Everybody Just Take a Deep Breath and Freak Out a Little

[Katalina Harker]

For the last several weeks of her pregnancy Katalina Harker and her husband had been staying in New Zealand. They knew that they wanted their families there for the birth of their child and it was much easier for the two of them to travel back there then it would be for everyone to go to England. Kat had honestly surprised everyone that she'd gone a week over her due date. Most everyone had told her that due to her size and her past history she'd more than likely go into labor a few weeks early, but here she was, forty one weeks pregnant and looking like she was about to absolutely explode.

She was sitting on the sofa at her parents house folding laundry and looking out the window, watching Serena teach Schuyler how to fly on the little tiny broom she'd gotten for her birthday. Kat couldn't help, but smile as she watched the tiny blonde zip back and forth. "Merlin help Serena. She's going her have her hands full with that one," the former Gryffindor mused aloud to herself with a smirk as she folded the last of the laundry. She didn't have the energy to go and put it all away, but she was however thirsty so she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass and filled it with water. On her way back to the sitting room she was stopped dead in her tracks. She felt a cramping sensation very low in her abdomen and then came the trickle.

Katalina calmly sat her glass down on the table and in a cool collected tone she called, "Um, Chace...I, well...I think it's go time babe."

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace was watching his sister-in-law teach his niece how to fly on a murder-stick when Kat spoke. "Go where?" His eyes were still on Schuyler when he realized where was. "OH!" He leapt to his feet in two shakes of a manticore's tail, putting his hand on Kat's forearm.

"Off to St. Mungo's, then." Chace gulped, just an eensy, teensy bit. The baby had been inside his wife for so long that he maybe believed it would never come out. He'd never tell Kat, but that thought had calmed him, kept him from crapping his robes at the idea of being a father.

 

[Katalina Harker]

If it weren't for the contractions that were currently causing her discomfort then the brunette would have doubled over with laughter at her husbands reaction. She knew him well enough to know that as excited as he was to be a father, the idea of it scared the bejeebus out of him and if she were being honest with herself then she herself was a little nervous to bring a new life into this world. The contractions stopped and Kat breathed a sigh of relief as she nodded at Chace. "To St. Mungo's we go dad," she said with a grin on her face.

After they'd arrived via floo network (as apparating made Kat very sick during her pregnancy) the healer's set to work preparing for the delivery. The contractions got stronger and were coming more frequently, but they kept murmuring something about not yet being dilated enough so a little bit longer they would have to wait. The forever stupidly brave Gryffindor had decided to forgo any potions and do what muggles called a natural birth. At this point she was wondering how good of an idea that had been, but this was her miracle and she wanted to be sure that she experienced every single second of it fully.

As another contraction wracked through her abdomen she gritted her teeth tightly and gripped the bed sheets in her fists as she breathed deeply through her nose. Her mother cocked her brow at her and said, "I sincerely thought that you would have been screaming and swearing at Chace through this entire thing...you're kind of freaking me out a little bit Kit Kat." The young woman glared at her mother, but couldn't help, but crack a small smile at her comment. "I'm sure he's more than thankful that you were wrong then. Am I right babe," Kat asked her husband with a chuckle.

 

[Chace Harker]

Dad. All throughout the trip to St. Mungo's that word bounced off the walls of Chace's skull. Then it followed him down the corridors and into the delivery room. As much as the fact that he was going to be Dad very, very soon terrified him, he knew Kat must be scared, too. She was the one who had to push the equivalent of a cantaloupe out of her body. Chace wanted to grab her hand, but seeing how hard she was gripping those sheets, he decided to forgo the broken fingers.

"Well, frankly, I am the one you should be swearing at." Chace cracked a smile and took in his beautiful wife. He'd done this to her, laid her down in a bed of pain, and he couldn't help feeling guilty.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat's mother laughed at her and gently placed a hand on Chace's shoulder. She knew better than anyone how rambunctious her daughter could be at the best of times and there were times she felt a little bad for Chace, but thankful as well because he seemed to level out her daughters life out. "Don't provoke her...she might pounce," she half whispered to her son in law with a chuckle.

The young brunette had broken out into a complete sweat fit. Her forehead was glistening and little beads of perspiration had broken out along her upper lip. She released her grip from the sheets as her contractions ended for the moment. "Chace Harker...shut your adorable little mouth. There is no reason for me to swear at you. Not today anyways," Kat told her husband, sticking her tongue out playfully. She motioned for him to come and sit next to her on the bed. She really just wanted to curl up next to him and go to sleep seeing as she was getting tired, but she knew that they had a bit longer to go yet and she wanted him as close to her as possible. The former Gryffindor loved her husband so much and shortly she knew she would love him even more because they would have their perfect baby with them, finally completing their little family.

 

[Chace Harker]

Kat was a lion who could certainly pounce and rip Chace's head off, but she wasn't really in a position to do so. The snake was safe for the moment. He grinned at Cystine, wondering how she was really feeling through all the jokes. The idea of becoming a parent was scary enough; Chace couldn't imagine being a grandparent. Then he remembered his mother for the first time, and felt guilty again. He hadn't sent her an owl.

"Well, seems it'd be in my best interests not to disagree." Chace smiled and joined his wife, wishing to take all her pain away and bear it for her.

 

[Katalina Harker]

After what seemed like forever it was finally show time. Katalina was nervous now because she was really in quite a bit of pain and was sure it was just going to get worse during this next part, but as long as she had a beautiful healthy baby at the end the lioness would grit her teeth and push through like she had so many times before. "Okay, Kat...when I tell you too I want you to push. Just bare down really hard, but remember to breathe," her mother said sternly, but softly to her. The tired sweaty brunette nodded to her mum and gripped her husbands hand tightly. "Alright, push," Cystine coaxed her eldest daughter confidently.

Katalina pushed like her life depended on it, but after about thirty seconds she couldn't handle it anymore and busted out into tears. "I don't want to do this anymore. Just let it stay in there. It's obviously more comfortable in my stomach, mum please, I can't do this," she pleaded with her mother, Chace's hand still gripped tightly in hers. Cystine looked at her daughter and thought for a moment. She pulled her son-in-law to the side and said softly with her hand on his shoulder, "Chace Harker, she needs you to be the strong willed one right now. You're going to have to make her do this. I know she's always the stubborn one, but right now she needs you to help her through this because I know my daughter and this is something she can't do on her own."

 

[Chace Harker]

Nodding to Cystine, Chace grabbed his wife's fingers. "Kat," he started, swallowing hard, "of course you can do this. You could have the world in the palm of your hand if you wanted." He leaned over and kissed her on her sweating forehead, brushing her hair aside. Kat was truly an oven; she'd burn the bun if she kept it in there any longer. "I know it hurts, baby, and I'd push for you if I could, but we have a lioness to raise. And we can't really do that when she's inside your tummy."

"Otherwise," he grinned, "how will you teach her to fly?"

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat's bottom lip quivered softly as her husband kissed her forehead and spoke to her. She closed her eyes, a few tears running down her very red cheeks. The brunette knew she couldn't very well let the baby stay in there forever, but it just hurt so bad. There had never been anything in life that the young woman hadn't taken head on with every ounce of Gryffindor courage she had coursing through her body, but this just about took the cake...though Katalina had never let anything get the better of her and after a few deep breaths and the last comment from Chace she smiled slightly and shook her head.

"You prove a good point I suppose. She can't very well fly still stuck in my stomach can she," she said before taking another deep breath. Looking at her mother she nodded her head, signaling that she was ready to try again. Cystine smiled at her eldest daughter and took control over the situation once more, feeling very proud of her son-in-law. "Alright sweetie, on the count of three I want you to push," the woman said to her daughter in a soft tone. "One. Two. Three." The former Gryffindor took a deep breath, gritted her teeth and pushed, the sweat once again beading up along her hairline and tears streaming down her face. She gave it all she had, hearing her mother and husband encouraging her the whole time.</COLOR></FONT>

~A Little Bit Later~​

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Absolutely exhausted, but glowing Katalina Harker held her beautiful baby girl in her arms. Her finger tips gently traced ever feature of her perfect little face as the baby slept. The young woman couldn't believe how wonderful life was right now. She had her daughter and her husband there with her and their family was wonderful. "Mattyson Harker," she whispered as she kissed her daughter lightly on the cheek. Kat looked up at Chace and said, "You did a good job daddy. She's pretty much the most perfect thing I've ever seen. You want to hold your daughter?"

 

[Chace Harker]

"I did a good job?" Chace's voice cracked as he held his arms out, shakily. What if he dropped his daughter? What if he screwed her up? What if he was a bad father? As he took Mattyson and cradled her to his chest, the what-ifs scurried away, like dementors from a Patronus. Or so they said. Chace brushed his daughter's tiny, soft foot, and she stirred, if only for a moment. She was ready for a nice nap.

"Well, Kat, I swore I'd never fall in love with another girl, so good thing I didn't take an Unbreakable Vow."

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat gently handed over Mattyson to her husband, eyeing him cautiously, knowing he was nervous. It amazed her that as soon as he cradled their daughter how calm he suddenly looked. It was natural and easy. There was a calm that settled over the new mother as she watched Chace hold Matty. She rested her head back on her pillow as she just watched father and daughter together, a serene smile on her face. "I think I can be okay with that. It's funny, ya know, there are only two people that I've ever fallen in love with the moment I laid eyes on them and they're both right in front of me," she said, feeling overwhelmed with the love she felt for her family. Kat knew that the three of them would be just fine. "Merlin help you, Mr. Haker, if she's anything like me. You really will have your hands full," she said chuckling just a little bit.

 

[Chace Harker]

Chace hoped Matty would be everything like her mother. Kat was courageous, kind, smart as a sphinx. Being an average wizard was just all right with Chace, seeing as he now had not one, but two treasures in his life. They were more precious than all the Hallows combined. Grinning at his wife, Chace looked down to Matty once more. "Bring it on, you two. I can take it." I think.