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

[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."

[talkyourwayout]

"I didn't realize drugging him was an option," Lexi snarked, ruffling Gobo's hair affectionately. "Really, though, man - this is a good idea. Getting some sleep should help, and once you've rested well for a couple nights, I bet everything else will be easier to deal with, too."

[gobetween]

"Boober's tried. We've got chamomile, but it hasn't really been doing anything." He slid off his seat and started toward the kitchen. "Thanks, Uncle Scrooge. I'll try these right away."

[talkyourwayout]

As soon as Gobo had been gone more than about five seconds, Lexi turned to stare at Scrooge. "Oh my god. I'm not sure how he's going to make it two more months."

[moneymatters]

"Two months, nothing." He seemed worried, staring off the way Gobo had gone. "It's going to be hell for him once that baby is born. Sleep will be an unfortunate thing o' the past for the first good while."

[talkyourwayout]

"Well, what's he gonna do, then? I mean, he can't just spend the rest of his life like this!" She pointed out, throwing her hands up. "You're okay now, with the twins, right?"

[moneymatters]

"Aye, o'course I am. But I also handle stress better than he does." He eyed Lexi as if inviting comment, then breathed out a sigh. "He'll be alright, though. I'd wager this is a temporary thing, a buildin' up of the past few months until it got to its breaking point. It'll even out, particularly with the others there to support him. He just has to weather it until then."

[talkyourwayout]

"Well, anyone handles stress better than a Fraggle," Lexi muttered under her breath, but then she nodded. "But that does all make sense. I just... I don't know. I wish it didn't have to suck for him right now."

1/2

[moneymatters]

"I wish it didn't, either." He walked over and picked up the apple, turning it in his hands before sitting where Gobo had been occupying earlier. "I know, at least somewhat, just what he's going through. I could tell him that it gets better, particularly when the baby is born, but it might go in one ear and out the other, right now."

2/2

[gobetween]

In the kitchen, Gobo was leaning against the counter, holding onto a mug of hot tea. He had his eyes closed and was sipping it slowly, inhaling the vapors. It certainly felt nice, if not quiiite relaxing enough to soothe his frayed nerves.

Sighing out one breath, he looked down at his reflection in the cup. Wonder how long before it took effect...

[talkyourwayout]

"It probably would, yeah," Lexi agreed. "I love Gobo, but he gets really wrapped up in being upset, you know what I mean? I- I kinda worry about that, sometimes."

[moneymatters]

"He does, but I feel fairly safe in saying by this point that that's his character flaw. Getting emotionally invested at the same time he's using his mind a mile a minute. On the good side, it's what makes him such a great leader. On the bad side..." He waved a hand toward the kitchen, making the rest of that sentence clear.

"There's not much we can do abou' it if that's how he is, other than be there when he needs us. Thankfully, he does have quite the support network, which is why he's where he is and who he is now."