99. And Maggie’s Makes Four

Saturday, December 9 - Monday, December 11, 2017

Watching Alex’s baby being born was nothing like Maggie had imagined.  Still, it was something she’d never forget, and she got some incredible bonding time with Alex by going through all that with her.  Maggie felt like she bonded more with the baby as well because she was there for the birth.  She hoped she felt bonded to their fourth child when she was born.  She was already completely in love with the first three.  These kids had her heart wrapped up with no hope of escape. 

Jordan Avery Danvers was as beautiful as could be.  Maggie could tell that, yes, she had Kara’s mouth, but she definitely had Alex’s eyes.  The detective would know those eyes anywhere - both Alex’s and Kara’s - she’d memorized them long ago - and those were definitely Alex’s eyes.

When it was all over, Maggie was beyond exhausted, but she didn't want to leave.  It took Kara insisting that she go home for Maggie to agree to going with Eliza back to the mansion.  They walked all the way back through the hospital to get to the van, and as soon as she sat down in the vehicle, Maggie started bawling her eyes out. 

"Maggie, sweetie, what's wrong?" Eliza exclaimed. 

Maggie didn't really know how to express all the jumbled up emotions that she was feeling at the moment.  She was overjoyed to have gotten to see Jordan being born.  She was upset at having to leave Kara and Alex and the new baby.  She was frustrated that she hadn't had even the slightest contraction.  And she was completely exhausted, but she didn't want to sleep alone tonight.  She sobbed into her hands, letting Eliza hug her from the driver’s seat

“It’s OK, sweetie,” Eliza soothed.  “You’ll have your baby soon, I promise.”

The detective cried for a couple more minutes before settling down, and that’s when the exhaustion really started to take over.  “I’m sorry, Eliza,” she mumbled.  “It’s not just that I haven’t had my baby yet…  I don’t know how to explain it.  I think I’m just over-tired right now.”

“Alright, my dear, let’s get you home, so you can get some sleep, huh?” Eliza said, starting the van.  “Hopefully, you’ll feel better in the morning.”

Maggie nodded.

As they pulled out of the parking garage, Maggie closed her eyes and let her head fall back onto the headrest.  She knew Eliza was a good driver, so she dozed lightly on the way home.  When they arrived back at the mansion, Eliza had to help Maggie out of the van and on the way up the stairs to the master bedroom.  When they opened the door, Lena was awake and nursing, and Alura was sitting with her.

“Hi, baby,” Maggie greeted her sleepily.

“Maggie,” Lena beamed at her.  “I’m glad you’re home.  How did it go?”

“It was amazing,” Maggie replied.  “I’m so glad I got to be there.”

“What’s the baby’s name?” Alura asked.

“Jordan Avery,” Maggie informed her.

“Another ‘J’ name, huh?” Alura chuckled.

“Uh-huh,” Maggie confirmed.  “Hey, Lena?  Would it be OK if I slept in here tonight?”

“Of course, my love, but I don’t know how well you’re going to be able to sleep with me being up and down all night,” Lena replied in concern.

“I’m so tired, I think I could sleep through just about anything right now,” Maggie sighed.  She changed her clothes and then crawled into the bed with more help from Eliza, giving Lena a big kiss before lying down beside her.  “I love you all.  Thank you for everything.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie,” Eliza replied, kissing Maggie on the head.  “I love you all as well.  I’m gonna go get some sleep myself.  Goodnight, everyone.”

“Goodnight, Eliza,” the others replied.  “Love you too.”

Maggie fell instantly asleep before Eliza even left the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Eliza came in to wake Maggie up at 8am later that morning.  “Maggie, sweetie, would you like to get up and come to the hospital with us?”

The detective still felt like she was swimming through mud when she tried to move, but her desire to be with the family was enough motivation to push through it.  “Yeah,” she replied groggily.  She let Eliza help her out of bed before she took a lukewarm shower to help wake herself up, knowing that if she took a hot one, it would put her right back to sleep.  She was still upset that she wasn’t having her baby yet, but she didn’t feel like an emotional wreck because of it.  Plus, she didn’t have to sleep alone through the night, and she even got some cuddle time with Lena, thanks to Alura helping with the babies.

When Maggie finally wandered downstairs, breakfast was ready and waiting for her.  Everyone greeted her with hugs and kisses, and the girls made her a big plate of food.  She felt quite a bit better after eating.  She still wasn’t 100%, but she would manage, as long as it meant she could go see Alex and Jordan again.  After she got to visit again, she planned to return home and sleep and spend time with Lena and the boys.

Lyra arrived at 8:40am, and by 8:45, the Danvers (minus Lena and the boys) were off to the hospital to see the new baby.  Of course, the twins were hyper as hell with the excitement of getting to meet their new sister.  They chattered away all through the ride to the hospital, driving Maggie a little nuts.  She kept her mouth shut about it, though.  She didn’t want to ruin the happy vibe of their new family member.  The twins weren’t trying to be irritating, and Maggie knew that.  She knew her irritation was more from being tired than being annoyed at the kids.  Plus, she knew they were sensitive little souls, and they would probably cry if she snapped at them.  She couldn’t have that.  She loved the twin girls as much as anyone could love someone, and she didn’t want to hurt their feelings by being grouchy.  When they got to the entrance, Maggie’s patience was rewarded when Jessie spotted the wheelchairs and insisted that Maggie sit in one and let Jessie push her the rest of the way.  The detective didn’t even argue.  She was too tired for that.  She just thanked her step-daughter and sat down in the wheelchair, enjoying the ride and knowing that she wasn’t taxing the little Kryptonian’s energy.

Since Maggie and Eliza had already met Jordan, they let the girls go in first.  Before they even left the waiting room, the twins were already arguing over who got to hold the baby first.  Maggie chuckled and shared a smile with Eliza and Alura over it.  It was Alex and Kara’s issue to deal with now.

Eliza took Maggie’s hand in hers.  “Are you doing alright, Maggie?  I know you didn’t get much sleep last night.”

Maggie nodded.  “I’m mostly OK.  Fifteen percent tired and ten percent annoyed that I’m not having my baby yet, but the rest of me is fine.”

Eliza gently squeezed her hand and didn’t let go.  “OK.  Let me know if that percentage changes.”

“Will do,” Maggie agreed, squeezing back.

The three women just sat there watching TV for a little while, until the twins came back to give Alura her turn to meet Jordan.  Maggie was starting to doze a bit in her chair when a horrendous pain shot through her back and her pelvis, causing her to scream and startle everyone in the waiting room.  

“Shitfuckdamnfuckinghell,” she groaned when it was over.  “I knew it was going to hurt, but fuck.”

“Was that a contraction?” Eliza asked her.

“Had to be,” Maggie panted.  “Jesus christ.”

“I should go let the others know,” Alura offered.  “I’ll be right back.”  Her mother-in-law disappeared down the hallway to break the news.

Now that Maggie had her wits about her, she smiled.  “Finally.  It’s happening.  Thank God.  Or Rao.  Or whoever.”

Eliza chuckled.  “I’m glad you’re happy.  Keep hold of that.  It’ll help get you through the pain.”

Maggie nodded.  “I will.”

The next thing they knew, Kara was running at human speed down the hall towards them with a huge grin on her face.  “Is it true?  Are you really in labor?”  She knelt on the floor in front of Maggie and used her x-ray vision to look at the baby.  “She looks good.”

“Well, I only had the one contraction, so it’s too soon to tell, but I think so,” Maggie said, stroking Kara’s cheek.

Kara kissed her enthusiastically, ignoring the people in the room staring at them.  “I’m so happy!  You’re going to be amazing.”

“I’m glad you have such faith in me,” Maggie smiled.

“I do,” Kara insisted.  “I really, really do.  I love you so much, and I’m so thankful that I get to have a baby with you.  She’s gonna be so beautiful.”

Maggie started tearing up a little.  “OK, stop, you’re gonna make me cry.”

“Sorry!” Kara exclaimed.  “Sorry, honey.  I should get you home, so you can rest.  You were already up late last night and early this morning.  You’re going to need your strength.”

Maggie crossed her arms over her chest.  “I’m not leaving until I get to see Alex and Jordan again.”

Kara smiled in understanding.  “OK, honey bunny, but no more than an hour, OK?  You need to rest.”

“Alright, alright,” Maggie grumbled.  “But that means an hour-long visit, not an hour from now.  I still have to wait for the girls and Alura to have their turns.”

Kara sighed longsufferingly.  “OK, fine.  Deal.  When I take you home, do you want me to stay with you?”

Maggie thought about it.  “Um, yeah, if you can.  I can’t really bother Lena or Alex right now.”

“I can,” Kara assured her.  “I’m here for you, Maggie.  I’ll help in whatever way I can.”

“Thanks,” Maggie said with a tender kiss.

“I’ll stay here with the kids,” Eliza offered.  “I know we’re not going to be able to tear them away from their new sister for very long, so I’ll stay.  “You can ask Alura what she wants to do when she gets back.”

“Will do,” Kara nodded.  “I told her to stay with Alex and the girls, so she could meet Jordan too.”

“I figured,” Eliza acknowledged.  

Kara sat down in a chair next to Maggie while they waited for the twins to come out.  She held the detective’s hand in both of hers and gave her a few kisses of reassurance.  “If the kids don’t come out in the next fifteen minutes, I’ll go get them, OK?”

“OK, thanks,” Maggie smiled.  “I really hope I’m not going to be in labor for two days like Lena was, but I sure as hell don’t want to have her so fast that I don’t get an epidural like Alex.  I’m a little nervous about how this labor is going to go.  But I’m also really excited.  I’m so ready to meet this baby.”

“You’re going to be amazing, Maggie,” Kara encouraged.  “You’re so strong and brave, and I’m gonna be here for you all the way.  I promise.”

Maggie nodded.  “I’m glad.  I can’t do this without you.”

“You won’t have to,” Kara swore.  “You are my number one priority right now.”

“Thank you,” Maggie replied with a kiss.  

“I love you, honey bunny,” Kara grinned.

Maggie returned her smile.  “I love you too.”

The three of them zoned out and watched whatever mindless show was on television while they waited for Jamie and Jessie to come back out.  As promised, after fifteen minutes went by, Kara wheeled Maggie into Alex’s room.

“OK, girls, go out and wait with Grandma for your next turn,” Kara said.  “Maggie wants a turn to visit before I take her home.”

The twins pouted, but they kissed everyone goodbye and headed out, but not before telling Maggie good luck and congratulations.

“Hi, baby,” Alex greeted her wife.  “Are you OK?”

“Hey, babe,” Maggie grinned and gave Alex kisses.  “I’m OK.  I’ve only had one contraction.”

Alex nodded.  “How long has it been?”

Maggie checked the time.  “Only about 20 minutes, give or take.”

Alura passed Maggie the baby, “Here you go, sweetie.”

“Hi, Jordan!” Maggie grinned.  “Mama Maggie’s here.  How are you?”

Jordan cooed at her just like the night before.  “Ahhhhh.”

Maggie giggled.  “Such a chatty one.”

“Yeah, I don’t think Jessie was even this noisy when she was a baby,” Kara chuckled.  “It’s so cute.”

“Can you say ‘Mama?’” Maggie asked the baby.  “Mama.”

“Ahhhh,” Jordan replied, flailing around happily.

Maggie laughed again.  “I love you, Jordan.  Yes, I do.”  She looked back at Alex, “How did she do last night?”

Alex shook her head.  “She does not like to sleep, and she’s very insistent on having a binkie when she’s sleepy.  Kara had to be up all night rocking her, and God forbid she stop rocking for a second to get a drink or something.  I hope she likes the baby swing because eventually people are going to get tired of holding her 24/7.”

As though she was affronted by the mere thought, Jordan let out a wail.

Alex checked the time.  “She’s probably hungry.”  She held out her arms for the newborn, and Maggie handed her over.  Jordan was no different from the others when it came to their voracious appetite.  “This little one is clearly going to be a handful.  Aren’t you?  Yes.”

Maggie stroked Alex’s head.  “We’re in this together, babe.”

“I’m glad,” Alex smiled at her.  “Were you able to get some sleep?”

Maggie nodded.  “A little.  Kara’s gonna take me home after this, so I can rest before this baby comes.”

“Good,” Alex smiled.  “I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Me too,” Alura beamed.  

“Me three,” Kara chirped.

Maggie chuckled and rubbed her belly.  “Same here.”  She sat on the edge of Alex’s bed just to be a little closer.  “I’m so proud of you, Alex.  You were a champ last night.”

“Yeah,” Kara agreed.

“I’m proud of you too,” Alura chimed in.  “I can’t even begin to imagine what you went through.”

“Thanks, guys,” Alex replied.  “I think I’m too traumatized to ever give birth again, though.”

Kara snorted.  “I’m not putting any of you through this again, if I can help it!  I never imagined having this many kids.  I thought maybe I’d have three at most.  I mean, of course I love them all now, but this was never my plan.  It wasn’t even Jamie’s plan to have this many.  She didn’t know what was going to happen.”

“Don’t tell Jamie this, but I’m glad I got pregnant,” Maggie admitted.  “Otherwise, I would have missed out on this incredibly beautiful thing, and I never would have known how good it felt to grow a baby inside me.  I am dying to meet her.  I know I keep saying that, but it’s true.”

“Me too,” Kara agreed.  “Three down, one to go!  I’m so excited!”

“We all are,” Alex chuckled.

“Indeed,” Alura chimed in.  “I won’t be satisfied until I get to meet all of my grandchildren.”

Kara bounced on the balls of her feet in her excitement.

“Come here, Kara,” Maggie chuckled.  When Kara obeyed, Maggie first gave her an enthusiastic kiss before saying, “Talk to your daughter.  Tell her to hurry up and come out already.”

Kara giggled, kneeling down to talk to Maggie’s baby.  “Hey, little one!  We’re all anxiously awaiting your arrival.  Mommy would like to know if you could hurry it up a bit.  She doesn’t want to be in labor for days, OK?  There’s nothing to be afraid of out here.  There’s just a whole lot of people who love you and want to meet you.”

The baby kicked a bit at the sound of Kara’s voice.

“I think she understands,” Kara grinned, standing up and giving Maggie a kiss.

“Good deal,” Maggie returned her smile.

Kara placed her hand on the detective’s belly and just enjoyed the feeling of the baby kicking.  “Mom, do you want to feel her?”

Alura smiled and nodded.  “Yes, please.”

Kara took her mother’s hand and placed it on the spot where the baby was kicking.  

“She’s low enough to not be able to kick you in the ribs, I think she’s ready,” Alura commented.

“Yeah, that’s a big relief,” Maggie chuckled.

The group fell into a comfortable silence, watching Jordan nurse.  She was even noisy when she was eating, and it was entertaining and completely adorable.  Jordan nursed for about half an hour, and Maggie was about to ask to hold her again, but before the words could leave her mouth, she had another excruciating contraction.  Unfortunately, her scream startled little Jordan, and the newborn started wailing.

When Maggie regained her senses, she apologized profusely.

“It’s OK, honey,” Kara soothed the detective.  “It’s OK.”

Alex soothed the baby, and she calmed down fairly quickly, so Alex could finish burping her.

“I’m sorry for startling you, little one,” Maggie whispered to the baby.  “Mama Maggie is going to have your little sister soon.  Aren’t you excited?”

“Ahhh,” Jordan cooed.

“I think she is,” Alex said on Jordan’s behalf.

“I lost track of time,” Maggie fretted.  “I don’t know how far apart my contractions are.”

Kara checked the time.  “Well, we got here at about nine, and we were in there for about fifteen minutes before you had your contraction, then fifteen more minutes while we just sat out there, and we’ve been in here for a little more than a half an hour, so I’d say it was roughly an hour or so.

Maggie nodded.  “OK.  That’s somewhere in the middle of Lena and Alex.  Thank god!”

“Will you let me take you home now?” Kara urged.

“Just a few more minutes,” Maggie replied.  “I want to hold Jordan again before we go.”

“Alright,” Kara relented.  “I did promise you an hour.”

Alex chuckled and passed the newborn over to her wife.  

Maggie and Kara stayed with them for another half an hour, talking to the baby and rocking her to sleep with her little binkie.  When it was time to go, they kissed the new mother, the baby, and Alura, then stopped back at the waiting room to say goodbye to Eliza and the twins.  After that, Maggie talked Kara into taking her to Noonan’s to get some sticky buns and coffee.  Kara didn’t need to be convinced, really.  It was her favorite restaurant after all.  

Of course, Amy and Tara were there, and greeted Maggie and Kara with hugs at the front door.  

“Guess what!” Kara whispered to them.

“What?” the pair asked, lighting up at the prospect of a Super secret.

“Maggie’s finally in labor!” Kara exclaimed quietly, so the people around them wouldn’t hear.

Amy and Tara’s eyes widened, and they tried to contain their glee, but it was clearly hard for them.  “Oh my gosh, that’s so exciting!” Tara beamed.  “Breakfast is on us today.”

Kara scoffed.  “You guys, you don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t have to do anything, but I want to,” Tara replied.  

“I can’t let you do that,” Kara insisted.

“I guess you could leave,” Amy said sarcastically, winking at Maggie.

Kara’s mouth dropped open.  “I..  I…”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Maggie stated firmly.  “I want my sticky buns and coffee.”

Kara groaned and then she just stuffed her money in the tip jar.

“Joke’s on you,” Amy smirked.  “That doesn’t go to either of us.  It goes to the employees.”

“Good,” Kara huffed, feigning more annoyance than she was feeling.

Amy seemed to know that Kara wasn’t really that upset because she laughed at Kara’s petulance.  “Such a stubborn thing.”

“Says you,” Kara retorted.  “And I’m not a ‘thing.’”

“Come sit down before you cause more of a scene,” Amy chuckled.  “Or do you want to gather a bunch of attention to yourself today for some reason?”

Kara’s eyes went wide and she looked around at the people staring at her.  “Fine, you win this time.  But this isn’t over!”

“Whatever you say, dearie,” Amy laughed again.  She turned to the hostess nearby, “Hannah, show these two ladies to a table, please.  We’ll be taking care of them today.”

“You got it,” Hannah replied.  Maggie observed that the girl couldn’t have been more than 18 at most, so she smiled sweetly at the kid and thanked her for the table.  “When are you due?” the girl asked.

Maggie huffed a laugh, “Yesterday.”

“Oh!” the girl replied.  “Well, good luck!”

“Thanks, kiddo,” Maggie smiled at her again.

“You’re welcome.  Enjoy your breakfast,” Hannah returned the smile and headed back to her post.

Amy and Tara returned to them shortly with two coffees and a half a dozen sticky buns.  “You came at a good time,” Amy told them.  “The lunch rush hasn’t come in yet.  Mind if we join you for a few minutes?”

“Please do,” Maggie allowed.  “How have you guys been?”

Amy and Tara sat down at the table with them.  “We’ve been good,” Tara replied.  “We’re training a few new people this week, so it’s been a little busy, but not bad.”

“Where’s the rest of the gang?” Amy wondered.

“Oh!  Alex had her baby last night, so my mom, her mom, and the twins are at the hospital with her,” Kara informed them.  “Don’t tell anyone until we send out the official texts.  I don’t want anyone’s feelings to get hurt because someone found out before them.”

“Our lips are sealed,” Amy assured them.  “When are you gonna text everyone?”

“As soon as I get Maggie home and settled in, I’ll do it,” Kara answered.  “Maggie didn’t get a lot of sleep last night because she wanted to get to see Alex give birth, so I want to get her home, so she can rest up for the actual birthing part.”

Amy and Tara nodded in understanding.  “It’s too bad that it’s Saturday,” Tara lamented.  “We probably won’t get any free time until Monday.  Can we call you on Monday to see if it’s OK to come visit?”

“Yeah, call me, not them, just in case they’re sleeping,” Kara agreed.

“Hopefully I’ll have my baby by then, so you can meet her too,” Maggie figured.

“That would be awesome,” Tara beamed at her.  “I love babies.  I can’t get enough of them.”

“Well, you’re always welcome to come visit during the week when you’re not as busy,” Maggie invited.  “We love you guys.”

Tara smiled brightly.  “We love you guys too.”

“Yeah,” Amy agreed.  “I’m looking forward to seeing Jessie and Jamie and Lena and Alex too.  No offense to your moms, I just don’t know them as well.”

“None taken,” Kara promised.  “It’s fine.  So have you guys talked about having any babies?”

The couple shook their heads.  “Not really,” Tara responded.  “We haven’t even been together for a year yet.”

“Sorry,” Kara grimaced.  “I don’t mean to pressure you.”

“It’s OK,” Amy waved her off.  “I’m OK either way.  I just don’t want six of them.  That’s too many for us.”

“Agreed,” Tara chuckled.  “You guys still have a numbers advantage.”

“That’s true,” Kara agreed.  “The girls are definitely helping, and that’s going a long way towards keeping us all sane.”

Tara and Amy smiled proudly.  “I’m glad,” Amy told her.  “You know, when I invited the girls over that very first time, I thought about having a talk with them about what happened with the whole ‘Condomgate’ incident, and about a few other things that I was concerned about.  Once I got them alone, though, I couldn’t do it.  I chickened out.  They just seem so sweet and innocent, and I figured I’d just love on them and hope that it helped with whatever emotional deficiency they were experiencing that made them make bad choices.  I didn’t know you guys that well, so I didn’t know if it was because of you or because of something else.  Now that I know you a lot better, I know that it wasn’t your fault.  It was because they were getting bullied at school.”

Kara frowned.  “I don’t know, maybe that was our fault.  We were the ones that wouldn’t let them skip grades because we were too afraid of them standing out and being exposed for being non-humans.  They didn’t even know that about themselves until last Christmas.”

“Wow, really?” Amy and Tara gasped, eyes wide.

“Yeah,” Kara replied sadly.  “So yeah.  I think it was our fault that they were getting bullied.  We should have just let them skip grades like they wanted to.  Maybe then things wouldn’t have gotten so bad for them emotionally.”

Tara put her hand over Kara’s.  “You can’t beat yourself up over that.  If you feel like that was an error, apologize and move on.  But they’re doing loads better now, aren’t they?  They love their tutors, and they have friends now, and they have all these new siblings.  They’re happy now.”

“Yeah,” Kara nodded.  “Thanks.  They really love you guys, and I’m glad that you have such a good relationship with them.  They do just need to feel loved, and I appreciate anyone who loves my kids and wants to protect them.”

“Yeah,” Amy said softly, looking a bit guilty at letting go of her ‘protector’ mantle.

Kara didn’t call her on it though, so Maggie didn’t either.  Instead, she changed the subject.  “I bet you guys can’t guess the baby’s name,” she said with a smirk.

Amy’s eyes twinkled, “Would you like to put money on that?”

Maggie grinned slyly.  “Fifty bucks.  Ten guesses.”

“You’re on,” Amy replied, pulling out her wallet and slapping a $50 on the table.  “You guess first, babe.”

“Hmm, OK, um…  Jasmine!” Tara guessed.

“Nope!” Maggie said, still smiling.  “That’s one.”

“Julia,” Amy guessed.

“Nope!  That’s two.”

“Jaqueline,” Tara tried.

“Three.”

“Jennifer,” Amy offered.

“Four.”

“Juniper!” Tara tried again.

Maggie held up five fingers.

“Uhhh…  Jade?” Amy guessed.

“Uh-uh,” Maggie held up six fingers.

“Joy!” Tara was sure of this one.

“Oh, good one, but no,” Maggie chuckled.  “Seven.”

“Jill,” Amy guessed wildly.

“Eight.”

“Judy,” Tara guessed in frustration.

“Nine.”

Amy growled.  “Juliette?”

“And ten.  Thank you very much.  It was a pleasure doing business with you,” Maggie grinned victoriously and swiped Amy’s $50 off the table.

“Dang it!” Amy huffed.  “Well, are you going to tell us now?”

“Nope.  Rumplestiltskin, baby.”  Maggie chuckled at their disappointed faces.

Kara shook her head, but there was a smile on her face.  “Don’t feel bad.  She won’t tell me either.”

“I guess that does make me feel a little better,” Amy admitted.

“Yeah,” Tara agreed.  “We’re not going to find out that you lied, now are we?”

Maggie gasped in mock offense.  “Of course not!  I am a woman of the law.  I don’t lie.”

“Yeah, right,” Amy chuckled.

Maggie looked at her watch.  “Oh, look.  It’s time to go.”

Amy rolled her eyes.

“Actually, we really should go before Maggie has another contraction and scares the life out of everyone here,” Kara pointed out.

“Aww,” Tara pouted.  “OK.  Good luck with everything!”

“Thank you!” Maggie and Kara said at the same time.

The four of them gave hugs and well wishes, and then Maggie and Kara headed back home.  As luck would have it, Maggie’s next contraction came as they were on the way back to the mansion.  Kara had to pull over to the side of the road to soothe Maggie through the pain and make sure she was OK before they could resume their drive.

“How long was that?” she asked Kara.

Kara checked the time.  “One hour and two minutes.”

“OK,” Maggie panted.  “Let’s get home.  I’m exhausted.”

“You got it, babe,” Kara acquiesced and pulled back onto the road.

When they got home, they went right upstairs and said hi to Lena and Lyra.  They explained what was happening and then went into the sun room to keep from bothering anyone.  They laid down on the bed and snuggled until Maggie fell asleep.

An hour later, Maggie awoke to another contraction, startling Kara who had apparently fallen asleep as well.  When the contraction was over and Maggie had calmed down, she fell back into Kara’s arms, and they both laid down again.  “How long was that?”

“Still an hour.”  The Kryptonian kissed her on the head.  “I was dreaming that we were already at the hospital and you were just about to give birth.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Maggie chuckled.

“You could never disappoint me, Maggie,” Kara assured her.  “I’m so proud of you.  I’m proud of who you are.  I’m proud to call you mine.  And I’m so proud to be having children with you.  You’re gonna be an incredible mom.  Waiting a few more hours isn’t going to change any of that.”

Maggie raised her head to give Kara a long, appreciative kiss.  “I feel the same way about you, Kara.  I love you so much.  You’ve made me proud to be a mother.  I couldn’t have anyone else’s kids.  Not at all.  But sharing this with you?  I don’t even know what words could express how happy I am right now.  Nothing is good enough.  After everything you’ve overcome to be the person you are, you deserve a legacy, and I want to be a part of that.”

Kara’s lip trembled, and she pulled Maggie into a deep kiss that seemed to last for ages.  “Hold onto that thought when we’re in the delivery room, huh?”

“You’re afraid I’m going to scream at you, aren’t you?” Maggie fretted.

“It’s normal,” Kara sighed.  “Didn’t Alex scream at you last night?”

“Well, yeah, a little,” Maggie shrugged.  “Nothing I haven’t heard before when she loses a hundred bucks to me from a pool game.  Besides, she screamed more at Dr. Landry than she did at me.”

“She did?” Kara giggled.  “She screamed at me when she had the twins.  Not the doctor.”

“Yeah, but she said you were really fidgety and nervous the whole time, and you were driving her nuts already,” Maggie pointed out.  “Plus, last night, the doctor had just told her that she was having the baby without an epidural whether she liked it or not.  That’s what really pissed her off.”

Kara pressed her lips together to keep from laughing again.  “Poor Alex.”

“Yeah,” Maggie agreed.  “I’ll try not to scream at you too much, but I can’t promise how good at that I’ll be in the heat of the moment.  Did Lena scream at you?”

Kara snorted.  “Oh, yeah.”

“Really?” Maggie said in disbelief.  “Lena yelled at you?”

“Big time,” Kara confirmed.

“What did she say?” Maggie was really curious now.

“Stuff like, ‘I can’t believe you did this to me.  I’ll never forgive you for this.  I’ll make you pay for this.’  That kinda thing.”

Maggie laughed heartily.  “Oh, man, I wish I could’ve seen that.”

“Why?” Kara pouted.

“Because I can’t imagine Lena screaming at anyone.  She’s so even tempered.  It’s not because I want to see you get yelled at, I promise.”  Maggie kissed Kara until she stopped pouting.  “Listen to me.  I’m in my right mind right now, and I’m telling you I love you and I’m happy.  You hang onto that in the delivery room too, OK?”

Kara smiled.  “Yes, oh wise one.”

“Can you see if Lena’s awake?” Maggie requested.

Kara used her x-ray vision to peek into the next room, then shook her head.  “No, she’s crashed out.”

Maggie nodded.  “OK, shall we sleep some more?  I know you’re tired too, and even though you can stay up for three days in a row, that doesn’t mean you should.”

“Yeah.  Let’s.”  Kara pulled Maggie as close as possible and kissed her on the head before they both closed their eyes to sleep again.  

When Maggie woke again, it was to use the restroom.  She saw that Kara was passed out cold, so she wriggled her way out of bed and used the bathroom without the Kryptonian even noticing.  As she was climbing back into bed, she just looked at Kara’s sleeping form, admiring her beauty and noting her exhaustion.  Kara hadn’t budged at Maggie’s shifting around at all.  Maggie debated about crawling back into her arms or not.  She didn’t want to wake her wife if she didn’t have to, but she wanted to cuddle.  She scooted closer to Kara, and the blonde instinctively reached for her without any signs of actually waking.  The detective relaxed and fell asleep until she had another contraction.  Thus the cycle began of sleep vs. contractions throughout the rest of the afternoon, with the only difference between cycles being the length of time between birthing pains.  

Around 5pm, Maggie woke up feeling like she hadn’t eaten in a week.  She talked Kara into going downstairs to make her some food while Maggie stayed in bed waiting for her.  Her contractions were about 20 minutes apart, so she was hopeful that she was halfway there already.  She was already over the pain of it all.  It was excruciating, and she was so glad she didn’t have to do this more than once.  She couldn’t handle that.  Alex had not been exaggerating about how it felt.  In fact, as Maggie was faced with her own experience of labor pains, she felt like Alex had been downright stoic.  Maggie did not have Alex’s restraint.  She cursed like a sailor on Saturday night, not really even knowing what she was saying mid-contraction.  Throughout it all, Kara stayed by her, holding her hand, reminding her to breathe, helping her get up and down, not leaving her side except for this one time at Maggie’s request.  Maggie would thank her when it was all over, but at the moment, she was too distracted by the pain and the fear of the next pain.

Maggie had been vaguely aware of the twins coming home with their grandmothers at some point earlier, but she was too distracted to really notice what was going on outside her room.  They all poked their heads in to tell her they loved her, and then popped back out again, so they weren’t bothering her.  Now that Kara was downstairs making Maggie food, Eliza appeared again to check on the mother-to-be.

“Hi, sweetie,” Eliza greeted her.

“Hey, Eliza,” Maggie said tiredly.  “How’s Alex?”

“She’s good.  She’s in the bedroom sleeping with Lena,” Eliza informed her.

Maggie’s eyes widened.  “She’s home already?  The baby too?”

“Yep,” Eliza smiled.  “The doctor gave us the all clear, so we brought them home.”

“That’s good.  You’re gonna stay with us for a few days, right?” Maggie worried.  “I need you.  I’m so afraid of fucking my kid up.”

“I’ll be here, sweetie,” Eliza promised.  “Don’t worry, you’re going to do great.”

Maggie was about to respond, but a contraction interrupted her.  She cursed and cried her way through it, then apologized.  “I’m sorry, Eliza.  It just hurts so bad,” she whimpered.

Eliza stroked her back soothingly.  “I know, sweetie, I know.  It’s OK.  It’s OK.”

Maggie still had tears streaming down her cheeks.  “I don’t know how I’m gonna do this.  I’m so tired, and the pain is horrible.  I just want it to stop.”

“I know, honey,” Eliza continued.  “You’re going to be able to do this.  You’re almost there.”

After a couple of minutes, the detective was able to calm down a little bit.  “It still feels so far away,” she complained.

“It’s not, I promise,” Eliza said softly.  “Look, Kara’s back.”

“Hi, honey bunny,” Kara greeted her wife.  “Here’s the food that you asked for.”

“Thanks,” Maggie accepted the lap tray and sat it down in front of her, taking a bite of her sandwich right away.  “I needed this.”

“You’re welcome, my love,” Kara replied, kissing her on the head.  “Do you mind if I go make myself some food too?”

“I would’ve thought you’d do that while you were making mine,” Maggie said.

Kara shrugged.  “I didn’t want to make you wait.”

“Go ahead, babe,” Maggie permitted.

“I’ll stay with her until you get back,” Eliza offered.

“Thanks.”  Kara disappeared back downstairs for a few more minutes.  When she returned, the twins were following behind her.

“Hi, Maggie!” the girls greeted her gently.  “We were wondering if we could give you hugs?”

Maggie nodded and opened her arms to them.  “Come here.”

“We love you so much, Maggie,” they told her.

“I love you girls too,” she replied with as much of a smile as she could muster.  “You probably shouldn’t stick around for too long, though.  My swearing gets pretty bad when the contractions come.”

The girls pouted, but said, “OK.”

“How about we go watch a movie downstairs?” Eliza suggested to them.

“Alright,” the kids agreed reluctantly.  They gave Maggie one more hug and a few kisses before going back downstairs with their grandma.

The detective ate most of what Kara had given her, but her stomach started rebelling towards the end, so she had to stop.  She didn’t feel like she was going to throw up, but she couldn’t eat anymore either.  She let Kara finish the last few bites of her meal before laying back down.  The more contractions she had, the more exhausted she felt, so she was just going to keep herself in bed until it was time to go to the hospital.

The next few hours were a blur for both of them, but it still felt like an eternity.  Maggie felt lost in the pain, and there wasn’t anything that Kara could do for her to alleviate it.  The Kryptonian just held her patiently, not bothered in the least when Maggie squeezed her or clawed at her back in agony.

At ten o’clock, Eliza and the twins returned to say goodnight before they went to bed.  Then, around midnight, Alex and Lena snuck in to say hello and to give Maggie and Kara hugs and kisses and love.  Maggie was down to 8 minutes between contractions by then, so she was in a hell of a state.  They didn’t seem to care, though.  They just wanted Maggie to know that they were rooting for her and that they loved her.  The pair couldn’t stay long because they were both worn out from giving birth and nursing, but Maggie did appreciate them making the effort.  

“Is Lyra still here?” Maggie asked, wondering who was looking after the babies.

Alex and Lena shook their heads.  “No, Sam and Douglas and Ruby are here to babysit us overnight,” Alex informed her.

“Oh, shit, Ruby’s here?” Maggie worried.  “I’ve been cursing up a storm.  Sam’s gonna kill me.”

“She’ll live,” Alex shrugged.  “Sam is trying to use this as a teaching tool to keep Ruby from ever getting pregnant ‘on accident.’”

“Good,” Maggie tried to smile, but she was too tired.  “I hope it works because this really fucking hurts.  I don’t know how I’m gonna do this.”

“I know, babe, just hang in there.  You’re getting really close,” Alex encouraged.  “It’s gonna be over soon.”

“It feels like it’s never gonna end,” Maggie whimpered.

“It will, my love,” Lena promised, stroking her cheek.  “Pretty soon you’ll get to the hospital, they’ll check you in, and then you can get an epidural.  After that, the rest is easy compared to what you’ve already been through.”

Maggie couldn’t reply because another contraction hit her before she got the words out.  Each contraction only lasted a minute each, but it felt like forever.  Even after it was over, it took her a few minutes to stop crying.  Kara was wrapped around her back, holding her through it, and Lena and Alex held her hands.

“Six minutes, baby,” Kara informed her.  “You’re so close.”

Maggie groaned in frustration.  She was so close and yet so far away.  She had to get down to 4-5 minutes between contractions for a whole hour before she would be accepted at the hospital.  “Son of a bitch.  I just want this to be over!” she hissed.  All three of her wives were crying in sympathy, but also whispering words of encouragement to her, so she clung to them.  Sadly, soon enough, Alex and Lena were called back in to nurse their babies, and that left Maggie alone with Kara again.  

“I love you so much, baby,” Kara whispered, rocking her gently.  “I’m so proud of you.”

Maggie didn’t answer, but she did take comfort in Kara’s soothing for the time being.  Something about the way the Kryptonian smelled was soothing as well, so she buried her nose in Kara’s neck and breathed her in.  It took another heinous forty-five minutes for Maggie’s contractions to drop down to five minutes, and then after another excruciating hour, Kara was able to take her to the hospital.  Maggie was in so much pain, she could barely answer the questions the nurses were asking her while she was getting checked in.  She didn’t know the check-in process was going to take so long, and the longer it took, the angrier she got.  She had long passed the point of crying.  Now all she could do was scream with every contraction.  Kara’s calming techniques were useless now.  When Maggie finally, finally got her epidural, she crashed out for an hour out of pure exhaustion.  When she woke up, it was after 4am, and Kara was sitting in a chair next to her.  

“There’s my girl,” Kara whispered to her.  “Hi, honey.”

“Hey,” Maggie muttered sleepily, reaching out for Kara’s hand.

Kara laced their fingers together and smiled sweetly.  “The worst of it’s over now, honey bunny.  I’m so proud of you.  You didn’t even scream at me, like you were afraid of.”

“I’m glad,” Maggie sighed in relief.  “I’m really thirsty.”

Kara produced a cup of ice from the table beside them and fed Maggie some of it.  “Sorry, but this is all they’ll let you have now.”

The detective chomped on the ice cubes for a bit before she was satisfied.  “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, my love,” Kara replied with a gentle kiss.  “How are you feeling?”

Maggie shrugged.  “I’m still really tired, but I’m relieved the worst of the pain is over.”

“That’s good, at least,” Kara nodded.  “I hate it when you’re in pain.”

A few seconds later, one of the nurses came in to check Maggie’s vitals.  “Oh, you’re awake.  Hello, Mrs. Danvers.  I’m Tina, and I’m one of your nurses.  I’ll let the doctor know you’re up when I’m finished up here.”  She ran her short diagnostics, and disappeared again.

Maggie just closed her eyes and rested, still clinging to Kara’s hand, while they waited for the doctor.

About 15 minutes later, Dr. Landry arrived with a smile on her face.  “Hi, Maggie.  Hi, Kara.  How are we doing?”  

“I’m exhausted,” Maggie grumbled.

“That’s quite understandable, sweetie,” Dr. Landry replied.  “Is it OK with you if I do a cervical check?”

Maggie nodded, and let the doctor do her thing.

“Looks like you’re about eight centimeters dilated,” Dr. Landry informed her.  “You’re doing great.  Should be just a couple of more hours.”

“Ugh,” Maggie groaned.  “I just want to be done already.”

Dr. Landry nodded.  “I understand.  Just try to rest as best you can until then, OK?”

“Fine,” Maggie sighed.  “At least I’m not in pain like I was.”

“That’s the spirit,” Dr. Landry encouraged.  “I’ll see you soon, OK?”

“OK,” Maggie replied.

“See you soon,” Kara waved her out.

“I’m gonna rest, like she suggested,” Maggie told Kara.  “I’m so tired.”

“OK, honey,” Kara said with a kiss.  “I’ll be right here.”

Maggie closed her eyes and rested, dozing here and there, but not really sleeping soundly.  She kept dreaming that she was back at home in pain, and she would wake suddenly in a panic, and Kara would have to soothe her for a minute before she calmed down and realized she was OK.  Eventually, she just gave up trying to sleep, and instead, she talked Kara into crawling into the bed and cuddling with her.  Kara was more than happy to oblige.  That was nice, and it was just what Maggie needed now that she had had her epidural and wasn’t in constant pain.  Kara really was an angel, and it was indescribably comfortable in her arms.  As Maggie had said earlier, she couldn’t have done this with anyone else.  After a while, she was able to doze lightly without having any bad dreams.

When Kara finally woke her up again, there was a soft smile on her face, but her eyes sparkled.  Maggie couldn’t help but return her smile.  “Maggie, honey, can you wake up?” Kara asked.   “Doctor Landry is back.”  

Maggie stretched and was surprised how much better she felt after that little nap.  “Yeah, OK.”  

“Can I do another check?” Dr. Landry asked.  “I’m hopeful that it’s been enough time.”

“Yeah, let’s do it.  I’m over this whole ordeal,” Maggie fidgeted, letting Kara get up and out of the way.

The doctor wasted no time in checking Maggie’s dilation and effacement.  When she looked back at Maggie, she was smiling.  “Looks great!  Are you ready to meet your little girl?”

Kara bounced on her toes in excitement.

“Very,” Maggie replied.

“Alright, let’s do some pushing!” Dr. Landry said, sitting on her stool at the end of the bed.  

Maggie grabbed Kara’s hand and squeezed it tightly.  “Oh god!”

“It’s OK, honey, you’re gonna do great,” Kara soothed.

“OK, on three,” Dr. Landry instructed.  “One… Two… Three!”

Maggie bore down, and she felt a sharp burning sensation in her nether regions.  It hurt, but not as bad as her earlier contractions.  The hard part was that she didn’t have a lot of energy, and pushing was going to take a lot of it.

“And relax,” the doctor told her.

Maggie panted.  “I’m so tired,” she complained.  “I don’t know how I’m gonna get through this.”

“You’re doing great, my love,” Kara encouraged.  “You can do this.  You’re stronger than you think you are.”

The doctor coached Maggie through pushing for the next two hours.  It was exhausting and painful, but finally, finally, she got the baby out, and when she heard her baby crying, Maggie started sobbing even harder.  

“Kara, would you like to do the honors?” Dr. Landry asked.

Kara nodded and cut the umbilical cord before they wrapped the baby up and put her in Maggie’s arms.  “You did it, honey!  I’m so proud of you.”

Maggie just stared at her baby girl for a few moments before talking to her.  “Hey there, little one,” she said softly.  “I’m your mommy.”

The baby stared right back at her in interest.

“Look at her,” Kara whispered.  “She’s gorgeous, Maggie.”

Maggie rocked the baby gently for a moment before the nurse had to take her to get her cleaned up.  After that, the doctor coached her through the afterbirth and stitched her up.  The detective was beyond exhausted, but after finally having her baby, she was also deeply satisfied.

After the nurses were through washing and weighing the baby, they brought her back over, and Kara took her for just a few seconds.  “She’s a little darker than the rest of the babies,” she commented.  “I was wondering if that would happen.  She’s so perfect, Maggie.  You did so good.  I’m so proud of you.”  She passed the baby back to her mother, and Maggie sighed in relief at getting her back.  Now that she had her baby in her arms, she didn’t want to let go.  “What’s her name, honey?” Kara wanted to know.

Maggie smiled, “Her name is Josephina after my abuela.  She was the one that always told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be, no matter what anyone else said.  She didn’t live long enough to see me come out, but I believe she would have been supportive of me.  And I want her middle name to be Eliza.  Do you think Eliza will be OK with that?”

“I think she’ll be ecstatic,” Kara beamed.  “Josefina Eliza is a gorgeous name.  I love it.”

“Thanks,” Maggie couldn’t stop grinning.  She finally had her baby girl in her arms, and she couldn’t be more satisfied.  “I love you so much, little one,” she said to the newborn.

Josefina just stared interestedly at her as she talked.  She didn’t coo like Jordan, but she didn’t cry either.  She kicked her little feet in a way that said she was just as happy to meet her parents as they were to meet her.  She had slightly olive skin like Maggie’s, long, dark, wavy hair and big eyes with long gorgeous lashes.

“I love you too, baby girl,” Kara added.  “You’re so perfect and beautiful.”  She kissed the baby’s head and breathed in that new baby smell.  “What a good girl you are.”

Soon the nursing coach came in to help teach Maggie and Josefina how to nurse.  It was a bit of a struggle as neither Maggie nor the baby had any experience with that kind of thing before, but eventually they got it, and the infant started eating greedily.

“This is the weirdest feeling ever,” Maggie commented.

“I can’t even imagine,” Kara replied.  “I’m gonna text everyone, OK?”

Maggie nodded.  “Yeah, OK.”

Kara read from the chart to get all the information she needed.  “We did it!” the text said.  “Josefina Eliza Danvers was born at 9:06am, Dec. 10th, 2017, 6lbs 15oz, 21 and a half inches long.”

It didn’t take long for people to start blowing Kara’s phone up with congratulations and well wishes.  Eliza’s response was to say that she and Alura and the kids would be there soon.  Lyra would be watching over Alex and Lena and their babies, while Sam, Douglas, and Ruby were staying but trying to get some sleep after being up all night.  The household would be fine for the day.

Josefina nursed for a good 25 minutes before she was finished, and Maggie let Kara take her to burp her.  Kara was so sweet with her daughter.  Maggie’s heart ached with love as she watched them together.  She was exhausted, but she was proud of herself and so grateful to finally have had her baby.  The wait was finally over, and it was a huge relief.  Now she could go back to sleeping in her own bed with all of her wives, and she didn’t have to get kicked in the ribs anymore.  Seeing how long the baby was explained that.  She was the biggest of all the new babies.  It was no wonder Maggie needed a few stitches after giving birth.

Kara talked to Josefina while she burped her.  The newborn was mostly quiet with the exception of a few burps here and there.  She seemed very interested in what Kara had to say, though.  When it seemed like Josefina was done burping, Kara handed her back to Maggie.  “Rao, I’m so proud of you, Maggie.  I love you so much, honey.”  She gave her wife a nice long kiss to emphasize her point.  “You did it, and we have the most beautiful girl ever…  Don’t tell Alex that.”

Maggie beamed proudly.  “Come cuddle with us,” she requested.

“You got it,” Kara replied, climbing into the bed next to Maggie and wrapping her arms around both her and the baby.  “You make me so happy, Maggie.  Not just for having my baby, but just in general.  I’m so proud to call you mine and that we have a perfect little baby girl together.”  She kissed Maggie’s temple, and they both talked to the newborn while they waited for the others to show up.

At about 10:30am, the twins came bounding into the room like excited little puppies.  “Hi, guys!” they greeted their parents with hugs and kisses and love, and then went gaga over their new sister.  Again, they argued about who got to hold her first, but Kara put a stop to it, saying that Jessie got to hold Jordan first, so it was only fair that Jamie got to hold Josefina first.

Maggie grudgingly released her newborn to Jamie, not that she didn’t want Jamie to hold her, but she didn’t want to let go of her new daughter.

“Hi, little sister!” Jamie greeted the infant.  “I’m Jamie.  I’m your big sister, and I love you so much.  You’re so beautiful.”

Josefina stayed quiet, but she flailed around happily at the attention.  As Jamie rocked her, though, she started to fall asleep.  Seeing her eyes start to close bit by bit, Jamie and Jessie sang ‘Your Song’ to her, and then she zonked completely out.  Jessie and Jamie spent a good hour holding their baby sister before they let Eliza and Alura come in to meet her.  

When the grandmothers came in, they took turns holding the sleeping infant and telling Maggie how proud they were of her.  Eliza was a bit emotional over the fact that Maggie gave the baby her name as a middle name.  She even shed a few tears over it.  

Maggie pulled her mother-in-law into a fierce hug.  “I love you, Eliza.”

“I love you too, Maggie,” Eliza beamed, returning the squeeze.  “She’s so beautiful.”

“I thought you deserved a bit of a legacy of your own,” Maggie informed her.

“I’m honored,” Eliza sniffled.

Alura had a smile on her face as she watched over the newest member of the Danvers family.  “I think it’s wonderful.  Eliza has obviously been an excellent mother to all of you.  I’m thankful for that myself.”

Kara kissed her mother on the cheek.  “We still love you, Mom.”

“I know you do,” Alura replied with a grin.  “That’s not even a question.”

Maggie smiled.  She was relieved to hear that.  She didn’t want to hurt Alura’s feelings by naming her baby after Eliza, but that was what Maggie had planned from the beginning before they even knew Alura was still alive.  She really didn’t want to change the name just because Alura had been around for a few weeks.  Yes, Alura was incredible, but they barely knew each other yet.

The group chatted randomly for a while until it was time for Josefina to nurse.  After that, the grandmothers went back out to the waiting room with the twins to give Maggie and Kara a bit of privacy.  After the baby was finished eating, Kara texted Eliza that the kids could come back in.  Eliza texted back that they had gone to get food, and that James and Lucy were waiting to come see them.  Kara then texted the Olsens that they could come see the baby.  

The rest of the day was spent nursing and visiting with people that came to see them.  By the end of visiting hours, they had seen the Olsens, Winn, Mon-El and Eve, Ruby, Sam and Douglas, J’onn and M’rynn, Julia, the Williams and Maggie’s partner Detective Clemmens, Cat and Carter, and all of the Legionnaires.  It was a long day, and by the time visiting hours were over, Maggie was ready to sleep as much as her daughter would let her.

“You should go home and get some sleep, babe,” Maggie told Kara.  “And spend some time with Alex and Lena and their babies.”

Kara bit her lip in thought.  “Yeah, you’re right.  I don’t want to leave you, but I think I should anyway.  I know you just want to sleep.”

“Yeah, and don’t pretend you don’t need to sleep too,” Maggie warned.  “I know better.”

“OK, OK,” Kara relented.  “I’m going.  I love you so much, honey bunny.”  She gave Maggie a few kisses before she left.

“I love you too, Kara.  Goodnight,” Maggie waved her out.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Kara and Alura arrived bright and early to pick up Maggie and Josefina from the hospital.  Maggie was elated to finally get to go home where she could sleep in her own bed with her wives again.  She missed that after having to sleep in the sun room for the last few weeks.  She was ready to go curl up between Alex and Lena in their bed and crash until it was time to nurse again.

When they got back to the house, the twins ran to the front door to greet them.  They gave Maggie big hugs and kisses and welcomed her home with bright smiles.

“OK, girls, say hi to your sister and then head back to your tutor,” Kara instructed.  “You can hold her more after you’re done for the day.”

The twins whined a little, but they didn’t waste any time taking a peek at the newborn and saying hi to her.  Josefina watched them with interest, but she still didn’t make any noise.  The only time the little one made any sound was when she fussed about being hungry, but even then, it was just a tiny cry.  After the twins had talked to the baby for a bit, they said their goodbyes and went back to their tutor.

Maggie decided she needed to eat before she crashed.  She had eaten the breakfast that the hospital had given her, but they couldn’t really take into account the fact that she was feeding a Kryptonian, so she was still hungry.  Kara made her some more food, and after she was finished eating, Maggie took the baby upstairs so she could get some rest before she had to nurse again.

“Maggie!” Lena and Alex cheered as soon as they saw her.  Lena was nursing, but Alex wasn’t, so she got up and crossed the room to greet Maggie with a bear hug and a long kiss.  “We’re so glad you’re home,” the redhead beamed at her, then looked down at the baby in the car seat.  “Hi, Josefina!  I’m your Mommy Alex.”

Josefina sucked on her fist as Alex spoke, looking at her with those big beautiful eyes.

“Wow, Maggie, she is gorgeous!” Alex said in awe.  “I’m so happy for you, babe.”

Maggie nodded.  “I’m happy the pain is over for all of us.  Giving birth is brutal.”

“You're telling me,” Alex chuckled.

“I want to see her!” Lena told them.

Maggie grinned and brought the car seat over to Lena so she could see Josefina too.

“Oh, my gosh, she’s so cute!” Lena gushed.

Maggie gave her a nice long kiss.  “Thank you.”

“Hi, Josefina, I’m your Mama Lena.  It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

Josefina kicked her feet a bit to show interest, and Lyra crossed the room to come see the baby too.

“Hi, little one!” Lyra said softly.  “I’m Lyra.  I’m here to help your mommies.  And you too.  I promise I’ll take very good care of you all.”

Josefina just stared and continued to suck on her fist.

“Would you like to hold her?” Maggie offered to Alex.

“Yes!” Alex made grabby hands at the baby until Maggie placed her in her arms.  “There’s our girl!  Hi, honey!”  Alex kissed her on the forehead.

Maggie grinned and crawled into the bed with Lena.  “Oh, yeah, that feels great,” she sighed in relief at feeling her own mattress underneath her.  “I need to crash for a few minutes before she needs to nurse again.”

“OK, honey, go ahead,” Alex encouraged her.  “I’ll put her in the bassinet with her sister.”  Alex held Josefina for a while before putting her down next to a sleeping Jordan, and then she cuddled up in the bed with Maggie.  

Soon, Lena was finished nursing, so she passed the baby off to Lyra for his burping, and she laid down with Maggie and Alex.  Not too long later, Kara came in and cuddled with them as well.  Maggie assumed the others were all just as relieved as she was to be sleeping in the same bed together again.  She was thankful for this quiet before the storm.  She knew things were going to get crazy soon, but for this blissful time being, she was happy and at peace.