Lucette had slept in that morning, giving time to Bae-Syl and Nova to head out of the den. She had become so round that waddling out of the den for more than a drink or using the bathroom had become a practically impossible task. She missed being able to wander, and even she was starting to worry about the size of the little ones inside her. Her father had never confirmed the amount of puppies she had, though he warned that she very likely had some bigger ones thanks to Bae’s genetics. At first she wasn’t worried, her father was the best healer she knew, but with his death, and with her children on the verge of arrival Lucette had started feeling fear creep into her heart. What if something happened to her? What if there were complications and she lost them? Her eyes flickered open, a wave of fresh anxiety washing over her as she felt a sharp pain. The pups were coming. Lucy’s heartbeat began to race as she shifted on the bed, a whine leaving her lips. Frantic green eyes sought Bae-Syl but, realizing that he’d be with Nova, or perhaps even on patrol if he found someone to watch her, she started to freak out. Her ears flicked back to her skull and tears began pricking her eyes. She was afraid… and she needed Bae here. She wanted him here. Lucy tilted her head back, hoping her mother and siblings had already left for the day, as she howled with all her might for Bae. She needed him here. She could feel another pang of pain and she whimpered. She didn’t know what to do… she needed help… it felt like all the things her father had told her went out the window… he wasn’t here… “Dad please… watch over us…” The tears streamed down her cheeks now, the femme scared to even begin pushing without Bae-Syl there beside her. She needed his strength to do this. To keep her grounded when it felt like she was ready to lose her mind. "Talk, 'Think.'

If all of the kings Bae had been up earlier than normal this morning. He knew Luce was due any day now but he did his best to not dwell on that fact, since it would usually start him freaking out. He wasn't even sure he would make a good dad. He'd start to think on it and everytime he did he would start freaking out. What would he do if something happened to Lucy? Her mother would kill him. Though then again, he hadn't seen Bellamy in days. Not since the news. It had been shocking. Gav, the sweet little healer, murdered? It made his blood boil now. And bells was likely falling apart. Luce was sad too. He needed to do everything he could to hold Lucy and Bellamy together. He needed to be their rock. Their need for him is what kept him here. He wanted nothing more than to track down the killer though, to rend them limb from limb. He wanted to show them what happened to someone who messed with his family. He'd been on a dark train of thought this morning. His eyes were dark as he freshed a border mark. He growled every now and again at the area beyond their borders. If it wasn't for Lucy, for his love of her and his need to keep her safe, he would of already gone off the rails and trekked across Auster for the killer. His attention was grabbed by a flash of color in the trees. His head snapped to the tree inside the border, darkened eyes looking for the color. Finally his eyes settled on it, Ruby. He gave her a sigh. Before his thoughts snapped him to attention. He had left her with Lucy, like he normally did. She was puffed up and anxiously fluttering her wings as she moved back and forth. Something was up. She wouldn't be here otherwise. She was panicked. Without a second thought he turned towards the dens and loosed a howl for Bellamy. Whether she would hear or not he wasn't sure. But whoever was closer needed to get there now. He stepped it up, breaking into a sprint for the dens. Either Lucy was hurt or she was in labor. The last thing he intended was to leave her to do it alone. Her howl as he broke into a run drove him harder. It was a desperate noise. She was scared of something and he would kill for her, she knew it. He rushed through the territory, quickly making it to the den in what felt like record time. He caught sight just as Ruby flew in, likely to her perch. She wouldn't get in the way. He made for the den and broke through the entrance, hackles raised as he assessed the area first. Lucy on the bed, Nova gone, ink and rush close by. No one but them. He took a few deep breaths as he panted and forced himself to relax from the adrenaline and his readiness to kill something. He'd been on edge and been keeping just how on edge from Lucy. After he was sure he was calmer he moved then, carefully towards Lucy, hoping he hadn't scared her with his bursting in. His eyes took everything in as his lips moved to ask the question he needed to. "Ruby get Bellamy. What do you want me to do?" he took in the tears on her face and moved his paw to wipe them away with the back of his paw. He had no idea what to do other than calm her down and make her remember the healing training she had with her dad. He sat off the bed to give her as much space as possible but still directly in front of her. He was here for her, her rock in the hardest of times. Walk, "Talk", Think Have their queens on the throne

_{Art by Asena}

No damsel in distress Bae came. Lucy half expected her mother to arrive as well, worried and in a panic as she laid her gaze on her rotund daughter. The fact that the tiny girl was already in a bit of a panic wouldn’t help any of them, but she was so, so scared. She shivered, whining as Bae-Syl moved closer and wiped away her tears. She had her ears pinned against her skull, whining loudly as Bae sat before her. “Bae, I…” She tried to find the words to answer. He knew she was scared, and that wouldn’t be helping him either. She shifted, another fierce contracting racking her body. She wasn’t sure she could do this. She drew in a shaky breath. “D-Dad had set aside two bundles for this… The ones over there.” She motioned to two sets of herbs that had remained untouched near her companions. Immediately Ink got up, starting to bring them over to the pixie. Lucette’s mind was racing. She looked up at Bae-Syl, trying to bring herself back down and focus on the moment, rather than everything that could, but might not, go wrong. “I… I need to take the first bundle now… I think dad said it should have some stuff in there to keep me calm…” She was breathing a bit harder. “The other has moss, and herbs to stop bleeding… I… I’m going to need you to make sure I don’t bleed too much… or at least try to stop it…” She lowered her gaze. What if she bled out? “I…” She swallowed hard. “If it gets too bad, you’ll need to call my little brother, Dorian. He was training under dad too. He should be able to help. We might need him to help check on the puppies later.” Lucy moved a paw over Bae-Syl’s own. She felt hot to the touch. “Promise me you won’t leave…” She lifted her gaze back to him, still fighting the natural instinct to push. “I need you Bae… I… I’m so worried something might go wrong…” Ink set the bundles of herbs down, the one Lucy was to take off to her side and the other with the moss closer to Bae-Syl. Then she drew back, her large eyes worried for her wolf companion as well. “Your mate is here, Lucy. He’ll be right here, no matter what.” The kodkod told her, trying to reassure the girl. "Talk," 'Think.' Don't need to save me

_{Art by Asena}

If all of the kings She looked so scared and as much as Bae-Syl wished he could vanish that fear he knew he simply did not have that power. This wasn't a physical enemy he could just muscle and maul away from her. No, this was what he had done to his pixie. She responded to his query, listing things to him like the shaman she was. He could hear behind him as ruby took flight and flew from the cave, following his orders. She would get Bellamy, and though the parrot had never uttered words she had a way with knowing how to convey things to her companions. His attention turned fully on Luce then. He took her orders in and nodded as ink placed the second parcel next to him, his paw then gently moving it to be between his front paws. Lucy looked so small and terrified right now. Bae had no idea how to make it better other than to grab the parcel and move to be beside her and laying with her. He dropped the parcel against his chest gently. He knew he could trust the kodkod to remember what Lucy could not. "I'm here Luce, and nothing short of death could make me leave." he was quiet but behind those words was the promise that his strength was hers. "You got this Lucy." he gave her the only encouragement he could see to give her. Her mother would hopefully be here soon, but with the way Lucy's contractions were, he wasn't sure Lucy wouldn't be already done whe she arrived. He watched her as she had another contraction. Worry was written on his face. She had to be fighting the urge to push, meaning this morning when he went to patrol she was likely already beginning to labor. If Bellamy knew and was in the wrong mind she likely would want him dead. He would have to judge her mood when Ruby brought her here. His attention was on Lucette for now though. He nudged her cheek with his nose though as he spoke, "Don't hurt yourself Luce, if you need to push you push." Walk, "Talk", Think Have their queens on the throne

_{Art by Asena}

Ink was trying to reassure her, but the pixie’s gaze remained on Bae-Syl. He was the one that the pixie needed most right now. She could feel the tears that had been pricking her cheeks start to slide down her cheeks. Would she have been this afraid of failure if her father was still alive? He had saved her life when she was a child, a newborn… but this time he wouldn’t be there. She was scared of leaving Bae-Syl, and their children, behind… or… what if due to her small body the children suffered? What if they didn’t make it? She pressed against Bae-Syl, still not yet grabbing the herbs Ink had brought over to her. She could feel another contraction shake her and this time Lucy winced. It was starting to hurt holding back… but she… she wasn’t ready! They needed more time! She took in a shuddering breath as Bae nosed her cheek and told her not to hurt herself. He could tell she was holding back. Right… the puppies would still need to come out whether she was ready or not. Lucy gave a small nod. “A-Alright… just… just a moment…” She took the herbs that Ink brought over, crushing them up in her jaws and swallowing them hard. Before she could even think to ask for some water the kodkod was already fetching her the small makeshift bowl she’d made by finding a rock with a deep indent. Lucy would give a grateful nod and lap the liquid up. Another contraction would come… and this time Lucy would push. …and push… …and push… After the third push, realizing that there didn’t seem to be much progress, Lucette's panic spiked again. “It’s not… It’s not coming out!” She whined at him. “I’m too small… It… they’re…” She shuddered, no longer able to finish speaking. They were all going to die because she was so damn tiny…! She tried to push again as the tears streamed down her cheeks, not turning to look at her mother as Bellamy stumbled into the den with Ruby. "Talk, 'Think.'

Bellamy had not been far from the den, but with her healing paws it was enough of a distance to have her hobbling in the direction of the cave when Lucy called and still be lagging behind by the time Bae-Syl made it there. The woman huffed, praying that Lucette was alright. She was a first time mother, and without Gavroche there… her daughter had already expressed concerns with the birth.She didn’t think it would come so soon after losing Gavroche, though. She felt her fur stand on end as she continued to painfully hobble along, soon accompanied by Bae-Syl’s potentially mute bird. Bells knew why Ruby had come, and the she-wolf nodded to the feathered companion. “Already heading that way… fucked up paws, you know…” The cold probably wasn’t doing them any favors either. At least they were wrapped by Lucy the night before with some fresh dressings. It made it at least a little easier to make her way along. It still seemed to take too long, and by the time Bellamy got to the part of the cave her daughter was using she could hear Lucy’s second wave of panic. The Leader of Ethne didn’t, however, making her way to Lucy’s side as she spoke. “You are not the first she-wolf to give birth to a pup so large it got stuck, Lucy. Breathe for us, try to calm down. Bae-Syl is with you, your companions are here, and I am here too.” The woman would come to sit next to Lucette’s rounded belly. Lucette had truly become huge… either she had monster sized children due to Bae-Syl’s larger size, a large litter, or a mixture of both situations going on. “You’re making more progress than you think. I can see the first one coming. Come on Luce, I’ll help you push and get them out.” With care, the woman moved a forepaw to her stomach’s belly and looked at the young couple. “I may not have Gav’s delicate touch, but this is necessary, and we’ll be as careful as we can. Are you guys ready?” "Speech" 'Thought.'

If all of the kings She was ready to push and so she did. Only something went wrong. His face changed the moment she started to freak out and not make progress. His ears dropped and he moved fast, sitting up and looking to ink. She was too small. It was stuck. Stuck and would probably die. The realization set in on his face. He had dumbly killed her and their children. Even as ruby flew in followed by Bells he didn't look their way. His eyes stayed on Lucy. Even as bells moved. Lucy was going to die and it was his fault. Bells started speaking, Bae snapped his eyes to her. She seemed less panicked than both he and Lucette. It helped some, but Bae was still worried. She took stock of the situation and prepared to do what she needed by placing a paw on Luce's abdomen. She asked if they were ready and Bae looked at Lucy. If she was ready, he was ready. Walk, "Talk", Think Have their queens on the throne

_{Art by Asena}

No damsel in distress Tears streamed down Lucette’s cheeks as her mother entered the den. She was afraid, and she knew Bae had to be feeling that same panic that she did. He didn’t say anything - but what could he say? What could possibly be done? Their differences in size were so great… It was no wonder that the very first pup got stuck. The children were probably huge compared to her tiny, pixie-like body. She shivered, leaned back against her love. She let her teary gaze lift to her mother as Bellamy settled by her side, shivering a little. How did Bellamy know? Had one of her siblings gotten stuck? Maybe her mother really could walk her through this? …and she had said she saw the first puppy. That meant that there was progress. Lucette sniffled, giving a small nod. She drew in a breath and a shaky confirmation fell from her lips. “Okay mom…” Her mother’s reassurance was important. Her mother had observed her father’s work before, and, had Lucy been thinking logically, she might have even thought to call for Dorian now rather than later. But her mother seemed calm enough. She seemed to know what she was doing, what she was talking about… Lucy took in another breath. “I… we have to get them out.” She gave a nod, and at her mother’s urging, began to push again. She could feel the strain, contractions and a bit of pain flaring up throughout her body. She felt pressure too, her mother starting to push down to help encourage the pup to come out. Moments passed, and she was sure she could smell the metallic tang of blood. Lucy gritted her teeth, pained sounds coming from her lips as she and Bellamy worked to get the first pup free. Her mother would shift, telling her to keep going, as she gingerly grabbed the body of the pup and started to pull him out. Minutes dragged by and then, at last, Lucy felt that pressure easy back. She was panting, gaze turning to look at her newborn. "Talk," 'Think.' Don't need to save me

_{Art by Asena}

Bellamy knew Lucy was scared… she could not blame her for that. Being a first time mother, and without a true healer… but the Leader was sure that Gavroche was with them. He would watch over them as she helped bring their grandchildren into the world. Lucette tried to calm herself at Bells reassurances and the femme gave a small nod. She knew it could be scary, especially if a larger pup got stuck in the process. But she knew Lucy was strong. She was a product of herself and Gavroche after all. They would get to work and Bellamy would work alongside Lucette's pushing to help work the pup out. She pushed up on the lower part of her abdomen, seeing progress bit by bit. Her first grandchild was coming into the world. Bellamy felt excitement flutter in her chest. It was Lucy and Bae-Syl's litter but she was just as excited to meet the little ones. Once Lucy had worked the pup out just enough Bellamy shifted tactics. "Keep pushing, Lucy! I'm going to work the puppy out!" She'd instruct her daughter and then carefully grab the little one. It took more effort but a couple of minutes later Bellamy was holding the firstborn. She'd set them at Lucy's side once the gunk was off their face and away from their nose. The woman smiled. The kid was huge. "A boy. Congratulations. I see he’s inherited some of your rainbows, Bae-Syl." Bellamy told him, a smile gracing her lips. "Speech" 'Thought.'