Nearly a week had passed, and Jelly and Snowflake’s bellies were getting bigger and bigger. Jelly insisted that they were not “tummeh-babbehs” but “bewwy-babbehs” as belly rhymed with jelly, and made a better song. Snowflake would call them tummeh-babbehs or bewwy-babbehs, depending on her mood. Both fluffies loved watching Fluff-TV, and Claire was surprised at how much the fluffies were learning from it. Claire had learned a lot too, and had bought the fluffies extra toys to play with, as she hadn’t realised how bored they had been getting while she was at school. She was gradually coming to understand that Fluffies were in some ways more like children than pets.
As it was a Sunday, Claire’s cousin Alice had come over to see the pregnant fluffies and snuggle their bellies. She had left her fluffy at home, as the poor beast was still terrified of Jelly, after what had happened at Alice’s birthday party a few weeks ago. Alice seemed to have forgiven Jelly though, and more importantly, seemed to have forgiven Claire.
“They are soooo cute Claire!” gasped Alice. “I can’t believe they’re gonna have babies, I really wish my fluffy could have babies, but daddy won’t let me.”
“Well, I’m excited too,” said Claire, “but I think its gonna be pretty crazy around here when the babies turn up. They’re due any day now, maybe as soon as tomorrow.”
Alice and Claire carried on petting the fluffies, and Alice was extra careful when she stroked their swollen “tummehs”. The girls and the fluffies all sat down to watch some FluffTV when the show “Babies!” came on. This had become the fluffies favourite show over the last week, and by now, they knew all the songs by heart, as did Alice and Claire, who would sing along with them.
“Mummah wuvs babbehs,
babbehs wuv mummah,
Babbehs get miwkies,
Grow up, big and stwong!”
Claire gave the fluffies treats after this song finished, and then they all watched a fluffy mummah cleaning her babies after they had been born. It was a little gross, but Claire supposed that it was better that the fluffies could learn what to do this way. Claire’s dad said that Fluffies were like a Frankenstein’s monster of different animal DNA, and that although they had some animal instincts, they were also pretty dumb, and needed to learn what to do from human owners and TV. Claire didn’t think they were dumb though, she thought they were incredibly smart. What other creature could learn to talk in weeks? It took humans a couple of years at least to talk as well as Jelly and Snowflake.
The next part of the show was about litter-training new foals, and this had a song too:
“Gud babbehs make poppie in da Witterbox (DA WITTERBOX),
Mummah giv gud babbehs huggies and wuv,
Bad poopies nu smeww gud, on Daddeh’s fwoow,
so gud babbehs make poopies in da Witterbox!”
Claire and Alice sang along to this one too, although Alice thought it was hilarious that anyone had invented a song about pooping.
“Uhhh…” groaned Snowflake, after the song was finished. “Tummeh huwties… Snowfwake need go make poopies…”
The snow-white Unicorn mare waddled over to the litterbox, which was difficult with her belly so swollen and only one rear leg. The poor creature had to half walk and half hop, which would be hard at the best of times, but looked quite painful as she was carrying all the babies in her tummy. Snowflake sat down in the litterbox and tried to poop.
“Uuurghhh… Mummah-Cwaire, Snowfwake tummeh huwties weawy bad. How wong tiww tummeh-babbehs come? Snowfwake no wike tummeh huwties…”
“It won’t be much longer now Snowflake, the babies… oh!”
Claire was cut off by a massive amount of poop exploding from Snowflake’s rear end, followed by a bunch of blood and other fluid.
“Uuufhfhf… Biggest-poopies,” Snowflake sighed.
“I don’t think its poopies Snowflake,” Claire told her fluffy, “I think your babies are coming now!”
“Babbehs coming now? Weawy? Snowfwake am mummah soon?” the fluffy squeaked with excitement.
“Yes, right now, you are gonna be a mummah really soon! Quick, Alice, go and get my mom and dad, we’ll need help.”
Alice ran out of the bedroom, excitedly calling for Claire’s mom and Dad. Claire’s mother came through straight away, but told her that her father and Alice’s mom were out shopping.
“The babies are coming mom!” Claire told her.
"Well, lets get some towels then, we can’t have Snowflake delivering her litter in the litterbox, although I’m glad she made it there before her water’s broke.
“She pooed a lot aunty Sarah,” Alice exclaimed, giggling, and looking at the mess in the litterbox.
Claire’s mom helped to get some old towels to make Snowflake a birthing nest. Carefully, they picked up the three legged fluffy and carried her to it, setting her down gently and making sure she was comfortable. During this time, Jelly kept trying to attract their attention, showing them things she had made with her “Bwockies” and generally getting underfoot.
“Be careful Jelly I nearly trod on you,” said Alice.
“Yes Jelly, leave us alone for a bit, Snowflake is having her babies,” Claire told her.
“Jewwy am mummah-soon too, Jewwy need tweaty. Jewwy-bewwy am bigger, wiv bestest bewwy-babbehs. Jewwy am…”
“Yes yes Jelly, tell me later…” Claire said, ignoring her.
Jelly was not impressed, and puffed out her cheeks. Claire failed to notice though, as she was focussed on Snowflake.
“Uuugghhh… oww…oWWW… OWWIEESSS! OOWW! SNOWFWAKE NU WIKE TUMMEH-HUWTIES!”
For the next few minutes, Snowflake cried about how much everything was hurting, and Jelly complained at the lack of attention, and why her belly-babies were more important, and how she wanted a treaty. Claire, her mother and Alice mainly ignored her and tried to help Snowflake, who was obviously quite frightened and in pain.
“Uh, mummah-Cwaire? Jewwy am had Haxidunt on da cawpet…”
“What? Oh Jelly, why have you pooped on the carpet? Can’t you see we’re busy?” Claire said, returning her attention to Snowflake. Alice noticed something else though.
“Claire! I think Jelly’s babies are coming now too!”
Claire turned around to see a massive amount of poop and fluid on the floor behind Jelly.
“It am a haxidunt mummah! Pwease nu sowwee stick Jewwy! Jewwy sowwee!”
“Its…” said Claire, thinking how gross this all was. “It’s OK Jelly, it was an accident, but I think you’re babies are coming too. Quick Alice, get some more towels, we’ll need to make a birthing nest for Jelly too.”
Things became really hectic, as the three humans had to switch between one fluffy and the next. They had made each nest in a secluded corner of the room, as the experts on Fluff-TV had said this made the fluffies feel safer, as they would be out of site of predators. Unfortunately it meant that there was not room to have both fluffies together, so they had to keep swapping between them. Fortunately, fluffy labour was fairly short, at least compared to humans.
After a few more minutes, Snowflake started to crown her first foal. All three humans crowded around, and the girls watched while Claire’s mom helped to gently pull the foal into the world, as Snowflake was exhausted and crying from the pain.
“NU WIKE! BIGGEST HUWTIES!” Snowflake cried
“Keep going Snowflake! The babies are coming! Push! Push!” the girls encouraged her, saying things they had seen on hospital TV shows.
A few moments later, the first baby was born. A beautiful snow white unicorn, just like her mother, except with a green coloured mane.
“You’re baby is beautiful!” Claire told Snowflake, but more babies were on their way, and Snowflake was still huffing and puffing to get them out of her.
“Um… girls, get me some tissues and a bowl of warm water…” Claire’s mum said, with a concerned sound in her voice.
Claire rushed into the kitchen to get the things her mother asked for. When she got back into the room, several things were happening at once. Jelly was complaining that her babbehs were coming too, and why was no-hoomin helping her, Alice was crying, and Claire’s mother was trying to breathe into one of Snowflake’s babies mouths.
“The babies aren’t breathing!” Alice cried, and Claire rushed over to look.
“JEWWY AM HAVING BABBEHS NOW! DEY COMING OUT!”
Claire’s mother was trying to get the first baby to breath. There were two more babies on the towel now, both very small green and yellow earthy foals. Neither seemed to be chirping or moving, and Snowflake was nudging them with her snout.
“Pwease bweave wittew babbehs! Mummah wuvs you… Wan giv miwkies an wuv an hugs…”
“Let me try to see if I can help that one,” Claire’s mother said, putting the other baby down.
“Nu huwt Snowfwake babbehs!”
“STOOPID DUMMEH HOOMINS! JEWWY AM HAVE TWO BABBEHS NOW. DEY PWETTY BESTEST BABBEHS!”
Alice carried on crying and Claire was not sure what to do. Claire’s mum kept trying to get Snowflakes babies to start breathing, but to no avail. Snowflake kept nudging her last baby, trying to make it cry or chirp. Jelly was telling the truth, because some of her babies were chirping, and she was crying because more babies were coming.
“Pwease wastest babbeh! Pwease bweave fuw mummah… dun go fowevew sweepies… mummah wan hug and wuv you… huuu huuu huuu…”
Snowflake started to cry as she realised her babies were not going to make it. Claire’s mom told Alice and Claire to go check on Jelly and her babies, while she kept trying to help Snowflakes.
“SEE JEWWY HAV TREE BABBEHS NOW. ONE MOWE COMMING. DAT MAKE FOUW. JEWWY CAN COUNT. JEWWY AM SMARTEH MUMMAH!”
Claire and Alice watched Jelly giving birth to her last baby. She already had a red earthy foal, a red unicorn with a tiny green mane, and a yellow earthy that was slightly smaller. The next baby was coming.
“Uuughh… no wike babbeh-pooping, it huwty…” said Jelly, not needing to shout now that she had the girl’s attention.
Claire was crying just as much as Alice now. A bitter sweet combination of grief for Snowflake and joy for Jelly and her little babies. Jelly squealed as she gave birth to a blue earthy foal that was not quite a runt, but smaller than the rest. The girls were relieved when it started chirping like the others.
“Nuuuuu! Awww Snowfwake’s babbeh go fowevew sweepies! Snowfwake am bad mummah… nuuuuu… huu huuu huuuu… Nuuuuuu… huu huu huu huu huu…”
Claire was devastated for Snowflake, and left Jelly with Alice for a moment to go go and comfort her. Snowflake was sadder than Claire had ever seen her, with tears streaming from her one remaining eye.
“Why aww Snowfwake’s babbehs nu bweave?.. huuu huuu huuu… Am Snowfwake bad? Huuuu huuu huuu…”
“You’re not bad Snowflake, you’re the bestest fluffy in the world,” Claire told her, choking back her tears.
“NU! JEWWY AM BESTEST FWUFFY. JEWWY HAVE FOUR PWETTY BABBEHS. DAT MEAN JEWWY AM BEST.”
“Oh shut up Jelly!” Claire cried.
A short while later, things had settled down a little. Alice’s mom had arrived and taken her home, promising she could visit again in a few days to check on Jelly’s babies. Snowflake had said a tearful goodbye to her dead babies, which Claire’s mother had wrapped up in tissues and placed in the tissue box.
Jelly had cleaned her babies by gently holding them and licking off all the “nu taste gud” ick they were covered in. She was cuddling them, and had already placed the red ones on her teats, which they were greedily suckling.
“Da wed babbehs is bestest babbehs,” Jelly explained.
After a few moments, Snowflake had asked Claire’s mom if she could see Jelly’s babies, and Claire’s mom picked her up and carried her to the other side of the room to see them.
“Sniff Jewwy… Jewwy got pwetty babbehs… Jewwy am gud fwuffy… Snowfwake wuv Jewwy an Jewwy babbehs…”
“Dat wight, Jewwy am gud. Jewwy am bestest mummah,” Jelly said with obvious pride as she fed and hugged her babies.
“Can… sniff can Snowfwake hug Jewwy-babbehs?”
“Nu. Am feeding dem.”
“Can… can Snowfwake snuggew dem watew won?”
“Maybe, if Snowfwake bwing gud nummies for Jewwy.”
“Jelly!” Claire interupted. "Of course Snowflake can snuggle your babies later on. Snowflake, you just need to wait until they’ve had some milk…
“Snowfwake can giv miwkies! Hewp Jewwy feed babbehs? Wiw be gud mummah!”
Claire wasn’t sure, and looked at her mother, who gave her a sad and cautious look.
“Snowfwake can hav one babbeh? Jewwy hav wots, and Snowfwake onwy need one babbeh. Can hav wowstest babbeh? Snowfwake can…”
“NU! Dem am aww JEWWY-BABBEHS. Jewwy am da mummah, Snowfwake am dummeh-stoopid-POOPIE-MUMMAH and DAT be why Snowfwake babbehs no BWEAVEY.”
“Jelly!” Yelled Claire’s mom, “We have heard quite enough of your selfish shouting. Say sorry to your sister AT ONCE or I will take your babies away from you!”
“Take babbehs! Nu! Nu take babbehs!”
“Then say SORRY!”
“Sowwee! Sowwee! Jewwy am sowwee! Nu take babbehs!”
