton Hicks don't just stop, Catra. Stop stressing," Adora moaned from the couch, mindlessly reading some more She-Ra history on her tracker pad. "When I was in real labour with Vi, it was for over fifteen hours," She paused. "Maybe fourteen. But I've not even been having real contractions," Catra ignored her, and for the third time that day, pulled everything out of the labour bag, checked it against her list, and put it back methodically. "You worry about your stuff, I'll worry about mine," Was all Adora received. She rolled her eyes, shifting on the couch. "All right, but I've been having these for ages now. You're stressing for no reason," She shrugged.
As if on cue, she felt her stomach begin to burn with the familiar pain of contractions. "Catra," She groaned, arching forwards over her belly, gripping the armrest of her couch. "Shit, ok, just breathe, ok?" Catra was by her side in an instant, holding her hand tightly. "Nice and slow, yeah?" Her vision wavered briefly, though with what, she'd never know. The pain burned brightly in her stomach, racing around her back and hips. She exhaled harshly, inhaling quickly, trying to copy Catra's pattern. After forever, (it was thirty-five seconds), the burn receded but left her belly feeling battered and bruised. Catra's hand remained grasping hers firmly, even as her eyes mapped Adora's face. "Are you ok? That seemed pretty long,"
Adora nodded her head. "Fine… I'm fine, we're fine,"
...
"Adora, if you're not going to go to the healers to check what's going on, why don't you try and get some sleep?," Catra stroked some blonde hair out of her face. Adora whined softly. "Noo... the contractions will just keep me up," She breathed softly against the skin of Catra's neck. "But you can sleep in between?" Catra rubbed her shoulder softly, thanking all the holy spirits that it wasn't her in this position. "Plus, you're exhausted," Catra said quietly. Adora groaned. "C'I sleep here?" She asked. Catra chuckled softly. "No. You need to be on a proper bed, and I need to see your mom and the council again… plus, someone needs to free Sparkles from Vi-Vi," Adora's eyes brightened in awareness. "Vi... oh my god..." She moaned, rubbing her eyes. "Hey, I'm sure she'll be thrilled that she spent the whole morning with her "auntie Glim"," Catra placated. Adora hummed disbelievingly. "I don't want her to see me like this," She said. Catra hummed. "But we'll just tell her they're fake contractions to get ready for the baby,"
Adora shook her head. "No, she knows about Braxton Hicks already... I don't want her to see me like this. She doesn't need to see it," Adora gestured to herself. Catra sighed softly. "Look, it's not even lunch for another hour. Get some rest. I'll grab her from Sparkles. She also asked about your brother's kid, so I'll take her to her," Catra stood. Adora narrowed her eyes. "If she wants,"
Catra frowned. "What do you mean?" She extended her hands to Adora and helped haul her up. "If Violet wants to stay with them. We're not gonna force her," Adora clarified. Catra began leading her to the bed. "Well... I'll be with you or in meetings. She can't stay here with you on your own, or be in a meeting," Catra frowned slightly. Adora shook her head. "No. If Violet doesn't want to stay with them, you'll bring her back to me. Everything's in the air for her, Cat," Adora stumbled slightly but rightened herself before she fell. "I'm not leaving you alone like this, Adora," Catra deadpanned. Adora crossed her arms, freezing dead in her tracks. Catra walked into her back, smacking into it and falling on her ass. "Then I'm not moving,"
Catra sighed heavily through her nose. "Adora, don't be stupid. You're in pain, you can't just stand here in protest," Adora turned. "Try me," She hissed. Her eyes flashed bright blue for a moment. "Fine. Don't ruin the carpet with piss then," Catra began to walk away. "Doesn't bother me. I have enough money, I'll replace it," Adora argued to her back. Catra rolled her eyes. "Whatever,"
She stormed into the mini-living room, periodically listening out for any signs of distress from her asshole stubborn wife. She picked up Adora's tracker pad when it began to buzz. "Hey, Catra! How's Adora?" Bow asked. Catra flashed a small smile. "Hey, Arrows. She's good, but she's having fake contractions again. Listen, can I bank a favour from you?" She asked. Bow nodded. "Sure, what's up?" He asked. Catra looked around. She craned her ear briefly, vaguely hearing Adora grumble under her breath as the floorboards gave away her movements back into the main room. "Her mom wants me in the meeting this afternoon. They're launching an attack, but I can't tell Adora. If we all go, she'll know what's up and try to come with us. Can you stay with her? Try to keep her distracted and watch Vi?" Catra asked. Bow nodded, grinning. "Sure! I love spending time with Vi-Vi!"
"Great. The sooner you come, the better. Oh, could you also trade the child in question with your wife? She's currently playing tag in the courtyard, I think," Bow nodded with a grin. "Sure! I'll be by bearing young She-Ra soon!" Catra hung up with a wave and strolled to the bedroom. The door was closed. "Adora? Have you finally conceded that you need rest?" She called through. Adora groaned loudly. Catra's brow twitched. "You ok? Can I come in?" Adora groaned again. Catra opened the door, immediately rushing to her side. "Hey, what happened?" She asked, her hands fretting over Adora's back. "I couldn't even," Adora panted. "Get onto the," She pressed her face into the quilt with a groan. "Bed... they're stronger now," She bit the quilt harshly, groaning against the pain running like dancing fire from her hips to her back to her groin to her stomach and back to her hips in a vicious non-relenting circle.
Catra sat on her knees and began to rub the tense muscles at the bottom of Adora's back. "Does this help?" She asked quietly, kneading a little harder. Adora hummed into the quilt. "A little," She conceded, turning her face to Catra's. "Hi," She sighed. Catra, despite herself, smiled. "Hi. Do I know you?" She teased. Adora scoffed. "You should. I'm having your baby," She played along. Catra tutted. "Can't be me. I'm an alien. I've never even seen you before," She continued to tease. Adora snorted. "If anyone is the alien, it's me," She pushed up from the ground, sighing heavily. "I think I'm ready for that sleep now," She rubbed her eyes. "Can... could you rub my back? When... when I have the fake contractions?" Adora asked quietly, slipping into the quilt. Catra shrugged. "I usually buy the lady's dinner first, but I can give you massages instead,"
The slap to her shoulder was worth it.
Two hours later, and at least four times as many contractions, Catra dragged her ass to the healers. "Catra, I don't need to go-" Catra stopped to help her breathe through her "not" tenth contraction of the hour, and third one on the journey to the healers. "Adora, babe, I'm aware I've not had a kid before, but I'm pretty sure the fake contractions aren't supposed to be this regular! Or strong!" Adora raised her head to glare. "Shut up," She hissed, groaning as the contraction passed.
A part of Catra wished she'd direct that anger at her parents… they sure as hell deserved it.