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The Trade	By : sandyl666 Category: +1 through F > Coraline Views: 11933 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: Coraline book-verse is owned by Neil Gaiman and part of movie-verse is owned by Henry Selick, I own nothing. I make nothing whatsoever by writing and posting this on.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
- 21
Disclaimer: Coraline and plot/characters do not belong to me. Because I'm not smart enough to think up a creature that steals a person's soul by sewing buttons onto their eyes. What is up with that, anyway?
A/N: In this chapter, I only briefly described the climax, because of insufficient information. I hope it turned out okay. I really have no idea what pregnancy is like, or labour, so if it sound funny and a bit inaccurate to any more experienced people out there, I'm sorry.
Chapter 20: Resplendent

A month and a half passed, and everyday Coraline's bulge continued to swell.
"I'm a whale,"
"You're exaggerating, sweetheart,"
"Are you sure? Because I've been eating like a whale,"
"You've been eating for two. Whales eat for one. Usually,"
"Your daddy's a strange one, isn't he?" she muttered to her belly, just slightly below the table which held up the foods he had prepared.
Bel grinned at the sight of her talking to her distended stomach, despite the fact that the subject was meant to insult him. His smile faltered as he remembered the precarious situation they were in.
"The gestation period for spiders... How long are they?" Coraline asked, nearly a month back.
"Nowhere near as long as humans, on average. But it depends on the type of spider, of course,"
"...And what type of spider are you again?"
"The magical type,"
"The... Magical type. Okay. Then how long are women pregnant in your magical species?"
"It varies based on the individual. Could be anything from two months to fifteen years,"
"Fifteen years?"
"Like I said, it varies, sweetheart. And these are births within my species. They aren't common, either,"
"But - Fifteen years!"
"Drop in the ocean compared to our lifespans, Coraline dearest,"
"But fifteen years..."
"Coraline,"
"Okay, okay... So... It's possible I may be early, isn't it?"
"It's possible," Bel conceded. "In fact, considering our child's growth in the last few weeks... I'd say it's highly likely,"
"I could give birth at any time?"
"No, not yet... But sooner than we think, I'm afraid,"
He regretted that last comment. Coraline remained deadly silent for the rest of the day. Not hostile, but merely deep in thought, and somewhat disturbed. He could feel her mounting fear. He resisted the urge to run his fingers through his hair, and give away the fact that he was worried. It didn't work, though. He watched as Coraline rose from her seat, and stood beside him for a second, before crawling into his lap and seating herself comfortable atop him, her back touching his chest. She squeezed his arm, trying to tell him through her actions that she understood his worry. It was the same as hers. Bel dipped his head forward and breathed in the smell of her hair, feeling himself relax a little. Coraline looked down to her stomach.
"You'll be just fine, wouldn't you?" Coraline smiled slightly at her stomach, and Bel found the smile to be contagious.
"Yes, our child will be," Bel answered, stroking her stomach thoughtlessly. The action had become instinctual to him, and even less noticeable to Coraline. She moved her hand over his, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of their child kicking both their hands. It was one of those blissful moments when she forgot everything, how they got there, what their relationship should be, and simply enjoyed the moment.
Nearly an hour later, Coraline yawned, trying to do it inconspicuously, and failing.
"Sleep," Bel told her, kissing her temple.
"Let me get to bed first..." she mumbled tiredly, trying to get to her feet.
"Now, now, don't be ridiculous, my love," Bel said. Hooking his right arm beneath both her knees. Her eyes would have widened if not for the fatigue weighing down her lids. He wrapped his other arm around her back, then stood effortlessly. Coraline grasped his neck tightly, her arms shaking at the energy expanded at that simple action. "Sleep, Coraline," Bel told her, his voice silky smooth, the ultimate voice of persuasion.
She was deep asleep before he even reached the stairs.
Bel found himself looking up at the sky for some reason. He blinked twice as clouds drifted on by. He lifted his hand up, staring at it quizzically. It took a few seconds for him to realise he was in his male form. Feeling disoriented, he swivelled his head around, trying to grasp his surroundings. He was right in front of the Pink Palace, except the Pink Palace looked different. It was, of course, the newer Pink Palace, but it somehow seemed warmer, cosier. He turned about, and stopped when he caught sight of a silhouette. He would recognise that silhouette anywhere. God knows he used to own that silhouette. Mel Jones, hand in hand with Charlie Jones. Her other hand was occupied by a smaller figure. He squinted, trying to catch sight of the child, zone in on the little one. Before he could, another figure blocked his sight, bending down to speak to the child. He narrowed his eyes, before realising who it was.
"Coraline..." he uttered, but no voice came out.
She was dressed in a straw hat and a orange sundress, one he somehow knew he was responsible for making.
In her other arm she cradled another infant. She spoke to the larger child with a gentle smile, the smile slipped from her face when the child lifted a hand to point at him. She turned around, slowly, and the smile returned, shining brighter than before. His heart throbbed, and he decided to embrace the urge to smile back.
Realising that his line of sight to the child was now open, he turned his gaze downwards, only to be distracted by a great movement to his right. He immediately diverted his gaze to it, and froze as the tsunami loomed over them, threatening to crash in mere seconds. He glanced back at Coraline, only to see her watching the wave in an expression that conveyed the horror and dread he felt.
Spurring himself into motion, he lifted one foot, before the other, until he was running towards the bluenette and her terrified family. The wave continued to close in on them, blocking off the sun. Bel tried to speed up using his magic, only to find it ineffective. He ran, and ran, and ran, but as he continued to step towards them, the distance only seemed to grow and Coraline and her parents seemed to fade into the distance, along with her children. Their children.
Pure, unadulterated terror ran through him as the wave started to fall on them, closer and closer, before swallowing them whole, sweeping them away.
Bel awoke with a gasp, he had never had a nightmare before. He was so used to being what others had nightmares of. He panted, trying to slow his thrumming heart, before registering that his side did feel a little damp. He blinked, wondering if he was still dreaming, only to see Coraline sitting up, looking at her hands.
"Oh god," Coraline looked up at Bel in terror as water flooded the bed. "I'm giving birth,"
The same feeling of terror filled him for a second. A million questions popped into his head. Why was she giving birth now? It was still so early, she'd been pregnant for a mere six and a half months. And what was with the dream? Was it a bad omen? And the children Coraline was holding... Were they his? He pushed those thoughts away mere seconds later, bolting into action.
"How far apart are your contractions, sweetheart?"
"I-I don't know," Coraline stuttered.
"Concentrate, Coraline!" Bel snapped. Coraline seemed to jump, and blinked.
"I-I'm not too sure. Maybe a few m-minutes?"
"Okay, good," Bel said distractedly, conjuring up some hot water. "Breathe, Coraline, breathe,"
"It just occurred to me that I never did any labour exercises,"
"Not important," Bel shot back.
"How would you know that?"
"Coraline, concentrate!" Bel growled. "Breathe deeply," he told her with a gentler tone.
She nodded, and inhaled, before her body was racked by a deeply uncomfortable, bordering painful feeling. She cried out in pain, and was suddenly as panicked as before. Bel watched her hyperventilate, and quickly grasped her fingers.
"Breathe, breathe. Don't panic, Coraline!" Bel placed his hands on either side of her face, forcing her to gaze on him. "The baby's coming, sweetheart. It's coming. Don't panic. Everything's going to be alright,"
For a long moment, Coraline simply stared at him, her eyes wet. "...This is it?" she asked in a small voice. He smiled, and nodded.
"This is it,"
She nodded again, finding it easier to breathe, rubbing over her own belly lovingly.
"I don't think you're ready to start pushing, but tell me if your contractions start to get longer and stronger, understand?"
She nodded again.
"Good. I'll be right here, don't worry," Bel told her. She nodded again, barely able to contain herself. She was caught between panic and excitement. Her son was coming. Her baby. Maternal love flowed through her, causing a thrill to run down her spine.
Bel was equally excited. His child. It was about to be born. Their child...which he'd touched many times, but with its mother's protective barrier between them. Finally, he'd get the chance to hold it in his arms. He repressed the urge to shudder in pleasure.
The rest of the process was slow-going, and absolutely overwhelming. It involved a lot of blood, pain and screaming. Bel wondered if he would ever be able to hold a frying pan again, if the circulation would ever flow back into his fingers. Coraline may have permanently squeezed off the bloodflow to his fingers. Then there were the nail marks, but those he didn't mind so much. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he'd say he was actually proud of the marks left by her nails breaking his skin.
It took way longer than either expected, but several hours later, a child was born. A girl.
"...You lied," was all Coraline could say, raspily, as she gazed upon her daughter, who was bawling her eyes out and being cleaned by her father.
"I did not. I never said it was in fact a he,"
"Yes you did,"
"...I don't know what you're babbling on about, Coraline dearest," he replied.
She huffed, before breaking into coughs due to the dry soreness of her throat. Bel quickly looked up at her, concern written all over his face.
"I'm fine," she reassured him quickly, though the action brought on more coughs. But she refused to pass out. Not until she'd seen her baby. The little girl she'd tried so hard not to love, only for those efforts to have been in vain.
He didn't reply, but walked over to her, before placing a tiny, pink creature in her arms. She accepted carefully, afraid of somehow dropping the fragile child. Both Coraline and Bel simply stared at the little girl for a long while. They didn't notice time passing, too caught up in the young child.
"We never discussed names," Coraline said suddenly.
"No, we didn't," Bel agreed.
"What shall we call her?"
"What would you like to call her?" he asked, gleefully noting her attachment to the child, and hoping she would remember that when she recalled their deal.
"I don't know... I want Mel as a middle name, though,"
"Alright. Just Mel?"
"Yeah,"
"Then... How about Deirdre as a first name?"
"Deirdre?"
"It means goddess,"
Coraline's cracked lips, dry from her screaming and bloody efforts through the night curled into a smile. "Deirdre Mel Beldam. I like it,"
- 19
- 20
- 21
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The Trade