50

As the festivities began and plates were delivered. Some group embers had found some basic instruments and began to play an upbeat song. Children started playing around and dancing. Everyone in a joyous mood.
Talia came up to Ari rubbing at her belly. "Hey, how are you feeling?" Ari asked watching her rub almost without thinking.
"I think I am doing okay. I have had a few contractions since the festivities have begun. But they still seem to be far apart. Cordilia says when they start getting closer that I will need to get ready. But honestly I am not uncomfortable." she shrugged.
"Mf" Ari grunted. She had never had kids, so she wasn't sure how this was going to go.
" I think I am going to go soak a little bit actually." Talia called over her shoulder. "Want company?" Ari ran up beside her. Some little voice deep down, maybe just intuition was saying *stay with her.*
"Sure, I don't mind." Talia grinned. They told Mika and the guys where they were headed. Mika gave Ari a very heated kiss good night and went back to pack activities.
"So, things going good between you and Mika." Talia winked.
"Something like that." Ari giggled.
"Well just remember what got this kid in here." she joked. Ari blushed, “Talia!"
In the bath house Talia had taken to the cooler pools over the heated ones. "I am really hot already. “She said.
Ari slipped into the heated one and watched Talia. She had done a few laps around the pool and then came up to the shallower end of the pool. They had been in the pools maybe an hour, just relaxing and enjoying each other's company.
She was coming to lay in the water near the "shoreline" She stopped suddenly when she was on her hands and knees. Movement within her stomach caught her off guard. It was strong, and foreign. At first Talia was not sure what was happening, but the sensation of a drop followed by immense pressure below. Her **BODY** began some pushes, they were small, but they were defiantly noticeable. Talia's mind was racing- she was not pushing! Her body was doing this on auto pilot. *Holy Fuck!!!!!* she screamed inwardly.
It repeated the pushes two or three more times. They weren't strong but it was enough that she reached down between her legs fearing what she may feel. Nothing. *Okay what next?!* her mind raced.
"Ari." she rasped as loud as she could as her body tried to push again. It came out more like a whisper than a call. Ari was on the other side of the pool with her back turned to her. She had been laying back enjoying herself when this happened.
"You know tonight was so wonderful." Ari said sitting back, splashing lightly in the water, completely unaware what was unfolding just a few feet away. Then like Zeus had thrown a lightning bolt at her Ari sat up, eyes as big as dinner dishes looking at Talia. "Fuck!" she mouthed.
She jumped from her pool and ran to the shore line where Talia was panting.
"Really Talia?!"
"Yes like I planned this shit." she panted.
"Don't push we need Cordilia." She patted Talia's back. She could feel her body going ridged and push. "I'm not!" she was almost in tears. "It's not me. I'm not pushing."
"Mika!" Ari called out to him hoping she was doing the mental thing right.
"Help me get up." Talai's hands were shaking as Ari helped her upright. She was holding her stomach now as she took steps. "Oh my god I feel like I'm going to be sick." she grunted.
"Well let’s be sick outside the pool and we will be sick together." Ari carefully led her to a dry area closest to the entrance.
"I can't get back down Ari I won’t get back up."
"God dammit Mika!" Ari hissed. She turned to see two very large figures in the doorway, Mika and Theo.
Theo ignored Ari and stepped up to Talia.
"I can't stop." she went ridged again.
"They are contractions Talia." he reassured her.
"Pressure." she bit back her lip and closed her eyes.
"I'm going to check, okay?" his voice was so soothing and calm. Talia held on to it like her life depended on it. She was scared. She had been told she would be in control of her body, that she would be the one pushing- her body had a mind of its own.
She felt Theo slip his hand between her legs and in to her. He watched her face as he did so. "Okay baby is head down. But it is not time to push yet."
"I can't stop."
"Shhh, it’s going to be okay." he looked back at Mika. *Get Cordilla.*
"Talaia, I want you to be comfortable, I am going to carry you up to your room, as fast as I can. And as gentle as I can." he scooped her into his arms and in a flash they were gone. Ari stood there blinking for a moment. *Sheets. Blankets. Fire.* she listed off before running to gather the items. Many of which had already been in Talia's room for preparations.
Cordilia was walking into Talia's room as Ari came in.
Theo had let Talia pace the room as she panted. "How long do.." Ari whispered to Cordilla when Talia screamed and punched mirror on her wall. She was breathing hard. Cordilla looked to the floor. A trickle of water puddled around her.
"Well, that could be the bath water or her's just broke." she said in a knowing voice.
"Holy fuck!" Talaia rasped. Sweat breaking out across her forehead.
"Her first real contraction, which was her water breaking." Theo whispered to Ari.
" Um guys you do not have to be in here for this." Cordilia began to usher Mika and Theo out when Talia stopped her.
"No, Theo stays."
He took two great steps to her. "If you want?" she asked. "Of course, I told you I would be here for you, always." his voice was so soft almost like silk as he rubbed her back.
Cordilla clapped her hands." OK Mika I will need warm water, and a pint of cool water." she looked around the room. "And more candles."
Ari went to the fire place and began adding more wood into it. It would still take some time for it to grow but at least that was started.
"Open a window." Talia asked as she paced back and forth. Theo did as she asked.
After a few laps she went to sit on her bed, sitting on the edge. Theo came behind her and began to rub her. She moaned with pleasure as he went low. Her body went ridged again and there was a splash on the stone floor.
"Her water has finished breaking. It won’t be long now Talia." Cordilla tried to comfort her.
The contractions were building now, she could feel they were getting closer and stronger.
She wanted to lay back for a moment to catch her breath. She knew time was racing for her, but in truth she had returned from the pools about an hour ago. She was getting tired and wanted to rest while there were some lulls in the contractions. As she laid back Cordilia came up alongside her. " I am going to check you and see how far along you are, are you okay with that?"
Talaia didn't care right then. She closed her eyes and laid back, she was so tired. She felt Cordilla’s fingers slip into her, followed by a lot of pressure. A look of surprised passed over her. "Okay you are at 7cm dilated, your cervix is softened, and okay and you are about 60% effaced." she pulled back and went to wash her hands.
"What does that mean?" she needed to sit up now there was too much pressure on her lower back.
"Well, dilation is the opening of the cervix, and effacement is when the cervix becomes softer and thinner. We need both dilation and effacement to happen during labor. They necessary to allow your baby to pass through the birth canal."
"Okay how far am I?"
"During labor, your cervix dilates from 0 to 10 cm and effaces from 0 to 100 percent. This process can take place over several hours, or days. You are 7 centimeters and only 60% effaced."
"Days?!" Ari said shocked.
"Yes, it can happen like that." Cordilla said almost apologetically.
Another hour or so passed. The pack members had begun to thin out below. Many of the women had went to lay the smaller children down for the night. But there were still quite a few who had taken up standing guard in the courtyard awaiting the news of the child's birth. Talai thought it was humbling that she had been so accepted, that her child-her and Matt's-would be welcomed with love tonight.
"I want a drink." Talia said rolling her eyes. She had taken a stand next to the window now, swaying from side to side. Ari brought her a cup of water, and she took it happily.
"Can you believe it?" she gulped the water down.
Ari looked at her sheepishly, "You can do this. You are stronger than you realize."
Another contraction rolled over her and she buried her head into Theo's chest, moaning as she waited it out. Theo looked almost heartbroken, Ari had not seen him be tender to Talia in a romantic way, but to see him now with her maybe she had missed something.
"Ah.' she panted, "Oh shit." she leaned over the window and expelled the water she had just drank.
"Is that normal?" Ari asked almost afraid of the answer.
"Yes that is normal. she is in active labor now. Baby is kicking and her hormones are flooding her system."
Talaia coughed some more and then clenched at her belly again. "Bed." she pointed. Theo without words slowly guided her back to the bed. She climbed on top once more. this time she wanted to be on all fours, she didn't want the pressure on her lower back again. When she was in this state pressure seemed to be less and she was learning she liked it more.
As the contractions grew strong Talia voiced her pain and frustration more now. Her body had gone back to pushing without her control again, but she was ready to just let it.
Theo had taken to remaining at her head and whispering encouragement in her ear as the contraction came on. Cordelia had gone to her bottom and began to check again.
"Okay Talia you are at 10 cm and 100% effaced. You can push now."
Talaia almost felt giddy now, she wanted to lay her legs were becoming wiggly and shaking. Theo helped her to roll over.
"Okay ready hunnie?" Cordelia asked as she stationed below her.
Talia was panting now as she began to push. "Push with the contraction Talia." Cordilia instructed. "Arrgg!!!" she screamed out. She felt the baby move further down, she felt the burning of her most sensitive folds. She felt like she was being split in half, but she did not want to stop pushing her body kept her going.
"There it is." Cordelia said happily. "I can see the head, it is crowning Cordilla. Come on hunnie just a few more pushes."
The pain was flooding her senses now, it hurt so much to breath, to speak, to push to be alive. "I can't" she cried out.
"You can do this. you have come all this way Talia." Theo comforted her. "Come on your baby is right there. You got this." Another contraction surged over her body, and she gripped to push again.
"Good girl! Good girl. Okay.. okay.... stop." Cordilia coached.
Talai saw her hands flutter about before she looked at Talia in her eyes. "Okay one more."