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Standing on the launch platform for Rocket Spleef, Dream feels a twinge in his abdomen. He tries to ignore it and act like nothing’s wrong. Gliding through the air on the elytra wings strapped to his back, pain starts to poke at his innards. He grits his teeth and pushes through the pain. Firing a rocket at an enemy player, it feels like a dagger has plunged itself into his stomach, making him pull into an unexpected dive and land on one of the rapidly shrinking platforms. Gasping in pain, he can barely bring himself to make a safe descent down to the ground where the event organizers and spectator drone pilots and medics are. Thoughts of “Something’s wrong, what’s wrong, why now?” race through his mind.
Clutching his stomach, Dream makes the hand gesture to indicate he needs medical attention now, and within moments a doctor’s got an arm around his shoulder and is guiding him towards the popup medical building.
Once in one of the medic rooms, the doctor guides Dream to the chair in the center of the room and picks a tablet up off the desk in the corner, tapping quickly at the screen. “What happened Dream? What hurts?” She asks him.
Dream hisses in pain, and then responds, “I- I don’t know… Just before the- aghh! the game, something started… twinging. And now it- it fucking hurts, right here.” He puts a hand to his lower abdomen, just above his waist.
The doctor looks between Dream and her tablet screen. “Your file here says that you’re a Miscean?” Dream nods in response. As she gets a stethoscope out of a desk drawer, she says, ”I need you to lift your shirt up a bit.” With another gasp of pain, he complies. Putting the stethoscope around different parts of Dream’s stomach, she asks, “How long is it between the bursts of pain?”
“Uhh…” Dream thinks, wincing. “Started about once every… few minutes? Now i- it’s several… seconds.” He whimpers as his limbs tense at another bolt of pain shooting through him.
“Remind me what your species’ reproductive anatomy is like?” The doctor asks softly.
Dream looks confused as he responds. “Like a- a human’s but… I got both parts. Why does- fuck! that mater ri- right now?”
She takes Dream’s hand and says, “I believe you’re in labour right now.”
Dream just stares at the doctor in shock. “What?” He eventually brings himself to say.
Surprised, she asks him, “You didn’t know that you’re pre-“
“No!” Dream cuts her off. “I- I- I didn’t think I was!”
The doctor shushes him. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ll help you through this, you and your child will be okay. Just breathe and let me help, alright?” She smiles at him.
Dream takes a shuddering breath, and then nods at her. “Alright.”
———————————————
After a surprisingly short time, Dream sits in the chair holding his infant, who is already sleeping soundly, while the doctor fills out some paperwork. “Would you be able to take care of him for a little while?” He asks her quietly, nodding at the baby in his arms. “I can’t keep my team waiting too much longer, they don’t know what’s going on here.”
She sets her paperwork down on the desk and walks over to Dream. “Of course I’ll take care of him for a bit. Once you’re done the tournament, him and I will be right here waiting for you.” She carefully takes the sleeping baby from Dream’s arms, allowing him to stand.
Dream looks at his child for a few moments. “I’ll be right back little guy, I promise.” He gently runs a few fingers across his son’s cheek before turning to leave the room.
After Dream’s stepped out into the hallway, the doctor calls after him, “Dream, wait! You-“ she realizes he can’t hear her, and steps out into the hallway to find him already out of view. “You didn’t name your son.” She says quieter, to no one in particular.
———————————————
After the tournament, and after the victory crowning ceremony, and after the post tournament party, Dream and his friends walk back down the long road to their home. Dream hangs in the back of the large group along with Sapnap and George, Karl having run up ahead to brag to Quackity about all his achievements in his first tournament.
“Hey Sap…” Dream says quietly, and Sapnap hums in acknowledgement. “I feel like I forgot something back there.”
“Did you pack all your clothes?” Sapnap asks.
“Yeah.”
“Did you forget your alarm clock this time?”
“Nope.”
“What about your toothbrush?”
“Made a point of checking for it three times.”
“Communicator?”
“Never left my wrist.”
“Your actually good shoes that you refuse to wear instead of those crappy excuses for footwear?”
“Sadly yes.”
“Sounds like you got everything then. And if you did forget something? It probably wasn’t very important.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Dream shrugs and casts one last look back in the direction of where the teardown crew are likely already dismantling the setup for MCC to move elsewhere next month before turning back to his friends.
———————————————
Later that night, Dream and George lay next to each other in their shared tent where they and their friends have set up camp for the night. George turns on his side and props himself up on one arm to look at Dream. He asks him, “Hey, you never did tell us what happened in Rocket Spleef. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine now. I just-“ Dream freezes as the image of his infant son cradled in his arms flashes through his mind. He stammers out, trying to hide the tremble in his voice, “I just got hit by a rocket wrong, doctor had to make sure I was okay to keep playing. Yeah.”
George looks at Dream in silence for a few moments. “I know your lying voice. Tell me the truth, are you hurt at all?”
“George, I’m not hurt, I promise.” Dream takes George’s hand in his own.
“Okay, I believe that.” George lays back down and wraps an arm over his boyfriend. “And, I trust you not to get into any trouble.” Dream can hear the smile in George’s voice.
———————————————
Many miles away in the MCC crew camp, in one of the many tents sits a doctor holding a sleeping baby. “He never did come back for you…” She whispers, looking down at the infant in her arms. “I guess I’m taking care of you now. You need a name though…” She thinks for several minutes. Eventually, she says with a slight smile, “You look like a Connor. Welcome to the circus, Connor.”
———————————————
A year later, a few months after being released from Pandora’s Vault, Dream sits in the sunlit kitchen of the small house he shares with George on the outskirts of town, scarred hands struggling to hold his teacup steady. George is still sleeping when a letter is delivered to the house for Dream.
Dream stands in the kitchen reading the letter.
Dear Dream,
If you remember me, I’m the doctor who helped you deliver your baby during the tournament last year. We took your child in when you never came back for him, and he’s been doing well here. I never realized just how fast Miscean children grow up, he’s already a teenager by human development standards!
I’m writing to let you know that your son’s name is Connor, and he wants to meet you. He overheard Scott say that MCC is being set up near your town this month, and he ran off ahead of us to try to get there before the tournament. I guess he found your name in his medical file, that’s the only way I can figure how he found out who you are to him.
Connor’s never really been off on his own, and I worry for him out in the wild, but I can’t leave the group to go after him. I’m hoping that he either finds you safely, or you can find him out there somewhere.
~ Amelia
George awakens that afternoon to find a note written by Dream on the kitchen counter, and his shoes and cloak missing from the door.
George,
I have to go and find someone out in the wilds. I promise I’m not out to hurt anyone, those days are behind me. I’m hoping I’ll be back in a few days. I’m sorry to leave so suddenly, but this is important; I’ll explain when I return. Take care while I’m gone. <3
~ Love, Dream
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Five days later, Dream sees campfire smoke drifting out of a cave entrance. Shivering from the cold more than he should be (“Thanks Sam” he sarcastically thought several times as he cursed out the cool temperatures and his newfound sensitivity to cold from his exposure to lava), he approaches the cave. Looking inside, he sees a teenager sitting next to the fire, roasting a fish. “...son?” Dream calls out, hopeful.
The teen looks up at Dream. “Papa?” He asks, eyes wide in curiosity.
Dream’s voice catches in his throat for a few long moments. “Is your name Connor?” He finally manages to ask.
His once forgotten son simply nods in response. Tears well up in Dream’s eyes as he steps into the cave.