A Moment Like This
To make up for my unexcusable, extended (and partly lazy) absence--I am uploading a new story. Also because I just finished uploading the final chapter of my Teen Titan's one. I hope you guys enjoy this one. I'm working very hard on this one. Hopefully this one has a better...writing style you could say.
Chapter 1
"Paine! Paine, wake up!"
"Uh-uh. Good dream." The warrior turned over and ignored the voice in her ear.
"Paine, this is important!" The blonde thief continued to shake Paine awake.
"I told you—good dream." Paine slurred. The dream she was having was WAY too good to let go. She didn't want it to end. It involved her and Rikku, in the elevator of the Celsius, doing-
"Paine! Yuna's having the baby!"
"Holy crap!" Forget the dram. Paine rolled out of bed, "Why didn't you say so?"
"You weren't listening."
"Forget it. Where are my pants?"
"How should I know? You didn't wear them to bed." Rikku said with a weird grin on her face.
There was no time for sexual memories. Paine quickly ran to her closet and grabbed some clothes. Next, she ran to the bathroom to run a quick slab of gel and wash her face.
When she was ready, she stumbled out of the bathroom.
"C'mon, let's go." Rikku held out her hand.
Paine took it and they both ran out of the room together.
"Are we at Besaid yet?" Yuna exhaled through strained breath.
"No, lady summoner. We will be soon." Brother answered from the pilot's seat.
"Well hurry up. I can't hold this baby in much longer."
"It's okay, Yunie. We'll make it." The optimistic thief walked in. She left Paine to go comfort her cousin.
Everybody but Tidus and Rikku stood off a little as to not crowd Yuna. Nobody wanted to stand near her anyways. A sweaty, snappy woman temporarily took the place for the woman that was supposed to be sweet, quiet Yuna.
"How you feeling?" Her husband, Tidus, attempted to take her mind off the pain.
"I'm having a baby! How do you think I'm feeling!"
Everybody jumped back. This wasn't the Yuna they knew.
"What happened to Lady Yuna?" Shinra found shelter behind Paine.
"Pregnancy does that to you." Paine looked down at the child hiding behind her.
"Will this be a permanent condition?"
"Let's hope not. I doubt it though."
"That's good to hear."
The warrior turned her attention back to the in-labor Yuna.
"It's okay, Yunie. Just relax." Rikku continued to brush hair out of the brunette's face, holding her hand, comfort her and such things like that.
It was such a sight seeing Rikku actually being serious for once. Paine wished she had a sphere with her so she could record this precious moment.
It was so sweet. She was so cute when she was like this. It made her smile.
A sweet little voice pulled Paine out of her thoughts.
"What?" The thief asked innocently.
"Nothing." Paine flashed her a small smile.
Convinced, Rikku turned her attention back to the lady summoner, who also turned out to be her cousin. She continued to mumble little lines of reassurance.
It seemed to help perhaps the only thing keeping Yuna's mind off the labor pain. Tidus wasn't helping much except for offering his lap as a pillow. He was too busy suffering from the shock--as it is for every new, expecting father.
To Paine, it looked like Yuna was going to faint from the pain—Tidus looked like he was going to faint from the pure shock.
'Heh. Poor guy.'
"Lady Summoner, We've arrived." Brother announced.
"Oh, thank Yevon!"
"You're doing good, Yuna. Keep pushing."
"I AM PUSHING!"
and things like that could be heard from the waiting room. The whole crew, with the exception of Rikku and Tidus, had to be confined to the cramped space they called the waiting room.
"I can't do this anymore! I don't want to!"
'Boy, Yuna sure sounds like she's in a lot of pain.' This concerned the ruby-eyed warrior. Yuna usually had a high thresh hold for pain. If she was screaming this loud from birthing a child-
"I'm never having kids." Paine told herself.
"What's that?" Shinra, who happened to be standing next to her, looked over.
"Nothing. Why don't you go play outside?"
The young boy stood firmly. "No, I don't want to. I want to be here for Lady Yuna."
"Okay, but it's gonna get-"
There was a very loud, very long scream filled with pain that could be heard all throughout Spira. Yuna was in the final stage of child-birth.
As soon as her pain-filled scream stopped, another one started. This one was worse than the first one. It was loud and obnoxious. It sounded like…the scream of new life.
"See Shinra, didn't I say it was gonna get-Shinra?"
The youth was on the ground…huddled up in a ball…covering his ears…in shock.
The concerned warrior bent down, "Kid?"
"My ears." He squeaked.
"I told you didn't I?" Paine took a seat on the ground next to him. "You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah. Just a little scared."
"Well I think it's over now. So you can relax." She leaned on the wall and stretched her legs out.
"Cool." The younger set mimicked and leaned against the wall also.
The warrior crossed her legs, and the kid genius did the same. She crossed her arms, he followed suit.
Paine chuckled. "You're all right, kid." She tousled his hair-err-the head part of his body suit.
"You're all right too."
The two sat in comforted silence and waited for somebody to come out of those birthing room doors.
Someone did come out a couple minutes late, but Paine spaced out and didn't notice.
"Aww. That's so cute. Paine's being all sisterly." Rikku stood in the doorway, admiring the sight in front of her.
"Take a picture. It'll last longer." The warrior joked.
"Wouldn't you rather see the baby?"
"Yeah I would. I'll be back Shinra. Where's the little guy?" She stood up and followed Rikku through the doors to wherever Yuna was being kept right now.
"The little 'girl' is with Yunie right now." emphasis on the word 'girl.'
There was the sound of shoes screeching on the floor. "It's a girl?"
"Yup." The thief stood proud. "What's the matter?"
Paine stood there with a thoughtful look on her face.
"Paine?" Rikku waved a hand in front of the silver-haired woman's face.
"Huh?" She snapped back to reality. "Oh, sorry. I was just thinkin' that it was a good thing I didn't bet you anything."
"On what?"
"The baby's gender."
"Oh. Heh. Yeah." The thief rubbed the back of her neck. She could've gotten something good from the warrior. Maybe some things like...okay, never mind.
Anyways...
Personally, Paine was hoping for a baby boy. There was already three women on the Celsius. No need for another case of PMS in the years to come.
It wasn't that she favored guys more than girls. The only reason she wanted a baby nephew was because she had that feeling—when Yuna first told everyone that she was pregnant those nine months ago—that it was going to be a boy. Those were her first thoughts: 'it's gonna be a boy.'
But instead, the heavens had blessed her with a baby niece. And that was just fine with her.
"Paine, look."
The warrior looked up from the ground. The first thing she saw was Yuna sitting up in a bed. And in her arms she held a pink bundle of blankets.
"Let's see the little bundle of joy."
She walked over to the side of the bed. A little hand was poking out, so she pulled away a fold of the blanket to reveal the rest of the newborn baby.
"Oh my God. Yuna, she looks just like you."
The little one was sleeping soundly. Everything about her resembled Yuna. The facial structure, the skin tone, her nose, her lips—everything. The only difference between mother and daughter was that the baby barely had any hair. But even the little tuft that was there had the same color as its older version.
And those ears those cute, little ears—they were so perfectly shaped to the proportion of the face. Those too, were inherited from Yuna. She was always a good listener. Looks like baby would inherit that too.
Paine looked up at the father, who was standing on the other side of the bed, "You're one lucky guy, Tidus."
"Thanks."
"Oh, she's awake." Yuna called their attention.
The brief conversation had, indeed, woken the baby up. Everyone looked at the new arrival.
Her little eyes scanned her surroundings.
Then Paine noticed something. She leaned in closer and squinted a bit—
"She's got your eyes, Rikku."
"Really?"
The thief walked over as Paine continued to admire those shining, green eyes.
"Hey you're right." Rikku looked up to the proud, new mother. "Yunie, how's that possible?"
"I truly don't know." The summoner was as equally bewildered. "We ARE family so…"
"That's so cool." Rikku put her finger into the baby's palm and let her little fingers wrap around it. She smiled at her new, little niece. "What's her name?"
"Well, Tidus and I have both agreed. We're going to call her 'Ayane.'"
"It's beautiful."
"A beautiful name for a beautiful baby girl." Paine added.
Everybody continued to admire little Ayane by smiling at her while Yuna gently rocked her.
Then the beautiful silence was pierced by a very loud scream.
"Aye….Yevon. The girl can cry." Paine, who happened to be the closest one to Ayane's face, covered her ears to prevent her eardrums from being damaged even more.
"She's hungry." The doctor said from the doorway. He walked to Yuna's side. "If you all would be so kind as to give the mother some privacy for a couple minutes."
Everybody did so. The all left the room and closed the door behind them.
Gippal, Buddy, Brother, and Shinra were sitting in the waiting room, anxious to meet the new addition to the team.
"Tidus. Congratulations." Buddy shook the new father's hand.
"Yes. Much congrats." Gippal took his turn to shake Tidus' hand.
"My congratulations to you, friend." Brother slapped him on the back rather than shaking hands.
The young genius, Shinra, waddled over to where the only two women in the room were standing.
"Do we get to see the baby yet?" He asked expectantly.
"In a couple minutes. She's eating right now." Paine answered the boys' question.
"Okay." He stood there for a couple seconds before becoming anxious again. "What's she look like?"
"She's beautiful. You'll know when you see her."
"Ooooh. I can't wait." Little Shinra started to bounce on his heels and get all fidgety again from the anxiety.
He continued that for about another fifteen minutes before the doctor finally announced that they all could finally see the baby again.
Shinra practically ran into the room, leaving the four grown men to eat his imaginary dust.
"I can't see." The poor boy's head barely reached over the top of the bed. "Where is she?"
"Let me help you there, kid." A very helpful Tidus hoisted the boy onto the bed.
"Wow. She IS pretty. What's her name?"
Already having seen little Ayane, Paine and Rikku hung back at the doorway, letting the rest of the crew have their turn to see the baby.
Excited chattering filled the room. The grown men were congratulating the new parents. Shinra was asking questions about Ayane and Yuna happily supplied him with the answers.
Paine looked on at the sight, enjoying every minute of it. She leaned on the doorframe, content with her surroundings.
Rikku leaned against her, content with her surroundings too.
"You want one of those, don't you?" She wrapped an arm around the warrior.
"Huh?" Paine snapped out of her staring trance.
"A kid."
It was kind of an odd statement, seeing that two women couldn't exactly reproduce.
But the more Paine thought about it, the more she came to realize—Rikku wanted children. They could always adopt, but were they ready for the responsibility? The commitment, the time, the patience….the diapers? It was a big step that would take their relationship to a whole new level.
She made up her mind. This was what she wanted. What they both wanted.
"Yeah…yeah I do." The warrior wrapped a tight arm around Rikku, holding her close.
There was one other thing Paine wanted. Another big decision—one Rikku didn't know of. A big decision that would also take their relationship to a whole new level. It was a big decision to make…and she was going to take it.
She made her decision right where she stood—and she was glad she did.
This was something she wanted to do.
Author's Note: Well? How was the first chapter? Let me know.