Phillip

James was pacing around and freaking out.

"I'M NOT READY TO BE A FATHER, PHIL! I'M NOT READY!" he screamed agitatedly. I nodded wisely. "I know, James. You have to take it all in."

"Take it all in? You were trying to drown yourself in a toilet when Nela was pregnant!"

I scowled at him. "Not true."

"Oh, it's as true as the beauty on my face."

"Then not true at all, because—"

"IF I HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU ARGUE FOR POINTLESS REASONS, SO HELP ME GOD—"

"Sorry, Nela."

"Sorry, Nela."

Nela glared at the both of us. "Aurora is pregnant, and all you can do is shoot meaningless insults at each other? Is this how a respectable father or king should act?"

We both hung our heads. "No, Nela."

Josh grinned at the both of us and held up Draggy. "Dwaggy says HE KING NOT BAD MAN!" he crowed triumphantly. "DWAGGY KING! DWAGGY KING!"

"Absolutely not! Draggy is definitely not fit to be a king. He, unlike me, hasn't read the encouraging book, How to be Royal, ten times, no, not nine times, but ten—"

The nurse opened the door wearing the biggest smile on her face. She walked away, humming to herself, and adjusting her hospital scrubs.

I could hear screaming and swearing coming from inside.

I shuddered.

James looked just about ready to faint.

"OH, PHIL!" he bellowed, and threw himself into my arms. "I can't I can't I can't I can't I can't—"

"James, you're a man, not a woman. This is what women do. They get pregnant and scream. Do you want to get pregnant and scream?"

James wiped his eyes. "N-no, Phil."

"Then shut up and at least pretend that you like children."

James wiped his eyes again. "Got a tissue on you?"

"No."

"Okay."

Another scream from the door.

"I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T I CAN'T—"

I ignored him this time.

"JOSH WHAT DO I DO?! JOSH PLEASE, PLEASE YOU'LL UNDERSTAND—"

Josh solemnly patted James' head. "He gives you his blessing." I told James.

"Unicons?"

"Yeah."

"Unicons."

"Mister James? Prince James?"

James fell over and crashed down the hospital stairs. I craned my neck to see how far he would go. Nela looked just about ready to explode.

"Just let him go." I said flatly to the nurse.

"Oh." The nurse swallowed. "Could you please tell His Highness that he could visit Aurora now."

"Is the baby born?"

"No, not yet. But, er, I think that Aurora would like some support right now."

I shoved Nela to the nurse. "She's perfect for this." The nurse smiled at Nela kindly, the corners of her eyes crinkling.

Nela smiled back. "Phil, hold Josh while I go. And don't drop him."

I grimaced and picked up the boy.

"Hey, Josh." I said, and smiled when he dimpled.

"How's Daddy?" I asked him. Josh poked his three-foot dragon Daddy in the stomach. "Daddy is hungwy." Josh said solemnly.

"Well. I don't have anything to eat." I said, pretending to check my pockets.

Josh nodded and sat on my lap, and I smiled.

Suddenly, right at the Nela-picture-perfect moment, James staggered up the stairs, yelling, "I'm okay! I'm okay! It's okay!"

"He's never okay," I whispered to Josh.

"Secrets don't make friends." James said, sitting down next to me.

A few of the nurses and the doctors were staring at him. One ran up to him. "Are you alright? Would you like a stretcher?"

I waved it off. "He's had a lot of hits to the head. A lot."

The doctor looked at him, unconvinced.

"He's weird. Don't bother." I said to the doctor.

The doctor left.

James glared at the wall and crossed his arms. "I'm not weird. I'm just cool that way."

Josh crossed his arms too. "Cool dat way."

Nela came running out of the room. "James, Aurora wants to speak to you!" Her face was pink and flushed, but her eyes were bright.

James gulped.

James

Going into that room was probably the scariest thing I had ever done.

The first thing I heard when I stepped in was, "Clean up this blood!"

So I just ran out again.

"I can't I can't I can't I can't I can't I can't I can't I can't I can't I can't—"

Phil raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"

"CLEAN UP THIS BLOOD!"

Phil raised the other eyebrow.

"…"

"WHY IS THERE BLOOOOOOOOOD—"

Nela facepalmed.

"James, it's just—"

"BLOOOOOOOOOOD!"

Aurora

It was painful.

There was too much pain.

WHY DID I WANT A CHILD?

Pain.

Pain.

"Come on, sweetheart, you're almost there!"

I sobbed.

"AND IT'S A BABY!"

I stopped crying.

A tiny, pink, wrinkled bundle was placed into my arms, it's wailing making my heart break into a million pieces.

I started crying again and hugged it to my chest.

"Would you like to know if it's a boy or a girl?"

"OF COURSE NOT WHY WOULD WE?"

Phil, James, Nela and Josh were standing in the doorway.

"Blood?" James asked cautiously.

I shook my head.

He started sobbing.

"It's a girl, Your Highness." The nurse said, smiling.

"She's beautiful." I whispered, wiping my tears and staring at the tiny piece of life I had created it.

"What's her name?" James asked.

"Well, you're her father, you should know." I laughed.

James looked nervous. "How about we all choose together?"

"No." Phil said.

"I like Francesca." I said thoughtfully.

"Vivica." James said.

"Victoria." Nela suggested.

Phil stood there for five minutes.

"Marie."

Everybody stared at him.

"I LOVE IT!" I said happily. "Francesca Vivica Victoria Marie!"

"See, she liked my name…." Phil smirked.

James frowned. "I AM THE FATHER AND SHE SHALL LOVE MY NAME OR—"

"I love ALL the names!" I said brightly.

"Isn't she pretty, Josh?" I asked him kindly.

"She ugly. She so ugly." Josh said, wrinkling his nose in baby disgust.

Phillip snickered. "High five, son. No girls for us."

Nela glared at him.

"Her name is Francesca. Do you like it?" I asked Josh, ignoring his earlier comment.

"Fwanquaqua. Fwankie!"

"REVELATION!" James crowed, slapping Phil's back.

I beamed. "Frankie! Oh, how beautiful! How fit for a princess!"

"We're leaving, son." Phil said grumpily.

"YEAH!" Josh put his hands on his hips and stalked out the door, his father on his heels.

Nela's lips were in a straight line.

"I apologize for my family." She said to me through a forced smile.

I laughed. "No, no, don't apologize! They've made my afternoon! Right after Frankie, of course." I said, staring in wonder at my new child.

James held her in his arms and looked at her like she was the most foreign thing on the planet.

"…Josh, why is Daddy wet?"

"I PEEEEEEEEEED!"

"AGH!"

Phil came back into the room, looking grumpier than normal.

"I'd just like to congratulate you on your child. You made it." He made a tiny fist bump. "Whoo."

James looked at him like he had grown three heads.

"Shut up, James."

"I didn't even—"

Nela mock-smiled at Phil. "Oh, Phillie, your heart grew three sizes today!"

James looked confused. "He had a heart?"

Phil whacked him in the head.

"Hey, hey! Holding a baby here!"

I smiled to myself.

Some things never change.

But you know what?

But I like it that way.

Kieran: Aaaaaand it's a wrap!
Crystal: Dawn is FINISHED! THE END! James: But the series is not over. *raised eyebrows*

Phillip: Are you kidding?!

Nela: I dunno, I kinda like this series.

Crystal: Well, the continuation is a different story for a different time.

Kieran: Peace out!

Aurora: Bye, guys!

Josh: WAINBOWS AND UNICONS SITTING ON A CLAWD!

Aurora: PS. Frankie says hi.
:)