This one-shot has been on my mind for some time. For those of you who know me well know that my wife had suffered a difficult miscarriage a few months back, that left her very sick to the point where she had to be taken to the hospital. She's doing much better, but the experience still ways on my mind on occasion. Also recently this past weekend my father got remarried, and even though I'm happy for him, it was touch to see my father in the arms of another women, so I sort of wrote my feelings as well.
This is set in the universe from PurpleCat's "My hidden Child." So we'll be seeing a familiar little girl as well.
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On with the show.
"Mommy!"
Raven jumped when the voice of her daughter brought her from deep within her thoughts. "I'm sorry sweety, what did you say?"
Five year old Farah rolled her purple eyes, something she CLEARLY got from her mother, "I was wondering why everyone is so sad?" she glanced around at the rest of her family, "You always said having babies is a happy time, but why are we all unhappy?"
Raven took a look at the Titans that had gathered in the common room. Her husband, Beast Boy, was anxiously pacing around the kitchen, pausing every few seconds when his ears would twitch, but then he would get quiet and begin his pacing again. Starfire was holding her one year old, Mar'i, as closely to herself as possible, Raven feeling the outpouring of gratitude the alien princess had for her daughter who was the perfect mixture of her and her husband with his jet black hair, and her radiant emerald eyes. Nightwing sat on the couch, his head leaning on his knuckles and his brows furrowed in thought. Cyborg wasn't anywhere to be found at the moment, everyone assuming he was still in the med bay.
"Oh," Raven let out a small gasp that got her husband's attention.
"Rae what is it?" Beast Boy was by her side in a second.
She shook her head with a chuckle. "It's okay Gar, your son just kicked me." She began to rub her enormous belly, her son kicking her ribs once again. "I swear he's gonna break my ribs kicking me like this."
Beast Boy smiled rubbing his wife's stomach with his own hand, "Yup he's my boy alright." He suddenly got very quiet, "I just hope . . . "
"Has there been any change?"
Beast Boy tilted his head, his ears hoping to pick something up from the medical wing, but shook his head indicating no change.
"Mommy?" Farah climbed up onto the couch putting her head on her mothers shoulder, "Is auntie Kole going to be okay?"
Raven smiled at her daughter, her pale fingers running through her blonde curly locks lovingly. "I'm sure it's all going to be okay. Uncle Drake is taking good care of her." Farah sighed, her tiny hand absent mindedly rubbing her mothers belly, the little girl not having the heart to tell her mother she knew she was lying.
Drake's whole world seem to be crashing down around him, his soul focus being kept on the young crystallized women, lying on a medical bed in front of him. His hand gliding over her swollen belly as he attempted to warm the little life inside. Occasionlly his sharp ears would twitch when he would pick up the sounds of the chief medical officer of the Teen Titans, Cyborg fussing about with some machine, or when Gnark, Kole's adoptive brother would sniffle in anxiety for his sister. But again they were meaningless to him at this point.
Kole's whole pregnancy was a weird, exhausting and expensive experience for both of them. At first it was quite humorous the way her morning sickness vomit would melt the toilet, or how she would end up sleeping for hours upon hours on end, or when she began to crave raw meet and fresh cut emeralds.
Yes you read that right.
Emeralds, diamonds, gold, sapphires, any form of jewelry or treasure, she would eat like rock candy, but they had to be in its pure and uncut form, straight from the ground. She could stomach a few processed stones, but Drake learned early on to play it safe with the real stuff, once again glad that he was BFF's with the king of demons who was able to fund his girlfriends cravings. An interesting result of her new diet made her crystallized form stronger, not that he or Gnark let her fight anymore, but she was more then capable in the event she had to fight or defend herself or her baby.
And the mood swings. Dear god the mood swings!
There was one instance were Drake could swear her eyes became furious black slits with a forked tongue and snarling black smoke. Needless to say he made sure her pens always had ink after that. It wasn't until the last month of her pregnancy that things took a turn for the worse.
Typically for a dragon knight pregnancy, the female would become a dragon in order to lay an egg for the child, and keep the egg super heated via her body heat and bathing the egg in fire until the baby was born. However considering Kole wasn't a dragon she couldn't lay an egg and had to carry the child full term in her womb, but the baby still needed extreme heat to survive, something Kole couldn't provide. Once again though, her crystal powers proved useful in helping the baby to survive by crystallizing herself while Drake would smother her in his fire breath, but as time went on, more was needed. Again something Kole just couldn't do.
Now that she was in labor Drake had to super heat her womb to help the baby, but the result was killing Kole at the same time, but he couldn't back off for a moment otherwise the baby wouldn't make it. Time was on they're side for the moment as the contractions were still far apart, allowing Kole to stay in her crystal state while keeping the baby warm, but time was running out.
Drake kept his hand on her swollen belly, Gnark watching over his surrogate sister, while Cyborg monitored the vitals that were attached to Kole. Even in this state the contractions were still continuing.
"Drake, her contractions are getting closer together," he informed him.
"Just give them time." Drake didn't look away from his girlfriend as he spoke.
"Okay, but what can she do? There isn't any guarantee that she'd be able to help in any way."
Drake fought to keep his anger at bay, but he'd be lying if he wasn't feeling the same way. "She's one of the most powerful witches Azarath ever spit out, and if anyone can do ANYTHING to help it would be her."
Cyborg sighed, "Look man, I'm . . . . just trying to prepare you-"
"-for what Cyborg?" Drake stood up, his anger boiling to the surface, "To chose between the women I love and my unborn child, when there's a chance that they both can survive?" Cyborg was at a loss for words, but that's what he was saying. Drake ran his hands through his hair in a failing attempt to keep the heartache back. He came to a stop at the wall on the opposite side of the sick bay. "Cyborg I've lost everything and everyone I've ever cared about, and all I'm asking for is one . . . lousy . . . miracle," Even though he said his name, Drake wasn't speaking to Cyborg, and more like he was speaking out loud. But finally his rage, his helplessness, and frustration pushed his fist through the wall effortlessly.
"IS THAT TO MUCH TO AAAAAAAAAASK!?"
"DRAKE YOU HAVE TO STOP!" The medical equipment, along with the windows, beds, and even the tower itself was quivering under his rage, but Cyborg's reminder of what was at stake helped to calm him slightly. Drake slumped to the floor, tears flowing freely from his eyes at this point.
"Drake," An english accent from the door pulled his attention, "I found her."
Drake got to his feet seeing the red headed witch, and the demon king enter through the door, her hands over her mouth when her forest green gaze met the young women in her crystal sleep. Drake lifted his hand to point at his girlfriend. "Help. Them." He growled.
"There's no need to get-"
"-SHUT UP!" Drake scolded the demon king. Normally Landon wouldn't stand for such a tone taken with him, but considering the situation, and that this was his closest friend, he was going to let it slide . . for now. Drake turned back to the witch. "You OWE me this much!"
Malundra was looking over the young women, her delicate fingers tracing her swollen belly, her eyes closing as her magic washed over her. "Your child is alive, as is Kole, but we need to act quickly."
"Gnark? (What can we do?)" The caveman wondered what needed to be done.
She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Get some gloves on, your going to help deliver your sisters baby." Gnark's mouth fell open, not believing she was asking such a task from him, but he moved without hesitation. Malundra turned to the others. "Drake you need to keep your baby warm, Landon, you'll need to remove the access heat." Landon gave a simple nod and began removing his suitcoat and rolled up his sleeves. "Cyborg, keep an eye on her vitals, and we'll need you to clean the child up as soon as I tell you." He accepted her instructions.
"What about you?" Drake asked.
Malundra rubbed her hand against Kole's forhead. "I'll be helping to keep her from death by healing her while she pushes."
"Will they make it?"
Everyone stopped what they were doing, waiting for Malundra to respond. She glanced at each of them before giving her answer. "If you can help her be strong."
Drake glanced at Kole. The young women who extinguished a fire of loneliness and pain that had been raging in his heart. The young women who helped him to love again, who gave him a purpose, and a family. Noticing that they others had taken positions around her, Drake placed his hand on her belly, his powers already working to warm his unborn child.
"She should be ready to push now." Cyborg commented.
Drake leaned in to her ear. "Kole. I know your scared, and I'm . . . terrified," he chuckled, the tears already flowing, "I know. Me? Terrified? But it's true . . . I can't . . . I can't lose you too. You have to be strong now Kole, if not for me, then for your baby. Stronger then you've EVER been before." Drake placed a gentle kiss on her crystal cheek. "I love you." He leaned back, everyone in the room waiting . . . .
. . . .
. . . .
Kole suddenly became flesh again with a sharp inhale, and a small scream. "It's so HOT!"
"Landon now!" Malundra ordered. Landon placed his hand on top of her forehead, the fire that wasn't warming her baby flowing into the demon king from the hand on her head, through his body to the tip of his other hand, and flowing to an open black and red hole into the ground.
"GNARK! (PUSH!)" Kole did as she was told, pushing with all of her might, a scream ripping from her throat as she did.
Malundra worked to heal her, Landon obsorbed the fire inside of her, Drake keeping his child hot, and Kole pushing with all of her might until she fell back against the bed, her hot watery blue eyes meeting Drake's.
"I ca-I can't do it." she squeaked.
"Listen to me," Drake pushed his face into hers, "Yes. You. Can."
She was sobbing uncontrollably now, "I'm not-I'm not strong enough-"
He cupped her cheek with his other hand, "If ANYONE is strong enough to do this, it's you."
She panted, leaning into his touch. "GNARK! (PUSH)"
Kole leaned forward, gritting her teeth, and holding her breath as she pushed with all of her might, but once again fell back against the bed. Sweat slipping into her eyes. "Drake . . . If I don't . . . make it . . "
"Stop it!" he scolded, "I wont let ANYTHING happen to either of you."
She gave a tired smile, "You can't promise that."
He returned a smile of his own, "I just did."
"GNARK! (PUSH!)" With a gutteral scream and gritted teeth, she pushed. "GNARK! (I SEE THE HEAD!)"
"Kole your almost there." he told her.
She was pale now, her breathing becoming more and more labored. "Drake . . please take . . . take care of our baby . . . . "
"I will, but you wont have to worry, your going to be right there with me."
"Drake as soon as the baby is out, you need to warm the child as soon as possible." Malundra instructed.
"GNARK! (PUSH!)" With one last breath, and a strength she had no idea she possessed, she pushed. She pushed with every ounce of her soul, a scream ripping against her vocal cords as she did so. "GNARK! (SHE'S OUT!)"
Drake leapt towards his baby, not bothering with a blanket, and grabbed the hot sticky child in his arms, his powers working to warm her as quickly as possible. Cyborg was by his side, cleaning out the babies mouth so she could make her first scream . . . .
. . . . but it wasn't coming.
Landon and Malundra worked to heal the new mother, but her attention was on the dragon knight and her child, "Drake . . . why . . . why is-why isn't she crying?" She panted.
Drake shook his head, looking down at his silent baby. "Come on sweety cry . . . . " he whispered, but she remained silent, and unmoving, "Come on cry, please . . . please cry . . . "
Beast Boy and Farah had their sharp ears perked towards the medical room, but slowly their ears began to droop. "Beast Boy . . what is the matter?" Starfire asked, her arms instinctively wrapping around her own daughter who was looking around with large worried eyes. "Can you not hear their happiness?"
Farah began to sniffle. She didin't know much, but she knew babies were supposed to cry when they were born, just like her cousin Mar'i, but there was only silence form the sick bay.
"Beast . . . " Beast Boy only shook his head. Raven placed her hand over her mouth. Starfire began to cry as her husband put his arm over his shoulder. Farah placed her face into her fathers shoulder and slowly began to sob.
Until both of their pointed ears twitched.
"WHAAAAAAAAA! WHAAAAAAAA! WHAAAAAAA!"
"She's crying! She's crying! Oh my god she's crying!" Drake announced.
Sure enough the little girl was screaming in her fathers arms, a collective sigh of relief being let out from everyone in the room at the little girls beautiful sound. Drake went to his girlfriend. "She's . . . she's crying . . . "
"So I hear . . . " she responded weakly. Drake slowly and cautiously lowered the little girl into her mothers outstretched arms. As soon as she made contact with her mothers skin, her cries began to subside to small grunts and whimpers, but she was also beginning to shiver.
"Drake you still have to keep her warm," Malundra cautioned.
"I got it."
A few hours later.
"Mommy, Mommy can we go see her now!?" Farah bounced.
"Not until miss Malundra says we can."
Farah stopped her bouncing and pouted. "But I want to see her noooooooow."
Beast Boy lifted his little girl into his arms. "You have to be patient, mama. You'll see her soon." Farah huffed, but she was no match for Beast Boy's fingers as he began to tickle her mercilessly, her pout quickly being replaced with fits of laughter.
"Can you believe that Drake, the badass Dragon Knight, Anti-hero is a father?" Nightwing mused.
"With sweet innocent Kole as the mother." Starfire snuggled into her husbands embrace, Mar'i sound asleep from all the excitement of the day.
"And my second kid helping to deliver, and I'll be there for BB and Rae's next kid and Jinx and KF's kid." Cyborg puffed his chest out proudly.
"Yeah, yeah doctor Cyborg, if I remember correctly it was Gnark who actually delivered." Raven pointed out.
"Gnark. (I sure did.)"
The common room doors hissed open, causing everyone to get to their feet. Landon and Malundra entered the med bay, both looking tired, but rather content. At least Malundra did, Landon seemed indifferent . . . as always. "They are resting now, but you may go and see them." she announced.
Farah bolted for the door, but a black tendril of magic held her back. "Farah, they are resting," Raven told her. "we need to be quiet and careful." Beast Boy helped get Raven to her feet, then wrapped an arm around her waist as she waddled from the common room to the med bay, Starfire and Nightwing close behind. Farah was first to hit the door of the med bay, her violet gaze peering inside from a crack in the door.
Drake had changed into his dragon form and was lying on his belly with his tail wrapped around and exhausted looking Kole as she lounged against him like an enormous scaly, and warm body pillow. And there wrapped in her arms was a small bundle in a light blue blanket suckling on a light blue pacifier.
"It's okay Farah," Kole called out to her, "You can come in."
Even though Farah was excited to see the new baby, she was nervous. She was told auntie Kole was sick and not doing well, but she seemed okay right now. Hesitantly she entered, her eyes locked on the little girl in her mothers arms, Beast Boy and Raven right behind her.
"How are you feeling Kole?" Raven asked.
Kole let out a small laugh leaning against Drake's warm body. "I feel like I just gave birth to a planet."
Farah lifted herself on top of Drake's tail to get a closer look at their baby and gasped. "Her hair is pink!"
"Shhhh, Farah she's sleeping." Raven hushed, but even Raven had to admit the sleeping babies bright pink head of hair was adorable, as was the two little pieces standing on end like antenne.
"She's kinda tiny," Beast Boy noted, "and chunky."
"Well after all she's been through, it's to be expected she'd be a bit small." Drake commented. "And she's not chunky, she's pinchable."
"Whatever you say," Raven elbowed her husband in the ribs, just as Starfire and Nightwing stepped inside.
"Oh my, she is so cute!" Starfire shrieked causing the newborn baby to stir and whimper in her mother arms.
"SHHHHHHH!" Everyone in the room shushed the exicted princess, but the damage was done. The new baby girl began to cry and wriggle at the loud noise.
"Oops." Starfire peeped, but suddenly the room was filled with a low rythmic humming, almost like a low purring, coming from deep inside Drake's chest. He had heard other dragon mothers do something like this back from his home, so he thought he'd give it a try. At first she didn't take to the music, but once Kole joined in the humming, the little girls cries began to fade to soft whimpers, a light blue pacifier being placed back into her mouth.
"Maybe we should come back." Starfire said bashfully, everyone silently agreed and left the little family to themselves.
"Farah come on."
"But I like the pretty music." she whined, but a sten look from her mother caused her to scamper off of Drake's tail and out of the medical room.
Drake continued to hum to his daughter and girlfriend until all three of them were fast asleep, and remained that way for the next few hours until their daughter began to fuss. Groaning, Drake slowly woke himself, "I think it's time to try that whole 'feeding' thing."
Kole slowly nodded her head before opening her eyes to her daughter. "Are you hungry sweetheart." As if understanding her question, she began to flail her limbs about wondering where her food would be coming from. "Okay, okay," Kole began to get herself ready to feed her.
"Well, looks like I came just in time." Landon's english accent startled them for a moment, Kole blushing furiously. Drake just snorted at the smirking demon before covering his child and girlfriend with one of his wings so his daughter could eat in peace. She wasn't too interested at first, but once she found her mothers breast, she began to eat her fill. "Party pooper." Landon took a seat on a nearby chair. "I suppose congratulations are in order?"
Drake laughed a bit, before leaning his head down onto the ground. "Thanks, but we couldn't have done it without you. Something I hate saying so damn much."
Landon laughed a bit, "Well I consider this young lady my niece and will be spoiled as such. Have you two decided on a name yet?"
"Not yet," Kole piped from under Drake's wing.
"Well ANY ideas?"
Once again Kole spoke, "We didn't really talk about names, but I was thinking about Chloe?"
Both Drake and Landon gave approving looks. "That sounds like a lovely name."
"I like it," Drake continued, "what about for a middle name Cynthia?"
"Cynthia, like your sister? I like it?"
"And whose last name?" Landon asked.
"How about we worry about that later," Drake mentioned.
"Actually how about your last name?" Kole wondered.
He thought for a moment. "Chloe Cynthia Daniels. Has a nice ring to it I guess."
"I approve." Landon smirked and winked at Drake. The three sat quietly listening to the grunting sounds of Chloe as she ate, and as soon as she was done she was brought to Kole's shoulder to be patted and rubbed until she let out a nice wet burp.
"Landon would you like to hold her?" Kole asked sweetly.
Landon smiled. "Thanks for the offer darling, but she needs to be kept warm, and lying in the arms of someone as cold as myself wouldn't be ideal. Next time though." Landon stood up, buttoning his coat. "Till next time." He vanished once again leaving the little family alone once more.
"I can't believe she's here." Kole said tiredly.
"You and me both," Drake nuzzled his head against hers as she placed a kiss on his snout. He swung his head to look at his daughter, whose blue eyes were beginning to take in the new world around her. "She looks so much like you."
"You think so?"
"Well that is your hair and eyes after all."
Kole made a "hmm" noise as she became lost in her little girl, then Chloe's tiny hands reached up and began patting her fathers snout, a small toothless smile spreading across her chubby cheeks. "Wow she doesn't seem scared of you at all."
"Of course not, I'm her father after all." Chloe suddenly let out an adorable little sneeze, a puff of white smoke shooting from her tiny nose. "My father said I used to do the same thing."
Kole looked up at the dragon before her. "Speaking of-"
"-no."
"Drake you need to talk to her, she saved mine, and Chloe's life."
Drake let his head hang for a moment, she was right. She would have to talk to Malundra eventually, but he didn't want to think about it right now. Right now he just wanted to bask in the glow of his little girl as she continued to pat his snout and smile at him.
A few weeks later.
"Come on, is that necessary?" Kole asked with a role of her eyes.
"When you have a sensitive nose like myself? Hell yes it is." Drake muffled from behind a mask to keep himself safe from the stench of his daughters diaper. As if taking pleasure in his pain, Chloe began kicking excitedly with a large smile on her face.
"Are you having fun picking on daddy?" Kole asked cutely, "Are you, are you?" She blew a few rasberrys into her little belly, causing her to kick more.
"Ha ha." Drake placed the offending diaper into a nearby trash can. "How can someone who only dinks milk poop so much, and smell so bad?"
Kole got Chloe dressed in her little light blue onsie. "You just have a sensitive nose." Kole lifted her into her arms and started to rock her as she walked over to Chloe's crib.
"Gnark? (Can I hold her?)" Kole tilted her head, "Gnark. (My hands are washed)." Kole smiled at her elder brother and allowed the caveman to hold her.
"But only for a bit, it's time for her nap." Gnark nodded with a large smile. It was kind of comical to see such a little thing like a baby in his MASSIVE arms, but Chloe took to him instantly each and every time he held her with a happy smile.
Currently the new parents were back at the Titans North Tower in Kole and Gnarks room that had been designed to look like their forest home in the Arctic Circle, complete with trees, shrubbery, flowers, with a wodden treehouse, complete with a flowing river from one end to the other. Sure they needed a whole floor of the tower, but it was beautiful nonetheless, and this was where Drake and Kole wanted to live with Chloe.
Drake collapsed onto a chair in the living room, Kole falling next to him while Gnark was in the nursery with Chloe. "The thing I love most about having Gnark around, is that we will ALWAYS have a babysitter."
"Yeah . . " Kole was searching around her wooden home as if looking for someone.
"You alright you seem distracted?"
"What? Oh yeah I'm fine I'm just-" Finally they heard the sounds of healed shoes as they approached the couple as they sat. They stood up, Drake's happy attitude becoming a scowl.
"What is she doing here?" Drake asked.
The red-headed witch, Malundra strolled into their home. "Drake I asked her here so that we could thank her for what she did for us." Kole stood up, "I'll give you two some time." With a small nod and smile to the witch, she walked back into the nursery.
The two remained quiet for a long moment, neither one of them knowing where to begin. "I'm glad to see Chloe is doing well." Malundra started.
Drake softened his stare. "Yeah . . . thank you for saving them."
She gave a small nod, but the tension was still heavy. "Drake listen-"
"-What? You gonna apologize for abandoning me?"
Malundra shook her head, "If I could do things differently-"
"-well you can't, can you? But Malundra I get it, I get why you gave me away to be raised by the my father and the Dragon Knights. I get why they had me believe I NEVER had a mother, I get it. But what I don't get is why, once I awoke in this time, alone, that you couldn't find me and give me some hope or companionship or something."
Malundra looked at the floor. "What was I supposed to say? That you lived your life believing your mother was dead and that I was your real mother? Would you even believed me?"
Drake continued to stare down the women, "No I wouldn't have. In fact I don't know how I would have reacted, but their is one thing I do know. Whether I like it or not, your my mother, and you may have missed out on my life, but you will NOT miss out on your granddaughters." Drake turned towards his daughters nursery, beckoning from his mother to follow. Gnark had given Chloe back to her mother and she was now attempting to get her to sleep. Drake came up behind her, looking down at the little girl who was looking around with large blue eyes, just like her mothers.
"Malundra," Drake turned to his mother, "Would you like to hold your granddaughter?"
For the moment this is a one-shot, but could possibly be a multi-chapter in the near future. What do you think? Let me know.
Read and review.
