Misadventures in Parenthood

Flynn Part 3

"Cassandra?" Eugene said sitting on the bed next to her and reaching over to touch her shoulder.

"How are you doing?"

She let out a long whining groan.

"Oh yeah, the horrifying pain, got it." Eugene said. He looked down at her and tried to remember back to what had helped Rapunzel, he remembered a lot of humming, and strange mantras, but he doubted that was Cassandra's style.

"That can't be a comfortable position. You know I remember that the only position Rapunzel felt comfortable in right about now was on all fours with me rubbing her back. Would you like me to rub your back?"

Cassandra shook her head, and for the first time Eugene realized she was crying.

"Hey, hey now, come on." He said reaching round to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "This isn't just because of Varian, is it?"

"I'm scared Eugene. I don't think I'm going to be good at this." She said, her voice muffled be the pillows.

"Labour? I don't think anybody is actually good at labour."

"No, everything that comes after, the rest of this kid's life."

"Hey, hey, no, stop thinking that. "Eugene reached down and pulled her over to face him. "You and Varian are going to be great parents; this kid is going to be so lucky."

"You don't really believe that."

"Yes I do, I totally do. Jeez, I wished I'd had a mum like you, somebody who would protect me, somebody who would fight for me, and teach me loads of cool stuff like how to train an owl, and how to shot an arrow."

"Really?"

"Yes. You can do this, you're one of the strongest women I've ever met."

"Varian and Rapunzel kept saying that, but they're always nice to me, so I didn't think they really meant it, but you're never just nice to me for no reason."

"Well, I'm glad the man you're having a child with is nice to you." Eugene said sarcastically. "And yes I mean it, as for the not nice thing, you started it, at least I think you did, I don't remember."

"It was probably me. Ahh, Eugene, it's coming again." She huffed.

Eugene reached for her hand and squeezed it as he watched the wave of pain start to reach it's crescendo.

"It's Okay, you've got this. You can deal with it, it's only a bit of pain."

She gritted her teeth and groaned, then after a few seconds she released her grasp on his hand.

"Only a bit of pain. "She muttered. "I'm going to make sure that when all this is over I kick you in the gonads, and tell you that's only a bit of pain."

"You know what I meant. I wasn't belittling your pain; I was just saying that you're a big enough bad ass to deal with it."

She smiled for the first time in hours.

"Now, come on Cass. You need to stop fighting this, the midwife said that it might do you harm, and I care about you far too much to see any harm come to you, or to this child. I'm really excited I'm going to get o met him soon, I think that with your tenacity and Varian's brains he's going to change the world. Or blow it up, odds are kind of even on that one I think."

"They're meant to be here." Cassandra said sadly.

"Well, they're not but I am."

He climbed behind her, pulling her up into a sitting position. Letting her back rest against his chest with his legs on either side of hers. He was determined to be there for her to lean on, literally. This was his wife's best friend, and damnit he could admit to himself that he loved her too.