…birth fics + things…

No Time To Hide

imagine being a janitor…

Working Late

Girls Night Out

Anniversary to Remember (collab tbgblr2)

Chained

We All Scream For Ice Cream

Theatre Birth

Denial (collab gravid-transluna)

In The Name Of Science (collab gravid-transluna)

Healing Hands

Half-Time Full-Time Baby-Time

Not Now… Not Here

The Priestess

Almost Home

Extramarital Consequences

Keep Calm & Carry On

Dedicated Book Worm

Keep That Crown

The Boss’s Baby

Awards Show

Against All Odds (collab with @cowboybassett)

Erin and Masie (collab toomuchbirth)

The Cowboy & The Brit Pt.1 (collab with Cowboy)

The Cowboy & The Brit Pt.2 (collab with Cowboy)

The Cowboy & The Brit Pt.3 (collab with Cowboy)

Playball (collab with clairejones2465)

At The Drive-Thru (collab with @cowboybassett)

Music Fest Birth

‘Tis the Season (collab with @cowboybassett)

Pregnancy Pill: Surprise (collab @cowboybassett)

The Supply Run (collab with Cowboy)

The day before your birthday I began to feel cramps. Nothing too strong, but enough for me to notice that tensing of muscles beneath the swell of my belly, the dull ache like a period cramp twisting my insides. I wasn’t worried, it was our first baby, even if they were real contractions there was no guarantee they’d continue or be productive. But just in case, I moved all of our plans. Even though your birthday was tomorrow, on some level I must have known what was going to happen. I changed the dinner reservations, the cinema tickets, and moved them a day earlier. You accepted the excuse I gave - about discounts and buy-one-get-one-free offers - not questioning your heavily pregnant wife. Anything for an easy life. 

The contractions however… they didn’t really stop. In the shower before dinner I was leaning against the tile and breathing my way through them. My hips moving in slow circles and letting the warm water ease the constant ache in my lower back. They weren’t too frequent but definitely more noticeable. Soon my make up was done, my hair was clipped, my dress tight in all the right places, and you were none the wiser that we were getting closer to becoming parents. 

Dinner went by quickly, even with the regular contractions I was ravenous. As if my body knew that I needed sustenance to keep my strength up. We laughed and joked, recalling memories, planning our future. It was perfect. You had a steak and your favourite bourbon, your smile bright behind the beard as you gazed upon me and my bump. 

Walking to the cinema from the restaurant took more effort than I’d hoped. The baby’s head was so low I could feel it with every heavy step that I took, right between my hips. You didn’t rush me, allowed me to move at whatever pace I needed and kept your arm firm around my waist. Your thumb affectionately rubbing the side of the bump that was keeping the fabric of my dress stretched to its maximum. When the wave of tightness peaked I kept on walking, breathing slowly and holding you tight. “Just more braxton hicks” I said airily, before you could question. 

Sitting in the cinema seat wasn’t comfortable. They were large wide seats, so that wasn’t the issue, it was the ache in my pelvis making it impossible to sit straight. My legs naturally spread, the evidence of your baby low and heavy between my thighs. You got us drinks and snacks, tapped my belly affectionately before holding my hand, knowing I’d be scared. You knew I didn’t like scary films, but it was your birthday so I agreed to go. Throughout the movie I gripped your hand tight, but it wasn’t due to the jump scares happening on screen. The contractions were becoming more regular, more insistent, and each one seemed to shift the baby just that fraction lower. You didn’t seem to notice how often I was wriggling in my seat, my hand cradling my bump while the other interlocked my fingers with yours and held you close. I really didn’t like scary films, which right now helped to cover the fact that I was slipping further and further into active labour. 

At the end of the movie the lights came on and you helped me to stand. In my haste to move off the damn seat I knocked my drink out the holder on the arm of the seat, sending it flying across my lap and onto the floor. I was soaked. We both laughed, a soft grunt coming from my throat as I rose to my feet. Neither of us realised that at that moment, my waters broke. 

By the time we got home it was getting harder to keep the contractions from you. I was so focused on giving you a perfect birthday I didn’t dare time them, but even without a clock I knew they were getting closer. Standing in the kitchen getting myself a glass of water I found my hips rocking and I made a soft humming sound. You must have taken that as a cue, not that I was in labour but to put music on. Your hands gently rested on my shoulders, massaging them before working down to my waist and spinning me to face you. “H-have you had a nice day?” I asked, the tail end of a contraction making my breathing heavier than normal. You kissed me and held me close, wrapping your hands around my waist and swaying us both in time to the music. 

It was wonderful. The moment was so calm and peaceful, safe in the privacy of our own home, knowing your birthday was tomorrow and I could then give you the best present of all. Delivering your own baby on your birthday just like you wanted. Being so relaxed in your embrace my guard slipped. The next contraction that struck made my whole body tighten, my hands lacing behind your neck as I used you as a crutch, rocking and moaning through the wave that pressed right down between my legs. 

You didn’t say anything at first, let me move and moan as I needed, but the look you gave me when it was over - the mix of excitement and worry and scolding when you realised I’d be actively hiding my contractions. I tried to explain how I wanted you to have all the birthday treats we’d planned, but another contraction happened so fast after the last that my knees buckled. The groan that came from my mouth was low, deep, a sign of just how far the baby had dropped. 

We were planning a home birth anyway, but all our supplies were either in our bedroom or the nursery. You helped me to move once the contraction ended, knowing we needed to be upstairs. It was slow moving, I hadn’t fully realised just how wide my gait had gotten over the course of the evening. Half way up the flight of steps I had to stop, immediately bending forward to grip the carpet and planting my knees wide on a lower step. “How long have you been in labour darlin’?” You asked, rubbing my back as I worked through the contraction as best I could. “Unghh…. All—day— ooooohhh” I breathed out, trying to pant through the pressure that was getting exponentially worse. 

I had to crawl the rest of the way up the stairs, unable to stand upright with how tight and firm my belly was staying. It felt like there was no break between the waves any more… but that couldn’t be right, labour was supposed to take days. I wanted to give birth on your birthday, to deliver you the best and most perfect present. I didn’t know the time but I knew we were still a while away from midnight. The baby would simply have to wait. I’d put in too much effort to time this whole thing, they weren’t ruining it for me now. 

I staggered rather ungainly into our bedroom making a beeline for our king size bed. Palms against the mattress I hummed long and deep with another twisting contraction, shifting trying to escape the deep pressure between my legs. You stayed right by my side, hands on my hips as I rocked them, whispering encouraging words in my ear. You didn’t panic… or if you did you didn’t let it show. You were my rock, my iron pillar of strength, and boy was I needing it now. 

“T-tub—” I panted out, “fill the tub.” 

I had meant the birth pool but instead you ran off into our en-suite and I heard water running into our bath. It wasn’t what I wanted but perhaps you knew I was closer to giving birth than I was admitting, perhaps you knew we wouldn’t have time to fill the giant birth pool we had bought. By the time you came back I was clawing at my clothing trying to get them off. Everything felt too constricted, too tight, the damn dress I had chosen for dinner now felt like a straight jacket. The next contraction was already happening before either of us could get anywhere with the zip on my dress. All I could do was lean into the mattress, shoving my hips right back against you, and growl as the pressure amplified between my hips. 

God! It felt like I could almost push…. I started panting through the notion, firmly ignoring the idea. That wasn’t happening, not now. It wasn’t your birthday yet! I begged you to hold my hips, to squeeze them together against the feeling of my pelvis being widened around the skull of our baby. Your body pressed against mine, I could smell your cologne, the feel of your hands on my hips and your closeness keeping me from spiralling out of control. 

“I think I need to check ya darlin’” you cooed softly, quietly, as if you didn’t want to spook a wounded animal. 

“No!” I grit my teeth, circling my hips and panting heavily. “I’m fine!” 

“You sure about that honey? You’re sounding awfully like you need to push…?” 

Lifting my head I glanced at the clock on my bedside table, sweat dampening my hair and sticking to my cheek. 11:15pm, dammit. “No… don’t need p-push….” 

When the bath had filled you asked if I wanted to move to the bathroom and get in the tub. The idea of warm water cushioning the pain in my hips sounded heavenly. I nodded. But the second I tried to move I shook my head and slammed my hands back against the mattress. Fuck… it feels like the baby is going to fall out of me! 

I bent over the mattress and lowered to my elbows, my hips sank backwards and my feet widened on the floor. “Oohhhhhh no….” I whimpered through yet another contraction that was trying to get me to push. Fists gripping sheets, breath sharp and erratic, I couldn’t cope. 

“Honey… you need to push.” You said calmly but firmly, your body encased mine as you stood behind me with your hands never leaving my hips. Your voice was a whisper over my shoulder and your lips nuzzled against the nape of my neck. 

“It—it’s not your b-birthday y-yet—” I cried into the duvet, feeling my own body begin to betray me. Muscles clenching around the weight in my womb, squeezing it down down down. 

“What’s my birthday got to do…. Oh darlin’.” An exasperated sigh came from your lips, followed by a quiet giggle. “I only said that as a joke and to make you feel better. To show you I wouldn’t mind if you went into labour on my birthday. I didn’t mean you had to hold the baby in until then. Is that why you won’t push?” 

I was too deep into labour to understand. You were saying words but my mind couldn’t process anything except the word push. My uterus contracted, my knees widened, my body bore down without permission. “No no no no!!!!” I jumped up, a shaky hand disappearing up my dress between my legs, instinctively cupping my entrance. It felt different, the shape, it… it was bulging. The head was right there! 

You saw my struggle, watched as I desperately clung to my plan, attempting to stop myself from pushing. “Darlin’… the baby is coming. You need to push.” You urged. “No!” I snapped through gritted teeth and pressed up between my legs. 

I didn’t notice your hand moving until it joined mine between my thighs. “It’s okay honey, I’ve got you.” You whispered, nudging my fingers away from the growing bulge of my underwear. The next contraction was starting and I was unsteady with only one hand on the mattress. Against my better judgement I let go of the emerging head and put both hands back on the mattress, trembling from head to toe as the wave of pressure took full control of my body. Your hand cupped gently between my thighs and I heard your sharp intake of breath as you felt the evidence of my labouring. Our baby, sitting just inside my body waiting to come out. 

“You can push darlin’, I won’t let em come out.” Your buttery soft voice completely evaporated any resolve I had left. My muscles were pushing before any conscious decision was made, the act primal and desperate and completely outside of my control. I grunted with effort, the sound gravelled and powerful and I felt your body shiver behind me. 

Once the floodgates had been opened there was no more holding back. Every contraction had me bearing down against your palm, bringing more and more of the head into your hand. Heavy, undeniable, stretching me wider and wider beneath my underwear. I could feel every millimetre of progress, but I could also feel the counterpressure of your hand as it gently cupped upwards against my skin. The baby was coming, the sheer fact was burning between my legs, and yet you weren’t letting too much progress be made. 

“Unnnghhh—it’s—gonna fall out!!!!” 

“No it ain’t, I got you… I got the baby… and they ain’t coming until you say so okay?” 

We stood beside our king size bed, fully clothed, wrapped around each other as I pushed over and over into your palm. It was primal and natural and wonderful and intimate. Every sound I made was music to your ears and you kissed my neck and shoulders every time a beautiful grunt of effort slipped from my throat. Time stood completely still. There was only us, our baby, and this moment. 

And then the moment was broken, a ringing sound coming from my phone in my handbag that had been cast aside when we entered the bedroom. I was confused who would be calling me at this time before I remembered the alarm. I had set a reminder to go off at midnight - when it was officially your birthday. I lifted my head, sweaty and flushed, panting heavily between contractions. Looking over my shoulder I saw your twinkling eyes as you held me. 

“Happy B-Birthday my love…” I whispered through a soft giggle. Fully aware of how ridiculous this whole thing was. 

You kissed me, deep and passionately, one hand around my bump while the other was keeping our baby from crowning. The next contraction began while we were kissing and I grunted into your mouth as my body bore down once more. You pulled away, grinning like the cat who got the cream. 

“Are you ready to have a baby now darlin?” 

Before I could even answer, your hand softened its counterpressure, staying close but no longer holding back the inevitable. Immediately I pushed, wild and primal, spreading my knees wide as I bore down with everything that I had. So full, so heavy, so stretched… It was incredible. There was only one way out and I submitted completely to Mother Nature with your strong arms holding me up as I worked to bring forth our babe. Within seconds the head reached its widest point and I cried out as it scolded my skin, white hot flames between my legs. But then it stopped, replaced with sheer unbridled relief as the whole baby came out fully in one go right into the gusset of my underwear. 

Oh what she was willing to do for love. Andy ran her fingers through her close cropped blonde hair, a typical habit of hers when her anxiety was peaking. She looked herself in the mirror, taller than some, with a toned body and a mean look. She wasn’t really mean though, just cursed with a perpetual resting expression that made her look like she’d just chewed on curdled milk. She turned to the side, letting her vanity win out for a moment as she admired her own body. Dressed in a sports bra and cargo pants, her midriff remained exposed. It was a ritual of hers before every supply run. Look for marks, scratches, anything, and make sure they’re the same ones she came back to camp with. 

“Not today.” She told herself. A stirring from the bedroom caught her attention. The blonde turned, moving about the candlelit apartment that she shared with her girlfriend. The survivor camp had lost power a month ago, and the few remaining people who knew about engines and electricity still hadn’t fixed it.

As Andy entered the bedroom, spears of light laid across the floor and bed, giving her an intermittent view of the woman laying there. The light bent around her body, accentuating the curves she’d gained these last few months. Andy loved those curves, and absolutely adored the woman who bore them. She sat on the edge of the bed, teasing the long red locks out of her lover's face as she slept. A slight chuckle couldn’t be helped as Andy noticed the hair in her mouth. She was nude, as a side effect of the fun they’d had last night. Andy’s hand brushed along her body, tracing the curves with a lovers gentleness. She found her tattoo, a crude thing done here in the camp a few years ago. When her hand stopped, it was on the gravid swell that was her belly.

“Rise and shine Lucy.” Andy said softly. “Time to get up.” She and Lucy had been a couple for nearly a year now. A party in the camp had led to many poor choices with far too much alcohol, but in the end the two women ended in bed together, and living in the same apartment less than a week later. Excitement had filled Andy the day they realized Lucy was pregnant as a result of that night. They’d both had fun with men and women, but now it was just the two of them, and that’s what counted. “Cmon sleepy head. If you want to go out to get munchkin their clothes then we need to leave soon…”

Lucy made a soft groaning sound as she curled over and buried her face into the pillow, not wanting to leave the bed just yet, not when she had finally found a comfortable position. It had been her idea to venture out of camp for more baby supplies, some instinctual need to get everything ready and prepared for their new arrival - ‘nesting’ they called it. It sounded like something an animal would do, but she couldn’t argue the logic behind the name. Despite the baby supply run being something she had practically begged Andy to do, right now, she was too tired and much too pregnant, she simply didn’t want to move.  

“Mmmhh… he’s kept me up most the night… feel like I’ve hardly slept.” Lucy grumbled into the pillow while Andy lovingly rubbed her large belly that was resting against the mattress in her side-laying position. “I must have gotten up four times to pee last night. And these practice cramps are driving me mental.” Slowly she opened her eyes and turned to her partner. 

Andy was absolutely gorgeous; tall, blonde, incredibly tough and physically strong but with a kind and gentle soul. It wasn’t the traditional way to meet your life partner, stuck in a survivors camp while the world outside went to hell. And yet, Lucy felt like she was destined to be with Andy. This baby hadn’t been planned of course, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t wanted. They didn’t know if she was carrying a boy, but Lucy felt herself saying “he” and “him” so often she stopped trying to correct herself. They’d find out for certain soon enough. 

“Okay, I’m awake. Help me up? I need to pee again.” She said with a frustrated grimace, feeling a lot of pressure in her hips that she had learnt not to trust. 

“Alright alright.” Andy took her hands, first lifting her to be in a seated position. They had to wait a moment for Lucy to catch her breath, any and all exertions seemed to be nearly too much these days. From there, Andy leaned back, flexing her arms as she brought Lucy to her feet. Her grip remained, especially when she saw the vacant look Lucy always got when she went lightheaded. One particular fainting spell courtesy of her standing up too fast had ended with Andy threatening to tie her to the bed till the baby was born.

“Steady?” She asked, taking a single step back. Andy looked her girlfriend up and down, admiring her body. Where Andy was strong and lean, Lucy was more curvaceous and soft. It didn’t stop her from being capable, but it did lend a certain appeal to the blonde. The height difference was more apparent now as well, with Andy standing nearly a full head taller than Lucy. “Quick bathroom, then we need to get you dressed.” It had looked like Lucy was about to reply, some sarcastic remark that Andy would no doubt laugh at, but the look in her eye told the blonde that the bathroom had gone from a feeling to an emergency.

Lucy waddled off as fast as her heavily pregnant ass could go. The second she had got to her feet, allowing gravity to sink the baby even further into her hips, she realised just how much her bladder was being squished. The baby’s head was already too damn low; she didn’t need a full bladder there as well. 

She made it. Barely. Still struggling to wake up, Lucy sat on the toilet for a moment, her hands automatically running over the swell of her belly. Her body has changed so much, it was a bit insane to think there was a baby in there that she had grown. She didn’t have much knowledge or experience with pregnancy, babies were not that common in the camp, a couple of new children each year at most. She wasn’t naive, she knew about it all, but it was another thing entirely experiencing it first hand. 

Beneath her hands her belly tensed, another practice cramp. They’d been happening on and off for weeks. The doctor in camp said it was all normal, just her body preparing even though the baby wasn’t due for another couple of weeks. Lucy breathed through the discomfort, akin to a period cramp, and then finished up in the bathroom. 

Clothing was all about functionality and less about fashion. Ever since her bump really “popped” she’d been wearing men’s boxer shorts as pyjamas along with a tank top that barely covered the top half of her belly. With one hand braced into her lower back, trying to alieviate the constant twinges and pressure in her pelvis, she waddled back out to her lover. 

“I swear, if this kid gets any lower he’s just gonna fall outta me.” Lucy joked, cradling her belly with her other hand for effect. She felt huge. How Andy still found her attractive in this state was beyond her imagination. 

“It just means I get to be his favorite mom even faster if that happens.” Andy joked. She’d put on a flannel shirt and heavy beige jacket. Lucy had been on enough supply runs before discovering she was pregnant to know that Andy had her pistol tucked in the back of her pants, and that the bolt action rifle by the door would be accompanying them into the city. She turned to face Lucy, her wardrobe making her almost appear like the stereotypical father from those movies they’d seen back when the power still worked. 

Her hands went to the dome of flesh, and her brow furrowed. It was harder than usual, but then again all those practice cramps would do that. When they got back she’d make Lucy go back to the docs apartment to get checked, just in case.

“Don’t hate me for saying this, but I’m gonna miss having you like this.” Andy blushed, her hands making gentle circles over Lucy’s belly. She found her lover's hands and clasped them tightly. “And I really don’t like the idea of you going out there today. I know you have your perfect nursery in mind but is it really worth the risk? I can make three or four trips and find what you want by trial and error.” 

“No, by the time you get what I want the kid’ll be walking and talking.” Lucy said with jest, but her answer was firm. “I’m going.” 

Andy was against this trip, she’d made that clear many times over, but eventually Lucy wore her down and finally got her girlfriend’s nod of reluctant acceptance yesterday. She knew it was risky, but that could be said for literally anything these days; just beyond the camp’s fence the undead roamed free around the country. But they knew the route, where they were headed, Lucy herself and done it umpteen times she could do it with her eyes closed. She wasn’t an invalid, she was just pregnant. 

“I know the risks darling, I do. But I just want to do something normal for this baby for once. I want to go to the shops and get nappies and clothes and blankets. That’s not too much to ask…” Her eyes watered, unshed tears gathering above her lower lashes. Damn hormones. But she was just desperate to do something ordinary, like expectant parents did in movies. 

“Ok ok shhhh.” Andy pulled her in before the waterworks could begin. Such a strong woman usually, Lucy’s hormones had been a surprise to say the least. It did however lead to some of their best nights together. Using the homemade lotion to ease the expanding skin of her belly, recording the little changes to her body, and Andy’s personal favorite, figuring out what cravings needed to be satiated that particular day. The blonde inhaled, taking in the natural scent of her partner.

“I won’t bring it up again love. Promise.” Hands on Lucy’s shoulders, she separated them and looked her dead in the eyes. “You are getting your mum-to-be be experience today. No ifs ands or buts.” Andy leant in, planting a kiss on her girlfriend's lips. “It’ll be like a date in the movies for you, though sadly without the chocolate.” She smiled. “But first things first… we need to get you dressed.”

Lucy stripped off her pyjamas and threw them on the bed before getting some clothes out of the drawers. The options were very limited and even more so with her gravid bump. Deciding on her favourite jeans, that were pre-pregnancy and very distressed looking, plus a long tank top and an olive green sweater that didn’t fully cover her bump. It would have to do. She insisted on getting herself dressed even though Andy hovered nearby trying to help. The tank top tucked into her jeans, the flies stuck open and folded out to accommodate her changed shape, with the knitted green sweater over the top. Her bump was impossible to miss, the sweater and the jeans unable to contain it. Reluctantly Lucy had to sit to put her socks and shoes on, Andy smirked as she helped, making some joke about being Cinderella as she slipped the trainers on. 

The couple had a quick bite to eat with some of their rations before leaving their apartment. Lucy was hoping a walk might help get rid of the cramps that seemed more persistent this morning. They weren’t painful, just annoying. Drinking water and moving around was the advice the camp doctor had given. Granted that advice probably didn’t mean to venture beyond the camp’s fence, but the benefits would surely be the same. Lucy watched with affection and pride as Andy loaded up with their bag and the rifle. She’d become such a fierce protector of Lucy during the pregnancy and she couldn’t deny how damn attractive it was. 

“Ready?” Andy asked. 

“Yes, let’s go get us some baby clothes.” Lucy grinned as she held her bump, feeling the kicks beneath the surface, like their son was just as excited for the outing as she was. 

The couple navigated the halls of the apartment complex, having to descend a few flights of stairs to reach the street. As soon as they’d discovered the pregnancy, Andy had attempted to bribe one of the survivors on the first floor with some rations and ammo to swap. It didn’t work out, and left her giving nightly massages to Lucy to ease the swelling of her feet. The going was slow at first, and Andy took it slow to match her girlfriend's pace. As soon as they were outside, the brisk air met them as did the familiar faces of the camp.

Most of them had nothing but excitement in their looks as they saw the young couple. A few held animosity, the older more closed minded assholes who Lucy more than once had to prevent Andy from breaking jaws for calling slurs at them. Andy was fine being called anything under the sun, it didn’t bother her, but to call Lucy such things? That was a great way to get your fingers snapped. It took all in all around twenty minutes for them to reach the front gate. Standing just over twenty feet tall, scaffolding had been constructed at its top to provide the ability to stand watch. Andy and Lucy both had taken their turns doing it, though recently much to the pregnant mothers chagrin, Andy had gotten her sidelined and took over the shifts.

“You don’t need to be up so high.” The blonde had said in her own defense. “You have a hard enough time with the stairs, you shouldn’t be on a ladder.”

A man, far more advanced in years than any of the other survivors at the camp, met the couple at the gate.

“Well hey there kids.” His voice was hoarse, but the smile he wore was warm as the sun. 

“Hey Mike.” Andy said. “Any excitement?”

“Some Zeds on the outer perimeter.” Mike shrugged. “Boys on the wall took care of ‘em.” He looked at Lucy, smile broadening. “And how’re you today kiddo?” Not being related didn’t prevent Mike from calling everyone ‘kid’ or ‘kiddo’. Everyone was a child to him, whether they were in their forties or a teen, and he, as it was, basically acted as the grandfather to the entire survivor camp.

“I’m good thanks Mike, just waiting on this new kiddo to arrive.” Lucy smiled, copying the affectionate name for her own child. She shifted her weight slightly side to side, going down the stairs and walking across to the gate had settled the baby heavier in her hips. “We’re headed to the old mall, need to get some more baby things before he arrives.” 

Mike furrowed his brows as he looked at Lucy’s bump. “Y’all sure you should be heading out there? Looks like baby could come any day now surely?” 

“I know it looks that way, but we’re all good, kiddo ain’t due for a few weeks.” Lucy attempted to suck in her belly a little, to try and make her rounded middle look less like she was about to drop any day. It was a white lie, barely a lie at all. A few weeks… it was only two but babies usually went over for first-time mums. Lucy didn’t want Mike worrying unnecessarily, and she also didn’t want him to stop them from leaving. She was having her mum-to-be shopping day damn it. “Plus I’ve got my gorgeous and strong girlfriend with me. We’ll be fine.” Lucy leaned in towards Andy, who naturally placed her arm behind her waist. 

As Mike considered Lucy had to school her expression a little as another practice cramp rolled through her middle. Fucks sake, now isn’t the time. Eventually Mike softened towards the pair, letting them through and reminding them of all the safety protocols when beyond the camp’s perimeter. 

As soon as they got a few meters away from the gate, Lucy exhaled heavily, not realising how much of a front she’s been putting up for Mike’s benefit. She walked, well waddled, down the road with her hands pressed into the small of back. “Bless Mike, he’s lovely but for a second there I thought he wouldn’t let us out.” 

“You know he can’t say no to us.” The blonde chuckled, wrapping an arm around Lucy. “I think as a thank you we should stop at the cigar shop that’s in the mall. Maybe there’s some pipe tobacco still in there somewhere.” Andy glanced sidelong at her girlfriend, her stomach seemed to rest lower after she let out that breath. Despite the heavy fabrics covering her, Andy had an easy time visualizing the almost torpedo shape to her girlfriend's womb. A part of her wanted to once again protest Lucy coming along, but pissing off a pregnant woman never went well. The ship had sailed, and they were now out in the domain of the undead.

The city had been bombed in the early days of the outbreak, a poor attempt to quell the growing number of infected persons gathering in city centers. Andy barely remembered the bombings, she’d only been eleven when the outbreak happened, and so much had come to pass since that she sometimes had a difficult time tracking when events occurred. 

They passed by a park, the first of many landmarks used by the camp for calling out and assigning patrols to kill the undead. Andy knew the routes by heart, having done them ever since she was old enough to hold a rifle. One such patrol was her first interaction with Lucy. The pretty redhead who, at the time, was lacking a midriff full of life. How time changed things, and how life found a way to make things all the better. They rounded the street corner past the park when something made her look back, Andy couldn’t help imagining how it would look bringing their baby to such a place. The visual was heartwarming, Lucy pushing their son on the swing, Andy holding him in her lap as they went down the slide. The blonde had stopped in her tracks, just staring at the empty playground overgrown with weeds and corroded with rust from a decade of disuse.

“Did you see something?” Lucy asked worriedly, noticing her girlfriend had stopped. But Andy shook her head, shaking off whatever daydream, and  jogged back beside her. “Let’s keep moving honey, going to take us at least two hours at my pace to get there.” 

In truth, Lucy was feeling a little restless and wanting to keep moving. Her back ached and her hips felt like a bowling ball was grinding down between them, but moving felt useful and productive. It helped to appease the nesting instincts. She couldn’t move very quickly so they had to go slow and steady if they were to get to the mall, have an attempt at shopping, and make it back before dark.  

Being out in the open the pair were always on watch, keeping eyes and ears on the look out for any rogue undead that might be looming. But still they talked, mainly about the baby and their plans for when he was born. Andy wasn’t convinced they’d be a boy, not that she was adamant it was a girl either, but she kept saying “just wait and see”. Throughout the journey Lucy felt a few more twinges in her womb, nothing too strong, but enough to get concerned eyes from her partner. She would take her water bottle out of Andy’s backpack, making sure to drink more and keep walking, and soon the cramp would go away. 

Andy was too preoccupied with the world around them to really question the occasional exhale Lucy did when the baby would kick or she’d cramp. Out here, beyond the fence, things were far too likely to change for the worse. All things considered though, the couple made progress quickly and efficiently. Block by block, street by street, they made their way to the mall. The last small patrol outpost of their camp was only a little ways away from where they were going. Andy would have them stop there for a short break, and check the notebook the patrols were supposed to fill out letting anyone moving that way know what kind of undead presence they would be looking at.

“That office building right there.” Andy pointed ahead, about two blocks away a half destroyed building stood three stories tall. “We can stop there for a few minutes. We can refill our water too, get a lay of the land and all that.” Andy hadn’t thought to bring an extra bottle of water, Lucy’s was already empty, and half of Andy’s now as well. 

Lucy huffed, giving a look to her partner that said I’m not fragile, I don’t need to stop every five minutes. 

“No arguments.” Andy said a bit more firmly. “Don’t worry love, we made good time so we can stand to rest for at least thirty minutes. Besides, with all those kicks and cramps I need to have a talk with the baby. Not very polite to kick while their moms are trying to get them stuff.” Andy smiled, putting her rifle over her shoulder so that she could kiss Lucy’s cheek. 

Lucy just wanted to get to the mall, the continued restless energy keeping her focused on their destination. She didn’t really want to stop, if she stopped she would notice just how much her hips, her back, and her feet were all aching. But they needed more water and taking a few minutes inside a building would certainly give them a break from the constant heightened alert they both were on. 

“He’s fine, just out of room and using my organs as a punching bag. Same as yesterday and the day before that.” She said a bit curtly, not directed at her partner but just the irritability of a heavily pregnant woman. 

When they arrived at the patrol building, Lucy made a beeline for the bathroom while Andy went through the usual motions of arriving at a patrol station. With all the water she’d been drinking to get rid of the practice cramps, she was desperate for a wee. Lucy knew the way, having patrolled this station numerous times prior to pregnancy, however when someone was expecting they were taken off some of the more riskier stations.

Once in the bathroom with her jeans around her knees she noticed a sticky gooey substance in her underwear. Her mucus plug. Shit. It freaked her out at first, especially when the discovery was timed with a practice contraction. “No, it’s okay, no need to worry.” She told herself as she rubbed her belly. “This can happen weeks before labour. It’s fine. No need to panic, and no need to tell your other mum. Right?” She asked the baby, hoping for confirmation that it wasn’t time. He kicked, a swift move up to the ribs. “Yes, that’s right, it’s not time for you yet, mister.” 

Outside the bathroom, Andy had her brow furrowed as she looked at the notebook. The last patrol that came through had left no notes, nothing about spotting hordes. Her stomach churned at the blatant disregard for procedure. They might not be military, but they did things this way for a reason. 

“Lazy bastards.” She muttered. She’d be talking to the patrols when they got back. The only reason she’d agreed to bringing Lucy out here was that they’d have the information from the patrols. But this book hadn’t been updated in nearly a month. For all they knew, a horde could have taken up residence in the mall and no one would know. Andy glanced back at the bathroom, knowing all too well it could take some time before Lucy was ready. In the meantime, Andy would do what the patrols didn’t.

She looked out the window at the park, it was overgrown, much like the rest of the city. There were a few zombies out, nothing they couldn’t avoid. A fight wasn’t something they needed, especially with the baby slowing Lucy’s movements. Aside from those few stragglers of what she assumed was a larger horde, the way was clear. Maybe another thirty minutes of walking. Andy looked to the bathroom door again, Lucy really was taking a long time.

“Lucy?” Andy called. She could hear her girlfriend talking. “Baby the way is clear all the way to the mall. When you’re ready we will fill up the water and head out.” The blonde opened the bathroom door just in time to see Lucy trying to stand. “Need help up love?”

Lucy laughed, partially squatted with her knickers on but jeans still around her knees. Immediately she put her hand out for her girlfriend's support. “One of these days I’m gonna get stuck on a toilet.” She joked. Andy helped her stand while she pulled her jeans up. Although an ill-advised outfit for a heavily pregnant woman, Lucy was grateful she was wearing her pre-pregnancy jeans with the flies wide open meaning she had nothing tight or elastic on her lower belly. She was uncomfortable enough as it was without anything squeezing tighter. 

After finishing up in the bathroom the pair went to fill their water bottles before returning to the outside. The thick warm air was only marginally better outside than it was inside. Lucy barely remembered what air conditioning felt like anymore, but god she wished she had it during this pregnancy. There were dark clouds over the horizon, perhaps they’d have a storm this evening, hopefully it would cool things down a little. 

“Was there anything useful in the patrol notes?” Lucy asked innocently, though the disgruntled expression she got in return told her everything she needed to know. Andy loved routine and procedures, it was probably her way of feeling in control in an out-of-control world. Lucy was a bit more carefree in that respect, not that she didn’t care but perhaps was a bit more chilled about things. It was partly why she didn’t want to tell Andy about losing her mucus plug, she would no doubt spiral into worry and demand they return home regardless of the fact Lucy wasn’t having contractions or even close to going into labour. She’d tell her later, after she had her baby shopping day. 

“Theyre going to get an ass whooping when we get back.” Andy said. Taking Lucy out here was already a massive risk, and Andy couldn’t stop running scenarios in her head. Where they’d hold up for a horde, where they’d seek shelter out of the storm. All the while she kept a smile on her face in an attempt to show Lucy she wasn’t currently riddled with anxiety. “At least we have a pretty day for a walk though, for now. Lil bubs should get some nature time.”

As they walked through the park, twice they had to avert their route because of a zombie blocking the path. After Lucy was forced to take a break, claiming the baby decided to kick her hard, led Andy into a lecture about patrol protocol and the reasons that Lucy had been taken off them months ago. The blonde continued fussing over Lucy and the baby, not outwardly saying that they could still go home, but implying heavily. Each insinuation was met with Lucy deflecting and reaffirming that they were going ‘shopping’. It was always going to be a losing battle, but Andy persisted. Eventually the conversation turned to the scenery. The park's vegetation made it seem like they walked through the woods.

“Do we have a verdict?” Andy asked. She could hear the quiet shuffles of a zombie nearby but couldn’t see any, she kept her knife in her hand just in case. “Bubs like nature?”

“Hmmm… he’s certainly moving more that’s for sure.” Lucy said with a slight grimace, feeling another punch from her unborn child. Her hands were cradling her bump at this point, as they walked quickly through the park, lifting it slightly to ease some of the pressure on her pelvis. 

Everything around them was overgrown and wild, not the idyllic suburban park it originally was. It also meant there were many hiding places for the roaming undead; behind trees, in the bushes, amongst the debris that had been dragged across the abandoned green. As they got nearer to the other side she felt Andy stiffen beside her. Lucy was too focused on the baby and her wondering thoughts of when the little one might arrive now she’d lost her plug, but when her girlfriend gripped her knife a little harder she turned her attention outwards, only to hear a rustling nearby. Too nearby. 

Andy slowly rotated, eyes narrowing. With all the trees, narrowing down the sounds to a precise point was nearly impossible. Instinctually she reached behind herself, ensuring Lucy was there in the safest spot she knew. Well, not the safest, that was back in their apartment behind a fence with armed guards. A twig snapped, and Andy spun, simultaneously keeping Lucy out of the way with her other arm. Too close, everything was too damn close. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw it. Branches parted, and a face rotted with decay and smelling of the most heinous scents Andy and Lucy could imagine emerged. The zombie only had one arm, shuffling towards them. 

Andy reacted quickly, reversing the grip on her knife and plunging it into the top of the things skull. It made a sound, one that no sane human could mimic, and collapsed to the ground. Bodily fluids slurped as Andy yanked the knife out, and she faced Lucy.

“Still think coming out here was a—.” Andy’s eyes went wide, just as another zombie came out of the woods, right behind Lucy.

The look on her girlfriend's face made Lucy’s heart stop. She whipped around and was suddenly face to face with a white-eyed rotting corpse. Out of pure instinct Lucy lifted her leg and kicked hard against the being’s ragged torso. It was her only defence, Andy had the weapons, and she couldn’t allow the undead to get too close for fear of infection. Both Lucy and the zombie fell back from the force of the kick. There was a millisecond of weightlessness as her heavily pregnant body careened backwards. Before she could hit the ground Andy’s arms were around her, her girlfriend having rushed forward to break her fall. 

The creature scrambled on the floor in a circle like a dog, quickly getting back to its feet and charging back towards them. Lucy could see chunks of the creature's limbs were missing but still somehow functional. All it took was two lunges forward and it was right at her feet. Andy was stuck beneath her, squashed when the pair fell backwards. Lucy was about to roll onto her side, so Andy could break free and attack, but the creature jumped into the air. 

She screamed as the undead launched, wrapping her arms over her belly in protection and lifting both legs in the air, bent at the knee with feet up. She kicked once more, using strength she didn’t know she still possessed, and when her feet made impact against the rotted flesh a loud crack of bones could be heard across the park. The force of her kick cracking the ribs of the undead creature as it hurtled back. 

Andy was stuck. In her haste to catch Lucy, her knife was lost, scattered a dozen feet away and no longer an option for protection. Panic was setting in, not for the undead, but for her girlfriend and their unborn child. They shouldn’t have come, she should have stood her ground.

The creature was writhing, its pain centers long since rotted away. It’s unnatural speed horrified her. It righted itself, bones cracking beneath its skin as it did so. Andy was still trying to get out from under Lucy, at least enough to free her hand and grab her pistol. It lunged at them, and Andy’s instincts took over. As the saliva and blood soaked teeth gnashed towards Lucy’s face, Andy threw her arm out. The zombie bit down on the blondes arm, and she growled in effort. Its fingers went for Lucy, but with the adrenaline pumping into her, Andy was able to shove her girlfriend aside. The teeth clamped harder, and despite the body having little to no flesh left, it still kept its power. That didn’t matter now.

With Lucy out of the way, Andy kicked out one of the legs, forcing it to lose its leverage. Her free hand went for the small of her back, finding that comforting grip that was the pistol. In the corner of her eye she spotted Lucy moving, she didn’t know what she was doing, but Andy didn’t want her near this.

“Get fuckin back!” She shouted, just as she pulled the pistol, and fired two shots into the things skull. It went limp immediately, twice dead weight falling onto Andy. She shoved the thing off, its jaw still clamped around her arm as she tried to stabilize her breathing.

“Fuck… Andy, Andy you okay?” Lucy croaked. The redhead had been pushed aside, thrown across the long grass. She ended up beside the motionless corpse of the first undead. When she saw her girlfriend’s misplaced knife glinting through the green blades she had grabbed it and got to her feet to try and help Andy. Everything happened so quickly; its teeth, the knife, the gunshot. And now, now Andy was prone on the floor. Panic clenched her heart, the raw fear of something happening to her girlfriend made her stomach drop. 

Lucy fell to her knees beside her partner, her hands cradling her face. “Babe?” 

Beneath her hands she felt Andy’s chest rise and fall, her eyes were open, she was alive. Relief flooded through Lucy’s body. Andy was alive, she was okay. As if a switch had been flicked, Lucy’s body immediately crumpled, adrenaline fading and her vision swimming. 

She’d barely registered Lucy’s voice, or her touch. Andy’s heart was pounding as she fought the shock that was trying to overtake her. The world could have been blown to hell and rebuilt and she would not have noticed. 

“Luce?” Andy blinked, her vision refocusing. Everything flooded back, her head ached, and her arm hurt like a bastard. She sat up, the passage of time seeming to slow. The head was still on her arm, she stared at it with a blank expression. Lucy, the baby… “LUCY!” Everything snapped into focus, and she turned to her girlfriend. She had a scrape on her cheek, and grass in her hair. Andy ripped the head off her arm, feeling the sting of relief as she threw it away. “Lucy? Baby?”

Andy was on her knees, checking Lucy over. No blood, just small cuts and scrapes.

“Fuck. Baby look at me. Lucy!”

The long, haunting drone of hundreds of decayed vocal cords filled the air around them. Andy knew that all too well, a horde, a fucking massive horde. The gunshots had drawn them to the couple, and it was only a matter of time before they were on the pair. And if they caught the scent of their blood… they’d never lose them. Andy tried to lift Lucy, but she couldn’t, all she managed was to pull the mother to be into a sitting position. This was all wrong, they had to leave. 

“Goddammit Lucy get your pregnant ass up!”

Everything felt so heavy, every bone, every muscle, Lucy felt so dazed and confused. One minute her girlfriend was laying beneath an undead creature and the next she was struggling to get Lucy to her feet. The hauntingly familiar screeching pierced her ears and instinctively the pregnant woman shifted to her knees and then her feet. She gave Andy the knife back so she could cradle her belly as they started to move out the park as fast as they could. The horde wasn’t close enough to be seen, but god that sound. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. The noise was coming from the direction they had travelled, the way back to camp. How were they going to get back? Lucy’s mind short circuited, only fear pumped through her veins. Luckily Andy seemed to have a plan. 

“They’ve got us blocked.” Andy hissed. “Only safe direction is towards the mall.” 

As they moved Lucy could feel the baby shifting in her womb. That was good. He wasn’t harmed, he was still safe. Her hands lifted the bump as much as she could to take as much pressure as possible off her pelvis so she could run. But the grinding weight in her hips was impossible to alleviate. Every step seemed to hurt, sending shooting pains up her spine. Why did the baby have to be so low, why did she think it was a good idea to leave camp when she was this god damn pregnant. As if her body was protesting the physical activity a sharp cramp rolled across her lower belly. 

Andy was pulling her forwards, trying to help her move faster. She wanted to stop and breathe through the discomfort, but the gravelled hungry cries of the undead seemed to be getting closer. They couldn’t stop. If they stopped they’d be dead. Worse than dead. By the time they reached the exit to the park Lucy was panting and grimacing. 

The park was right up against the parking lot for the mall. In the early days of the outbreak and subsequent ending of the world, the malls large parking area had been utilized as a triage for the overflow from the hospitals. When treatment for the infected was abandoned, it instead became a mass grave. Andy kept a tight grip on Lucy, refusing to let her slow down. Above the pounding of her heart she could hear her girlfriend's heavy breathing. They couldn’t stop, not yet, not until they had some kind of barrier between them and the dead.

The couple reached a fence, old rusted signs called the area restricted. Even if anyone was still alive to enforce it, Andy wouldn’t give a damn. Frantically, she looked side to side. There. Fifty yards away, a gate. Andy turned to run, only to be halted by Lucy’s gasping breaths. The pregnancy had slowed her girlfriend, and the physical exertion of the moment must be hell. They didn’t have the time though. With a squeeze of her hand, they bolted, continuing the run towards their salvation. The noises grew louder, and the crushing vegetation beneath the feet of the horde sounded too much like flesh tearing.

“Get in!” The gate was open, its lock long since destroyed by scavengers. Andy practically shoved Lucy in, following behind soon after. The blonde made a mistake there, she looked back towards the treeline, and saw them. Ten, twenty, fifty, a hundred. Bodies upon bodies of the undead sprinting with ravenous hunger towards them, releasing a shrill roar that made the hair on her neck stand on end. “Fuck. Move move move!”

Lucy winced, trying to ignore the pain in her pelvis and back, and resumed running towards the mall. She didn't dare let go of her bump, it felt like if she let go it would simply drop to the floor. It was firm beneath her palms, and so damn heavy, but any concern she might have had was lost to the rabid sound of the undead hot on their tails. 

Andy pulled her pistol, she didn’t have enough ammo to even make a dent in such a group. When collected in sizes like this, the camp would usually do a ‘suicide run’. One person, someone fast, leading a horde into a trap where they could be taken out. Out here in the open, and with a woman nearly due? Options were dwindling by the second.

“Up ahead, get to the front door!” 

Every step was too much, every move sent a pain up her spine. Lucy was visibly struggling to run at any sort of speed, her natural stance far too wide. She wanted to stop, she wanted to curl over her bump and catch her breath, she needed to rest. But she couldn’t. The undead were coming and they had to get out of the open. 

Too slow, too goddamn slow!

Andy had to cut back her speed in order to stay behind Lucy. Running ahead would mean she could get the door open, but exposing her girlfriends back to a horde with no buffer was not going to happen. Lucy had started to slow even more, her striding waddle nearly coming to a crawl. Andy saw her try to reach a nearby table for what she assumed was momentary support, even a few seconds of rest would lead to death. Andy grabbed her hand before she had a chance to put it on the table.

“We have to move faster!” 

Lucy whimpered, clutching at her bump. “Ohhhh… but Andy—”

Andy practically shoved her forwards. They were close, but so were the undead. Andy could hear them hitting the fence. She turned just long enough to spot the horde climbing over one another like a flood of ants. As bodies stacked, they managed to get over the fence. Her stomach dropped, five of them were closing in, sprinting like feral hounds of the hunt. Teeth gnashed, and bloodshot eyes focused on the couple. They had no chance of getting inside before at least one reached them.

Up ahead, the doors stood like a bastion of hope. While they were made of glass, they were durable enough to hold back a horde for at least a little while. 

“Inside! Get inside!”

They slammed into the doors, both of them pulling. That was when Andy noticed with horror, the doors were chained and padlocked. There was a little give, enough for Andy to get through with minimal effort thanks to her slim stature, but Lucy…

Andy shut her eyes, coming to terms with what might happen next, not that it matter. She opened her eyes, looking at the spot on her jacket sleeve where the blood was still wet. She was going to die anyways, right? At least she could get Lucy in and protect her long enough. She pulled hard on the chain, opening the gap as wide as possible. With her other hand she pointed the pistol at the oncoming zombies.

“Move!” Her gaze locked on Lucy, tears burning. “I won’t let them get you.”

“W-what….” Lucy was confused, her girlfriend looked scared but also… resigned? A loud cry from the approaching horde shook the mother-to-be from any conversation and she moved towards the crack in the doors. 

She surely couldn’t fit through there, but there wasn’t any other option. They had seconds, if that, before the undead reached them. Somehow Lucy curled over her rounder belly, lowering her knees, and squeezed herself through the gap Andy was providing. Her partner’s full body weight was pulling at the chained door, trying to make the gap as wide as possible. Lucy slipped in, in a diagonal angle, her belly squashed against the door as the survival instinct prevailed and eventually she made it through. 

“Andy!” She yelled back through the doors, whipping herself around to make sure her partner was following behind her. The horde was close, Andy’s gun was raised, and for a split second Lucy feared she would be doing something stupid like sacrificing herself. “Come on Andy! Get in here now!” 

Andy was shaking, should she go? If the bite was real, and that blood hers, she’d be putting Lucy and their baby in danger. The closest of the horde got close, and she fired, putting two down with three bullets. Her heart was pounding as she heard her blood in her ears. Was that a symptom? Or was that simply adrenaline. Lucy’s hand grabbed her wrist through the gap, and Andy was brought back to reality. She turned, seeing her redheaded lover’s eyes full of fear and concern.

If I am infected… I will stop myself before I hurt them She told herself. Andy dipped between the gap, about to pull the doors shut and lock them when the bodies of two zombies slammed into the door. The glass cracked, but held firm. Andy found a small metal pipe on the ground, and put it through the handles to provide just a little extra protection. She took a deep, shuddering breath.

“We need to get deeper into the mall.” She said, trying to stabilize her voice. She had to keep calm, she had to get Lucy out before things got worse. “Baby? Can you run?”

“Hmmm… I don’t think I can run any-anymore.” Lucy admitted, exhaling heavily with relief now there was some sort of barrier between them and the undead. Unconsciously her hands moved around her bump, rubbing and cradling it protectively and soothingly. 

The pair moved at a pace, not running but they weren’t taking it slow either. The inside of the mall was dark. They were on the ground floor and there was a second and third layer above their heads. Each shop was left open, glass windows smashed, debris everywhere. Lucy managed to get a few metres from the barricaded glass door before she stopped, her eyebrows furrowed. 

Without the adrenaline of a zombie horde right behind them, she felt it more clearly now - that dull but forceful tightening in her belly. A groan of pain slipped from her throat and she cradled her swollen middle. Her other hand shot out towards Andy, looking for something to hold and brace against as the cramping spiked to new levels. 

“Uhhhhh…..” 

Andy had been preoccupied, eyes darting to and fro for anything that might be used as a barrier or weapon. It was doomed however thanks to her eyes deciding at that moment to take an eternity to adjust to the lack of light. Further into the mall towards the food court there would be a skylight, and that would be a good place to get to if only because of how far away it was from this section of the mall. The plan in her head faltered when Lucy’s hand clamped onto her forearm, and the pregnant survivor bent over.

“Lucy?” Andy said, sounding far more out of breath than she’d realized. “Babe we can’t stay here we have to keep…” Lucy’s hand was on her stomach, oh fuck. Andy’s concern grew tenfold instantly. “Is the baby ok?” Was this her fault? Had she pushed her too hard? “Lucy, talk to me.”

“Ah… hooooo… I think…” Lucy squeezed her girlfriend’s arm while trying to withstand the firm pressure rippling through her lower half. “…I think I’m having… contractions…” Her face scrunched, breathing heavily while the pain peaked and then ebbed away. 

It took her a moment to recover, a part of her not wanting to look up, not wanting to see Andy’s reaction. Andy had said going out this heavily pregnant was a bad idea, and damn it she was right. Looking towards her girlfriend she saw Andy’s face had blanched. Even though Lucy was the one feeling pain, she somehow still felt like comforting her girlfriend's clear panicked expression. 

“He’s… he’s okay I think. He’s moving and kicking like normal. Mmmmm… he’s just…” her voice trailed off, barely even a whisper “…really low.” 

“Contractions…”

Andy’s hand was shaking as she reached out, placing it on Lucy’s stomach. The baby was extremely low, yes. Her chest felt like it was in a vice as she tried to think. There was nothing she could do, and really, she was terrified to even make skin to skin contact with Lucy. What if even being this close could get her infected?

“We need to get you home.” She finally said, pulling her hand away. A small, bloody print was left on Lucy's shirt. “I’ll get you home. I promise.” Andy could no longer think back to every time she’d tried to stop this trip from happening. All of that was no longer a concern, all she cared about was getting the two people she loved home. A home she wouldn’t see again. Andy turned away so that Lucy couldn’t see the tears. “Cmon. There’s an exit by the food court.”

That was…strange, Lucy thought. She assumed Andy would be more tactile following the admission of having contractions but she had whipped her hand away so fast as if Lucy’s bump was on fire. Maybe her partner was pissed off they were in this mess, all because Lucy had been so stupidly focused on trivial items. Andy would certainly have every right to be annoyed, it was because of Lucy they were even out here. 

Lucy followed her girlfriend through the debris towards the centre of the mall, towards the food court. Each movement was slower and more considered, the weight nestled in her hips felt so low she didn’t want to take any large steps or risk triggering another contraction. Should they be timing these? No… that was only needed if she was in labour. A few cramps weren't labour. It was just stress, yes, just stress. 

Barely five minutes of silence had passed before Lucy began to hum a whimper. “Mmmgh… A-Andy… it’s happening again…” she groaned and waddled to the nearest wall to press her palms against its solid surface. She found her hips shifting automatically side to side, a low sound rumbling in the back of her throat as her womb began to clench once more. 

Andy moved, coming up behind her girlfriend. She had to find some way to calm her, but how? Nothing about this situation was calm. She’d started to reach out, to offer comfort, but pulled back. The fear of infection was foremost in her thoughts. All those days they did the practice breaths and stretches, lomenz or something, like the camp doctor said.

“Just, breathe through it.” 

A distant crash, followed by an echoing howl caught her attention. Lucy didn’t seem to notice. The blonde took a passive glance at her girlfriend, her head was hanging down, and the sounds she was making… it wasn’t like the ones she made with the cramps back home. It sounded off. Another crash, another howl of the undead.

“Luce…” A shadow, far down the way they came. It moved like it was having a fit, jerking one way to the other. It croaked, and an ill timed groan from Lucy made its frantic movements end, and even at a distance, Andy could see the limited intelligence snap into place. “Lucy…” A second shadow, growing larger, coming towards them. “Lucy!” Andy’s hiss was barely loud enough to echo, not that they could hear it above the growing growls. The infected, were inside.

Lucy’s face scrunched, her teeth clamping together as the pain reached its peak. She had tried to contain her noises, she really had, but the intensity of the contraction had caught her completely off guard. It was just so much stronger than any practice cramp. At the tail end of the wave, just as it released her muscles enough to lift her head up, she felt something give…. 

“Oh no….” Lucy muttered under her breath, a warmth flooding the inside of her jeans and running down her thighs. She whipped her head to the side, to look wide eyed and panicked at her girlfriend. “…my waters….” 

This wasn’t happening, it couldn’t be happening now. Fuck. Lucy’s bottom lip trembled, her heart thundering so loud in her chest she feared it would summon the undead. Labour, she was actually in labour. The reality of their situation sank like a stone to the pit of her stomach. She felt sick. 

“What?” Andy whirled, seeing the puddle growing between Lucy’s legs. Fear flooded her. Labor?! As if this entire goddamn situation couldn’t have been worse, now Lucy was actually in labor. Bubs was coming, and… A dark thought entered her mind, she glanced down, her hand was shaking again, it had to be the infection. Through the terror of knowing what was to come, she couldn’t look at the bloody spot on her sleeve, the bite she knew was beneath it.

The last thing she’d do, was see Lucy safe, and if she could, maybe see what their baby looked like.

“Upstairs.” Andy said, refocusing. “We need to get upstairs.” There’s shops upon shops in this place, they needed to hide, Andy needed to be able to think. The undead started moving. Slowly, the first tilted its head, like a wolf scenting the air. There was no mistaking the scent they were latching onto. The amniotic fluids coupled with the blood from Lucy’s water breaking was too unique for them not to seek. Andy, left with little choice, pulled Lucy’s sleeve towards the stairs. She didn’t move, not at first. Unable to contain her whirlwind of emotions, she got in her girlfriend's face.

“If we don’t move, you, and him, will die. I need you to fucking move!”

She’d never seen Andy this scared or serious before, not even when they’d been out on patrol together pre-pregnancy. It was almost scary, making the gravity of their situation impossible to ignore. A silent tear rolled down her cheek, Lucy’s hands cradling her belly after pushing herself away from the wall. She nodded, silently showing understanding. 

Andy whisked them around a corner out of direct line of sight from the glass door where the undead had smashed through. Every step was arduous, Lucy could feel so much more pressure in her pelvis without the cushioning of her waters, feeling like a boulder was grinding between her hips. But she kept running, being dragged by her sleeve as Andy led the way. She tried to grab Andy’s hand to hold but it was twisted away whenever she reached. Lucy wanted to say something, to admit aloud that she needed the physical support, but breathing took priority - speech wasn’t possible as well with the speed in which they were moving. 

They made a sharp left turn, diving into one of the large department stores. Lucy cradled her stomach to try to lessen the bouncing pressure that seemed to sink with every heavy step. She didn’t know where they were going, she could barely think, but trusted her girlfriend implicitly. Andy must have a plan. They weaved around the maze of clothing rails inside the store, stepping over broken mannequins and discarded old fabrics. Left, right, right, left. Lucy was gasping, struggling to keep the panicked pace Andy had set. Then the next contraction struck and Lucy immediately doubled over, bracing her thighs and panting. 

Andy lost her grip on Lucy’s shirt the second she’d stopped. The blonde cursed in frustration. The sounds of their followers was distant now, but it wouldn’t be for long. In her head she tried to do the math, the doors were shattered, hundreds of bodies, maybe some would lose interest in the time it took to get inside? At the very least they’d have fifty in the mall with them in the next ten minutes. Reduced to their basic instincts, they’d follow one another, so unless the few who had Lucy’s scent got separated enough, they’d all group together and hunt.

The old signs didn’t help much with them being so covered in grime, they’d only been children when this all started, so the innate knowledge of shopping mall layouts wasn’t something either of them possessed. Sure there was a map, and Mike had been the one to tell them the turn by turn in the mall to get to the maternity store, but Andy couldn’t focus. The infection, or just pure nerves and adrenaline, she wasn’t sure. Looking over the racks of clothes, Andy spotted a line of doors. Dressing rooms, she remembered, they’re small but they lock. 

The blonde was about to tell Lucy they needed to move again, only to stop. Lucy was still panting, still fighting through the contraction. Sympathy for her partner was quickly overshadowed by survival instinct, and her need to protect.

“Dressing rooms.” Andy said, grabbing Lucy’s sleeve again. “Dressing room, now.”

Lucy whipped her head up, staring at Andy with teary eyes. “G-give me a second… hooooo…” she exhaled as quietly as she could, the contraction still holding her womb in a vice. Her fingers squeezed her thighs, bracing her legs as she rocked her hips around the pressure in the bowl of her pelvis. There was no way she could move while this pain lashed across her middle. And yet Andy was yanking at her sleeve trying to get her to move. Lucy was panicking and scared, their baby was coming, and she needed her girlfriend’s strength and support more than ever. But all she seemed to get was Andy’s fearful barking orders to run. 

Amniotic fluid continued to leak down Lucy’s thighs; she could feel it happen during each contraction, that gentle rush of warmth seeping into the already-dampened denim of her too-small jeans. She had to consciously bite down on her tongue to stop any noise escaping as the wave of pressure peaked and disappeared. Slowly she straightened up, one hand pressing into her back while the other cradled her bump. “Okay… let’s go…” she muttered, letting Andy - who was practically bouncing on the spot at this point - lead the way to the back corner of the department store. 

Andy didn’t take the most direct route, something that she knew would hamper Lucy. But, if the scent was sporadic, and the leaking fluids Lucy continued to leave behind traced over itself, then maybe it would confuse the undead. That is, if confusion was still something they were capable of. 

The pace quickened, and Andy spotted the series of five doors where once upon a time people could try clothes on. Her mind slipped, imagination taking her to a reality she’d never see; Lucy trying on maternity clothes, cooing at baby clothes, both of them having the time of their lives. The blonde shook the thought from her head. Deeper into the clothing store, the darkness encompassed them. Andy’s eyes were adjusted somewhat, but it was far from ideal, and with what was behind them, the risk of a flashlight was too great. That was why she missed it.

A squelching, gnawing sound so miniscule it was unheard by the women. The infected was small, perhaps Lucy’s height, but emaciated to the point that its ribs pressed out against its skin, a cage attempting to escape its leather confines. The dog it’d caught didn’t have much meat either, but the thing didn’t care, it only wanted to feed. A new scent, and sounds, disturbed its meal. Bloodshot eyes rose, flesh still trapped between rotting teeth as its jaw worked. A guttural, ululating sound came from its throat, and the women’s footsteps stopped. It knew where the source was, the blood, the fresh meat. It began to move…

“Andy, th-the rooms are right…”

“Shh.” Andy hissed, eyes scanning. In the far distance she could still hear the sounds of the dead, but the one she’d just heard, the blonde could’ve sworn it was closer. “Something’s in here…”

The gun would be too loud, everything nearby would come for them, for Lucy. Andy, with slow movements, drew her knife. Point down, she lowered her stance to try and look under the racks of clothes, Lucy however, was rooted to the spot, frozen in fear.

The undead stared at the source of the scent, who stared back, frozen, hands on her round body. Plump, fresh, meat. New smells, fresh blood. It moved on all fours, the icy blue iris of once human eyes glaring out of the dark. The sweet scent of flesh was too much, and it… was hungry. It could sense something about the fat fresh meat, something different than its other meals. This one had more, fresher meat inside…

“A-Andy…” Lucy’s voice was a barely audible gasp, but the fear in her tone was enough to call Andy’s attention. She turned, just in time to hear the scuttling. 

It lunged at its meal, the need to feed was absolute. The undead never reached its meal, never sank its teeth into the warm fresh flesh. The other meal, the scrawny one, had blocked its path. Thrown to the side, they hit the cold, dead floor. The scrawny meat on top of it made a noise, but the undead had no concept of language anymore, it gnashed and scratched, hungry, so SO hungry! It tried to make its own sound, the ululating cry, the one that called others to feed. Its mouth opened, but no sound came, everything simply went dark.

Andy was panting, she’d tackled the damned undead out of the air as it lunged at Lucy. By some miracle, it hadn’t screamed, and Andy’s blade quickly plunged into its jugular and then deeper to sever its spine. She felt sick, lightheaded, and all around terrible. The survivor pulled the blade out, wiping it on her sleeve before standing again. The couple made eye contact again, Andy’s attempted reassuring smile ended with her breakfast on the floor.

Lucy hadn’t moved, her arms wrapped around her belly protectively and watched in horror as her girlfriend wrestled with the undead. It was only once Andy had stood up, smiling faintly, that Lucy could breathe again. And then she was rushing forward towards her girlfriend who was doubled over vomiting. 

“A-Andy… that was crazy… you could have died!!” She whispered, placing her hand on Andy’s back and rubbing gently to soothe and aid the vomiting. 

“Gah… f-fuck…” Andy groaned, wiping her mouth on her non blood covered sleeve. “We need, to get you hidden.” Andy took a deep breath, and stood upright. “At least for a few minutes.” Even if the undead didn’t call out to the others, that scuffle very well could have alerted any nearby creatures.

“Just… just stop for a second, Andy please.” Lucy put her hands on her lover’s shoulders and forced her to turn around so they were facing. She was ghostly white, sweat dampening her forehead, and she was trembling. “Honey, what’s going on, talk to me. You’re not thinking, you’re shouting at me, you’re throwing yourself into the arms of the fucking undead. What are you doing?” The panicked worries spilled from Lucy’s mouth without filter. This was the first chance since the attack in the park they could speak to one another. Granted it was in a dark changing room in an abandoned mall surrounded by infected undead creatures, but she needed to understand. Andy was acting so strangely, so aloof, and it felt more frightening than any zombie or contraction. 

“Talk to me, please, I can’t do this without you.” She said quietly, both of them glancing down to the round bump between them. 

Andy let the silence hang, she tried to back up from Lucy, but her lover wouldn’t allow it. The blonde was terrified of being so close to their baby, that her proximity might harm them, or she’d turn feral, and attack Lucy. She saw a flutter on the fabric covered surface of Lucy’s womb, and she couldn’t stop the tears rolling.

“You’ll have to, Lucy.” She finally broke the quiet. “I, I won’t be there for you, for the baby.”

“What are you talking about?” 

“Fuck. I’m, I’m infected Luce!” Andy broke away from her, putting her back against the wall of the dressing room. “I’m infected…” Andy let out a breath, all the fear and tension with it. The truth was out, and she couldn’t bear to look her girlfriend in the eyes. “I have to get you home, before I can’t anymore.”

It felt like Lucy’s whole world cracked open and crashed at her feet. Infected. She stumbled back, hand on chest, struggling to breathe. Infected. Her strong and gorgeous partner, her soul mate, was going to turn into…into one of them. Infected! 

“No…. Y-you can’t be…” Lucy croaked, her eyes roaming every inch of Andy in search of verification. They landed on her jacket, the dark congealed blood staining one sleeve. Bile rose up her throat, the acidity making her retch. “No… no no no… you can’t do this. You can’t leave me Andy.” 

In blind desperation Lucy rushed forwards, her arms raised, wrapping Andy in her embrace as if she could stop the inevitable. If she clung on tight enough Andy could never leave. 

“Lucy please.” Andy turned her face away, her hands locked at her side. As much as she needed this hug, the blonde remained terrified about the proximity. “Baby I need you to let go.” Andy gingerly put her hands on Lucy’s hips, and tried to push her away. “Lucy don’t make this harder.”

“You’re not… g-gonna be one of them. I w-won’t let you…” Lucy sobbed against Andy’s shoulder, her fingers gripping harder. 

This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t happening! Lucy could feel the hitching of Andy’s chest, knowing she was on the verge of tears as well. But then her girlfriend pushed harder against her hips, forcing more of a gap between them. Fear reflected in both their eyes. 

“You’re not infected Andy, you’re not… y-y-you can’t be…. Not now… you have to be there, to raise this b-baby with m-me…” the tears cascaded rivers down Lucy’s cheeks, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She couldn’t believe it, didn’t want to believe it. How… when?! “S-show me.” She demanded through the tears. 

“Lucy…”

“Show. Me.” 

Andy hadn’t dared look, the pain was present, a dull throb that became sharp at any movement. The blood on her sleeve was enough to know she was dead, or soon would be. Her hands were shaking again, and that need to vomit once again grew as her vivid imagination put the image of her gnarled forearm in her mind. Her breathing became rapid. Between the couple, Andy held out her arm. Caked blood covered it up to the elbow, her hand as well.

She kept hesitating, not even paying attention to the sounds coming from outside the dressing room. All that was far away. Andy unbuttoned her cuff, and pulled. The blood… didn’t go past her wrist. Andy kept pulling till the sleeve was at her mid forearm. The skin was bruised, and where the bite should be, there was nothing. Barely even an indentation, the bite that killed Andy, never broke her flesh.

“W-what…” 

Lucy snatched Andy’s arm, yanking it up towards her face to inspect every inch of gorgeous, perfect skin. Bite marks, bite marks… “Where’s the bite mark??” Lucy blurted, turning the extended arm over and back again. Slowly she looked up and saw confusion on her girlfriend's face. 

“You didn’t even check?!?!! For fucks sake Andy! So what - you assumed and just surrendered to your fate?” Gut-wrenching heart ache quickly transitioned to relief but then anger, Lucy’s cheeks flushing and her speech getting louder. “You tackled one to the ground, you were right on top of it, you could have died! All because you thought you had been bitten. Didn’t think to actually fucking check before throwing yourself to the undead wolves.” 

“B-but I felt the bite...”

As fury swarmed through every vein in Lucy’s body, she pushed against her partner’s shoulders, the combination of relief and rage coming out through the heel of her palm as she shoved Andy back. What the fuck. All that distance, acting strangely, not touching, being reckless and for what?! She was nine months pregnant for God’s sake, she didn’t need this sort of stress— 

Harsh, twisting pain lashed across her uterus and Lucy threw her arms out and grabbed Andy’s biceps. “Ughhhhh…” she groaned, a low unstoppable sound clawing up her throat as the pressure in her pelvis skyrocketed. There was so much intensity in the contraction, much worse than any before. Her heart thundered in her chest, her knees bent and widened instinctively, all thoughts of arguing quickly overshadowed with how incredibly low the baby felt between her hips. 

The dumbfounded trance Andy had been stuck in after realizing that she wasn’t actively dying quickly ended. The fear of proximity was gone, and Andy’s hands quickly took hold of Lucy’s arms to offer support. Once upon a time, the dressing room had a bench, the screws still jutted from the wall where it had been attached, but that was long gone. Andy wanted to tell Lucy to sit down, but with nowhere feasible, she just continued the support.

“Breathe through it.” She told her. More words of encouragement came to mind, the ones she’d practiced in the mirror and her imagination to prepare for the birth. All that fell flat though, as Lucy’s low groans attracted unwanted attention. Survival instincts came back to Andy, though her methods and thought process were no longer self sacrificial and borderline suicidal. Fuck the infected, she was going to be there for her girlfriend and their baby.

The howl, seemingly from the front of the store, reached them. A cluster of infected, too far and dark for her to identify any true number. The contraction was still holding Lucy hostage, and Andy could tell that her ability to hold back any noises was about to fail. Thinking fast, she pushed Lucy back, and lifted her hand to cover her mouth. The blonde's wide eyes tried to tell of the danger nearby, and she could only hope that Lucy understood.

The redhead’s eyes scrunched, the wave of the contraction crashing through her very soul. Lucy understood what Andy was doing, she did, but that didn’t make the action any less shocking or claustrophobic. Her back was flat against the dressing room wall, Andy’s palm across her mouth, her womb an iron sphere between them. With her mouth covered she was panting loudly through her nostrils, trying to swallow down the groaning sounds in her throat. 

As the intensity spiked Lucy’s fingers clawed into her girlfriend’s arms, her knees softening for the briefest of moments with the pressure in her pelvis, then her legs went back to normal. Well, as normal as they could in active labour. 

Slowly, once sure the contraction has passed, Andy’s hand lifted from her mouth. Lucy exhaled, slumping back against the wall, catching her breath back. 

“This… this is happening… really quickly babe.” She whispered, her voice soft and subtle so as to not attract unwanted attention. “He feels really low, like - really low.” 

Lucy took one of Andy’s hands, pressing it into the very lowest curve of her bump in the space between the open flies on her jeans. They were both very familiar with her bump, spending hours guessing and trying to work out where baby was laying in her belly. So it wasn’t hard to distinguish the solid mass right above her pubic bone, their child’s head nestled low down into her hips. “He’s dropped lower, fuck, Andy he’s dropped so much since this morning. And my mucus plug came out after we left, and I should have said something, I should have told you… I didn’t know, I didn’t think I was going into labour so quickly… and he’s coming and we’re surrounded and….” 

Lucy’s breathing hitched, tears falling from her lashes and rolling down her flushed cheeks. Instinctively she curled forward, sobbing into the crook of Andy’s neck. 

“It’s ok Lucy.” Andy told her, pulling her crying lover as close as she could. “We are getting out of here, all three of us.” It was so strange to have hope again despite all the odds stacked against them. Any other day she might have been angry at Lucy for hiding this, but Andy had no right considering she too had hidden that she thought she was infected. Her strength was back, her will to live, and her desire to hold their baby.

The couple took a few moments, Andy waiting for Lucy to calm enough that she didn’t need to stifle her cries. Dark shadows in the distance moved, vague silhouettes of the infected coming to the scent of both Lucy and their dead brethren. Limited options remained, and now with a timeline of the baby coming Andy had to figure out what to do. The stairs. Off to the left, near the old exit from the department store, a flight of stairs led to the second floor of the mall. There was almost no open ground, so as long as Lucy could get there without the baby trying to make himself known again they’d be ok.

“Lucy.” Andy broke the embrace, keeping her hand on the gravid swell of flesh dividing them. What she had to say was for the baby too. She cupped Lucy’s cheek, forcing the teary eyed redhead to look at her. Andy saw herself in the reflection of Lucy’s eyes, even in the dark she could tell that she too was crying. “We can get upstairs from here.” She said, her tender voice that of an encouraging partner. “The infected are only on the first floor for now, up there, we can navigate.” The blonde pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, and dabbed the tears from her lover's face. “You are so strong, and so brave. I just need you to stay that way a little longer.” 

Lucy nodded, her breathing hitching with the last dregs of tears. “O-okay. I’ll… I’ll try. We can do this.” She tried to sound confident but it came out fearful and uncertain. 

With the strong contractions forcing her to stop each time, and without the cushioning of her waters, even the smallest of journeys was going to be tough. But they were a team; Andy and Lucy, fierce and strong and unwavering in their love and protection of each other. The redhead rolled her shoulders, trying to call upon all the determination she could muster. 

Slowly, the pair moved silently out of the dressing room corridor - stepping over the decaying mess of the undead Andy had dispatched - and slunk back into the department store. Her girlfriend led the way but this time their hands were entwined, fingers interlocked, holding tight. They kept to the edge of the abandoned store, ensuring their backs were always along a wall so they couldn’t be attacked from behind. Lucy’s heart was thundering in her chest as they moved, heightened by the ominous clang of metal or crash of plastic echoing from a distance, reminding the women they were not alone in this mall. 

Lucy kept one hand on her belly while the other held fast to her partner. She hadn’t had a contraction since they moved from the dressing room, but it was only a matter of time before the next one struck. Every step felt like the baby’s head was grinding lower, deeper into her pelvis. She found herself clenching inner muscles in an attempt to keep the weight from sinking further down but it was fruitless. The bowling ball between her hips, their baby’s skull, was ever present in every bow legged step she took. 

Cautiously they made a break for it, leaving the outskirts of the store into the dead centre. Silent steps, eyes roaming frantically, both the women were on high alert moving as fast as Lucy was able in the midst of labour. They successfully reached the stairs which led up to a second and third level, but their new position meant they were a hell of a lot more exposed - open to attacks from all angles. When they reached the bottom of the first staircase - there were two to reach the next level - Andy gave her a concerned glance, squeezing her hand in a wordless question. Lucy gave her partner a nod and half smile, silently assuring the blonde that she was okay to keep going. She looked up the staircase, swallowing thickly, knowing this task would be monumental. But it sure as shit was better than staying here with the undead closing in on them. 

While she had led up to this point, she wouldn’t let Lucy lag behind going up the stairs. The pace needed to be quick, yes, but such an ask was too much for her redheaded lover. 

“Hold the rail.” Andy whispered, flinching at how loud her voice seemed even with the volume modulated. “Don’t try to rush, ok?”

Lucy nodded an acknowledgment, and Andy looked at her a moment longer before starting the climb. 

Step by step, the couple moved. Andy kept hold of Lucy’s hand for the first few, but with the mother to be also holding the rail, she could tell that instinct wanted her to hold her stomach. Andy recalled what the other moms in camp had said, how at the end it feels like the baby is trying to fall out. She could only imagine how it felt for Lucy right now, on top of all the terror and fear, a small amount Andy was willing to claim as her own fault. 

A crash below them pulled Andy’s attention, her hand squeezing Lucy’s as they froze in place. They were only halfway up, if that. Andy scanned, trying to see if it was an infected that was nearby. The cry from it made her skin prickle, but the survivor was able to exhale the breath she’d been holding. It must’ve been a clothing rack towards the front of the store, not a threat yet. Her grip loosened a fraction, returning to the comforting squeeze she’d been giving. Lucy’s grip remained firm. Andy looked at her, only to be met with horror. Lucy’s eyes were wide, her breathing faster than ever. Andy’s gaze fell upon her stomach, it was shrunken, and rock hard.

Fuck.

Lucy only managed a low hum before Andy’s hand was clamped over her mouth. The blond could feel her lover's jaw clenching, and the minimal shift in her stature as she lowered a little. The pregnant survivor's body had betrayed them both, picking the damned worst time to stop them in their tracks. A muffled cry escaped from Lucy, and an infected responded to it, croaking with its dead vocal chords. The undead moved, and out of the corner of her eye Andy could see it. She was just thankful that for the moment, it couldn’t see them.

Not wanting to risk any noise of her own, Andy adjusted to where Lucy could look her in the eyes. Slowly, Andy took an over exaggerated inhale through her nose, then out again. She had to get Lucy calmed and quiet, or they’d be in another mad dash, but this time up stairs with no feasible hiding spot. It took a few breaths, but Lucy seemed to be trying to mimic the exercise to a little success. Andy didn’t let go of her hand, matching the strength of the squeeze until Lucy was the one who loosened her grip. 

“You ok?” Andy mouthed the question, and only when Lucy nodded did she remove her palm from the redhead's mouth. She pointed up the stairs, moving to support her panting lover as the ascent began again.  

Every contraction made progress, an undeniable fact given Lucy could feel every millimetre of it. The boulder in her pelvis was forcing her hips to part, each step up the staircase grinding that pressure steadily downwards. She hated her body, the timing of that contraction. It was so fucking typical. If it weren’t for Andy she would have almost certainly attracted the undead with the involuntary noises that crept up her throat. They had to move quickly, she couldn’t have another contraction like that in the open. But moving was getting harder and harder with each inch their baby dropped. 

When they reached the top of the first set of stairs Lucy grabbed onto the railing with both hands, swaying her hips in a wide circle, trying desperately to shift the pressure into a more manageable place. Andy seemed to panic that she was having another contraction, her blonde hair flying into Lucy’s line of sight to guide more breathing. The redhead waved her off, mouthing that she was okay. Well, she was far from okay, but she wasn’t contracting which was the main thing at that moment. 

Finally they reached the second floor. It was dark and abandoned like the rest of the mall, but crucially it appeared to be empty. Lucy took the opportunity to brace her thighs and breathe deeply just to catch her breath back. Being in labour was zapping what little energy she had left. She just wanted to sit down, to rest, though in all honestly she wasn’t entirely sure sitting was an option with how low the baby felt. 

“So…. What now…?” She breathed, straightening up and naturally cradling her bump. Even standing still Lucy found her hips shifting side to side, an unconscious move but one that seemed to help. 

“Now…” Andy whispered, her head on a constant swivel. “Now we keep going.” Andy began to rub Lucy’s back as well as belly, a common enough occurrence at home that it almost made her forget that they were in danger. Almost. She found where Lucy’s navel was and absently began rubbing circles around it. Even without looking, she could feel how low the baby was. For the past ten months she’d gotten to know every little change to Lucy’s body, including how she carried their baby. They’d always nestled high, except for the past week or so when the baby had dropped. But even with that drop in mind, she didn't feel the firmness till she was far lower than expected.

The trick, in Andy’s mind, was going to be where to go once out of the mall. Camp was the obvious choice, but a direct route was out of the question. She had to also think, how close was the baby? Lucy wasn’t pushing yet, but the contractions felt far apart still, right? The blonde tried to recall, and couldn’t begin to guess how long it’d been between the dressing rooms and the stairs. Shit, she hadn’t even tried counting how long the damned thing had lasted. They had time, they definitely had time. ‘First babies always take a long time.’ The doc, and the other parents in the camp had said so. They were older than the couple, pre outbreak knowledge filled their heads, they obviously knew what they were talking about.

“When we get out in the mall, keep against the stores.” Andy said. She pulled at Lucy, getting her moving. “They come to noise so we just gotta be quiet, right?” Andy spoke as if schooling a novice survivor on how to run for supplies, but her tone was clear, panic had gotten to her, and Andy was just talking to try and calm herself down. 

They didn’t make it far into the second floor of the department store when Lucy abruptly stopped. Instinctively she turned and launched against her partner, looping her hands behind Andy’s neck. The contraction came on fast but she reacted in time to stop her legs from fully buckling. A ragged inhale pulled through her nostrils as she buried her face into her girlfriend’s neck. Fuck… There was so much pressure. 

Without hesitation Lucy's feet planted wide on the floor and her ass jutted backwards. She couldn’t think beyond the weight pressing through her pelvis forcing her body to contort and open around it. A low grumble slipped from her mouth and Lucy clamped her teeth shut trying to contain what was entirely involuntary at this point. She could feel her body trembling as she clung on to Andy for dear life, adrenaline and fear and labour all rolling into one and making every muscle shake. Andy’s hands were wrapped around her waist, holding her tight, but her thumbs dug into the backs of her hips and somehow it provided just enough relief to keep her from squatting to the floor. 

“Shit, shit Lucy?” Andy’s concern grew, this was fast, really fast. They’d only just gotten up here. That was what? Three minutes? No, five… six? Her failed attempts at remembering the chronology of the contractions was interrupted when Lucy lowered a fraction more. 

The redhead whimpered through the aggressive contraction, hands curling into tight fists behind her girlfriend’s neck. Lucy has never been vocal with pain, something she’d learnt in a world filled with a plague of undead, but this was on another level entirely. She wanted to moan, to scream, to roar as the pressure plunged so low it made bile crawl up her throat. How could it feel so low, it wasn’t possible for the baby to actually be where it felt. She'd only just gone into labour. And yet her thighs were parting, widening her stance as far as her pre-pregnancy jeans would allow. She was going to be sick. She was going to scream. She was going to— “nnnghhh…” Lucy grunted deeply. 

“Lucy? W-what’s wrong?” Andy knew the contractions were meant to hurt, but this wasn’t right, this was very very wrong. Lucy’s pain tolerance was higher than her own, and they’d joked that the birth would be easy, just some breaths and a push or two then the baby would be here. That wasn’t happening here though, they’d been so very mistaken. Lucy’s grunts grew in volume, but Andy couldn’t stop it, not as she started to process what might be happening. 

“Oh fuck, oh fuck please don’t tell me you’re pushing.” Andy said. Lucy couldn’t answer, her face still buried in Andy’s jacket. Andy reached down, holding the rock hard surface of Lucy’s stomach. It was still round enough, but not too low. They had time, Andy was imagining it, she had to be. Lucy wouldn’t push, she just… if it wasn’t pushing, then what was it? Something wasn’t right, there was a problem with the baby. Lucy’s hips jutted forward ever so slightly, her body seemingly adjusting on some unknown instinct. Andy was in a full on panic now, especially as she heard more infected downstairs. They. Had. To. Leave.

“No… yes… oh I don’t know…” Lucy whined between gasps. “A-Andy…the baby… feels like it’s gonna fall outta me…” She was stuck, held hostage by the contraction that kept her legs wide and her body weight against her blonde haired partner. The contraction peaked, drawing another low tone from the pit of Lucy’s stomach. It was primal and almost animalistic, and there was no stopping the sound from escaping. 

Andy’s heart pounded. With no idea of what to do for Lucy, she just held her close, hoping beyond everything that none of the hell downstairs would hear them. She had to focus, to find some way of keeping all three of them safe, but how the fuck was she supposed to do that when she was on the verge of a damn heart attack.

“It’s ok.” Andy said, trying and failing at sounding like she knew what she was talking about. “I-it’s just your imagination love, he just wants you to know he’s there, he’s not coming yet.” Lucy’s hips were swaying again, or at least more than they’d previously been from what Andy could recall in the past few hours. As she attempted to collect her thoughts, she moved back and forth with her, the couple making slow circles that reminded Andy all too well of the nights they’d dance in their apartment during a romantic evening. What she wouldn’t give to be back there now.

It took a few agonising seconds, maybe even a minute, before Lucy’s breathing returned to semi-normal. Tentatively she loosened her grip on her girlfriend and lifted her head. 

“It’s passed…. Whoa… that was horrible Andy.” She breathed, stepping back slightly to rub the lower curve of her bump. “So intense, I thought…. No, it’s okay. We can make it outta here.” 

Lucy buried any worrying or fearful notion to the contrary in her mind. They had to make it home. They would get home and have the baby in the apartment just like they planned, with the camp doctor present. That was the only possible outcome that the labouring woman would allow. But still, that pressure lingered as did the thoughts that went with it. It was so strong, too strong, almost like she was close to delivering?…. 

“Let’s move….ooooh….before the next one hits. We need to get more dis-distance between us and them, cos I’m not sure I can stay quiet for much l-longer.” Lucy admitted. She kept one hand under her belly as if holding up its weight, while the other looped over her lover’s shoulders, Andy helping to support her and her bow-legged unsteady stance. 

“Then we need to move fast.” The look Lucy gave her told her that ‘fast’ wasn’t possible. In an attempt at reassurance, Andy smiled. “Ok, a bit faster than a stroll love.” The blonde could tell Lucy was trying to smile, but the strain was causing her lover to sweat, beads dropped off her nose and were already collecting along her collar. Was this how labor was supposed to feel? Andy had half a mind to slap the doctor when they got home for playing down how much this would affect Lucy. Granted, the doctor would probably scold them both for leaving in the first place. She’d have to think it over some more.

Together they moved, reaching the wide open second floor of the mall. Along either side, stores lined the walls. The walkways were wide, and Andy, while tempted to do so, knew that if they walked to the rail to peek over to the first floor they’d find it flooded with the bodies of the undead. The smell alone was enough to tell her what was down there. If that churned her stomach, how the hell was Lucy managing? 

“Place is a goddamn maze…” Andy hissed under her breath. Stores upon stores, but no exits, none that were obvious to her at least. A map was now at the top of her list of regrets, aside from even allowing Lucy to come along in the first place. A hundred yards ahead of them Andy could see that the mall widened, probably the center of the place if she had to guess, maybe a map would be over there. “Cmon baby.” She said, running out of steam from Lucy needing more and more support. 

Every step was a knife to her lower back, every breath seemed to push the baby deeper into her pelvis. Lucy hung off the shoulders of her strong blonde girlfriend, barely able to walk without looking like she had awful saddlesore. The pressure was almost constant at this point, heavy and irrefutable, even in the break between contractions. As they shuffled forwards towards the open space Lucy felt the muscles in her womb begin to tighten. 

“Uhhh…another one…coming…” she groaned under her ragged breathing, a muffled warning of what was about to strike. 

Andy kept her moving despite the clamping of her womb, so close, they were so close to the central area and the dusty, dirtied map that waited like a beacon of hope. It was waist high, a metre wide on a plinth, the map that would show them the way out. The tightness in her belly intensified and Lucy staggered forward, launching out her partner’s arms to brace her whole weight against this randomly placed metal block. 

“Uggghhh…. Oh god….” The whispered moan was strained as Lucy fought against the primal urge to squat. Instead her back flattened and her ass jutted backwards, her knuckles white on the edge of the map. Open, she desperately had to open her hips more to withstand the pressure barreling between them. 

“You gotta breathe Lucy, but we have to be quiet.” Andy was quick to return to Lucy’s side, whispering to her as her hand's heel dug into Lucy’s lower back. “We have a map right here, we can…” Andy did a double take, her eyes following the curves of her lovers body, notably, the shrunken curve of her womb. The way she held herself, her wide stance, her knees being right on the cusp of buckling, her breathing hitching as she moaned...

Oh fuck.

“Lucy!” Andy went pale, her eyes crazed. How in the hell was she less stressed when she thought she was actively dying?! “Don’t push, please for the love of god don’t push.” But Lucy was, at least she seemed to be, and Andy didn’t know how to stop her. Andy’s hand found the underside of Lucy’s stomach, she applied a little pressure in a vain attempt to stop the baby descending. “Fuckin… you’re not having the baby here.”

The more that Andy said that word, the more Lucy realised it was true. Push. Fuck, she needed to push. 

The hiss that left Lucy’s mouth ended in a desperate gasp. “Oohhhh… baby’s coming…can feel it…. I wanna pushhhh….” She whimpered, shifting her ass further back, chasing more of the counter pressure from Andy’s palm. 

Lucy tried with every fiber of her being to close her legs, to clench and hold back the baby from its impatient descent, but her body was locked in place. With feet wide, knees bent, and leaning flat against the damn map, she felt her body act of its own accord - she was bearing down! 

“Nononono, I said ‘don’t push’. Do—Not—Push.” It was too late. Whatever instincts or primal nature had decided that Lucy would bear down had its claws in her and wouldn’t relent. Andy was dumbfounded, wishing that her girlfriend wasn’t in labor just so she could cuss at her for pushing. Nevermind that if she wasn’t in labor the whole ordeal wouldn’t have happened in the first place. The blonde instead muttered a stream of curses under her breath that would have made the old veterans at the camp blush. 

The map became a secondary concern as Lucy’s lips failed to contain a moan of effort that in the mall might as well have been a gunshot. It echoed down the four pathways that they stood in the crossroads of, and Andys hope was that the noise would reverberate so much that the infected would have an impossible task in finding the source. Still, not wanting to risk it further, Andy stepped behind her girlfriend and clasped her hand over Lucy’s mouth yet again. Her arm staying protectively wrapped around her lower belly to try and slow the descent of their baby.

The surface was rock hard, a boulder to the touch and Andy imagined it was similar in weight. As she tried to hold her, Lucy only appeared to tense more, pressing her hips back, lowering, and growling into her palm. Andy was on the cusp of her very own panic attack. She closed her eyes, trying to stave off the oncoming hyperventilation, and did what had always calmed her down on the bad days back in camp. The blonde nuzzled against Lucy, leaning over so that her chin could rest on her lover’s shoulder. Her natural scent was masked by the grime of the outside world as well as blood and amniotic fluid, but she could still smell her, that faint whiff of wildflowers.

”If you have to push… only do little ones. Relieve the pressure.” Andy whispered, her panic momentarily masked.

“Nnngh—‘m trying—” Lucy gritted out behind Andy’s palm but the sound came out just a muffled desperate groan. It was so strange, Lucy felt like she’d completely lost control of her faculties. The pressure was absolute and her body reacted without question, bearing down against the boulder splitting apart her pelvis. Her fingers squeezed the far edge of the map as the contraction peaked, her entire body trembling, and the only thing holding her together was Andy’s strong and comforting arms wrapped around her sweaty rounded body. 

After the sudden involuntary pushes, the redhead slumped forward and panted rapidly through her nostrils. It took Andy a few seconds to be certain the coast was clear to remove the hand from her mouth, but Lucy was grateful she never let go of the hold around her bump. They stayed there for a minute, standing together, the shock of what was happening taking both women a bit time to process. The way her body had taken over, a complete lack of control, had truly rattled the pregnant redhead. In this godforsaken hellhole of a world, Lucy prided herself on her ability to tackle any challenge head on, to take ownership, to be reliable and get things done. But this… this pregnancy had stripped her of her independence, no longer able to contribute to the camp like she used to, no longer in charge of her bodily functions. And now she could barely even stand. It felt like the weight of the world was about to fall from between her legs. 

“A-Andy-?” Her words were quiet and terrified. “I… I don’t think he’s staying put much l-longer.” 

No matter how badly she wanted to get back to camp, the confession, the statement hung heavily in the air between them. 

“He has to.” Andy didn’t sound sure at all. “Baby you have to keep him in.” Her body shifted, though her hand never left Lucy’s belly. Andy got to where she could look Lucy in the eye, although doing so required her to squat a little due to the redheads doubled over posture. “We are getting you out of the mall.” Expectations had to be curbed, back to camp? Not possible anymore, but at least they could get out of the mall and clear an apartment, or old house. Anywhere that didn’t have a fucking horde of undead looking to turn Lucy into their next meal.

With a planted kiss on her forehead, Andy broke their touch to check the map. They remained too exposed out here, and if another contraction hit before they started moving there was too much risk of an infected deciding to explore the second floor. She wiped the dust away, though it did little, leading her to spit on her sleeve and try again. It cleared the view enough this time, and her brow furrowed as she looked over it. She’d been right, they were currently in the center of the mall, which meant technically any direction could get them out. Four exits, well, three exits, unless suddenly Lucy could outrun infected. Andy glanced at her lover. Not likely. 

With no way of determining whether or not any of the exits were blocked, they were left with guesswork, and that only stressed her more, and unless she wanted to stress Lucy, she had to at least act like she knew what she was doing. Andy put on an assured expression, and pointed.

“We’re going that way.”

“How do you—” 

But there wasn’t time for questions. Andy was pulling her to stand and peeling her fingers from the sturdy frame she was still gripping. Reluctantly Lucy transferred her weight from the plinth back to her girlfriend, slinging her arm across Andy’s shoulders once more while the other hand cradled her cumbersome belly. All of her effort was going towards moving and staying quiet and as they shuffled quickly around the central area Lucy didn’t have the strength to speak and breathe at the same time. 

The pair veered off to the right, down one of the four prongs of the mall. Another railing was visible here, beyond a large open space that transversed from the ground floor all the way through each layer to the glass roof. Immediately the stench from the undead on the floor below hit Lucy like a freight train. Her hand whipped from her belly to her mouth, her throat retching slightly. It was horrific. The combination of decaying rotting flesh mixed with a metallic tang of blood was something she ordinarily was used to, but trapped in this mall with little ventilation made the smell nauseating. Lucy’s poor body had bigger fights than a churning of her stomach. 

Thankfully she didn’t make a sound but the way her body heaved with the dry retch made Andy stop, concerned. The redhead turned to the side, burying her face into her girlfriend’s neck to try and inhale the smell of anything else. She knew she couldn’t speak - they were too near the railing and the open space, the undead below would hear a pin drop even from all the way up here. Lucy gagged again, clamping her hand harder against her mouth to cover any unplanned sounds. 

Andy held her close, all the while keeping an eye towards the dark pit that led down to the first floor. The smell was even stronger here than it had been earlier, and Andy's heart skipped as she realized what was likely the cause. They weren’t the first in the mall, and they hadn’t let the infected in to sully it for the first time in two decades. This section of the mall was a nest. When the infected became hordes, oftentimes they would clump in some building and ‘hibernate’. Andy cursed herself and all the others in camp for never thinking the mall would be such a place.

“Breathe through your mouth…” Andy whispered, her voice trembling from the fear of her revelation. If she was right, and she had little to contradict it, then they were now in even more danger than before. Just our fucking luck. Lucy shuddered in her grip, and for a moment  Andy thought she was about to vomit, but if anything came up, Lucy must’ve swallowed it down. “We need to go a different way, now.”

Lucy barely nodded, uncertain about moving her head too much. Bile had risen up her throat, a combination of the constant pressure between her legs plus the rancid fumes of the undead wafting from below. “Q-quick.” Was all she could manage, the sound a ghostly whisper towards her girlfriend's ear. If they stayed much longer here Lucy was confident she’d either throw up or push, or both, and neither would be a silent affair. They had to move fast. 

The pair turned around and went back the way they had come, returning to the central circle of the mall once again. How many minutes had passed on that fruitless journey? How long did she have before the next contraction. Time was an enigma - passing painfully slowly but also flashing past in the blink of an eye. The redhead was visibly getting more disheveled, sweating and panting through each and every wide step she took. Andy dragged Lucy along the next nearest prong of the mall, along a strip with more empty shops. This one didn’t have the open area between floors, no railings that brightened the areas with the bright sunlight from the glass rooftop. It was dark and eery, glass littered the floor, doors and window displays from the different stores having long been ravaged and broken. There was however an escalator mid-way down the length of the strip, and therefore an open section between the different floors in the mall. A space where sound could very easily travel between the layered levels. 

Lucy clutched at her belly while she gripped hard onto Andy’s shoulders, her nails hooked and clawing over them. The baby felt so freaking low! Forcing each step to be narrow and short with the impossible fear it could simply fall from her body. “A-Andy….” She whispered quietly through heavy and panicked breathing. “W-when the next one hits, I’m… I’m not sure I can hold off much longer. I— ooooh— I can’t control it anymore….” 

She was of course referring to the infamous urge to push. The last contraction, despite the additional nausea that now plagued her body, still lingered in the redhead’s mind. Still reeling from the complete and utter loss of control, and how damn satisfying it had felt to actually bear down. Not that she would admit that part aloud to her girlfriend. Andy was already on a knife edge. And yet, she needed to say something - to offer some kind of warning, because when the next contraction hit Lucy could feel in her bones that it would be unstoppable. 

“You have to Lucy.” Andy said. They had to get somewhere to hide again, one of these stores maybe? Yet another perfect example of their shit luck finding a way to manifest. The stores were difficult to see into, the light of the glass roof only shone where they were, not into the smaller stores around them. Andy made a choice, at this point she was not on a good track record for split second decisions but perhaps this one would be slightly better, she hoped. The blonde guided Lucy into a store off to the left, hoping beyond reason that it wasn’t one of those glass fixture stores that no doubt would be littered with debris on the floor to make them broadcast their location. 

The couple managed to make it five steps in, well, five of Lucy’s steps, so barely piercing the darkness before Andy was forced to stop. Lucy had doubled over, her grip on her girlfriend tighter than any infected could even manage. 

“Shit, shit shit don’t…”

“Mmmm, c-can’t… coming…”

Lucy’s face twisted, her teeth baring as the inevitable came into being. Andy watched in horror as her girlfriend gave in, and pushed. Just like at the map pylon, Lucy’s body shifted, her hips shooting back as her spine arched. Andy was forced to grab her and hold her upright, especially after one sway would have made the mom-to-be fall to her knees, which Andy’s gut told her would lead to a much more intense urge to push. Even in the darkness, Andy could see Lucy’s strain, her face turning the shade of her hair as she fought the contraction. Not to resist it, but instead not to cry out. She was only mostly successful.

A singular muffled groan escaped, prematurely ended when Andy hugged her to her jacket. The blonde was about to have a damn heart attack and she wasn’t even a mother yet. To much quiet protest, Andy forced Lucy to step, one foot at a time, deeper into the darkness. 

“H-hurts.”

“I know love, I know.” Andy said. She’d never heard Lucy’s voice convey such pain, and she couldn’t stop herself as she thought about how much worse it might’ve been if it was her in Lucy’s situation. The redheads tolerance was astounding, Andy’s, not quite as high. She doubted she’d be capable of staying as stoic as her lover had so far. Yet, no one could hold out forever. “Long exhales, remember? Long exhales.” Andy was doing the breathing exercises as she spoke to try and calm her own racing heart.

Further and further, and thankfully with no one else following, they got into the store. Andy’s hand brushed against something soft, and she thought they might be in another clothing shop, then her back hit a hard metal shelf and she hissed in pain, stopping them both. Stopping proved to be a mistake as the contraction brought Lucy to her knees. Andy was brought down with her, and both hands planted on her belly. Please baby, please stay in your momma.

“I-I think it’s ending Luce.” Andy whispered.

It wasn’t ending. Lucy made a strange grunting sound shortly after her knees made contact with the floor, her hips dropping towards the backs of her feet as she gave an almighty push. Every inch of her body was shaking, her nails digging crescent moons into Andy’s shoulders, the pressure between her thighs forcing her legs apart. 

This was just like the contraction at the map, only this time along with the unstoppable pushing it was accompanied with a new stinging pain, a burning she’d never in her life experienced. The baby… the baby was starting to come out! Lucy gulped for air at the end of the push, the contraction fading slightly, and she distinctly felt the head slip back inside her body and the fiery feeling dissipated. 

It took a few deep breaths of air before she could speak again, all the while Lucy stayed in the exact same spot, not daring to move from her kneeled position. Eventually, the whispered words were laced with fear and panic. 

“A-ndy…. I—I can… I think I can feel the head.” Lucy’s bottom lip trembled, looking up in the dimly lit store into her partner's eyes. 

Andy’s mouth hung open, their natural instincts to stay silent meant reactions were often solely expressive. Before her girlfriend could say anything Lucy freed one hand from her grip on Andy’s shoulders, lowering it to feel over her jeans between her spread thighs and bringing one of Andy’s hands with her. The crotch seam on her jeans was stretched and taut, but behind the denim Lucy noticed the difference immediately. 

“He’s right there…” Lucy sobbed quietly. 

Andy’s palm found it too, her girlfriend’s wide stance already forcing her jeans to be tight but after gently moving Lucy’s hand to the side, she felt it, the smallest press against the seam, and proof of the most wonderful thing coming into their life. It’d barely even been two minutes since they left the map, and already a contraction had come and gone. Andy cursed herself yet again for not having the wherewithal to keep track of the previous contractions. 

“Yes he is, baby.” Andy said, finding Lucy’s shaking hand between her thighs. A comforting squeeze did little to abate it, and Andy wasn’t sure if it was pain or fear that was the cause, likely both if Lucy was as terrified as Andy was, and she had far more reason to be. “But so am I, I’m here, you aren’t alone.” 

The store around them seemed to block the rest of the world out, leaving the horrific possibility of death as a distant concern, allowing the couple to simply be together. Andy kissed Lucy’s cheek, tasting the salt of her tears. If he was this close, there wasn’t much chance of them going to yet another location. The fight to tear her eyes away from Lucy’s was won after a few moments to look at their surroundings. She frowned, some sort of clothing store yes, but in the darkness she swore the clothes weren’t normal, and… was that a suit of armor by the entrance? The old, faded sign read Magic and Mayhem, and Andy’s confusion only deepened. 

“I think he may have to be born here, Lucy.” Andy whispered. “I, can you make it anywhere else?”

Lucy’s head shook, up and down, left and right, completely lost and uncertain. With each silent tear her chest hitched, the reality of their situation crashing down like an anvil. “I… I can’t have him here… it’s not s-safe… we’re not in c-camp… I’ll— I’ll hold him in! I won’t push… I promise I won’t p-push…” 

This was not the birth experience she’d prepared for, it wasn’t supposed to happen like this. It was supposed to be just the two of them in their little flat, Lucy labouring and listening to her body in the comforting arms of her girlfriend. Not on the fucking run from a horde of zombies. How could she give birth like this? How could she stay silent long enough to safely deliver her baby boy? And babies cried! They made noise. Beautiful perfect little noises but sounds that would surely ring out like a blasted siren to the undead ears currently hunting the pair.  

“I… I can’t do it here… I can’t…” the redhead whimpered. At first it was silent tears that wracked her body, bending forward into Andy’s arms, but then her whole body tensed and stiffened. Muscles shaking, hands gripping, breath coming in short ragged pants into the crook of her partner’s neck. 

Trying to tell Lucy what to do never went well, but trying to do so when she was afraid only made things more difficult. Andy was no doctor, but she knew what the doctors had said. Labor was here, and it was taking everything Lucy had in order to hold herself together it seemed like. Their baby was going to be born imminently, they could feel him pressing out from between Lucy's legs, even now as she fought the instinct to push. 

“Lucy please.” Andy's voice cracked, her heart aching as she felt utterly helpless to do anything for the love of her life. “Lucy, you're going to hurt yourself.” The blonde tried to lift Lucy so she could stare into her eyes, but she couldn’t. Against her, Lucy's entire body trembled, her weight shifting as Andy assumed she wanted a comfortable position. Such a thing would be impossible with a baby between her legs. 

They needed to go somewhere, maybe a mattress store, an employee area, or even the roof. Getting out was a pipe dream, but something closer might be possible. Lucy's sobs pulled Andy back, she really was going to hurt herself if she held back. Without anything else she could think of, Andy enacted on her last bad idea. Her hand cupped over Lucys bulging jeans, applying pressure.

”Push.”

As if her girlfriend had some weird remote control on her body, Lucy felt herself bear down - despite her own wishes, despite how much she tried to hold back. Andy’s gentle palm was pressing up between her thighs, right against the seam and emerging head, and the reaction was immediate. Her teeth grit while her muscles squeezed, the tsunami of pressure rolling down down down towards Andy’s hand. The white hot burning returned and had to bite her lip to stop the scream from escaping, tasting the copper of her own blood. 

Over and over Lucy pushed with this contraction. She couldn’t help it, couldn’t stop it. Andy whispered encouragingly into her ear, assuring her she’d keep them safe, that Lucy had to follow her body’s instincts. The contraction lasted almost two minutes, leaving the redhead stuck on her knees pushing over and over into her girlfriend's palm. Her efforts were not entirely fruitless either. Lucy could feel every miniscule amount of progress being made in this delivery - every millimetre, every fraction the baby’s head slipped further into the crotch of her jeans. It was as if the flood gates had opened and there was no chance of containing it anymore. 

In all honesty, pushing felt… damn satisfying. Lucy knew she shouldn’t be pushing, not if they wanted to get out of this mall, but it felt so correct. It was primal, a biological call, a raw instinct of a soon-to-be mother. But eventually the contraction passed, the urge becoming less possessive, and Lucy slumped forward against her partner, wrapping arms over Andy’s shoulders while she gasped for air to catch her breath back. 

“Good job love.” Andy whispered, tears stinging her eyes. She didn’t dare remove her hand from between Lucy’s legs, not yet. She’d felt their baby, pushing against her. That action, as necessary as it was, made Andy despise herself. What if that had hurt the baby? Or Lucy? “I’m sorry, I-I’m sorry.”

“It’s… okay darling… it’s— e-easier to push…than h-hold back now…” Lucy admitted quietly. 

The couple remained in that position, neither wanting to be the first to move. Eventually Andy had to be the one, gently helping Lucy to sit back on her heels. The laboring redhead put her hands on her thighs for support as Andy stood up, sniffling and wiping tears on her sleeve. Her eyes were adjusted to the encroaching darkness, and their surroundings were revealed even more. The rear of the store held more costumes, card games, and… swords? All of it was a bit nuts, and not great for a birth, however, Andy spotted something else. She saw a couch, layered with blankets.

“We are going to go deeper into the store.” Andy said, looking at Lucy again. “In the back of the store you will be a little safer.” She’d just leant down to lift Lucy, the redhead shaking her head and about to speak, only for Andy to freeze, her eyes widening.

“No… noise…” Andy whispered, staring at the infected who’d just appeared in the second floor walkway of the mall.

Automatically Lucy froze, the fear in Andy’s eyes telling her everything she needed to know - they weren’t alone. 

Ten seconds ago Lucy was about to protest, to argue against moving from this very spot. There was a baby quite literally trying to come out between her legs, she couldn’t get up and move anywhere! But then in the silence a low growl was heard, isolated crashing of debris across the floor, the undead slowly investigating the very front entrance of the store. The redhead dare not breathe, her heart thundering in her ribs. Andy was hunched over - paused in her attempt to lift Lucy to her feet, meanwhile Lucy was still kneeling and sitting on the backs of her feet. Their hands were entwined, both women completely and utterly still like statues. The undead often didn’t have the best of eyesight - their decaying corpses relied mainly on sound and scent. The women knew they had to be still but more importantly silent. 

Andy, still holding tight to Lucy’s hand, lifted her head slightly to see over the aisle. No doubt searching for the current whereabouts of this latest threat. Slowly she lowered back down, crouching in front of Lucy. Silently she freed one of her hands to point directly over Lucy’s shoulder, the direction they had come, and gestured to the aisle behind them. The wordless message was clear, she was pointing to where the creature was - it had come into the store! Without speaking her girlfriend made more gestures with her hand and eyes, signalling that they had to move further into the store. 

Lucy gulped nervously. Staying silent was already taking all her energy, to move as well - let alone with any semblance of stealth - was going to be nigh on impossible. Andy’s eyes widened, pleading, her hand squeezing Lucy’s gently. Slowly, Lucy nodded. 

One movement at a time, careful and silent, Andy helped Lucy to rise up on her knees and then to her feet. The redhead’s face was scrunched in pain at the motion, her body protesting every unnatural move when all it wanted was to squat and push. Andy’s arms were strong and firm, taking as much of Lucy’s weight as possible. Once upright, the labouring woman paused, clinging on to her girlfriend while she adjusted to the abominable pressure between her legs - heavier still now she was standing. It felt wrong, her legs forced apart, the head nestled so low and pressing against her womanhood causing the burning to return. 

Another crash. Closer. Directly on the other side of the aisle where they were hidden. Lucy’s fingers dug into Andy’s arms, both women whipping their heads in the direction of the sound before looking back at each other. Terror swelling in their eyes. Immediately Andy wrapped her arm around Lucy’s waist, the other holding her hand, and forced the redhead to move. Step by cautious step, they creeped silently down the aisle in the opposite direction of the snarling that was audible from the neighbouring aisle. 

Every step was torture. Between her legs the head of their child was irrefutable, each bow-legged step making it feel like there was a giant watermelon in her vagina. Lucy’s breathing was silent but heavy, her terrified heart pounding in her throat. The couple had only navigated a few metres before Lucy froze. Her eyes wide and her face paled. Beneath her clothes her rounded belly had solidified into stone, a contraction raging through her womb and clamping down with such force her knees wobbled. She tried to pant her way through it. She tried to close her legs together. But instead Lucy’s body took full control. Grabbing her girlfriend’s hand and shoulder, Lucy’s knees widened and suddenly she was bearing down with the pressure. Pushing uncontrollably and moving the baby’s head further earthside. 

Andy whirled, already knowing what was happening, but refusing to believe it. Her partner's eyes locked with her own, the horror and will to stay silent screamed at Andy in that look. They’d only made it a little further, and the infected remained near, near enough that if Lucy made even the smallest peep, there was a high chance of them being found. 

She was being pulled down towards the floor by Lucy, the redhead's knees were bending more and more, but Andy refused to let her squat. She mouthed instructions, to put her knees as close as she can and take a step. An impossible task, beyond impossible. The expression on Lucy’s face was enough to tell Andy as much. The laboring mother looked on the cusp of screaming out in pain, her pale sweat soaked skin reflecting what little light remained in the darkness of the store. She managed, through sheer strength of will and self preservation Andy assumed, to hold back that scream. Andy had to wrap an arm around her though. The rock hard surface of Lucy’s stomach under Andy’s fingers seemed smaller again. Andy wasn’t sure if it was imagination, or actually how it worked, but Andy’s gut translated the smaller size to more of the baby being between Lucy’s legs. Was she crowning? Fuck, fuck was the baby’s head out? Her pants didn’t stretch much…

Lucy suddenly gasped, and it wasn’t muffled. Before Andy could guess whether that was her gasping from the end of the contraction or simply the end of her pushing, the croak of the nearby infected echoed. It had moved further down, but Lucy’s involuntary noise just pulled it back. Give us a fucking break. 

The infected must’ve reached the end of its row, because half a second later Andy spotted it, a dark silhouette against the light from outside the store. Lucy was clawing at her arm, trying to get her attention, but Andy’s eyes were locked on the infected. Was it moving towards them? Was it one of the ones who had gotten Lucy’s scent? Lucy’s breathing was bordering on hyperventilation, and in the silence of the store it might as well have been a dinner bell. The cracking of bones sent shivers down her spine as it whirled towards them. Andy let Lucy pull her down, the latter going to her knees while Andy pulled her face into her shoulder. She had to be quiet. Just in case, even though it was a death sentence if it was used, Andy pulled her handgun and pointed at the infected.

For Lucy it was all too much, as if everything had boiled down to this one moment in time. The searing pain between her legs made it feel like her whole body was being split in two. White hot and burning, her skin was being stretched beyond comprehension. A primal growling sound came from the depths of her own chest as she buried her face into Andy’s neck, clawing at her girlfriend’s clothes, knees as wide as her tight jeans would allow. 

She could barely think, barely breathe, unable to move. Lucy was completely overpowered by Mother Nature, by the demand of her body to deliver this baby - right here and right now. Thoughts of their surroundings, the nearby undead, was entirely lost to the blinding pain of the baby’s head slipping to a full crown. 

“Nnnnnghhh!!! It’s— coming—ouuuuut!!!!!” She cried out with raw panic and fear. 

Everything that came next happened in a few moments. The undead snapped to attention, the unending hunger it held locked onto Lucy. It roared, the shrill sound making Andy’s heart seize. Head first, leaning in like a sprinter, the thing charged at them. She reacted. Andy opened fire, emptying the magazine at the oncoming infected. One handed, shaking, holding Lucy, most of them went wild, ricocheting off the shelves or embedding in the floor. A few struck true however. First hitting the things elbow, the hollow point eviscerating the arm thanks to the long rotted flesh having little to no fresh tendons to hold it. Still it charged. The second bullet to hit took out a leg, dropping the thing down. Ravenous hunger kept it crawling, but Andy managed one shot right between its eyes, leaving its head a mess of fluids. It died, less than a foot from them both.

“Lucy?! Lucy!” Andy’s attention was immediately on her girlfriend. The contraction still held her. She tossed the gun to the side, its ammunition gone, and held Lucy. What had she said? Crowning… Andy reached down between her lover's thighs, and felt it. A fresh spot of warm fluids was coming from her, and her jeans stretched to their limit, the seams bulging so much that Andy thought for a moment she’d tear the fabric through force of will. Lucy’s pushing wasn’t stopping, not that she had any choice in the matter.

“Fuck. Fucking fuck!” Any chance of stealth, of hiding, of a silent delivery was gone. This was no longer a time to delay the baby coming, they had to get him out now! A loud, howling wail began. First one infected, then two, ten, a hundred, a thousand… The horde was hungry, and Andy had just given up their location by saving them. No, she didn’t save them, merely delayed the inevitable.

“Lucy, Lucy hey, hey you’re doing great. It’s ok, it’s ok I’ll be right back! I love you!” Andy kissed her, but didn’t wait for Lucy to say anything. She could hear her cry out something as the blonde ran, but between the pounding in her ears and the stomping and howling of the horde coming to kill them, Andy couldn’t process much of anything. The front of the store was close, a single memory from when Mike had told them about the mall came to her. The store might be locked up, take some bolt cutters. All those stores have safety gates that they pull down at the end of the day… 

She just had to get that gate and pull it down. It’d been meant for riots and to stop thieves. Neither would be as motivated as the undead but maybe, just maybe they’d have some luck. Andy had almost made it to the front, the rolled up cage in view, when three infected ran in from the direction of the escalator. They must’ve bottlenecked themselves in the rush to close on the kill. She had no weapon, no pistol, no rifle, and her knife wasn’t an option. Fueled by adrenaline and a paternal instinct to save her child, Andy charged.

It was all a blur to her. Andy was capable, but three on one against the undead without anything to use was suicide. Luckily for Andy, she was in a store full of things to use. She grabbed a strange glass ball off the shelf and in one smooth motion threw it at the first infected. The impact dazed the thing, and Andy was bought a precious few milliseconds. To her right, she grabbed another oddity, this one some sort of porcelain statue that looked like a dragon. It might not have breathed fire like in the stories, but when thrown it did give a satisfying crunch against bone. The third infected closed on her, climbing over its dazed fellows without any sign of care. She was the goal. Determination burned in the blonde, especially when she saw the rack she was about to pass. A sword, not unlike the ones used by knights, found its way into her hand. The survivor lifted, grabbed the grip with her off hand, and swung. Head parted from body as the infected died via an unintentional decapitation. Andy only had a moment to process how well that worked before she was forced to quickly dispatch the two others who had recovered. 

“I’m keeping you…” She panted to the now blood coated blade. Lucy cried out again, and Andy’s momentary relief melted. The horde, then the baby. The rolling gate dropped hard, the thing easily weighing a few hundred pounds. Andy had only needed to jump up and tug for it to fall, trapping them inside, and the horde outside. It was only a few seconds later that the horde slammed into it. Bodies, piled on bodies, piled on bodies. The sheer force killed the infected pressed against the gate, but by some miracle, the horde was held at bay. Andy sprinted back to Lucy, and the baby who was about to arrive.

Alone on her knees in an abandoned store, Lucy was in the worst pain of her life and it felt like Andy had been gone a lifetime. She had fallen forwards onto her hands and knees after her girlfriend had run off, stuck on all fours rocking and pushing with each crashing wave of the contraction. It was as if her muscles were being controlled by someone else, something else, squeezing the boulder inside of her pelvis down and out. The noises that escaped her mouth were raw and guttural, just as unstoppable as her bearing down. 

After a few fruitless pushes, Lucy shifted towards the nearby shelves and climbed her hands up each one, her trembling fingers gripping the edge of a higher shelf to pull her top half upright. Every move was instinctual, unplanned but focused, the need to get this baby out of her body taking charge. Pushing on all fours was not doing anything, she needed gravity. The redhead’s knees stayed spread on the dusty floor but her arms reached up and her backside lifted, rising up her knees. The next contraction swept through before the last had even finished, back to back torturous pressure, every cell in her body screaming at her to keep pushing. She obliged, she had no choice. With a low grunting roar Lucy bore down with everything she had only for the same result. The baby wasn’t moving any further - stuck in an agonising full crown and stretching her skin white and thin around its giant head. Lucy screamed, high pitched and pained, blinded by the scorching fire between her legs. 

“Aghhhhh!!!— ANDYYYYY!!!” 

“Lucy!” The blonde reappeared beside her lover, the sword clattering to the floor. The close combat with the infected had been much more gruesome and juicy than Andy had realized. When she came back into Lucy’s view she looked like she’d just come out of a bath that used blood instead of water. Everything in the world was more important than that acknowledgement currently. 

Andy had immediately held Lucy, her girlfriend's grip on the shelves shifted to the canvas jacket. The laboring mother’s full weight nearly took Andy down, and if she’d not been prepared for it then it would have. Lucy’s agonized screams competed against the howls of the infected trying to get in the front of the store. Whether or not the horde would get in, Andy wasn’t sure, but moving Lucy was impossible so she just had to hope that the gate would hold. The redhead’s face pressed into the crook of Andy’s neck. How long had this contraction been going? Lucy was obviously pushing but was there any progress?

“I’m here, I’m here!” Andy tried to calm Lucy. “How close?!”

“Nnnghhh!!! Fuck— I need it ouuuut— I need it outta meeeee—!” Lucy growled as she gave another fierce push, lifting one leg slightly to try and make more space for the emerging baby. But the move only pulled the fabric taut across the crotch, creating even less room. But still her body pushed. Desperate in its attempt to deliver the head and end the grueling pain. She whimpered at the end of the unproductive push, trembling and gasping for air as she clung to Andy’s shoulders. 

Andy reached between her lovers legs, her palm found the baby’s head far too quickly. Lucy wasn’t stopping, her pushes continued, each one more determined than the last. Andy took hold of the front of Lucy’s jeans and tugged.

“Goddammit!” The jeans wouldn’t tear. “Fucking denim!” Andy cursed over and over, her mind racing. “Lucy, I need you to close your legs! I can’t get the pants off!.”

“What—?! Ughhh I can’t— the h-head is there!” The request from her partner went against every instinct in her body - Lucy needed her legs wider not closer together. The head must be out by now, surely. She had been pushing and pushing for so long. 

“Babe, the jeans are too tight - the baby can’t come out.” Andy tried to explain. 

“Hooo…hoooo… I need— I need it out— get it out please!!! Oh fuck I need to push….!” Lucy barely registered Andy’s words, couldn’t think or focus on anything other than getting this baby out of her body. The pressure between her thighs was constant and unyielding, even between contraction peaks she had to actively work on not bearing down, but during each crest of pain her body went into autopilot. “H-help m-me— please— get them off! I have to push!” 

There was only one thing to do, only one way to help both Lucy and the baby without risking harm to them both. Andy cursed herself for what she was about to do, but there was no time for doubt. Her palm remained on the baby’s bulging head.

“Lucy!” She had to repeat her lover's name three times before it was acknowledged. “Take a deep breath, and when I tell you, close your legs.” Her eyes were serious, no room for error, no chance of doubt. “Don’t fight it, just do it.”

“W-what are y—.” 

Lucy’s words ended as Andy’s palm pressed hard, pushing the baby back inside of the redhead's body. “I’m sorry.” Andy whispered. 

The scream that left Lucy was almost inhuman. As her lover pushed the full crown of their baby’s head back towards her body, the blinding plain of crowning seemed like nothing compared to this - this agony of unnatural torture. Her fingers clawed and pulled at Andy’s clothes, teeth bared and head tilted towards the dark ceiling as she mewled in pain. White spots danced across her vision, her stomach lurched, bile rising up her throat and then— Andy’s palm stopped, making contact with Lucy’s pelvis. The redhead was frozen, overwhelmed, and in shock. Without skipping a beat her partner nudged her knees and physically forced Lucy’s legs together. 

They had seconds. 

Andy rushed, hands shaking with a fresh dose of adrenaline as she grabbed either side of Lucy’s pants and yanked down. At that moment some of Andy’s favorite traits about Lucy’s body worked against them, her ass and hips had to be forced into these pants that morning thanks to a lack of larger clothes. Now here they were, doing the opposite with just as little success. Andy managed to get a decent hold of the waistband and yanked even harder. The jeans dropped to halfway down Lucy’s thighs, a telltale shriek of tearing denim accompanied it. Of fucking course. When she’d been trying to rip the damned things they wouldn’t, yet now that she was simply trying to pull them down obviously they would tear.

“Hold on, hold on!” Andy was trying to shout encouragement but even now she could see Lucy trying to once again spread her legs. “Don’t you fuckin dare! Not yet!” With one last yank, the jeans reached Lucy’s knees, leaving only one thing left to do. “Now spread and push!”

Lucy didn’t need to be told twice, hell her body was already pushing before the words had left her girlfriend’s mouth. Pulling the jeans wide at each knee as they spread, the pregnant woman bore down with raw visceral determination. Every muscle worked on the singular task, her bump small and firm, her teeth gritted, her uterus clamping around the baby and forcing it down. Lucy growled low and deep as she pushed and very quickly made back all the progress she had lost at Andy’s hand. The head was right there again - stretching her skin thin, the weight heavy and foreign, her body desperate to expel this giant mass from her womb. Lucy could feel her body shake as the head reached the widest part once more and she gasped for air. 

“It’s— ohhhhhhh it’s comingggg— Andy—- unnnghhh!!!” 

“Oh shit, shit underwear…” Andy had only just started to remove them, thinking that she may have an extra moment or two, but Lucy’s legs had snapped immediately back to their open spot for the push. 

Lucy was leaning into her again, and the blonde was torn between two thoughts. Holding Lucy’s hand, supporting her body and offering encouragement as she pushed. Or, getting her girlfriend down on all fours so that Andy could get around to her bum and check her progress. She wouldn’t dare leave her loves sight, so a compromise would have to work. She kissed Lucy’s neck as the laboring woman’s arms wrapped around her and she put all her weight on Andy. Andy’s words were quiet, but they came out non stop, encouragement, declarations of love. She told Lucy no less than five times how good she was doing and that she was so close.

The hot breath and exasperated sighs weren’t much of a response, but Andy didn’t need to hear Lucy, she just needed Lucy to listen.

“He’s coming out.” Andy reassured. Lucy’s shirt was up over her stomach, Andy’s palm pressed against it, the other was in her lover's underwear already supporting the baby’s head as it emerged. “Breathe, breathe!” Lucy’s body tensed, vibrating with effort. The underwear was thankfully more elastic than the jeans, much more. The baby pressed into Andy’s hand, she didn’t fight it, she simply guided. “Good girl, keep going! You’re so close!”

“It—burns—! Ohhhh goddddd….nnnnnghh!” Lucy whimpered before grunting once more. She zoned in on every word from her girlfriend - every proclamation of love, every ounce of encouragement - it kept her going. The redhead was trembling, so much adrenaline and effort causing the woman to physically shake. Just when she thought it was never ending, when dying seemed like a better option than this agony, Lucy let out a cry of sheer relief as the head popped out into her partner’s palm. 

“Ahhhh…. It’s—it’s—out!—” Lucy breathed in disbelief, panting and slumping over Andy’s shoulder. 

“That’s it! Oh I can feel it!” Andy laughed, the seemingly eternal struggle of her girlfriend's labor finally surpassing a major milestone. The baby’s head came out with a gush of amniotic fluid, but any concerns of scent were gone. “Just a few more pushes babe.” Andy didn’t know if it was one or ten more pushes, but it had to be soon. Her free hand went into Lucy’s underwear, preparing for the baby to slide out. “We don’t have time to rest love, you need to push.” She could still feel Lucy shaking against her, an almost imperceptible movement of her lover’s head led Andy to believe she was shaking her head ‘no’. “It’s not an option Luce. He needs to come out, and we have to leave.”

“Mmmh… I can’t… I can’t do it a-anymore…” Lucy mumbled against Andy’s neck. She was exhausted, sore, in pain. She’d had enough. The redhead’s arms had draped down the back of her girlfriend’s back, all her weight against Andy who kept both hands beneath her underwear and supporting the head that was now hanging there. 

Lucy was struggling to catch her breath back, the primal force of delivering the head pushed her far beyond her limits. It took a few moments to register the strange movements between her hips, of the baby shifting positions slightly, it was only at the increase in pressure against her sensitive opening that caught her attention. 

“Ughhh… something’s… wrong… weird… moving…” She tried to communicate, to explain the change she was experiencing. Was this normal? Lucy’s mind was too distracted by pain to recall the advice and guidance from the camp doctor and other mothers. Then her muscles began to tighten again, the forceful pulling and squeezing of her womb, overwhelming the mother-to-be once more. She didn’t want to do this again, didn’t want to keep pushing, didn’t want the pain to come back. A soft cry hitched her chest, a whimpering sob against the soft but bloodied skin of her life partner. 

“That’s just bubs turning Lucy.” Andy said, nuzzling against the redhead. While her attention was on her lover, her eyes kept flicking back to the front of the store. The gate could only hold for so long, and with all the screams and blood and fluid she doubted the infected would lose interest. While Andy couldn’t force Lucy to push, she had to keep the encouragement up. They had minutes at best before they’d be forced to run yet again.

Andy felt it, the baby was turning, ever so slightly the head shifted to the side, and Andy felt hot tears roll down her cheeks as she felt the nose and the mouth. All the advice they’d been given played through her head, and she tried to use that to tell Lucy what was coming. In reality she knew she was misremembering most of it.

“He’s going to turn, and then a little push, and he’s coming out.” Lucy didn’t seem to be bearing down, all this progress was simply from her body naturally pushing for her. That wouldn’t be enough, not now. Lucy would have time later, but here and now letting her body do all the work wasn’t an option. Andy hissed under her breath as she realized if needs be she might be forced to actually pull the baby. But that was an absolute last resort. The baby’s head finished its rotation and pushed out just a bit, Lucy was crying, her strength sapped. The reserves the woman had to get this far were superhuman, but still they needed more. Andy was about to tell her to push, to command her lover to give it everything she had in order to get the baby out when her finger felt something, and beneath layers of blood Andy went pale.

She’d been probing with her fingers, trying to test how fast and easily the shoulders would emerge. Easy enough, she figured, after all the hard part was done, right? Her opinions quickly changed when her index finger found something slimy and bumpy near, no, around the baby’s neck. 

“Oh fuck. Fuck! Lucy ignore what I said, don't push!”

Lucy’s head bolted upright at the pure fear in her girlfriend’s voice. “Unnh… what… what’s wrong? What’s wrong with the b-baby-?!” 

She tried to pull back to see Andy’s face, needing to know what was happening, to gauge her partner’s expression. But instead Andy moved, ducking down beneath Lucy’s rounded belly. The redhead lost her balance without her girlfriend’s shoulders to grip, instinctively she leant forward and quickly grabbed the shelves once more to stay up on her knees. 

“Oooohhhh… ohhhh And-y—” Lucy moaned loudly, her hips twitching wildly as the pressure built and built between her legs. She could feel the baby pressing down against her sensitive skin, the width of their shoulders bringing forth that burning ring. Without realising, Lucy’s body began pushing with the contraction, bearing down automatically, forcefullyin a primal attempt to expel the child. “Nnnghhh— ‘m-pushinggggg!” 

“W-wait!” Andy was trying to work fast, of all the things the doctor had said might happen, this was the one that had scared Andy the most. Breach they could handle, that shoulder something or another they could work through, but this? The umbilical was practically a noose made of flesh that if not removed, would starve the baby’s brain of oxygen. 

Lucy couldn’t hold back, and Andy knew that, yet the predicament wasn’t going to take it easy on them just cause the redhead needed to push. Andy went by feeling, the darkness along with Lucy’s soaked underwear made it impossible to get a visual. One hand held the baby’s shoulders in so as not to let the umbilical tighten while the other dug around searching for some wiggle room. She found it a moment later, but quickly that slack was disappearing as Lucy’s body worked to expel the baby. Without much in the way of choices, Andy started pulling on the cord, terrified it might tear or worse, tighten around the baby. Neither came to pass and Andy sighed in relief as she got enough slack to untangle the umbilical from the baby’s neck. She’d only just tried to look up, to tell Lucy all was well, when the torrent of fluids gushed out of the mother along with the baby’s body. Andy went wide eyed, not prepared in the slightest that it would happen so fast.

Through the sobs of Lucy and the howls of the infected, a beautiful song emerged. Cries of a newborn hit the new parents ears, not even a second after finally escaping their mothers womb.

“Oh shit! He’s out! Lucy he’s out!” The blonde was crying and laughing at the same time, her emotions unable to properly convey what exactly she felt. She pulled the baby from Lucy’s underwear, sobbing in tandem with laughter as she saw a healthy little bundle. Perfect, a perfect little girl. Andy lifted her gaze to meet Lucy’s, seeing her exhaustion reflected tenfold in the eyes of the redhead. “She’s perfect…”

“S-She-?” Lucy stuttered in shock. 

The sheer relief when the baby slipped from her body had Lucy’s legs finally give out and once Andy had fished the baby out of her underwear the redhead sank back on her heels. Her arms outstretched without question, a maternal need to see and hold her newborn baby. “A girl…” She muttered through the wide grin as Andy passed across their daughter onto Lucy’s chest. “I was so sure…” 

The baby was pink and blotchy and covered in vernix, but her perfect little lips were pouted and open and beautifully crying after her whirlwind entrance into the world. Ten fingers and ten tiny toes, scrunched up in a bundle against Lucy’s torso. “You really couldn’t wait to meet us eh?” 

The feel of Andy’s hand on her shoulders, wrapping around the new mother and child, brought Lucy’s gaze away from their daughter. She brought her lips to Andy’s, kissing her softly. “Thank you, for delivering her safely. I can’t believe that just happened.” 

“I don’t think she’s ever going to believe the story either.” Andy said, nodding toward their daughter. A beautiful moment that was meant to come in the solitude of their home, instead arrived on the most terrifying day of their lives. Andy felt sick to her stomach, her mind awash with worry for their daughter. Where once it had only been for Lucy, now her concerns doubled. Andy had to force the aches and pains of their ordeal aside so she could just enjoy this. The blonde and redhead pressed their foreheads together, the baby’s cries the best sound either of them could imagine. Andy stayed a moment longer, her hand squeezing Lucy’s shoulder, the other, so dirty and caked in blood, gently caressed the baby’s soft pink skin. 

So many things to say, so much to do, but all was put on the back burner as a sound Andy had been dreading echoed through the store. Her head snapped up, and she could see the roller cages mount had broken in one spot. The thing was on the verge of collapse, all those bodies pressed against it couldn’t be stopped, only delayed. Andy cursed, her survival instincts resurfacing to overtake the joy of motherhood she’d felt. 

“We have to leave.” She said, the sword she’d found back in her hand again. “We have to leave now.”

Nodding slowly, Lucy held the baby close to her chest as the sobering realisation of danger came flooding back. Her jeans were still around her knees, her underwear loose and soaking with birthing fluids and blood. Moving was agony, everything hurt but she had no choice. Andy began to help Lucy, lifting her to her feet and pulling her sodden clothes back on. She had to bite her tongue to keep from crying out as the fabric brushed against the tender flesh between her thighs. The umbilical cord still connected the baby girl to Lucy, the placenta yet to be delivered. But they didn’t have time to wait. 

Andy had the idea of using Lucy’s over shirt as a sling to keep the baby secure against Lucy’s chest. Together they maneuvered the newborn against the redhead’s bare skin and covered with her tshirt, just the little face visible poking around the neckline. Then Andy took the over shirt and wrapped it around and around Lucy’s body so the baby could stay secure whilst keeping Lucy’s arms and hands free. If something were to happen on their journey, if she was to fall, she’d need her hands to protect the baby. All the while they were getting ready the constant banging and wailing of the undead got more and more feral, as if the creatures knew the roller cage was weakening and would soon break. If they got in… Lucy shuddered at the thought. There must be hundreds out there, enough to overpower the couple in seconds. They had to get out and soon. 

Andy had winced in sympathetic pain when redressing Lucy, she could only imagine the discomfort that came with her body being touched by rough fabric after such an ordeal. Still it had to be done. With her lover now standing, Andy was able to shift focus to an escape. Even if the one time she’d been in a mall was as a young child, the logical part of her mind told her that there only being one way in and one way out was ridiculous, there had to be another avenue. Something Mike had mentioned in passing came to her, he’d talked about tunnels, corridors linking the shops to one another and to the outside so that employees could move unnoticed. Each shop had a door to this.

Andy dropped to a knee, unslinging her pack and rummaging through it. She still had the bottle of kerosine with a cloth, but that wasn’t the focus, her goal was found in the outermost pocket. The blonde grabbed the flashlight and deftly flicked it on. She’d left it in her pack up to this point to avoid the infected using it as a beacon. Well, that was no longer a concern seeing as Lucy and the baby smelled like a damn feast to them. 

“Tunnel… tunnel…” She muttered, scanning the store. More of the merchandise was revealed, an excess of medieval dress up shit that Andy had no idea the point of. “Aha!” The beam hit a door in the back. “That’s our exit.” Andy handed the flashlight to Lucy then swiftly assisted her lover toward the door. Things were growing dire. As Andy opened the door, another part of the roller cage gave way, and a steady stream of infected ran in. 

“Gogogogo!” Andy shouted ushering her girlfriend and new baby through the door before jumping in behind. Andy slammed the door shut just in time to feel the first few stragglers smash into it. Whilst the door hinge opened towards the store, the creatures didn’t have a modicum of measurable intelligence that didn’t apply to eating flesh and stalking prey, so Andy doubted they’d open it. But just in case she held tight to the handle and only let go once she’d managed to wedge a rogue plank of wood underneath - stopping it from being opened from the other side. 

Darkness surrounded them, the flashlight the only solitary beacon in their new environment. 

“Look for an exit sign.” Andy said, both hands now gripping the sword. She had her teeth bared, a fresh dose of adrenaline thanks to the unknown area pumping through her veins. “Mike said the workers used to use these areas…”

Looking around the dark tunnel it was impossible to know where they were or which direction to go. Lucy kept her hands on the baby at her chest, even with the make-shift baby carrier she couldn’t stop herself from holding the bundle close. There had been a short burst of adrenaline, survival instinct, when the horde broke into the store but after a minute in the tunnel Lucy’s energy was quickly declining. Every step ricocheted through her aching body, muscles protesting, bones throbbing. But still she continued, eyes wide in the darkness looking for a sign, searching for the exit. 

The pair soon discovered the signs overhead. Hanging from the ceiling beside each metal door was a sign indicating what store resided on the other side. A “TJMaxx”, an “Anthropologie” and a “Uniqlo” - the brands were unfamiliar to the women as they walked beneath the faded signs. 

Mercifully the newborn at her chest was calm and quiet after her entrance into the world, the skin to skin contact helping to keep the infant comforted but most importantly silent.  Lucy could feel her breasts ache, more than usual, and she wondered whether she should be feeding the baby. How quickly after birth do babies need their first feed - she didn’t know and cursed herself for not knowing. She felt like such a failure already; risking her child’s life for some stupid maternity clothes, delivering the baby in a dangerous and dirty place mere metres from a horde of undead, and now hiding her away in a dank dark corridor. The tears rolled down her cheeks before she even knew she was crying. Her feet had stopped, her hand pressed into the side of her aching belly, and she was panting? 

Andy had been ahead of her just a few steps, only realizing Lucy stopped when the flashlights beam fell and she was left blind. The blonde turned to her partner, concern etched on her blood covered face.

“Luce?” In the quiet of the tunnels Andy finally realized how hoarse she sounded. When was the last time she’d drank water? In the park? Her own issues became an afterthought when she heard Lucy’s breathing. Andy took the flashlight, noticing all too well that Lucy’s palm was applying pressure to her stomach. That only worried her more, what if there was more complications? Every horrible outcome ran through Andy’s mind as she looked Lucy up and down. She dropped the light just before illuminating the baby’s head. Andy shut it off, her fingers gently brushing their daughters head before she brought the same hand to Lucy’s cheek. 

“Babe. What’s wrong?” She asked. It was a stupid question, but in her own panic she was having a hard time finding anything else to say.

Lucy exhaled slowly, finding her chest hitching with a sob. “I’ll b-be fine… dunno why I’m c-crying…” It wasn’t completely true, but now wasn’t the time to delve into how much of a failure she felt already. They needed to run, to escape, her emotions might be scattered and hormones off the chart but safety was the top priority. 

With her girlfriend’s delicate hand on her cheek Lucy looked up at Andy and knew from the expression that Andy saw through her dismissal. “It’s just some contractions, the a-after birth will likely come soon.” She tried to divert attention elsewhere but as soon as she said it she realised just how much her belly was aching. “It’s normal, it’s fine, let’s keep going.” 

Feeding the baby had to wait. Delivering the placenta had to wait. They had to get out of this damn mall fast. 

Andy wanted to press on and get Lucy to open up about what she was feeling. Nothing about this was normal, and it sure as hell wasn’t fine. However Andy at least knew better than to pry when Lucy’s hormones were at such a spiked level, the mood swings her lover had early in the pregnancy were legendary and awe inspiring. Andy simply sighed, and pressed her forehead to Lucy’s once again.

“I’m getting us home.” She said.

The couple moved, their pace purposely slow due to Andy now realizing what Lucy was dealing with. She wasn’t about to rush her, doing so would not only hurt the redhead but also agitate their daughter. Flashlight in hand, Andy scanned each door and the signs above them. More names that seemed all too ridiculous. Did people really think they were catchy? “Spencer’s”, what a stupid name for a store, unless it was owned by a guy named Spencer…

Silence engulfed them, only broken occasionally by Lucy muffling a groan of discomfort. Andy cursed the situation, she should have been more firm to keep Lucy home. Three turns, a dozen stores, and they finally found a set of stairs. The dark abyss seemed eerie, and as much as Andy wanted to celebrate, she knew to do so would pull even more bad luck down upon them. She turned to face her lover, using the light she gestured down the stairs and approximated a slow walk using two of her fingers. Andy sucked at charades, but Lucy’s quiet nod told her the point was gotten. 

Halfway down the stairs Lucy hissed, and Andy damn near jumped out of her skin. She whirled on her girlfriend, wide eyed, ready for anything.

Lucy simply rubbed at her belly. Placenta. Just the placenta.

Andy couldn’t help rubbing at her own aches and pains. Her neck felt stiff, her shoulder, her lower back, her ass. She knew when they got home she’d look like some sort of living punching bag. How many times had she fallen today? Four? Andy scoffed at her own inability to avoid injuries, all the while also plotting an escape. The distant banging on the medieval magic shop door they’d escaped through now seemed to have ended, which could be good, or bad. Good would imply they lost the scent and were now bored. Bad, well, that meant they found another way to reach them. Plots and plans raced through her thoughts, how to escape? Getting outside would be ok, but how to get away?

“How fast do you think you can run?” Andy whispered. There was a pause before Lucy’s answer, prompting Andy to turn to face her. She was staring at their daughter again, the tears more prevalent. It broke Andy’s heart to see such a sight. “Babe?” Lucy’s attention snapped back.

“N-not very…”

Andy nodded. She knew that would be the answer. Her flashlight beam searched the signs of the first floor. “Auntie Annie’s Pretzels”, “Book Nook”, “Pyros Fireworks”, “Western Apparel”… Absolutely nothing use—

Andy let the beam return to the third sign.

“Pyro’s…” She muttered. Oh, this was a bad idea. “I have an idea.” Andy turned to Lucy. “A good one.” Both women’s heads turned back toward the sign, when they looked to one another again, Andy was grinning that same crazy desperate grin she had when she was about to do something stupid.

“Oh Andy, you’re not— you’re not serious?” Lucy’s mouth hung open slightly in disbelief and dropped further at her girlfriend’s unhinged smile. “Don’t be ridiculous! The nests are flammable and fuck knows how many are in there and you want to add fireworks to that mix?! Well never make it out before the place blows up.” 

“Just trust me, we get you outside with baby girl, I light Molotov, toss, big boom, we walk home.”

“‘Big boom’?! You’ve lost your mind. This is crazier than you not checking you’d been bitten—” Lucy’s rant was cut off by Andy’s lips on hers. It was a sure fire way to shut her up and Lucy hated but loved when she did that. Instantly she relaxed a little as her partner’s hands cupped the back of her neck and deepened the kiss. When air was needed they broke apart, foreheads touching, body’s linked, their baby girl between them. “Fine…” Lucy relented. 

“You know you love it when I go a little crazy babe.” Andy winked 

There was a fire exit at the end of the corridor, three shop widths down from the Pyro’s Fireworks. Lucy moved slowly, guided by Andy’s hand on the base of her spine, down the narrow passageway towards a faded green exit sign. She kept one hand over the baby strapped to her chest beneath her shirt, the other cupped the squidgy rounded shape of her deflated belly. Another contraction rolled through with the movement, a pulling sensation cramping through her pelvis and bringing back a familial pressure. A sharp hiss slipped through her teeth, but she kept on walking. 

A thought occurred to the new mother as they got nearer to the door - this would be baby girls' first time outside. But god knows what horrors could be waiting on the other side. They’ve been chased inside by a wave of undead, what if they were still out there? They had to hope all the creatures had taken residence inside the mall, that beyond the fire exit would be a bright sky and an empty car park. 

Both women took a deep breath as Andy pushed open the door. Blades of light pushed in on them, blinding the couple for a few seconds as they left the darkness of the mall into the fresh air of the outside world. Andy’s eyes adjusted first, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Not a single infected in sight, hell not even a wild dog or cross looking plant. The parking lot was full of rusted cars and a clear path around the fenced in quarantine zone. Thanks to her innate senses of direction Andy knew exactly where to walk to get home. 

“It’s clear.”

Lucy followed her out, and Andy felt her heart tug as she watched Lucy’s hand cover their daughters eyes so she wasn’t disturbed. The baby was starting to fuss, but Andy didn’t mind, it told her that the baby was still here, still with them. After another kiss, followed by one last scan of their surroundings, Andy moved back into the mall. Her adrenaline was long depleted, and she had to stop just outside the door into the fireworks shop. She stretched, rolling her shoulders and neck till she heard that satisfying pop. If she was going to be forced to run, she wasn’t about to do it without loosening up. Her shoulder, back, and ass were still killing her, but that wasn’t anything a hot bath at home wouldn’t fix.

Andy knelt, pulling out her Molotov cocktail. She had to dig for a few moments to find the lighter. The cloth caught easily, illuminating the blonde as well as her grin. With a deep breath, she opened the door…

A few minutes later

“That, looks cool.” Andy said, all too pleased with herself. Before them, a raging inferno blazed, the entire side of the mall was lit up, and thanks to the kindling that was the ‘nest’ the horde made, it went up like a candle. Andy and Lucy stood at the edge of the park, they had some daylight left, and took the moment to enjoy their handiwork. Well, Andy was enjoying it. She simultaneously was also rubbing Lucy’s back. Contractions were coming, the placenta soon to follow. With no immediate threats around them, Andy had helped Lucy to an old park bench so she could rest and get the baby properly latched.

“You were on fire when you ran outside.” Lucy admonished.

“Only a little.” Andy looked down at her blackened sleeve. “How was I supposed to know the ‘boom’ would be that fast?” The couple kept watching, even seeing a few infected escape, but falling to the flames that encased them. “Placenta feel close?”

“Mmmhh…yup…” Lucy breathed heavily, pressing one hand into the bench while the other held their daughter to her breast. “I’m happy she’s feeding so well first go but… it’s making the contractions stronger.” 

The couple had removed the make-shift baby sling in order for Lucy to try and feed the newborn, pulling up her tshirt and pulling down her bra. Not the ideal quiet moment she envisioned but her boobs were too full and the baby was hungry so needs must. It seemed dangerous doing something so vulnerable out in the open but with the noise from the explosion and the burning mall any nearby undead would now be long gone from the area. 

Lucy’s legs twitched and her hips rocked on the bench, a combination of instinct to soothe the baby with motion but also an unconscious attempt at relieving the building pressure. A soft whimper evolved into a slight grunt and Lucy gasped. “I think… I think I’m feeling a bit… pushy?” 

They both knew the afterbirth would need to be delivered soon, that it needed to come within a certain time of baby being born. Lucy had the hope they could make it back to camp before that happened but the pulling feeling in her pelvis and that pressure was making it doubtful. 

“I guess it’s better to have it happen here instead of while you’re walking.” Andy sat down on the bench beside Lucy, a welcome break from her own aches and pains. “She’s a thirsty girl.” The blonde reached over to rub the baby’s head. Still they hadn’t discussed a name, but they had time. “Huh? You thirsty sweet baby?” 

“Very.” Lucy said.

They both watched the baby feed, her little hand wrapped as tight as she could manage around one of Lucys fingers. Andy was itching to move again, sitting still just felt wrong. Whether that was a protective nature coming out or just her innate impatience she wasn’t sure. The blonde sighed, and was about to ask if Lucy wanted her pants to come off when she noticed her lovers face twist. The expression wasn’t of pain, not extreme pain at the very least, but Andy knew thanks to recent experience that it meant she was pushing. 

“Let’s get your jeans off.” Andy started. She’d barely gotten off the bench when Lucy grunted, and gasped.

”O-oh… shit I think it's out…” Lucy said. Andy's look of bewilderment made the new mother chuckle.

”Wait, what?” Together they removed Lucy's jeans for the second time today, and sure enough the cord from their daughter's belly ended at the fleshy mass now in Lucy's underwear. Andy had seen less gory looking infected, but refrained from saying anything out loud. “Why couldn’t you have done that with her?” That question elicited a glare from her lover. Andy just shook her head, unable to stop the laugh that came with it. The blonde stood up, stretching her back and shoulder again. “Alright, enough sitting around babe. Let’s go home.”

——————————

Mike was long past his scheduled guard duty at the front gate of the camp. Normally he wouldn’t stay so late, but the girls weren’t back, and he was growing more and more worried. They should have been back hours ago, and the billowing smoke in the distance was not a comfort. He lived here for decades before the infection killed the world, and knew the town better than any others in the camp. That smoke was coming from the mall, no doubt about it. His pleas for a search party fell on deaf ears due to one patrol spotting another horde to the south.

”Mike, go home.” One of the fellow guards said for the third time in the last hour.

”Just a few more minutes…” Mike said, also for the third time. 

He crossed his arms as he scanned the open road before the gate. Trees, destroyed buildings, the occasional wildlife. The old man rubbed his eyes. If the girls were ok, they should have been back by now. The mall was gone, and likely so too were they. He blamed himself for letting them go, and even more for being the one to tell them about the store within. He was about to give up, to leave the defenses when one of the guards called out.

”Infected! A hundred yards out!”

Mike whirled, lifting his rifle to look down the scope. He saw them, two haggard feminine shapes, one dragging… a sword? Covered head to toe in blood. Its arm was wrapped around the other, equally dirty, but less bloody. It was holding, a baby.

”Hold fire!” Mike ran as fast as his old bones allowed, opening the gate himself to rush out to the oncoming couple. Tears of relief were in the old mans eyes as he got close enough to see the young couple. “Lucy! Andy! Oh thank god… and…”

Lucy presented the little bundle. “Rosemary.”

”Rosemary…” The old man was grinning. “Good choice kiddos.” He looked Andy up and down. “You look like hammered shit.”

“Thanks Mike.” Andy said sarcastically, still rubbing her aching back. The other aches had become dull on the walk home, but her back just wouldn’t quit. Still the blonde couldn’t remember where exactly she’d hurt it. “We are just gonna, mmmphh.” Andy leant forward slightly, the ache spiking. Warmth ran down her inner thighs, both Lucy and Mike looked at her suddenly concerned. 

”Andy?”