“You are in the fountain.” John leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. She groaned as he helped her off of the ground. He tried to lift her over the fountain wall, but her hands immediately let go of him and grasped the side of the fountain, breathing heavily. She pushed against it, letting her hands exert force on something if it couldn’t be a gun. She bent forward and cried out as the pain climaxed. She was being ripped apart. Her body was not in her control as it fought against her. Her own muscles tightened and sent her in the throws of agony. She wasn’t really paying attention to John as he quickly jumped into the fountain. He put his hands out to help her, but she shook her head no. He would have to wait. The pain was too much and she felt unable to move until the pain began to die down.

“Come on, baby.” She put her arms around his neck and let him lift her over the wall. He sat her down on the side, but she suddenly couldn’t sit. When just a moment ago she didn’t want to move, now the thought of being still was unbearable. She had to move and she had to move now. She pushed away from him and ran across the fountain. She suddenly felt claustrophobic as her body was screaming for her to keep moving with the pain, but the fountain was too small. There was no where to go. She felt herself tense up and cry out as the next wave began. Her hands, needing something...anything to do at the moment, flailed through the air before resting on her tight abdomen. John tried to grab onto her, but she turned back to the side and held onto it. She slightly squated down as her body involuntarily began to push. Cholak, it felt good. She feels John’s arms wrap around her waist and his hands search around her belt.

“What are you doing?” She bent forward and pushed hard against the wall and if it wasn’t for the pain she would be slightly annoyed at his wandering hands. She felt him release her belt and she’s thankful, feeling one less constriction on her laboring body.

“Alright. Hold still.” He places her belt on the side of the fountain. As her muscles tighten again she pushes against the wall as hard she can. He quickly grabs hold of her, making sure she doesn’t fall backwards, which isn’t her biggest concern at the moment. She just wants something to push against. Anything to keep her from giving in to the overwhelming pressure inside her, but her body is beginning to take over. She grunts through her teeth as she involuntarily pushes again.

“All right, Aeryn. We have to get ready.” He pulled D’Argo’s knife out and puts it out for her to take. She takes it willingly; relieved he has given her a way to end this.

“Great. I’ll cut it out.” She turns the knife to cut into herself, but he quickly stops her with his free hand. His other hand is wrapped around her abdomen as he tries to hold her up.

“No! It’s for your clothes and for the cord.”

“Oh...right.” She’s a little disappointed he had not meant what she had had in mind. She just wanted this to be over. He takes a step back, still supporting her as she bends forward and cuts the crotch of her pants open. Again this feels better than she thought. The pressure lessens a bit as she can stretch her legs apart and let herself open up more. She leans back into him and hands him the knife. Her breathing is heavy as she tries to catch her breath between waves, but there isn’t enough time. Another contraction hits her and her need to hold onto something brings her back to the wall. John pulls her away. The pain is too much and she lets him lead her to the other side.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy, easy.” He has to half carry her over as she clutches her stomach. She wants to do anything but stand and walk, but she wasn’t going to fight with him. At this moment all that exists are her and the tight muscles in her abdomen. She immediately latches back onto the wall. He presses against her back, one arm around her midriff and the other supporting himself.

“Alright. Breathe with me. Inhale. Exhale. Does anybody have a plan that doesn’t involve the word surrender?” She ignores whoever answers. She’s concentrating. Putting all her thoughts and efforts into breathing. Inhale. Exhale. She takes in deep breaths. It doesn’t take away the pain, but it does help take her mind away a little.

“Alright. Exhale. With me, with me. Inhale.” She can feel him trying to keep her as upright as possible, but all her body wants to do is squat. Her hands begin to tremble as she feels the child lower inside her. She’s afraid. She’s never been more afraid in her life. She can feel her body guiding the child out and as much as she wants this to end, she’s trying not to help it. She doesn’t want to push. She’s too scared. Frightened of what happens after this child comes. Being a soldier taught her everything. How to act, how to feel, how to react was all part of a plan Peacekeeperes had lived by. But this was different. She had not been taught this. She had not been prepared. She didn’t know what to do and how to react. All she knew was her body was forcing her to bring this child into the world now.

“Aeryn, face me. Come on, baby.” She slowly turns so that she is facing him. Her hands grasp his shoulders and he brings himself between her legs so he is very close. She’s grunting again, trying to hold back what she cannot stop. An explosion causes the entire chamber to shake and she pulls him into her, holding onto him as tight as she can. He holds her as there is another explosion. She pulls back and lets out a tiny cry as she gives in slightly and bears down. She feels John’s hand softly touch her perineum. She can see the realization on his face. It’s time. She can’t hold it back any longer and he knows it.

“Okay, I think it’s time to push.” He doesn’t know she already is. The urge is too strong and she lets herself bear down lightly. But he wants her to let go completely.

“I can’t!” He doesn’t understand. She can’t do this. She’s not ready for this. Even through the pain she isn’t ready. Fear is holding her back. She knows the child is ready. She can feel it slowly moving out of her toward life, but she wants to hold it in. She just isn’t ready.

“You can! You can! Push!” Suddenly she can’t control it any longer. The urge is too strong and she lets herself listen to John. She rises up a bit before bearing down as hard as she can. She cries out through clenched teeth, her hands squeezing his shoulders. She can really feel the child lower now and that scares her even more. This is happening and she can’t do anything about that. Even with John right there with her, she feels alone.

“I feel like I’m frelling helpless!”

“You’re not helpless. I’m here. Come on push!” She bears down again and cries out. Her body tenses as she feels herself stretch as the child presses against her opening. Suddenly she has to stop. She doesn’t have long before this child will be out of her and the thought crosses her mind that she doesn’t want it to be born before her and John are married.

“Oh-h-oh wait!”

“What?”

“Stark!”

“Stark?” He looks at her, questioning what she was doing. He was going to question her now?

“Stark!”

“Stark!” John doesn’t take his eyes off of her as Stark climbs into the fountain.

“Come here.” She motions for him to come.

“Do you want me to take your pain?” Actually, she hadn’t thought of that and the answer would be yes, except they don’t have time. She can feel her body is still lightly pushing and they only have a little time left. As much as her muscles are screaming for an end to this, she chooses marriage over relief.

“No. I want you to marry us.”

“What?” John and Stark say it together. She wants to yell at them not to question her when what feels like a very large being is coming out between her legs.

“Now.” Don’t question. Just do it!

“No, Aeryn. We can go to Vegas tomorrow.” She doesn’t know where Vegas is or why he wants to go, but she ignores him. Another pain hits and she is suddenly very frustrated with the both of them.

“Now!” Hope they got that message because she was about to hit them both if they didn’t start to listen to her.

“Marry us!” Finally he listens!

“Wait, wait, wait.” Rygel? What the frell does he want? She doesn’t have time for this.

“What?” Her and John say it at the same time. She breathes heavily and watches as he vomits in his own hand. Oh for the love of Cholak, did they not realize she was giving birth! She throws her head back with another contraction. She was losing patience with the three males who seemed not understand she didn’t have all day.

“Ah, here.” Rygel holds something out and Stark takes it. John is rubbing her shoulder and concentrating on her and she is concentrating on keeping this child within her until they are married.

“It was with the crystals. I kept it moist for you.” Stark lays the object into John’s hand.

“It’s my mom’s ring.”

“That’s wonderful!” She didn’t mean to sound so sarcastic. She was happy they had the ring back, but she wished they would focus on her and not the small piece of metal.

“You didn’t think I’d go back into that cold ocean for nothing?” She cries out again and balls her hands into fists. The pressure to push is unbearable, she has a head coming out of her and Rygel wants to talk? Before she can yell at him to go away there is another explosion. John pulls into her, covering her, protecting her.

“Quick-ly.” She needs to push. Frell, does she need to push.

“Come on!” John yells at Stark. Stark begins to say something in another language. She’s only half listening as she tries to concentrate on him and not pushing.

“Idiot! That’s a Shayan prayer for the dead.” D’Argo yells out.

“What?!” She looks straight at Stark, who looks away confused, and she loses it for a moment. She smacks him hard. She does not have the time or patience for this right now. The contractions are right on top of each other and her body is tiring from the process. She cries out again and throws her head back.

“Whoa, whoa.” John tires to calm her. It does a little. She needs him there and she needs to hear him, but it doesn’t really matter what he is saying. Stark begins to speak again and he smiles as he thinks he has it this time.

“Delvian puberty right.” Chiana tells them. She smacks Stark again.

“Okay, okay. Do you two love each other?” Stark asks.

“Yes!” They cry out together.

“Enough to be married forever?”

“Yes!” They say again.

“Then you are. Congratulations.” John places the ring on her finger.

“Thank you.” She can’t describe the relief she feels. Whether it’s over finally being married to John or finally feeling ready to bring this child forth, she doesn’t know. He pulls her into him and kisses her deeply until another pain interrupts. There is another explosion and she hears Stark yell Rygel’s name. He leaves her and John alone. John is trying to pull from her, but she grabs his shoulder and keeps him close. The contraction is easing and she doesn’t feel the need to push as she does in the middle of the pain. She grabs a piece of his vest in her fist. She feels his hand again on her perineum as he feels the head. He pulls away from her and she lets go unwillingly, understanding as much as she needs to hold him, he has to catch the child. She feels the beginning of the next pain and gives three small cries as she breathes out. He brings his hand out of the water and gently rubs her arm.

“Just one more time!” And with that she lets herself go. She bears down harder and stronger. Her head flies back and she almost doesn’t recognize herself as she screams. It’s burning and she feels like she is being ripped in half.

“Oh!” John also seems startled by her vocalizing. His hand moves back under the water and he lightly supports her opening as the head eases out. She pulls herself back forward, but as his other hand leaves her to help the child out she throws her head back again with a new scream.

“Now push! Push, push, push, push, push, push...push!” She is. She’s pushing with everything within her, feeling the child leaving her. She isn’t afraid anymore. She doesn’t know if it’s just John, who has always been her strength, or just the pain overtaking any other emotion she might have at the moment. She lets out a small cry as she feels the head leave her.

“It’s the head.” John whispers, more to himself than to her. She bears down again. The child is moving a bit quicker now. Another large part passes through her.

“Oh fantastic.” She gives one more hard push and cries out in relief as she feels the child slip out. She hears a small cry between her own tired noises, but her eyes are closed. She opens them and looks upon her child for the first time.

“Wow.” John whispers. He picks up the knife and cuts the cord. Her last physical bond between the child and her. She picks up the robe as John is mesmerized at the sight in his arms. He looks at her for a brief instant before helping her wrap the baby. She’s still breathing heavily as he places it in her arms. She stares down at it. This is it. This was what was inside her this entire time. The stasis, the preganacy. It had wielded this small life. She feels every emotion fade away as another awakens within her. Love. This little being, this life. There is no fear. There is no more pain. Just love.

“We have a son.” John informs her. She laughs lightly. She hadn’t even noticed. A boy. They had a son. John laughs as well. She can see the excitement on his face. He has waited just as long for this.

“We have a son!” She takes her eyes off of her child and looks at John. Just holding this life that he has given her breathes new life into her love for him. They had created a life and she suddenly loves this man more than she thought was ever possible. Her husband, the father of her child.

“We did it.” They had brought him into the world. And now he was theirs, in her arms.

“I love you.” He whispers to her.

“I love you too.” She smiles. All the love and joy of this moment overtakes her and she smiles. He kisses her deeply as one hand rests on their son and the other on her cheek. Another explosion rings out, but hey don’t notice. The moment is too great with her child in her arms and John kissing her. Another explosion and she pulls back a bit.

“Hey.” He pulls her hair from her face.

“Can you do me a favor?”

“You name it?” Both his hands are on her know.

“Can you get us out of here?” As mush as she doesn’t want this moment to end, the explosions remind her of the battle. They need to get their son out of this.

“Done.” He kisses her again. Their love overflowing into each other with a symbol of their love on her finger and the product of their love between them. She was a mother.