Pisces, Virgo rising is a very good sign: Strong and kind, and the little boy is mine

[thewisdomwithin]

Early labor had begun while the parents-to-be were visiting the Manor, and - as with every other stage of the pregnancy - Mokey was delighted. Though the discomfort moving into pain was there, even that left her awed. Gobo was... Less awed, worrying over the midwife and the others getting there, but Mokey was sure things were going to go just fine - better than "just fine," in fact.

After about an hour of light contractions, though, she started to feel restless. She could move around without the midwife, surely... And a glance out the window told her what she needed. In typically-Mokey, absent-minded fashion, she started making her way to the door, murmuring something about being back soon to Gobo, who Scrooge was trying to reassure at that exact moment.

Comments

[gobetween]

"M-maybe we should go back inside anyway, before another one comes." He looked back- when did they get so far from the manor?? -then shook his head a bit and turned back to Mokey, tugging her a bit toward him.

[thewisdomwithin]

She winced, shaking her head. "Maybe, but... I need to sit down first, Gobo. I can't..."

[gobetween]

"Sit down??" Okay, now he was REALLY worried. Was this it? This couldn't be it, could it?? Not while they're out here alone...! "Mokey-"

[thewisdomwithin]

"Gobo, please-" It came out a bit sharply, and she sighed. "I'm sorry. Please... Just help me get down."

[gobetween]

He gulped faintly and nodded, gently taking her arm and easing her down to the ground. "Y-yeah, of course. Here..." He knelt with her, and placed a hand on the opposite side of her head, leaning his into hers.

[thewisdomwithin]

She leaned into that touch, a welcome comfort at this time, especially. "Thank you. You're so-" But whatever he was, it was lost in a sharp hiss.

[gobetween]

There was a soft whine in his throat as he leaned back enough to look at her. "Mokey- Just hang on, I'm going to run back to the manor, okay?" He didn't want to do it, but this was quickly looking like an emergency and he was in over his head. Even if the midwife wasn't there yet, he could still get Uncle Scrooge, anyone who could help. A quick kiss to her temple and then he got up, dashing a few steps away-

[thewisdomwithin]

At first, Mokey nodded. She trusted Gobo and if he thought he needed to get someone, then he should get-

Oh nonono. No. This was happening, wasn't it, and he was starting to leave-

"Gobo!"

[gobetween]

-and then skidded to a stop, slipping only slightly in the grass as he turned on his tail and ran back over to her.

"Mokey! Mokey it's alright, I'm here, I-" A brief, panicked panting, then he skittered a half step back. "I'm not leaving, just hold on-!"

He moved only a few steps away that time, not even out of sight, and sucked in a whole lungful of air. He shouted for help, shouted Scrooge's name, waited. Nothing. Nothing?? How could it happen like THIS-!!

[thewisdomwithin]

Mokey tried to smile at Gobo, but it came out as more of a grimace. She needed to focus on breathing, like she'd learned. That was her part for now...

"Gobo, I- I don't think they hear you. Oh!" That hurt, and in lieu of being able to hold onto Gobo's hand, she clenched her fists around her tail. "Gobo!"

[gobetween]

A jolt went through him at that last cry of his name and he looked back, staring at her. One final glance toward the manor, then he turned around and came to a quick stop by her, kneeling down. He kissed her cheek, hand to her head briefly, then knee-walked around toward her legs.

"It's alright Mokey, I'm here. We'll do this together, alright?" His hand trailed down her arm and pulled a hand up with him, holding onto it, looking up into her face.

[thewisdomwithin]

She breathed in sharply as she nodded, and gave his hand a tight squeeze. "Th-Thank you," she responded, and then- Then she really realized what was happening; what he was going to have to do. He was so brave, and so good.

[gobetween]

He smiled warmly, then nodded as he squeezed her hand in return. "Alright Mokey, come on, breathe. Just like we learned..." He was thanking every star in heaven now that he'd also sat in on those. "And when your body tells you to push, just push and give it everything you've got..!"

[thewisdomwithin]

Mokey whimpered and nodded, breathing in the way she'd been taught. She gripped at Gobo's hand all the while. If he could be this strong and brave, so could she. An exhale shifted into a loud cry, and her eyes screwed tightly shut as she pushed.

[gobetween]

He nodded as well, living every moment of this with her, keeping up words of encouragement through every push, and every break in between. This, what was happening in front of him, wasn't where he'd imagined he would be- but he wouldn't be anywhere else right now, right this moment.

"Alright, come on Mokey, we're almost there!" At a sudden realization, the lack of anything like a towel or a blanket for the baby's arrival, he pulled both his hands back and leaned back enough to slip his vest off. It was turned upside-down and shaken to one side, emptying the pockets all in a tumble, and then he was back to Mokey. "Just a little more, you can do it, I'm here with you-!"

[thewisdomwithin]

Feeling him move away, Mokey managed her watering eyes open, and... Oh. Oh, what a beautiful idea. She didn't have much time to think on that, though, as pressure and pain overtook her. Time to push once more.

Her tail had remained tightly coiled in on itself through the pushing, but now she reached out with it, gently brushing the fur at the tip against Gobo's hand in a silent "thank you."

[gobetween]

He smiled at that, glancing up only briefly at Mokey. But that was all he had time for, as the moment of truth had arrived. He held the vest down, spread over both forearms, continuing to coach and comfort Mokey through it. A little bit more, a few final good pushes-

And then the baby was here. Gobo supported them with the vest, the warm weight bringing tears falling freely from his eyes that'd been building up over the whole experience, and couldn't wipe away because his hands were busy. Busy holding the baby. He was dimly aware of someone running over to them, and a look up said it was the midwife, but his attention turned right back to the baby almost immediately, even as the other Fraggle started helping him with everything remaining now.

He watched silently as the baby, startled by the new world, began crying. And when everything was said and done, it was Gobo who brought the child, still wrapped in the vest, up to Mokey's arms.

[thewisdomwithin]

For mokey, it all was a blur of tears and feeling until Gobo brought the baby to her. As she held the child close to her chest, listening to its wails mixing with her own, more subdued crying, she smiled warmly.

"There you are," she breathed out, completely awed. "Oh... I know you. I love you."

[gobetween]

He still knelt somewhat numbly, watching them both. A small bit of crying choked up his throat and he reached out, lightly stroking the baby's hair. Leaning into Mokey he closed his eyes, smiling.

[thewisdomwithin]

There was so much she wanted to say to both of them, and no further words for any of it. She nuzzled into Gobo's hair while looking down at the baby.

Gobo had said, when they'd found out she was pregnant, that she'd always acted as something of a mother to other Fraggles. She'd always felt like something of a mother, too, not just in connection to others but in general. She had never been able to explain that, but now... Now she understood. This moment was what she'd been waiting her whole life for.

[gobetween]

The midwife gave the two of them a few moments, then approached Gobo and gently touched him on the shoulder. "I've got to check her and the baby over, if you want to go clean up. Shouldn't take more than a minute or two."

"Clean up?" Gobo glanced up, then stepped back a bit and looked at himself. Though he wasn't horrible, there was still mess dotted on his hands and especially across the front of his shirt. Then it hit him all at once: The labor, the birth, the birth that HE HAD DELIVERED, the reality of the baby being HERE, all of it. His body jolted when his knees gave under him, and he wobbled backwards with a woozy little "Right, I'll... be right back..." and then he collapsed onto his back, out like a light.

[thewisdomwithin]

Mokey blinked over from Gobo to the midwife, who assured her that Gobo would be fine; that it wasn't exactly rare among first-time fathers. At the reassurance, she giggled and looked back down to the baby. The midwife tended to Gobo, then came around to Mokey's other side to check on the child's health.

"Did you and Gobo ever settle on a name for him?" she asked, and Mokey smiled over at her unconscious darling, and slowly shook her head. A name could always be picked out once he woke up.

[gobetween]

Gobo, thankfully, came around on his own not long after the midwife went over to Mokey again. He blinked woozy eyes and sat up, shaking his head some, clearing enough to hear the question.

"No, no we haven't picked a name for-" Abrupt stop. He blinked and looked up. "Him?"

"That's right," the midwife said, smiling as she checked over the baby. "You two have a little son."

Whatever else the midwife was saying (something about names sometimes taking a while, it was alright, etcetc) was lost in a happy haze as he laughed shortly, sitting up better. "A son..."

[thewisdomwithin]

Mokey reached out to Gobo, her eyes tearing up all over again. She felt such a mixture of emotions, and she couldn't hardly identify a single one - except for exhaustion, because that one was really hitting her hard. Exhaustion and happiness.

She sighed, content, and then- "Oh, do our friends know?"

The midwife smiled again, nodding. "You'll have some very eager Fraggles waiting for you."

[gobetween]

He made a game attempt at wiping his hands on his shirt before he took Mokey's, nuzzling close to her. The midwife took the baby but only just for a minute, to wrap him in a proper blanket and leave the vest folded to one side. Then she placed him back in Mokey's arms, where Gobo looked down with a smile, lightly touching the front of the bundle.

"Our friends are going to love you too..." Look at that reddish face, and that hair like the color of new wheat... He breathed in slightly, then looked up. "In a minute, okay?"

The midwife, understanding, nodded and stepped back. "I'll go tell everyone that everything went alright, and then I'll be back, when you two are ready to go inside."