#dc writes

Bendy nearly tripped over himself as he adjusted his hold on the pile of towels he was carrying in his arms. It was times like this he could hardly stand being short. "You keepin' up, Boris?" He glanced behind as he stumbled down the hall, clearly struggling to both see where he was going and keep his balance.

"I'm comin', Bendy." Boris replied not far behind, carrying his own stack of towels, albeit with much less trouble. "Are you sure you don't think we might've gotten too many?"

Bendy bit his lip at the question, his expression laced with worry. "I... I really don't know, Boris. We might not need all of them, but I'd rather have too many than too little, y'know?" He chuckled weakly, although it was evident he was hardly in a mood for jokes. "It's not every day someone 'round here has a baby, after all, and... Well, I just wanna be prepared."

Boris's ears lowered slightly. He couldn't stand seeing his best friend so nervous, but at the same time he could hardly blame him. He wasn't at all experienced with this sort of thing, none of the toons were for the most part. "Uh-huh, I understand. Better safe than sorry..."

They finally came up to the bedroom door, with Bendy slowly coming to a stop right outside of it and setting the towels down on the wooden floor. 

"What's the holdup?" Boris tilted his head slightly and looked over the stack in his arms.

Bendy stared at the door for a moment, his hands fidgeting. "Just... preparing myself, I s'pose..." He took a breath and exhaled slowly. "...I'm nervous, Boris. I don't have any sort of first hand knowledge about this sort of thing, and come to think of it neither does Alice. Everything we know is just stuff we've read and heard about..."

"Hey..." Boris set his own pile of towels down and came over, putting a hand on Bendy's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay, Bend. Alice is tough, I'm sure she'll be just fine."

"I know..." Bendy nodded quietly. "I know, you're right... I just gotta stop being a worry wart and be ready to help her, no matter how scared I am." 

"That's the spirit." Boris smiled, his tail wagging slightly. "You've got this, I'm sure of it. You and Alice both."

Bendy nodded again, looking up to give his friend a smile. "You're the best, Boris. I really don't know what I'd do without you."

Boris chuckled, his tail wagging faster. "Aw, you know I'm always here to help. 'Capable canine' is my middle name." He stood up to his full height once more, glancing back down the hallway. "Well, I s'pose I'll leave you both to it. Just holler if you need me, alright?"

"Will do." Bendy smiled once more, waving as his friend started back down the hall. He took another breath and turned back to the door. No turning back now.

The door to the bedroom opened with a gentle creak. It was dark outside, the room's main source of light coming from a small lamp in the opposite corner. A simple, two-person bed lay situated near the adjacent wall, it's loosely-tied curtains about each bed post giving an extra layer of privacy to its occupant. Bendy paused for only a moment to take in the scene before entering, a few towels wrapped tucked under his arm. The rest could wait outside for a moment, right now he had someone else he wanted to check on.

He quietly approached the bed and drew the thinly veiled curtain back. There she was. His beautiful, darling angel. She was wearing a soft, silken robe, reclined on a pile of pillows, a book in one hand, and her other hand gently cradling her large belly. She looked up the moment she saw him pull the curtain aside and gave him a smile as she set her book down. "Evening, dearest..."

"Hey Al..." Bendy replied, his voice barely above a whisper. He set the towels on the nightstand next to the lamp and sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching up and entwining his hand with hers. "How are you doing...?"

Alice took a small breath, her free hand gently making circles on her rounded stomach. "The same as when you saw me ten minutes ago. They've been coming pretty regularly now..."

He nodded, a small sliver of worry still twinging inside of him. Alice's contractions, as Susie told him, would be coming at steady intervals with a high intensity by the time the baby was ready to be born. He already didn't like Alice being in pain, even if it was still mild, and the prospect of it getting worse only added to his unease. 

Alice squeezed his hand tighter, sensing the worry on his face. "Did you find the towels you were looking for?"

"Hm? Oh, heh, yeah..." He gestured to the door behind him. "We didn't know how many to grab, so we just... sort of took them all."

She laughed softly. "Well, better safe than anything, I suppose. We definitely won't be short on them now."

"Yeah, phew, that's a relief," he chuckled and pretended to wipe sweat off his forehead before going quiet again. "... Is there anything else I can do to help? For now, at least?"

Alice glanced back down at her belly before giving him another smile. "If you could just stay here, with me, that would be enough. We've got time before anything exciting happens."

Bendy didn't have to be told twice about that. Another nod and he had already climbed the rest of the way onto the bed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. He brought his opposite hand down to her stomach, his fingers tracing random little patterns across the fabric of her robe. He could feel their little one shifting about in there, as if they were adjusting their position until they got comfortable. Every little movement made his inky heart flutter with a joy and pride unlike anything he'd felt before. This was their baby. Their baby that they had made together, against all odds. And now it was almost time for them to finally come into the world.

Starting a family had truly been a long series of trial and error for both of them, seeing as they were toons created from an ink machine and therefore had no actual parents. The ink machine may have given them life, but who was to say whether they create life of their own? It had taken months of trying, buildups of hope that would only be dashed later on, late nights filled with disappointment and tears, but they eventually finally got what they wanted so badly. Bendy knew he'd never forget the joy he felt when Alice told him the news. How they held each other as tightly as they could, tears flowing freely. He couldn't even begin to contain his excitement during that time. He was going to be a father. 

Alice nuzzled the top of his head, bringing her hand to rest on top of his on her belly. "What're you thinking about...?”

"Mmm..." He hummed softly and nuzzled her back. "Just thinking about how..." He trailed off a moment, searching for the right words.

"How big I've gotten?" She murmured with a small laugh.

"No," he snorted softly and pulled her closer, "I was gonna say something along the lines of how beautiful you are... How lucky I am to have you..."

"Ah," she grinned and pressed a small kiss to his head, "I think I'm very lucky to have you too."

Bendy couldn't hold back a small purr as she kissed him."I love you so much, Al..." He leaned his head down and gently kissed her belly. "And we love you too, kiddo. Don't be afraid to hurry up so we can meet you sooner, now."

Alice managed a small laugh before another contraction made its way down her back and across her stomach, causing her to wince slightly and take a breath as it ran its course. "Oh, she'll be here soon enough, don't worry..." She spoke with a slight strain in her voice, her hand massaging small circles on her large baby bump.

Worry crossed Bendy's face again as he felt her tense up. He brought his hand that was previously across her shoulders down to gently rub her back. "Think it's a girl, huh?" He gave her a small smile and gently squeezed her hand, hoping he could help take her mind off the pain.

"Mm..." She leaned into his touch, exhaling again as the contraction started to subside. "A little girl would be wonderful... But don't get me wrong, I'd be equally happy with a boy..."

Bendy nodded, continuing to rub her back as she relaxed. "I understand. I'll be just as happy either way as well. Boy, girl, as long they're healthy, I'll be the happiest demon." 

She nodded quietly, another small smile crossing her face. "And I'll be the happiest angel as well..." She closed her eyes and rested her head on his once again. "In the meantime, think I might try and rest a bit... Just while I still can..."

"Oh, of course..." He pulled her close once again. "Rest as long as you need, darling."

"You promise you'll stay here?"

"Cross my heart."

She smiled sleepily and kissed his cheek once more. It wasn't long after that she had dozed off, leaving Bendy awake and still holding her gently. He brushed a lock of her dark hair behind her ear, pressing a small kiss to her forehead and resting his head on hers. Even when she was tired and waiting for their baby to arrive, she still looked absolutely divine to him. He closed his eyes and buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, eventually nodding off himself.

------

"... Bendy..." 

Bendy's eyes twitched as he started to come back to. "Mmm...”

"Bendy, darling, wake up..." He felt a hand squeeze his arm.

"Alice...?" He mumbled and blinked his eyes, lifting his head up from the pillow and rubbing his eyes. "You okay...?"

Alice's panted softly, her chest rising and falling with every steady breath she took. Her hand closest to Bendy was gripping his arm, her other hand was holding her swollen belly. "I think... you might need to get the towels ready..."

Bendy's heart leapt into his throat. He scrambled off the bed and gathered up the towels he'd left on the nightstand. "Y-You think it's time?" He set the towels at the foot of the bed and helped her sit up against the pillows, quickly taking his hand in hers once more.

Alice winced as she pulled herself into a sitting position, immediately gripping his hand tightly. "I don't know for sure, but... It hurts a lot more than it did before..."

Bendy bit his lip. She had to be getting close. How close, he wasn't sure, but she had to be getting there. He sat on the edge of the bed again and squeezed her hand. "It's okay if it hurts, Al... Susie told us it should feel like that..."

Alice nodded and took several more deep breaths as she reclined her head back on the pillows. "One thing's for certain... This baby is definitely part demon..." She gave him a weak smile.

He managed a small grin at her little joke. "Hey, all the more proof that I'm the dad, right?" He brushed her hair aside and kissed her cheek, quietly praying she couldn't hear how loudly his heart was pounding. He was terrified, but he knew Alice needed his support more than anything else in this moment. "Just hold my hand if you want and keep breathing. The baby'll be here before we know it..."

She nodded again and closed her eyes, her eyebrows knitted in pain and concentration. In. She breathed in deeply. Out. She exhaled slowly. In... Out...

Bendy inhaled and exhaled with her, both to help her keep time and ease his own nerves. Alice is strong, he told himself. Their baby would be just as strong. He just needed to be there for her.

They continued together for what must have been hours, although to Bendy it could have just as well been only a few minutes. Through every painful contraction, every time she gripped his hand, every time he helped her breathe through it, he never left her side. 

More time passed. Alice only cried out in pain a few times, but it shattered his heart every time. He went to the foot of the bed to check her later on, where he could confirm things were definitely progressing. He pulled the bed sheets covering her legs up to her knees and gave her an encouraging grin. The baby had her hair, he told her. Despite her pain, Alice couldn't hold back a smile at the statement. Time passed again, things progressed again as well. Then, not much later at all, the cry of a newborn filled the room. 

Alice fell back against the pillows as she heard the shrill cry, panting heavily as she grinned up at the ceiling. She did it. She lifted her head just in time to see Bendy hold up a tiny, squirming infant in a ink-drenched towel. 

"It's a girl, Alice!" Bendy laughed and gave her the biggest smile he possibly could. "We have a baby girl!"

A choked sob of delight escaped Alice at the announcement of their baby's gender. Tears ran freely down her face as Bendy carried the wailing baby girl over and gently placed her on her chest, towel and all. "Oh, hello, hello little one..." Alice spoke softly between sobs, gently rubbing her newborn daughter's back and wiping away the ink she was covered in. "Look at you... Oh, you're so beautiful..." The baby continued to cry loudly and squirmed in the towel she was wrapped in, trying to get closer to the voice she heard. Alice gave the infant a tiny nuzzle and kissed her head. "Shhhh... Mama's here. Mama's got you, sweetie..." Slowly, the baby girl's cries reduced down to whimpers as she was soothed by her mother's voice and touch.

Bendy grinned and wiped away his own tears as he watched his brand new daughter meet her mother for the first time. They'd done it. After months of trying and another nine months of preparing, their little girl was finally here. He sniffed and wiped his eyes again before coming over to sit next to Alice. "She's perfect, Al... I'm so proud of you..." He kissed her cheek and laid his head on her shoulder once again, his hand coming up and gently playing with their baby girl's hair, absolutely enchanted by this tiny little life that he helped create.

Alice blinked back more tears and leaned into Bendy, smiling as their daughter finally calmed down and stopped fussing. She made small noises as she lay on her mother's chest, her eyes still closed tight. "Have you ever seen anything as beautiful as her?"

"Never... I've never seen anything like her at all..." Bendy smiled as he continued to stroke the baby's hair. He could just barely feel tiny nubs on her head underneath her hair, where horns would most likely grow when she got older. "Say, you remember the name we'd picked out if she was a girl?"

Alice nodded quietly, turning her head slightly to meet his gaze. "You think it's a good name for her?"

Bendy nodded in return, another smile coming to his face. "Yeah... Luna. That's what we should call her."

Alice smiled back at him, returning her gaze back to her sleeping daughter. "Our little Luna..."

The couple lay together in silence, simply taking in the sheer beauty of the moment as a new family. Bendy eventually got up and fetched a clean blanket, and Alice used another towel to dry off her daughter before transferring her over to the blanket Bendy had brought. Now all clean and warm as she slept, Bendy gently played with her tiny hands and laughed softly when she gripped onto one of his fingers in her sleep. "Wait till Boris sees her. He's gonna be so excited..."

Alice hummed softly in agreement. "Susie's been excited too. She's going to flip when she learns I had the baby over the weekend."

"That'll be a fun way to start the Monday, huh," Bendy chuckled. "I bet Henry will be happy to meet her too."

"Mm, I couldn't imagine anyone wouldn't be happy..." Alice closed her eyes and rested her head on Bendy's. "She might even get a smile out of Sammy, I'd bet..."

"Oh, now that would be something. She'd have accomplished something few people have done."

Alice was about to reply when Luna started to fuss again, whining softly and nuzzling her mother's chest as if she were searching for something. "Oh, hold on, I think I know what she wants." She gently scooped the baby up with her blanket. "Bendy, could you...?"

"Hm? Oh, I got her." Bendy carefully took Luna in his hands and cradled her, grinning as she squirmed in his arms and blearily opened her eyes. "Hey there, sweetie, you have a nice nap? I'm your dad, by the way, in case you were wondering." He grinned as she blinked and looked up at him curiously. She had the same pie-cut eyes that both of her parents did, and the same off-white skin. "You know, I think the two of us are gonna be good friends. You, Alice, and I, we're goin' places, I just know it."

Alice chuckled softly as she watched Luna meet her father. Even to babies, he seemed to have an irresistible charm. She pulled the shoulder of her robe down, exposing the lower part of her chest. "Alright, you can hand her back now."

"One baby, comin' right up," Bendy chuckled and gently passed her back. He leaned back on the pillows once more and watched as Alice carefully adjusted her hold on their baby girl until she was in a comfortable position to nurse. 

"C'mon, sweetie, you must be hungry," Alice murmured softly, letting Luna familiarize herself with this new position. After another moment she finally latched on properly and started to nurse. "There you go..." Alice breathed a small sigh of relief and leaned back again. "From what Susie's told me, I'm gonna get used to feeding her like this. Some babies can nurse for up to a year."

Bendy nodded quietly, not taking his eyes off their daughter. "It's pretty fascinating, if you ask me." 

Luna nursed for a short while longer before she finally had her fill of milk. She released and made a soft squeaking noise before nuzzling her head into her mother's chest once more, making a tiny rumbling sound very much akin to a purr.

"Hold the phone..." Bendy leaned down to listen. "Is that coming from her?"

"I think so," Alice laughed and stroked the baby girl's head. 

"You sure you didn't give birth to a cat, Al?" 

"Hey, out of the two of us, she definitely got that from you, mister." Alice chuckled and gently headbutted him. "You purr all the time."

"What? Nooo," he nudged her back, trying to feign innocence, "surely you must have mistaken me."

"Oh no, I'm not mistaken at all." She gave him a quick kiss. "One of these days I'm going to catch you holding her and purring, mark my words."

"Hmm, I frankly see no problem with that at all." He hummed playfully and kissed her back. "We just purr to show affection sometimes. It's a demon thing..."

Alice hummed softly in response and nuzzled him once more. "Say Bendy, do you want to go and get Boris? Just so he can meet her before we go to sleep tonight?"

"Oh, of course, toots." He nodded and got to his feet once more. "I'll be right back, I promise."

-------

"Shoot, if only I had a red five..." Boris scratched his head as he mulled over his cards on the table. 

Bendy quietly entered the room where Boris was, softly knocking on the open door. "Hey Boris?"

Boris looked up from his game of solitaire, his tail wagging slightly. "Bendy! Is everything alright?"

Bendy exhaled quietly and nodded, giving him a wide grin. "...It's a girl.”

Boris stared at him dumbfounded for a split second, then leapt to his feet and scooped Bendy up in the tightest hug he could muster. "Gawrsh, Bendy! You're a father!" He barked excitedly and spun around. "And Alice is a mother! Congrats to you both!"

"Grk-!" Bendy could barely utter a word as Boris nearly crushed his ribcage. "Y-Yeah Boris! We're parents-! Please let me get some air!"

"Oh! Sorry 'bout that!" Boris quickly released him and set him down. "Guess I really don't know my own strength when I'm excited. So, when can we see her? Can we see her now?"

"We can definitely see her now if you want," Bendy laughed as he caught his breath. "We'll have to be quiet, though."

"Oh! Right, right! I'll be as quiet as a church mouse! Ahem, starting now." Boris grinned sheepishly. 

Bendy pushed the door open to the bedroom once more. "Hey Al, Boris is here to say hi..." 

Alice grinned as she looked up from the tiny bundle in her arms. "Hey Boris, come right in..."

Boris approached almost cautiously, slowly kneeling down at the edge of the bed so he could get a good look at the baby Alice was holding. "Oh my goodness..." He whispered as his tail thumped gently against the floor. "She's so tiny... And so cute!" He grinned up at Alice, practically wiggling with excitement. "I've never seen anything like her before."

Alice smiled back down at him. "Neither have we, to be honest. She's probably the first baby toon, ever."

"Gawrsh, that's real exciting!" Boris wiggled happily again as he looked back to the sleeping baby. "So, whatcha gonna call her?"

Alice looked up at Bendy as he smiled and walked over. "We were thinking of calling her Luna."

"Luna?" Boris repeated the word, giving the new parents another excited smile. "That's a real nice name! You two must be so proud right now!"