nine months pregnant with dragon-phoenix twins
i looked like i'd swallowed a planet
couldn't see my feet for three months
back was on fire
ankles were gone
regulus had lost his damn mind
he turned the palace into a fortress
medical team on 24-hour standby
helicopter on the roof
blood bank stocked with my type
he hadn't slept in a week
kept testing the temperature of my water with a thermometer
"what if it's half a degree too cold and the babies get brain freeze"
i told him they're in amniotic fluid not a slurpee
he bought a second thermometer
then one night at 1 a.m.
spicy noodles craving
one bite
BAM
pain like someone stabbed me in the spine with a hot poker
bowl smashed on the floor
"regulus…"
he was peeling grapes for me (don't ask)
grapes went flying
face white as paper
"water broke???"
yep
pants soaked
he screamed
actual scream
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH SHE'S IN LABOR!!! HELICOPTER!!! GET THE HELICOPTER!!! MEDICAL TEAM MOVE MOVE MOVE!!!"
the whole palace exploded
guards running
maids screaming
doctors tripping over each other
regulus scooped me up like i weighed nothing and sprinted
yelling the whole time
"OXYGEN! PAIN MEDS! BLOOD BAGS! MY WIFE IS HAVING BABIES RIGHT NOW!!!"
i'm in agony but still have to calm him down between contractions
"breathe you idiot i'm not dying—"
"SHUT UP YOU'RE IN LABOR LISTEN TO ME!!!"
the twins woke up and came running with their blankets
"mommy making babies???"
"i wanna see!!!"
regulus still running with me in his arms "STAY HOME DADDY'S TAKING MOMMY TO HOSPITAL!!!"
aiden "drive safe daddy don't drop mommy!!"
aurora "i wanna come i'm big sister now!!!"
helicopter already spinning on the roof
he straps me in
jumps into the pilot seat (because of course he can fly the damn thing)
we lift off
he's on the radio losing his mind
"ALL AIR TRAFFIC CLEAR THE SKIES THE QUEEN IS IN LABOR REPEAT THE QUEEN IS IN LABOR ANYONE IN MY WAY GETS SHOT DOWN!!!"
the entire city below us goes nuts
every traffic light turns green
police cars screaming
radio announcement on every channel
"EMERGENCY BROADCAST: QUEEN IN LABOR ALL VEHICLES CLEAR THE ROUTE OR FACE EXECUTION!!!"
i'm having another contraction and still laughing through the pain
"you're… insane…"
he's sweating bullets flying the chopper with one hand holding my hand with the other
"i'm not losing you or these babies not today"
we land on the hospital roof in six minutes flat
whole top floor cleared
fifty doctors waiting
they wheel me in
regulus tries to follow into delivery
nurse blocks him
"sir policy—"
"POLICY MY ASS THAT'S MY WIFE!!!"
they let him in
inside it's chaos
i'm screaming
he's crying harder than me holding my hand like he's the one giving birth
"YOU'RE DOING AMAZING BABY I LOVE YOU YOU'RE SO STRONG!!!"
contraction hits
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT YOU AND YOUR SUPER SPERM!!!"
"I KNOW I'M SORRY I'LL GET A VASECTOMY AFTER THIS I SWEAR!!!"
doctor "i can see the head! PUSH!"
i push
first cry
boy
damon
five minutes of hell later
girl
luna
both silver hair already showing
tiny fists waving like they're ready to fight the world
doctor wraps them up hands them to regulus
he takes one look and just… breaks
big bad lycan king sobbing holding his newborns
"they're so small… oh my god they're perfect…"
i'm exhausted sweaty crying too
"give… give them here…"
he places both babies on my chest
skin to skin
they stop crying instantly
damon grabs my finger with his whole tiny hand
luna makes the cutest little squeak
regulus kneels by the bed forehead on my hand tears dripping
"thank you… thank you for giving me everything…"
i smile through the tears
"shut up and kiss me idiot"
he does
outside the window the sun's coming up
our family of six is finally complete
and yeah the city stayed on lockdown for another three hours because regulus forgot to tell anyone we were okay