Title: Ever-expanding Family
Fandom: Dark-Hunter Series
Genre: Family/Romance
Characters: Acheron, Tory, Simi, Katra, Syn, Geary, Arik, Amanda, Kyrian, Marissa, Calla (OC), Penny (OC), Sonny (OC).
Pairings: Acheron/Tory; implied Katra/Syn; Geary/Arik; Amanda/Kyrian
Summary: Acheron meets his daughter for the first time. Cuteness and fluff.
"Calm down akri, akra-Tory will be fine. Stop moving – you're making Simi's head spin and Simi doesn't like it when her head spins."
Oh, how he wished he could. No matter how had he tried, his legs couldn't stop pacing and he couldn't clear his mind of the worry that consumed him. Tory was having his child. Everything was fine at the beginning but there had been complications midway through and his beautiful wife had been rushed into surgery, a place he wasn't allowed to enter. Which brought him to where he was now, stalking the length of the Maternity Ward's waiting section as he awaited something, anything, on his laboured wife.
Ash had never experienced anything quite like the ear that was running through him right now. Yes, he had children but he had never truly experienced birth or pregnancy of his own child before. When he'd been given Simi, the demon had been like a toddler and with Katra, he hadn't even known she'd existed for eleven thousand years. This was a whole new experience for him with a brand new variation on worry.
He stopped moving only when he felt small arms wrap around his waist and he lent back into the familiar touch. He took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down. Panicking and worrying wouldn't do anything.
Katra hugged her father tighter and rested her cheek against his shoulder. She wished she could do something to help take away her Father's worry or, at the least, be there for Tory while she went through her C-Section. She could only imagine how terrified the woman must be.
"Relax Dad, C-sections happen all the time and the doctors are trained to deal with this, to do it safely." She whispered comfortingly, knowing her Father could hear her, "Though in all fairness, you're holding up better than Syn did."
"Hey, how did helping your Father become insulting me?" Syn asked indignantly, shifting the sleeping Calla in his arms.
"Insulting you is helping." Ash smirked.
"Akra-Tory is strong. She'll bring little akra babies into the world and make akri and Simi happy, okay?" Simi told her Daddy firmly.
Acheron laughed slightly and gave the childlike demon a small smile. "Yeah Simi, she is."
"Um, Mr. Parna...Parnorth...?" the flustered doctor stood at the entrance to the private rooms and the theatre, leaning into the waiting room, clearly embarrassed at not being able to pronoun his patient's last name.
Acheron's lips twitched upward. He'd lived for years with people unable to pronounce his second name. He actually felt sorry for the man. "Parthenopaeus. How are they?"
He smiled at the man surrounded by his family. "You have a very strong wife. Her and your daughter are resting. Soteria is currently coming around from the anaesthetic and it is advised to allow her a few moments rest but I can take you to see your daughter?"
"Please." Ash nodded excitedly as relief washed over him.
He paused, glancing back at his family, only to be shooed away by his daughter.
"Go, we'll be fine." Kat assured, "Just remember to come and get us when Tory's ready, yeah?"
Ash gave his daughter a small smile before hurrying after the doctor, feeling jittery about meeting the news addition to his family.
The girl was tiny, cocooned inside the pink blanket that was now associated with newborn baby girls. Her face was screwed up in annoyed retaliation to being moved from her comfortable home, her skin tinted pink. He'd always thought that newborn babies had looked strange but this one looked prefect.
And she was his.
He could hardly believe that this was his daughter; that he could hold and watch this little girl grow up, and he didn't have to pay for this with anything. Happiness and pride swelled in his chest.
The nurses lifted the baby out of the cot in the line of sleeping newborn and approached the glass window, holding the child out for a close look. Ash wasn't sure what he looked like but it must have been embarrassing enough judging by the smile on the young woman's face. She laid the child into one of the hospital's travel cots and wheeled the bed out of the nursery. She paused at the door only to say to him, "if you wouldn't mind, follow me – it's time for Mummy to meet the babe" before she continued on her way. The 'new' Daddy followed like a lost puppy.
Tory gave him a weak, but happy smile from her position in the hospital bed, in the private room that Acheron had made especially sure his wife had. She made to sit up and stopped, wincing at the pain in her abdomen. Panic flashing in the depths of his eyes, the God rushed to her side, grasping her hand tightly.
"Are you okay?" he asked nervously.
Tory waved him off. "I'm fine. I'll get used to the stitches in no time. Hows the baby?"
"She's beautiful, Sota. Really beautiful."
His wife's smile made his heart skip a beat. "It's a girl? We have a daughter?"
Acheron squeezed her hand. "We have a daughter."
Tory returned the grip on her hand and turned her head to watch the new baby brought to the side of the bed, her eyes a lit with happiness as she gazed at her first child. The nurse stilled the cot and smiled at the parents.
"Would you like to hold her?" she asked kindly.
Tory nodded excitedly and managed to push herself up into a sitting position, waiting in anticipation for the weight of her daughter. She cradled the child like an expert, gentle but firm, her brown eyes lighting up as she gazed at her in a maternal fashion. Ash smiled at the sight before him that warmed him to his core.
Her face contorted strangely for a moment before a cry tore from her throat, surprising the two new parents.
Tory looked teary-eyed and hurt. "I don't think she likes me very much..."
"Relax sweetie. She's just hungry. Babies are usually hungry after a nap and this little darling slept for longer than the others." the nurse explained sympathetically, "Do you know how you want to feed her?"
"Breast feeding." Tory answered, shifting her child so she was held with one hand, which was supporting her head. She used her free hand to unbutton the front of the hospital gown. She bared her breast to the room and followed the instructions from one of the baby books she had read: rested the child's head just beside her nipple.
Sure enough, the crying ceased as the baby turned her head and instinctively closed their mouth around the nipple. Tory jumped at the strange, and painful, pulling sensation though she didn't let it show, not wanting to worry her husband.
He gave her a look. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it just...feels unusual." Tory assured.
The nurse smiled at them. "Well, it seems everything is fine here. I'll leave you all to get acquainted with each other. Just press the red call button if you need anything and I'll bring the rest of your family in, okay?"
Acheron barely managed a "thank you" before the nurse disappeared. Not that he actually cared at that moment. He was too mesmerized by the sight of his tiny family.
"She is so beautiful." The Parthenopaeus woman whispered in awe, trailing a finger across her small cheek. It hesitated when the child's eyes snapped open to reveal swirling grey eyes.
Panic constricted the immortal as he saw those eyes. His eyes. When he thought of everything he could pass onto his child, he hadn't even considered his unusual and unnerving swirling eyes. Afraid of his wife's reaction, Ash glanced up at her, expecting to see horror or disappointment on her sweet face.
Her smile shocked him.
"What should we call her?" she asked softly.
Ash hesitated for a moment. He knew what he wanted to call her. Had since he found out they were having a child. This had been the only name he wanted for his daughter.
"I know what you want to call her." Tory stated with a smile as she used her free hand to smooth down the pink cotton blanket. Although he hadn't said anything about it, she'd known since she'd been told she was pregnant and no other name, in her mind, would fit her anymore.
Her husband looked up at her hopefully. "Are you sure?"
She made a noise of agreement. "Positive."
He smiled a smile that made her heart flip before his features softened. He took her baby hands into his and she gripped his hand on reflex. "Welcome to the family, Ryssa Parthenopaeus."
As if in approval, the baby girl pulled away from her food source and gave a loud, high pitched squeal. The parents smiled down at the newborn.
"Looks like she's done," Tory smiled coyly at her husband, "does Daddy want to hold the baby?"
Looking rather nervous, Acheron nodded and allowed his wife to place his daughter into his arms. It was awkward to hold her at first but the baby was patient with her Daddy, curling into him when he finally had her supported. He smiled down at her.
"Hello Ryssa…" he found himself saying, "I'm your Daddy. I'm not perfect – far from it actually – but I'm going to try and be the Daddy you deserve okay? God, you're going to be spoilt. And I'm probably going to be the most over protective person you're ever going to meet but your Mummy will be there to stop me from doing anything stupid.
"Aww, that was so cute."
Ash's cheeks turned molten in embarrassment as he caught sight of his family in the doorway: Simi, Kat and Syn with a now awake Calla; Geary and Arik holding Penny, their toddler named after Persephone for all she had done to help them, and her twin brother, Sonny; A pregnant Amanda and Kyrian with a hyperactive Marissa bouncing at their feet.
"How long have you been standing there?" the immortal demanded.
"Long enough my friend, long enough," Kyrian assured with a smile.
"When did you guys get here?" Tory asked happily when Geary approached her and kissed her cheek in greeting.
"About five minutes ago. Kat called us as soon as you went into labour – sorry it took so long. You know how I drive." She answered with a smile, "Besides, did you really think I would miss my baby cousin having her own baby?"
"Simi came to us. She got bored waiting for the 'baby akra" to arrive and wanted something to do." Amanda gave the man an accusing look, "Why didn't you tell us Tory went into labour?"
"I was panicking a little at the time. Tory had to have a C-section," Ash assured.
Arik looked pale, almost afraid. "I know how you feel."
Geary waved her husband off as if it was nothing, an amused look on her face. "Oh don't be such a wuss. I was the one who was under the knife and I was under aesthetic anyway. The only thing that hurts is the stitching afterwards," she paused to glance at her cousin, "By the way, a warm bath and chocolate ice cream does wonders."
Tory laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Uncle Ash? Can I hold the baby?" Marissa asked, standing on her tip toes as if she could see the baby in the man's towering six-foot-eight form.
Ash smiled down at the small child. "Of course, sit down – it's easier to hold Ryssa that way."
The small blond nodded excited, her gapped teeth smile contagious, and rushed over to one of the seats – Kyrian helped his daughter into the high cushioned chairs. She wiggled into the back of the chair and held her arms out expectantly.
Gently, Acheron laid his daughter in the young girl's arms, instructing her how to support the newborn's head.
"She's so small." Marissa stated, awed, before she looked up at her mother, "will my new brother or sister be this small?"
Amanda smiled and placed a hand on her swollen belly. "He could be. He could be even smaller."
The child's look of amazement made the adults of the room laugh. Sonny and Penny slowly approached the chair and stood on the balls of their feet to see their new cousin. Ryssa, who had been completely captivated by the presence of Marissa, turned her head at the noise and patted her hands wildly, her eyes wide enthralled.
"She has Uncle Ash's eyes," Penny stated.
"She's pretty…for a girl…" Sonny trailed off grudgingly, allowing her to hold his finger in her vice like hands.
"Isn't she?" Arik ruffled his son's hair affectionately, gently moving both his children away so that Kat, who was trying to hold Calla still, could get closer to her sister. Calla reached out a hand and touched the smooth skin of the baby's nose. On reflex, Ryssa stuck her tongue out, licking the palm of the ten month old. Calla squealed at the sensation and pulled her hand back, a huge childish grin on her face.
"Akra Simi wants to hold akra-Ryssa."
"I want to hold her too." Penny piped up.
"And me!" Sonny added.
As their child was passed around their collected families, Acheron returned to his wife's side and grasped her hand tightly, bringing it up to place a kiss on her knuckles.
Thank you, he projected to her, his eyes swirling with power and adoration, Tory grinned and squeezed the hand in response.
Ditto.