The Birth Of Psycheliana/Part 3

About six months into the pregnancy, Smurfette was treated to a baby shower hosted by her fellow Smurfs and featuring the female guests that appeared at her wedding: Flowerbell the woodnymph, Periwinkle the pixie, Marina the mermaid, Laconia the woodelf, Guinilda the fairy, and the Pussywillow Pixies.

"Look at all these presents your fellow Smurfs made for you, my dear," Lilac said. "Your child's going to be much better off than us pixies."

"I'm sorry if all this is making you feel uncomfortable, Lilac," Smurfette said. "I really didn't want all my fellow Smurfs to make such a big fuss over the child."

"That's quite all right, Smurfette," Elderberry said. "We're just glad that you're being well-prepared for the arrival of a baby. If only we could live in your world instead of ours for a change."

"Meanwhile, kiddo, how are you doing with preparing for the birth?" Flowerbell asked.

Smurfette laughed. "Vanity means well with presenting me what he calls 'smurfing exercises', but I don't think he really knows what it's like. I smurf demonstrations of it in the Imaginarium, and honestly it seems a bit scary."

"I'm not sure any of us would ever know what your kind of childbirth is like, Smurfette," Periwinkle said. "We all have our own methods, but none of it is ever like what you're going through."

"But the thing is, dear, is that you'll soon have a child of your own to love, and that should be worth all the pain and struggles that you're having now," Elderberry said.

"Somehow I feel jealous of you, Smurfette," Marina said. "To be able to carry a child inside you is something I would hope to be able to do."

"It's too bad I can't let you carry this child for me, Marina," Smurfette said. "But then again, I'm not sure if I would want my child to be a mermaid."

"Oh, I can't wait for the child to be born," Acorn said. "I want to be able to visit you so that I can hold her."

"Are you even sure that it's a girl, Acorn?" Bramble asked.

"For all we and Smurfette knows, it could just be a boy Smurf," Holly said.

"Oh, I know what gender the child is, and so does Empath," Smurfette said. "We're just not telling anyone."

"Oooh, so it's a mystery," Flowerbell said. "I love keeping secrets from people. It's just more fun to surprise them when the time comes."

"I'm sure Smurfette has her reasons, Flowerbell," Elderberry said. "If this child is really special to her, I'm sure that such things like revealing its gender will be worth the wait for her fellow Smurfs."

"Not that it won't stop them from guessing, but I would have to agree with Flowerbell: keeping a secret like that is fun," Pansy said.

"It certainly isn't a secret that you're still thinking of Clumsy after all these years, Pansy," Holly said.

"Well, she will never learn that a Smurf and a pixie are of two different worlds," Lilac said. - Finally, it is about seven months later, and Smurfette was watching the Smurflings playing around outside when she felt something inside her going on.

"Creeping caterpillars, Smurfette, what's wrong?" Sassette asked.

"It's the child, Sassette," Smurfette groaned. "It's ready to be born!"

"Holey hickory nuts! We've got to get Papa Smurf!" Nat said.

"Sassy, you and Slouchy watch over Smurfette while we get Papa Smurf," Snappy said.

"Don't worry, Smurfette...help is on the way," Sassette said, holding her hand.

Meanwhile, Papa Smurf was in the middle of an experiment when he heard the cries of Nat and Snappy outside his door. "Papa Smurf! Smurfette's going to have a baby!"

"A baby?" Papa Smurf said, distracted to the point where he accidentally caused his experiment to explode. "Great Smurfs Of Fire! I better smurf to this immediately!"

By the time Papa Smurf came over to where Smurfette was, a crowd of Smurfs were already gathered around, with Empath now helping Smurfette inside the house. "This smurf will be right beside you, Smurfette," he said as he gently lifted her.

"Quick, prepare some hot water, and bring me a gown, mask, and gloves from the infirmary," Papa Smurf ordered. "The rest of you, keep outside. This is a very delicate situation."

Soon Papa Smurf was all prepared for the birth. Empath held Smurfette's hand and provided comfort and guidance while Papa Smurf told her to push. Outside the house, the other Smurfs patiently waited.

"I personally don't see why Empath can't be smurfing outside like the other Smurfs," Brainy said. "After all, Papa Smurf is pretty capable of smurfing a baby delivery all by himself."

"The reason that Empath is with Smurfette at this time is that he is the child's father, Brainy, and he is just as important in the role of the child's delivery as Papa Smurf is," Polaris answered.

"I just hope Smurfette makes it through the delivery," Hefty said, sounding a bit worried.

"Aye, she is a brave lass to have endured this long," Duncan said. "She'll smurf through this like a real Smurfswoman."

And then after a while came the sound of a baby crying. "Congratulations, Empath and Smurfette," Papa Smurf announced. "It's a girl!"

"A girl?" Hefty said. "Well, I'll be smurfed!"

"Too bad you lost the bet there, Hefty," Handy said.

Papa Smurf cleaned off the child, put a white Smurf cap on her, and wrapped her in a blanket before giving her to Empath and Smurfette.

"Why, she's beautiful, just like you, Smurfette," Empath said. "Look at that golden hair she was born with. She's also got your eyes, your smile..."

"And your smurfmark, Empath," Smurfette said, noticing a yellow star on her forehead.

Empath saw it too. "Great Ancestors! Then she really must be a telepath just like this smurf."

Papa Smurf dressed the child in a sleeper before Empath presented her to the rest of the other Smurfs. Most of them were amazed to see the first child that was born in the village in years, though some were disappointed that it wasn't a boy. Miracle saw the child and thought that she looked beautiful. He was pleased to finally have a sister to play with.

Sometime later, after the Smurfs threw a party to celebrate the birth of Empath and Smurfette's child, they were brainstorming over what they were going to call the child. They tossed around a lot of names before Empath thought of one that he believed was suitable: Psycheliana.

"Psycheliana?" Smurfette said. "I think I would prefer the shorter form of Liana."

"We could always call her that for short, Smurfette, but honestly this smurf couldn't look at her and not feel that she reminds me of where I smurfed from."

"We don't have to decide on a name now, Empath," Smurfette said. "But in time, when our fellow Smurfs may have children of their own, we may want to consider something to call her besides Baby Smurfette."

"Well, little one, for now your name will be Baby Smurfette," Empath said, as he held his little bundle of joy who smiled at him.