They will be like him and me, as free as a dove.

[thewisdomwithin]

Even the back pain was amazing to her. So far, there was no aspect of the pregnancy that hadn't in some way thrilled and fascinated Mokey. It wasn't all fun, but it was all so interesting - and so heartwarming, too. She'd found she was singing to herself more lately than ever before, which was really saying something. From what she and some of her non-Fraggle friends had figured, the baby could hear her by now, and she wanted to them to hear a lot of the happiest sound: music.

She wandered into the kitchen, and opened the door to the pantry, looking for a nice snack and singing all the while.

♫If that juicy pear is gooey,
Let's go find some chicken chop suey.
If that chicken chop suey is tough,
Let's go find some stroganoff...♪

That trailed off into giggle. "Well, I do think a juicy pear would be nice!" she mused aloud, rubbing the end of her snout. "I wonder if we have any..."

Comments

[thewisdomwithin]

"Gobo, can't you see that's no good? Oh, I knew you would worry yourself sick!" she sighed, cupping his face in her hands. "Darling, I love you, and I'm so glad you want to help, I just wish you'd help yourself some, too." She looked him right in the eye and spoke on, softly, but putting strong meaning to her words with her tone. "Our baby has two parents, and needs them both to be happy and healthy."

[gobetween]

He was quiet, looking up at her with his heart in his eyes. Then he breathed out a soft sigh and nodded. "You're right. I've been worrying too much, and..." He chuckled softly, remembering some of her other advice, mostly on giving her space. "I know I've been a bit of a pill, too. I'm tryin' to be better about it, all of it, but this is all so new and... it's a lot to take in." A soft sigh through his nose. "And I'm afraid I'm not handling it very well, am I."

[thewisdomwithin]

"Oh, Gobo." Another go at running her hand through his hair - well, no, more like over it, she didn't want to pull more out. "I know it's a lot, and I'm overwhelmed, too. But I don't want you to only help me with that - I want us to help each other." She rubbed the end of her snout against his, just briefly, then leaned back with a bittersweet sort of smile. "I think it's important that we talk to each other about what we're really feeling and thinking, as this goes on."

[gobetween]

He smiled gently at her touch and nodded. "You're absolutely right, Mokey. And I will from this point forward, I promise."

A quick nuzzle, then he stepped back and looked past her, to the pantry. "But right now, why don't we see about getting you the pear you want?"

[thewisdomwithin]

She eyed him for a moment, then lightly shook her head. "Gobo, I can get myself a pear, I really can. Maybe you should go get some rest while I do that, though... I'm worried about you-" and then, with a giggle she couldn't help, "-and your lovely hair."

[gobetween]

A faint chuckle of his own but more responding to hers than because he was genuinely laughing, with how quickly he shoved it out of the way to talk.

"But Mokey-"

[thewisdomwithin]

"No buts, Gobo!" Mokey cut in quickly, with a level of actual sternness. "I am really worried about you, and you need to get some rest!" She tapped a finger to the tip of his snout. "So you get yourself onto the couch or into bed."

[gobetween]

He opened his mouth to argue but no words came out. After a good moment or two he heaved a sigh and nodded.

"Alright, Mokey." He unwound his tail from where it'd coiled around one of his ankles- sharp eyes will notice that when the poof brushed across the floor it left a few hairs behind -and he headed to the bedroom, where it would hopefully be quiet enough for him to sleep.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be. He just couldn't relax, no matter what he tried. After an hour or so and, making sure Mokey was fine and in good hands with a couple of the others, he headed out to take a walk. Maybe a change of scenery would help him clear his head...

[talkyourwayout]

It was much later in the day when Lexi - visiting the other Duckburg - headed out into the Manor garden, with Cash sprawled out atop her head, a very hungry rat. Once a snack for him had been obtained, she started to head back inside when a familiar color caught her eye in the bushes.

"Gobo?" she questioned, but- Hmm, no. It definitely looked like some of his hair, though. Lexi scowled down at the bush, then shifted Cash from her head to her hands.

"Looks like he's freaking out about something..." It didn't take a genius to guess what, either. With a sigh, Lexi followed the patchy trail of sheddings.

[gobetween]

Once she gets a little further along the trail- some pink hair mixed in with grass shoots there, a few clumps of dark orange fur snagged on brush there -she'll find Gobo in among some roots at the edge of the yard, lying spreadeagle and facedown in the dirt. He almost looked unconscious, if not for the anxious ticktickTICKTICKTICK of his tail up above him. And yes, every now and then a few more strands were liberated and floated off in the breeze.

[talkyourwayout]

Ooh boy, that looked worse than anything she might have expected. Lexi put Cash down on the ground, then crouched down beside Gobo, putting a hand on his back.

"So, uh... You wanna talk about it?"

[gobetween]

"No." An extremely muffled word. Then he dragged his head up and flopped it down, chin on the dirt now, his face scuffed and smudged; his fur itself looking a little scraggly, and though his eyes always looked heavy there was a distinct "hasn't slept" quality to them...

"Yes? I don't know. Mokey is fine, but I can't stop worrying..!"

[talkyourwayout]

As Cash scampered over to lick some dirt off Gobo's face, Lexi was quiet for a moment. She really didn't know too much about this stuff, but she wanted to be there for Gobo as best she could, of course.

She gave his back a couple pats before finally saying something.

"That doesn't sound too strange, especially not for you," Lexi pointed out. "What- What exactly are you worried will happen, though?"

[gobetween]

His eyes glanced down toward Cash, but that was about his only response to that. Sighing through his nose, he looked up at Lexi.

"Everything. So- much can go wrong with pregnant people! And then I'm worried about after too, I keep thinking I'm gonna screw up somehow."

He got his hands down and carefully sat up, moving his legs to splayed in front of him, and gently skritching Cash between the ears.

"I'm mostly worrying about Mokey and the baby right now, though. Everything else? It's kinda distant but this... this is real. And unlike anything else I've stressed out over, I can't do anything about this one!"

[talkyourwayout]

"I mean... You're planning on staying on this planet, right?" she asked, attempting humor because that was always easier than a heavy conversation. She shook her head - no, that had been a weak attempt, and kind of a low blow to her mom. Time to try something else. "Sorry, I just mean... I don't know. I don't think you're going to do anything that'll really mess the kid up. I don't! But you're right, you can't do anything about it. Especially during this part... I think we just need to calm you down."

[gobetween]

Strangely enough, he didn't seem entirely comforted by... well, anything she said.

"Calm me down how? I've tried everything I know of."

[talkyourwayout]

"I don't know," Lexi admitted. She almost always had a plan, too, and not having one... It wasn't her favorite thing, to say the least. But when it came to this kind of thing, Lexi could readily admit she was still a kid. "But we gotta do something for you... How's Mokey handling it as well as she is?"

[gobetween]

"Oh, Mokey's handling it great! She's taking pretty much everything in stride and believe me, either me or Red would know if she were hiding something. In fact, it seems like the only one having problems is me." Beat. "And well, Boober's panicking too, but there's nothing unusual about that."

[talkyourwayout]

Lexi nodded, and silently got to her feet, wondering what Unca Scrooge might say to Gobo if they were back inside... Really, she could imagine him asking why Gobo thought that might be, that he was the most stressed... And Lexi didn't want to do that to her pal. She felt at a loss.

"Alright, man. I think we gotta go talk to someone who's been through this before. Come on - you, too, Cash."

1/2

[gobetween]

He looked up curiously at Lexi, then nodded and got to his feet. He took a moment to brush himself off, then he followed her across the yard.

2/2

[moneymatters]

Scrooge wasn't far, technically. Rather than the backyard he was out the front, sweeping across the stoop. He looked up at the sound of footsteps then stopped and turned.

"Ahh, Gobo." A demonstrative sweep of the broom, which kicked at the pile of natural dirt and dust- and fuschia Fraggle fur fibers. "I had a feelin' you were around."

[talkyourwayout]

"Yeah, it's hard to miss him today." With a snort, Lexi put her hand on Gobo's back and lightly pushed him forward. "He's really stressing out, though. I thought maybe you could help? I mean, you've gone through this."

[moneymatters]

"Aye, I did. I even lost a few feathers meself, though ah..." His eyes drifted, watching a new bit of fur go down; Gobo, seeing that look, smiled sheepishly. "...not quite to this degree."

Sweeping the pile into the dustpan (and grabbing the new tuft on the way), he dumped it in a nearby can and then braced the broom over his shoulder. "Still, come inside you two. I might have a couple o' ideas to help, I just have to put this away first."

[talkyourwayout]

Lexi followed the other two inside, shaking her head as she did so. So much stress - how were there still children being born? Sheesh. It seemed like an awful lot of fuss... She ducked into the fridge to grab a soda, paused on her way back out, then grabbed an apple and handed it to Gobo on the way to taking a seat.

[moneymatters]

He returned shortly enough, walking over to where the two of them had settled down, though he did eye Gobo more nervously fiddling with the apple than eating it. He hummed in his throat, then started asking a few questions. Had he gotten involved with the process? Helped set up the nursery or gotten any supplies? Talked to Mokey? Talked to the doctor helping them? Talked to his friends? Helped settle on any names or other aspects of the baby's future life?

Getting an affirmative on all of those but clearly seeing he was still stressed, he rubbed his beak in thought. "Gobo... When's the last time you got a good night's sleep?" When the answer, ultimately only a trailed off uncertainty, took a few seconds getting there, Scrooge held up a finger and turned. "Hold on. I'll be right back."

Once again he wasn't gone long, and when he returned he was holding two canisters, both of which he handed to Gobo, who had to put the uneaten apple aside. "Here, use these. I keep these on hand for sleepless nights, in the event my usual doesnae work. One is oat straw, which oughtae also help you with your hair problem. The other is valerian, it should knock you out like a freight train."