2.56

[Warning: Slight Smut]

Pregnancy is not for the faint-hearted. Though I'd only been conscious for twenty-seven of the thirty-seven weeks I was now, those twenty-seven weeks were torture enough. My anxiety surrounding labour and the aftermath grew by the day.

"Izzy wake you up again?" Lex snuggled into me from behind, his lips brushing against my neck as his hand ran over my ballooned stomach.

What woke me was Izzy sticking her rear out just above the belly button, making me nauseous.

Lex tapped her butt, "naughty girl, let your mother sleep for longer."

"Smacking butts is outdated old man," I playfully pushed his hand off, "it's all about positive encouragement now." Or at least that's what the parenting book I'd found and read said.

"Look at you trying to play the good cop," he chuckled, pulling me closer to him while smothering me in playful kisses.

"Was I not the good cop before?" I scowled, trying to imagine how on Earth I was going to raise kids with this man, for being over six hundred years old he was a big kid.

The laughter vibrated in his chest at my question, "no, certainly not."

"You're lying," I pinched him and wriggled out from under him, accidentally kicking the poor little fox off the bed. "Now look what you've done," I pinned the blame on him instantly and sat up to check he was alright.

"Hellios is made of sturdy stuff, a two-foot drop won't kill him," Lex also sat up to climb behind me and wrap his arms around me.

"You are most certainly going to be the bad cop," I chuckled.

"Was there a reason I didn't want to be a mother before? Do you think I'll be a good mom?" 

In both lifetimes, Lex avoided the past as much as possible, which only made me more curious.

"The best," he gave me a brief and swift kiss on the top of my head and jumped out of the bed. Helios ran around his feet as he walked to the bathroom.

I took advantage of the low light seeping through the curtains to watch his lean but muscular figure as he stripped out of his pyjamas.

Lately, I started to feel him growing on me, my walls slowly tumbling, but each time it did, something bad always happened. So I firmly pulled them back up.

None of this mattered, they were just men. Nothing could compare to the overwhelming sensation of love I felt when I imagined my sweet girl's face.

Baby on the bladder I urged myself to get up and go to the toilet.

As I was washing my hands Lex opened the shower door and pulled me in.

"Lex," I shrieked as the cool water hit my skin. The weather was very warm, so I had only slept in maternity underwear and a bralette, both of which were now soaked.

"Got to save water," he pulled my auburn curls to one side, exposing my neck and shoulder, then gently kissed the bare skin.

"Lex," I bit my lip, feeling a slight twinge in my stomach.

"Hmm?" he asked between kisses "I'll be gentle," he teased his hand cupping a breast.

"Umm…"

We'd had sex frequently, Lex was a fiend. If this was what he was like being gentle and considerate during my pregnancy, I dreaded to imagine what he'd be like after.

The twinge in my stomach disappeared so I relaxed and leaned back against Lex. The water hit my bare skin as his hands toyed with my breasts, occasionally making me gasp or moan when he suddenly pinched at my nipples.

Suddenly that twinge happened again, making me moan out in pain instead of pleasure.

"Luna?" Lex's hands paused, frightened to move in case I'd moan that way again, "did I hurt you?"

I shook my head, unable to speak during the pain. All I knew was my stomach felt like it was being stretched painfully tight.

"System, what's wrong? Is Izzy okay?"

"Congratulations Host, you're in labour," System replied, making me squeak in fear. Izzy in the dream made it to thirty-nine weeks. It was too early.

"Why?" I asked out loud in a panic.

"Well I've been taking good care of her and now she's as ready as she'll ever be," System sounded like it was eager for praise.

"Luna, what's wrong?" Lex asked, his hands resting on my stomach, "is she okay?"

"I'm not ready," I found myself starting to cry in a panicked state, "I'm not ready Lex."

"Shh…" Lex smoothed my hair back from my face before cupping it, "no one is ever ready for anything, we just 'wing it' and hope for the best."

"Wing it?" my voice was as quiet and squeaky as a mouse.

"Besides we have two more weeks to get ready, relax," he kissed my forehead softly and turned off the water behind me.

I shook my head, "We don't."

"What do you mean?" Lex's eyes dropped to my stomach, which was now painfully tight, making me grit my teeth, "oh, fuck, she's coming early?"

I tried to blink back the tears in my eyes as I nodded my head.

"Okay, okay," Lex ran a hand through his long wet hair, "don't worry, we got this."

I nodded again though internally I did not agree. I hadn't a clue what I was doing and I'd already witnessed the labour once in the dream. It had gone smoothly, completely natural, though it hurt more than dying.

That labour had happened when Izzy was thirty-nine weeks, she was thirty-seven now, so I could not guarantee the delivery would go just as smoothly.

"Don't worry I'll take care of you both," System reassured me.

After quickly dressing both of us, Lex took me to the small hospital that was positioned right in the middle of the civvy and army area. Hellios followed at Lex's heel, he would freak out if locked up and alone and clung to Lex like a kit to its mother.

By the time we reached the delivery suite my legs and core ached, and my back and stomach kept contracting painfully.

The staff recognised me and did not look too pleased I'd brought a fox in; however, Lex's father was some big-shot scientist and it gave him a free pass on most things.

They set me up in a private room and examined me, confirming I was five centimeters dilated.

"Did she grow impatient?" Ty smiled widely as he strode into the room, Laura at his heels.

Seeing him enter I let out a heavy sigh of relief. The relief was short-lived, as another, stronger contraction assaulted me.

My nails dug into Lex's hands as I tensed with the pain.

"Relax, little Luna bug, all is going great," Ty reached over behind me and pulled out a tube and connected something to it before shoving it in my mouth, "breathe it in."

I inhaled the gas greedily, willing it to take the pain away. It did not; however, it helped alongside System to take the edge off.

"Open wide," Ty sat on the little stool at the end of the bed, lifting the bed sheets.

I noticed Lex flinch with possessive jealousy over a man looking at me, which made me giggle. Who said he was polygamous? Who said it didn't matter how many men I wanted to sleep with so long I came home to him when I teased him?

"He's a doctor," I gave Lex a squeeze, then took another large inhale of the gas and air as another contraction came.

A breathless Will ran into the room, just as I was puking into a little cardboard bucket.

"She okay?" he asked Ty, ignoring Lex. Will had avoided all talk around Lex, only bitterly mentioning how poor his life was to have a sister who attracted all the birds and bees. He hated Alex, after seeing the result of our  fight. But he couldn't bring himself to approve of the random man who came and took his sister away.

Somehow he always knew whenever Lex had left the caravan as that was when he came to visit, usually with Leo and Holly too.

"Baby's crowning," Ty a little too excitedly exclaimed, making Laura scowl and nudge him with her elbow. "Right Luna bug, it's time to push on the next contraction."

"Luna bug?" Will frowned, taking his position opposite Lex holding my other hand.

"Nickname, now focus," Ty waved a hand dismissing him, and rested a hand on my leg, internally I could feel the buzz of his System trying to connect to mine despite my delirious state.

Burning pain in my core overwhelmed me with the next contraction, I felt like I was being torn in half as I clutched at both Lex and Will desperate for the pain to end.

Exhausted my legs felt limp as I breathlessly spat out the gas and air mouthpiece.

Lex leaned to speak in my ear.

"You're nearly there my love, you're doing amazing," he squeezed my hand and brushed the damp hair from my face.

"Just one more big push," Laura also coaxed me.

My vision blurred as I let out a scream when the next contraction came, System filled my body with a spark, making me push without as much effort. The pain eased as she finally slipped out.

I held my breath, eagerly awaiting the sound of her first cry. When my chest came close to bursting I let out a heavy sigh at the sound of newborn wails.

"Is she okay?" I sobbed, confused and surprised at how emotionally overwhelmed I felt. There was no sensation quite like this. Nothing could compare. This was the best moment in all my short-lived lives combined for sure.

"She's fine," Ty passed me a baby burrito wrapped in a towel, lowered my hospital gown, and placed her on my chest, "say hello to mammy now."

Little golden eyes looked up at me, I glanced at Lex who was smiling wide and proud as if he had done all the hard work.

"She's so tiny," Will almost whispered as he leaned for a closer look.

Her wailing had ceased after a few moments of being pressed against my chest, likely feeling comforted at the sound of my heart beating.

The door burst open, startling both me and the babe.

"Noah?" Will stood up straight.

Noah ignored the confused and hostile glances and strode over to the bed, only stopping when Lex defensively stood in between.

"Move," he growled, his voice sounding as dark and chaotic as the look on his face.

"I don't recall you being my captain, captain Lee."

He let out a heavy sigh and pinched the area between his brows.

"One look."

It sounded more like an order than a negotiation.

"Lex, just let him."

Though her face was the same, her eyes were golden thanks to Lex's intervention, not pitch black like her father's.

Lex instantly moved aside, and though Noah initially hesitated, he walked over to the bedside.

Tears crept from the corner of his eyes as he looked down at the babe, his hand reached out slowly, then halted when she opened her eyes to look up at him.

The guilt almost destroyed me as Noah's knees buckled under him and he fell to the floor with a thud.

"Noah," Will moved around the bed to help steady him back onto his feet.

"I'm fine," He shrugged Will off and without another word stormed out of the room.

He was anything but fine.