A Bright New Jewel
Sequel to "What Price Pleasure"

BY: Cassy

Disclaimer: This is the blessed event of Jewel Celeste "coming out" party! Some characters are owned by LKH. Some by us. Some are free-lance. No money's being made on this venture. Usually, its the other way around when kids come into the world. You pay OUT! Anyway, enjoy.

Just as I suspected, I found Gigs in the suite of rooms that comprised the nursery. "Surprise surprise surprise," I gave a horrible impression of Gomer Pyle with a goofy grin as I walked in and headed over to the computer desk set up in here.

Gigs smiled up from where she was sorting and folding clothes. "Hey Punkin...wassup?"

"I decided to get on tonight anyway...you get my e-mail?" I told her, lowering myself awkwardly into the swivel chair.

"The false alarm one? yes. Thanks for telling me," she replied. (I'd had a false labor attack the night before when she and Asher were arguing over what was best for me concerning Jean-Claude. I'd blocked off the marks to both of them in self defense until we could all calm down.) Indicating the pile of clothing on the bed, Gigs added, "I'm smack in the middle of switching out summer/winter clothes for Tyler."

"Welcome...knew you'd be worried," I said. I smiled at the maternal contentedness I sensed from her. "Fun fun."

"I was. Did you rest okay last night?" she asked, then smiled again. "Always...especially when he's FINALLY outgrown some stuff...leave it to my kid to be the runt of the litter."

"Yeah...dreams were very active though, but I don't remember much except the last one, I was visiting with a coworker from my old job at her house...I've NEVER been to her house in my life," I answered as I looked over my e-mails. My in box was blessedly free of spam now that I'd finally figured out how to set the controls to block it. I was getting sick of people trying to set me up with prescription plans, great mortgage rates, credit card deals, updates on silly web pages, porn sites, and ways to enlarge my nonexistent penis.

"Interesting," Gigs commented on the dream. "HEE! so much fun...," she stuck out her tongue and lapped breaths as she continued with her task.

I cocked an eyebrow at her. "If you say so."

"Now comes the hard part....MY closet...."

I finished with my e-mail, and swiveled around to watch the traditional wardrobe changing ceremonies. "Of us all, I think Jean was the most frightened last night...although he'd never show it," I stated. "Right before you bespoke Jewel, it felt like my water was about to break...then the pressure suddenly eased off."

"Hmmm...guess we upset her," my third murmured distractedly.

"Heck you were upsetting ME...you know I hate it when you and Ash fight," I grumped.

"I know it...," she agreed. "But I really hate it when he makes me feel like I'm so stupid I'd put my friends in danger....and he's the only one who knows how to take care of people," she continued, her own frustration leaking through a little.

I wanted to soothe her. "I explained it to him something like that when I spoke to him this afternoon...you BOTH were trying to look out for me, you just didn't agree on the best course for that," I said. Remembering some of the earlier events from last night...especially the weird behavior from my hormone shifts, I added thoughtfully, "I need to be careful to avoid him when my mood swings take me towards the submissive crap again...I could tell he liked it even if it confused him a little. The scariest part was *I* liked it...." (I'd found myself automatically calling Asher "master" and practically fawning at his knees. The memory made me want to both giggle and gag.)

Gigs laughed, "Nothing wrong with a little submissive every now and again....heck even I LIKE it...." She grinned, knowing exactly what I was picturing in my mind. "From time to time," she added as an after thought.

"We just don't want HIM to get used to it," I giggled, grinning. "The look on his face when I goosed him...."

"Priceless, eh?" Gigs agreed.

"Almost as much as that squeal...," I snickered.

Asher's voice came with a semi-disdainful tone from the doorway. "I am so pleased to be a source of amusement to you, madames...."

Gigs pounced over to him and encircled him in her arms. "My love...you are ALWAYS a source of many wondrous *entertainments*...but you knew that already," she stole a kiss from him.

He goosed her, causing her to squeal. She bit his tongue in retaliation. Asher chuckled into her mouth as his fingers massaging the offended area suggestively. She smiled and sighed against his mouth. "Then again..its fun to be dominant too," she grinned.

"Oui," he replied, then pulled away slightly to shoot me a stern gaze. "Ma rose, what are you doing out of bed?"

"Uh, oh...busted," Gigs teased.

I, of course, had a smart-ass reply. "Watching you play goosey goosey gander with Tigger there."

"Bouncy, flouncy, jouncy, pouncy...," she chirped with a big cheesy grin.

A warm, wet rush came from my lower regions. "Oh shit...," I looked down to see that my pants were completely soaked. My voice came out calm and detached, "Asher, call Jean-Claude and Derik...no, he's out of town, forgot...well, call Jean then get me to the Turkish bath as quickly as possible...Gigs, call Doc Lillian then make sure the incubator in Maggie's lab is hooked up properly."

Gigs looked at me horrified. She realized immediately that my water had broken. "Right...." She reached through my own senses to call out to Jean-Claude, "JEAN! NOW, MAN!" Panic started to grip the excitable tiger as she ran down the hall towards the lab, yelling, "MAGGIE!!....We need you...NOW!"

I called after her mentally, "Gigs calm down...panic isn't going to help...Maggie's out of town too tonight, went off somewhere with Noah I think...just unlock the lab and make sure the equipment is hooked up...Lillian can double check it when she gets here."

I sensed waves of anxious confusion in her mental response. "How should I KNOW if the things are hooked up? Hell, I can't even hook together my VCR and the TV. That's what men are for....about all I can accomplish is plugged in...."

Asher was a bit more calm than his bride as he picked me up and flew with me to the bath. Upon landing he asked, "What else do you need ma rose?"

"Help me get out of these clothes," I directed. Then remembered the frigid water from last weeks water fight. "Is the bath heated yet?"

He tested the water the replied, "Oui." He then proceeded to disrobe me and help me into the water.

"This is too fast," came Gigs' worried thoughts. "Is this going to be the mainstay of our eternity together? preemies?"

"Not for me it isn't," I responded through the marks. "I'm having my tubes tied after this...once is enough."

"Tamara...you're not far enough along. Jewel's not fully developed. This could kill her." There was real fear in the tiger's mental tone.

I refused to give in to the fear and worry, thinking furiously of a way to salvage this and ensure my daughter survived her own birth. "I'm not doing this on purpose...just had an idea...Jean shares a link with Jewel as well...if he can push some of his power into her, perhaps it can accelerate the development of her lungs and heart enough for her to survive...." I blanked for a second as Jewel bespoke me. "Call Ramses," I instructed Gigs. "Jewel seems to think he can help...ungh...too late to try to stop this, since my water broke."

I could "see" Gigs pick up the phone in the laboratory and dial the magi. "Ramses. Its me, Gigs. Tamara's water broke...Yes I KNOW its too early. Please come and help...Jewel seems to think you can...Jules? I suppose she can come...." Gigs sounded confused by Ramses' referral to the Absorber rather than Kylie her host.

I hoped that between the magi and the ancient Councilwoman they could come up with something to save my baby. "Yes...her too," I told Gigs.

"Why not...lets have a pool party while we're at it...," she grumbled to Ramses. Once again she sent out a mental holler to Jean-Claude through my link with him, "JEAN...GET YOUR SCRAWNY ASS OVER HERE NOW!"

Asher flipped his cell phone closed and reached out to our distressed tigress. "Jean is on his way, he's stopping to collect Doctor Lillian."

Gigs finally calmed a little. "Oh...well good then. Yes, we'll see you shortly Ramses." She hung up the phone then mentally informed us, "Well, everything LOOKS neat and kosher in here. Maggie keeps a tidy lab."

"Get back down here then...oomph," I told her. "The contractions are coming closer together, I just hope I'm dilated enough."

"Breathe...hee, hee, hee.whoooo...hee, hee, hee. whoooooo," she coached. "What? you want me to catch?"

Irritably, I snapped at her, "Bite me....I already KNOW how to breath and I REFUSE to make ridiculous sounds doing it."

"Okay...remember that thing where you don't tell vamps to bite you? Not a good idea to mention it to a tiger either....but since you're in labor I'll let it slide." I could "hear" her smirk at me.

"Just get down here! OOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW."

"Doesn't hurt as much if you breathe, dummy...how much sillier can you look than with your feet up in the air in a pool of water?" Smug, irritating furball.... "I'm getting warm blankets and stuff for Jewel...keep your shirt on."

"You really want me to answer that? and I AM breathing...I'm just doing it QUIETLY," I grumped at her.

"Whatever."

"I'm focusing on keeping my body as relaxed as possible," I told her. "Being in the water makes it a little easier because of the buoyancy counteracting gravity."

"Okay, but counteracting gravity is bad...it's gravity that helps pull the little bugger out of there," she countered. Dang but that woman loved to argue! "Ash...how many fingers can you stick in down there?"

"Which is why I still have my feet on the bottom of the pool...ungh...HEY!" I yelped as Asher tested how dilated I was. I shot him an evil glare which he promptly ignored.

"Four ma chat," he replied to Gigs.

"Hmmm...not fully dilated yet then...got a ways to go sister. Which is good. Maybe Lillian will get here in time to catch," she sounded hopeful.

"How many should I be able to insert?" Asher asked her.

Gigs thought about it for a moment. "When she's fully dilated? 10...wait no...its 10cm...bout 8."

I gave Asher a slightly more graphic idea of what we were shooting for. "Just think along the lines of when I'm wide enough to accommodate Arturo's width I'm wide enough for the baby to come out."

He made a face at that comment, but remained silent.

"Yeah...that's about right," Gigs laughed.

Anna pounced in with a curious mew. I reached out a hand to stroke her fuzzy ears. "Hey sweetie, what are you doing here?" I asked. The white tiger cub nuzzled my hand and licked me. I smiled, "Thank you, kitten."

Meanwhile, Gigs was shouting at Jean through me again. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE PORTAL AT THE CLINIC ISN'T WORKING?!? Try the one at Stephen and Vivian's place. They're only a block away....I KNOW THEY'RE NOT THERE..I DIDN'T SAY STAY FOR A VISIT!" Then to herself, "GOD BLESS...Where'd I put Maggie's cell phone number?"

"On the phone pad next to the refrigerator," I told her calmly.

"Thank you...now breathe already!"

"Yes, mama," I sighed.

"Phhhhlllttt!" she shot me a mental raspberry.

After borrowing Asher's cel phone, I called up Crystal and told her about the trouble with the portal at the clinic. She popped over there, just missing Jean and Doc Lillian, then went to work on checking out what had gone wrong with the transportation spell. "Crystal is trying to fix the clinic portal...says it looks like someone tried to close it permanently," I relayed to both Gigs and Jean.

Gigs finally reached Maggie. "Hello Maggie. Sorry to interrupt the date plans, but we have a situation. We need you home. Is the incubator set up? No...it isn't Esther. You guessed it, her water broke about 15 minutes ago...Right...we'll see ya in a few then...tell Noah, I said I'm very sorry...the gondola sounded really nice."

I gave a chuckle, "Well Lyza is gonna lose her bet...she was predicting Jewel would show up in December."

"Ok...blankets...towels....rubbing alcohol...," Gigs went over the inventory of things she'd gathered. "Oops...vamp/kitty strikes out."

"Yup...heck even I thought she'd wait another month," I agreed. "Uuuuuuuuugggggggh."

"She SHOULD have....breathe!" Gigs snapped out.

"Breathing as ordered," I smarted off.

"Trust me...sounds funny, but it really does help...if only to get your mind off of it," she smiled. "Ash...how's she doin?"

Petulantly, I retorted, "I can deal with the pain." Asher's probing wasn't quite as uncomfortable this time.

"Six fingers ma chat."

Gigs gave a mental click of her tongue, "Almost there...can you feel the baby's head yet?"

I dug my nails into Asher's arm, forcing lower body to stay relaxed as he gently probed deeper. After a few moments her replied, "Oui."

We heard the weretiger running down the hall towards the bath. "Oop...fully effaced then....not long at all...," she huffed, loping towards us. Mentally, she shot yet another shout at Jean-Claude, "JEAN! NOW!"

The vampire responsible for all this calmly strode into bathing room with Lillian in tow. "No need to holler, chaton. We are here," he used voice tricks to try to soothe Gigs.

"Finally," I gave him a pained smile. "You realize I will probably hurt you very badly for doing this to me don't you Jean?"

"It is a risk I am willing to bear, ma fleur sauvage," came the silky reply. He bared his chest and removed his boots before slipping into the pool to support my back against his chest. The coolness of his flesh against mine had more of a calming effect on me than his magnificent voice could ever accomplish.

I closed my eyes and whimpered as another contraction hit. Jean used the blood bond he'd established with me to merge with my mind and ride the contraction with me. It had the effect of pulling some pain from me, allowing me to focus.

"Huh?" I muttered distractedly at the cell phone I still held to my ear. "Oh, I'm sorry, Crystal. Active labor going on here, could you repeat what you just said please?...Good. See if you can figure out who or what tampered with it." I relayed her message to Jean and Asher. "Crystal fixed the blockage."

Jean-Claude continued with the distraction tactics by humming softly in my ear a soothing, French lullaby. A disembodied hand protruded from a shimmering section of air on the far side of the bathing pool. "Yes, I see your hand Crystal," I replied to her question over the phone.

Dr. Lillian picked that moment to climb down into the water and check me. Poking and prodding ensued, but then, that's what doctors DO. "Well, it looks like this little girl is anxious to enter the world...," the wererat smiled at me. Had to admit that the doc had pretty good bedside manners.

Asher and Gigs took up places at each of my feet, giving me the ability to push against their hands when the time came. Another contraction took me. "Uuungh...Jean...help her...too soon, focus energy on her lungs...and heart if you can be gentle enough...I don't want to lose her...," I instructed him, worriedly.

He whispered quietly, soothingly against my ear, "Already ahead of you, ma fleur. You just relax and concentrate on bringing our beautiful daughter into the world." He then went back to his humming, voice wrapping around me like a velvet glove, soft and warm.

Crystal's head replaced her hand in extruding through the portal. "Can you see my head and make sure Gigs is there to see it. Maybe she'll stop panicking if she sees me acting funny," the werewolf witch babbled, still trying to talk through the phone even though the talking part of her was present in the same room as we were. Gigs took the phone from my hand, flipped it off and laid it to the side of the pool. She proceeded to banter with the lupa in mock irritation.

I ignored them, my attention caught by Ramses and Kylie walking into the bathroom. Except Jules had assumed control of Kylie's body. The next contraction caught me off guard and elicited a painful scream, "...shitshitSHIT...that hurts! DAMMIT Jean-Claude you bastard!"

The Absorber and the magi glided into the water. "Hello all, lovely evening for a birthing, isn't it?" Jules' cultured tones came from Kylie's lips. She smiled at the comment to Jean. "Etelon, she has guessed your secret...,"she teased as she laid hands on my stomach.

A soothing warmth radiated down into Jewel as the Jules greeted her erstwhile daughter. "Hello little one. I am here. Do not be scared. We will catch you. You will be just fine," she smiled for the room to see, tears glittering in her eyes. "She is SO beautiful, Jean."

Lillian decided it was time to get down to business. "Okay, let's get this show on the road, ladies and gentleman. Tamara...with your next contraction, I need you to take a deep breath and push with all your might," she dictated, taking control of the situation.

I gasped at Jules/Kylie, "Whoa! What the heck did you do?...sure thing doc."

Jules smiled lovingly at me. "I completed her maturity process having drawn Kylie's empathy into myself. She and Jason had just recently been together you see, so she still had residual wolf's balm in her presence...good thing," she explained to me.

Maggie and Noah walked into the bathroom at that moment. "Whoa...what a party. Somebody forgot to tell us to bring the chip dip," Maggie quipped.

Gigs looked relieved to see them. "Maggie. Glad you could make it. We might not need the incubator if Jules completes what she's doing...but go set it up just in case...."

"Thanks," I giggled while pushing at the contraction...sending a mental image of a remembered segment of "Bill Cosby: Himself" where he talks about his wife's labor and coaching her on pushing to the others of my Triumverate. Mentally, I chanted, "Pushem out shovem out waaaaaaaaaaay out!"

Asher and Gigs braced my feet as I pushed, Gigs smiling wide at the picture. "I remember that episode," she laughed. "It's a HER."

"I KNOW that," I giggled, earning me one of the tiger's patented cheesy grins. We both giggled harder at look on Asher's face. "Culture shock strikes again!" came my mental crow.

"Stop pushing a moment dear," Jules directed. "Doctor, could you reach up in there and remove the umbilical from the child's neck?"

I froze in sudden terror. Lillian's finger slipped in and pulled the umbilical out of the way. Jules nodded. Tears stung my eyes. "Jean?" I whispered hoarsely.

He kissed my temple. "You're doing so well, Tamara. Just a little further," he soothed.

"Okay...deep breath and on next contraction...push," the doctor instructed.

I breathed in, grunting with effort on the exhalation, "UUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNNGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Gigs yelped excitedly, "I can see her head!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I cried out. Jules repositioned her hands towards sides of my stomach. Ramses poured some sweet scented oil in the water, chanting. I gave one final shove. Jean-Claude gripped my hands so I could push against him.

"Come on, baby...," Gigs encouraged, crying. "Oh God...she's got a head FULL of black hair."

"Le

t me SEE!!!!" I demanded excitedly. "Okay...her head is out...relax a moment...and we'll get past her shoulders with the next contraction," Dr. Lillian told me.

I groaned with frustration. Wasn't this over YET? Sighing resignedly, I nodded, "Okay...."

Maggie came back with incubation crib and some instruments to clean the baby. Jean wiped my forehead with a cloth Maggie handed him. I pushed irritably at the cloth. "Get that out of my face!" The next contraction hit. "Oooooooooooph!"

Lillian coached, "Okay...ready? Here we go!" suggen "Mmmmmmmmmmmmppppppppppphhhhhh!!!!" I felt a sudden give and she slid right out of me and into Lillian's arms. Maggie handed Lillian scissors and a length of surgical silk to cut the umbilical and tie it off. Lillian then quickly handed the child up into Maggie's waiting hands, and Maggie took her over to the crib to begin checking her vitals.

"Wait a minute...relax wild woman...you've still got to deliver the placenta," Gigs laughed as I floundered, trying to squirm loose from everyone's grip to reach for my baby.

"Hurry up Maggie...I want my baby!" I growled in frustration. The afterbirth passed then, causing me to gasp slightly.

All at once the cry of a very healthy newborn echoed through the room. I relaxed into sobs against Jean-Claude's chest. He was crying and hugging me to him. "Merci, ma fleur. It is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard."

"Can I hold my daughter now?" I asked impatiently.

Maggie replied, "Just a moment, Tamara. I'm just cleaning her up and getting her into warm, dry stuff ."

Asher held out warm blankets for me, an expression of awe and pride on his face as Jean helped me out of the pool. Gigs held something out to me, almost but not quite hiding her loving smirk. "You'll want one of these." It was panties and a HUGE-ass pad. She was right...the smartass.

I turned to Jules and Ramses after Gigs helped me into the panties. "Thank you for your help, Absorber, magi...thank you for ensuring her survival," I told them sincerely.

Jules had tears in her eyes. "My pleasure. It was the least I could do for her...."

"Maggie if you don't hand me my baby right NOW...."

Maggie laughed, "Okay, okay...here she is...," and handed me a bundle of pink blanket.

I cuddled the infant to me, smiling down at my tiny, red-faced daughter with her wealth of black curls through a shimmer of tears. "Welcome home Jewel Celeste...Jean, isn't she lovely?" The baby squalled, mad at the world.

Jean-Claude gave our child an adoring gaze. "The most beautiful little girl in the world, ma fleur," he responded softly, caressing her face with a fingertip. He lit up with a true smile, fangs and all, when she quieted and wrapped her little fist around his finger.

A small growl from came from the side, causing me to glance down at the tiger cub and laugh. "I think you just insulted little Anna."

Gigs snagged up the little cub, nuzzling and cooing to her. "That's all right...she's MY most beautiful little girl in the world....and naughtiest...time for you to go to bed, little one...excitement is all over now."

Jean-Claude lifted me in his arms as I held our daughter and carried us back to the nursery to tuck us in. On the way, Jewel and I shared the joy of her first feeding.

Finis