"Push!" Brillyn Sternbrand, the midwife, told the woman in labour. It was about the fifth time in as many minutes she had said that. She poked her head around the soon-to-be mother's legs to check on how she was faring, but on seeing the thunderous look on the human's face, she quickly shifted back to keep an eye out for the baby's crown.

Stormwind. Here in the small birthing room of the midwife's premises in the Mage District, Sarah Metcalfe lay, knees bent wide apart with a sheet draped over her. Her head raised on plump pillows, she glared in the direction of the little midwife who had just disappeared from sight again in front of Sarah's bent knees. She had been waiting for hours, none too patiently, to deliver her baby.  Now the time was here, and she was losing even more patience by being told to do what her body did of its own accord.

It had started almost ten hours ago, when, just as she'd neared sleep, she felt a dampness   spreading over her thighs and under her bottom. Her waters had broken.

Khadgar lay on his side next to her, soft, unobtrusive snores rising from him in the night. In her panic, she had slapped his bare back, hard, to waken him. Like a nosferatu he'd sat bolt upright, his steel eyes catching the light coming in through the window, giving him a menacing appearance.

     "Is it time?" He asked, his voice sharper than he intended. He wiped his palm over his face, trying to rid his eyes of sleep matter as he turned to the now wide awake Sarah. Her mouth was slack and his eyes followed hers as they travelled down between her legs. Pulling the sheet back, she stared. Even in the low light, the bed had a dark spreading stain, its source emanating from her sex.

     "It's started," she whimpered, her eyes locking with Khadgar's.

The Archmage jumped out of bed and pulled on some soft leather britches, hurriedly fastening the ties before fighting his way into a shirt. He cursed under his breath as his hand caught in the fabric of the sleeve, but he forced it through.  He groaned on hearing a taut ripping sound of the material. The seam had suffered at the shoulder, but he didn't have time to care. "Fuck!" Again.

     "Khadgar!" Sarah reprimanded him. He did not normally use such language.  She had herself to blame for that though. She quite often uttered the F-word.

 Absentmindedly he ran his fingers through his recently cropped hair, before he bent down to pull on a boot. In his haste, he lost his balance.  "Fuuuck!" Staggering, with arms flailing and his boot getting launched over the room, he fell over, pulling the nightstand with him.  A book and bedside light crashed to the floor barely missing his head.  With a loud grunt, and another uncharacteristic expletive, he swept them out of his way and got to his knees.  His head appeared up at the side of the bed, looking sheepish. His attempt at being the cool, collective father-to-be just wasn't coming together now the actual time was here.

Sarah just shook her head and sighed irritably.  "Baffoon!" she grumbled. "Thank Elune I'm the pregnant one."

She swung her legs over the bed. With her right hand supporting her back she pushed herself upright with her left. Sounds of "oof" and "urgh" tumbling from her lips as she straightened.

Khadgar righted himself and having finally donned his boots, came round the side of the bed and held up her dressing gown for her to slip into. Gently, as if he feared he would break her, he secured the belt around her swollen belly, resting his hands for a moment on his child within. Looking at her, he saw her face trying to conceal the worry about the pending event. He kissed her lightly on her lips. "You will be fine, Sarah. You and our baby," he said.

     "I hope so." A nervous smile played on her mouth. She clung to his arm for a moment as the first of the contractions began. It felt like a normal stomach cramp. It only lasted a little while before subsiding. That wasn't so bad, she thought. Her next smile was more confident.

Quickly he gathered the things she had already packed a week earlier, ready for the birth, and once ensuring that she was able to stand unaided, he conjured a portal to the rooms of the midwife, Brillyn Sternbrand.

Brillyn had shrieked at the sudden whoosh and pop of a portal invading her premises. But, on seeing the couple emerging from its centre she quickly ushered them to the room she had prepared for this very day. She rattled on a couple of doors in the passing and two nurses came to their aid, tying their aprons and fixing their little bonnets as they ran.

The birthing room was bright and airy, a freshly made bed for mummy and a comfy sofa should daddy need to rest while waiting for the birth to happen.  Or indeed, if he fainted during it, as had happened on the odd occasion. 

Pictures along three of the walls depicted proud parents and happy little babies all delivered by the reputable Brillyn Sternbrand over the years.   One, a family of worgens, was positively disturbing however. The father of the two looked in a worse state than the mother. Plus, they really should not try smiling when in their lupine form. All those teeth are unsettling, Sarah thought. How their little baby – which was in human form – didn't look terrified, Sarah just didn't know.

Other than the worgens, there was quite a selection of new parents on the walls, including dwarves of course, humans, night elves even gnomes. She was particularly pleased to see a familiar family too. Lukha, Taril and Caeniir. Their faces calmed her considerably.

That was nine hours ago however, and Sarah had endured the long wait, with ever-increasing, drawn out contractions. Now, with unbelievable intensity, they came fast and furious. And Brillyn's instructions to do the obvious were jarring on Sarah's nerves. She was becoming agitated, fed by the exhaustion starting to creep over her. She had after all, went without sleep since early morning the day before. The dwarf's last order truly irritated her.

     "I am pushing, goddammit!" Sarah's temper was seriously frayed at the little woman. With her deep auburn hair clamped to her face, her skin coated in a thin film of sweat with her eyes bulging, Sarah felt positively murderous. She swore if Brillyn told her to push once more, she would lash out and kick the little dwarf through the window.

Sarah had refused any magic to assist with the birth, saying that she felt it was important to embrace the miracle and see it through as nature had intended. Now however, she realised she had been extremely unwise, but, there was no way she was going to renege on her decision - even though she felt she was being ripped apart down below.

     "Damn you Khadgar!" she growled, eyes almost feral as she looked at the man holding her hand. "This is your fault!" Her slender fingers tightened round his large manly hand, in something akin to a fel weaver's vice-like grip.

The normally refined Archmage winced, involuntarily pushing himself up a little off the chair as her nails dug into his flesh, yet again. For all she was tired, she was inordinately strong and his hand was taking some punishment. The corners of his mouth twitched nervously as he glanced helplessly towards the midwife. Her head bobbed round Sarah's legs again and grimaced as she saw Khadgar's face.  His steel coloured eyes were scrunching up as Sarah dug troughs in his skin.

Poor man, Brillyn thought, but she couldn't help but giggle quietly to herself. She had heard plenty  women blame their partners for this life event.  Apparently, it was a one-sided thing, according to many women in labour.  On one occasion, a father had left the rooms in a bloodier state than the mother. Of course, she thought, quickly glancing at the picture on the wall, in hindsight a worgen was not the best patient to give birth in a confined space. Those births all got done out in the open now.

     "Muradin help us a' if she sterts wi' that glowy thingummybob," the midwife muttered. She referred to the demon hunter markings that the human bore. The "gift", if it could be called that, was Illidan Stormrage's doing after Sarah had extracted him from the Twisting Nether. She'd almost died in the process. But the demon hunter had cauterised her wounds and bound their spirits so that she would survive the deathly grip of the Nether. The side-effect was that during times of emotional stress, and, going by some rumours, the emotional bliss of other activities, the woman had lit up like Great Father Winter's tree.

     "I can hear you, for all you're buried down there!" Sarah snarled at Brillyn.

     "Ah wisnae meanin' onything now, Sarah. Ye ken me better than that, lass." Brillyn grinned to herself.

     "I thought I did but I've reached the conclusion I don't know you at all! You little witch!"

Brillyn laughed. She had been called a lot worse than that in her twenty years as midwife to the populace of Stormwind.

As if on cue, Sarah's demon hunter markings began to ripple with a pale golden light. The sudden look of defeat on her face pained Khadgar. She had been determined to try everything in her power not to ignite her unusual talent, but the excruciating pain of child-birth was winning the battle. She was still coming to terms with the markings on her body, even after all these months, desperately trying to control the light bulb effect. For all she was in pain, the disappointment that her demonic ability may rob her of giving birth naturally, was clearly displayed in her eyes.

Khadgar wiped her brow with a dampened cloth to calm her, shushing her gently as he did so. Her grip on his other hand tightened and the oddest sound came from his lips.  Another push, then Sarah guffawed. "Jeez! He is a little sod!"

     "He?" Khadgar asked. "How do you know?"

     "Because he's stubborn! Like his father," she grit her teeth, but not without the briefest flicker of humour crossing her eyes as she looked at her beloved Archmage.

     "I see the crown," Brillyn suddenly announced from behind Sarah's covered legs.

     "Thank fuck for that!" Sarah gasped.

The dwarf's disapproving face appeared round Sarah's legs. Sarah glared at her, daring her to say something. Khadgar's eyes flitted between the two. "She meant Elune," he said to the dwarf. "She was thanking Elune." Sarah's nails dug in deeper and he winced once more.

     "I did fucking not!" she said.

The Archmage groaned inwardly, slowly closing his eyes and shaking his head. Sarah's mouth at times just did not know the meaning of modesty and her profanity often left some Azerothians stunned and shocked.  Personally, if he was honest, it amused him and he thought nothing of it when it was just the two of them.  He had even been guilty himself, tonight.  But at this moment in time, with his hand being shredded, a tetchy dwarf midwife and two young nurses in the vicinity, it was bordering on embarrassing.

Brillyn disappeared from sight once more, muttering under her breath. She signalled to the two nurses to bring forth the clean water and towels. It wouldn't be long now.

     "A'right, Sarah, yin mair shid dae it. Now push lassie!"

Having expelled a few short breaths between pursed lips, Sarah took an almighty gulp of air and pushed one final time. Her demonic markings flared, a shimmering haze of white gold hovered above the expectant parents. It intensified as she roared between clenched teeth. Tendrils, like angel hair floated down from the pulsing haze and encompassed the bed and it's occupant as well as Khadgar and Brillyn. The pain lessened dramatically, and Sarah's vocal outpouring ceased as did her need to push any more.

Then...

The cry of a newborn babe filled the room. Khadgar's breathing hitched momentarily at the sound of his child. With his eyes wide, staring at Sarah, his mouth curved into a smile of utter joy.  Pushing himself up from the seat beside the bed, he leaned over and kissed her deeply.  At the same time, the golden shroud flickered and then vanished altogether.

Sarah's face was still moist, glistening from the exertion of birthing their child. The sheet clung mercilessly to her body, adhered by the perspiration. She looked up at him, exhaustion etched on her face, but steadily bliss superseded it,  seeing his expression of love and admiration.  She glanced at his hand which she still held. Her brow creased. "Oh god! I'm so sorry, Khadgar," she looked back up into the steel orbs which adored her. His eyes were swimming. "I really hope that's tears of joy threatening and not ones of pain." She smiled, wistfully.

A small laugh escaped him. "You can do this to me as many times as you wish, Sarah." He looked expectantly towards Brillyn who approached them with a little bundle swathed in a soft mageweave blanket. "This, was worth it." He smiled.

     "A son," the dwarf announced. "Congratulations tae the baith o' ye." She laid the little babe in Sarah's waiting arms and opened the blanket, baring the little boy.  Sarah looked to the dwarf questioningly. "The little'un should feel yer skin lass, it is part o' the bondin'.  An' he might want tae feed soon."

Sarah nodded, then looked upon the tiny face of her son. His petrol blue eyes big and bright, looked up at her. His lips pursed then tightened and the finest little ripples appeared on his brow. He looked like he was about to cry. Sarah felt a wash of dismay, remembering the reaction from Lukha's son when she'd held him for the first time. Does he not like me? she fretted.

Then – parp!! The little mouth curved into a toothless smile as a warm trickle followed from his pudgy member.

Sarah laughed softly. Baby's first wind and pee. "Just like your father," she said, stroking the babe's cheek with her forefinger. She glanced up, smirking. 

Khadgar was leaning over, the large proud smile on his face faltering suddenly at her words. "What do you mean, just like your father!"  Her teasing, yet tired smile then made him laugh lightly at her jest. His attention turned back to the little bundle, now chortling away in his mother's arms. He was mesmerised.

     "Our son," he breathed. "We have a son!" He reached forward to touch the babe, but Brillyn caught his wrist.

     "Wait a wee second there, Archmage. Ah'll clean up that hand of yers afore ye touch the little 'un."

Khadgar, his eyes never having left his son, merely nodded and whispered a thank you. With the birth over, Brillyn now had licence to use her magic. As a former priest, Brillyn wove her spell of healing over the Archmage's hand, revitalising the skin that Sarah had gouged and bruised during the birth.  Khadgar was vaguely aware of the warm, flowing sensation encompassing his hand. The rainbow hues signifying the process of the healing spell finally turned to a pristine, virginal white, indicating his hand was completely back to normal.

Gently, Brillyn moved Khadgar's hand forward until his palm cupped the back of his son's head. She smiled as she witnessed the wonder on his face. She had known him for years and had seen many sides to the man. His serious side, the humorous side, the pensive, sorrowful, angry, frightened, yes, even he had been frightened, and his tetchy side. But never had she seen him like he was now. This woman Sarah, and the babe she bore him, was his entire world. She could almost see the love emanating from him.

She felt a little overcome by his adoration and so she turned away and busied herself using her magic to heal Sarah's lower region from the rips in her vaginal opening.  Then she set the nurses to work with cleaning up the bloodied sheets and towels. Levitating Sarah slightly, she moved her to the sofa until the bed was changed, and levitated her back to fresh plump pillows and crisp clean sheets. Khadgar was glued to her side both times as her body floated across the room.

Music: Wonder composed by BrunuhVille   

https://youtu.be/qV0E2c4CsnU

Once mother, father and baby were settled again, Brillyn then showed Sarah how to hold her son to feed him. "It's no quite as simple as ye'd think," she said, positioning the baby's head against Sarah's breast. "Some women jist cannae dae it for yin reason or anither. But, be patient lass, gie him time to find his way." She guided Sarah telling her to brush her nipple against the babe's mouth. At first, the little one moved his head away, but Sarah tried again, and again. This time, he was more than happy to accept. Sarah's mouth split into a huge smile as her son took his first feed.

Khadgar seemed quite emotional at the scene, his hand back at his son's head, lightly caressing the soft down that covered his scalp.  The look of wonder was still on his face. His eyes found Sarah's and the love that flowed between them was almost tangible. Brillyn decided it was time to leave the new family be for a while, but said she would bring some honey mint tea and a little cake first, just to boost Sarah's sugar levels. The Archmage declined any tea for himself. Ushering the nurses out of the room with her, Brillyn quietly closed the door behind them.

They had not discussed names in any great detail, but Sarah had had one name in mind for a boy since she had learned she was pregnant. Now would be the time to see if Khadgar approved. If he did not, it was no matter, but she hoped he would like her choosing.

Their son was still feeding, his tiny fingers flexing every now and again, his chest rising and falling with quick little breaths. Gradually, they slowed and his mouth slipped from her nipple as he fell into a contented slumber. She lifted him so his chest was against hers and gently she rubbed his back, hoping to ease any wind from his feed. He was sound asleep. She looked at Khadgar. "I have a name for him," she said quietly. "If you approve."

The Archmage's eyes locked with hers. "Go on," he smiled.

     "It's not a common name, for a human anyway," she felt strangely nervous.

Khadgar raised a quizzical eyebrow.

     "I thought we could call him...Ocel?"

Khadgar's breath escaped him. He lowered his head, he had clearly not expected that. Sarah's demonic markings flared a little as she experienced a touch of panic. She had not wanted to upset him by stirring painful memories. When he raised his eyes to her again, they were once more brimming. "There is no end to your kind heart is there, Sarah?"

     "You – you approve?" she asked, her voice quivering.

     "Oh yes. And I am sure, Ocel will be smiling with pride in the Twisting Nether." He leaned over and kissed her tenderly then placed a kiss on the baby's little head. "Ocel," he whispered, "Welcome, my beautiful son."