The Moment I first Laid Eyes on You…
It was nighttime on the peaceful world of Oa, everyone was mostly asleep with the exception of a few still up and about attending to their business and jetting off like green firelight within the city. In one of the many vast structures, a married couple were living there and one of them happen to be a red lantern who was still up and had his own reason why he was even at this late hour. He was in bed lying close against the one person he felt connected to after everything that's happened, and watching her as she slept peacefully beside him.
She look so tranquil, her face so serene while the lights outside gave her green skin an illumination glow. She was so beautiful and he could never get enough how he felt lucky to have Aya in his life.
She was pressed against him, or as much as she like to since her stomach was protruding out and was bulging out but he did not mind. That was another reason why he was awake as he had felt something tapping against him and realize what it was. He gently reach out and rubbed where he felt the kicks and knew his child must be active inside her but he didn't want to wake up his mummy. She had been through so much the last few days and needed her sleep and he knew the child wasn't trying to do that but it must've wanted to move about.
Soon, he thought, very soon you'll be out and then you can move around as much as you want. He didn't know whether their child would be a boy or girl but it didn't really matter as long they were healthy and happy that was all he was concern about. He would see that they be loved and cherish and know that he would be with them just as he did for his beloved Aya. Aya shifted and then she began to moan out loud before he saw her eyes open and look over at him.
"Aya everything all right?" He asked, wondering if something was the matter, was it already time yet? He knew that it was a bit too early to think so but with Aya in her eight and a half month pregnancy he had to make sure. Aya shook her head and place her hand on her stomach, "No we're fine but I'm feeling a little hungry, I'm sorry if I woke you but can you…"
"Ah of course and I was already awake anyways." He got up and made to get his breeches on but he turn and ask, "Is it something that I can get here or do I need to…"
Aya twirled a long white strand before pushing it behind her ear as she looked at her husband cutely, "Is it all right if you go and pick me up some ice cream, I really like the mint green kind and a couple cherries and some tomato sauce if you don't mind, pretty please." Razer try not to let it show but hearing that combination of food and knew none of them were found on Oa. So it looks like he would stopping by Hal's sector again. But how can he refuse such a request from his darling and knowing he would do anything for her heart's content and go across the galaxy if that was what she needed or had a strong craving for.
He picked up his ring and slipped it on, donning his Red Lantern Armor. He turn around and look to his wife, "I'll be back as soon as I can."
He kiss her on the lips and then turning his attention to her belly and speaking to it, "And you, be good for your mummy while I'm gone, don't act fussy or anything."
He pat it once and then felt the slight kick against his palm knowing the child understood even though it might seem impossible. Aya smiled and then place her hand over his, "I think he does, he won't cause me any trouble while you go out for us."
Aya was convinced it was a boy and Razer had no reason not to believe it as he had a feeling she was right. Which was why they had painted the baby's room a light blue color with a bit of green and some dash of red to it (Much to the amusement of Hal and Kilowag who helped him out with the task when he requested their assistance in decorating the room.)
"Sit tight and relax, papa will be back before you can say 'Hal Jordan is a Poozer'." Aya frown and before she can retort not to say such to the baby, he was already walking out of the room and heading towards the veranda.
She look down to her stomach shaking her head chuckling, "Pay no attention what your daddy said, mind you your uncle does tend to do something that's a little out there but he's not really that bad, he's a good person just like your papa." She rubbed her tummy while lying down as to wait for her husband's return with her midnight snack unaware of what was to happen within the next few hours that would surprise them.
Razer meanwhile had jet out of Oa and was flying out into space and heading straight for Hal's home world, the sector known as Earth. It would take him about five minutes to get there but he would need to give the Green Lantern a head's up just to let him know his arrival. Last thing he want is to accidentally walk in on him when he and his girlfriend were…ok he doesn't need to think about it, he just want to get the food and head home and cuddle up with his wife and go back to sleep. No need to go recalling that scene as that was the last thing he want to consider stuck in his head for the rest of the flight.
He arrived outside the large vast neighborhood, seeing a dozen or more of the two story houses within the area and was the location of where Jordan was residing. He was going towards the one with the light green roof, the only one in the entire block to have it and moving to the back where he saw the green Lantern already waiting for him, wearing a pair of sleep trousers and a nightshirt.
"Hey wondering when you show, almost woke Carol until she realize it was me being called." Hal said as Razer drop down and laid on the patio beside him. He grunt, not much in the mood for talking but really he just wanted to get in and out and head home to his beloved. But this was the only planet within the sector that carried the necessary items that Aya desire to eat though he couldn't understand how the cream had any ice or why most it was mint when it wasn't a plant? But he wasn't about to question whatever his love desire and just grab the things he need and be on his way back to Oa.
Hal knew the drill as Razer had been force to come by when the cravings hit Aya and she was very much interest in eating the food that could only be found here and Hal was consider the food concierge for their help. He didn't mind as he did want to make sure that Aya and the baby were all right, after all he wanted to make sure the kid was fine so he can teach the kid everything, including taking him to his first baseball game when he got the chance.
"So what's the deal this time? Is she hungry for a Caesar with pickles and mash potatoes, Taco Bell with some ketchup or pizza top with everything and whatever else I can only imagine a pregnant lady would want."
Razer shook his head to him. "No she wants mint ice cream with cherries and tomato sauce." He said to the green lantern as they stood outside for a while.
"Ah well that almost seems all right, with the exception instead of chocolate sauce its tomatoes. Hang on let see what we got or if we need to run to the store." He allowed him inside the house and together walked towards where the kitchen was. Hal was heading towards the fridge, looking inside to see what was there and wasn't long before another join them over and Razer saw was Hal's fiancée, Carol Ferris. She saw them and said hello to Razer when she saw the red lantern standing to the side, "Hey Razer nice to see you again, even at four fifteen in the morning."
She wore a light pink terry cloth robe with a pair of fuzzy slippers and was coming downstairs to see what was going on.
Razer nodded at her as she walked over towards them. "Sorry for the short notice but Aya had a carving for some ice cream and knew the only place likely to have it and sure that Jordan here would have exactly what I needed." Razer said to her politely. He had to admit, he found he enjoy her company as much as he liked the others though didn't say it out loud.
For one she wasn't anything like Hal although he almost half expect to find Carol to be somewhat like him but apparently that wasn't so and thankfully not like Kilowag even if she did seem a little bossy but only to Hal when she needed to tell him off on something. She did seem to have a way to keep Hal on the balls of his feet and it did amuse him at time when she knew when to make him see her eye to eye. That and it was funny to see how Hal was trying to make up for all the excuses he done when he got out of their dates with Carol now that she knew of his secret identity as the Green Lantern.
That and not to mention she could whip out her star sapphire ring and teach him a thing or two that no one would expect from the likes of her but when it came to such things as their relationship, no one would say they weren't perfect for each other. He would hate to imagine what Hal would do if he and Carol manage to have kids but Razer knew he and Aya would be fine once their little one was born and not have to worry about their family together.
Carol yawn before she made to sit down opposite Razer as she join him at the table. "Hey it's no problem, I mean how's Aya doing, the baby all right?" She had gotten to know about the former Navcom AI when Hal return to earth and explain his nine month absence before he made the introduction of the entire group when he invited the gang here and she met Aya who turned out to be Razer's girlfriend. They did bond well and Razer was pleased Carol took being a motherly figure to Aya as she got to help her if she had any questions that she was unsure of and being very supportive of her and such.
"She and the baby are doing well, the healer said the baby is very healthy and should be here sometime within the next six weeks." He made sure to always go with Aya to see the doctor so he can make sure the both his wife and their baby were all right while the healer made to certified that both were at a 100 % good health and nothing was wrong with the growing fetus in her womb. It helped ease some of his earlier fears but he still couldn't help worrying about them from time to time even though Aya reassured him everything would turn out all right.
"Mmm yes but you best make sure cause sometimes there are case when something happens and might come early or late, what do doctors really know anyways. They always make a good estimate but it all depends if the child really feels ready to come out. I do hope that I get to see them soon, I got all sorts of baby clothes that I'm sure Aya would love since she believes it's going to be a boy and I know a woman's intuition is never wrong."
Hal then came over, carrying a box holding a carton of mint flavor ice cream, a jar full of cherries and a can of tomato sauce. He held out the box towards Razer, "Ok here you go, one mint ice cream with cherries and tomato sauce all packed and ready to—" Just then their ring started glowing and were receiving an incoming transmission from Kilowag.
"Hey buddy what's up, why are you calling us now, is something up in Oa?" But Kilowag said nothing as he turn to where Razer was and then shouting out at him, "Poozer there you are! The heck ya doing! This is no time for having some guy bonding time, Aya just send us a signal and called me over. She look like she was in pain when we got there and saw there was water all over your bed like she wet herself. Galia went to check on her and told me to call you while she helped her. She says the Baby is coming, I repeat 'THE BABY IS COMING'. You better get your red butt here pronto!"
"WHAT!?" He was so shocked he drop the box and if not for Hal quickly grabbing it before it hit the floor would have made a complete mess. But Razer was too busy thinking, Oh OA, the baby! He should've known something like this might happen, no no no, not now, this wasn't even the due time yet! He shouldn't have left when the slight chance of this might occur and wasn't there for her when it did. He was cursing to himself for having this happened while he was not there. Hal seeing Razer was going into a panic frenzy made to go and calm him, knowing it wouldn't help if he got him all frantic while Aya went into immediate labor.
"Razer chill, now isn't the time to go losing your head like this. Come on let's go and hurry back to Oa!" He hurried after but then Carol said she was coming with them, she pulled her ring out and slipped it on as they quickly ran to the backyard and took off to the sky heading into outer space.
The trio flew straight to Oa and over towards Razer's place with him flying faster than anyone except to see the red going at such a high velocity. But there was a good reason why he was going at the breakneck speed of light. Razer's mind was going into overload as he thought about Aya and the baby and quickly hurrying to reach them in time. He was hoping that she was all right and that the baby would be ok, what about the healer, he would have to notify one immediately so they can help her.
"What took you so long!" Kilowag said as he saw the group rushing in with red in the lead and blasting in like a multicolor red-green-pink flurry. Razer didn't say anything, he just brush past him, wanting to get to Aya but then he grab his arm and Razer turning around about to ask what the big deal was for stopping him.
"Hey hang in buddy, we got the healer coming and Galia had been around a lot of midwives so she's helping her calm down." They heard a shrill scream, none the males had ever heard before coming from Aya but knew that didn't sound good. Razer try to run in but Kilowag grab him. He started struggling but it was no use being in the large Bolivaxan vice grip, "Let me go you big lummox, are you deaf, can't you hear Aya screaming, let me go!"
"Calm down Red, sure the labor a painful procedure and childbirth isn't a walk in the park but trust me when I say you don't want to go in there right now!" Kilowag said as he recalled his first wife when she was giving birth and had never thought he go through such a horrifying experience himself even when she threaten to castrate him with a rusty spork. Man he never though in comparison to facing a red armada couldn't be that less scary than a woman going through the birthing process and left him unable to sleep for months on end.
"Look Razer, Aya will be fine, I'm sure she's as much worried as you but listen she'll be all right, just calm down and take it eas—"
"CALM DOWN, HOW CAN YOU TELL ME TO WHEN THAT'S MY WIFE IN THERE! AYA IS HAVING MY BABY AND YOU'RE SAYING I SHOULD JUST SIT BACK AND NOT DO SOMETHING!" Just when it seem like Razer ready to blast him with red energy so that he can get Kilowag to let go, he didn't see the figure move behind him or notice the object they had in their hand.
CLANG! And Razer was out for the count as he hit the floor with a thud while the two lantern look to the person who manage to knock him down.
"Sorry, I had to do that, it seem like the only way you were ever going to get him to stop." Carol said calmly while holding up a large pink sparkling pan in her hand, having used it to knock him out.
The two Green Lanterns look to the Star Sapphire while she look to them nonchalantly, "Are you guys going to stand there gawking or give me a hand with him? Frankly he's going to wake up in a real bad mood so you better do something while I go and see about giving Galia a hand in there as she might need someone to assist her right now."
Carol resist the urge to roll her eyes at the two seeing they were still looking at her slack jaw after what she did but desperate times called for desperate measures and she didn't see anyone else coming up with anything to help the situation. Men, sometimes the easiest way to get a guy to stop being so over edge was a good smack on the head.
"Ah sure Carol, anything you say." Hal said as he eyed the pan in her hand before she walked into the room to check how everything was and he and Kilowag went to go attend to Razer.
"Man would hate to be in your shoes there Jordan, she looks like she can really slug it to ya, the way she did to Red here." He said noticing the way that Razer was knocked unconscious and might be for the next few hours judging from the large bump he was sporting there. He had to admit though, that had been some quick thinking on her part and knocking red down with just one hit like that, not bad but could more practice. Maybe he'll coach her though if Hal knew what he was thinking he might try to convince him otherwise as the last thing he wanted was to have Carol taking lesson with Kilowag.
They laid Razer on the couch before Hal said, "Well let's just hope the healer gets here soon, cause I'm sure we're all going to be needing some after this." And just five minute after he said that, they heard someone tapping against the glass pane outside the veranda and saw a green lantern who was carrying a medical pack in one of his numerous tentacles and was allowed inside when they open the door to let him in.
He looked at the trio, seeing the one lying on the couch out cold. The doctor seem confused, "Hmm I was told that my medical assistance was needed as someone was in serious labor but all I see is that—" But before he could finish that statement, Hal and Kilowag both point to the other room where they heard the screaming continue and growing louder by the second and the doctor recognize the sound of a female going through the painful experience of giving birth.
The healer put two and two together and realize why the red lantern was unconscious now, "Ah I see, well looks like I have my tentacles full then but just in case, here give this to your friend when he wakes up, he's going to need it with that large goosebump on his head."
Hal look to the green bottle in his hand, it was in a different language but then Kilowag look at it and read what the label said. "Vodka, why would a doctor decide to give Red vodka?"
"I think he has the right idea, as I'm sure we could all use one since I don't think we're going to be going anywhere for a while." He went towards the kitchen to go fix up some drinks while Kilowag stay to keep an eye on their sleeping buddy. They could all still hear the screaming going on and seem like Hal had the right thought as this was going to be a long, very long night.
It took some time before Razer manage to regain conscious after what went down for him. He didn't know what happened as he was starting to come to, groaning out loud wondering what was going on. One moment he was in bed with Aya, the next he's lying on the couch in the living room for some reason and had the mother of all headaches. He started sitting up, his head was hurting badly and made to reach to rub behind and feel a large bump was there. What in the name that was all of Oa, hit him?
How long was he out for and why had he…Suddenly memories came rushing in and then he remembered what happen.
Aya, the baby! He began looking around wondering what went on while he was out cold and saw that Kilowag and Hal were there in the room with him, both talking and seem to be playing a game of cards.
What the hell were they doing, didn't they realize that Aya was in labor! Finally Hal look over and saw he was awake, "Oh hey there sleeping beauty, had a nice nap I see, here you look like you could use a pick me upper."
He hand him a glass full of a red liquid, similar to the glasses sitting on the table by them. He accepted the cup and taking a small sniff before taking a sip of it. Which he regret as it tasted horrible on his tongue and nearly spat out, "By the great rings of Oa, what is this vile concoction, are you trying to poison me!"
"No it's a Bloody Mary, considering that you didn't have much I had to make due what was here and mix it in with a bit of vodka. Also since I think you would like as a complimentary drink as a sign of congratulations papa."
"Wait what?" Razer blinked, did Hal just say what he think he said. Then that would mean…
"Ah I see you are looking well rested sir, I made to stay by your wife and see how she is and both her and the baby are doing fine. You should go and see them now as your wife got up a while ago along with your child to feed."
"Ah thanks…" Razer said quickly before brushing past him and heading into the bedroom as Carol and Galia were exiting the hallway. They came to see Hal talking with the doctor, holding a glass towards him.
"Hey thanks for the vodka by the way, really did help." The Healer nodded, "I dealt with many like him before and believe me they need something to calm the nerves and what better than a nice cool glass of liquor."
"You can say that again."
Razer walked into the room and sure enough there was Aya, sitting up with the pillows at her back, her small form huddled against them but she look ok. She seem so tiny and tired but she seem to be radiating with inner beauty as he looked at the scene before him.
She had lower one strap of her nightgown down to let the baby have access to her breast and watching as he suckle on the teat and cooing as she carefully cradle his body. She was humming softly as well, making sure that the baby was feeding before lifting her head to see Razer standing by the doorway watching them.
"Come here Razer, come say hello to our son." Razer didn't need to be told twice as he walked over and made to pull up a chair to go and sit down and then looking to the child cradle in her arms.
"Our son…" Razer said as he saw her turn the baby around so he could get a good look at him.
He was so tiny, his body wrapped inside a olive blanket to keep from feeling a chill but seeing his little face peeking out. Those round cheeks and cute features he had as he saw their son had his complexion and the faint vertical lines running down the sides of his cheeks and chin matching his. He had a tiny bit of white fuzz on his head and look more like his father with the exception that he had Aya's nose and fine cheekbones. The baby barely stirred as he lied in his daddy's arms and Razer was careful not to make too much movement as he held them carefully, cradle safely in his hold.
"I'm so glad to finally meet you, my son, our little boy…" Razer whispered to his son while holding him close to his chest. He didn't realize it but was crying as he felt the tears of joy coursing down his face.
Aya reached out to touch his cheek and he look to see she was smiling and also there were tears brimming in her eyes as well. "Yes we are so glad to welcome you into our lives Rathe. You have truly made us feel blessed by your presence."
She felt her husband sit on the edge of the bed as he hand her the baby and together the new parents were looking down at their child, smiling as they knew that this was the very being they created with their love.
They would see that they would raise him well and teach him the ways of how wonderful life was and to know that they would always be by his side, through thick and thin just as they had during their adventure together.
