| Details for New Year, New Life |
| Summary: | Tim and Annie welcome their new baby into the world seconds before midnight. |
| Date: | 1 January 1941 |
| Location: | Moody Cottage, Ballycastle, Ireland |
| Related: | Just a Bit of Indigestion |
| Characters |
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It was still a good half hour until the new year when Tim arrived back at the cottage with the midwife and a very small entourage. Annie was still on her feet when they arrived, and was hustled off at once into the bedroom with the midwife and two of Tim's cousins. Another cousin, Patrick, came along with a bottle of whisky and a deck of cards to keep the waiting father busy.
From there, things went surprisingly quickly. Annie was almost worried more about how Tim might react to any cries of pain, so despite it she gritted her teeth and bore down in near silence. It resulted in a silence that may have been equally unsettling, until the very last moments when even Annie's resolve couldn't completely stifle a primitive cry of effort and pain. Silence again, but for the ticking of the clock on the fireplace mantle, counting down the last moments of 1940. Then, from the bedroom, the sound of the slap of flesh on flesh followed by the gusty cry from healthy new lungs. Seconds later, the clock begins to chime, welcoming the new year.
Bowie is more comfort to Tim than Patrick. He's grateful of course for the man wanting to come keep the soon to be new father company. But he's really little comfort and more just a distractor. The rapid vibration and soft thumping of Tim's heel on the wooden floor boards as he foot and leg anxiously bounce in the silence is stilled when Bowie comes over and after passing his human a fresh glass of whiskey and an already lit cigarette does he rest his little hand on Tim's thigh and gives it a supportive pat pat. It does the trick to still the leg.
"S'almost time." Patrick points out to the clock and Tim's looking up towards it when the slap, the cry and then the chime all happen in very short order. The cigarette tumbles from his mouth and leaves a few little burned holes in his good shirt on its way down when he stands up quickly. Bowie manages to dodge the falling fag and he picks it up and goes onto his tippy toes so he can put the cigarette into an ashtray on the table. Meanwhile Tim has rushed to the bedroom door and stands there with his hands splayed and pressed against the door along with his ear. When there's another lusty cry from within and he can hear that Annie is still chuffing and alright because the midwife and doolahs are still giving her instructions, his green eyes close and tears tumble down his cheeks and catch on the smiling corners of his lips. "Annie?" He calls softly and his splayed out fingers rap on the door lightly.
From within come the sounds of spells being cast, effortlessly clearing up the evidence of the birth that just happened, and general bustle. It's only a moment after Tim's soft call that the door opens and everyone who isn't Annie emerges. There's a wide smile for Tim, as the midwife says, "Your family would like very much to see you." They get out of his path quickly, gathering up Patrick on their way out to take the good news to The Weeping Banshee.
Propped up in bed by pillows, Annie's hair is damp around her face, ringlets framing her smile and bright eyes. "Tim," she says softly, the love for him bursting from the single utterance. In her arms is a wrapped bundle, and one tiny fist emerges and waves for a second before dropping, as if in greeting to the new father. "Come meet your daughter."
Tim steps back to let everyone out giving very genuine if a tiny bit stuttered gratitude on their way out. Bowie sees them all out and that the house is closed up, the fire is stoked and gets a tea tray together if his mistress would like a cuppa in a little while. Tim is a bit frozen in the doorway. The crisis is over and the Banshee is gone and he's just standing there stunned and transfixed by the sight of the loves of his life there on the bed in all their beauty. He's still crying and a hand is over his heart like it might burst from his chest while the other hand holds his camera down at his side. He gulps and swallows and takes a staggered slow breath. "A girl?" He was just getting himself composed but it's all to the wind, he has a daughter and the emotion of the moment is overwhelming him and he just can't move. At least only so much as it takes to lift the camera to capture the moment. "Yee look so beautiful."
"A girl," Annie echoes reassuringly. "A perfect little girl." Cradling the baby in her left arm, she frees her right and holds her hand out to Tim, fingers wiggling invitingly. "Come here," she says, even as she smiles for the camera. "You'll get a proper picture of her. Ten fingers, ten toes, and…" She lets her words trail off, enticing Tim to come see the sprinkle of red hair on their little girl's head.
Tim swallows hard and sets the camera down on the bedside and uses his newly freed hand to wipe his face and knock the mist from his eyes so he can see his baby girl. He kneels down next to the bed kissing Annie's forehead and cheek on his way down. "Coor, Ans, she's beautiful!" There is a momentary choke up but he swallows it down so he can lean over to place a kiss on the babies forehead and he pets her hair very lightly with his fingers. "Just like I dreamed. Like I said back at the Friar. Wantin' lil redheaded babies. Look at her!" He gets a little punch to the face when her hand pops out again, but it's a gentle pop and he kisses the hand as it's against his lips.
Annie watches Tim, and when he kneels she strokes his moist cheek with tender fingers. "We've made a beautiful baby, Tim." There's a gasp, then a delighted giggle as the baby reaches for her father. "Think she's already thinkin' toward bein' an Auror?" she teases lightly. Then Annie shifts, moving the baby toward him. "Hold her?"
Tim kisses the hand again with a soft adoring giggle. "Aye, she's got a good flick of the wrist down already. Another Auror Moody, Powers help us all." He looks extremely nervous when she starts to shift in offering the baby to him. There's a worried twitch to the corner of his right eye as she plants his fists down on the bed so he can push himself up and he crawls onto the bed on the other side of Annie, careful not to jostle them as he does. He wants a large area of soft bed around him without any chance that if he drops her she'll end up on the floor. "Come 'er Auror…a.. 'ey wot about Aurora?"
Annie waits for Tim to get settled, then eases the baby into his arms. She snuggles up close herself, head resting on Tim's shoulder as she looks at the life they've given to the world. "Aurora," she muses lightly. "It's a beautiful name." There's a momentary pause, before she asks gently, "Yeh like that better than Sarah?" She'd been pondering their parent's names, or some combination, for either sex, but this new alternative has piqued her interest.
Tim looks like he feels a bit like a bull in a china shop when he holds his child for the first time. "Wot about Sarah Aurora Moody. Can have a pick of names including Sam." He smiles shyly over at his wife but then grimaces when the little yet to be named girl starts to squirm and her face starts to scrunch up as she is preparing for a cry. "Wot did I do?"
Annie rubs Tim's arm, "Or Aurora Sarah Moody? I think yeh've found a lovely name in Aurora." She looks down at the baby as the squirming starts. "Relax, love. She knows yer nervous holdin' her. Reassure yer little girl, like yeh always reassure her mummy." Her hand squeezes gently, then releases to adjust the blanket.
Tim clears his throat and rocks one elbow in and out slowly underneath her head. "There now Aurora Sarah Moody. No fuss. Yer Da's learnin' righ along wit yee. Gotta forgive yer old man, aye? Gosh do I love yee so already." He looks over at Annie. "It's something. Right?" The gentle bouncing seems to do the trick and Aurora looks up at her father with bleary eyes, just listening to that voice that she recognizes, even though it's a bit different without Annie's belly between them.
It's seeing Tim grow more comfortable with the baby that tears Annie up, her eyes shining as she nods in agreement with him. "A little miracle," she whispers as Aurora's eyelids flutter. "An' look how she loves her da. Ready t'sleep in th'safety of yer arms." A movement by the door draws her attention, and Annie calls softly, "Bowie? Come meet little Rory."
Big eyes blink from where they peek around the door at the new family. Unlike Tim, Bowie doesn't need much coaxing and in a little poof he appears on the bed at their legs and he coos and giggles and he wiggles his fingers above Aurora's head. Then he turns his fingers upwards and some of the toys they bought for the baby appear in the air and dance about slowly like a mobile. "Welcome Mistress! Lookie, she passed wind! She's smiling, just like Master Tim! He would 'smile' all the time!" The House-elf coos and squees and just beams at his family.
Annie rests her head against Tim's shoulder as the baby is amused by Bowie's dancing toy show. "She'll be the best loved, most protected baby ever between th' two of yeh." There's a soft sigh, before Annie realizes something, her head coming up. "Tim! Happy New Year, m'love!" Her hand guides his chin gently to turn his head so she can push close for a kiss. It's slow and soft and loving. "An' what'll we do to change our lives next New Year's Eve, d'yeh reckon?" she asks with amusement.
Tim was feeling a bit embarrassed about Bowie revealing he was a farty baby. So his wife's celebration and kiss are more than welcomed. "I was thinking a brother…" He gives her one of his big boyish grins and his red brows give couple of wags. He likes this making beautiful red headed babies thing. At least so far this father thing has seemed like a piece of cake.
The suggestion and waggled brows draws another laugh from Annie, but it's weary from the night's events. "We'll see," she says indulgently. "For now, it's the last thing I want t'think of. I want t'think of bed, an' the first night of a new year with our new family." She snuggles against Tim's arm, making no moves to relieve him of the weight of his daughter. Annie carried the little girl for nine months, tonight is Daddy's turn.
Tim gently set the baby down on his lap and rubs her belly to continue to rock her. During this he leans forward to arrange some pillows and Bowie as well took the hint and before they know it, the room has the nursery all set up and the basket is placed between them as they settle in for sleep. "Happy New Year Moody Family. Population 4." There's absolute wonder in his voice as he says that and then wishes them each a good night with soft kisses.