Lightning Crashes

[Antoinette Greenwood]

Antoinette had been taking it easy recently - after all, Pippin insisted on doing nearly everything around the house and despite her protests that he was a child, not a slave, she still couldn't dissuade him. After all, he was a really big help with Araxfell, especially when she was so tired because of her baby. She was eight months along now, beginning to suffer the occasional contractions and feeling so run down. It was hard to get up and move about, too, with the bump on her stomach. Still, she managed. After all, magic was a wonderful thing.

Still, even with magic it was hard to deal. Especially on this Valentine's Day, 2025. Antoinette had been reading (aloud, for the sake of the baby), who usually shifted in what she assumed was happiness when she read. Presumably, the little girl would be a bright one, just like her mother. But today, Antoinette was hardly comfortable. Contraction after contraction, every few minutes, it seemed. And this worried her - because the baby wasn't due for another month. But she couldn't deny the pain, and so after about an hour of this, she slowly got up. "James? Pippin?" she called, uncertain. "I...I think the baby's coming." She needed to get to St. Mungo's.

 

[James Dalton]

James was outside, digging a hole in the lawn. He had, by this time, forgotten what the purpose if this hole was but had continued to dig as something to do. He had dug quite deep now and the area below him was more slushy. "Hmm," he pondered to himself, curious as to why there was now water streaming into the large hole, the mud swelling up, caking his feet, attempting to trap him. He delved into the mud, hands disappearing beneath the surface for a moment as he discovered a large pipe. He tutted and began to climb from the hole, hands caked in mud also. Perhaps he would make the hole into a pond.. Was that safe for a baby?

James wandered into the house, stripping off his gloves and boots, wandering through to the bathroom. He was just washing his hands when he heard Antoinette's voice calling out. He had no idea what she was saying and so, wandered through to the room she was in. However, it was just as he wandered in that he heard her speak. Instantly, James felt the hairs on his back stand up. The baby.. on the way.. now? He had to resist the urge of doing what he did best, forcing his feet to fix on the ground. "But.. But it's not due yet.." He was rendered speechless for a moment. They would have to leave.

 

[Antoinette Greenwood]

Groaning, Antoinette's hands moved to her lower back, as she stretched out as much as she could while breathing heavily all the while. She'd read up on this a little so she knew what she was doing, but those doubts were starting to attack her. I'm eighteen. I'm too young to be having a baby. It was bad enough she had Pippin and Araxfell to look after (though, to be fair, Pippin seemed to take more care of her than the other way around), but now she was about to give birth to a child of her own? Antoinette was truly terrified. "I know it isn't, love, but this one has a mind of it's own and doesn't seem to want to wait," Wincing, Antoinette walked over to James, taking his hand in her own. Closing her eyes, she squeezed his hand gently - at least, gently compared to the force she would most likely use later on.

"Let's...ow...go," she said, in a whisper, as she beckoned Pippin and Araxfell over in order for them all to apparate to St. Mungo's.

 

[Phillip Piper]

"'Unhand the Princess!' cried the Prince Regent, 'Or I shall strike at you with my axe and send you to the deep fires of the Underworld!'. Oh dear, this is a bit violent for a baby, isn't it?" said Pippin, cutting short his narrations to stare at the book with a furrowed brow. Absently he stroked the brown curls of the tiny baby lying on his lap. Pip glanced down at Araxfell and gave him an exaggerated pout. "I say, this is no book for you, babe!". He then smiled and to his delight, Araxfell smiled back, his little cherubic lips lifting in the biggest grin a baby could offer. He couldn't do much else really, but he was a delight all the same. To think that there would soon be another child in the house to keep Araxfell company! Pippin was burning with excitement at the thought, but as circumstances would soon reveal, having a baby was more dubious a business than he could have imagined.

Suddenly Pippin heard a soft call from the bedroom and then the hurried footsteps of James. He'd been with the unlikely family long enough to recognise everyone just by sound and by the length of his gait, Pippin knew that James was either in strife or in a panic. Pippin wheeled himself as fast as was proper to meet the pair and it soon proved to be the latter. Antoinette was having her baby; now. Now, of all times? "But-" said Pip thoughtlessly before falling silent. He hadn't known that babies could come unscheduled. But it was no time to ask questions. Within seconds he had disappeared again, returning five minutes later with a large pre-packed bag of important items and everything they needed for Araxfell, as well. It was hard going trying to lug both bag and baby, but he'd soon sorted out their positions and was wheeling up as fast as his chair could carry him. "Miss Antoinette, you'll want these." said Pippin in a soft, terrified voice, before grabbing her hand as was offered and hugging Araxfell closer to his chest.

 

[James Dalton]

James took the hand of Antoinette, his heart racing, a bead of sweat running down his brow. "Ready?" he asked the others, quickly checking they were all connected. He took a deep breath, thought hard of St. Mungo's and found the world spinning around him for a moment, crushing the air out of him. Within moments, however, they had arrived inside the reception area at the wizarding hospital. James released Antoinette's hand and sprinted the short distance to the front desk. There was a large queue. James being James, had little regard for a line and hurdled over the smaller people waiting, dodging around the taller. He practically leapt onto the front desk and glowered at the receptionist. "My fiance is pregnant and we think the baby is on the way early. She's over there." He gestured wildly back at Antoinette, Pippin and Araxfell. The young witch at reception held up her wand, sending a blue light from it which seemed to alert healers nearby. They moved fast to James. "My fiance," James started, feeling nervous and, strangely, angry. "We need to get her somewhere- she's going to have the baby!"

The healers got their act together, moving fast once more, James following them. However, as Antoinette was so heavily pregnant, the healers decided it would be best for them to carry her. James disagreed. He bent his legs slightly, hooking one arm around Antoinette's neck and one around her legs, he lifted her into the air. "Right, come on!" He shouted to the healers who had apparently never seen someone so desperate to claim some control over the situation as James did. "Pippin- follow." he hissed quickly to the small boy. Thankfully, the healers decided to just use a small room with a bed not too far away. James heaved Antoinette onto the bed and stepped aside, taking her hand. "It will be alright.." He panted, not knowing what else to say.

 

[Antoinette Greenwood]

Antoinette, as difficult as it was, bent down to kiss Pippin on the forehead once they arrived. He really was a wonderful kid, she couldn't imagine what they would do without him. Apparating hadn't been very comfortable with the pressure, but she managed it and soon enough, saw that James was sprinting to the front desk and asking for help. Well, that was James. Impatient. She could see where the baby got it from. Rubbing her belly, she smiled. "Won't be too long now, baby." She was still completely and utterly terrified, but strangely, she was a little excited. She couldn't wait to actually give birth so the baby, instead of being an uncomfortable pressure in her belly, would be out in the world with the rest of them.

James, lovable as he was, was very much in control, and she hooked her arms around his neck and shoulders as he picked her up. Surely, she was extremely difficult to carry, being as heavy as she was, but James seemed to be coping alright, surprisingly. She was glad to have him here by her side. After all they'd been through, she still loved him more than anything. "James," she whispered, a gentle smile on her face as she nuzzled in to his neck. "Thank you." She allowed him to put her down on the bed, gently squeezing his hand - until a sharp contraction caused her to wince, and her grip tightened on James's hand. Crying out in pain, Antoinette tried to control her breathing again, hoping this wouldn't take too long.

 

[Phillip Piper]

Pippin always wondered how exactly his wheelchair came with them in a side-along apparation. They were a big group, he thought. Well, Araxfell hardly counted as a person (indeed he was, but he took up so little room that he was no burden at all). They arrived in a thriving hospital waiting room. This was a place that he felt he'd never been to; until the scent hit him. Pippin had been a very young boy the last time he had been in a place like this. All he remembered was a bearded doctor, his angry parents and a room filled with sick and dying people. It unnerved him even now, but there wasn't any time to dwell on the memory. Antoinette bent down to kiss him on the forehead, which was all there was time for before James whisked them both away and hissed for him to follow. "James!" Pippin cried out, tucking Araxfell further into the crook of his arm and wheeling as fast as he could carry himself. James was powering up the corridor and it was a good minute before he finally caught up, himself.

When he did skid into Antoinette's hospital room, all was fairly quiet while she worked her way through a contraction. Who knew that birth was so painful? Pippin wondered to himself. He was terrified for his mistress, and his master ... No, he scolded himself. His f-father ... was fairing not much better. He dared not say anything, but Araxfell had other ideas. Sensing his guardian's distress, the tiny baby's little wrinkled face crumpled into something resembling a squashed tomato as he began to bawl. The throaty cries of a barely month-old babe reminded him heavily of what was to come. Pippin couldn't help it - he began to cry too, and he moved outside of the room to leave the adults in privacy. He was too old to cry like this, he knew. Antoinette and James didn't deserve to listen to his pathetic breakdown. It was a mixture of fear for Antoinette and distress for Araxfell's tears. Pippin cradled the boy to his chest and cried while nurses rushed to and fro, shaking their heads and wondering at the little boy in a wheelchair with a baby in his arms.

 

[Antoinette Greenwood]

The minutes dragged on. The contractions kept going and going until Antoinette could barely tell when they stopped. Sympathetic healers stopped by with various potions and other things to calm her, but nothing could make this completely easy and painless. She noticed Pippin take Araxfell out of the room, and she, naturally, was worried, but in her state it was a little too difficult to do anything. James, thankfully, stayed by her side - good thing they were in a hospital, she was probably crushing his fingers by now. She'd make it up to him later. Once she wasn't so drained from this baby. Who, despite the fact they'd decided to arrive a month early, now seemed to be taking their sweet time in leaving.

After about an hour - maybe it was three, Antoinette seemed to have lost count, a healer took a look at her and nodded. "It's time." Forcing herself to nod back, Antoinette winced in pain as she forced herself to push the baby out. This didn't take long at all, surprisingly. Soon enough, she heard the lungs of the youngest Dalton forcing themselves to work. Groaning in utter exhaustion, Antoinette flopped back on the bed, sighing in relief as she heard her baby screaming her head off. Her baby girl. Beaming, Antoinette smiled at James as the healers brought the tiny baby over to her, now cleaned up and swaddled, for her to hold in her arms. She grinned, so elated, despite all the pain she had been in before. It was worth it now just to hold the little baby girl. "Hey there, baby girl," Antoinette cooed, looking at the bright red and scrunched up face of the girl, the most gorgeous face in the world to her right now. "Welcome to the family, Sophie Dalton."