"Ow, ow, ow, Dera, you're gonna break my fingers--"

"I don't bloody care, Els!"

"She's crowning, miss Astilith, one more big push should do it."

"Bloody. Doctors! Els, I'm going to kill you-- for bringing him in here!"

"But Dera--"

::It hurts, it hurts, stop it, let her go, you're hurting--::

::Lisa', it's almost over, I promise. She'll be fine. Please stop pestering me, I'm a little busy right now--::

"No buts, Els, I-- oh, hell, here it-- goes again--"

::Fearpainanxiousfear--hurryup!--movemovemovefearouch--hurryup!::

"Bear down, miss Astilith, that's right."

"I. Know. What. I'm. Doing!"

"So do I, miss Astilith."

"You. Can. Go. To. Hell! Nnnnngh--"

::Nonobadstopstop--hurryup!--movemovefearouch--squish!::

"Almost. Out. C'mon, Baby--"

::Mommyyyyyy, you're gonna squish her! You can't squish my bond!::

"Someone. Nngh. Shut. Her. Ah! Up!"

"I've got her--"

::Heyheyheyheyhey, let me go let me go! I wanna be with my bond! Noooo!::

"Almost-- just a little more, miss Astilith--

"Ah!"

::Outoutout--bright!--herewherewhat?--ouchsquish--unsquish!::

"Is that--"

"Your daughter, mister Astilith."

"Goddess...."

::I see you, I see you! You're all yucky, even worse than I was when I hatched! Lookit all that! Yuck!::

"Told you-- hold her!"

"Ah, Lisaleth, come back here--"

"There we go, thaaat's it, just a little-- got her."

::Unsquish?Unsquish!Nonononowhereherewhere--COLDBRIGHT--don'tlikeitno--COLDBRIGHT--mommydon'tlikeit!::

"And she didn't even need any help. Listen to her go."

::Awww, it's okay, it's okay, you're with me now! And Mommy-person's still here! And I'm here! It's okay, don't cry--::

"Babies always cry, Lisa'...."

"Dera, are you--"

"I'm fine."

::Mommymommydon'tlikeit--whereareyoumommy--don'tlikeit--COLDBRIGHT--where--OUCHNOCUTME!::

"And there's the afterbirth.... Are you going to want the umbilical cord, miss Astilith? I know some elven families keep such things--"

"No, no... that's all right.... I don't think Els could stomach it."

"I'm not squeamish, Dera-- oh."

"See? He's turning green... isn't he?"

"I am not."

"Well, actually--"

"I am not."

::It's okay, shhh, it's okay, don't cry, bond-baby. Mommy, I didn't know she'd be so loud!::

"She's just cold and upset, Lisa'. Give her to me?"

"Just let me finish cleaning her off, miss Astilith."

"I want my baby!"

"Patience, patience."

"Bloody doctors-- ah...."

::Mommymommymommymommy!socoldmommy--allblurryallbright--mommy?::

For the first time, Deravia sent to her child outside of her own body.

::Shh, sweetling, shh, child, it's me. It's mommy.::

The familiar feel of her mind in the child's half-formed thoughts calmed her instantly, and she blinked curiously up at her from where the doctor had settled her in her mother's arms. She'd never seen her mother, not with her own eyes: she had a mental image Deravia had sent her from a mirror, but that wasn't the same. And Deravia had never seen her daughter, not even in her mind.

As the doctor set about getting rid of the afterbirth and moving some of the bloody sheets-- for that, at least, Deravia couldn't begrudge his presence-- mother and daughter studied each other. She couldn't even begrudge Elsarin's wondering presence as he eased himself down onto the edge of the bed beside her to look, too. Right at that moment, all the discomfort of pregnancy and the agony of birth-- though she didn't think it was as bad as some women made it out to be-- it all seemed worth it.

"Dera, look at her...."

"I am...."

"Look at those eyes... Dera, she's beautiful."

"She's got your eyes, Els."

"And your hair."

"She hardly has any hair, goof."

"But it's still yours."

::Does she have anything of me?::

Deravia couldn't help but chuckle. "Your energy," she teased the little dragon, who had hopped up onto the headboard of the bed, since Elsarin had taken the prime spot on the bed.

::Mommy.::

The single word-concept-emotion, accompanied by a slow blink and something that seemed like a smile, filled her up. She didn't care how much of a nuisance babies invariably were: hers was perfect. She smiled back, stroking her damp-- but clean, at least-- red-fuzzed head, looking into dark blue eyes, happier than she'd been since the little girl was conceived so long ago. Elsarin settled an arm around her shoulders, looking down, as well, letting his daughter's tiny fingers close tightly around one of his. She could even forgive him his hovering, seeing him smile down at the baby he'd helped create. For the moment, they were a family.

Then the doctor reasserted himself in a most unwelcome manner, breaking the moment and eliciting an indignant yelp from Deravia and a squall from her small burden. Elsarin and the doctor both jumped, though the former probably had no idea why, and Lisaleth screeched and flapped her wings reflexively, bapping Elsarin on the back of the head and nearly loosing her balance in the process.

"I can clean myself up, thank you very much!" Deravia snapped, glaring at the doctor, who backed off with his hands up peaceably and, quite wisely, changed the subject.

"As you wish. Might I know the child's name, for station records?"

"Alamathennarin," Elsarin answered proudly. The doctor looked blank.

"Thenna," Deravia said instead, and looked back at her yawning daughter. "Thenna."

Chapter Four

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