4. Will and Maggie
Carolyn's parents, Brad and Ramona, arrived on March 2nd; they planned to stay at Mel and Justin's house for a month. Carolyn was relieved to know that. Her father and mother were used to living in the lap of luxury, and the Grenville mansion was as luxurious as her parent's houses in Boston and Florida. On the other hand, the Compton house was much smaller, and not at all what they were used to. Lately, the house seemed like Grand Central Station with Sookie and Sammy staying with her, and Sharon and Gwen visiting almost everyday.
Carolyn noted that her father was starting to look his age now; his blonde hair was graying a little at the temples. At sixty five he was still a distinguished and handsome man, but his face had a slightly drawn look to it, and he had lost a little weight. Carolyn wondered why; she would make a point to ask her mother before they left. In her late forties now, her mother was still as beautiful and vibrant as ever; her devotion to her husband was wonderful thing to see.
Gwen and Sharon stopped by almost every day after work. Sharon had her own news; she was pregnant now too; Al was beside himself with joy. Gwen looked happy for the first time in months. She had recently started to date a shifter named John. He was a buyer for a large national department store chain based out of Dallas, and he was a quiet, computer geek too. She wanted to introduce him to Carolyn and Bill the next time he was in town; she thought that he and Bill would have a lot in common.
Carolyn's brother, JJ, or her sister-in-law, Antoinette called almost everyday or contacted her on Facebook; their site was loaded with pictures of JJ and Bradley, their thirteen year old son. The two were proud of their handsome teenager; he was tall and blonde with green eyes just like his grandfather. With his open personality and smiling face, Carolyn knew he was going to grow up to be a real heart breaker. Bradley was a popular young boy; he excelled at sports and was captain of his class swim team, but he was a good natured kid who was easy to love.
Uncle Jake kept in touch by phone. The twins, Jake Jr. and Robbie were ten now and they loved to talk to their cousin, Carolyn, every chance they got. They were doing very well in school and had adapted well to life in New Orleans. Jake's mother watched them while he worked. Widowed for a long time, she told Jake they gave meaning to her otherwise empty life. Carolyn knew Uncle Jake still grieved for Aunt Maggie; she wondered if he would ever get over her. She prayed that he would.
Bill went to work every night until two days before Carolyn was due. He planned to stay home with her for at least four weeks after the twins were born. He had a great Assistant Manager who would cover for him at the office; two gifted salesmen would take care of his clients. He didn't eat anything again, at least not in front of Carolyn or Sookie, but he still got up early and went to bed late.
By late afternoon on March 7th, Carolyn's back started to ache; she couldn't find a comfortable position, standing, sitting or walking. She was so big, she couldn't get off the bed or out of a chair unless someone helped her. She thanked God that Sookie was there to help her. She didn't leave the house, except to walk in yard. She felt tied to the bathroom and begun to feel like her bladder was ready to explode. Amy assured her and Bill that everything was normal during her nightly visit.
For all of the drama of Sookie's labor with Sammy, Carolyn's was a relatively easy. Her labor started about five in the morning on March 8th while she was lying in bed talking with Bill. When her contraction hit, Bill felt the pain through their bond. He had known for days by the change in her scent she would deliver today.
Bill wished once more that he was human; he wanted to stay by Carolyn's side all day. He cursed the fact that he was vampire by the time he was forced to lay down to rest in the small fourth bedroom at the end of the hall. He didn't want to be in anyone's way in the master bedroom in the event Carolyn delivered his babies before he awoke that evening. Besides, he didn't like the idea of Carolyn's parents walking into their bedroom while he slept on the chaise in the room.
Ramona and Brad arrived about ten o'clock. Carolyn's contractions were regular and stronger now. With Ramona on one side and Sookie on the other, Carolyn paced the floor for what seemed like hours. Each time they sat down to rest, Sookie made Carolyn practice her breathing techniques. Ramona fixed a light lunch for them all, but Carolyn couldn't eat anything.
Around three o'clock, Carolyn's face contorted after a particularly hard contraction, Ramona asked worriedly. "Are you all right, darling?" Carolyn started to say, "I am fine, mom." when her water broke; a another contraction hit hard. Sookie called Amy Ludwig who got there within thirty minutes. Because of the unusual circumstances of the twin's parentage, Carolyn and Amy decided the delivery had to be a home birth. Ramona, Sookie and Amy managed to get Carolyn back upstairs and dressed her in an old flannel night gown before they put her into bed.
Their bond was wide open now, so even though he rested, Bill could not fall asleep. He felt every contraction that Carolyn felt; and wondered how she could endure the pain. His body turned and twisted on the bed as each new contraction hit, but there was nothing he could do to help her; for he could not move a muscle. He day dreamed about the births of his first three children long ago. His first wife, Caroline, had such a hard time during each delivery. He thought he would lose her when she gave birth to little Lee; so Bill was more than afraid. Since these babies were both vampire and human, Bill was petrified no matter what Amy Ludwig said. As far as they both knew, no human woman had ever delivered a child with such mixed parentage.
Carolyn could feel Bill's growing fear and anxiety through their bond; she had felt it for days and tried to ease his mind. Today, in between contractions she sent him soothing thoughts of love back through the bond. She deliberately made herself stay calm. Her efforts to keep Bill calm helped make her labor much easier than she expected it to be.
Bill sprung fully awake about a quarter to five, his insides felt the babies coming fast. He felt another contraction and had an overwhelming urge to push hard. Carolyn was panting, now. He could hear Sookie panting along with her, coaching her.
"Don't push, yet, Carolyn! Not yet! Not yet! just a few seconds more! Now! Push hard! Ah; here we go!" Amy said. Bill felt Carolyn's body push his son into Amy's waiting hands, and he heard his son's first cry a moment later. In a flash he was dressed and in their bedroom.
"What took you so long, Bill? Carolyn weakly smiled at him. He climbed up in the bed behind her as Amy placed cleaned little Will's nostrils and mouth and placed him on Carolyn's breast. Bill was positively enchanted as he reached out and touched his son for the first time.
His daughter, Maggie, was in a hurry to be born too. Carolyn gave a shuddering exhausted cry as the little girl slipped easily out of her. When Amy picked Maggie up, she wailed as loud as her brother did before. "Well they both certainly have strong lungs." Amy commented as she cleaned her nose and mouth too. Then she handed Maggie to her father. Bill beamed with pride at the beautiful baby girl he held in his arms. He touched her tiny hand as if he didn't believe she was real; Carolyn reached out and touched Maggie's back. It was a dream come true for them both.
After the placentas were delivered, Amy asked Sookie to stay, but she shooed Ramona out of the bedroom. "Bill has work to do, and you really don't want to see it. By the way, Ramona, I would like to get a sample of your blood before I go. Your husband's too, if I may?" Ramona nodded as she walked toward the door.
At the doorway, Ramona protested, "Why do I have to go, but Sookie can stay?" Then she turned around and understood why: Bill held little Will in his arms and he was chewing through the still attached umbilical cord. "Oh, my God!" Ramona said; the sight of what Bill was doing both fascinated and nauseated her. She went down stairs and took a stiff drink from a bottle of old scotch Brad had brought with them to celebrate. She didn't say a word to Brad about what she saw.
Bill sealed the cord with his saliva; as he did so, he made sure he got lots of Will's blood in his mouth. When that was done, Bill used his tongue to gently clean his tiny son off, and handed him to Sookie while Amy tended to Carolyn. A minute later, Bill did the same thing to Maggie. Before he cleaned her off with his tongue, he made sure he got a good mouthful of her blood as well.
When he finished cleaning the twins, Bill sat the bed next to Carolyn. He pricked his finger with one fang and placed a few drops of his blood in Maggie's mouth. As he started to rub her gums, two tiny, sharp, milk white fangs descended and lightly pierced Bill's finger. "Look!" he excitedly said to Carolyn. "She has fangs." For some reason that made Bill proud.
"I wondered if that would happen. They're natal teeth, so don't get your hopes up, Bill. They probably won't last too long." Amy said. Sookie handed little Will to his father, while Carolyn cradled Maggie in her arms. Bill rubbed his blood onto his son's gums, and he was lightly bitten again.. All three women were fascinated by the sight of the half vampire, half human baby as he latched himself hard to Bill's finger. His fangs bit deeper than Maggie's, and Bill was proud of that too. With this small exchange of blood, Bill permanently bonded himself with children; his face glowed with happiness as their minds came alive in his brain.
"Let's leave them alone now, Sookie." Amy said; she and Sookie stepped out of the bedroom into the hallway. While Carolyn held her twins in her arms, Bill moved to the bottom of the bed. With his tongue, he began to gently clean the blood off Carolyn's legs and body. She knew this would happen because of her experience with Sookie and Eric, but she had no idea how erotic it would feel. Even after all the pain she had just gone through, she was mightily aroused. Bill could feel her arousal through their bond, and kissed her, his tongue explored her mouth for a long time. He pulled back and in a voice husky with desire, he said with a frustrated sigh, "Not fair, you little minx! It's too soon for loving right now."
"I heard that vampire; you two are not going to be doing that until I say so!" Amy cackled through the closed door. Her hearing was as sharp as a vampire, and she had a lecherous grin on her face. A few minutes later, Bill opened the bedroom door and invited Sookie and Amy back into the room.
As she passed him, Amy said, "I have a present for you, Bill." She folded his outstretched hand over a bunch of tiny squares. When he opened his hand, Bill saw that it was a handful of colorful condoms. "What the ….? You mean that I have to....?" Bill stuttered; he couldn't finish his sentence; the words just wouldn't come out. Bill's now rosy face went pale again for a few moments.
"Now, now, Bill. Since we know your little men are alive, we don't want Carolyn to get pregnant again too soon, do we?" Amy gave a little snigger then roared in laughter at the stunned look on Bill's face. This was something he clearly had not thought much about; what vampire in his right mind would. "But, Amy, I, I.....!" he stuttered again.
"Don't worry, my friend. I gave Carolyn a prescription for birth control days ago. I just wanted to see the look on your face." By this time, all three woman were howling in laughter; Bill's distress was truly a comical sight.
By the time the twins were washed in warm water and dressed, Mel and Justin arrived. They went upstairs together with her parents to see their niece and nephew. Carolyn was holding Will, and Bill was holding Maggie. They looked like an ordinary human couple holding their newborn children. Carolyn began to nurse Will and winced slightly as he bit her, but after a moment, she felt no pain. "They have fangs!" Bill announced proudly to them all.
If anyone had any doubts that these babies were Bill's, that doubt disappeared the minute they saw them. Besides their tiny fangs, they both were the spitting image of their father: they had dark wavy hair, Bill's mouth, his nose and face. Their complexion was Bill's when he was still human. But their eyes were strictly Carolyn's: they were sparkling green. Little Will weighed in at eight pounds ounces; he was twenty twenty two inches long. His sister, Maggie, was much smaller at six and a half pounds and only sixteen inches long.
Mel, Justin, Brad and Ramona fussed and fussed over the twins as Ramona snapped pictures for Carolyn's Baby Book. "You have two fine, healthy babies, Bill. I still don't know how you did it, but you should be proud of yourself." Mel smiled happily at her brother-in-law, but she had a wistful look in her eyes when she looked at Justin. He had the same look in his eyes.
While the others were in the bedroom watching Carolyn nurse Maggie, Amy walked out into the hallway and beckoned Bill to follow. "You know your children will always be in danger because they are yours. There will be no denying that you are the father, but you must not let anyone know they were naturally conceived. Tell anyone who asks that you and Carolyn went to a private fertility clinic. Don't say anything more than that." she advised him.
She continued, "Its not known to the human world, but in the last few months, a few scientists have made great strides with vampire/human in-vitro conception. In Britain, one has managed to take a male vampire's DNA and insert it into a human embryo. His human mate was successfully implanted with several eggs; she is expected to give birth in July. From what I have read, the same thing has been done in Switzerland several times using surrogate mothers. It's a known fact that fact scientists all over the world are trying to find ways to assist vampires have children of their own. Soon it may become commonplace."
"The story will soon be published in London from what I understand. Once humans find out about this, you can bet there will be a lot of trouble for the children and their parents. There are many fanatics now who think that any form of in-vitro fertilization is evil. Now with the possibility of human/vampire children, there are too many crazies out there who will want to find and destroy them." Amy's face was grim as she related this warning to him.
Bill knew the truth of his babies' conception would cause many fanatics to hate them and possibly want to harm them. Skin Heads and The Fellowship of the Sun came to mind. Bill was worried before, but hearing Amy actually voice his fears made him feel desperate. "My children will have live in the human world too, Amy; sooner or later, its bound to come out. What do you suggest that we do?" he asked.
"You told me that Mel and Justin are going to be their godparents. If you and Carolyn agree, and if they are willing, Mel and Justin should both bond with the twins as soon as possible. Three vampire protectors are better than one." she replied.
After holding each baby and taking several pictures, Brad and Ramona went downstairs to celebrate. Amy and Bill approached Mel and Justin who were still in the bedroom with Carolyn and Sookie. She explained to them all exactly what she had told Bill moments before. Carolyn looked terrified, but both Mel and Justin agreed eagerly; they were going to be god parents to their niece and nephew in more ways than one.
While Carolyn, Bill, Amy and Sookie looked on, both vamps bit into their forefingers and place a few drops of their blood in each baby's mouth and rubbed their gums. Again two tiny pairs of fangs bit the finger in their mouth. Mel and Justin were amazed by the sensation. Using two clean cloths soaked in blood from both placentas, Bill gave them to Justin and Mel who put them in their mouths and sucked hard. As they tasted each child's blood, they bonded with them; love for Will and Maggie flared brightly inside them. Justin and Mel knew they would die to protect them, if it ever came to that.
After the bonding ritual, the three vamps went downstairs to join the grandparents. Bill broke out a bottle of Royal Blue filled three crystal goblets for Mel, Justin and himself. At the same time, he poured Ramona, Brad and Amy a glass of very fine champagne. Together they toasted the health and happiness of William Thomas, Jr. and Margaret Ramona Compton. They toasted the health an happiness of Carolyn as well.
Upstairs, Sookie was sitting in a rocking chair near the twin's bassinet. She was nursing Sammy while talking to Carolyn. Her bond with Eric was wide open now, and she felt a surge of love and warmth come through. As she felt Eric, her head lolled back and her eyes closed halfway. She was smiling. "You can feel Eric, can't you? " Carolyn asked. She was happy for her friend.
If it weren't for the turmoil of the last few days that took her mind of her own situation, Sookie would have been in bad shape. This was the first time since Sam had left that she felt a little better. It was the first time since that night in the cabin that she felt the bond come alive. She knew the pain she felt over losing Sam would soon be at an end. She didn't know when, but she now had a future to look forward to; she was happier than she had been since she broke the the first bond she had with her love.
In the living room, Amy took a sample of Ramona and Brad's blood, then Bill poured Amy and the humans a shot of scotch each. After he finished his drink, Brad and Ramona left to go back the Mel's. It had been a long day for them, and Brad was exhausted by then.
Amy, Mel and Justin were talking there when poured two drinks, one for himself and another for Amy. As he sipped his drink slowly, his two vampire friends looked on with awe. "We knew you were changing, Bill, but we didn't know how much. Amy, is it his fae blood that's doing this? How much more will he change?" Justin asked.
Amy looked at them, and said, "He eats now too." The two vamps were incredulous.
Amy looked over at Bill. "I don't have the results of your DNA test yet, Bill. I won't have it for at least another week, but I did take another look at a sample of Carolyn's DNA that I had from her first visit. She's human, but different. She has a whole strings of dominant genes that are usually recessive in humans. I have no idea what those genes do, but I suspect they are what makes her different. I think your fae blood creates the syngergy of your combined psychic and blood bonds; that's why it is so strong. But I think it is those unknown dominant genes acting as a catalyst on your fae genes that are what is causing the changes in you. I will confirm that when I get the results of your DNA test. I want to see if you are changing her in any way too."
She turned to Mel and said. "Mel, I would like to take a sample of your blood too. I want to see if you have the same markers as Carolyn. She is your half sister isn't she? I wish I had a sample of her aunt's DNA, I understand she had psychic abilities too. Don't worry, I do all the DNA testing myself. It's too dangerous to let these samples go to another lab." Mel was surprised, but she agreed.
Amy wasn't finished. "Mel, Justin, I saw you two when you were holding the babies upstairs. I am sorry that nothing will ever allow a vampire couple to have their own child: the female womb must be alive to carry the baby to term. But you should know that there are many vampire children abandoned by their makers or their human parents. These children need a home."
Justin said angrily, "It is a travesty that vamps turn children, and that humans have allowed vamps to do so for money. Although these vamps look like children, their minds and emotions quickly outpace their bodies. The truly young ones will never fit in to either world, and they go wild. Some have already turned feral and had to be destroyed! Only older children have any chance at all at making it as a vampire. If I had my way, no one under the age of twenty one would ever be turned. I hope to stop the practice of turning children. It's something I planned to work on if I win a seat in the legislature next November." Mel who had been turned against her will at the age of nineteen nodded her head in agreement.
"You two are different from any vamp pair I have ever known. I have seen the true love you two have for each other. I think you would make ideal parents for some of the older children. Why don't you think about it?" Amy said.
Mel and Justin just looked at each other and blinked. It's true that seeing Carolyn and Bill with their children had awakened a strong desire in them both. It was a desire that neither had known they had before.
Later than night, Bill sat in the rocking chair with one child in each arm. Carolyn was sleeping deeply now, worn out by their births. In a croaking, out of tune voice, he sang an old lullaby as he rocked them to sleep. He thought of what Amy said earlier, and he was consumed by a fierce determination to protect Carolyn and his children from harm.
When his babies were finally sleeping soundly their bassinets nearby, Bill got into to bed beside Carolyn. He listened to the magic of three dear hearts beating to the rhythm of life. Bill was happy and content as he fell into slumber.
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