Viper hadn't acted nearly any different since Siren had told her she was pregnant. She still continued on with her physical work even when her whole body begged her not to. There were times that her body would just literally give out on her from exhaustion, not that she had even told anyone about. But it never stopped her from the next run, the next hunt, or whatever she needed to do. Her belly was round, very round. Either numbering a large litter or just large pups. But the fat and muscle along her spine and hips had thinned out from the runs and from not really eating properly while her self image had been so important to her. She did understand that with babies she would grow this way, but maybe she was just consistently lying to herself that she wouldn't. That if she kept running and not eating, she wouldn't get fat.

Luckily she was here on the island when a rippling pain started running along the underside of her belly. She only halted at first, ignoring the short and easy wave before going to move on again through the trees of the island. But as she took a few more steps, the pain became increasingly worse, to a point where she couldn't even stand anymore. Laying on the forest floor, she grit her teeth maybe mad at her body for giving in so easily to pain like she had never done before. But it had it's very clear reasons for doing so. She was in labor, while she thought maybe she'd just pop a baby out and bring it along for her patrol around the island.

As time passed she called for no one, eventually a pup had arrived on it's own to which she did actually acknowledge the presence of it. She bent up still in pain and laying mostly on her side, reaching for the still born little girl and pulling it closer to her with a strange gentle touch in her mouth. She knew it was dead, but she didn't show any signs of grief following the death of her child, she wasn't like any normal mother. But somehow she had that motherly instinct, with the fragility she considered handling the dead pup. The thought that maybe all of them dead hadn't crossed her mind yet.

"Viper"

There was no call to alert her nor anyone else when Viper began the birthing process. Siren’s alert came from the scent of birth that wafted over the island and she knew immediately. The tiny princess gathered her supplies and Quartz waddled along beside her. The hedgehog had been a much closer companion since… since her encounter. Dainty paws carried her to where Viper seemingly just lay down in the forest to give birth. At least there weren’t any other predators here. Siren refrained from rolling her eyes and approached hesitantly with a soft call of greeting.

She already had one puppy free, but Siren couldn’t help the sinking feeling she had about it. There was no life within. "Viper,” Siren spoke softly as she tried to approach if Viper didn’t show any hostile inclinations. "I’ve got a few herbs that can help things along. And a fur to place them on instead of… They’ll be more comfortable.” As long as the rest were not dead. Viper growled and Siren hesitated, but offered the herbs again. "Some to help with the pain too.” She added persuasively.

"Siren Primrose Klein"

Chimera had been taking stock of all of the islands items with Aliana when Moccasin came to fetch him. The man's brow furrowed for a moment before he turned and hurried off after the dog. He could smell blood on the air and pushed the big dog to move even faster. It was obvious that Viper was having her pups. If she had sent the dog for him, then she must need him. Chimera was a bit thankful for that. Their relationship had been strained and he half expected her to try and disappear on him. Siren was already at the scene, thankfully. The massive brute cast a questioning look towards her, silently asking if everything was okay before he moved behind Viper. Chimera lay down behind her, allowing the woman to lean against him if she needed. He hoped that she would. Despite what she thought, she didn't have to do this alone. Gently, Chimera nuzzled into the back of her head, showing a gentleness that wasn't very common for him. Whatever she needed from him right now, he would give her. He watched Siren work, barely sparing a glance for the pups that would come. Viper was more important. "Speech"

Chimera had her taking inventory of the stores of herbs they had collected on the island in preparation for the coming winter. He knew nothing about medicine and herbs, so it was up to her to identify each plant and how many they had of each. Once the first frosts came and the fresh plants retreated until spring, all they would have left was what her and Siren had been able to preserve. One of the dogs came running up to them in a hurry, alerting Chimera that Viper needed him. Although she hadn't been asked to come by name, Ali followed the behemoth and the pet back through the woods and deeper into the island.

The closer they got, the greater the smell of blood and viscera on the air was. Ali's ears folded to her head, first imagining something terrible had happened, then realizing by the growls that Viper was very much alive and... actively giving birth! Chimera hurried over to go lie around the mother of his children while Ali immediately joined Siren. She noted the small pup already out and at her mother's side, but there was a disturbing stillness to the child. Ali's heart broke as she gazed upon the tiny creature, then back up to Viper, who showed her typical lack of any sort of emotion while Siren tried to force her to take some herbs. Ali swallowed hard, then moved to Viper's lower half, ready to assist with the next pup if needed. Silently she prayed that would be the only pup that hadn't survived Viper's unforgiving pregnancy.

"Aliana"

When Siren had first approached her, Viper snarled in response and went to cover the still born pup that she had laid next to her. As if protecting it. But as Siren spoke, she relaxed, letting the woman start to begin her own process for the rest of the birth. As much as Viper may not have really liked Siren, she trusted her nearly as much as she had trusted Chimera. She wasn't really sure why she felt that way and she would most likely never say the words out loud. But at least her actions spoke louder than words, if not now they would later.

She took whatever herbs Siren had offered her though she didn't feel like she needed anything for the pain. She wasn't going to question what was what, just take what she had in mind. Chimera had joined them, coming up behind her and she did lean a little back against him but still didn't say a word or ask anything of him. It was typical of her. Viper's back legs cringed inward a little as Aliana placed herself there to help the next pup. She didn't want her specifically touching her but she felt like at this point she had no choice. With the wince, the next contraction came easily, her legs straightening again as she grit her teeth. Her body pushed naturally as the second and final pup had come, an exhale of relief when it was over. The pup was alive but struggled to breathe and live. Viper didn't show too much interest for the time being, at least not as much as she did the first pup. Maybe because she would trust that Siren, and maybe Aliana, would take care of it and do what they could before giving it back to her.

"Viper"

Chimera appeared quickly after she did and wrapped himself around Viper supportively. Siren finished all of her preparations, Viper was eating her herbs, and Aliana arrived as backup support. Siren noticed the tension in Viper’s body as Aliana took her place nearer her tail, but neither acted on the impulse so Siren remained silent as the laboring woman was thrown back into another round of contractions.

Viper contorted painfully, but remained expressionless. She had always been a very odd woman. A second was born. With the way VIper seemed to relax Siren had to wonder if she was truly finished. Both pups were large for her size, and she was deserving of her rest. The girl’s attention went to the other puppy, his breathing shallow and labored. Aliana seemed ot gravitate towards the puppy and Siren gravitated towards mom.

"Almost done Viper, one more push for the afterbirth.” Siren said quietly as she pressed a wet rabbit fur to Viper’s brow. Hopefully they could revive the second pup.

"Siren Primrose Klein"

Two pups and no squeals or whines. Chimera hadn't particularly cared about being a father, but he couldn't deny that he was interested in what was going on there. The brute cast his gaze towards where the puppies would be resting and a low growl pulled from him. "What's wrong with them?" He asked Siren, trusting her knowledge and knowing that she would tell him the truth. Chimera looked hard at the back of Viper's head. If there was something wrong with the pups, then it was her fault. She hadn't rested enough. Hadn't eaten enough. Something. Something in the black and russet woman was lacking. Surely it wasn't his fault. His blood was strong. This he knew for a fact. "Speech"

Viper growled and snarled, but didn't do anything to otherwise force the two healers away from her. Chimera tried to soothe his mate as she struggled to birth the last pup. A few more moments of pushing, and then Ali saw the crown of a russet and black head, and then the pup's body slipped into the world, caught and received by the clouded monochrome fae. She suddenly wished she had some furs to help dry the small child off with, but Viper had clearly not been planning on giving birth right now. Actually, Viper hadn't planned for anything throughout her pregnancy! That was likely why one of her children lay dead, and the other...

Ali's heart stopped beating when she realized the pup in her paws wasn't making any noise. Panicked aqua eyes looked down at the little potato of a wolf, watching as it gave shallow, weak gasps, its chest rising and falling rapidly, but otherwise unmoving. Oh no no no no! Ever so carefully, Aliana turned the pup in her paws, bringing her muzzle to his and proceeding to clean his nose and mouth with quick licks, removing any excess viscera from his airways. When that didn't help, Ali gently lay the pup down on the softest grass she could find, licking and rubbing the pup's back to try and stimulate his lungs. "Come on, little one, you can do it. Nice, deep breath now," she murmured quietly to the pup in her paws. "Please, sweetie, please breathe..."

Chimera asked what was wrong with the pup, but Ali didn't answer, far too focused on caring for the child. Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes for the boy, only minutes old, born to parents that hadn't even wanted him and had done nothing to protect his development in utero, with a sibling that had never taken a breath. She refused to let him die as well. If it took everything she had, she would make sure this child came into the world knowing one wolf had cared enough to keep him alive. Just as the timer in Ali's head began to reach worrying numbers, the stimulation did the trick, and the boy in her paws gave a gagging cough and spat up the last blockage. The shrill cry that immediately followed brought Aliana a relief like nothing else ever had.

Ali's eyes slowly closed, her body tense from the stress. She released a long, slow breath, letting some of the tension go with it. He had survived. The tears fell from her cheeks as she cried with relief. With a gentle nuzzle behind the boy's neck to welcome him to the world, Ali very delicately lifted the pup in careful jaws and set him down nestled into Viper's stomach, where he began to feed greedily, his grunting whines silenced by milk. "Congratulations, you have a son," she said softly to Chimera and Viper. Her nerves still jittery with the adrenaline of saving a life, Aliana stepped back to give the new parents some space, watching them from the side with a small smile on her lips.

"Aliana"

Chimera growled deep and low as even he realized there was something wrong with the two pups that were born. The first was dead, she was likely dead long before she had made her appearance into the world. Siren felt oddly numb about the situation, she knew that this was an awful tragedy, but as her dual toned gaze looked up to Aliana as she saw to the second puppy she had to answer her brother. Aliana was focused entirely on the boy pup as he refused to breathe.

Caramel ears fell to Siren’s skull and she looked back up to Chimera. "The first child has perished.” She whispered softly, her eyes watching Aliana. The tears welling in her eyes as she worked and worked against the odds until finally that relieving sound of breath. The little boy squealed. Siren felt relief wash over them, and her eyes moved from the nearly suffocated boy back to Chi as Ali presented his only living son.

"Siren Primrose Klein"

After watching Viper and Chimera tend to their newborn son and making sure both mother and child were all right, Aliana released her held breath in a gentle sigh. Neither of them had wanted the child, but seeing Chimera become defensive of the pup he'd helped create made her wonder if perhaps deep down the giant wolf did have a soft spot for the life he'd conceived with Viper. Ali exchanged a brief, relieved look with Siren before dipping her head to the lady and taking her leave. Siren would be able to tend to Viper and the child from here; she wasn't needed any more. Ali headed back to their den, giving the new parents their privacy and some space to breathe.

"Aliana"

Viper couldn't read Chimera's mind, so while he may have had the thought that the dead pup resulted from her negligence, she didn't sense those feelings. She didn't even flinch as Aliana tended to the struggling pup, and went ahead with Siren's guidance as she did one final push for the rest of what was in her. It was afterwards that she was given her living son and only child, but still she didn't feel any strong, overpowering connection to him. She wouldn't give up hope on that though, she did believe that it would take time and interactions with him to feel any sort of attachment if any at all in the coming years. Though the physical mother instinct came naturally, letting the pup nuzzle her stomach and eventually nap after the tiring experience. Viper looked gently up to Chimera without a word, the tension they had between them still there but lifted at least in these current moments. She then flashed a look to Siren but didn't keep a long gaze with her, "Thank you." She stated quietly. Aliana wasn't here anymore but Viper held much more respect towards Siren than she did Aliana anyway.

"Viper"