by Jane Cousins
In the bedroom Hadleigh contemplated the incredibly awkward task of putting on her matching glittery bronze sandals, also provided by Riya, when the Tower alarms sounded.
Shit, Hadleigh ignored the footwear and dashed out of the bedroom into the main living area. Vaughn was already there, dressed in navy trousers, with a white shirt that had fine navy and light blue lines running through it. For tonight’s special event he’d eschewed his normal steel capped footwear and had donned navy brogues.
Vaughn was pacing the living room, listening to the earpiece he must have shoved in the moment the alarms sounded. He was absently pushing back his still damp from the shower white blonde hair as he paced.
Hadleigh winced as the alarms continued to batter her eardrums, moving to sit on the armrest of the nearest sofa. Hmm, she rubbed her lower back absently, trying to determine from Vaughn’s side of the conversation what was going on.
That was suddenly made easier as the alarms were silenced. Sweet relief. Vaughn plucked out the earpiece, turning to face Hadleigh. A big grin lifting up the corners of his lips. “You look edible.”
Hadleigh rolled her eyes, even as a warm glow set up shop low in her body. Only her husband could find the time to flirt with her when there was a crisis occurring. “What’s going on?”
“Intruder. The guys have it covered.” Vaughn closed the distance between them, bending over to place a soft kiss on his gorgeous, glowing wife’s lips. “And no, they don’t need our help. We have dinner plans, remember?”
Hadleigh wanted to protest, a manhunt sounded like fun, but she needed to face the facts, no one wanted a nine-month pregnant Warrior woman stumbling around making a hash of things. “They have him? We can go?”
“Not yet.” Vaughn tucked a red curl back behind Hadleigh’s ear. “But I’m sure it won’t be too much longer… what to do… what to do, while we wait?” He leaned over, nuzzling soft kisses along the side of her exposed throat.
Hadleigh pushed her meld mate away, but not very hard. “We have reservations; we are not going to get side-tracked. I want the third date I never got to have.”
Vaughn chuffed a soft laugh, grabbing Hadleigh’s hand as he straightened up, rubbing his thumb back and forth over her knuckles. “Hmmm, I never did get to tell you the rules regarding third dates, did I?”
“I’m all ears, Viking.”
“Prepare to be shocked. Tonight, there will be lots of gazing deeply into one another’s eyes across the table.”
“Sounds a little tame.”
“Ah, but I haven’t told you what will be happening under the table. My fingers will be doing a little exploring, inching up higher and higher over those lithe thighs of yours and then higher still-”
“Where you will discover I’m wearing cotton maternity knickers that could double as a main sail for a small boat.”
“Oh, I love it when you talk dirty. Such a tease.” He leaned down for another quick kiss. “And just where are you taking me this evening?”
“I made a booking at Heirloom.”
“Hmm, Korean barbeque, good choice.”
“Yes, and while you chew your way through several slabs of ribs, I thought we might talk about the baby.”
“You did?” Vaughn’s eyes widened, but he reined in his desire to pepper her with questions. He didn’t want to spook Hadleigh. “What did you have in mind?”
“For a start, I thought we might discuss names.”
“I’ve nominated my favourites. I told you. Magnhild, if it’s a girl. Eerikki, if it’s a boy.”
“I love you Viking, but no. Can you just imagine the bullying?”
Vaughn shook his head, scoffing. “As if a child of ours would ever get picked on.”
“No, with those names they’d be the one doing the picking. Throw a couple more options into the ring.”
“What about you? Don’t you have any preferences?”
Hadleigh shrugged. “I know what I don’t want to call Lump.”
“You know that attitude is kind of irritating, you must have some preference?”
“Lump is just to Lump to me.”
Vaughn smiled. “Hard to believe that Lump will be making an appearance any day now.”
“You sure you’re okay with us resettling in the Southern Sanctuary?”
“I’m sure. Your house is perfect for a family. We’ll have babysitters on tap. And with the Transportal I… we, can be here at Maat Tower within seconds.”
“Yes.” Hadleigh stood up, damn, her back was annoying her, luckily her sandals were flats. Speaking of which. “Would you grab my sandals from the bedroom? And I could use a little help getting them on.”
Vaughn squeezed her hand before letting go. “It would be my pleasure.” In a matter of moments he was back. “Here you-” His words cut off as Hadleigh abruptly dropped to the floor, clutching her stomach. “Hadleigh!” He was by her side in under a second. “What is it? Is it the baby?” Shit, he hated the expression of tense frozen pain on Hadleigh’s face, her whole body rigid. He was scared to touch her in case he made things worse.
The pain finally began to ease, Hadleigh could only equate it to the time she’d taken a knife to the gut. Except, she gasped as another jolt of pain ripped through her. This was like being stabbed multiple times. Gasping for breath, Hadleigh clutched at Vaughn’s arm, squeezing hard until the pain dissipated finally. Poor Vaughn, he was white as a sheet. The least she could do was try and lessen the tension. “Ouch.” She announced.
“Ouch?” Vaughn queried from between gritted teeth.
“I’m trying to cut down on my swearing, especially now with the baby coming-” Hadleigh’s teeth locked together as another sharp pain ripped through her lower belly. What happened to the gently escalating spaced widely apart contractions she had been promised in the birthing class Vaughn had dragged her to? What a waste those six sessions had been.
“Coming? The baby is coming?” Vaughn spluttered. He’d prepared, he’d studied, he’d run through simulations… without Hadleigh present of course. But now that it was time, seeing Hadleigh in such pain, he felt frozen.
“Don’t just sit there, Tootsie Roll.” The Goddess Maat was suddenly standing behind Vaughn, cuffing him up the back of the head, knocking some sense into him. Yes, up. He scooped Hadleigh up into his arms carefully, even as another contraction ripped through her. The pain. He hated seeing her in so much pain.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Maat queried, her sandstorm coloured eyes twirling slowly.
“The Transportal. Downstairs. Need to get her…” Another contraction jolted through Hadleigh. “… to the Sanctuary Clinic.”
Maat, dressed in cream coloured yoga pants and a matching fitted long sleeve top that contrasted perfectly with her light coffee coloured skin shook her head sharply. “You don’t have time for that. Get her on the bed.”
Vaughn changed direction obediently, stopping abruptly at the bedroom door because Hadleigh had reached out, grabbing the doorframe bringing them to a halt. Hadleigh visibly winced, her breath jagged, staring at Maat over Vaughn’s shoulder. “No. You are not going to be in the delivery room.” Breathe. Gasp. Breathe.
“But, Sugar Plum-”
“No. You wait out here like any normal Grandparent.’
Maat’s eyes widened for a moment, then she grinned in delight. “Grandparent?” The door swinging shut in her face with a resounding thud.
Vaughn placed Hadleigh carefully on the bed, wincing in sympathy as she tried to curl into a ball as another contraction struck. Shit, shit, come on, he had practised what to do in an emergency. What was it again? Oh, yes, he pulled out his phone and hit the alarm, action stations everyone, he needed his Warriors by his side and he needed Nell, Hadleigh’s cousin and consummate Healer here… now.
This baby was coming.
The smile dropped from his face as Hadleigh emitted a low, harsh moan.
Shit, the baby was coming.
Chapter Eighteen
“What do you mean, you aren’t coming?” Vaughn’s burnished gold eyes were lit with anger and a small measure of fear.
“I’ll be right here talking Marcus through it.” Nell’s voice sounded soothing and professional, radiating from the speaker of Vaughn’s phone that had been set down on the bedside table.
Vaughn scowled, noting Marcus exit the bathroom, he’d changed his soaking wet top for one of Vaughn’s and he was currently drying his hands on a large, soft towel. Riya was bustling about the room giving orders. Dash had been sent for ice chips. Flynn for more towels. Rafe had been instructed to boil water. Nate was laying a clean sheet over Hadleigh’s lower half. While Drum sat on the bed next to Hadleigh, applying a damp flannel to her brow and making low, soothing, growling sounds.
“I don’t understand what the fuck is going on?” Vaughn yelled. All his plans. All his preparations. For naught.
“Just breathe.” Nell’s voice commanded firmly.
“Me?” Gasped Hadleigh.
“No, I was talking to Gaia.” Nell sighed softly. “Carl, come and play catcher.” There was a brief exchange of words but only Nell’s side was clearly audible. “I don’t care if she is your sister, you’re a doctor. Get in there. I’m not going anywhere, but I need to talk Marcus through helping Hadleigh.”
Riya ducked into the bathroom, grabbed a spare towel to dry her hair and blot at her damp clothes before washing her hands thoroughly, just in case Marcus needed some help.
Heavens, who would have predicted that Gaia would be going for the gold with a thirty plus hour labour? Of course knowing Gaia, she’d probably turned up at the newly refurbished birthing suite at Haven Bay Hospital the moment she felt the first twinge.
Returning to the bedroom, Riya glanced at all the pale faced Warriors standing around looking helpless, not a mode they were used to. She didn’t think she could convince any of them to leave, but she did shoo them away from the end of the bed.
“Push!” Nell sounded surprisingly drill instructor like.
“Me?” Hadleigh enquired between clenched teeth as she gripped Drum’s massive hand and the two of them panted through the pain. Vaughn watched as his second actually winced, Hadleigh must be squeezing the hell out of Drum’s hand.
“No, me!” Gaia yelled. “Hadleigh, don’t you dare push. Cross your legs. But whatever…” Pant. “…you do..” Pant. “…don’t… push.”
Hadleigh glared at the phone as she likewise panted. “I’m not sure if I can help it.”
“Marcus, how dilated is Hadleigh?”
As the team medic, Marcus had trained extensively for a lot of contingencies, but childbirth wasn’t one of them. Sure, he’d attended a mandatory intensive first-aid class or two, but crap, forgive him for switching off mentally when the topic of childbirth had arisen. Excuse him for thinking it was a challenge he would never be faced with.
Riya gave Marcus a sharp elbow to the left kidney as he continued to procrastinate.
Manning up, Marcus sank to his knees, raised the sheet and took a look. Huh, that was certainly a different view. “What do you think?” Marcus raised the sheet slightly higher so that Riya could see.
“Why are you showing me? Because I’m a woman?”
He kind of thought the answer was obvious, she had a kid, but then he supposed when you were giving birth you were focused on a variety of other things. The pain, for one. Damn, Marcus’s gut clenched, he didn’t like the thought of Riya having to go through the birth of her own baby alone. Dipshit loser father should be hunted down and strung up by his ankles.
“Marcus?” Nell’s voice broke through his musings.
“Looks fully dilated to me.”
“No.” Gaia grunted. “I don’t care… Hadleigh is not allowed to push.” A harsh guttural sound followed. Everyone in the room winced, hmmm, so that’s what it sounded like to push a baby out of you, yikes, scarier than facing down a Harpy stricken with a bad case of PMS.
“Can I see?” Flynn’s green rimmed hazel eyes were alight with curiosity.
“No.” Hadleigh’s head whipped around to glare at him. “You stay exactly where I can see you. This is not the nature channel…. Urgh.”
Vaughn sank to his knees next to the bed, grabbing Hadleigh’s other hand. “What can I do?”
Hadleigh glared at the phone as Gaia issued another guttural cry. “I really want to push.” She tensed as sharp pain pulsed through her lower body.
“Then push.” Nell instructed.
“No!” Gaia protested from between harsh pants.
“Everyone who is pregnant, push.” Nell sounded exasperated, which was a rare tone for her to use.
“Here we go.” Vaughn positioned himself so that Hadleigh could lean into him for support as she pushed. “Okay, now pant…. ew, ew, ah.” He looked down at Marcus who gave him a sharp nod. “Okay, and again, get ready-”
“Wait…. Argh… wait. Grrrrrrrrr. It’s coming. Grrrr. My baby… is coming.” Gaia’s last scream tapered off and ten seconds later a high pitched baby’s cry could be heard.
“Okay, Nancy, clean up the baby. Someone get Serge a bucket… and maybe one for Carl too.” There was a click, the background noise was cut off and all they could hear over the speaker was Nell’s calm voice. “It’s a boy. A healthy baby boy. Now, Marcus? Where are we at?”
Hadleigh pushed, she had to, there was no stopping this baby now.
“Ah… I’m seeing the….”
“The crown.” Riya rolled her eyes, hadn’t he ever watched Animal Planet? “The baby is crowning.”
“Okay, good. Hadleigh… you need to push hard now. Vaughn, help her.”
Grrrr, both Hadleigh and Vaughn grit their teeth. Hadleigh pushed. Panted. Fought the urge to push again.
“I see the forehead.” Marcus announced. “Okay, one more big push… now!”
Everyone in the room held their breath as Hadleigh pushed, screaming at the same time, a Warrior’s war cry.
Marcus eased the baby into the world, a little in awe, surprising, given the amount of interesting fluid the baby was covered in. “Vaughn, you want to come down here and cut the cord?”
Riya wrapped the baby in a waiting warm towel, taking a moment to wipe its little face, head and chest clean.
“I don’t hear anything. Is it okay? Is the baby okay?” Hadleigh used Drum to get better leverage, trying to see over everyone’s wide shoulders.
Vaughn turned to her, a tiny bundle in his arms, a goofy smile on his face. “The baby is fine. He’s perfect.”
“A boy?” Hadleigh collapsed back onto the pile of pillows Nate had thoughtfully placed behind her. There was general stunned murmuring as the large Elite Warriors of Maat all tried to get a look see. Vaughn just kept smiling as he approached Hadleigh, sitting on the edge of the bed he handed over the baby. Wrapping an arm around his wife’s shoulders so they could both stare down at the human being they had created.
Hadleigh contemplated the baby. So this was Lump. “He’s kind of red. And so tiny.”
Riya wasn’t sure about tiny. The little boy looked pretty long to her. But then given the height of his parents that wasn’t a surprise.
“How’s his breathing?” Nell enquired over the phone. The sounds of Gaia’s baby boy still crying could be heard faintly in the background.
“Good.” Vaughn murmured as the baby chose that moment to open his eyes and stare up at his parents. “He has Hadleigh’s eyes, or he’s going to.”
“And your hair.” Hadleigh smoothed back faint wisps of white blond hair that covered the baby’s head. “And your nose, chin, and definitely your skin tone.” The baby sighed softly, looking pretty content, if a little dazed to find himself out in the big wide world. “Damn, we don’t have anything here for him, everything is back in the nursery at the Sanctuary.”
The words had barely left Hadleigh’s mouth when the bedroom door opened and Maat sauntered in carrying a large wicker gift basket full of blue and white clothes, toys, blankets, and nappies. �
��A boy! What a lovely surprise.” Her left hand clutching a large handful of bright blue balloons. Nothing got past their Goddess.
“And just what are we going to call him?” Vaughn reached over to brush the baby’s tiny fist, delighted when his son grabbed hold of his finger tenaciously.
Hadleigh couldn’t comprehend how quickly this tiny human being had stolen her heart. As she stared into those blue eyes that already hinted they would change to her clear grey, she tried to decide what name would suit him best. Opening her mouth, not even aware of what she was going to say she just went with her gut. “Asher.”
“Asher?” Vaughn stared down at his son. “Yeah.”
“Okay.” Nell’s voice interrupted. “I’m going to grab a quick shower and then I’ll be over to check on Hadleigh and the baby in about fifteen minutes… oh, hold on, there’s someone here who wants to say hello.” The sound changed as Nell hit the speaker button on her phone.
“Hadleigh?” It was Gaia, sounding exhausted but happy. “Congratulations. I hear you had a boy.”
“You too.”
“Can you believe it, the first Southern Sanctuary babies born in almost fifteen years. And I… I just wanted to say sorry for being so… silly about the whole giving birth first thing.”
“Um… okay.” Hadleigh wasn’t sure if that was actually an apology or if Gaia was boasting that she had won the non-existent race. Frankly, she didn’t care. Asher was here and he was healthy, that was all that mattered.
“But it all worked out in the end, didn’t it? Theo… that’s what we’re calling him, after Serge’s Dad, got here first.”
“Um.” Dash stepped closer to the phone so he could be heard. “Technically, he didn’t. Australia is over the dateline; you guys are a day ahead. Asher was born your yesterday.” Dash looked pleased that he could set the record straight.