Ludicrous O'Clock in the Morning.

[fire-in-flight.livejournal.com]

Sal couldn't sleep.

Of course, she'd been twinging and cramping and contracting for days - ever since her journey to Clone City - and the doctor had said that it was nothing to worry about, since she was small and Celeste was huge (a full six and a half pounds at 30 weeks, they said).

She rolled over slightly, squirming underneath the blankets. Something was very weird.

It was very hot. She tossed the blankets off of herself and stood up, padding toward the window. She eased it open and sighed. Normally she'd be freezing at this point.

She sighed, frustrated with her apparent inability to get comfortable, and then cried out as a contraction more intense than any one she'd had before rippled through her.

Two full months too early. Sal sighed, hissing through her teeth and trying to get herself to calm down. She was pretty certain there was no cause for concern. From what she'd been told, this was rather common for fire types. She recalled her mother telling her that she herself had been born early.

She grabbed a candle, sat down underneath the open window, and listened to herself.

And waited.

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[random_xtras]

Kurt reached out and felt for her, then woke and looked around at her cry. "Sal?"

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She lit the candle, lost in her own thoughts, and looked up as though startled when his voice reached her. A smile bloomed across her features.

"I think it's time," she whispered.

The candle flared.

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He shifted position slightly, then used both his free hand and the spade on his tail to gently... so gently knead the muscles of her lower back, his lean face twisting in sympathy as he felt how tense they were.

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She leaned back against him, grateful for the relief.

"It's gonna be a long night," she grunted.

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"Shhh." He leaned forward to give her a gentle kiss, then smoothed her hair and rested his cheek against hers. "Shhh, Liebe, everyzing vill be alvright."

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"You say that," she said crossly, "because you ain't gotta sit here an' feel all this @#@!$."

Oh, hormones.

She scowled to herself. "I'm never going to sleep with you again."

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"Ja," he said softly, moving her hair to the side so that he didn't accidentally pull it and then giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek as his hands slipped around to tenderly cradle her belly for a moment. "She's being so still."

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Sal nodded, a thrill going down her spine when he kissed her, and chuckled. "I think she and I both know it's go time," she whispered, putting her hands over his.

"Or it will be."

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Kurt put his arms around her again, feeling her muscles doing their job. "How do you feel, Liebe?"

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"Better," she murmured, a lazy smile over her face. "Relaxed."

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He blinked and swallowed, but then fell back on his calm. "Here, change position."

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"Okay."

At this point in the game Sal was no longer fearful. Just determined.

She shrugged out of whatever clothing was just getting in the way and knelt forward on instinct. How she was positioned now felt rather comfortable.

"Do we need anyone else here?" She liked doing this right here and now, just the two of them, but she figured it'd be polite to ask.

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"He cares for you." Kurt covered the two of them with a big yellow blanket, then set everything else but the water bottle down and crouched next to them. "Do you vant a drink?"

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"I know." She sniffed. "And yes, please."

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Kurt looked around; at Jav freaking out as he tried to light the water heater, Sadri sitting on the kitchen counter swinging her feet and grinning, Ven collapsed in the recliner under a pile of toddlers, Jabez stuck to a wall looking spooked as her robot puppy sat and barked at everyone, Vinnie passed out on a couch, and Thrit standing and watching Sal with frightened eyes.

Then Celeste decided to check her waste and eliminatory systems.

He winced and looked down at Sal. "Ve've been peed on... und vorse."

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Sal arched an eyebrow and wrinkled her nose.

"'Kay. Bath time...."

Apparently someone was too out of it to realize that she'd shut off all of the heating systems at her house.

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The toddler stood with her hands on the side of the tub and gazed soberly at the newcomer, then reached for the hem of the oversize T-shirt that she wore for a nightgown. "My tub?"

"Not this time, liebling," said Kurt softly, finishing his own self cleaning and then gently scooping her into his arms to kiss her on the smooth, pudgy cheek. "This vone's for mamma and your sister."

"Tsister?" Wolfen frowned, eyes glued to the baby.

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Sal chuckled. "She can come in if she likes, cyare." Then she tilted her head and smiled at her youngest-no-longer.

"That's right."

She moved Celeste slightly, and she woke up, looking around at everyone until her big blue eyes settled on Wolfen.

And then she just yawned at her sister.

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He grabbed a clean towel and accepted his youngest daughter, then gently wrapped her up and held her close as he crooned softly in German.

"Baby butt." Wolfen frowned. "Panties, b'y."

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Sal grabbed her own towel and wrapped herself up, marveling at the sudden change in her center of gravity.

When she stepped out of the tub she held her arms out for Wolfen. "C'mere, you."

Meanwhile, Celeste blinked and stared at her father thoughtfully.

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"Do you vant me to carry you?" offered Kurt gently as Wolfen patted her mother's face and crooned sympathetically.

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Sal grinned. "I think I can make it up th' stairs now," she said.

Then she looked at the girl in her arms. "You should go t' sleep too..." She blinked. "'Cause it's still late. Right?"

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"Pilot light," he muttered, peeking at the baby as he absently put a hand on Jabez's shoulder.

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"Oh." Sal winced. "Sorry."

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Kurt lay carefully on his side of the bed, his hand going to gently touch Celeste's hair. "It's beautiful."

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"Y'knows, fer once I'm gonna have to concede the point. It is."

She reached over and cupped his cheek with her hand, smiling tenderly. "Thanks."