Fan Fiction ❯ A Raven's Cry ❯ Newborn ( Chapter 41 )

A/N: I have to apologize for the long hiatus. A variety of things kept me from updating, and I'm not too sure how regular the next few updates are going to be. I do know that I am going to focus on this story until it is completed before moving on to finish my others.

The Raven’s Cry

Chapter 41

Gar ran into his room, Cyborg hot on his heels. “Raven left me something that will bring me to Azerath.” He yanked open a drawer, sending its contents fling with the force of his pull. “I can’t remember where it is.” His voice held a note of panic as he frantically started digging through another drawer.
“Look man, from the sounds of it, she just went into labor.”
“She’s in a lot of pain.” Gar said abandoning the current chest of drawers and attacking his desk drawers.
“Labor hurts. She’ll be fine, man.” When Gar did not slow his frantic search, Cyborg grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him so that they were face to face. “You need to calm down. You will do her no good if you show up a mess, and you won’t be able to find this thing until you calm down and take a deep breath.”
Gar closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “Right, gotta calm down, gotta…

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On the planes of Azerath, just outside of the city, a portal opened briefly. A figure dropped into an unceremonious heap beneath it before it closed. The figure stood revealing a thin green-skinned young man, Gar. He dropped a large rock from his clenched fist, the powers that it had held were depleted after this one trip to Azerath.
Gar scanned the city’s skyline and picked out the large house sitting at the peak of the tallest hill in the city. He quickly shifted forms into a hawk and took flight. He was soon spiraling above the city, gaining altitude until it was spread out beneath him. He fixed his gaze upon the house that he was looking for, tucked his wings, and dove for black roses growing in front of it.
The ground grew in size and detail with surprising speed, and he was almost too late to snap his wings out and come into a swift landing a few feet to the side of the bushes. He stood and took his own form, rubbing one arm that he had almost wrenched out with his hard maneuver.
Without bothering to knock, gar pushed through the front door and into the kitchen. As soon as he was inside, he was almost overwhelmed by the scents of blood and fear. An involuntary growl escaped him as he pushed through another door, deeper into the house, seeking the source of the scents.
It took him only a few minutes to step into a wide hallway. Two figures, who were seated in the hallway, stood, but he took no notice of them. He started toward one of the doors, from which the scents of Raven’s blood and her fear issued. From behind it he could here Raven gasp in pain.
A step before he would have reached the door, one of the figures in the hallway stepped in front of him, “Garfield, wait.”
Gar growled low in his throat, and raised one hand as it formed into a claw. “Garfield Logan, that is enough of that.”
Gar turned sheepishly to the scowling woman behind him. “Jasmine!” He looked from her to his raised claw and immediately dropped it. “I’m sorry, I just…” He turned back and saw Micah standing against the door, looking rather shaken. “I’m sorry, Micah.”
Micah nodded and swallowed hard, “It’s understandable.”
“What’s happening?” Gar asked turning back to Jasmine.
“She went into labor. She’s early, but the midwife said that everything will be okay.” Jasmine pointed at a chair sitting across the hall from the door, “Sit, I’ll get you some tea.”
“I’d rather be in there right now.”
“In order to keep her powers under control, and any that the baby may have, they had to seal the room.”
Gar turned and slammed his fist ineffectually into the sealed door. “Sit, Gar.” Jasmine put a hand on his arm and pulled him to one of the chairs in the hallway. “Now, I will go get you some tea. I want you to sit here and try to calm yourself down. Alright?”
“Yeah.” Gar leaned back in his seat and folded his arms. “Don’t have anything better to do.”

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When the door opened, Gar was instantly on his feet and crossed the hall. Standing in the doorway was a smaller man, covered in sweat. “What’s going on? How is she?” Gar growled at the man.
“Uh…” He seemed momentarily confused or intimidated, “She- she’s fine, it-it all went perfectly.” he stammered.
Gar pushed past the man into the room and saw the midwife leaning over the bed. As he stepped into the room, she straightened up and turned around. When she saw him she smiled and walked to him. “Congratulations,” she said with a tired smile, “she’s beautiful.”
“She? A-A girl?”
She nodded, “A perfect little girl.” She stepped to the side and waved him on into the room, “Go on.”
Gar’s throat tightened when he saw Raven sitting in the bed, leaning back against the headboard. She was intently studying a small form that rested silently in her arms. He stepped up to the bed as he fought back a tear and looked down at the small infant girl in Raven’s arms. She was pale, like her mother, and had dark hair from which the pointed tips of her ears poked.
Raven looked up at him and smiled, “Hey.”
“Hi.”
“She beautiful.”
“She takes after you then.”
Raven laughed tiredly. “Do you want to hold her?”
“Hold-? Can I- should-? I mean…”
“Don’t worry, just come here.”
Gar leaned down and held out his arms. Raven carefully transferred their daughter to his arms and arranged her. “See? Simple.”
Gar straightened and stared in awe at the baby in his arms, his daughter. “I can’t believe it.”
“What?”
“She’s so perfect.”
“Ten little fingers and ten little toes.” Raven leaned back on the bed with a sigh.
“Are you okay?”
“Just sore. I can heal myself later.”
“Okay.”
“Have you decided what to name her?”
Gar stared down at the small form of his daughter, studying her tiny features. He leaned down and brushed his lips softly across her forehead before whispering her name for the first time, “Arella.”